Stage 28, Diamond Heights (4b)

The great thing about San Francisco is that every neighborhood (district) is truly different than the other. Just like the people that make up this great city, our property is so unique and diverse, it just makes our job that much more fun.
In San Francisco, a lot of us base our home search on the district, and assume that places like District 4 are full of homes like you see in Balboa Terrace, St. Francis Wood, West Portal, or Forest Hill, so you don't even bother looking in that district. Big mistake!
Last week we took you through Balboa Terrace, and loved the homes, neighborhood, and the market is great there. This week we're in Diamond Heights (Home of the "gem" streets like Quartz, Amethyst, Topaz, Turquoise), and it is completely different than what we saw in district 4b (Balboa Terrace).
If you're looking for mid-century modern, Eichlers, and homes of that nature, your radar should be zeroed in on Diamond Heights. In our opinion this is the largest concentration of mid-century homes in the entire city.









Many of the homes, especially the condos/apartments on top of the hill have booming views, either of the city or south into Glen Park and south city, or even west into Glen Park Canyon.


(Make sure to click "the listings" below for more looks at some of these homes like you see here.)

Homes generally sell relatively quickly in this part of town, as they rarely come available, and multiple offers are common. The condos, on the other hand, sit a bit longer and require very precise pricing.



Something interesting about this district is that it is primarily one big park/recreation area, the name of which mirrors another district in San Francisco, Glen Park. With hiking trails, towering Eucalyptus trees, and steep slopes to burn the quads, Glen Park Canyon is a great place to get out and get away. Those of you that live on that little tip of Bosworth right on the edge of Glen Park, and you're saying you live in Glen Park...technically no. You're actually part of Diamond Heights. (Eddie?)
The main commercial center is the Diamond Heights Shopping Center on top of the hill and it is home to Safeway, Walgreens, Bank of America, and other fine corporate American establishments. Right next door is a nice little playground, the Christopher Playground, and close to that is the San Francisco Law Enforcement Regional Training Facility (SF Police Academy). For a little slice of Eden amongst the sea of Mid-Century modern homes, head on down to Crags Court and take a gander at the Crags Court Community Garden. Whatever you do when you're in Diamond Heights, plan on it being windy.
And of course, what neighborhood is complete without the home that just doesn't seem to fit in?



Feel like checking the district via satellite? Click this link.



We could go on, but we'll leave it at that. Got questions, contact us. Otherwise, we wish you a great day, and happy house hunting.


the listings
the stats

Stage 27, Balboa Terrace (4a)

We call Balboa Terrace a St. Francis Wood Alternative. Balboa Terrace has the same feel, weather, type of homes (not quite as stately), and general pride of ownership you see in St. Francis Wood, but without the 90210 effect. The area feels very suburban, has tons of trees, nice small green grass front yards, and is a phenomenal place to go trick or treating during Halloween. Sidewalks are clean, there aren't too many cars parked on the narrow streets, and trash does not blow around in the wind like in other neighborhoods. Homes here are, for the most part, beautiful, well-maintained, and highly sought after, with overbids being very common. Of course, same rules apply...pricing is everything (see 200 Darien on "the listings"). It's doubtful you'd find anything under $1.1MM here, and that benchmark is slowly creeping up.



As you go up the hill away from Junipero Serra (very busy street) the homes tend to get a bit bigger and taller. Homes on Monterey are very "plantation-esque", if you know what we mean. They remind us of something you'd see in the south, with big front yards, large gates and driveways, and that general bigger than life feeling.
You might call this the "saint street" district with names like San Rafael, San Fernando, San Leandro, Santa Ana, San Benito, and San Aleso.

A sampling of homes:








This district is home to Aptos Middle School(might technically be in Mount Davidson Manor), St. Francis Episcopal Church, and the Ninth Church of Christ Scientist (among other things), and all of these places obviously have a good donation system because they are very nice.

