We paid a visit to the Mission Valencia condominiums last night— here's the recap. We know that some already reside there, and that others toured the units just as we did. Feel free to give your take in the comments:
1) THE NEIGHBORHOOD— Mission Street— and that part of the Mission in general— are one of the few areas where people must actively keep their guard up; it's easy to take for granted the preponderance of posh or at least relatively calm neighborhoods in this city. That said, Mission Valencia lies directly across the street from one of the city's hottest upcoming galleries, and a lively, safe bar— one so "neighborhood-y," in fact, that local parents often pop in with their youngsters not to overindulge, but to frolic with the resident Golden Retriever Yellow Lab and have a go at Pac Man. Just remember that though it feels like a town, San Francisco is a city. Act accordingly, and you should be fine barring the sorts of altercations that one may experience, believe it or not, anywhere and at any time.
2) THE UNITS— Let's just be straight: While these units aren't without merit, we believe that the prices need to drop dramatically— at least $100k if not $200k, regardless of what may already seem like a reasonable price per square foot (in the case of unit #203, which we toured, 1350 square feet goes for $809,000, or $599 per). Forget the neighborhood; this particular assessment is based on the building, which feels hollow to us— industrial, almost. We'd mush sooner look to the Hayes (which, incidentally, is also situated on what some perceive to be a marginal neighborhood.) On a positive note, however, these units retain a feeling of warmth due to the preservation of bay windows, (Ed. Note. clarification: preservation of the style common to SF and the neighborhood.) fixtures and finishes, along with the use of space (in some units especially). Unit #203, for instance, lacked the over abundance of hard angles that render so many new condominiums into cold, white cubes. Oh, and the bathrooms— showers, fixtures, etc. are much better than, say, One South Park's (though construction is shoddy in spots, a sad state that we've spotted in nearly every condo we've visited recently).
3)THE BUILDING— That said, the entrance is narrow, cramped and not exceptionally inviting— the kind that discourages loitering. The kind built for security. Though we suspect the time of day (night) and relative lack of people might have had something to do with it, we felt the courtyard to give off an ominous feeling. Concrete cat walks, black wiry fencing and a panopticonical vantage point also made us feel as though we were walking a prison beat. One ray of light: The rooftop deck wasn't half bad, tucked away at one end for privacy and high enough up to capture the city skyline.
Additional commentary:
· Take Two For Valencia Triangle Mission Valencia (3184 Mission) [SocketSite]
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