La Vie Parisienne on Nob Hill

If you've been aching for a little slice of Paris then this charming little 2-bed, 1-bath, single-family home tucked away on Auburn St in Nob Hill ought to cure what ails you. Originally sold 10 years ago for a measly $325k, it's been appreciating ever since and the current owner picked it up in 2005 for $700,000. With "magazine quality" renovations, it's now going for a smidge under 900 at $898,000.

The shrub work and a wrought-iron window planter outside the front bedroom, make this little number feels more Left Bank than its alleyway address initially lets on and you could probably save yourself the $300 on leased parking by investing in a sensible scooter or hopping rides on the Powell-Mason line along Jackson Street. The unit makes the best of the 1,061 square feet (only 710 of which are finished) with a "custom closet" right in the bedroom that means no more navigating through pesky walk-ins. Meanwhile, skylights above the stairway and the single (but marble-lined) bath compensate for the scant few windows. The well-appointed kitchen and a "wine cellar" in the partially-finished basement are nice touches for aspiring chefs and sommeliers, but you'll probably want to make reservations at Rue Saint Jacques around the corner if you're looking to seat more than two for dinner. What do you think, readers? Is it worth the $818 per square foot, or would you prefer to have a bathtub and a roof deck?
- Contributor Andrew Dalton
· 12 Auburn [Redfin]

12 Auburn Street, San Francisco, CA