Thursday, January 10, 2008

Stage 42, West Portal (district 4t)

(You can click on most images and they will display in a new window and display larger.)


This week, we take a step into our last district 4 subdistrict, West Portal. To start things off, it is always nice to get to know a little history of the area you are considering buying into or selling out of. There is a lot of good reading there and of course the Wikipedia history of West Portal can provide some good insight as well.

Since our focus is real estate, below is a snapshot of the current stats for West Portal.


One thing that we'd like to point out is that there is a total of one, yes 1 active listing on MLS for West Portal at the moment. It appears to even be of the mid-century type (built in 1955), but we have not been inside and there aren't any interior photos, so it is just a hunch.

Typically, homes in this area sell very quickly, but like all properties in San Francisco, pricing is crucial.

What about the area? West Portal is a very desirable part of San Francisco. Homes are generally very well maintained, most are fully detached, and the proximity to a vibrant area of shops and restaurants is second to none.

However, with vibrancy comes traffic and a fair bit of noise, thanks in large part to the frequent rumble of the K,L, or M line MUNI street cars on their way to and from the Muni Metro West Portal station. There is also the West Portal Elementary School, and the thru steets of Vicente, Ulloa, and Taraval connecting traffic coming from Claremont, and Portola west to 19th Avenue. West Portal is itself a very, very busy street. If you're looking for a quieter part of West Portal to call home, try some of the streets to the East of Claremont, like Granville, Allston, and Dorchester.

Many homes in West Portal actually have very nice views of surrounding areas (including the ocean), as there are some pretty good hills here. Streets are, for the most part, very clean, and there are plenty of big green trees to incease your oxygen supply when walking up said hills.

During Halloween, this area is second to none, as all the neighbors really get in the spirit of things with decorations, a parade, and tons of candy. Weather tends to be a bit foggy in the summer, windy in the spring (like all of San Francisco), and cozy in the rainy months of winter. The smell of wood burning fireplaces wafts through the air, and being so close to great restaurants and cafes really has its perks when it is raining.

Have a great weekend and go check out West Portal.






What San Francisco neighborhood would be complete without a pink palace? Very typical home on the lower, flatter sections of Wawona and Madrone.


Just like you can always find a pink home, you can also find a home somebody seems not to care too much to maintain.

From Claremont, looking across Ulloa to West Portal.



If you're lucky, the owner will take you fishing for being his/her neighbor.
Muni Metro West Portal and tunnel through Twin Peaks



Holy mackeral this blog has collected some dust and cobwebs. Apologies for the delay in posting a new stage, and thanks for reading to the end.

3 comments:

Toni said...

This is a great blog but I would like to see photos from earlier stages (going back to the 1st). I read the Richmond entry but the images were no longer uploaded. Is there an archive available?

Editor said...

toni,

sorry. the earlier stages didn't have photos. At some point we'll go back and get them. Feel free to ask us, or your sfnewsletter provider to tell you more about the area.

the editor

infotech said...

Great information, I really like all your post.
Real Estate Portal