Victorian With the Solar System Garage Rockets on to the Market (and Wait Until You See What's Inside)
Most people know the house at 956 S. Van Ness Ave. by what's painted on the garage: A full-blown depiction of the solar system. But there's a galaxy of art, color, and design behind the familiar planetary system. The house has been decorated with every paint technique known on Earth and Sistine Chapel-inspired murals adorn the ceilings. The ceiling art is by the former owner, Michael Brennan. Brennan is the man behind the murals in dozens of Bay Area restaurants and made this home his personal canvas. When the current owners (a couple of artists) purchased it a decade ago, they decided to preserve and expand on the artistic expression. They told us about the home's artistic history, what it has meant to them, and why they've put the 3,453-square-foot home up for sale (asking price $2.995 million).
Want to Have Ghostly Neighbors? Check Out These Apartments.
Halloween is right around the corner, and rental website Zumper was inspired to put together a list of apartments near some of the scariest, most haunted homes around the country. One of their picks is right here in San Francisco. It's down the street from the Queen Anne Hotel, a former boarding school for girls that is reportedly haunted by its headmistress, who was heartbroken when it closed. But the Bush Street one-bedroom isn't the only place in town near a haunted house. We looked around and found a few more spots close to some of the city's creepiest landmarks. An 'Anarchist's' Plan to Reinvent the Historic House Museum
In the Arsenal building in New York City's Central Park, where he has an office, Franklin D. Vagnone keeps a pie chart. The chart, with five segments, is called the "Evaluation Matrix," and it is the culmination of years of Vagnone's theorizing about what makes an effective historic home.
Each section of the "Evaluation Matrix" has headings. That's where the businesslike organization ends and Vagnone's trademark quirkiness and plainspeak take over: subheads include "Transcend the Object," "Dig Deeper," "Learn by Doing," Avoid the Narcissism of Details," and "Keep it Real." The chart even suggests that historic houses employ N.U.D.E. tour guides—guides that are Non-linear, Unorthodox, Dactylic, and Experimental.
Local Residents Will Now Be Favored in BMR Housing Lotteries
Image of Richardson Apartments via David Baker ArchitectsYesterday the Planning Commission recommended changes to the city code that would push neighborhood residents into priority spots for newly built below-market-rate housing. The new recommendation would set aside 25 percent of freshly constructed BMR housing for former residents of the neighborhood where the housing is being built. The recommendation came on the back of concerns from tenant advocates that new affordable housing going through the normal lottery process could fail to house people who have been displaced from the surrounding neighborhood.
Superb Midcentury Eichler, a House of Many Colors, Asks $950K
Have a nomination for a jaw-dropping listing that would make a mighty fine House of the Day? Get thee to the tipline and send us your suggestions. We'd love to see what you've got.
All photos via East Bay Modern
All photos via East Bay Modern
Location: Walnut Creek, California
Price: $950,000
Price: $950,000
As we've aptly demonstrated, we have a soft spot for the work of developer Joseph Eichler, who built thousands of low-slung, boxy homes in the Bay Area and beyond that recall a certain era of efficient, functional California cool. This renovated Walnut Creek home, originally designed by Anshen+Allen in 1959 as part of the larger Rancho San Miguel development, offers in-demand, minimal Midcentury style with a high-gloss finish. The multi-hued four-bed, 1,742-square-foot home, asking $950,000, was the subject of a gut rehab by the previous owner, who renovated a building that once served as an assisted care facility (he picked it up in an all-cash deal after it fell into foreclosure, according to agent Ken Fox). While the original floor plan remains intact, plenty of extras were added to bump up the ask to just shy of $1 million.
Falling Down Earthquake Shack Gets Six Offers, Goes for $408K
Within 10 days of hitting the market with an asking price of $350,000, the 765-square-foot home at 16 De Long Ave. was in contract. The deal closed this week for $408,000. According to Brian Tran, the listing agent, the property was purchased by developers who plan to renovate it. "My understanding of their plans is that they are going to remodel it and sell it or offer it as a rental," he says. "Last I heard, they are not going to add any square footage to it." That's a key point, as the home is likely a pair of earthquake shacks that have been combined into one dwelling and it appears on a list of surviving earthquake shacks compiled by the Western Neighborhoods Project (WNP). So, renovating the home with buckling floors and a caving-in roof could come with some extra layers of trickiness. Maybe that's why all six offers were from developers.
