| Build it and They Will Come– Upscale Restaurants Get Ready to Feed Rincon Hill’s Future Masses | June 30th, 2008 |
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Among the towers changing our skyline– The Infinity at Beale and Folsom; One Rincon at the top of 1st Street; The Millennium at Fremont and Mission; SF Blu at Hawthorne and Folsom and 45 Lansing, just off 1st Street. Figuring out where the Rincon Hill neighborhood begins and ends is challenging. If you include all these buildings , it runs from Beale to Second and Mission to the Embarcadero. I think of the neighborhood’s heart as Lansing Street, a little horse alley that runs West off 1st Street between Folsom and Harrison. This pocket of primarily residential buildings, both old and new pushes right up to the crest of the hill, with City views on one side and water views on the other. To cater to these new well-heeled folks, upscale restaurants are moving into the neighborhood. Star chefs like Michael Mina and Nancy Oakes are ready to build out new eateries at The Infinity and The Millennium. And Pat Kuleto has already invested $100 million in his two new restaurants, Waterbar and Epic Roadhouse around the corner on the Embarcadero. Other new restaurants already open are Anchor and Hope, a 70-seat “seafood shack” on Minna, owned by Threefold, the same partners who started Town Hall; and Local Kitchen and Wine Bar, run by Ola Fendert of Oola in SOMA. These upscale eateries fit neatly into residential developers’ plans. There’s a cache about having star chefs running restaurants in their buildings. San Franciscans who have never gone East of 5th on Mission, or southward from the Financial District will start to get familiar with the area and begin to consider it part of the City’s fabric. They also turn Rincon Hill into a destination location and give it a sense of identity. The only downside to this exciting new neighborhood is how expensive it is. With only a handful of units built as affordable housing, there is an economic homogenity to the neighborhood that may flatten its character. On the flip side, developers in the neighborhood had to pay hefty fees to the City ($25 a square foot) so that affordable housing with suitable infrastructure could be built elsewhere. |
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With at least half-a-dozen skyscraper condominiums either completed or under construction in and around Rincon Hill, and thousands of new residents will be swarming into the area within the next two years.| Featured Neighborhood - North Beach | May 7th, 2008 |
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Up the hill from North Beach, the neighborhood transitions into Telegraph Hill, another neighborhood where single family homes are rare and little sets of flats and small condo buildings are abundant. This is also where you get some of the City’s most dramatic views across the Bay.
A word to the wise exploring North Beach for the first time without a Realtor: avoid driving if possible as street parking is scarce. Instead, try taking one of the three major bus lines (#15, #30 and #45) or two Cable Car lines that pass through the neighborhood. Fodor’s has a good introductory walking tour of North Beach on their website. |
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North Beach is that rare thing — a neighborhood that manages to be a perennial hit with tourists, and also remain beloved by San Franciscans. For those outside the City, it’s best known for its check-clothed restaurants, cafes and Old World delicatessens. It’s also a popular pilgrimage for fans of the Beat movement seeking the old haunts of Kerouac and Ginsberg.
Settled in the 1850s, the area’s first residents were middle-class Americans. Thirty years later, two-thirds were immigrants, mostly from Ireland, Germany, and France. By 1939, more than 60,000 Italians had moved to this square-mile neighborhood, earning it the nickname of Little Italy. The streets were lined with Italian restaurants, shops, and social clubs. I’ve spoken with many old-time San Franciscans who grew up in North Beach and heard wonderful stories about where they lived and how much– or rather how little– the mortgage or rent was!
(Personal aside– Vestiges of the neighborhood’s beatnik era still hung in the air when I moved to the City in the mid-80s. Some of my artsy friends had a flat with cheap rent on Green at Columbus. The Gray Panthers lived upstairs and I sometimes saw Alan Ginsburg at their parties. I think he even crashed on their sofa from time-to-time.)
For residents, North Beach is a traditional neighborhood. It’s rarely more than a few blocks walk to find a grocer, bakery, barber shop, hardware store, church, school or park. What you won’t find are chain stores– as early as the 1980s, the city placed controls on the type and scale of commercial uses to help protect North Beach’s identity. They also put restrictions on building heights and billboards. Today, historic landmarks such as Coit Tower are visible; no skyscrapers block the view. Washington Square, the neighborhood’s central open space, is a place for morning Tai Chi classes, dog walking, sky gazing, and several annual festivals.
