The Dogpatch

If you look on a map, this area will be labeled as the Central Waterfront. If you stop a San Francisco resident on the street and ask how you get to the Central Waterfront neighborhood, you might be met with a blank stare. It is much more commonly known as the Dogpatch. This is a neighborhood with an extremely rich history, and a very bright future. It is located at the bottom of the eastern slope of Potrero Hill. It lies between Mariposa and 23rd, and the 280 Freeway and Illinois Street. This is only nine square blocks.

The Dogpatch began to take shape in the mid 1800s as an important center for heavy industry. This was a true working class neighborhood. Many homes were built between 1860 and 1910, and many were built by the homeowners themselves. Architect Jon Cotter Pelton Jr. often published his designs in a local bulletin to make it possible and affordable for the workers to build their own homes. The Dogpatch is now officially recognized as a historical neighborhood.

It is also being recognized as one of the most up and coming neighborhoods today. It has become the home of many newer live work developments designed with the artist community in mind. It has also recently become much more accessible with the addition of the "T" Third Street light rail which will get you downtown in just minutes. The Dogpatch is also surrounded by the Mission Bay, which is the largest redevelopment plan in San Francisco's history, and by the new UCSF research campus.

In today's housing market, you will most likely see lofts or new condominiums available in the Dogpatch. The Victorians are still in existence, but rarely for sale. There are twelve active listings at the moment; eleven of which are lofts or condos. Six of those loft/condos are in one development, Esprit Park.

We actually just toured this development with some clients yesterday. The models are not yet finished and they are one third of the way sold. It is quite amazing how many people are willing to purchase their home without ever setting foot in it! There are a lot of great things about; they are using quality finishes, green materials where they can, and two of the buildings are the original brick and timber structures. There is the obvious great location and sunny weather. My favorite thing was that the smallest floor plan is over 800 square feet! So many of these larger new complexes start with studios at 400 square feet; I thought this was refreshing. I believe their models should be ready sometime in March.

The units in Esprit Park are condominiums, but the most common product in the Dogpatch are lofts. Those that are currently available range in price from $529,000 to $699,000. Only nine lofts have sold in this neighborhood in the past six months at an average price of $784,000. Most of the sold units were two bedrooms, and the current active listings are mainly one bedrooms.

The only two bedroom loft that is currently available is 1325 Indiana #102.
It is two bedrooms, two and a half baths, fourteen hundred square feet, and it has a deeded patio and one car parking. It is a nice building and a lovely unit; one problem is the current construction of a new building being erected next door.

Last but not least, we can't forget to mention the plans for Pier 70, which is one of the largest ship repair yards on the west coast. This will be turned into a bike and walking pathway that will circle the bay and make the waterfront much more accessible. The Dogpatch is defintely a neighborhood you want to keep your eye on!

Haight Ashbury

Continuing through District 5 in our neighborhood series, we come to 5B, or Haight Ashbury. The Haight is a neighborhood that is internationally known for the hippy movement of the sixties. Musicians such as Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, and the Greatful Dead all lived within blocks of the famous Haight/Ashbury intersection. There is actually a building currently on the market on Lyon between Page and Oak that advertises on the listing the fact that Janis Joplin's former residence was just two blocks away.

This neighborhood is bordered by the panhandle to the north and Golden Gate Park to the west, so greenery is all around you. It includes the area around UCSF (University of California Medical Center) and parts of Cole Valley. Buena Vista park and Divisadero are the south eastern borders.

You will definitely not be without things to do in this area. If you enjoy the outdoors, Golden Gate Park is a wonderful place to explore. Visit on a car free weekend afternoon where the main road in the park is closed to automobiles and allows you to bike, skate, or just walk through and enjoy the fresh air. You may also stop and visit one of the many attractions such as the Japanese Tea Garden, the Flower Conservatory, or the de Young Museum just to name a few. The children's playground was recently given a major face lift and is quite amazing.

If you're feeling more like shopping, eating, or drinking, the Haight has an unlimited supply of options as well. On and around Haight Street you will find restaurants, cafes, shops, bars, a movie theater, and even a few bed & breakfasts for the tourists. You can do everything on Haight street from selling your clothing to one of the exchange stores like Crossroads or Buffalo Exchange to filling an eyeglass prescription at City Optix. Among the tourist shops, tattoo shops, and smoke shops, you can also find boutique style clothing stores such as Ambiance or Behind the Post Office as well as upscale vintage clothing such as La Rosa.

