- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
City Storage & City Cellars
Category: Local Services Self Storage Self Storage
500 Indiana St(between 18th St & Mariposa St)
San Francisco, CA 94107
Neighborhood: Potrero Hill
(415) 436-9900
Announcement
City Storage will be closed on Presidents Day, Monday, February 20, 2012.
Announced one week ago- Hours:
Mon-Sat 8 am - 6 pm
Sun 11 am - 4 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
41 reviews for City Storage & City Cellars
41 reviews in English
-
Review from Steven H.
San Francisco, CA
1/8/2012
I really like this storage facility and I've made use of it twice: once when I was going to Australia for a work assignment for a few months and presently for seasonal, sport gear, extra books, anything that won't fit in my condo.
The location is great, especially if you commute down the peninsula by car. You can slide off the Mariposa exit on the way home and drop off / pick up quickly. There are a good number of parking slots. Near the parking area area are a variety of carts and dollies which will help you get your stuff loaded.
The facility stays very clean and the office staff are friendly but not too inclined for blathering. I also feel like this is a more secure option than other storage places (unprotected, semi-outdoor, etc.).
I wish I had another 10x10 in my place that I could store stuff in, but I think CS charges a fair price for a nice facility. -
Review from Christopher A.
San Francisco, CA
12/23/2011
I found the facility to be very clean and secure compared to others I'd tried. The climate control is very good for storing things (Like drums) that might be damaged by exposure to moisture. The owner of the facility has ensured great security and cleanliness and uses it to store his own wine. So he has a stake in the quality of the facilities.
Brian was very courteous and helpful in discussing the pricing for my space as a first-time tenant. He offered a great yelp promotional campaign to us for a vehicle to help us move in.
A very positive experience all around. -
Review from Mari l.
San Francisco, CA
11/16/2011
Brian from City Storage went out of his way to help me move some furniture to their Potrero Hill location this morning, and I couldn't have had a more pleasant experience. He was also very honest as of how much room he thought I needed, in oppose to trying to sell me a larger unit - I had no idea and would've gone for anything he suggested, so I appreciate the honesty. I was having a stressful week and he made the process so much easier for me.
The facilities are conveniently located, the prices are right, and the staff is friendly and professional, so 5 stars to City Storage! -
Review from Chris G.
San Francisco, CA
6/23/2011
I had an excellent experience with City Storage earlier this year. I was moving out of an apartment in Potrero Hill, and needed some storage for my things until I found a new place. Price, location, security, accessibility and cleanliness are what I look for in a storage space. City Storage has all of them covered.
Location is perfect since I was in (and ended up moving back to) Potrero Hill, and the price was the cheapest in the city. It is very well monitored and secure. Very accessible, as theres plenty of parking inside and a big loading bay area, next to 6000lb-capacity freight elevators. The building was just recently built so It's very clean, well-lit, modern, and temperature-controlled.
When I rented a unit, I realized I forgot to buy a lock. Instead of mentioning that they sell locks, the man at the desk gave me a brand new one for free, sort of a thank you for doing business with them. That's huge! It's so rare to get service like that, at any business.
If I ever need another storage unit, I know just where to go, and won't even bother with the risk of trying a different storage company. -
Review from trevor g.
New York, NY
3/29/2011
When looking for a good storage space I immediately went to Yelp to see what my fellow SF peoples were ranting about. This is how I found City Storage & City Cellars.
We showed up with that dumb founded look on our faces not really knowing how much space we needed. The helpful staff asked us what we were storing and how much space we thought we needed. Turns out we thought we needed a small apartment but in reality they suggested something much smaller which in return saved us some coin. Right there I felt we made the right decision, as a consumer you never want to feel you overpaid.
Anyway I recently closed my account with them (due to the fact I am moving out of state) and I have to say they were just as nice and helpful as the day I signed up. Tim was great, cheerful and responsive - everything that you should be when dealing with the public.
So would I recommend them, yes. They space is clean, its affordable and the climate is never too hot or cold. -
Review from Tevya T.
