What $2,600 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 is another person's townhouse? Today's price: $2,600.

↑ At 570 Jessie, the contemporary MidMarket apartment complex, handled by Handel Architects, lists units on Craigslist for $2,600/month. (One month ago, a studio apartment rented for $2,850/month.) Note that the images here are “typical apartments”—in fact, they’re the exact same photos used in every ad for the building, perhaps because of the inspiring contrast between the frosted white living room and cerulean bathroom tile. The ad says “small pets are allowed with deposit.”

↑ While the Jessie Street building is brand new with a slick and showy vibe, over in Lower Pacific Heights apartment hunters can net a room at 2811 California, inside a circa-1927 building. Here $2,600/month secures a one-bedroom apartment rather than a studio. The ad mentioned zero baths, though there does appear to be a loo in the photos. Hopefully, it’s not a shared bathroom. The other catch is the ad doesn’t say anything about pets.

↑ Whereas this flat-topped Italianate Victorian house in NoPa presents an apartment that’s a virtual house of mysteries, mystifyingly billed as one-bathroom but also “one to three bedrooms.” What does that mean? “Two or three bedroom configuration could work if going through rooms to get to other rooms,” writes the landlord. An answer that only seems to pose more questions. In any case, it’s a pretty house for $2,600/month; however, the ad notes that the blue kitchen has since been “painted neutral” and that the “owner is not considering pets.”

↑ At least there aren’t any mysteries in Visitacion Valley. There, on San Bruno Avenue, an apartment runs up to two bedrooms and two baths. And it’s available for less at $2,500/month, making this the bargain leader among the five slated homes in this price range. Admittedly, the write-up for the place is a bit terse: “Separate entrance. First Floor. Shine and Bright.” But that’s enough for most people to get the point. No word about pets here, though. Alas.

↑ But Lower Nob Hill is trying to stay in the game, offering a junior one-bedroom apartment on Leavenworth for $2,600/month. This junior bedroom is so small that it barely fits the furniture. French doors separate the space, breaking it up a bit. The advertised crown moldings are tough to make out in the photos, but points for the effort. Once again, however, this is not a pet-friendly lease. Too much of that going around these days.