You may have heard of Nob Hill in San Francisco. But have you heard of Lower Nob Hill?
The Lower Nob Hill district of San Francisco is bound by Nob Hill and Russian Hill to the north, the Tenderloin to the south, the Van Ness corridor to the west and Union Square to the east. All else being equal, achievable prices and rents tend to increase as one moves north through the neighborhood away from the Tenderloin toward Nob Hill. The topography of the area slopes steeply downward from north to south.
The district has grid-pattern streets that have been developed primarily with high-density housing. Many of the properties consist of 12- to 80-unit apartment buildings with minimal amenities and limited or no on-site parking. Buildings typically are 60 to 100 years old and comprise three to six stories. Most have relatively small unit sizes (composed mostly of studios and one-bedroom units). Shopping facilities consist of neighborhood-serving retail storefronts interspersed with a few national credit tenants. Other significant commercial activity in the district includes neighborhood-serving medical clinics, social service centers.
Located north of the Tenderloin and south of Nob Hill and Russian Hill, Lower Nob Hill has generally average tenant appeal. Apartment occupancy in the district tends to be similar to the overall rate in the city. Prices and rents tend to increase as one moves north through the district, toward California Street. Conversely, historical prices and rents decline as one moves south toward Geary Street, which forms the border between Lower Nob Hill and the Tenderloin.