San Francisco, CA
5/27/2011
I had a great experience at City Storage on Indiana for the year that I needed storage; the staff is friendly and helpful, the facility is clean and the prices are competitive. This will be the place I will go for any future storage needs. They also talked me into a smaller sized unit when I described what I would be bringing and they were not only right that I could fit everything into the smaller unit, but I still had a more space to spare! Great outfit, keep up the good work City Storage; I recommend this place to all my friends seeking to find a storage place and if I ever need to store items again this will be, hands down, the place that gets my business!
-
Review from Mark A.
4/12/2010
I will never, ever use any other storage company in SF. You can see from the other reviews that they are immaculately clean, relatively affordable, and super secure. What I want to focus on is the out of this world service I got from them.
It all started when I moved everything I own into City Storage. Before I reserved a unit I got an estimate from my moving company about what size I would need. Their estimate was uncannily accurate, as there was literally not one square inch of my 6'x9'x8' unit unoccupied by boxes when we were done.
You know how on airplanes they tell you to be careful when opening the overhead bins because things can shift during the flight? Apparently that's also true for storage units. A few months when I went back for my stuff, I couldn't get the door open because some of the boxes had moved on top of the inner lip on the door. Figuring I couldn't have been the only person to have this happen I asked the guy at the front desk what to do. He was stumped and spent the next half hour endangering his life crawling around in dark places trying to sneak into my unit from the back of another unit and then wedging himself down into tiny, claustrophobia-inducing spaces in my unit to try and unwedge the door. I was kind of having a panic attack in the hall way just thinking about what it had to be like in there, I can only assume he was an ex-Navy Seal or something the way he performed under the pressure.
Luckily we got the door open (and by "we" I obviously mean "he") and all was well. If this was any other storage place, my stuff would probably still be locked in there by the forces of gravity and less than amazing employees. As far as I'm concerned City Storage is the ONLY option in town. -
Review from Evan G.
5/27/2009
I love them. Alas, my new apartment needs my stuff, so now I can't use them anymore. But here's my laundry list of loves about City Storage.
When I knew nothing about storage units, they helped me out.
When I left my license there, they held on to it, and were sassy about my getting it back. Sassy in a good way.
When I parked - PARKED - in the entrance to the parking lot, they gently suggested I park in a different spot. "Park anywhere. Except where you are now." :-)
When I forgot the key to my unit, they were more than accommodating. (Arrived at the desk with the bolt cutter before I even finished telling my story about how I left the keys at home.)
When I had questions, they answered them and were helpful.
When I had no idea that I had to sign in upon a return trip to the unit, they nicely suggested I do so.
When I had to use the bathroom, it was there, it was clean, and it had energy-efficient lighting. LOVE IT!
When I had to store stuff, the unit was amazingly clean and easy to get to.
When I had to get it out, they were open.
When I couldn't be there to escort my moving company into the unit for the move-out, they sent me authorization forms to get it all done from 3,000 miles away.
Service is second to none, and the people are kind and good-humored. Love them! -
Review from Aimee G.
6/22/2008
To all the apartment dwellers of SF:
Do you really need your snowboard in your closet? How about your yearbooks, old love letters, or that blanket that grandma made for you when you were a baby? If you're like me and don't like clutter (but you don't want to throw away those precious treasures) than take them on down to City Storage.
We had a storage unit and wine locker here for several years before we moved to SoCal. City Storage was fantastic across the board - the facilities are spotless and well-maintained, the customer service is excellent, and the prices are reasonable. I highly recommend this place to anyone who needs self-storage - and honestly, in SF, who doesn't?!? -
Review from Jenny K.
San Francisco, CA
4/15/2008 3 Check-ins Here
Have you ever moved halfway across the county and had your possessions held for ransom by a gang of thug movers before?
Have you ever stored the contents of your one bedroom apartment (including your air conditioner, mountain bike, camping equipment and cds ... but I'm not bitter...) in a boyfriend's garage only to abandon them after breaking up rather that see the ex again?
Have you ever stored your boxes in your friend's basement and found dehydrated mice inside (who had gotten trapped inside and died) when it was time to unpack?
For the aforementioned reasons (and more), I absolutely loathe moving. Despite this, I've still managed to have ten different addresses during the past eight years. Before my last move, I needed to put my belongings in storage and chose City Storage because of all the great reviews on Yelp.
