Up on Russian Hill where Vallejo Street dead-ends into Willis Polk's little park- sometimes referred to as the Vallejo Crest, this 2-level, 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath with 2-car parking hit the market overnight with an asking price of $3,950,000. It's in a group of six condos built in 1998 echoing the shingled houses in the neighborhood and across the street. There's an elevator from the garage to both floors of the reverse floor plan, with the living/dining/kitchen occupying the lofty top floor. Plus two very sweet terraces. As special as the location is- and it's a great condo- will it fetch a premium of $450,000 over its 2006 price? HOAs of $2356.00. Ouch, and not even a doorman.
Why is Russian Hill called Russian Hill? Because graves with Cyrillic text were found there, presumably connected with the Russian seal fur trade that took place along the coast in the 18th and early-19th centuries (remember, we bought lAlaska from them.) At the turn of the 20th Century, it was a hotbed of the artistic rich with houses built by the Swedebogian minister/aesthete Joseph Worcester and various Livermores, plus architect Willis Polk who, along with the terraces, cottages and neoclassical ramps leading up to the top of the hill, built a house for himself. In the Sixties, Joe Eichler seriously threatened the status quo with his Summit tower and the neighborhood got organized and landmarked, pronto. On the long-vacant site of another planned high-rise, George Homsey [EHDD] designed that groundbreaking bit of shingled Post-Modernism that's 1020 Vallejo, AKA The Hermitage. Fortunately the puns seem to end there. Walk the walk on a tour from Russian Hill Neighbors. Plus more pics at the realtor's dedicated site.
· 1045 Vallejo Street [Redfin]
· 1045 Vallejo Street [TRI]
· Russian Hill Summit Walk [Russian Hill Neighbors]
Loading comments...