How about housing you ask? The majority of the housing available in this area are condominiums or TICs (Tenancy in Common). There are single family homes, but only a handful at a time which range in price from one to three million. The average price for a condo is about $785,000. What does that get you? At the moment there is nothing available in that price range (what a surprise). You could get a one bedroom TIC on Carl Street for $529,000. This is a top floor unit with a remodeled kitchen and is located in the Cole Valley or southwestern corner of the Haight. This is a very popular and upscale neighborhood with eateries and wine and cheese shops lining Cole Street. You also benefit from the J Church Muni train which will take you downtown in minutes.

A step up in price will get you a three bedroom condominium on Oak Street at Shrader. It is a large top floor flat with high ceilings and a wonderful shared garden. It also overlooks the panhandle. It has a lot of original charm including two fireplaces. There is in unit laundry and extra storage in the basement, but no parking. It is listed at $899,000.

Jumping up once more in price, the newest listing in the same spot is this wonderful three bedroom condominium located on Belvedere at Frederick. It is also a top floor unit that has recently gone through the condo conversion process. It is completely remodeled and has plenty of storage and closet space. There is parking, however it is leased for $250 a month. The list price for this unit is $1,049,000.

For school options, there aren't any public schools directly in this neighborhood, but it is centrally located and surrounded by neighborhoods such as the Sunset and Richmond which have many great public school options. There are private school options, one of which is the French International school located on Ashbury. Lycee Francais La Perouse offers classes from two years prior to kindergarten all the way through twelfth grade. Another private school option is the Urban School of San Francisco located on Page St. This is a very well respected and high ranking private high school.

That ends our tour of the Haight Ashbury neighborhood. Please contact the VanFenton Team if you want more information on any of the properties listed above.

Glen Park

It is time to dive back into our neighborhood series. Glen Park, otherwise known in the real estate world as District 5A, is a small community just south of Noe Valley. It is a very family oriented neighborhood with a village feel. It is possibly best known for the BART station, a huge draw for home buyers with a downtown or east bay commute. The station is located right in neighborhood's center, at Bosworth and Diamond. Glen Park is also served by the Muni bus lines 23, 26, 35, 44 and 52 plus the J Church Muni Metro line.

Just across the way from the BART station, there is a newer mixed use development consisting of the Glen Park Market Place, a branch of the San Francisco Public Library, and condominiums. The residents of the community take their "village" seriously as they had to fight to keep big chain businesses out of their center. Close by you will also find a very popular taqueria, a pizza parlor, a wonderful breakfast spot, a cheese shop, and many other small businesses. There are also two public elementary schools in Glen Park, one of which has an English-Spanish immersion program.

So what does it cost to live here? As mentioned earlier, Glen Park lies just south of Noe Valley. It is also just west of Bernal Heights. It just so happens that it is between those two neighborhoods in price as well. It is generally thought of as being a step up in price from Bernal Heights, and a step down in price from Noe Valley.

One problem about Glen Park for those of you who are interested in living there is that there usually is very little available. Again, that speaks to how dedicated the residents are. It is mainly a single family home neighborhood with the mixed use development and a few other small condo developments sprinkled throughout.

In the past six months, thirty two single family homes were sold in Glen Park. At the lower end, there were a couple of "contractor's specials" in the $600,000 range. The highest sale in the past six months was a "beautifully refurbished" three bedroom home with panoramic views of the city which sold for $1,650,000.The average price is just under $1,025,000. There are currently only five homes available in the Glen Park neighborhood, and all of them have been on the market for a minimum of 50 days. This is not to say that homes aren't selling. In Glen Park they actually sell quite well. These five homes are what is left after the plate has been picked through. One is on a busy street, another is a tiny cottage, another is overpriced...you get the idea. We are waiting; our clients are waiting, for new inventory.

