What $6,300 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: $6,300.

↑ America’s postcard industry would have people thinking that every person in San Francisco lives in a Painted Lady near Alamo Square. But of course only a few people are destined for such charm. In this case, those who can pay $6,300/month for a two-bed, one-bath apartment on the corner of Steiner and Hayes. With both bedrooms lined up side by side at the front of the house, it poses an immediate conflict between roommates: Who gets the turret windows and who has to settle for the very shallow bay? Pets are allowed, which is of course particularly welcome with the park right across the street.

↑ As usual, the offerings bounce straight from the historic to the brand new, in this case a two-bedroom, two-bath Pacific Heights apartment that offers the opportunity to “be the first.” The ad doesn’t go on to say what “the first” in this case means, but presumably it refers to tenancy in the still recently minted new building at 1450 Franklin. “The residences at 1450 Franklin were designed around the notions of space and refinement,” according the building site. By definition every home is built around space, but be that as it may, the deal here is $6,300/month for the new place, no word on a pet policy.

↑ The 14th Avenue Apartments in the Richmond date to 1925 (and look every inch of it from the curb) but are presented here as freshly renovated, presenting perhaps the best of both worlds, at least in concept. In execution, well, it’s hard not to admire those banks of windows, not to mention the scale of the apartment: four bedrooms, three baths, and over 1,600 square feet. Cats are allowed but no dogs (apartment hunting is a dog eat dog world, after all), and the price is $6,195/month.

↑ The last time a home in Parkmerced put in an appearance on Comparisons it was only $5,775/month for a three-bed, two-bath home, but now the going rate has apparently spiked to $6,240 for the two-story place with lavender hues throughout, even in spite of the rent control. This is probably a different place in the sprawling complex simply presenting the same “typical unit” photos, but feel free to compare across time as well as across neighborhoods in this case. Pets are A-OK on this one.

↑ And this Bernal Heights apartment is another returning highlight, its tenants from the last run apparently in the process of moving out and the three-bed, two-bath place now looking for a new occupant at $6,295/month. If that seems unreasonable, at least it’s a discount from the same home’s going Airbnb rate of $248/night. Is it worth it, eye-popping orange color scheme and jade-tiled fireplace and all?