What $3,400 rents you in San Francisco right now

Welcome to Curbed Comparisons, a regular column exploring what you can rent for a set dollar amount in different neighborhoods. Is one person's apartment another person's townhouse? Today's price: $3,400.

↑ As noted in this month’s rental report, $3,400 is where the median price of a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco has hovered for years now. So it’s apropos to start with this one-bed, one-bath apartment. This one is located on Telegraph Hill near the Embarcadero. The ad dubs the Calhoun Terrace block “another world” and that “there is so much privacy that no window coverings are required” thanks to the cliffside location. Although rent controlled, the asking price is $3,400. Also, the lease permits both cats and dogs to come along on this allegedly extraterrestrial move.

↑ On the other hand, not all single-bedroom homes come in quite the same shape or size. In this case, $3,400 nets a junior one-bedroom in North Beach. Do note that this is, in fact, a few blocks away from the previous apartment. The junior space in question is tucked away in a cubby to the side of the living room, with floor to ceiling mirrors to try to make it all seem more open. And yet, despite not quite managing a full bedroom, this apartment claims to be the larger of the two neighboring units, 700 square feet against 550 square feet. No word on whether this one allows pets; so many trade-offs to consider.

↑ Or maybe renters prefer a loftier space. Take, for example, this one-bed, one-bath loft on Tennessee Street in Dogpatch for $3,395. The glazed concrete floor is perhaps an acquired taste, but it definitely makes the unit stand out. The windows aren’t as tall and dramatic as most SF lofts, but the ceiling soar to 16 feet. The ad says cats are allowed; however, despite the neighborhood moniker, apparently there will be no dogs in this little patch of Dogpatch.

↑ But if tall ceilings aren’t enough at this price point, a trip to Eastwood Drive in the Westwood Park neighborhood (above Ingleside on the north side of Ocean) furnishes a two-bedroom, one-bath apartment in a powder blue advertised at more than twice the square footage (1,600 square feet) of any of the aforementioned homes. And owing to the southern lying location, it’s also the most affordable of the lot at $3,300. The ad claims the unit is “brand new” and furnished, cranberry Ikea throw rugs included, but no pets allowed to curl up on them.

↑ For the whole hog investment, a two-bed, two-bath single family house in Glen Park also asks $3,400. Or is it in Glen Park after all? The ad calls it the “Glen Park/Excelsior” area and provides no specific address or street name, which should be enough to tingle any renter’s Spidey senses. But at least that wide parabolic arch front window will make it easy to spot from curbside and ferret out its location at last. Speaking of ferrets, this place takes pets too.