Gutted Bernal House With Big Plans Drops Price to $1.795M
It seems that homes trying snag top dollar by selling with big, flashy renovation plans are struggling. Earlier this week, there was the Pac Heights Victorian with plans to go modern that took $1 million off its price. Now, a rustic Bernal Heights home with aims to transform into a three-level, glassy showstopper has cut its ambitions from $1.895 million down to $1.795 million. It's rather unusual to see so many "pre-renovation but with plans" properties on the market at once (there's also this Russian Hill giant), and they haven't exactly been meeting with great success. Unlike the Victorian example, the interior of the Bernal Heights place has already been gutted and everything is, according to the brokerbabble, "hammer ready." 
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What $2,800/Month Rents You in San Francisco
Welcome to Curbed Comparisons, a column that explores what one can rent for a set dollar amount in various San Francisco neighborhoods. Is one man's studio another man's townhouse? Let's find out! Today's price: $2,800.
↑ Over in SoMa, $2,735/month will rent you a 375-square-foot loft studio. The apartment has highlights like skylights and a smartly designed kitchen (complete with a dishwasher and built-in microwave). While the photo shows what appears to be a king sized bed in the main living area, we don't see why you couldn't make the lofted space a dedicated sleeping area. Building amenities include concierge services, 24-hour fitness center, and a courtyard with a rock garden. There's no mention of parking or pets, but there is laundry in the building.
A Fixer on One of SF's Most Desirable Blocks Asks For $4.995M
It's unusual to see a home on the market for nearly $5 million without accompanying interior photos, but that's the case with the house at 819 Francisco St. Real estate agent Joseph Gartland Moore has gone to great pains to have the home's stunning water and bridge views photographed, but he says he has no intention of recording the inside of the 2,040-square-foot house. Why? "The interiors are insignificant," he says. "The value of this property is in the incredible site and it's potential. "A lot of San Franciscians dream of living on the 800 block of Francisco Street, and this is a rare chance." But looking at it, you have to wonder what is going on behind the front door. Moore says the place was built in 1974, and looks it. "The man who lived here was said to have wonderful taste and style," he says. "But without his pieces, it looks like any other typical 1970s-era interior." In other words, it's likely very, very dated.
Is There Really a Pac Heights Two-Bedroom Selling for $599K?
When we came across a two-bedroom condo in Pacific Heights listed for $599,000, we assumed it must be a typo. The only other unit even close to that price range in the tony neighborhood is studio that's asking $575,000, and one-bedrooms can easily sell for more than $1 million. It turns out that the bedroom count and price were correctly listed, but this is a very, very small two-bedroom. Its square footage clocks in at only 594, which is quite a bit less than that aforementioned studio. But the place is really quite cute and livable, with modern appliances, an exclusive-use laundry room and a big storage area.
Total Disaster on the Great Highway That Sold for $1.21M Won't Be Flipped After All
Last spring, the story of a very run-down, four-bedroom house along the Great Highway that we dubbed a "total disaster" became something of a symbol for the state of San Francisco's housing market. The home appeared to be almost ripped apart, with drawers and appliances pulled out of the kitchen and a boarded-over hole across one door. The home sold for $1.21 million, which was $411,000 over asking, and we thought there was a good chance flippers were behind the sale. Now, San Francisco Magazine has followed up on the home and learned that its buyers are actually a family who plan to rehabilitate the house. This Place Matters: 10 U.S. Bars & Restaurants to Know
Scholz Garten (Austin, TX)—Photo by Counse/Creative Commons
All month long in October 2015, Curbed and National Trust for Historic Preservation are teaming up on #ThisPlaceMatters, a social campaign highlighting the most beloved places across America.
While historic theaters and religious buildings are no doubt spectacular, it's the neighborhood bars and restaurants—with their wide-ranging themes, locales, and clientele—that can probably lay claim to the best stories. From the Sip n' Dip Lounge bringing live "mermaids" to Great Falls, Montana, to Vesuvio Cafe keeping the Beat era alive in San Francisco, these essential local spots not only have fascinating interiors, but have histories well worth digging into.
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- EditorMary Jo Bowling
- Associate EditorTracy Elsen
- Features EditorSara Polsky
- PhotographerPatricia Chang
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