Open House Report, SF Edition: SOMA Industrial Chic Needs a Little Updating
Author:Philip FerratoBuilt at the height of the dot.com boom— with room for all that era’s excesses, this vast duplex loft is ready to be reinvented. Or at least ready to cruise through this Sunday after brunch.
9 Bernice Street, SOMA, $3.298M
On the market about six weeks, the price on this vast loft was just reduced by almost $300K and it will probably come down even more. For once, the term “unique” fits perfectly— occupying the two upper floors of a new (in 2000) building, it wraps a series of double-height spaces and a terrace around a central core with a master suite above.
Big enough for an indoor skateboard or trampoline park, it has a spectacular space with garage doors on vertical tracks opening to a the terrace. There’s a north-facing space, potentially a studio but currently occupied by a pool table and seating— an artists license seems to be required for occupancy— and nearby, the basketball-friendly “home gym” is literally as big as a house.
Design-wise, this loft could use some re-imagining, but there’s not a lot of really bad stuff to remove, either. We’re not sure how they’re counting three bedrooms, but there’s a master suite up (with its own terrace tucked under the eaves) and one identifiable bedroom down. There are only two bathrooms, both of them tired-looking. And while we’re loving the polished concrete floors, overall the place is showing its age with the dot.com/bachelor/snowboarder vibe.
Given the abundance of vertical space and exposure on all sides, there are lots of possible scenarios, with room enough set up little free-standing houses for each of your kids. Or guests. It’s a little close to SOMA’s nightlife for some, but five minutes walk from the outstanding Rainbow Co-op Grocery and a quick walk/bike to everyone’s new offices in Mid-Market. There’s also parking for all three of your cars and HOAs are an implausibly low $651 per month. Open Sunday, July 1 from 2 to 4 p.m.