From a Realtor’s perspective, North Beach is what I call a ‘high density’ neighborhood. Single family homes are rare, and home shoppers are more apt to zero in on condos on streets like Lombard and Chestnut. One of the largest condo buildings is the Malt House, which faces both Francisco and Chestnut between Powell and Mason. The Malt House is a former (you guessed it) malt house and grainery. It was converted to 180+ condos in the late 90s. Today, a 2br/2ba unit at the Malt House runs rought $850-950K depending on orientation, square footage, floor plan and outlook.
Generally, the units I’ve sold in North Beach have gone to singles buying their first home– (what better place to start?) and people seeking a pied-a-terre. One-bedrooms generally run in the $750-775K range, although we recently had a sale of an itty-bitty one bedroom for just under $600,000. Add on a view and the price goes up dramatically– we currently have a | Featured Neighborhood - Bayview | April 24th, 2008 |
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I’ve been getting questions lately from first-time homebuyers and clients interested in investing in the Bayview. The new Third Street Corrido light rail is stimulating new interest in this neighborhood. Residential and commercial developers have also targeted the area as one that holds promise and opportunity. Parts of the Bayview still have a scrappy feel to them. It’s a block-to-block affair, particularly in the residential neighborhoods that straddle either side of Third. I know people who have lived happily lived there for years on tidy blocks lined with post-war single family homes, but the crime rate remains relatively high in other parts of this large district. remain troubled by high crime activity (to learn about the crime rate in any particular neighborhood, you can visit the SFPD’s Crime Maps sight.) A second post will be up shortly that focuses on the Bayview strictly from an investors perspective. This one will discuss the Bayview in more general terms to help those unfamiliar with the area gain some understanding. The backbone of the Bayview is Third Street, stretching southwards from the Lefty O’Doul Bridge towards the Daly City border. If you start at this end and head towards the new development, your journey will seem endless. A better way to approach the neighborhood’s heart might be to cut East on Cesar Chavez from the edge of Noe Valley . This wide, busy street runs the dividing line between Bernal Heights and the Mission District, then edges the South Slope of Potrero Hill. Cut a right on Evans and you will shortly hit Third. The streets run in alphabetical order, heading South (Evans, Fairfax, Galvez, Hudson, etc.). It’s so long that it runs all the way through one alphabet and starts a new one before ending at Mead. Noteworthy developments, finished or in the works: 4343 Third (16 units, starting at $350,000 for a 1br/1ba), some small loft buildings on the 800 block of Innes completed between 2000-2005 (resales in the mid-500K range), and 5800 3rd Street (360 condominiums in the works) and 833-881 Jamestown, (+/- 175 condos in the works). 5800 Third has been getting attention lately because the developer signed a deal with Fresh and Easy on the ground floor– this wildly popular grocery chain from the UK is doing aggressive roll-outs across the country. |
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| Featured Neighborhood - Potrero Hill | April 8th, 2008 |
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Nestled right between the City’s two major freeways (280 and 101)Potrero Hill spans roughly 10X10 blocks from 17th Street to Cesar Chavez. “Tight-knit community’ is a hackneyed phrase, but in Potrero Hill’s case, it’s a genuinely apt term. I think some of the neighborhood’s intimacy comes from its geographic borders, which are bounded by freeways on its east and west side.
Price-wise, the homes on Potrero Hill get less expensive once you crest its hill and move south toward Cesar Chavez. Naturally the view homes are the most expensive with the Architectural Digest ones garnering over $1M. There are also a good number of contemporary condominiums in the area with great downtown views.
Some people have expanded their idea of Potrero Hill and moved its North border up to 16th Street. My preference is to call this flat section at the base of the hill the “Showplace Square District,” named for the nearby Design Center buildings. This neighborhood of small warehouses, mixed in with the occasional multi-unit building or loft development is slated for rezoning so that more housing can be built without disrupting the light industrial business climate of the district. Since Potrero Hill isn’t for everyone, and like-minded people tend to stick together, there’s a shared ethos among those that choose to live here which makes neighbors more inclined to be friendly. For those that love it, Potrero Hill often becomes the only place in San Francisco where they ever want to live. |
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When I sit buyers down and tell them about Potrero Hill, the first thing I tell them is that it has some of the City’s best views. You also get great weather — and extra-easy access to freeways for those who need to zoom down to the airport or further south to the Silicon Valley.
