What $4,800 rents 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: $4,800.

↑ Anyone who’s visited the beautifully renovated New Mission theater on Mission Street passes right by Vida, the colorful-blocked contemporary building next door with the signature protruding windows. What’s it take to get inside? In this case, $4,800/month for a two-bedroom, two-bath, 900-square-foot apartment upstairs. Although it’s an extra $200/month for renters who spring for the matching parking. Note the concrete walls and ceilings popping in here and there in some but not all of the rooms. The ad says pets are “negotiable,” so bring a game face.

↑ Heading southwest to Ingleside nets a superficially similar apartment offer in a building with decidedly less going for it in terms of curb appeal. But this one does offer some tangible benefits where it counts, upping the room count to three bedrooms and three baths. Although obviously not as centrally located as a spot on Mission Street, the building sits right smack next to the main CCSF campus instead; a worthwhile tradeoff for those in a scholarly aspect. There’s even a price break, technically: $4,795/month. Hey, when spending that kind of money, every little bit helps. Pets are permitted, with an additional $75/pet fee.

↑ Even in San Francisco apartment living isn’t for everyone, so renters with a yen for a home all their own can turn to Forest Hill. On Ninth Avenue, a two-bed, one-bath house a few blocks from Larsen Peak offers a lease for $4,600/month—a bargain in this context, albeit many times the highest price possible in many major American cities. Notice the nice addition of a tiered yard. The ad doesn’t say whether pets are allowed; A bad sign, but perhaps potential renters can splurge on the the luxury of optimism?

↑ Although perfectly respectable at roughly 1,000 square feet, the Forest Hill house has nothing on this place on Twin Peaks, a four-bed, two-bath house that beats the entire board for renters looking to get the most space for their salary. But it’s no pets (except for service animals), and $4,800/month, although once again that doesn’t include parking unless you spring for an extra fee.

↑ Finally, anyone still undecided may want to split the difference, opting for a three bedroom, two and a half bath apartment in the Sunset along 21st Avenue. Advertised as “recently renovated” (but aren’t they all?), it’s got parquet for days and a witty looking, mildly Art Deco influenced high-crowned facade turned toward the street for $4,775/month. Cats and dogs here are “negotiable” again—it seems pet ownership favors those with practiced bargaining skills.