Built as a single-family home in 1904, converted to a boarding house known as “Baker Acres” in the 1940’s, and then Ellis Acted in 2002, an almost fully gutted and foreclosed upon 2201 Baker Street went on the market in November of 2007 asking $2,490,000.
Purchased for $2,538,000 and completely rebuilt as a single-family home by RBR Development (think Regina Callan), 2201 Baker Street is about to return to the market as the first “eco-friendly” Metropolitan Home Modern by Design Showhome.
This 7,700 square foot home, is outfitted with the latest green technologies [Regrid solar photovoltaic panels], building materials [high efficiency insulation, low u-value glazing, low VOC paints, recycled brick], mechanical systems [two high efficiency furnaces with air purification system]…and spectacular cutting-edge modern design on 4-levels of impressive living space and outdoor spaces including a large walk-out garden and roof garden to accommodate the lifestyle of a modern San Francisco family.
As a plugged-in eddy correctly surmised (and stole a bit of our thunder), Barbabra and Robert Callan have the listing with a whisper price of $7.1 million. The first VIP tours are scheduled to start in a week with a month of public tours starting on June 20th ($25 tickets benefit the San Francisco Ballet).
And as it looked before:
Sorry, but it’s still ugly as all hell – the tiny windows, the faux balconies, and don’t get me started on the sidewalk encroachment.
I’m sure the interior will be “nice,” but the fact that it’s all 100% new is a little sad. I know the house was too far gone to salvage any of the period details, but still. I predict lots of brown and taupe walls…
Ahh… So we have a follow up to the Marina Green Showcase home. These folks are good at drumming up the PR machine. The Callan family firing on all cylinders. I’ve still never figured out exactly what the final sale price was on the Marina Green Home (name link). There seemed to be some odd tax records on that place as well. Anyone?
Back to this place, I’m OK with the brown and taupe walls, although the MGS home had a lot of nice color throughout. $8M? That’s a tough block / corner to command those prices, but I’ll reserve my judgment until I see it in person. At least they don’t have to photoshop the streets like their nieghbor 😉
[Editor’s Note: Sorry, that should have been “around $7M” (and it’s actually $7.1M).]
More thunder stealing: http://www.2201baker.com
But just a placeholder for now….
I’m fairly certain the images that pop up here in the intro are of the new place even though the website goes through to the 1771 NP site. The picture of the kitchen is from the NP house but all the other images are not, IIRC.
[Editor’s Note: While you’re right about the placeholder URL, you’re not about the images (at least not yet).]
Agree with Sleepiguy, this house always struck me as ugly, and along with the predicted brown and taupe, I expect lots of animal skulls and shells. (Though there are some great designers involved who don’t usually fall into “that” trap including Jiun Ho, Julie Dowling, and Orlando Diaz Azcuy)
someone please help cure my bad attitude about agents by convincing me that the sale through Callan 1 to Callan 2 for $2.538 M was arms-length.
A 7700 square foot home is about as eco friendly as a Hummer. There are enough materials there for 2 large homes.
No need to turn this into an “is it green” thread. Look, it’s a 7700 sqft home and its big. So let’s just get the whole green, not green thing behind us so we can discuss the merits of the house. New owners will probably have SUVs and other non-green stuff. Get over it. The whole green / sustainable stuff is a joke anyway.
$7.1 is still pretty high for no view and a bad block. But it’s probably closer to reality. There will be a lot of margin in this house, as there was with the MGS home. Looking forward to getting inside to take a look. I actually liked the MGS home quite a bit. This was a good buy and a good development opportunity. As for the arms-length nature of this transaction, this was fair game in a hot market so there is no reason to cast those stones.
I wouldn’t be surprised if RBR purchased the sub 500psf foot home on Washington as their next project? Hmmm, just speculating.
Normally I don’t comment on the whole “green” thing, but it this case it’s ridiculously disingenuous. The two years of constant construction negated every “environmentally friendly” feature added to this place. Besides, in 10 years the “cutting-edge modern design” will be completely dated and the next owner will rip out the kitchens and baths and start over… I don’t care if people put “green” products in their houses, but don’t act like this house is saving Earth -unless the buyer is planning on growing rainforest saplings and raising harp seals inside… Uh oh, I think I just gave the BOS an idea for a ballot measure.
Eddy, the Callans didn’t buy the house on Washington, but a relation to a (the?) preeminent SF politico did…
For me, this place has zero curb appeal. No matter how spectacular the interior may be, I can’t get past the outside. And maybe it’s just me, but there’s something odd about the blocks of Pac Heights in between Divis and Presidio and north of Sacramento and south of Pacific. There are some cute Victorians there, but the area is kind of a hodgepodge of architectural styles that make it feel disjointed as opposed to quaint and quirky.
I hope the owners plan to plant a rainforest in the 4-car garage.
“I don’t care if people put “green” products in their houses, but don’t act like this house is saving Earth -unless the buyer is planning on growing rainforest saplings and raising harp seals inside… Uh oh, I think I just gave the BOS an idea for a ballot measure.”
sleepiguy, that is the funniest comment of the week !