Potrero Hill’s quasi-isolation makes its commercial district heavily used and most Potrero Hill dwellers know each other by sight if not by name. Its main shopping strip is 18th Street between Texas and Connecticut. There are some destination restaurants here, such as Chez Papa and Goat Hill Pizza (check out their “all you can eat” Monday nights). There’s also a great independent coffee shop, (you’ll see no chains up here!), bookstore, ice cream parlor and several other interesting small shops.| Featured Neighborhood - Presidio Heights | April 8th, 2008 |
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About Presidio Heights Sitting just West of Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights is a small enclave district known for its quiet tree-lined streets and stately homes. Its rough borders are Presidio Avenue, Arguello Street, Sacramento and Pacific. Shopping in Presidio Heights
There are two excellent shopping districts in Presidio Heights. The better known is Sacramento Street with its fine antique stores and outstanding restaurants like Spruce and Osteria. For daily shopping, locals head to Laurel Village - a quaint mid-century shopping center with parking in the back and a row of shops in the front. This is a place where you can get real things done with two grocers, a book store, a bank, a Starbucks and an old-fashioned five-and-dime.
The Presidio of San Francisco Edging the neighborhood’s northern edge is The Presidio of San Francisco. Once one of the country’s oldest continuously operating military posts, today it is the world’s largest national park within an urban setting. Spanning nearly 1500 acres, The Presido offers a stunning array of recreational opportunities- from cycling and running to golf and kite boarding.
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There are also picnic areas, visitors centers, playing fields, and indoor swimming and gymnasium facilities.
And The Presidio also has some of the City’s most stunning views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Marin Headlands, often framed by Cypress and Pine.| Featured Neighborhood - Cole Valley | April 6th, 2008 |
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“Community” is the operative word for this micro-neighborhood anchored by the corner of Cole and Carl Streets, just three blocks south of the Haight Ashbury. Residents are mostly families and young professionals without the baby stroller traffice and there is no trace of the snootiness that has affected other parts of the city.
Cole Valley has great cache, and its desirability is reflected in the real estate prices. Single family homes easily pass the $1.5M mark and condo flats with good space and period features are hovering right around $1M. To my mind, the demarcation line pricewise for Cole Valley is about halfway between Waller and Frederick. Prices drop the closer you get to Haight Street, so the same place on Walleris a few notches less expensive than one on Frederick. (Thanks to SFGate for their help with this Featured Neighborhood) |
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Despite its proximity to the Haight, anyone who has spent time in this small community knows Cole Valley has a distinct character all its own. 
Most of the businesses in Cole Valley are places where you can get real things done, like Cole Valley Hardware, the Val de Cole wine shop and the Say Cheese! cheese shop. There are also more than a dozen restaurants and cafés along Cole and part of Carl, some of which draw visitors from around the Bay Area, like EOS, one of the city’s top dining spots. Zazie’s is a magnet for locals seeking Sunday brunch.
