INSIDE a $2M San Francisco Condo Built on a Gold Rush Ship

Gold Rush era ships are built beneath this luxury condo building, and that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of why this is one of the most special and sought-after residential buildings in all of San Francisco. Living here solves one of the most common problems people experience when they're moving to the city, finding a modern condo in a neighborhood that retains its San Francisco essence, historic charm, walkability, and character. And unless you have millions and millions of dollars to spend on a place, that can be an almost impossible combination to find. This is Austin Klarig, your lawyer turned real estate agent in San Francisco. And in this video, I'm giving you a tour of a property that checks both of those boxes. 288 Pacific Avenue, Unit 2A, which is on the market for just under $2 million. A newer construction condo built on an historic site with world-class design by renowned architects in the center of one of San Francisco's most vibrant and charming neighborhoods at the center of San Francisco's next growth phase. I'm gonna take you inside the unit in a minute, but first I wanna tell you more about the building and its incredible history because that's one of the many aspects of this building that make it so unique. 288 Pacific is a boutique luxury building in Jackson Square, only 33 residential units and only 7 stories tall. So it's not like a lot of the other new developments that were built around the same timeframe near downtown, like in the East Cut or South Beach. It's a very small, very intimate building. Grovner Americas developed the project with Swinerton as the contractor and Handel Architects behind the design. Handel Architects is one of my favorite architects in the city. They're responsible for some incredible projects across San Francisco, the Belvedere and Union House in Cow Hollow, the Four Seasons Private Residences near downtown, the Pacific in Pacific Heights, and dozens of other buildings. And they absolutely crushed it with the design of this building, both inside and out. The architecture was intentionally designed to mimic old warehouse buildings in Jackson Square, but with a little bit more of a modern twist. So you still get the masonry facade, but it's mixed with a lot of metal and floor-to-ceiling glass, and the entire building was shaped to preserve historic aspects of the site. The building has a unique L-shaped footprint. Why did they do that? Well, they built it with that L-shape to preserve this historic landmark immediately next door to the site. The L-shaped building wraps around the historic Old Ship Saloon, which has operated since at least 1851 during the height of the Gold Rush era, and it's said to be the oldest still still-operating bar in San Francisco. And what's really crazy about this site is that when construction workers were excavating to build the structure for 288 Pacific, they found the remnants of a Gold Rush era vessel named the Arkansas. And at the request of the city and maritime preservationists, the remains of the ship were left on the site. So the building was actually built on top of those ruins. And that's just the history of the building site itself. The broader Jackson Square is steeped in history from its days as a warehousing district during the Gold Rush era. The coastline that exists today was not the old coastline. The water used to come all the way up into Jackson Square itself. Eventually the land was built out and pushed the waterline out to where it exists now. But because the shoreline came all the way here, a lot of the businesses at the Gold Rush era set up shop right here in Jackson Square. And so much of that history and charm from those old days are still preserved, but it's intertwined with some of the city's best food and shopping., which I'm gonna get to later in this video. But before I take you through the neighborhood, I wanna give you a tour of the unit and the building interior. But before I get there, if you could do me a huge favor, if you like videos about San Francisco real estate, it's incredible history, current events, new developments, or San Francisco lifestyle, subscribe to my channel because I make videos about that stuff every single week. And if you're thinking about buying a place in San Francisco and have questions about what's going on in the market in light of everything that we're seeing happening in the broader San Francisco, reach out to me. I was a lawyer at one of the biggest law firms in the world before getting into real estate, and I've helped numerous people relocate here from all over the country. Be happy to be a resource for you. I'll put my contact info in the description below. Reach out anytime. Now let's take you into the building and give you a tour of the unit. Another feature that elevates this building above similar buildings in the area is that you have a 24/7 lobby attendant. A lot of buildings you'll find, if they have a lobby attendant at all, it's Monday through Friday, only during business hours or limited hours on the weekend, but you probably need security the most after business hours or on weekends when you're away. So, you know, if you get a delivery after hours, it's not just sitting outside all night long. Somebody's here to take it in and put it in the dedicated package room or mailroom. So it's a great amenity. And behind the attendant is this beautiful waiting area, and it gives you a little bit of a preview of what you'll see throughout the building. Throughout the unit. You've got these very tall ceilings, ornate light fixtures, beautiful stone, really bold, beautiful colors, just really elevated design. And then immediately off the lobby, you have dedicated bike storage with its own entrance and exit off to Pacific Avenue, which is great, so you don't have to bring your bike through the lobby. You have a dedicated package room, dedicated mail room, and then a half bathroom for guests who maybe they're waiting for you to come downstairs to get them or something. [FOREIGN LANGUAGE] they need to use the bathroom, there's one right there. And at the other end of the hallway is the parking garage, which I'll take you to later. But first, let's go up the elevator and into the