The entire time my items were in storage, I was completely satisfied with the cleanliness, maintenance and safeness of the facility. My unit was clean when I got it, and it was indoors in a climate-controlled building with plenty of elevators and carts to assist me with my move in as well as out (*which turned out to be handy because the asshat movers that I hired to get me out of the unit actually didn't have jack with them when they came to move me!!!!! losers!!!!).
Anyhoo.... I can wholeheartedly recommend this storage facility to anyone. Put your mind at ease and rent here!!! -
Review from randal S.
San Francisco, CA
7/25/2010
Compared to the national chain whose rent goes up every quarter, my fee has been rather stable over these last 4 years. But now there's a moth infestation. And though I've left my key with the management twice, all they do is hang a couple sticky paper traps in my unit. The moth colony continues to hop between the units through the open ceilings.
And compared to the national chain whose hours are "7-7-7" (7-AM to 7-PM, 7 days a week) I find myself always forgetting if City Storage is open on sundays. The stuff I need on a whim always goes to my units at the national chain.
The sign-in book is weird. It only annoys the good folks, and I don't understand how that system keeps the bad guys from marching right up the elevator with bolt cutters. Whereas the national chain has a gate with a code.
The carts are funky. When they opened, most of the carts were only good for beams of lumber. There are two rollaway bins available, but people always leave dirt and leaves in them and I have to sweep them myself before hauling costumes (who stores live plants?). -
Review from Eric S.
San Francisco, CA
12/20/2007
I'd rather herd cats while poking hot forks into my eyes than move all my worldly possessions again. But as painful as moving is, I can guarantee that City Storage will be one of the LEAST hot-fork-pokey things you will do.
In my experience, anything associated with the moving industry is a big dodgy: unreliable movers, jalopy UHauls, etc. But from the moment I arrived at City Storage, things were downright pleasant. I was greeted by a kindly gentleman who helped me park my truck, then checked me in and offered me water and candy. Then he showed me to my stuff's new temporary home, and briefed me on the carts, elevators and office hours.
Everything about the place just feels clean and organized. Yes, you still have to haul your things into and out of elevators and down hallways. But doing so at City Storage just felt as easy as it could possibly be.Listed in: Downright Fantastic
-
Review from Inna V.
San Francisco, CA
10/2/2007
This past sunday my wonderful stay at city storage ended.
I took advantage of their buy two months get a month free offer and they pro-rated the end of the month for me. 3 1/2 months for less than $300!
The place is clean, the people are really nice, they give me candy when I sign in/out and they even gave me a free lock!
They stay open 8-8 on Thursdays which is awesome.
I highly recommend this place! -
Review from Liz O.
San Francisco, CA
10/1/2008
In the transient urban environment that is San Francisco, sometimes, a storage unit is all you have to call your own.
I shopped around a few local places and I thought I'd just take the cheapest space I could find. But then I found City Storage and I realized that if a 4x6 unit was the only place that was truly mine in this crazy world of ours (rental though it may be), it had better live up to a loftier set of ideals. In short, my storage place needs to be not just a reflection of me, but of my ideal self.
City Storage fits the bill. Unlike the slob that I truly am, City Storage is neat and clean. And punctual, too -- opens and closes right on time. The people that work there are unfailingly pleasant and professional and like I am in my dreams, highly organized. They are always proffering candy (in my defense, I do that too, sometimes). If I owned a set of twelve brightly-colored dollys, would they be lined up in absolutely perfect symmetry? Not likely, but they are here at City Storage. And like my ideal self, City Storage is always on my way to the gym.
So I'm paying a few bucks more (not that much more, really) to store my stuff in City Storage. Why? Because I'm worth it. -
Review from Jess R.
8/31/2009
I love it here.
I've used City Storage about 4 times now, and I only have incredible experiences here.
It is clean, safe, well lit, and doesn't smell like funk. They also have water jugs and tootsie rolls in the office.
Using storage is never a fun experience, and moving can sometimes be outright frustrating, but using the services of City Storage has always made the experience as smooth as possible.
I've always loved them, but it wasn't until a recent experience at a different storage facility in the area that made me truly appreciate everything that City Storage has and does... -
Review from Andrea U.