| New Neighborhood Perspectives And A Word About That Rate Cut | November 2nd, 2007 |
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If you’re in the mood for facts– skip to the bottom for information on the Federal Reserve cut and its anticipated affect on average Joes like us. **************************** New Ways To Visit Your Neighborhoods Those of us who have lived in San Francisco for awhile pride ourselves on knowing San Francisco’s secret corners. In the past I’ve written about places like the Vulcan Stairway, the views from Green and Leavenworth, and the tower at the De Young Museum. Even with all (I think) I know however, I’m still surprised at what other people can teach me about SF’s neighborhoods and history. Following are three resources rich with ideas and info about new ways to learn and explore the City- San Francisco City Guides City Guides volunteers offer free walking tours design to share the fun of discovering San Francisco and its neighborhoods. Along the way they help preserve and perpetuate the history and folklore of San Francisco. Decades ago, I trained to become a City Guide– a phenomenal 6-month experience of Saturday seminars which led to a short career as a walking tour guide of North Beach-my tour started at northwest corner of Washington Square Park and ended at the North Beach Museum hidden away on the second floor of the Eureka Bank building at 1435 Stockton St. Today’s City Guides have an incredible, eclectic array of tours. There are between fifty to seventy different walking tours depending on the time of year. Among the unusual offerings are the “Cityscapes” tour through the Financial District’s hidden parks and rooftop gardens, and an “Inner Sunset: The Birth of a Neighborhood” tour which explains how this charming neighborhood rose from windswept dunes. Other tour titles are “The Palace Hotel,” “Lands End: Sutro Highs and Lows,” and “Art Deco Marina.” To see which tours, are on tap for November, click http://www.sfcityguides.org/current_schedule.html?month=November%202007 ************ SFGate.com Neighborhood Guide Buried deep in SFGate.com is the most comprehensive San Francisco neighborhood guide I’ve ever found. Written by San Franciscans for San Franciscans, it breaks down the City into 24 different districts. Whenever I read it, I learn something about something new-like the shoe garden in Alamo Square or Erich von Stroheim’s filming of the 1924 epic “Greed” at the corner of Hayes and Laguna. The guide is particularly rich with shopping, dining and entertainment tips. Even though some info is outdated (A-1 Hubcaps in NOPA land is sadly gone, as is the Lotta Jansdotter store on Lower Nob Hill), it’s still an amazing site to visit for a refresher on the cool spots you may have forgotten about and a good way to learn new ones. The list of eateries for each neighborhood is exhaustive and mouth watering, and they even have a section devoted to the “Deco Ghetto,” a neighborhood of vintage furniture shops centered around Market and Valencia. Joie de Vivre’s Joy of Life Joie de Vivre’s boutique hotel chain is renowned for offering inspired, creative lodgings. I recommended a perusal of these guides a few months ago when talking about my hidden views and secret spots. They are regularly updated and perfect for out-of-town visitors on their second, third or twentieth visit to San Francisco. Guide titles include “Mommy I’m Bored,” “Help!!! It’s Raining,” and “Romantic Hideouts and Peaceful Retreats.” The JDV Guides are also a treat for those who want to act like tourists for a day. Take a peek and I guarantee that you’ll find fresh inspirations on how to enjoy San Francisco. When I read them through today, I learned Herb Caen’s favorite rainy day route (too keep his fedora dry) from Café Le Central on Bush Street to the Chronicle Building at 5th and Mission. *********************** *********************** And now a word about that rate cut. . . The Feds cut a key short-term interest rate on Wednesday by ¼ point. If you have the stomach for incredibly dry text, you can read the Fed’s latest press release Generally a Fed Rate Cut means that: If you have a credit card with an adjustable rate, rates will fall. For a balance of $5,000, interest costs should fall a bit more than $1 a month. If you have a home equity line of credit, rates will fall. The decrease should come as soon as the November statement. If you have a maturing certificate of deposit, it is likely to renew at a lower rate. However, because banks need deposits, the rates paid on CDs should fall less than the quarter-point. If you want to borrow money for a car, impact will be minimal. Car loan rates are determined more by marketing concerns than pure economics. If you own stocks, prices should rise in the short run because the rates paid on some bonds will fall. This makes stocks more attractive. In the longer-run, however, the overall state of the economy will determine stock prices. If you are applying for a mortgage, the impact is unclear. I actually heard that jumbo adjustables rose the day of the cut, probably because most mortgage rates are tied to 10-Year T-Bills, which rose in response to the Fed cut. T-Bills tend to rise and fall on inflation concerns, not directly because of Fed actions. ************************************************* My aim with these postings is to inform and entertain and my interest in helping you and others continues.Should you think of someone who could benefit from my expertise, I’d love to hear from them! |
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Hello My Favorite People! If you’re in the mood for fun– read the first part of this Buzz.| A Few of My Favorite San Francisco Views and Hidden Spots | February 22nd, 2007 |
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Yippee! We’re back after a week off. . . Thanks again for your continued support. I love working with the friends and associates you’re recommending me to and am happy to return to your inboxes! This Buzz covers some of my favorite views and secret spots. I’m often surprised by clients who have lived here for some years and still don’t know about the Vulcan Stairway or the view from the top of Golden Gate Heights.
