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the top with a roof garden and
penthouse—on a hidden lane
Each flat has one bedroom/one bathroom
(sleeps up to 5)
Staying at Nob Hill Flats is like living inside a picture-postcard of San Francisco.
Each of the three Edwardian flats drips with period charm: hardwood floors, bay
windows and Victorian-style fireplaces that still work. The City’s signature
sounds—the clang and rumble of the Cable Cars and the low moan of the
foghorn—slip under your window sashes. If you spring for the top-floor flat, you
can enjoy a wraparound view of the City from your own private roof garden and
penthouse studio. So much better than nursing a $12 martini at the Top of the
Mark, just to enjoy the same stunning view.
Tucked into a quiet block-long lane next to Grace Cathedral, Nob Hill Flats puts
you right in the middle of everything, yet out of the hurly-burly tourist traffic. Instead,
I felt like part of the neighborhood. I picked up a handful of perfect tulips for $2
outside the corner market and found myself lingering under “For Rent” signs, half-
seriously working out a plan for having a pied-a-terre in the City.
Local shop girls and clerks were the first to rent the flats at the turn of the century
when Nob Hill Flats was the pin-money project of a Palo Alto socialite. Decades
later, a former investment banker saw its potential as a vacation rental. She and
her family have lovingly restored and refurbished the building—from the
foundation up. “We hope you enjoy this space as much as we have,” she begins
in her welcome letter.
Each flat is spacious, elegant, yet comfortable enough for the whole family. The
first-floor walk up is decorated with paisleys and floral prints in cornflower blue
and mustard-yellow. A la Provence, rows of copper pans hang from a wrought iron
rack in the kitchen overlooking a private garden patio. The second-floor flat is
slightly larger, with bay windows and antique pine floors. All the flats have light
and airy bedrooms with queen-sized beds. The first and second floor flats also
have fold-out twin beds.
The crown jewel is the penthouse and private roof garden a short flight up from
the third-floor flat. The 360-degree view—encompassing Grace Cathedral, the
Oakland Bay Bridge, Coit Tower sprouting from its green centerpiece on
Telegraph Hill and the wraparound blue of San Francisco Bay—would captivate
even a long-time resident. At night, you’d swear you could reach out and touch the
pearlessence at the peak of another San Francisco landmark, the Transamerica
Pyramid.The 12- x 14-foot penthouse studio will keep you cozy, even on nights
when a thick-fog soup settles over the city. Wrapped in windows, it is comfortably
furnished with a love seat, desk, bistro table and a phone. If it had a bathroom, I
might never have come back downstairs.
Which is not to diminish the comforts of the third-floor flat. After walking home
from a corner bistro called Rue Lepic (named for a street in Paris’ Montmarte), my
husband and I closed the bay window shutters, lit a fire in the fireplace and some
candles, plugged in a CD and had a truly romantic evening. Antiques mix
comfortably with stylish contemporary arm chairs and a plump sofa. It would take
me days to work my way through the magazines spread across the large coffee
table, stacked on the floor, peeking out of ceramic pots and stacked in magazine
racks—everything from Architectural Digest to Vanity Fair.
I also found a hodge-podge of novels, guidebooks and cookbooks in a corner of
the dining room. With its custom-covered chairs and glass-top table, this is an
elegant place in which to entertain.
The modified L-shaped kitchen is roomy and feels like it was stocked by a friend:
a bottle of wine, a selection of teas, coffee, two bags of microwave popcorn. The
drawers slide out from cabinets revealing a range of casseroles and serving
dishes and enough plates for company. Oh yes, there’s also a dishwasher and a
private laundry off the hall leading to the master suite at the back of the flat.
Tucked under the black and gold duvet, we were alternately lulled by the foghorns
and awakened by heater kicking on, like a very muffled airplane taking off. The
marble bathroom, the color of creamy tomato bisque, also has a comfortable
elegance.
The next morning was crystal clear and crisp. With Grace Cathedral striking the
hours, we were back on the roof, watching a single boat plying the brilliant blue
Bay. At 11 a.m., we had our pick of tables at Nob Hill Café (1152 Taylor Street.
www.nobhillcafe.com) around the corner. The sidewalk was still wet under its
awning. The caprese scramble—eggs with tomatoes, fresh basil leaves and
luscious hunks of buffalo mozzarella cheese—was tucked into rosemary
homefries and a freshly baked corn muffin, shot with shards of red and green
chiles. And folks wonder why this city is my favorite place in the world.
CONTACT:
• Phone: 707-823-5383 or 800-443-3341
• Web: www.vrbo.com/9754
• E-mail: etrprop@prodigy.net
PRICE:
- Four-night minimum for all flats.
- Top-floor flat with private access to roof deck: April through November
$300 per night, $1,575 per week; December through March $250 per night,
1,375 per week. - First- and second-floor flats: April through November, $175 per night,
1,050 per week; December through March $165 per night, $950 per week.
Contact for holiday rates.
KIDS: Yes. First- and second-floor flats are best for families with young children.
San Francisco with Children and other children's books and games are available
in each flat.
PETS: No
NOTES:
- Tandem parking is available in the garage. If you’re last to park, leave your
keys by the front door so the first person in can move your car if necessary. - No wedding receptions, corporate entertaining, or large celebrations or
gatherings are allowed. - There is a cable car stop on the back side of the Fairmont Hotel. Check out
TUwww.sfmuni.comUT for quick access to public transportation routes
and schedules and an online Trip Planner.
CLOSE TO:*
Grace Cathedral (one-half block), “Big Four” hotels: The Huntington, Mark
Hopkins, Fairmont and Stanford Court
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