Los Angeles, CA
8/1/2007
This facility is phenomenal. I shopped around for a week, looking for a storage unit that was a) actually available and b) affordable enough to rent out for four months, and I'm glad I went with City Storage. Their warehouse is huge, and although their rates are about $10 more than neighboring facilities, they eliminate half the stress of moving by making the storage process so streamlined and well-organized. I'm currently renting a clean, secure unit for a good price, especially since I prepaid for the next two months and got the third month FREE.
This place is so good that my plans for this weekend actually include coming back to organize my unit! -
Review from G R.
San Francisco, CA
Great location to store your extra stuff. The only concern is that this out of the way location finds itself next to a major construction site the new UCSF hospital. Lets hope this place does not become a victim of development.
-
Review from Peter S.
Piedmont, CA
4/13/2009
To echo what everyone else has said, this is a great place to store your things. Clean, well-lit, and very safe.
My only complaint is about their hours of operation. While it's nice that they stay open late on Thursday nights, I would rather they put those extra hours into their weekend times. For folks that work Monday to Friday, and generally have a crazy day on Saturday, being open on Sunday's from 11 to 4 is just too short a time.
Last time I visited, I asked one of the staff about their busiest days, and he confirmed that weekends are *much* busier than during the week. Makes sense to me..So why not stay open later on the weekends? I would even go so far as to suggest they close on Mondays and stay open until 8 on Saturday and Sunday.
Now, in spite of these crazy hours, I still have to give them 5 stars for all the positives of the place. But I hope they reconsider their schedule! -
Review from teray g.
San Francisco, CA
6/5/2010
Fantastic space, very clean, well lit. Friendly staff. Candy and water in the front desk. Boxes for the taking, neatly stacked just outside the office. Nice bathroom.
Did I mention clean? I'm told the owner is the kind of guy that sometimes patrols the halls with a white rag to check that everything is well-kept. Gotta love that.
Only downside -- short hours. Made it a challenge to move stuff in while I was working. But that's what weekends are for, I guess! -
Review from cuyler b.
San Francisco, CA
1/19/2008
I'm not necessarily the type to write reviews but my experience today at City Storage on Indiana put me over the edge. Enough such that I decided to create a profile on Yelp just so I could say how awesome these people and their facility is. I went in today looking to upgrade my wine storage unit to a bigger size and the gent that helped me (Tim #1) was so incredibly helpful that it gave me new hope in mankind. He spent more time showing me ALL different sized lockers than I would have expected anyone to do. He even took care of all the paper work and delivered it to me for me to sign inside my storage area so I could get on with moving my stuff and more importantly get on with my life.
It's a great facility that is safe, secure, clean, modern, well priced and easy to get to. This place is top notch and I can't imagine trusting my liquid possessions to anyone else. -
Review from Nika S.
San Francisco, CA
4/24/2010
City Storage is AWESOME. This was my first ever experience using storage, and I was pleasantly surprised. As other Yelpers have mentioned, it is very clean, well lit, and safe; I had no qualms about leaving my expensive bikes in my storage unit, no sleepless nights worrying if they would still be there when I came back. The guys who work there are all super friendly, and it's true what they say: a bowl full of Life Savers and Tootsie Rolls is at the front desk, something I always looked forward to whenever I had to stop by my unit. Plus, it's pretty affordable, even for underemployed people like myself.
I hope I never have to use storage again, but if I do, City Storage is the only place I'm going. -
Review from Brandon B.
El Cerrito, CA
11/24/2008
Great storage spot. Possibly the best I've ever seen. Very secure, tons of parking, always heavy duty cars available and absolutely spotless. I mistakenly left this spot early this year and have regretted it.
The guys that work at the front are friendly and accommodating. The only downside is that it isn't cheap, but as I found out, you get what you pay for. -
Review from m.e. t.
San Francisco, CA
12/3/2008
Best storage I have ever had in the city. I have used them on two occasions while out of the country and between apartments.
The staff is friendly and helpful. This place locks down like Fort Knox at night. No crazy people living in their storage space here. Easy to drive in and unload your stuff. Plenty of carts for everyone. You get what you pay for and if you wanna keep your stuff safe, dry and pest free this is the place. -
Review from Jennifer B.
Santa Cruz, CA
3/18/2008
I stored a bunch of crap here for almost 2 years until I relocated out of the country. Now I'm finally moving home to SF (YAY!) and I'll be using these guys again.