unit. So this is Unit 2A. It's 2-bed, 2.5-bath, a little over 1,200 square feet. And I'm going to tell you 5 things that really make it stand out compared to most other 2-bedrooms that you're going to find in San Francisco. First off, the main living area, the entire thing is south-facing. So you have these floor-to-ceiling glass windows across the entire space that let in so much natural light. And what's great is that across the way, it's just low-rise buildings. You don't have high-rise buildings that are blocking a lot of the sunlight from getting into the unit. So you really get a ton of natural light in your main living space where you're spending most of your waking hours. And don't worry, all of these have automatic shades. So at the press of a button, you can get instant privacy either like at nighttime, or if you wanna watch a movie, for example, and don't want as much light getting in. Second thing you need to know about, 11-foot ceilings throughout the entire unit. The unit isn't massive, it's only a little over 1,200 square feet, but these tall ceilings make everything feel bigger. And when you combine it with the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, it makes everything feel brighter and more spacious. And that's one of the hallmarks of this building and why this building sells and rents at a premium. Most condos in downtown don't have this kind of scale. Third thing that makes this unit really special, both the bedrooms are en suite. So you and your guests have ultimate privacy. Your guests have their own shower. You have your own shower. You don't need to see their toiletries or wet towels out in public spaces. You don't need to travel through public spaces to use the restroom. It's just a nice touch that I think elevates this 2-bedroom above other 2-bedrooms in San Francisco. The fourth thing that makes this unit so special that elevates it above other two-bedrooms in the area are the finishes. The bathrooms are stunning. The primary bathroom in particular is very spacious. There's a freestanding tub, double vanity with a ton of storage, beautiful brass hardware from Waterworks in the shower, the tub, and the vanity. And there's similar stone and Waterworks hardware in the guest bedroom. The walk-in shower, beautiful marble, an elegant vanity. Even in the half bath, you get the same finish level. No expense was spared in choosing finishes here, and those details carry throughout the entire unit. Doors and baseboards with intricate millwork and trims, decorative vents where the in-unit laundry closet is, gorgeous wood built-ins for all of the closets, oak floors for all of the floors throughout the space that aren't marble. Taj Mahal quartzite on the island, on the kitchen counters, on the backsplash, and it runs all the way up to the custom Studio Becker cabinetry. You have panel-ready Sub-Zero fridge and freezer with that same custom cabinetry. You've got a Wolf cooktop, you've got a Wolf microwave and oven. Just really luxurious, really elegant, and really bold finishes that elevate the space, especially when it complements with the grain scale from these ceilings and the floor-to-ceiling windows that let in all that light. And the last thing I want to talk to you about is this private patio right off your kitchen and dining area. It's not the widest patio, but it is big enough for like a bistro table and a chair. Great area to hang out outside or take a call during the workday. My clients had two big dogs, so they would hang out here when the weather was warmer. You've got the beautiful brick masonry facade of the Old Ship Saloon, so really has that historic, charming Jackson Square character. Right in your patio. Most condos downtown don't have any outdoor space whatsoever, so having any outdoor space is a big bonus, and this one is really charming. And if outdoor space is really important to you and your private patio isn't enough, the building has two common area terraces on the 6th and 7th floors. This one on the 7th floor is the larger of the two, and it's an awesome place to hang out. You get incredible views out to the Bay Bridge, across Sidney Walton Square, you have views out to downtown San Francisco, views of Nob Hill all the way out west, the bay to the north. You could see the cruise ships from here when they dock over at Pier 27, which is pretty cool. There's also an outdoor kitchen if you want to have people over for a meal on the rooftop. And I've probably been up here two dozen times and I've never seen any of the residents using this space. Remember, there are only 33 units in the building and several of the owners own it as a second home, like a pied-à-terre type place. Mm-hmm. So it's not very busy here at all. Chances are if you want to use the space, you'll have easy access to it. There's also this terrace on the 6th floor. It's not as big as the one on the 7th floor. There's no outdoor kitchen, but you do still get north-facing views. On the off chance that the one on the 7th floor is taken and your own patio isn't going to cut it for outdoor space on a particular day, you can come to this space. Now I'm going to show you the best amenity of all. What makes this unit and this building really stand out is its location. Good morning. Jackson Square. When you're buying a unit in this building, you're not just buying the unit, you're buying the lifestyle that Jackson Square affords. So I'm going to take you downstairs, I'm going to show you around the neighborhood, but before I do that, I want to make sure I show you the parking. The parking entrance is off Pacific Avenue. It is flat, easy to get in. As you can see, it is a stacker system, so it's not going to fit all cars. Make sure you check the measurements and weight limit information. I'm I have that stuff, so if you are interested, just reach out and make sure your car fits. It's not gonna fit like a big Range Rover, for example, but most small SUVs, big sedans, coupes, you should be totally fine. You do have a designated space. It's this top space right here. The way that it works is you type in a code or use a fob. The spaces will rotate, and you'll be able to retrieve your car on the ground level. It's really easy to use. It's a great benefit to have any sort of parking near downtown