And insightful as well. The irony is many of those who legislate the definition of “green” or those most active in purchasing green products like this do not seem to truly embrace the meaning of the term.
The greenest use of this building would be to leave it as a boarding house. Despite the dreary connotations of a SRO, it could house a larger number of people who would benefit from the natural efficiencies of living in a city.
This place has a date with a “5” handle.
“Despite the dreary connotations of a SRO, it could house a larger number of people who would benefit from the natural efficiencies of living in a city.”
Indeed.
The other major loss is that now I won’t be able to live at 2201B Baker Street.
The other major loss is that now I won’t be able to live at 2201B Baker Street.
Brilliant!
Good Lord, there’s a lot of money being made in SF real estate, which is a reason we’re all reading this popular web site. The 1771 North Point Marina house must have sold in the 5m range since its taxes are 56k per year.
These folks bought this Baker house for 2.5m and aim to sell for 7m. If they do it, just on this job alone they’ll have made a fortune that can sustain a family for generations.
Sure, the renovations are extensive, but these are business people. They understand how not to get reamed the 6% realtor fees on each transaction, and they’re not paying anything close to what the bored rich pay for their renovations.
It’s true calling was as a boarding house.
The lipstick on this pig isn’t working. IMHO.
This is one of the ugliest homes (on the outside) even after the reno. it does not look like a $7M home, even in SF.
The irony is many of those who legislate the definition of “green” or those most active in purchasing green products like this do not seem to truly embrace the meaning of the term.
Even the green hotshots get it wrong sometimes. I watched a lecture by one of the pre-eminent green people in the world (sorry, I forget his name which is a pity because he was AMAZING) from India. He builds these uber-green structures.
In his latest structure he was FORCED to put in an air conditioner in order to get the highest LEED certification. (because part of the scoring for LEED includes having a very high efficiency air conditioner. if he didn’t have an AC he would get 0 points!).
silly, huh? without LEED he wouldn’t have put in AC. Oh, and BTW, this structure was in INDIA, so hot hot hot. He has many other wonderful buildings that don’t meet LEED certification because they don’t have heat or AC. (again in India)
that said I agree with others. When debating 7000sq ft homes, one must take it into context that the buyer will ONLY be looking in that size range. Thus, the goal is to make it as green as possible.
It’s like safe sex. Safe sex is really “safer” sex. this building isn’t green. It’s “greener”. not sure if that deserves praise or scorn.
the fact that all the advertising around the city talks about GREEN GREEN GREEN! at least means that people are starting to think about it.
Green is the new Black, which is the new way to make $green$
This house is very dark, ugly, on a downslope (facing the wrong way – for this amount north/west would be nice), no view, no yard. If being green is worth an additional $4.6 million someone is smoking green.
If you want to see what it looked like inside before the transformation, check this out. For the “real p*rn”, these mags were not only left inside during all of the showings, but out openly on display. @PDT, if you think the new is “very dark”, you should have seen it before.
Ex – SFer
This is one of the downfalls of the LEED points system. For energy conservation points you have to compare to a model with the same systems. So, if you model without A/C you get no points for not installing A/C because you have not improved on the model. LEED continues to evolve and hopefully this and some of the other faults,such as not deducting points for components that are not sustainable – like single family homes with 2000 sf per occupant. Hopefully, both the lipstick and perfume they slathered this pig with were low VOC!
We looked at this place when it was gutted. I remember it looked like a developer who had run out of money.
I think it could make a nice B&B hotel, but I didn’t get the feel that it was made for long-term living.
It’s not exactly on the best block in Pac Heights. To command $7M, you’ll need something going for it. Be it view, amazing garden, or a great location (if this house is on Pacific and Lyon, it can easily go for $7M). It’s a big house alright, but I cannot imagine $7M for this house at this location.
The Metropolitan showcase was last night… and word is the house is pretty nice. Barbara has a few pictures online finally. I didn’t realize it’s something of a decorator showcase project!
I’ve not seen it yet, but the photos look nice. Again, though, it’s ultra, ultra trendy. It’s not an interior made for long term use, nor does it fit well with the boxy exterior.
$6,525,000 is the new price.
Sale pending.
I lived there for a couple of months in 1977. It was a great way to ease into a move to SF. Lots of interesting people there. Miss the awning out front.
I remember Baker Acres as a residence apartment series of buildings that housed young, trend-setting professionals as they began their lives in the city by the bay…
I remember it most fondly as the place we where I met and fell in love with the only man of my life with whom I’ve been reunited, joyously…
So, I thank you all from the bottom of both our hearts for having so enriched our lives…
So much in agreement. I lived there for six months after graduating from Cal in the 1956.
It was a great R and R. A vibrant social experience. Good people.
I spent 3 monts in this house in summer 1988. Wonderful Time, first visit to The us. Have been searching Gary C. And Amy P. But without success. Would be very happy to reconnect to anyone i met there. I AM easily reached through linkedin or fb.
1960 nineteen years old . Three month in summer from atlanta wow will never forget.
