When I heard that my husband was offered a position at the San Francisco zoo, I immediately started looking at real estate in the area. I knew it was going to be expensive to buy a home near the San Francisco zoo. However I was hoping to prevent a long commute for my husband. It’s fortunate that we were given a few months’ notice before needing to locate, because it took that long to find the right house. Although we didn’t end up buying a house, we found a lovely little rental house right near the zoo. It is the perfect size for us. The house includes two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a good sized kitchen. The property includes a sizable backyard that offers plenty of room for our dog. My husband was super excited about his new job at the San Francisco zoo. He had always hoped to work with animals since he was a little boy. He attended UC San Francisco and achieved his master’s degree while interning at the botanical gardens. His goal was always to get hired at one of the larger zoos in the country. The San Francisco zoo is especially prestigious. He started the job shortly after we settled into our rental home in the bay area. We had just enough time to get unpacked and familiarize ourselves with our local area. My husband and I were thankful for the time to figure out the location of the closest grocery store, hardware store, gas station and other necessities. We were thrilled to discover a fitness center right in the neighborhood. The gym is right next to the grocery store, and we can walk there. We both signed up for memberships. We are totally happy with our new location.