Attending all 5 days: I think on Monday-Tuesday there are student orientated workshops. Weds-Fri is usually when the expo itself is open, but you can see the expo floor in a few hours on one day, you don't need all 3 days for it. Friday is usually a half day for the expo and is when a lot of people leave. So if you're…
Honestly, SF so bad in terms of safety to me. I've been to SF several times and for the most part you'll be fine as long as you use some general common sense. Travel with a buddy if possible, don't carry expensive stuff, don't wear your GDC badge outside the convention, etc, things people already posted. As far as housing…