We're big fans of the Presidio and Crissy Field here at Curbed SF. Welcome to In the Presidio, a weekly series covering what's going on at what may be the country's most far-ranging and complex examples of adaptive re-use. And yes, we'd love to live there, too.
A grand Queen Anne house on Funston Avenue could set you back $12K a month. But there are less expensive options. [Photo Credit: Presidio Trust]
There was a time when you had to join the Army to get in. As for living there now, it was probably easier to have graduated from West Point back in the day. Once one of the Army's most coveted postings, you too can live like an officer (or an enlisted man with a family) in what could be construed as one of the best-located housing developments on the planet. Although there is turnover, the Presidio Trust's vintage (but renovated) rental units are in high demand, with perhaps only a handful of the 1100 units available at any time. Fear not– if you've planned well enough ahead, you've already filled out an online "Housing Interest Form" to get on their waiting list. Better yet, if you work in the Presidio, either for the the trust itself or any of the many businesses that are tenants there, you get preference– a perk that not only encourages businesses to lease there, but also encourages their employees to bike and walk to work. If your fancy runs to apartment towers with views and amenities, there's the Presidio Landmark, a 2010 Forest City project that transformed a c.1932 hospital into luxe rentals. Interesting factoid: 34% of the Trust rentals and a slightly smaller percentage of the Forest City units are family-occupied, well above the San Francisco average of around 15%.
Aside from the eucalyptus-scented sea breezes, one of the Trust tenants we spoke with cited the usual suspects– a lot of space for the money, a great setting, the opportunity to walk to work, and having Crissy Field nearby. Another mentioned the easy parking and the fact that the units are so family-friendly.
There are very few 1-bedrooms and most of the housing was constructed for family life for officers and enlisted personnel- so, sorry, no barracks accommodations available. If there were one available, you could rent a semi-attached 4-bed, 2.5-bath semi-detached house on Presidio Boulevard for somewhere north of $5,795 a month. Slightly further down the food chain, there are three units available in the mid-century Baker Beach neighborhood starting with a 2-bed, 1-bath available for $2,305. It's our guess that the reason there are units at Baker Beach available is that, unlike other neighborhoods, no pets are allowed. And while the Presidio Trust won't be building any new houses, it's possible more of the Queen Anne Style houses on Funston Avenue will someday be renovated back to their original residential use.
The Presidio Landmark is fully rented, and very much "apartment house living" although set in open space without all those other towers in the way. It's got a lobby. The ceilings are high, the hallways are wide, and historic detailing like the large-scaled mullioned windows have been restored. Plus it's the first adaptive re-ruse of an historic building to a residential use to get LEED Gold certification. There are also The Belles, a group of newly-built townhomes a short distance away.
· Live in the Presidio [Presidio Trust]
· Behold The Presidio Landmark, Retuned To Life [Curbed SF]
· Presidio Boulevard Neighborhood [Presidio Trust]
· Baker Beach Neighborhood [Presidio Trust]
· Funston Avenue Neighborhood[Presidio Trust]
· The Belles [Presidio Landmark]
· Landmark Apartments [Presidio Landmark]
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