If I move to the SF Bay Area, where should I live?

[OriginalWheelman]

So my wife had a job opportunity come up. If she takes it, we will have to move to San Francisco. I'm aware of how expensive it is to live there, and I've looked at how much she will need to make to live there. My concern is where to live.

Essentials:
Will be working downtown.
Prefer to commute on public transport.
Prefer somewhere 'cheap'. Yes I realize how this sounds.
We will be taking the Mazda.
We will probably take the Z31.

Currently, we're looking at Alameda. She could commute via ferry, and she would be working less than 10 blocks from the SF Ferry building.

I had someone recommend Sausalito, but it seems pricey.

So once again NICOnaughts of California, your opinions please!

[Bubba1]

So my wife had a job opportunity come up. If she takes it, we will have to move to San Francisco. I'm aware of how expensive it is to live there, and I've looked at how much she will need to make to live there. My concern is where to live.

Essentials:
Will be working downtown.
Prefer to commute on public transport.
Prefer somewhere 'cheap'. Yes I realize how this sounds.
We will be taking the Mazda.
We will probably take the Z31.

Currently, we're looking at Alameda. She could commute via ferry, and she would be working less than 10 blocks from the SF Ferry building.

I had someone recommend Sausalito, but it seems pricey.

So once again NICOnaughts of California, your opinions please!

I'm no native, but I've been there a few times. "Inexpensive San Francisco" is kind of an oxymoron. Sausalito is charming but can be very pricey. We've been there. The area's mass transit system is pretty good (and not just the cable cars in the city). I don't know anything about the ferry service or how reliable it is, but it might be advantageous to have an alternative mass transit routing to/from the city besides water if you live outside it. According to some of the folks I know who lived out there, you might also check out Glen Park or East Bay. Both are supposed to be mass transit accessible, family friendly and reasonably priced (well, for SF).

[the converted]

Alameda should be a decent place to live. There's some pretty sketchy places on that side of the bay, so make sure that you look around your neighborhood when you look at a place. Sausalito is more of a tourist trap than anything and is priced as such. Also check out the areas south of the city for places.

It's an amazing area to live, it's just anything but cheap.