I previewed 8 Octavia, the new 47-unit condo development designed by iconic architect Stanley Saitowitz that sits at the corner of Octavia Boulevard and Market Street.
The distinctive feature of the property is the green-colored “curtain” that’s actually a louver system. Owners can press a button in their condo and open or close the louvers, so cancel those plans for window treatments. (No word yet on how expensive the louver system will be over time when it comes to maintaining and repairing it.) Saitowitz calls 8 Octavia a “breathable building,” and I’m sure the louvers are the reason for that.
Most of the condos will have one or two bedrooms, and there are a few junior one bedrooms, as well as larger three bedrooms. Finishes include concrete ceilings, Austrian-imported oak floors, Bosch ranges and dishwashers, Liebherr refrigerators, and corian counters.
#302 has been set up as the model. You open the door to the unit and there’s a walkway that leads to the actual front door of this two bedroom/two bath:
The bathrooms are located all along the hall, opposite the bedrooms. You need to be ok with having closet-like bathrooms with translucent doors.
Potential starting price point for two bedrooms with parking is $1.2M (and around $1M without parking).
I also looked at #303, a junior one bedroom with about 726 square feet that will probably be priced in the high $700,000s:
The sleeping area is just behind the kitchen, and doesn’t have any windows.
#806 is the largest of the two bedrooms, with about 1225 square feet on two levels. It has north and west exposure, and nice views. Pricing is tentatively in the $1.5M-$1.6M range:
I do like the way they’ve incorporated private “outdoor” patio space by placing it just outside the unit—there’s one door to get you into the patio and the next door provides access to the actual condo. Here’s a look at private space for #504, a two bedroom that may be priced at around $1.3M:
Building features will include a rooftop terrace with city views, jewel-box viewing garden in the lobby, keyless entry system and yes, a virtual doorman. Let’s not forget the Nest Thermostats, as well as synchronous, 200 Mbps internet service.
8 Octavia is situated in a busy location, with cars running up and down multiple lanes of traffic to and from 101. But what I liked about the building was that you feel a bit removed from all the activity once you’re inside. In terms of convenience, the building scores a perfect 10, as it’s right near Muni on Market, and literally adjacent to the 101 on/off ramps. You can cross Octavia Boulevard—vastly improved over the past few years—and walk to Whole Foods and the Castro, or head in the other direction and be in Hayes Valley in minutes.
Feel free to contact me to schedule a showing if you’re interested! I’m at 415.823.4656 / ebermingham@zephyrsf.com