Anyway, the closest example to a home that is currently available in Glen Park close to the average price would be 62 Lippard Ave listed at $1,295,000.We know, that is well above the average, but it is also way overpriced. It is a nice house in a great location and they have done some extensive remodelling, but it is small with a tiny garden.

A great example of a home that just recently sold at almost exactly the average price is 326 Surrey Street. This is a two bedroom, two bath, 1100 square foot remodelled Victorian farmhouse. It was listed at $949,000 and sold for $1,025,000 on December 14, 2007. They accepted an offer after being on the market for only one week.

Those of you hoping to become part of this village just need to be patient. There will be more available in the coming months.

South Beach

Getting back on track with the neighborhood series, South Beach is next on the list. South Beach is another one of San Francisco's newer neighborhoods; it is a section of San Francisco that had been at one time forgotten about. What was once undeveloped land, dilapidated warehouses, storage yards, and old piers is now a collection of luxury condominium buildings, local businesses, and parks. The area is bordered by the Embarcadero and the bay on the east side, the Bay Bridge on the north side, 2nd Street to the West, and King Street to the south. As you can imagine, some of these buildings offer the best views of the San Francisco Bay and the Bay Bridge.

This neighborhood is best known for AT&T Park, the home of the San Francisco Giants. The ballpark has brought in many new businesses to the area including restaurants, bars, and retail stores. South Beach was the focus of one of San Francisco's redevelopment projects which began in 1981. The focus of the project was to transform this area into a new mixed-use waterfront development. That is exactly what stands there today.

Another wonderful feature of this neighborhood is the Ferry Building. It is filled with wonderful shops and restaurants, not to mention all of the local vendors who set up their stands on Saturdays for the farmer's market. You'd just better get there early; many things are sold out by the afternoon.

There are currently 57 residential properties for sale in South Beach; they are all condominiums. They range in price from a studio for $389,000 to a penthouse with incredible views listed at $2,400,000. The average sales price for poperties sold in the last six months is just under $850,000. What will the average price get you?

There is a new listing in a building called the Portside II. This is a "rarely available corner unit" which consists of 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, gorgeous views, a terrace, parking, storage, and earthquake insurance. It is listed for $849,000 and is just over 1100 square feet. Speaking of luxury living, this building also includes an outdoor heated swimming pool, an outdoor spa, and two gyms.

There are plenty of transportation options in South Beach. If you are commuting to the East Bay, bridge access is right at your doorstep. For an easy commute to the peninsula, there is the CalTrain Station at 4th and Townsend. The muni trains run up and down the Embarcadero, BART is close by at Embarcadero and Market, and buses run all throughout.

South Of Market Area

The South Of Market Area (SoMa) is next on our neighborhood tour. As the name implies, SoMa spans the area between Market and Townsend. The western border is the 101 Freeway, and the eastern border was once the Embarcadero, but the few blocks closest to the water are now known as South Beach which will be the next neighborhood on our tour.

This once industrial district is now an eclectic mix of warehouses, nightclubs, restaurants, stores, and residences. This area has changed dramatically over the past fifteen years with the dot com industry and new developments seeming to pop up everywhere. The addition of the Metreon and more recently the new Bloomingdale's are a successful effort to get people to venture across Market Street. The new Federal Building at 7th and Mission is also expected to change the feel of SoMa.

At the moment there are 104 residential properties on the market in SoMa, 94 of which are condominiums or lofts. The other ten are 2-4 unit buildings. Single family homes are almost non existent here. The prices range from $295,000 for a small studio condo to $5,399,000 for a luxury condo in the 4 Seasons with 280 degree views. Don't worry, it does come with one parking space. I know, that is a ridiculous price span. The average sales price according to Trulia.com is $823,120.

What does the average price get you in SoMa? How about this new development designed by Stanley Saitowitz/Natoma Architects Inc. This building is located on Howard Street at Eighth. For $809,000 you can purchase a two bedroom, two bath, 1279 square foot unit with one car parking. This is a minimalist building with premium quality finishes. For public transportation, there are buses that run all through the neighborhood, and BART and MUNI Trains run all the way down Market to the Embarcadero. Also, if you are commuting to the peninsula, there is the CalTrain Station at 4th & Townsend.

