A city like San Francisco needs hundreds of street names, and you run out of obvious ones surprisingly quickly. On top of that, people turn out to have very strong opinions about […]
‘The Front Steps’: Naming Richmond Streets
Real Estate: John M. Lee
As I write this column, the first half of 2022 is just about over. Each year has its own challenges, and this year we have been dealing with higher inflation, rising interest rates, declining stock market and the seemingly never-ending battle with COVID-19.
‘The Front Steps’: Homes (Finally?) Dip In June–But Only June
Half the year is somehow gone, so let’s indulge in our favorite past time with a good, old-fashioned housing data salon. If you head over to our regular Front Steps blog in […]
‘The Front Steps’: The Richmond Comes Up Short For “Luxury” Homes
San Francisco’s housing debates make a lot of noise over “luxury housing,” but if you ask around you’ll find that few people have any specific idea what that term means. If you […]
‘The Front Steps’: Richmond Guide To Marina-Style Homes
In the past we’ve broken down the history of Victorian and Edwardian architecture in the Richmond, but this week we’re inspired by a new listing on 42nd Avenue to explore the old […]
‘The Front Steps’: You Choose What $1.7M Buys In The Richmond
It’s time for a game, but don’t panic: The rules are simple, and there’s absolutely no way to lose. First, pretend you’ve got just about $1.71 million burning a hole in your […]
‘The Front Steps’: The Richmond’s Buried Treasure
The news has been a little heavy the past few weeks, let’s lighten things up with one of the weirdest of all Richmond legends–and one that happens to be true to boot. […]
‘The Front Steps’: How “Little Russia” Came To the Richmond
Weeks after I first moved to San Francisco for college I was standing in a now-forgotten pizza place, angling for a job. The owner, glancing at my resume, asked, “Do you have […]
‘The Front Steps’: Taking a Classic Edwardian “To The Studs”
We’ve been playing the before-and-after home comparison game a lot lately–but then, we’re seeing an awful lot of freshly renovated properties in the neighborhood, so it’s bound to come up. Sometimes the […]
Real Estate: John M. Lee
In the practice of real estate, conflicts and negotiation between buyers and sellers are commonplace. But what happens when an agreement cannot be reached and neither side is willing to compromise? Then we have to go to the next step beyond negotiations and go to third parties to resolve the conflicts.
‘The Front Steps’: Everything Changed Around This Condo
We’ve got another Richmond makeover to consider–always a popular attraction around these parts. The original conceit of these before-and-after comparisons was to consider which version of the home readers prefer–the one that […]
‘The Front Steps’: Anxiety Aside, Housing Is Still Going Wild
Stocks are slumping and recession anxiety is on the rise, which means that speculation about a supposed “housing crash” has probably already infiltrated your social media and inbox. It makes sense: Housing […]
‘The Front Steps’: Where Does the Richmond End?
A couple of weeks ago we felt daring enough to pose a potentially existential neighborhood question in considering whether the Central Richmond is a real neighborhood or not. Now we’re feeling even […]
‘The Front Steps’: Revisiting the Richmond’s Most Controversial “New” Homes
It’s now been almost ten years since the Battle of Cornwall. Cornwall Street, that is; this wasn’t a military venture but instead a conflict of opinions about what should be done with […]
‘The Front Steps’: Tracking Down the Oldest House In Sea Cliff
Here at the Front Steps we remain persistently divided over whether or not Sea Cliff is really part of the Richmond. But we still like writing about it anyway, because it is […]
Richmond Review/Sunset Beacon 