Another of the 32 residential units atop the Montgomery Washington Tower, 611 Washington #2502 is on the market and asking $3,995,000 for the 2,624 two-bedroom “featured in Architectural Digest.” Bonus points for naming the issue, or even just the year.
As plugged-in people might recall, the 2,624 square foot unit directly below (#2402) was withdrawn from the market this past August last asking $3,595,000 and having been listed for as much as $4,595,000 in 2008.
∙ Listing: 611 Washington #2502 (2/2.5) 2,624 sqft – $3,995,000 [MLS]
∙ One Of 33 32 Atop 611 Washington (Montgomery Washington Tower) [SocketSite]
Wow $1500 a square foot for Downtown/North Beach. Hard to see that flying, but it certainly is a beautiful building. I really like that shot of it from the opposite corner. I don’t know who took it (the editor perhaps?) but it is really a great photo.
I love this building, but the HOAs are usually the deal breaker. In this case $1988 + $248 for parking. the picture is from the mls.
I realize that the subject of the post is architectural digest, but what I found maybe a bit more interesting is that the current owner was the developer of the first integrated circuit at Fairchild. He left and started a company, Four Phase Systems, that developed the first microprocessor and was sold to Motorola, for $253 Million, $550M in today’s dollars, an almost laughable sum for a company like that compared to today’s valuations. Motorola took the design and developed their 8008 microprocessor from it, and then continually advanced it. I had heard that Apple was using a follow on processor in the original mac.
Although he didn’t get that much out of it, relatively speaking, it gave him more money than others had at the time, so he then became an investor and turned his share into a larger fortune.
Obviously he is (or was) dripping with money, and can (or could) afford the high HOA, but I think the number of those people are dwindling, and they won’t pay his price to get stuck with that monthly obligation. It certainly is convenient to downtown and, what a view, but all I see all day long is the finance people flying out of here, so the number of people with his money gets smaller every day.
The guy is 70 years old, so he’s probably not in downtown SF very much any longer. In a way, it’s sort of sad to see these guys leaving.
The part of the MLS that no one seemed to pick up on was that it says it is a “BMR”!!!
This place makes me feel I am in a 1995 conference room.
Welcome to your workplace away from work.
Not enjoying work or work spaces and retreating afterward to cozy personal spaces is common enough. Units like this are built for people who are more comfortable in big, open spaces and don’t have the negative work association because the like their work and practically live at their work place when they are occupied with projects. It only takes one buyer, so design and sales end up being more about positive points and perceptions than criticism of perceived flaws.
lol has it right — this place was built by office developers (Gilligan/Spieker) — who decided back in the 1980’s to throw some condos on top of their office building — and it shows. It also went through lots of condo litigation due to construction problems, leaks, etc etc. Presumably all those issues have been addressed, but buyer beware.
Has anyone thought that this may have been his office. He’s been a private investor. He probably just used this as an office for his investments and decorated it…like an office! Note the conference table in the photo.
This is why many people in SF love their Victorians. There’s a warmth and a scale that you do not find in all contemporary architectural masterpieces. Sure rooms are smallish (The average size in my vic is 220sf per room) but 10-foot ceilings make up for it whereas the 8-ish foot heights I see in many newer condo towers are a bit claustrophobic.
“This is why many people in SF love their Victorians. ”
I agree completely. It can be hard to find a balance between aesthetics and livability, tiny kitchens in particular even in large victorians can quite annoying, but if that can be worked out Victorians have quite a charm.
Not just Victorians, but all of what is called “real SF” on this site. People want houses that are like homes, even if some people want very big ones.
The challenge of Modernism, in residential architecture as elsewhere, was to break with the past without destroying its achievements. Some local modernists were successful in that goal: Wurster, Esherick. Others just built cheap and cold.
Not everybody wants to live in a museum. I think this place is fantastic. Unlikely to sell at this price, but fantastic nonetheless.
That’s what makes living in SF so great. You have modern high risers like this; modern lofts like in soma; Victorians; deco; and unique funky places like 1 Vulcan (posted above). Add to that the choice of living in a more residential area of the city, or a more urban one with amenities 20 feet away.
I find that I’m always looking at what others choose…the grass is greener on the othermside syndrome. In our case, we chose Victorian- high ceilings, awesome Douglas fir wood floors, plenty of BR’s and a nice open kit/LR/ great room combo, with garage and yard. We also chose to live in the mish, close to 24th st and mish, so tons of things right outside our door. What we gave up is a view, and that sometimes hurts, especially when I see places like this!
I keep telling my wife, if we can lift our place two stories up, we’d have a decent view. Eventually I’d like to get a place in the mish that’s 4 floors up- you usually get a decent view on the 4th story. That, or move to a street like fair oaks near 25th st- nice views there too. Oh well, guess we all dream.
a dream we all share, thank you 47yoh
aug 1985 Architectural Digest.
paid 555k in 93 1850 s feet one bed 2 bath
23 rd fl same corner.
when new in 85 the asking price was 750k
Wow, $750K in 1985 was equivalent to $1.01M in 1993 dollars, but then again it’s $1.54M in 2011 dollars. That tells me that the “luxury condo” thing has happened before, and it will happen again, and maybe you One Rincon Hill buyers will be sitting on a pile of money in 2034. 🙂
The list price for 611 Washington #2502 has just been reduced $300,000 (8%), now asking $3,695,000.
The (ex?)wife of disbarred immigration lawyer Martin Guajardo has been trying to sell #2504 for the past 5 months. The HOA filed an assessment lien on March 4, 2011. Her other home at 44 Mendosa Avenue is scheduled to hit the auction block on May 19. Also, the office building that formerly held her husband’s practice at 553 Clay received a NOTS on May 2.
With respect to 611 Washington #2504 as mentioned by EBGuy above, the list price has just been reduced from $2,250,000 to $2,099,000. It was purchased for $2,195,000 in March 2005.
The listing for 611 Washington #2502 has been withdrawn from the MLS after 109 days on the market without a reported sale.