Curbed Cup Comparisons: What $5,000 rents in SF’s top four neighborhoods

Welcome to Curbed Comparisons, a regular column exploring what you can rent for a set dollar amount in different neighborhoods. Is one person's studio another person's townhouse? Let's find out. Today's price: $5,000.

↑ Since we’re in the midst of the final four of this year’s Curbed Cup this week, we’ll be comparing only homes in the four qualifying neighborhoods chosen by readers. And it’s only fitting to lead with last year’s winner and possible repeat champ the Bayview, which for $5,000/month offers a genuine looker of a three bedroom house from 1923. It’ll be tough to unseat the defending champ if it serves up many more homes like this sleek but likable number on Revere Avenue. It’s even pet friendly.

↑ Going head to head with Bayview this week is Nob Hill, one of San Francisco’s oldest prestige neighborhoods, ever since they ran the first cable car up the hill and granted the city’s gold and silver barons access to the summit. These days of course almost all of the old mansions are gone, in favor of much more sensible and slightly more attainable apartments like this one Jones Street. It’s two bedrooms and two and a half baths high up in Nob Hill Tower, right around the block from that the breathtaking constellation of landmarks that gives the neighborhood its drawing power: Grace Cathedral, the Fairmont, the Flood Mansion, and the cable car itself. It’s $5,000/month, and pets are a go here too; stiff competition all around.

↑ Meanwhile, the Castro fills out half of our other big head to head competition this year. And it’s got to have a slight edge going into the voting, as it’s consistently been one of the most popular neighborhoods on Comparisons all years. This two bed, two bath apartment is actually a smidge north of Market in the Duboce Triangle area, but it’s a mere one block down to the Castro proper. Meanwhile, for $4,995/month you’ve got all of the hardwood and bay windows you’d want, green space on the horizon, and a nominal $75 pet rent.

↑ And giving the Castro a run for its money this year is the Inner Richmond, which seems to be enjoying a breakout moment at the end of 2016. This “immaculate” flat on Spruce Street is arguably a little closer to Lone Mountain or even Laurel Heights than the Richmond, but the landlords decided that listing it as a Richmond home was the strongest market play. (Maybe they’re Cup voters?) For $4,800/month it’s our best bargain of the day, bringing three bedrooms, two baths, and a respectably generous 1,200 feet on top of a circa 1927 building. It’s even furnished. The only catch: No pets. This could make for some close balloting.