What $4,400 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: $4,400.

The landlord for this Richmond apartment promises “a real deal” and the “best of the best in town.” What does a marketing pitch’s idea of a deal look like in SF these days? For starters, $4,395 per month for two beds and two baths on 18th Avenue, in what’s called a “deluxe custom build view top unit” stretching over 1,800 feet. That includes “all hardwood floor, living room has working fireplace, big windows facing Golden Gate Park,” “nice-looking wood cabinets with marble countertop,” and “master bathroom with jacuzzi, glass shower stall, and view from big windows.” No pets allowed.

This competing apartment is less than half the size of the former—a one-bed and one-bath setup with a combined 750 square feet—but it sits on the crux between North Beach and Telegraph Hill, in the shadow of Coit Tower and less than three blocks from the waterfront and the Exploratorium. The ad promises “spectacular panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay,” “beautiful lush gardens,” a “private scenic rooftop deck,” all part of a “fabulous midcentury Telegraph Hill condo” at the top of a triplex. The catch: Again, no pets allowed, even with the $4,400 per month rent.

Well, pet lovers can find something to love in Mission Bay, where the circa-2012 Madrone building accepts both cats and dogs, provided, of course, their owners can drop $4,300 each month on a one-bed, one-bath, 878-foot-condo. “Madrone offers exceptional amenities which include a 75-foot outdoor lap pool, spa, fitness center, steam room, sauna, theater, business center, club house, BBQ area, [electric vehicle] charging stations,” and doorman 24 hours a day. The interiors are interchangeable with any other recently constructed neighborhood condo, though the building does come by way of Perkins and Will architects.

This house in Sunnyside presents a boxy face to the curb, a motif that continues on the inside with the hard-edge corner fireplace and tight, angular staircases. Although not quite as large as the previous offerings at 1,600 square feet, this one pushes its size advantage, billed as a “large three-level house with two-car garage,” plus “hardwood floors,” “large backyard,” and skylight. It also comes with three bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, and “central gas furnace.” Pets are accepted with a steep $3,000 deposit; the place will set you back $4,300 per month.

Finally, a competing house a few blocks away in the tucked-away Westwood Highlands neighborhood is on the hunt for $4,300 per month, offering a “bright, charming, and fresh two-bed, one-bath home” that paces out to over 1,250 square feet. It includes a lot of hardwood flooring, as well as new landscaping with gardening service. Pets at this place are “negotiable.”