Tank Hill Set high above the Castro, Tank Hill lets the eye take in an entire sweep of the City, from Point Reyes to Hunters Point. My favorite direction to look is dead east where ribbons of streets(16th, 17th, 18th) sail down and away towards Potrero Hill. This vantage point also gives you a strong sense of the City’s eastern geography. If you’re up for an invigorating walk, I recommend approaching Tank Hill from the Haight Ashbury side. Here are the directions: Start at Cole and Waller and head south towards Carl. This will take you through Cole Valley, one of the City’s most charming commercial districts. Shortly past Carl, hang a right on Alma, then a left on Shrader and get ready for a hefty four-block climb. At the top make a left on Belgrave and go to the end of the street. There will be a small foot path heading up to some craggy rocks where you can tuck yourself in from the wind and take in the view. .Take a picture for posterity. The skyline is going to change radically over the next ten years and it will be an unusual memento. This link will take you a picture of just one of the great views from Tank Hill. It’s from Joseph Stubbs’ “Bandit Notes Website,” which is dedicated to surveying the most amazing natural environments in San Francisco. Vulcan Stairway To get to the Vulcan Stairs from Tank Hill, head back down Shrader Street to 17th. Then make a right and walk straight downhill for about a quarter mile. Make a left on Roosevelt, then a fairly quick right on Lower Terrace, then an even quicker left on Levant. The top of the stairway will pop up pretty quickly on your right hand side. On your way back up, you can take the Saturn Street stairs, which are almost as good. The best photos online of the Vulcan Stairway are at Sister Betty’s San Francisco Stairways site De Young Museum Tower 144 feet high, the De Young Museum tower’s sleek top floor offers a crows-nest-perspective of the Park Golden Gate Park. The 360-degree view encompasses everything from the Marin Headlands to the radio tower atop Twin Peaks. Access to the lobby and tower is free to the public. To get an idea of the De Young Tower view, click on this photo from local photographer John Agoncillo. Coastal Trail off Lincoln Park I like to get to the Coastal Trail from where California Street dead ends just beyond 32nd Avenue— maybe because my daughter’s alma mater, the Katherine Delmar Burke School for Girls, is there. To reach the trail, head up the stairs at the end of the block and turn right. Work your way along the path adjacent to the Golf Course and you’ll find the trail just on the other side of the El Camino Del Mar. The shoreline part begins on the other side of the 17th Fairway. If you want to get ambitious, you can take the trail the full three miles to Ocean Beach and Cliff House for more sweeping views down the coastline. Click here to learn more about the California Coastal Trail. May I be your tour guide?? I obviously love to show people my fair city and am blessed to do it as part of my job. I’m always delighted to introduce newcomers to the City and am happy to share with them my unique knowledge of the neighborhoods and housing styles. If you know someone who is relocating, please have them call me! |
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Hello My Favorite People!| This Weird San Francisco Market and Some Secret Neighborhoods | January 12th, 2007 |
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*********************************************************** One way I can term the market right now? Weird!!! Some properties go through massive price reductions before selling. Others fly off the shelves with multiple offers. Usually the homes that go through price “adjustments” before selling were overpriced to begin with. For example, 4302 19th Street, an extra large (1600+ square feet) Victorian condo flat at the corner of Diamond (pictured above) came on the market early last fall at $1,050,000. It then went through an aggressive series of price reductions from list price to. . . $985,000, then to – $949,000, then to — $900,000. then to —- $799,000(!!!). . . At that point a buyer snatched it up for $830,000. At under $518 a square foot that’s a sweet deal. On the other end of the scale, prices continue to climb in neighborhoods with small, cute houses like the Sunnyside.106 Baden which is lovely inside but had a scary Permastone façade was listed for $699,000 and sold for $748,000. Another one on Melrose listed for $649,000 is in contract for roughly 10% over its asking price. If you want a single family and are on a modest budget, Sunnyside is worth checking out.Straddling Monterey Boulevard just southwest of Glen Park, the neighborhood boasts swift access to freeways and good public transit to the Glen Park or City College BART. It’s also got cute houses (many built in the 20s and 30s) and some dramatic southern views towards Daly City. I also have a bias for the Crocker Amazon.This foggier (and cheaper) neighborhood