The facility is clean, well lit and secure. It's convenient and parking is not an issue. Super friendly staff and reasonably priced. -
Review from Sean S.
San Francisco, CA
6/28/2008
I have been using City Storage for a few years now and have nothing but good things to say about them.
Most everyone living in SF doesn't have enough space for all your crap, and this is a great place to put it.
They are clean, friendly, secure and always have mints or tootsie rolls or some other lil bit of candy at the office (at the Potrero one anyhow).
My friends and I keep a bunch of our Burning Man stuff in here, because, well, where the hell else are we going to store a dome and a kitchen and a radio station year round?
I think their prices are comparable to othersas well.
If I had one gripe it would be about their open hours, which can be a bit tough sometimes. However, I do know that is mainly for security reasons, so in the end that is a good thing. -
Review from Lisa L.
San Francisco, CA
6/14/2010
I absolutely agree with other yelpers about the quality of the facility: it is extremely well-maintained, monitored via close-circuit camera, and seems pretty Fort Knoxish, unlike many other self-storage businesses. I feel secure about leaving my things there and that is the most important consideration in the final analysis. Or is it? At the moment I'm on the fence.
Why? I had a pretty disgusting human interaction with City Storage staff today. It was not a customer service situation per se, but it was so repellent that I feel inclined to describe it.
In short, the off ramp from 280 was closed when I was trying to get to City Storage today -- as were most streets surrounding the facility. I was actually a little worried that the City Storage building was on fire or that there was a gas or water leak or something that might be affecting my stored stuff. When I finally figured out how to get to City Storage given all the blocked off streets, I had ruled out a fire (zero smoke, though there were a few fire trucks near by) and was quite curious as to what had happened. I asked the guys behind the counter if they knew what was going on when I signed in.
They quickly informed me that there had been a terrible automobile accident on the 280/Mariposa off ramp in which a woman had lost her life. I thought to myself "what a pity" about this person's demise, and assumed that that was the end of my interaction with the counter dudes. And that's where things went south. The guys there had apparently been joking about the accident (!) before I got there and wanted to include me in their "fun". One of them apparently had gone up to see what had happened and the other jested about how he'd stolen items from the dead woman's car before help arrived. Ha ha. I was so horrified I couldn't muster a proper response in the moment.
I guess they thought that they were being edgy hipsters laughing at death or some such, but the one who was really yucking it up was a middle aged man with grey hair who you'd think would have the life experience to be a little more sensitive about a tragedy, even if involves an anonymous stranger. To that City Storage employee (or owner for all I know), I would like to say: A woman *died.* She could have been a customer on her way to City Storage. She could have been a friend or relative or neighbor of yours. Regardless, she was a human being and she abruptly lost her life just yards away from your place of business. Have a little decency. And if that's too taxing, cork your ugliness around paying customers who might not be as charmed with you as you are with yourself.
As much as I admire the physical facility and its quality (and had already recommended it to several people!), had I not already pre-paid for three months of storage I would be sorely tempted to take my business elsewhere. -
Review from Jazzy G.
Boston, MA
10/23/2009
City Storage is fabulous. One day my key broke off in the padlock and they happily cut the lock open with wire cutters at no charge. Come to think of it, they actually gave me the lock free of charge when I signed my contract, too (a kind gesture!). Storing with them makes the best of a never-fun situation. It is so damn easy to move things in and out of there, what with the ample dollies and the huge elevators. And they are really good about prorating the bill.
As posters have said, their only downside is the relatively early closing time on weekdays, but they're good enough to merit the 5 stars anyway. -
Review from Roberta D.
San Francisco, CA
7/29/2011
Great place for storage. The facilities are clean, easy to get in & out and the staff is very friendly.
-
Review from Anya K.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 2/26/2009
Ah, the power of yelp. He wrote and apologized. I'm a sucker for that sort of thing.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
2/25/2009
Wow. I have no beef with the facilities - they're clean and new and nice.
Prices are reasonable for… Read more »
-
-
Review from Drew M.
Seattle, WA
10/16/2007
Modern, clean and reasonably priced (especially with the one free month offer I got for two months). Always very friendly and helpful. Would definitely recommend.
-
Review from Neil K.