Lived in the main house about 7 months in 1960-1961 before moving to Seattle. It was a great place and had so much fun living with people from all over the world. It is a time I will never forget! Coming to SF soon and I will look up the old place. Great Memories!
In returning to my home town after many years, August’88, was directed to Baker Acres as a guest hotel. Of the people I knew, most were looking for jobs. I was looking for a house. Gary Cavello was manager, and we all had a pretty good time.
Summer of 1960; fun times at Bakers Acres–loved my room with private bath and French doors opening onto large balcony. Recall how we all met at Paoli’s for Friday Happy Hour ’cause Fri night BA dinners were to be routinely skipped. ‘Twas a fun group; someone always organizing a party, picnic, nights on the town, Sunday excursions to Sam’s in Tiburon, St. Helena, Napa Valley (free wine tasting in the day). Fun spot down the hill where we went to watch the Nixon-Kennedy debates. We’d gather in the community room; share job-seeking finds–lots of good jobs then as I recall.
I was just sitting here on the East Coast reminiscing about the wonderful years I spent in San Francisco. When I first came in 1976 I stayed at Baker Acres. I googled the name and surprise! I fond this site. I have fond memories of my time at Baker Acres boarding house. I met some wonderful people there. The food was excellent and the price was very reasonable for people moving to San Francisco. It’s too bad the place had to close. I will always keep it in my memories and remember it as it was and the good times I had there.
I’m another Baker Acres alum. Wonderful place to transition from SF visitor to resident in the summer/fall of 1977. Met some wonderful people there – a couple of names I remember are Carol Saydah and Gina Jourdan.
1962 alum, great times — as mentioned above. We went to ‘open’ BYO parties on the weekends, addresses freely given out. The twist was big! Kjell from Sweden later married Charo
I’m with you, I lived there for 3 mos in 1961. Didn’t know anybody, but made many friends who became my “family” away from home. Loved living there in a safe area.
I lived there during Spring and Summer of 1964 – Dian Argyll(?)Modesto, Diana Sperakis(?)New York; Phillipe (French) was the manager. Dutch Bill from Yosemite, Lisa Trembley from Canada. My roommate was Gloria who was famous for suing SF for the cable car accident which impacted on her health and outlook.
Baker Acres!
Was there from 1965 for a year to 1966. Phillipe Mounjaze(?) (family interest). I remember Lisa Trembley and had couple of funny interactions with your roommates Gloria Sykes. She had quite a reputation after cable car accident wrecked her dance career and she claimed the accident made her a nymphomaniac. I don’t know if she collected any money from the city. I have a fairly complete list of the residents from 1964 to 1967 (mostly 65/66).
I lived in H house in the middle of the block and have photos of the old building and current photos.
I lived there summer & fall of 1971 and have a lot of great memories. Does anyone know how to find alum that lived there at the same time? There are a couple of people I would love to reconnect with. I lived in the tall light colored house to the left with all the steps. My room was on the 3rd floor all the way to the back next to the fire escape.
I lived there in 1968 summer and fall. Worked in the kitchen with Jim, the chef. Nice man. Met my husband there. Married in the courthouse after work one day?. Coming up on our 50th anniversary. Very fond memories of BakerAcres! And KSFO with Don Sherwood?
My mother stayed here in the 70s when she would make an annual visit to me. I was living in a series of dumps around the Fillmore district. I am pissed off that Real Estate agents changed the name to “Lower Haight” to make it more attractive to white people. I lived there when it was a poor black neighborhood, In fact, I was one of the very first white people to live there. My 3 children and I lived there for 16 years. I gave birth to all of them at home with Midwives, the 2 youngest were born in the neighborhood: one in an apt. on Haight st. one in an apt. on Alamo Square. I never had a problem with anyone, I never had a car, and when you are poor, nobody ever breaks into your house unless you are a drug dealer! I lived there while it became gentrified becoming a safer, more fun neighborhood. We moved back to the Haight-Ashbury, later to Inner Sunset, finally to Marin Co.in 1993. I have fond memories of the Fillmore and of Baker’s Acres, which I never remembered as being in Pacific Heights (where one of my daughters now lives) but I thought of it as being in the Western Addition. I saw this article as I was searching for what ever happened to this great old house. Too bad it did not remain a guest house. It would be great to have such a place in the City now.
Is this related to the house @ 730 Baker St between McAlister and Turk that was a half way house for people who had Mental issues
i lived there after graduating from college in 1958. I think we were mostly young women. We each had our own rooms and the kitchen was for all.
If I remember correctly, the house had been painted pink. I loved it as it was my first time away from home and the other residents were lovely. Since I played the guitar and was a kind of folk singer, I loved going to the Hungry Eye – and listening to the Kingston Trio and Professor Kory as well. Loved the coffee houses not terribly far away.
I used to say that SF had all the advantages of New York and none of the disadvantages. We would go to Muir Woods and drive to Sausalito and go to Tiburon, etc. It was a wonderful time – I would love to hear from others that I knew then
I lived at Baker Acres for a couple of months when I first moved to SF in the summer of 1977. It was a wonderful place to get oriented to the city and figure out where to go from there. Met some wonderful people there, who I’ve unfortunately lost touch with.