is further out between Geneva Avenue and the Daly City border. Broad streets and winding boulevards are the neighborhood’s hallmark and many of the homes were also built in the 1920s with Craftsman style architecture. Because not many people know this pocket neighborhood, there are some great finds here and not much overbidding. Examples of Crocker Amazon deals:A lovely barrel front bungalow with 1250 square feet (2br/1ba) on the corner of Rolph and Munich just closed for $659,500 and a shiny bright house with one bedroom and formal dining room on Cassandra sold for $549,000 at the end of last year. If you’d like to see photos of available or sold homes in the Sunnyside or Chrocker Amazon, please email me and I will send them to you.It can also be fun to go open housing in these neighborhoods or other semi-secret spots(ever heard of Sutro Heights or St Mary’s Park?), call me and I’ll point you to where I think the values are this weekend. See you next week. ******************************************* Thanks to everyone who has sent me buyers and sellers this year! I’m having a wonderful time helping the people you’ve recommended me to and look forward to hearing from more or your family and friends this year. ************************ The Buzz loves feedback, both good and bad. If you’d like me to cover a particular topic (or want to critique a past Buzz) please don’t be shy! See you next week! |
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Hello My Favorite People! First off a minor correction: If you are planning on attending the seminar for non-married co-owners (see January 3rd Buzz) on January 25, you must RSVP with Pierre Beniston at Financial Title. His phone number is 415-515-0123.| Take Me Out To The Ball Game (And Down Third Street) | May 20th, 2006 |
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This colorful slice of San Francisco is set at the base of Potrero Hill’s East side. Its rough borders are Illinois, Indiana, Mariposa and 23rd.. The architecture is a pleasant mix of old workman’s cottages and Victorian flats interspersed with turn of the century brick factories, warehouses and the occasional condominium loft building. I like Dog Patch because of how the neighborhood sits between Potrero Hill and the Bay. The broad streets and topography create clean, wide open spaces with a tang of salty air coming in from the shoreline. The neighborhood’s spine is the Third Street corridor, which runs all the way out to the City’s southern border. Lining each side is a variety of small light industrial businesses along with the occasional coffee shop, restaurant or sports bar. Some of the area’s best known businesses are the Hard Knox Café (awesome soul food) on Third at 22nd; Café Cocomo (outdoor tropical bar and night club) on Indiana at 18th ; and the Just For You Cafe on 22nd at Third. Because the area feels deceptively remote, you can get a little more bang for your buck out here on a loft condominium, with asking prices averaging $650/square foot (compared to $690 in SOMA). A recent check on inventory uncovered units in the $575-650K range for lofts that ranged from about 775-1100 square feet. This is also a good place to look for a set of flats or a small mixed use building. Paragon just had a good-looking set of flats with parking on Third for sale with five rooms up and a tenant occupied unit down that had possible zoning for office or small business use. Listed for $799,000, it sold very quickly.. My favorite loft building in Dog Patch is 701 Minnesota, a brick warehouse conversion with a lush central courtyard. Two blocks away, another brick building that originally housed a wine cellar (and served as the Esprit Clothing headquarters), is slated for condominium conversion. Plans right now are to turn the property into 142 new condominiums. Another large project is underway on Illinois between 19th and 20th. One great reason to keep an eye on Dog Patch is the new light rail system which is slated to open later this year. Once completed, Muni trains will roll you swiftly right into the CalTrain station at Townsend and 4th. The new line is also beautifying the neighborhood, with broad median strips and new curbside landscaping. But don’t expect Dog Patch to become the next South Beach. In spite of the cosmetic changes, the City is committed to keeping this stretch zoned light industrial. It’s unlikely that Third Street will become a real pedestrian district offering goods and services within easy walking distance. Wanna know more about lofts in Dog Patch and the surrounding neighborhoods? Call me and I’ll answer all your questions. And keep me in mind when you’re ready to make a move! Cece Blase |
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Hello My Favorite People: With all the chatter about Mission Bay and the new housing on Berry and King Streets, it’s easy to overlook the changes afoot just south across the Lefty O’Doul Bridge,in a neighborhood best known as “Dog Patch.”
