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It’s not everyday that a property like 965-967 Natoma Street comes up for sale, and certainly not in San Francisco’s urban jungle. But, here you have it: two semi-attached historic structures with live/work options and parking, bountiful private outdoor space, all beautifully upscaled with fantastical flair, and a mere stone’s throw to The Hub. There is redevelopment potential as well. Honestly, we’re surprised this extraordinary find wasn’t snatched up months ago.
The place has been listed at $4.8 million since September 2023 — clearly that number isn’t right. And now, at well over 100 days on the market, one savvy buyer may be able to strike a stellar deal. So, consider that price totally up for negotiation, and let’s walk the grounds…
Although they are being marketed as one and sold together, there are actually two distinct parcels in this offering. A two-level building, constructed circa 1906 and expanded in the 1950s, covers the entirety of the lot at 965 Natoma Street. Next door, 967 Natoma Street was constructed in 1917 and still displays much of its original character — all 745 square feet of it. This pint-size pied-à-terre overlooks a completely walled-in garden wonderland with some seriously unexpected Shangri-la vibes: flora and fauna and fountains, oh my!
This city center oasis is the work of a previous owner, Richard Gervais (not to be confused with actor Ricky Gervais), an arts dealer who operated his business here. A feature in the January/February 2007 edition of Garden Design described the showplace:
Entering through a door inset between two tall buildings, one walks through a long corridor that opens to a secret garden designed in a wildly exotic Asian style—where everything, save the semitropicals, is for sale. Choose from folk and primitive objects, and artifacts old, new, and prehistoric, that decorate the garden—including baskets from the Philippines, pottery from Vietnam, fountains and door surrounds from India, terra cotta from Thailand, stone statuary from China, rustic furnishings, as well as finds from South America.
967 Natoma Street was sold to the current owner in 2008, and a two-year installment purchase of 965 Natoma Street was completed in 2019. Renovation of the larger structure followed, creating the sophisticated Boho-chic mini-compound that exists today. The lion’s share of Gervais’ collected objects may be gone along with the colorful interior palette that once was here, but the magic most definitely remains.
The primary house encompasses nearly 2,700 square feet including 3+ bedrooms and 5 baths. The voluminous great room with exposed-truss ceiling is flanked by a modern kitchen at one side and multipurpose room at the other, each beneath lofted space reached by twin staircases. At the lower level of the original structure is a second multipurpose area with catering kitchen, garage and storage. Notice the bamboo roof in the primary suite and hand-carved screens from the Far East, relics from the home’s past.
Referred to as a “guest cottage” in the official listing, 967 Natoma Street is a bonafide standalone dwelling complete with a full kitchen, formal dining room, bedroom and full bath on one level — as quaint as it all may be. A south-facing wraparound deck and covered patio connect to the ground floor, containing a garage, storage and laundry. There is no interior access to the main house, however a canopy of trees shelters the passage between their rear thresholds.
To be sure, the functional merging of these two properties has produced a truly unique and wonderful retreat. And it’s an assemblage bound to become ever more rare — and valuable — as the neighborhood evolves. In accordance with the Market and Octavia Area Plan (also known as The Hub), high-density projects and public open spaces are already taking shape nearby. Two new highrise luxury apartment communities, Fifteen Fifty and Chorus, are now leasing and more than 1,500 housing units have been proposed at One Oak, Hayes Point, and 10 South Van Ness.
An architect’s report drafted before 965 Natoma Street was last sold confirmed allowable expansion of the structure, adding two floors and minting condominiums or creating a larger single-family residence. Thinking much, much bigger, a major redevelopment of the properties utilizing California’s Density Bonus Law together with AB 1287 could double the permissible density and add height if affordable units are incorporated. Municipal authorities, attorneys, architects, engineers, and other qualified professionals should always be consulted when considering such a project.
Intrigued? Drop me a line and let’s go see the place.