San Francisco, CA
1/27/2006
Located in an industrial area near Potrero Hill, this relatively new storage facility is clean and modern. In addition, they have temperature controlled units for those who want to store delicate items such as wine. My only complaint is they close relatively early in the evening. There is also a 2nd location in SOMA.
-
Review from Don't Y.
Los Angeles, CA
3/20/2007
Best self storage experience of all time!!! Friendly staff, super clean, reasonable prices, 3 month discount, plenty of carts and bins, huge elevators, ample parking... They reserved a unit for me free of charge and the move in process was painless... Thanks Tim, Paul and Sean....
-
Review from Stuart J.
1/5/2006
Very new, clean and spacious, extremely friendly service, what an utter relief after years of dealing with U-know-where. Quite possibly the cheapest place in town, with great deals if you pre-pay for 3 months, including discounts on truck rental.
-
Review from .q q.
San Francisco, CA
8/22/2007
Only thing not great about this place is their hours. Mon-Sat 8-6, Sunday 11-4. When I want to get something, they're already closed, but at least if they're closed, there's no hobo stealing my stuff! The place is a fortress, the staff is nice and super mellow, easy parking, easy truck loading, tons of dollies and carts, giant elevators, clean, and my favorite: cheap. They have some cyclical special of pay 2 months at a time, get one free, so I basically pay $44/month for 4'x4'x8'.
To give yelp some credit, I searched all the other storage places in the cheap and convenient spectrum and this was the only one that didn't have people claiming the owners robbed them, in fact there were no reviews yet, so I figured not knowing something if bad would happen is better than knowing it certainly would and I couldn't be happier. -
Review from Ivan V.
San Francisco, CA
7/10/2007
Wow, talk about a great storage facility. I am so glad that http://Yelp.com helped me research and find this storage facility. I was looking for a convenient, clean, and most important, a secure facility where I could store my belongings while searching for a more permanent dwelling. This place offers great month to month agreements, which is ideal for me while in transition. The staff is awesome, very friendly and knowledgeable. They also offer temperature-controlled storage facilities for those that collect expensive wines. Not for me, but at least I feel that it caters to a more knowledgeable clientele. I feel my extensive library of monographs and my art collection is safe while I am in transition. If you are looking for safe, clean, secure storage, you need to visit City Storage before you commit to any other storage facility.
-
Review from Christine W.
San Francisco, CA
10/22/2010
AWESOME. Got my PODS storage container dropped off, I didn't even need to be there! Went in to unload it and they have tons of carts to use and because it was not busy they locked one of the elevators for us so it would stay open and on our floor for us to use! Super clean, very friendly and helpful staff. Best storage/moving experience ever.
-
Review from Kirk H.
San Francisco, CA
2/16/2009
My first experience with storage facilities in SF and I'm pleased to have recommend friends who've used them too. Very clean, no homeless lingering about or seemingly living here, friendly staff, efficient monthly auto pay program, fair price for value.
I gave 4 stars only because exceptions to normal hours aren't always noted efficiently. Considering how well run this place is, I expect this small but important detail of service. It's inconvenient and frustrating to drive across town to find out they're closed when you arrive.
Update: 2/16/2009, I checked the website and called the office and closed notices didn't exist, but upon refreshing the webpage the notice was clearly posted. Blame it on a cached page or failing eyesight?!#* Still no voicemail message though. -
Review from Jason C.
San Francisco, CA
3/24/2008
Great for wine storage. Clean and very convenient access. I do wish their hours were a little later- means I have to plan ahead when I want to drop off or pick up some wine. Although Thursdays they're open til 8 in case you have to work late. Don't drop a bottle though- their concrete floors are not forgiving!!
-
Review from Alexandra D.
San Francisco, CA
2/18/2008
10/22/09 edited to downgrade from 5 to 4 stars.
Last month when i got my bill via email, I got somebody else's bill, including their name, address and storage number. I emailed City Storage to point out this security flaw, and their reaction was somewhat lackadaisical. They apologized but really showed no significant alarm at sending customers' private addresses to each other. Another reason to downgrade them is that the fire retardant they spray on the overhead beams is very fine and powdery, and it trickles down onto my stored items. I have a rack of clothes in there and it has white powder all over it. I mentioned it to the manager who told me he guessed I would have to move out. Er, thanks for caring?
