Ellesmere Apts

I have had a great experience as a resident of 655 Powell Street for the past two years. I live in a studio apartment. The fixtures are old and outdated but of high quality, and they work great. The best part of living here is George, the on-​side manager, who is truly a godsend. When I lock myself out (a pretty regular occurrence for me) he opens my apartment without charging the fee — even at 3am when I return from my job as a bartender. When I worry that I left my window open and my cat might escape, he goes and checks for me. When my ceiling lights burn out, he comes and changes them and doesn’t even make fun of my incompetence.
Earlier this year, the building had a bedbug infestation, which was not fun, but can happen anywhere and certainly is not the fault of West Coast. The company’s response (Ada’s response, specifically) was flawless. They hired the best company to treat our apartments with the most expensive and effective method available (heat treatment). Then, they had the service inspect with dogs to make sure the bugs hadn’t come back. West Coast did everything top-​flight, and this made the difference between suffering with a problem that often takes months to remedy and having my life quickly restored to normal. The peace of mind this gave me was really invaluable, and Ada addresses all problems with this level of efficiency.
The building itself is kept up extremely well. George is always vacuuming and cleaning the sidewalks. Even the paint on the walls is evidence of how well this building is cared for. Most SF apartments with moldings and chair-​rails have been subjected to cheap, half-​assed paintjobs for so many years that these details have been obscured by layers and layers of lacquer. Not only is this NOT the case in the Ellesmere, but the walls are actually two-​toned to showcase these features! This takes a lot more labor (and consequently money) but it makes a huge difference in the appearance of the apartments and shows how much care is put into maintaining this beautiful, old building.
If you can afford to live here, do it. It’s a gorgeous place to call home, staffed by a great on-​site manager who you can count on. How much more can you ask for?

I lived on the top (7^th) floor for one year from 2013 – 2014. Altogether, it was a good experience and I would recommend this apartment complex to potential renters!
The property is owned by West Coast Property Management (WCPM). This did make me nervous at first because most big real estate corporations do not have the best reputation for customer service. However, whenever I had a question or concern Ada Wong at the leasing office was always quick to respond and very helpful. George, the landlord, lives in the building and I think he is a huge reason why many people like living there. He is super friendly and quick to fix any issues.
I lived in a studio apartment and my kitchen was updated with oak cabinets and granite countertops. I paid $ 1,895 per month, which is unreal from where I come from (Michigan), but it was reasonable considering the proximity to my job in the Financial District and shopping in Union Square. My apartment didn’t face the cable car line, I made sure of it since I hate that noise, so I didn’t have the best view but it was relatively quiet. They offer online rent payment which is convenient. The area is safe, only once did I see a homeless person sleeping on the stoop but if you go down another block or two it can get sketchy.
A few cons — I could hear the neighbors next to me only when they flushed their toilet, which did get annoying since they seemed to use the toilet super late at night and super early in the morning. Also, whomever lived below me had late-​night screaming sessions every few months and played horrendous music on full blast. I believe George has talked to him a few times so I assume he won’t be living there much longer if it continues. At least one washer always seemed to be out of commission as well and it can get really hot on the top floor in the «summer»!
I received my security deposit back in full, which was surprising (again, back to the huge real estate corporation thing) but I did thouroghly clean it and I had all hardwood floors so there was no carpet to clean.
Side Note: I do wish San Francisco would invest in screen protectors for their homes, especially 2+ floors. My poor kitty passed away from falling out my window and I was a mess. In Michigan, we’re used to screen protectors. This has nothing to do with the apartment itself but it was truly devastating. George was there to help me with my cat’s passing as well, he is just a great guy!

I have lived in a studio in the Ellesmere Apartments going on three years. It is relatively large for a studio, especially the kitchen. George, the on site manager keeps the building in tip top shape and is always very accessible. I think that he is the greatest asset of WCPM and the Ellesmere Apts. I mainly stay there because of him. I would like to be able to move up to a one bedroom one day because they are so much larger and nicer but for now I am content with my place. The only thing I would do differently is put umbrellas up on the rooftop deck.

My partner and I live on the sixth floor (northeast corner) ‘The Stockton Suite.’ Our apartment is incredibly beautiful. I spend a lot of time showering in our huge tub (plenty of room for both of us) while watching the tourist on the California and Powell Cable cars. Sometimes I wave at them and sometimes I sing to them. Sometimes at night I want to throw things at them and tell them to «SHUT the F*** UP we’re trying to sleep.» I don’t think they understand that cable cars are MUCH MUCH different than roller-​coasters, but then again they’re probably from North Dakota!
San Francisco standards for apartments would classify ours as fairly large. Nice entry, entry closet, big bedroom, walk in closet, nice sized bathroom, great storage, huge living room, kitchen big enough to have a standard sized table in, lots of cabinets, full size refrigerator and stove, two sets of French doors, and the piece d’resistance are the number of incredibly large and gorgeous windows that open up to:
— downtown sky line
— Coit tower
— the bay (east)
— the bay (north)
— Transamerica Pyramid
— Bank of America Building
— Union Sq.
— Richmond-​San Rafael Bridge
Our neighbors are GREAT (we’ve barely met them or heard them!) and the resident manager is also really great! Did i mention we have a kick ass roof deck?! If not, we have a really kick ass roof deck! Gorgeous views of almost the entire city!
The perfect place to sunbath or read or take a nap. The building also has two elevators and a large laundry room in the basement.
ONE BIG NEGATIVE: TIRED PINK CARPET AND TEAL WALLS in the lobby — makes it look like 1970’s best lil whore house on nob hill :)
… and there is no garbage chute … and the windows are single pane :(
… no garbage disposal, dish washer, or doorman — if you need these things you need to get a SOMA loft.
** We are also at the top of Nob Hill — you will probably be out of breathe when you make it there after the hike, but will have a ROCKIN ASS in no time! **