San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Sea Cliff mansion might have the best views in the city
There are multiple reasons to love this 10,725squarefoot, fivestory mansion on the market for $ 25 million in San Francisco’s tony Sea Cliff neighborhood.
Let’s start with the most droolworthy feature: a view that is simply divine.
Built in 1913, this fourbedroom, 6.5bathroom estate perched on Sea Cliff Avenue has stunning views, thanks to its position on the west side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Barring any fog, the iconic span is visible from every room.
“Its orientation is toward the Golden Gate Bridge, as opposed to facing away from it, and it has views of Marin Headlands and the ocean for sunsets,” says the listing agent, Neal Ward of Compass.
“You have this view 24/ 7, and it is as peaceful and beautiful as it can possibly be. Nothing is out in front of [ these homes]. It’s a very exclusive row. There will never be any more than those 23 houses.”
The exclusive neighborhood also boasts what “may be the lowest turnover rate in the city,” according to Patrick Carlisle, chief market analyst at Compass.
This home has the potential to break a record for the highest sale price for a Sea Cliff property — another property in the enclave sold for $ 18 million last year.
Other reasons this listing’s a gem? Glass panels crafted in Italy surround a private indoor basketball court and don’t obstruct the view.
“It’s not often you get a basketball court on the edge of the cliff in San Francisco,” says Ward.
Besides the court, other luxe features include a 1,500squarefoot roof terrace, a movie theater with a Crestron media system, and an infinityedge pool artfully built into the hillside with an outdoor shower nearby.
The home also has a gym spa equipped with two steam showers and a sauna, as well as a catering kitchen for hosting a yoga retreat or a postbasketball meal with friends.
A twocar attached garage and secure gated entry are other, more practical, features. Access to the beach is through a private gate. A gazebo is also on the property.
On the main level is a master suite with dual baths and closets, plus an exercise room and sauna. There are also two additional bedrooms, with a dualvanity bathroom and another en suite bath.
On what is called the “pent level” is an office with windows on all sides and the aforementioned roof terrace. It would be hard to find a better backdrop for Zoom calls.
The home’s lower level boasts a game room, temperaturecontrolled wine cellar and tasting area, and retractable glass doors opening to a terrace.
Space and views aside, the home also provides turnkey luxury without any bureaucratic concerns.
“Getting all of this today would be very, very difficult,” says Ward, given the requirements of the coastal planning commission.
“By the time you go through the planning, your kids are off to college and you’ve missed that moment. This is instant gratification.”
The sellers scooped up this property for $ 5.68 million in 1999.
“When they bought it,” says Ward, “they did a full restoration — full upgrade of all systems — and modernized it to today’s living. They really honored and respected the Italianate nature of the home.”
Ward is targeting two kinds of buyers, first, “a single person that’s really excited about the athletic aspects the home brings.” ( To which we say, hello, Warriors!)
An alternative might be “a family with children who enjoy the aspects of the gym.”
Either way, it may be a buyer who never envisioned living in the city, given the notion that space in San Francisco is often a premium — which assuredly isn’t the case with this property.
“I actually had a showing with a biotech couple, and they had been looking down in the Peninsula,” says Ward, “for these types of amenities. Obviously, with shelterinplace, these sorts of amenities become more important. [ There are] multiple offices throughout the house, on three different levels. Buyers pay much more attention to that now.”