Ninth Church of Christ Scientist


Your commercial center would be Ocean Ave, and access to Stern Grove, 19th Ave, Stonestown Galleria, and San Francisco State University are just a stones throw away.
And of course what district would be complete without the forgotten home...in this case we had a tie between 300 Darien:


and this home very close by:


There are some homes in this area that are currently under-going a remodel, so we'll have to wait and see if they hit the market. While we were snapping photos of 300 Darien two different contractors drove by and asked if we were putting it on the market and if so, they'd like to buy it before anyone else has the chance. Go figure.
Let us know if you have any questions. We turned the "comments" on, as a tester, so feel free to share your knowledge.

the listings

the stats

Stage 26, Oceanview (3J)

Oceanview...we suppose there are some ocean views to be had in this district, but perhaps a better name is "Dalyview", for the un-surpassed views of Daly City. Take a drive around this area, and spend some time there, and you'll see what we mean. There are views, but hey...they're not that great (That for our out of town readers...don't be fooled by the name.) There are sounds though, that's for sure, thanks to the ever-present hum of the Interstate-280, which is this area's border to the south and east. For those that don't know, the I-280 is one of two major road arteries leading to and from downtown from many areas south of San Francisco. The other artery being the 101. As we've said in Stage 23 (Ingleside Heights) and Stage 25 (Ingleside) the hum of traffic could be kind of soothing. Kind of like wind in the trees. Think of it that way.
The neighborhood itself is very "working class", or "blue-collar", and not necessarily the most cared for, or "pride of ownership" area. This is not to say there isn't the anomoly, we have to generalize. But as with most properties in the city, they sell quickly, and for a pretty penny:

A lot of the homes are very similar to some of the homes in the stages we've done in the past. We like to call them the "Parkside" homes: two bed; one bath up; one car parking; and many with the oh-so common "unwarranted in-law" down. Only in this neighborhood, they are a bit less well maintained.

Of course they have a few homes that are totally out of character too:

This fire house on Broad St is quite possibly the best maintained building of all the neighborhood:

There are all kinds of mom and pop stores like Louies Bait Shop (appeared shut down), Reno's Barber Shop, and all kinds of Bible Churches, Baptist Churches, and even an Urban Outreach Center on Plymouth.
The main public transport is the M-Line, and for fun outdoor activity head over to the Oceanview Recreation Center, where there are huge fields for soccer, baseball, football, and generally running wild. They are renovating the entire center, and it looks like it is coming along quite nicely. Think new playgrounds and "a campus-style grouping of four buildings -- gymnasium, community room, teen center and a multi-purpose building that will house a preschool, kitchen, weight room, arts and crafts center and staff offices. The buildings will face a central courtyard."[sfgate]. It's gonna be sweet!

For your cellular needs you might try this place. Never heard of iT, but iT might be good. If nothing else, you could ask the owner if he/she likes yellow/orange buildings and if that happens to be his/her monster truck parked out front. Haven't they heard that San Francisco is one of "the greenest cities in the nation"? Come on! Get with it. ;-) Hummers are sooo out!

And of course, what neighborhood tour would be complete without the home that has been forgotten? Or shall we say, "The home that forgot to buy enough fresh blue paint?"

If you're lucky enough to have neighbors that think their home is a castle, or the floating porch a perfect place for a drum set, well Oceanview might be your calling. These two homes are located on Margaret at Summit and they are a sight to see. Not just for the sight, but how do you get two complete disasters next door to each other?



All in all, the Oceanview is a good neighborhood. Not loaded with fun shops, restaurants, sights, character, or charm, but a good solid place to live and buy a home. Homes are definitely a good buy here, and as more and more families get priced out of the "nicer" areas, Oceanview may just come along. That is if they don't leave San Francisco entirely.
the listings
the stats

Stage 25, Ingleside (3H)

So what do you do when your neighborhood is plagued with fog, high winds, and generally lousy weather? You paint! Paint your house bright to make it through the gloomy days. The brighter the better, and pink if you want to have good luck.


You also cover up your Porsche so it doesn't get sand-blasted, forget about taking care of your house, make sure you get all your satellite channels broadcasting swimsuits and warm water sports from the tropical beaches of Hawaii, tell your neighbor, "Sure, I don't care if you build on that mound of rocks. You gettin' a permit for that?", and crack open the Guinness, because in the Ingleside, every day is a lovely day for a Guinness.


