What $2,650 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: $2,650.

↑ It’s worth moment to appreciate the vaulted ceiling of the entryway to the circa 1927 building on California Street offering this studio for $2,650/month all on its own. They really don’t make them like that anymore. The apartment itself is quite a looker too, as not many studios on California offer built-ins and a painted beam ceiling. Small touches, but worth it. Although advertised as Nob Hill, this place borders Chinatown. The ad doesn’t say anything about pets, and we have some confusion here, as it’s called a “studio” but also said to have one bedroom. Huh.

↑ Right on the heels of that classic comes a Bernal Heights studio advertised as entirely new construction. “NO ONE has ever lived in this studio before,” the landlord assures renters. It’s $2,650/month (no pets) for a 500 square foot space, and while it might not have the historic Jazz Age appeal of the Tenderloin place, those who favor contemporary interiors will no doubt feel they lucked out.

↑ Whereas this one-bed, one-bath apartment in Lower Pacific Heights on Pine tries to split the difference by endeavoring to keep it’s 1925 pedigree in the mix. The building was “carefully renovated,” says the ad, with an eye toward “duplicating a 1920s retro look” in the new rooms. Did it work well enough to be worth $2,650/month? Guess that’s up to apartment hunters. Once again, no pets.

↑ In contrast to homes that evidently mix up their bedroom count, this Lower Nob Hill apartment on Pine and Polk is obviously trying to cheat. Though it presents itself as a two bedroom, one bath apartment for $2,600/month, in truth it’s just a single bedroom place that “can be used as a two bedroom without a living room.” Which, yes, is technically true, but equally so for every other one bedroom home ever built, so nice try. Note the bricked-up fireplace—shame that it’s not in use anymore, but the old face of it does still add a bit of extra character to the room. No pets here either; it’s a dog eat dog world out there.

↑ Finally, for a more residential vibe, here’s a one-bedroom, one-bath, in-law in the Richmond, also for $2,600. While there are slightly bigger in-laws renting at comparable prices, this one banks on the additional charm of being a “garden apartment,” which in this case means it’s located in a backyard. Sadly, this is our fifth straight pet-free rental, a perfect no-hitter.