Yes, rents are high and keep getting higher! Climbing rents come with a shift in how apartments are packaged and advertised. San Francisco rentals these days often come with tech-oriented amenities that ostensibly offset or make more worthy the sky-high rent price.
Such a trend extends not just to those areas where rents have always been higher, but in relation to other neighborhoods. In fact, the trend is most recognizable in newer buildings in areas not formerly considered as desirable as say the Marina, Pacific Heights, Noe or Cole Valley. The sky-high complexes we see rising invite largely single and/or childless tech employees with high pay checks to neighborhoods like the Tenderloin, SoMa and Mission Bay.
Western Addition
For example, we have the Fillmore Center shown in the gallery above, a tower-style complex at 1474 Fillmore St., which to those who’ve been in the city awhile is known as lower Fillmore or Western Addition: At one time, that area was not as pricey as upper Fillmore, but it’s hard to tell now. Prices here run from $2249-$4618 for a studio to $3666-$7197 a for a two bedroom (the three bedroom price is not listed. Probably if you have to ask, you can’t afford it.)
Amenities include
- Complimentary shuttle to the Financial District
- Grounds featuring “gardens, courtyards, waterfalls, grilling and picnic areas”
- Planned activities for residents
- Hi-speed Internet access
- Secured garage parking, video intercom entry.
- Laundry in the building (but not necessarily in the units themselves)
Balboa Park
In the Avalon Ocean complex at 1200 Ocean Ave., we find units reflecting changes in the Westwood/Balboa Park area: another neighborhood that was once affordable and perhaps still is—but only in comparison to other areas that really aren’t affordable at all. Now, the studios start at $2590; 1BRs at $2770; 2BRs at $3640.
What do you get for that price?
- Well-equipped fitness center
- Courtyards with barbecue grills and WiFi access
- Controlled access parking
- Complimentary package acceptance service
- On site retail including Whole Foods Market
- On-site ZipCar
Mission Bay
On 4th St. in Mission Bay, which not so very long ago was only a place for defunct industrial buildings and tumbleweeds, we now have the Venue Building, offering “luxury apartments.” Indeed, this is luxury pricing with studios starting at $3,079 a month, moving up from there to a top-of-the-line 1 bedroom at $3,985 and 2 bedrooms starting at $4,224.
Amenities here are very telling of how these units are crafted to meet current renters’ priorities:
- Business work area
- Controlled access entry
- Complimentary Wi-Fi in common area locations
- Concierge services including package delivery and dry cleaning pickup/drop off
- Regular resident events and mixers
- Reserved garage parking available
- Bicycle parking room
- Units pre-wired for cable TV, Internet and phone lines
- Submit payments and service requests with your mobile smartphone