The Lambourne
June 28, 2007
I mentioned this new project in an earlier post, and it’s starting to get more attention now (with items at The Front Steps and Socketsite.)
The Lambourne, located at 725 Pine, is a collection of 22 studios and one-bedrooms in a former hotel. It’s a great new option for someone looking for a small residence in a wonderful location.
The unit mix in the three-story building is 14 studios and 8 one-bedrooms. All one-bedrooms but one have a deck. There will be two BMR units — a one-bedroom and studio. Unit sizes are small. The smallest is about 290 sf, and the largest is about 600sf.
There is no parking, but the Nob Hill location makes it a very livable spot without full-time parking. Feel free to register at thelambourne.com (unfortunately there are no photos at the website), or just e-mail me at damionmatthews@gmail.com to make an appointment to see it.
Hotel Conversion, Continued
June 22, 2007
Here is an example of a small hotel that could be converted to condominium use. It’s in a superb location — 851 California (corner of Powell), at the top of Nob Hill. Some of the units have the sort of views that currently command around $1,000 per square foot.
The five-story hotel currently has a total of 80 fully vacant rooms. If you didn’t want to convert them to condos, you could sell them as fractional ownership units, rent them as apartments, or just fix the place up and use it as a hotel. The asking price is $10 million.
Happy 90th!
June 17, 2007
The brick-and-timber loft conversion building at 355 Bryant celebrates its 90th birthday this year. The original warehouse, which housed General Electric, was designed by George Adrian Applegarth, one of San Francisco’s great architects, and then converted to lofts in 1992 by Holliday Development. It was San Francisco’s second loft conversion, and consists of 44 lofts ranging in size from 997 to 2,800 square feet.
Earlier this year, C Magazine featured one of the lofts in the building, owned by interior designer Stephen Volpe. It’s gorgeous! The ceilings are 18 feet high, with eight redwood support columns that reach from the floor to ceiling. Author Diane Dorrans Saeks notes that “the timber had been milled from massive first growth redwood trees at the turn of the century.”
Volpe has just completed a redesign of the 2,100 square-foot space, updating the decor, refinishing the oak floors, and repainting the walls.
“The loft was a blank canvas, so I seized the opportunity to experiment,” he told Ms. Saeks. “I wanted to juxtapose raw brick walls with highly detailed and refined antiques. I wanted a sense of luxury, the antithesis of industrial decor.”
Of course, it’s for large, light-filled spaces that people with an eye for design usually buy lofts. Which is what happened this week, when number 409 at 355 Bryant closed escrow for $1.4 million after only 8 days on the market. It was a big hit with observers over at Socketsite.com.
The top floor loft (shown in the photo above), is over 1,629 square feet in size, with a huge, private patio and city views, and was listed by Rob Levy of McGuire. Tim Farrell of TRI Coldwell Banker represented the buyer. It’s the third loft to sell there this year, with an average sale price of $778 per square foot. ~ Damion Matthews.
The 411 on 1234
June 16, 2007
I love what I’ve seen so far of 1234 Howard Street, the chic new building designed by superstar architect Stanley Saitowitz.
Sales are expected to begin in the first week of July, so anyone in the market for a totally light-filled, modern, sleek new condo will need to put this on the list. Pricing isn’t finalized yet, but expect them to start in the $600s for one-bedrooms and high $700s for two-bedrooms.
There are only 18 units in the building, so expect them to be sold out quickly. It is already getting some buzz at Socketsite and Curbed.com. Register at the 1234howard.com website, but also email me at damionmatthews@gmail.com to be kept up-to-date on the project. I want to make sure that my readers get a chance to select from the best units.
One Rincon Reaches 60th Floor
June 16, 2007
Work crews have poured cement for the last floor (the 60th) of One Rincon Hill this week. In one month it will be topped off at 605 feet. The glass exterior of the tower (called “the curtain wall”) is two-thirds complete.
As you can see from the photo above, taken by the Chronicle’s Mike Kepka, the views from One Rincon are extraordinary. Imagine waking up to this view every morning — so serene, it’s just you, the sky and the water. There will be no need for shades, unless you’re afraid of being spied by a passing jet.
The Chronicle has an interesting article about the glass exterior of the building, described by the architect as “a bluish color with a lot of green in it.” It is insulated, with double panels, to keep out the roar of the traffic on the Bay Bridge, and has a white aluminum trim on it to make the building look even taller and slimmer than it is.
Jim Chappell, president of the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association, says that other South of Market high-rises in the area “look like a bunch of refrigerator boxes” in comparison.
For those who are interested in living at One Rincon, there are just a few units available in the high-rise — eight to be exact. The low-level townhomes, on the other hand, have not sold well at all. Out of 14, only two have been sold. If you need pricing, just email me at damionmatthews@gmail.com
2200 Sacramento
June 11, 2007
What a difference design makes.
2200 Sacramento, across from Lafayette Park, is one of my favorite condo buildings in San Francisco. It’s in a fabulous location, has gorgeous views, and is well managed. I find it’s a great alternative for the urban buyer who wants simplified condo living but wants it in a really great residential area.
Having said that, I’m usually disappointed by listings at the building because the interiors are often quite bad. On one recent visit I saw an apartment that appeared unchanged since the ’60s or ’70s — and not in a good way. Some of the residences have been renovated, but the results are lackluster — the typical granite counters and hardwood floors you’d find anywhere.
It takes a bit of work, money and talent to transform mid-century modern to 21st century chic…
And that’s just what the renowned designer Orlando Diaz-Azcuy did with this penthouse apartment at the building. The editors of “San Francisco” were so impressed they put the place on the cover of the June issue!
Diaz-Azcuy spent two years renovating the condo which, according to public records, was purchased in 2002 for $1.3 million.
“San Francisco is a challenging place for a modernist to find an apartment, as the city has only a handful of great contemporary apartment buildings, so I searched for two years,” he told Diane Dorrans Saeks. “Finally I discovered this apartment with 10-foot ceilings and views from the Pacific Ocean to the East Bay, and I bought it on the spot.”
Here are some of the photos from the article, which goes into scrumptious detail on the materials ad colors used, and describes the furnishings and art works. I recommend checking it out for some ideas.
And if you’d consider moving to 2200 Sacramento yourself — keep in touch with me. There are no listings now, but with a little over 100 residences in the building, there should be something for sale soon!