Potrero Hill

It is funny that Potrero Hill is today's subject. I had my hair cut this evening by a great new stylist, new for me that is, and while she was snipping away we were talking about real estate. She asked if there was anything available in Potrero Hill. I told her that there had been next to nothing there lately, but that there were a few nice properties just hitting the market. That tends to be the case in really great neighborhoods; once you get in you never want to leave.

What makes Potrero Hill so great? The first thing that comes to mind is the weather. This is no doubt one of the sunniest spots in the city, and the really great part about it is that because you are on the hill you can look across to Twin Peaks as it gets covered in fog. That brings me to great thing number two...VIEWS! Potrero Hill offers some of the greatest views in the city; views of the Bay, downtown views, views of Twin Peaks, and sometimes you can find them all from one property. Another less talked about perk of living in Potrero Hill is that it is one of the safest spots to be in an earthquake as it sits on bedrock.

18th Street and 20th Street are the main commercial drags on the hill. There you will find restaurants, cafes, shops, a grocery store, and much more. Because of the nice weather many of the restaurants have outdoor seating which creates a wonderful atmosphere on warm evenings. Also, at the bottom of the north side of the hill (which tends to be the most desirable side) there is a new Whole Foods grocery store, the Metronome Ballroom (where I have taught dance for the past seven years or so), and more restaurants and cafes.

So how much does it cost to live in this wonderful place? The median home price over the summer was $830,000. An example of something selling right now at that price is this 3 bedroom, 2 bath split level condominium located on a quiet cul-de-sac block of Kansas Street. It is listed at $849,000 and is 1700 square feet.

One small drawback on the hill is that there is no BART or muni trains. The only public transportation here are buses, but you are only one quick bus ride away to BART or downtown.

As far as schools go, there is a private preschool, two public elementary schools, one private elementary, and one public high school. Starr King Elementary located on Carolina Street (one of the public schools) has San Francisco's first Mandarin immersion program.

Mission Bay

The Mission Bay is one of San Francisco newest neighborhoods. In 1998 the San Francisco Board of Supervisors established that this area between the bay and highway 280 would be a redevelopment area. The area is 303 acres in total, and the redevelopment plan includes everything a San Francisco neighborhoods needs. When all is said and done there will be 6,000 housing units, 25% of which will be affordable to moderate and low income families. A UCSF research campus is being built on 43 acres of land. The plan also allows for commercial and retail space, a public school, a police and fire station, a library, the light rail, and 49 acres of open public space including parks along the bay. Many of you have already been watching this neighborhood develop over the years, and some of you may already be living there.

The San Francisco Multiple Listing Service shows that there are presently 50 properties available in the Mission Bay neighborhood, most of which are at only in these five developments:

The Beacon is a full block bounded by King, Townsend, 3rd, and 4th Streets. It was built in 2004 and includes condominiums of various sizes, a gym, swimming pool, Safeway, Borders Books, and other commercial spaces. There are currently 25 units on the market ranging in price from the low $500,000s to $1.5 Million. These will be resale as opposed to new construction sales.

Arterra is designed be San Francisco's first LEED certified residential high rise building. This building is still under construction but they are accepting reservations and deposits. They are currently reserved at over 50% before even completing a model unit. These condos range in price from $600K to $900K and are located at 300 Berry.

Park Terrace is Mission Bay's newest waterfront community overlooking Mission Creek. These units start in the low $600,000s and go up to just over $1 Million.

235 Berry is a new development by Signature Properties. Construction has been completed and they are about 80% sold. Those that are currently listed range in price from the mid $800,000s to 1.2 Million. They have water and city views.

Radiance is a luxurious complex due for completion in the spring of 2008. It is surrounded by parks and has both water and city views. They are almost 50% sold now; prices range from the mid $600,000s all the way to $2.3 Million! The building includes a landscaped rooftop courtyard with a fire pit, a fitness center, a club lounge with a gourmet kitchen, separate storage rooms, and parking. If you are looking for modern and luxurious, there is definitely something here for you.
Construction for the Mission Bay redevelopment plan is expected to take place over the next 20 to 30 years. It will create an estimated 31,000 permanent jobs in addition to the construction jobs and will cost approximately $4 billion.

