Yerba Buena Commons

I have been living at Yerba Buena Commons since Jan 2015. It is a very convenient location, 3 blocks away from A&T Park, 2 blocks away from the mall and grocery stores (Target, Walgreens, and Safeway). I’m very glad that I was able to get a room here that was recommended from a friend. The rent is affordable especially with all the studios and apartments in SF constantly rising in rent. It is a small studio and I was fortunate enough to get a room with a large window facing the city and not the freeway. It comes with everything you need (Microwave, fridge, bathroom, and sink) unfortunately it does not have an oven but I bought my own small toaster oven which was perfect.
When I first moved into my room it had bed bugs and I contacted the owner. Since I just moved in and all the other places in SF were super expensive I had no choice. He followed up with an inspector and sprayed my room in 4 week intervals. It still was not working but I ended up going to Target and buying my own raid and sprayed my room and I have not seen one since.
The building is filled with interesting characters and the management and security are really helpful and friendly (Especially Tina and Gabe). So far I’m happy where I live. I know that other reviews say that the rooms are tiny, it’s located around a dodgy area and that it is noisy, this is what I have to say to you: WELCOME TO SF!
That’s the city for you and the area where it’s located used to be sketchy but due to gentrification happening all over SF the area is getting better. It’s just the people who aren’t used to city life, had cheap rent and have lived in a protected area feel it’s unsafe. You should always keep your guard up wherever you go and always take the safest route anyways regardless of what city you are in.
What more can you ask for when your rent is controlled which includes utilities (water, garbage, and electric but you have to pay for wifi and cable), there are laundry rooms and trash chutes on each floor, vending machines, a parking garage (you have to pay monthly), the freeways going to the East Bay and South Bay are right outside, and it is in the Downtown area of SF?
Anyways, I hope this helps people out. You can’t be too picky especially in SF where you have to share a studio or apartment with at least 5 people to make it. Here its affordable and it’s just you living in a small studio. I recommend this place to anyone who’s looking for a place!

I lived at yerba buena commons from september 2014 — august 2015. I had a very hard time finding a place to live in SF. Gabe helped me out a lot and gave me a beautiful little effeciency studio facing SF skyline. The studio is small however has everything you would need. I absolutely loved it, really worth it. Amazing location and I had a wonderful experience with all their associates. Maintenance was great and helpful. I would recommend yerba buena commons to anyone!

I have been been a tenant at Yerba Buena Commons since June of 2014. I am currently in one of the studio apartments within the facility and I have been exceptionally comfortable! The location is quite convenient being just a few blocks away from Market street yet not so close as to get all the Hustle and Bustle of the main roads. I was lucky enough to get a room that is not facing the freeway which is amazing. Also the view of the South of Market area is awesome from the upper floors. The security and cleaning staff are always here to help and are very friendly. The building recently upgraded its water heating systems and interior lighting to be more efficient and contemporary.
Overall I am extremely happy with where I live and would highly recommend Yerba Buena Commons.

They are Tiny Studios less than 200 sq. ft. Each floor is slowly getting new carpet, and kitchens.

My review is based on my experience living here (which was DIRE) from Nov ’12 till Aug 2013 — I’ve since moved out of this place.
WARNING: These SRO Micro ‘Units/​Apartments’ are HORRIBLE. Im terribly embarrassed to have been a tenant here once but I am writing this review not necessarily to slam these SRO’s but to try and be helpful & useful by warning people about this Building!
First off, they are TINY TINY. 175 — 200 Square Feet Small. They are Micro Apartments. Absolutely DISGUSTING for San Francisco to encourage/​permit Single people to Live in.
Rent is around $ 875 and you have to meet low income requirements to qualify. Im not sure about the details or if a section of the building is reserved for Section 8, Handicapped, People on Welfare/​SSI/​SSDI but the Location is Absolutely Dodgy… surrounded by Liquor Stores, A NOISY Freeway, Construction, Hazards, Dangerous Alleys, and Drug Addicts & Dealers are all over this place and the surroundings despite being ‘conveniently’ located in SOMA across from Whole Foods, Escape from NY Pizza, and close to Caltrain, Safeway, and the Giants Stadium.
Each Units has ONE sink that you use for cooking and washing up. Tile is artificial Plastic flooring & there is carpet in the ‘Living’ space. The Unit I rented was INFESTED with Bed Bugs (Which do not Discriminate) Bed Bugs are a HUGE PROBLEM in this building; and had taken over & the carpet that takes up most of the building just adding to the infestation. The carpeting is the absolute worst, & brown in colour. There are bathrooms in each unit with a shower and toilet & they are painted gray/​darkest blue & are dark & scary, not to mention incredibly slippery & accident prone.
The ‘perks’ of living here are the Trash Rooms & Laundry Rooms on Each Floor. There is a patio on the roof with a view of the freeway and all the industrial construction. The second floor has a room with mail boxes, vending machines & a pool table, ‘library’ & ‘gym’ & there is Security of course around all night, though they are VERY busy attending to the many problems this building has. Free cable is included but you have to provide your own TV. There is a big fridge/​freezer in each micro unit, metal burners, a few painted wooden shelves, no space for even a table. Everything is CHEAP. The rooms are secure and you access each Unit with a Hotel style Card/​Key which is a bit unusual.
The tenants that rent here are all supposed to be single, as the tiny micro units couldnt possibly fit more than one person & everyone here has ‘Low Income’ although I saw some families crammed in to Single Units. A lot of bad activities have occurred in this building — drug deals, crimes, overdoses, deaths, horrible fights, scary interventions, & this building was often horribly unpleasant, loud, & noisy.
Be warned, The City of SF ought to intervene & put an end to these kind of establishments for people to have to live in. They’re disgusting. I hated living here but I thought I had no other option during that time I was a tenant & it was an absolute blessing in disguise that I moved. I literally left everything I owned behind & am trying to forget that I lived here. There are no good memories associated with this dreadful awful horrible place & I feel sad, ashamed, & embarrased for having lived here.
If you do decide to consider YBC, please take this review in to consideration, but regardless, do go by & see with your own eyes by all means. Yerba Buena Commons often advertises its micro units for rent on Craigslist. Also do a bit of research on the building/​Micro/​SRO Apartments on google.