What $5,900 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 studio another person's townhouse? Let's find out. Today's price: $5,900.

↑ What are the magic words? That’s right: rent control. Signing on to the sprawling Parkmerced development tucked between San Francisco State University and the gold course in the south westernmost corner of the city, does indeed mean rent control. In this case for $5,775/month for a three-bed, two-bath, pet-friendly apartment highlighted by a soft blue and lavender color palette.

↑ Speaking of sprawling, here’s something for the renter with an entourage. In North Beach (actually right on the tip of Chinatown), a hefty 1,800-square-foot, six-bedroom apartment now rents for $5,795/month. Yes, six bedrooms, along with two and a half baths. The ad claims that the apartment can “easily accommodate 8-12 people.” Yow. There is a bit of sleight of hand here, as two of the alleged bedrooms are sans windows. And while the ad claims the place is “newly built,” the building itself is from 1923. Still, renting in bulk saves more in the long run. No pets here, though.

↑ For those renting on behalf of a mere crowd instead of a mob, this house in Sunset (or the “ultra Sunset,” as the landlord for some reason calls it) offers a home decidedly more to scale for $5,850/month. This three-bedroom, three-bath house on 20th Avenue is a 2016 renovation of a house from 1910, which as per usual kept the facade but went in new on everything else and added a deck to the back. No pets allowed here either, though.

↑ Of course, those browsing for new construction will invariably turn an eye toward South Beach. This condo in the Watermark building dates to 2006, which now makes it one of the old-timers in the neighborhood. At two bedrooms, two baths, and just over 1,000 square feet, the Beale Street location offers views of the bay “from every room,” along with some of those fancy-sounding South Beach luxury touches like marble floors in the bathrooms and “Brazilian cherry wood” in the rest of the place. Sadly, it’s strike three for pets, even with the rent running $5,900/month.

↑ Finally, there’s a little extra class to be had in Jordan Park, in the form of a three-bed, two bath apartment in a 1921 building on Euclid Avenue. $5,900/month buys access to a quiet neighborhood inside a home with gorgeous parquet flooring. And yes, as if perhaps by a small miracle, renters can bring the cats and dogs (within an unspecified weight limit—good luck keeping the cat on the scale).