The Mission District

The second neighborhood in our District 9 series that we will be exploring is the Mission District. The Mission, named for the Mission Dolores which was the first church in San Francisco built in the late seventeen hundreds, is now known for its colorful and vibrant mix of Latin Culture, artists, and most recently young professionals. Although it began as a working class neighborhood for Irish, German, and Italian immigrants, since mid century there has been a huge settlement of Mexican, Central, and South American families which has created the Mission District as we know it today. It is also a popular neighborhood with the city's artist community because of its past affordability, but prices went up with the dot com boom and young professionals came into the picture. This wonderful mix of people has an equally diverse collection of businesses to support their needs. There are many commercial areas in the neighborhood: 24th St, Mission St, Valencia, and 16th St just to name a few. There are too many types of businesses to name ranging everywhere from taquerias where you can have a taco for two dollars to a local designer's shop where you can buy a beautifully made pair of pants for two hundred dollars.

Housing

The average price of a home in the Mission is $814,548 according to trulia.com. This is just a tiny step above the average price in Bernal. The difference is that the majority of the housing is condominiums or TICs. The average price has actually gone down in the second quarter, as condo prices in general in San Francisco went down a little over 5% from the first quarter to the second quarter according to the National Association of Realtors. There are currently 57 available residential listings in the Mission; only 4 are single family homes, 38 are condos, TICs and lofts, and 15 are multi unit buildings. The prices presently range from a $210,000 studio TIC on Woodward Street to a $3 Million dollar, 8200 square foot, amazing live/work space on 15th Street. What will the average price get you? How about this for a great value; a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1870 square foot, two level condominium at Bryant and 23rd for $829,000! The price has just been reduced by $20,000, AND the seller is offering a credit of $5,000 towards the buyer's closing costs. Now that's something you don't see all the time in San Francisco. What's wrong with it you ask? Just because something has been sitting on the market longer than usual doesn't necessarily mean there is something wrong with the property. More often than not it is just overpriced. I think with this property in particular, Bryant is not the coziest of streets which may discourage some buyers, and as they say, "This property is not a drive by" which means that the building's exterior may not be as wonderful as what you will find inside.

Other Amenities

Another very important feature of the Mission is it's two BART stations on 24th St and 16th Street. This makes the neighborhood very accessible from all over the Bay Area. There are also quite a few bus lines that run through the neighborhood. Schools are no exception to the diversity of the neighborhood including public, private, Catholic, and charter schools. Parks are scattered throughout, as are community gardens, and we can't forget the beautiful and colorful murals for which the Mission is known.

Bernal Heights

For the month of September, we are exploring neighborhoods in San Francisco's District 9. The first in the series will be Bernal Heights, otherwise referred to as 9A, which is located on the hill at the southern border of the Inner Mission. The majority of homes in Bernal are single family homes, and it is a very popular neighborhood for young families. It is also an excellent place for dogs as the very top of the hill, Bernal Hill Park, is also a dog run where you can let your pups run freely off leash. The average purchase price here is just under $800,000 and the homes currently on the market range from a small artist's cottage listed at $499K to a luxurious new home designed by architect Craig Steely listed at $2,295,000. The wide range of property types is a direct indication of the diversity this neighborhood has to offer. So what can you get for the average price? Here's one example: 57 Bessie Street is a three bedroom one bathroom home just a block of way from Precita Park, two cafes, an Italian restaraunt, and a market. The home is listed for $849,000 and has been on the market for almost one month now. A month on the market is on the longer side; in this case I believe the problem is that there is no garden, but the house itself has been upgraded nicely and it does come with parking. Just a tip; when a home seems to be sitting on the market longer than the average time, it may be a good time to negotiate a lower price.

Cortland Avenue is the main commercial drag in Bernal Heights and you can find pretty much everything you need there. There are grocery stores, a video store, cafes, restaurants, public library, community center, shops, yoga and Pilate's studios, and much much more. Aside from Precita Park there is also Holly Park which has all new play structures and a nice view of the city. Public transportation in Bernal is limited to buses, but there are a number of them that run throughout the neighborhood. There are three public elementary schools, one Catholic, and one small but popular Montessori preschool. Bernal Heights is a small community in a big city; you get the best of both worlds.