San Francisco is, for a certain kind of New Yorker, the unfulfilled West Coast dream: nominally enough culture to stave off boredom, mild winters, golden light, easy day-to-day existence. (Plus endless reserves of preciousness.) Like New York, it’s got a fierce real-estate market—though, of course, ours is fiercer. But only by a little: On Chambers Street in Tribeca, $1.6 million buys a freshly converted full-floor loft with a separate basement storage room, a few blocks from the coveted P.S. 234. In the city by the bay, you get a 1982 mini-townhouse with skylights and two patios near the waterfront. Is that enough to make the move? Today, maybe it is; ask again in June, though, when it’s 40 degrees there.

(Photo: Courtesy of Halstead)

92 CHAMBERS STREET, APARTMENT 4
The Facts: Three-bedroom, two-bath 1,385-square-foot condo.
Asking Price: $1.577 million.
Charges and Taxes: $1,863 per month.
Agent: Christopher Caudwell, Halstead Property.

(Photo: Courtesy of Vanguard Properties)

550 DAVIS STREET, UNIT 6, SAN FRANCISCO
The Facts: Three-bedroom 2,020-square-foot townhouse condo.
Asking Price: $1.595 million.
Fees: $1,432.26 per month (includes water, cable, and earthquake insurance).
Agent: Jeff Plocher, Vanguard Properties.

Related:

• Archive: “Real Estate”
• Articles by S.Jhoanna Robledo
• Table of Contents: March 5, 2007 issue of New York | Subscribe!