Original review: I was desperate for storage...and a friend who deals in antique furniture said, "Nah, don't rent from one of those commercial places, they're too expensive. Try to get a private garage in the Mission or somewhere." So...I scoured craigslist for months until I found this disgusting but huge space in the Western addition. It was like 16' x 20' for $125 a month! He had me fill out a massive application (including social security number, bank account numbers, references, driver's license, etc). BUT... I had to go down a side alley of this duplex, and the tenants (USF students and their boyfriends) had dumped a mattress and box spring out there...and a skanky old office chair, beaten up turntable, miscellaneous crap, and the garbage bins...and there was garbage all over. They said the homeless people go through their garbage. But when I went down the LOCKED side alley, I found more garbage in the back yard, broken glass in the alley, a 32 oz beer bottle on the floor. Yuck. My space smelled musty, the landlord insisted on keeping an old boiler in there, plus some ladders and doors, they had busted through the ceiling to hook up the new boiler and hadn't bothered to patch it, so it was old wooden slats and a big hole in the stucco...it was REALLY dusty, dust everywhere...and water was leaking onto the floor. After 24 hours I realized I had made a horrible mistake, and I begged the landlord to let me break the lease and just keep my $250 (first and last). He said he'd put another ad on craigslist. Six days later the ad (for $150 this time, not $125) was gone, so I assume he rented it. So, he's going to make an additional $300 in rent in the next 12 months over what he was going to charge me, AND he gets to keep my $250. Legally he's not entitled to do that but (a) I did offer and (b) I'm soooo glad to be out of there.
So...I decided to bite the bullet and rent a commercial space. I looked on yelp, and this place had the best reviews so I called and spoke to a guy who said they had a 8' x 12' space for $190 a month, and he'd hold it for me - FOR A WEEK!
I went down the next day to see it and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. This place was constructed to be a storage facility, and everything was well-designed. They have a huge parking lot you can just drive into. They have dollies you can use to move your stuff. There are two HUGE 6,000 pound freight elevators. There's a little lobby where you can sit. The bathrooms are right next to the elevator and the lobby, and they're immaculately clean and spacious. The floors are cement and the ceilings are covered in cement so the place is virtually fireproof. There are sprinklers in every unit. There are motion-activated lights in the hallways AND in the spaces so your space is always well-lit. My space is soooo clean! I actually put some of my clothing on the floor, which I would NEVER do in an older space.
There's no hassle when you sign up. No social security number, credit report, references, NOTHING. They just take a picture of your driver's license, you pay for the current month (and the next two months if you want the free month), they give you a free lock, charge you a $10 admin fee, and you go put your stuff in right then!
If you pay for two months up front they'll give you the third month free. But it has to be two FULL CALENDAR months. So if, like me, you sign up on the 8th of Month X, you'll have to pay for Month X, X+1 and X+2 in full, in order to get Month X+3 for free. If you're just signing up for a "buy two get one free" deal, that's something to keep in mind. But I have a feeling I'll be renting here for a loooong time.
I live in the Marina so I just drive down the Embarcadero, which becomes King Street, then I make a left on 3rd and a right on Mariposa, and a left on Indiana, and there I am! It's a really pretty, scenic drive.
Anyway, each time I visit this place I just get happy all over again that I get to keep my stuff in such a nice facility. Sure, it's not as cheap as some garage, but it's more secure, and you're not going to get evicted by some landlord who decides he needs the space. -
Review from Kelly H.
San Francisco, CA
3/26/2009
Have to agree with the masses. This place is great! Very clean, respectable storage facility. I haven't the slightest concern about my prized possessions (pieces of particle board I like to call furniture; but whatever, that's not the point) being stored here. No worries about moths attacking my winter clothing, or some punk roaming the halls looking to steal, or even my vintage merlot going bad. Units are clean, well-monitored and secure, and temperature controlled! Sweet! Not to mention, the man working that day was very pleasant. I believe his name was Joe? He was very friendly and helpful. I'm also a huge fan of the handy dollies they supply at no extra cost. We were able to back the moving truck right in so we were just a few steps to the elevator (ok, 30 steps, but close enough!). The place could use some wider halls so as not to turn my couch into some sort of hands-on math problem involving angles, degrees, etc. but I guess it's a little late for that now...other than that, 5 stars to you, City Storage.