San Francisco, but honestly, Jackson Square is one of the few neighborhoods where I think you can get by just fine without a car because of how walkable it is, how flat it is, and how close you are to pretty much everything that you're going to need on a day-to-day basis. And I'm going to show you through the neighborhood and what it has to offer right now. So where exactly is Jackson Square? Jackson Square is a small neighborhood on the northeastern side of San Francisco, just north of the Financial District and next to the Eastern Waterfront. And its precise location within the city helps keep the weather here more mild compared to a lot of the more foggy and colder parts closer to the Pacific Ocean. And what makes Jackson Square especially compelling now is that it blends the history that I talked about earlier with one of the best urban lifestyles San Francisco affords. You've got luxury boutiques, Michelin-level dining, cocktail bars, coffee shops, galleries, antique stores, and easy access to so many incredible neighborhoods and downtown San Francisco, all within a very walkable footprint. Just a block away from 288 Pacific is Sydney Walton Square, which I showed you earlier from one of the rooftop terraces. Great place to have a picnic or walk your dogs when the weather is nice. Outdoor green space can be really hard to come by when you're in downtown San Francisco or if you live in SoMa or South Beach. So it's really nice to have this so close to the building. It's basically an extension of your living space, your backyard for your building. And right across from the square is a Safeway. So you have a major grocery store right next to the building as well. Again, Jackson Square is all about convenience, and there's so many things to actually do close by on a day-to-day basis. A few more blocks east, you hit the Embarcadero, which has a ton of its own restaurants and has a great path to go on a run if you like exercising outside. And if you keep walking just a few minutes down the Embarcadero, you hit the Ferry Building, which is an incredible food hall and has great shopping. They have farmers markets there on weekends. A+ food. Food from like casual to fine dining, great coffee shops, ceramic stores, chocolate vendors, cheese vendors, wine merchants, you name it, it's right there. And just a few blocks in the opposite direction from Sidney Walton Square, you have the Transamerica Pyramid, one of the most iconic buildings in San Francisco. It just underwent an over $400 million renovation. They completely revamped Redwood Park. They added several new food concepts. There's several great restaurants there. And then around the corner and across the street from Sidney Walton Square, you have Kukari, which is my favorite restaurant in the entire city. The best Mediterranean food. They serve huge portions. You're just a few blocks from 3-star Michelin restaurant Quince and its sister restaurant Cattonia. You've got Verjus, which is a really great wine bar, great for after-work drinks or a date night. 288 Pacific is also right across the street from The Battery, which is a members-only social club with restaurants, bars, and event space. I talked about the Old Ship Saloon earlier. It's the historic bar at the base of 288 Pacific, and there are so many other great restaurants and bars in the neighborhood. But there's so much to do beyond just eating and drinking. The area is known for its incredible luxury shopping, so many great boutiques, a lot of big-name brands with smaller boutiques in the area like Ralph Lauren, Thom Browne, Aesop, and a ton of others. All of that is just a few minutes walk from your home at 288 Pacific. So it is an extremely convenient neighborhood. And on top of all that, you're next door to North Beach, you're next door to Chinatown, both of which have their own incredible food scenes, bar scenes, shopping scenes, you name it. And of course, you're in the heart of downtown San Francisco. You are right next to the Financial District. So if you work in the Financial District, you can get there really easily without a car, without getting on the bus. You can walk there in just a couple of minutes. Mm-hmm.. If you work in SoMa, you can get there without a car or bus. You can walk to all the shopping in Union Square in under 15 minutes. There's really so much so close to you if you're living in Jackson Square. It really is an incredible neighborhood, and it's positioned to be an even greater one heading into the future. Jackson Square was one of San Francisco's original boom neighborhoods during the Gold Rush, and now it's becoming one of the city's most important neighborhoods all over again. There's major investment from venture capital firms, and major real estate developments shaping the area. It's emerging as a clear long-term bet in San Francisco real estate. Related is building a brand new office tower combined with the city's first new 5-star hotel in over a decade. You have the completion of the $400+ million renovation of Transamerica that I mentioned earlier. Trophy office buildings are being repositioned, hospitality spaces, commercial projects, all in the pipeline. Mm-hmm. With major players in tech, design, finance, and real estate continuing to plant their flags here. So if you're buying into 288 Pacific, you're buying into the future of Jackson Square and the future of San Francisco, and you're buying in an area that has very little housing inventory, let alone inventory that looks anything close to the level of finish and detail of Unit 2A. So if you're thinking about moving to the neighborhood and have questions about 288 Pacific or Unit 2A in particular, reach out to me. I've lived in San Francisco for over 13 years, and I've helped numerous people relocate here from all over the country. Be happy to be a resource for you. I'll put my contact info in the description below, as well as a link to the website for the unit. It's on the market for just under $2 million. Go check it out. And remember, if you like videos about San Francisco real estate, lifestyle, current events, new developments, or its incredible history, subscribe to my channel because I make videos about that stuff every single week. I hope you enjoyed the video, and I'll see you in the next one.