Actually, it's not that bad...depending on what street you're on. Don't be fooled, Grafton is a freeway heading to and from the I-280. You can pretty much bet if you live on one of the streets running east-west it will be a "connector". Streets running north-south are much quieter. The neighborhood crests at Lakeview, and homes on the hill either have booming views to the north of Mt. Davidson and all the homes dotting its hillside, or decent views to the south of Daly City. Streets are generally very wide and car-filled, but when you get over the hill towards the East, on streets like Josiah, Margaret, Howth, some turn one way and they're barely wide enough for one car. You also get a nice lulling sound from the I-280 to help you sleep at night, especially on San Miguel. Some would call that "white noise".
Lick Wilmerding High School, a non-profit, independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school is in this district at 755 Ocean Avenue. Your commercial row would be Ocean Avenue beginning around Plymouth and heading west to 19th Ave, with tons of shops, restaurants, and "big" retail stores like Walgreens, Rite Aid, and such.
Homes in the Ingleside are a veritable smorgasbord of types, shapes, and sizes. Generally, homes are not the best kept, but there are a few standouts. Prices range from the low $600,000s to the upper $800,000s:



If you're looking for a grand, palatial home this ain't the place for you...more like a neighborhood full of character, good people and a toughness you won't find anywhere in the "north end" of town.

And of course, what neighborhood would be complete without the home being over-taken by nature:


or the home somebody tried so hard to get right, but just didn't? (We're guessing a do it yourself exterior stucco renovation.)


Not to fear, all your real estate sins may be forgotten in St. Emydius Catholic Church on Ashton @ De Montfort

or hop over the hill to the Oceanview and find any number of Bible, Gospel, and Baptist Churches to calm your soul.

Happy house-hunting. Let us know if we can help.

the listings
the stats

Stage 24, Rained Out!

Bummer, we know. But this ain't the Paris Roubaix, it's only the TDSF (real estate version). Since you're here you might as well browse the archives or check our full tilt BLOG at www.sfnewsletter.com/blog.



Photo: ©AFP Photo/Patrick Kovarik-STF

Stage 23, Ingleside Heights (District 3G)

San Francisco has so many nano-markets it is truly unbelievable. Even within each district and smaller subdistrict, not only does the street you are on matter, so too does which side of the street you are on. In Ingleside Heights (IH), you can take that theory and multiply it times three.
North of Randolph, homes are typically well taken care of, but not the "gems" for which so many people are searching. By that, we mean they are nice, have great views to the south and west, have nice back yards (albeit hilly), but lack that sort of "wow" factor or general "pride of ownership" you see in many other places. This is not to say there aren't a few standouts. We have to generalize.

One thing you will certainly notice is that there seems to be an over-abundance of cars parked all over the streets, front yards, and sometimes even on the sidewalks. Some residents of this area seem to care more about their cars, than their homes, and others just don't seem to care about their homes at all. God bless America, because you can do whatever the heck you want.



On Randolph itself, especially the corner of Randolph and Orizaba, it's a bit...hmmm, sketchy? Is that the best word? There are lots of metal bars on lots of windows, and that usually indicates one thing...a fear of crime. Others may disagree, especially the owners of China View Cuisine at 295 Orizaba that are celebrating their Grand Opening, and surely hoping to get good business. We hope they do.
Moving further south, the homes in between Brotherhood Way and Alemany are quite nice and very well cared for. Saint Charles street would definitely get the nod from Sir Charles should he ever visit. Homes are very well taken care of and the neighbors definitely exude that "welcome" feeling.


Of course what nice neighborhood would be complete without the neglected home with broken windows, overgrown trees and shrubs, and well...an old, rusted, beat up boat parked in the yard? (Which you can see on your left when you get on 280 from 19th Ave, just passed Brotherhood Way.)



Cross over Alemany to the south and poof!, you're in an entirely different vibe, steps from Ocean View Village, complete with all your strip mall favorites (Supercuts, Rite Aid, Hollywood Video, etc.), and even less steps from the Daly City BART station. The freeway noise (280) is like wind in the trees. Most homes are like the ones you've already seen, but just like the random neglected home of each neighborhood, what about the random A-frame house in a sea of Parkside-esque "full fives"?


Nice ad:


It's not always easy to paint a rosy picture of every neighborhood in the city. We just like to point out a lot of things that you shouldn't over-look when buying a home in this neighborhood, and make it crystal clear that Ingleside Heights might be the place for you, but it is not for everyone. As is the case with any real estate purchase you make, we highly recommend you check out the neighborhood at all times of the day and night.

the listings

Stage 22...Rained out!

Bummer, we know. But this ain't the Paris Roubaix, it's only the TDSF (real estate version). Since you're here you might as well browse the archives or check our full tilt BLOG at www.sfnewsletter.com/blog.