What $4,600 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? Today’s price: $4,600.

When this three-bed, two-and-a-half-bath, approximately 1,600-square-foot luxury Parkmerced condo last sold in 2015, the realtor pledged “an inspiring new collection of classic San Francisco walk-ups” at the site, including “large residences, “two-car tandem garages, high ceilings, eight-foot doors, and master bedroom suites,” all on display here and seeking $4,600 per month. Also of note, it’s spread across three floors. Fancy. One luxury not included: pets

SF’s southern neighborhoods don’t see much new luxe construction relative to the rest of the city, but there’s no shortage of new and hold homes touting remodel credentials. In Excelsior, it’s a “spacious, remodeled” place on Peru Street that stacks up three beds, three baths, and nearly 2,300 square feet in a “clean, quiet, well-maintained” house for $4,600 per month. The ad promises “lots of retained period details”—SF Planning dates the house to sometime before the 1906 earthquake—”custom features,” “large windows and hardwood floors,” plus in-ceiling speakers” and high ceilings to match. No quarter is asked or given over the singular pickle-green and yellow paints scheme. No pets allowed, either.

A few blocks away on Brunswick Street in Crocker-Amazon, a “stunning remodeled house for lease” is similarly hunting for $4,600 per month. The space is somewhat smaller—three bedrooms and one bath—and the circa-1924 property not quite as antique, but the leasing agent promises “from remodeling each room with crown molding, new paint, and refinishing the hardwood floors, it’s certainly a must see.” The ad even mentions the poppies sprouting in the backyard. Possibly the biggest addition: dogs are allowed, although the ad does not mention cats.

This Glasdore Lofts apartment at 30 Dore in SoMa appeared previously on Comparisons earlier this month, and at first glance this appears to be the same home. But in fact this is a slightly smaller, slightly cheaper home—billed as a “beautiful two by two [two beds and two baths] with den ready for immediate move in” at $4,595 per month—that happens to be slinging around the same photos, another lesson in the importance of close reading when it comes to SF housing ads. Hauser Architects calls the pet-friendly building (both dogs and cats are okay) “42 light-filled residential units located on a quiet secondary street in San Francisco’s South of Market District.” This loft features the same “floor-to-ceiling windows” and “movable walls” as others in the building.

In closing, there’s no mistaking this one-bed, one-bath, seventh-floor apartment at Pacific and Fillmore, advertised as a “prime Pacific Heights” locale with its “Art Deco bathroom” for several months now. Although it evidently hasn’t had any takers yet, they’re still sticking with the demanding $4,500 per month asking rent—let’s see whether interest has appreciate or remained equally static.