“Tony high-rises have always lured potential residents with views, pools and prestigious ZIP codes. But now, well-to-do Baby Boomers and young, upwardly mobile professionals want the amenities of high-end hotels. So developers are putting on the Ritz. And because San Francisco spends more money on dining out than any other metropolis on record, haute cuisine is becoming part of the package.”
UPDATE: “Rumor has it that The Palms are close to closing a deal with a restauranteur, replacing their existing sales office.”
UPDATE Redux: “Regarding the Palms update — at the building holiday party one of the sales people (who lives in the bldg) said a Japanese (sushi?) restaurant has signed on to move in where the sales office is. Apparently, a restaurant with other locations in SF. The sales team is vacating by the end of Dec. She also said there are four units left here.”
∙ As upscale home complexes add great chefs, more buyers are biting [SFGate]
Wow, a lot of negative comments posted in SFGate! I , for one, think its great that well-known restauranteurs are deciding to move in to these new developments in SoBe, FiDi, and SoMa. I’m surprised that the article didn’t mention anything regarding the new developement in the Fillmore – The Heritage. They’ve got two new restaurants within the development – Yoshi’s and 1300 on Fillmore.
Rumor has it that The Palms are close to closing a deal with a restauranteur, replacing their existing sales office.
Funny that ORH was conspicuously absent from the article, considering how much the Chron has written about them. Is there any retail in that building?
Lots of buildings have restaurants. This was just a space filler for that rag our city calls a newspaper and an excuse to put up a picture of that super-douche Gary Danko.
I have to think that one of the big benefits of have a great restaurant in your building is that people will be more aware of your building and think about it when they need a place to live. Right now I am amazed at the huge majority of people that don’t know what or where one rincon and especially the infinity is. Many have no idea where rincon hill/neighborhood is. This will help get some building awarness.
I’m stealing eurosnbaht’s comment from the Gate: “This is not a new idea. Gramercy Tower on Nob Hill has a restaurant in it’s lobby. There have been about 5 ones that have all gone belly-up in that space in the last 10 years. The Clay Jones is a condo building that has had several restaurants in it’s lobby space. The last one closed down several months ago and the space now sits vacant. 1001 California is yet another condo building that has a restaurant space in it’s lobby. That one has been vacant for several years- following the last failed venture.”
I’d rather discover the next Nancy Oakes than eat at a Boulevard imitation. But then again, I think the moniker “South Beach” is banal and derivative, so what do I know?
Chronicle readers and commenters are apparently on a mission to completely destroy the Chronicle’s credibility and reporting and to turn every story about anything into a NIMBY gathering of ‘San Francisco is like Europe so don’t change it’ , which, I’m sure, Europe scoffs and spits in their faces! The NIMBYs are aging, very ungracefully, and their power is very diminished. Can’t wait until Sue Hestor leaves us all for good.
This is the comment I left on the Chronicle article:
Who in the hell cares what that gasbag Sue Hestor says?? If it were up to her, nothing would have changed or been developed in San Francisco in 30 years. I think these high-rises are awesome, and I hope they build more. Finally, things are happening in this city and it’s moving in the right direction. I’ve never seen such bad attitudes, envy and jealousy than many of the people who have left comments, especially the one who believes there should actually be LIMITS on how much one can earn or acquire. So incredibly naive and sad.
This comment was left by someone else at the Chronicle’s website; I think it’s awesome:
Once upon a time, there was a city by the bay, known for its quaint and picturesque houses, where neighbors met in small neighborhood cafes and felt lucky to be a part of each other’s lives. Then, the city, like all cities, starting changing. But some people did not like that, so they tapped their red heels together and tried to summon a mythical past back to life. They wanted to turn SF into Mayberry by the Bay, so they fought all change, and blamed “rich people” for their problems. They passed many ridiculous laws (rent control), and fought for the right of homeless to live on the street and harass everyone. They had sorts of great ideas on how other people should live their lives. But it wasn’t to be. Huddled in their decrepit rent-controlled apartments, they watched with envy as life evolved, new people came, neighborhoods changed. They visited Disneyland once a year to remind them of the place they once knew, if only in their dreams. Did I get that right?
While I think this is a great trend to match residential developments with destination restauranteurs, you might want to inquire as to where the kitchen venting will be located if you’re buying a unit in one of these properties.
Regarding the Palms update — at the building holiday party one of the sales people (who lives in the bldg) said a Japanese (sushi?) restaurant has signed on to move in where the sales office is. Apparently, a restaurant with other locations in SF. The sales team is vacating by the end of Dec. She also said there are four units left here.
I work nearby and would kill for a decent, moderately priced sushi place for lunch. As much as I hate these Soma condo buildings, a restaurant like that would get my dollars.
Palms_rez: Do you really believe the sales agent? I’m skeptical because the space is still available on Looopnet:
http://listing.loopnet.com/15157119
That would be really cool, but with that sales team’s track record I wouldn’t hold my breath on anything they say.
Since it was a holiday party for current owners at the Palms, I don’t see any reason not to take his/her word.
http://sf.curbed.com/archives/2007/12/26/rumor_wabi_sabi_at_the_palms.php
“Eater SF delivers the heresay: Following along with the latest “gourmet resto as condo value add” meme, The Palms is rumored to be playing (future) host to a high-end Japanese restaurant. Name: as yet undisclosed. Talk amongst yourselves.”
Am I missing something or isn’t that exactly what Palms_rez wrote above only a week later?
here’s the posting on craigslist for the space:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/off/527187365.html