Beaux Arts Manse Designed by Architect of City Hall and Coit Tower Quietly Sells for $9.95M

From the huge white doors that open from Pacific Avenue straight through to the canopied gazebo in the backyard, this grand home at 2209 Pacific is spectacular. The Arthur Brown Jr.-designed house was never officially on the MLS, but it just quietly changed hands for $9.95 million. Brown, the home's architect, is best-known for designing San Francisco's City Hall and was also behind Coit Tower and many of the buildings on the Stanford and UC Berkeley campuses. His Beaux Arts influences are on full display in this property, which has 11-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling French doors, and arched doorways throughout.

The home has kept plenty of its original charm, but it was also updated in a big renovation that took place between 2006 and 2008. The kitchen is top of the line and the huge master bathroom feels like something out of a spa, with a big skylight and room for an armchair. One end of the formal dining room is composed entirely of glass doors that open up to the treasure trove of a back garden, where there is a 150-year-old antique stone fountain. The home was purchased with, yes, all cash.

· 2209 Pacific Avenue [Redfin]