Enormous, elevated, and expensive, that’s what makes a penthouse! Real estate agents have been known to take anything that isn’t in the basement and call it a penthouse. Optimistic marketing has its limits, though, for example when the square footage gets measured in non-standard inches. What the real world considers a penthouse and what a real estate agent will market as a penthouse aren’t the same thing, so we offer this helpful guide to help you find the actual penthouse homes in a world of perhaps overly optimistic penthouse marketing.
The modern usage of the word penthouse traces back to the early 1920s and refers to the small structures on the roofs of skyscrapers that typically housed mechanical equipment. The current usage of the word Penthouse came into usage with the arrival of skyscrapers… which is a very big hint as to where actual penthouse homes are to be found.
Tall Building Required
- Be at or very near the top floor of a tall building.
Small, short buildings can have lovely top-floor homes, but they aren’t penthouses. Until modern construction methods and materials came along, the tallest buildings were relatively short. Once steel become inexpensive, elevators became trusted, and inner city real estate became expensive the only direction to build was up!
Luxury Finishes
A penthouse home should be finished in materials and offering features not available on other floors of the building. More is a more, and in a penthouse that could mean more ceiling height, more marble in the kitchen, more expensive appliances and fixtures, rare floor finishings or other rare and valuable materials and finishes.
Unique Perspective
A penthouse home offers guests and owners a unique perspective or rarely available view or outlook. From aerial views of a city to unobstructed bridge views or a special outlook on a park, a penthouse home is not only a special place but ideally also offers a special perspective on the city it is built in.
Private Outdoor Space
While it isn’t mandatory, the other item a penthouse home generally will have is private outdoor space. Penthouse homes are homes designed with entertaining in mind, and having outdoor space that is private to the home and not shared with other homes in the building is another defining characteristic of penthouse homes.
What Isn’t a Penthouse Home
Top floor homes are delightful! A top floor home generally has more value than a lower floor home, even if that top floor home isn’t a penthouse. While being at the top is a requisite for penthouse status, simply being at the top does not automatically qualify a home as a penthouse.
A top floor home with the same finishes as the homes on lower floors? That’s a top floor home, but not a penthouse.
A top floor home with no special outlooks? That’s also not a penthouse.
A top floor home with no private outdoor space. If you have to share with neighbors, it probably isn’t a penthouse.
A top floor home with luxury finishes and a view of Alamo Square and a roof deck… is not a penthouse home if the top floor is the 2nd story of the building.
Penthouse or Not?
We say that double-height ceilings, 1/2 floor layout, private outdoor space, and direct-to-residence elevator access more than qualify residence 41A at
The Lumina as a genuine penthouse. 41B, the other half of the top two floors, is also available. Both are offered as shells for custom build-outs, another feature generally not available to new construction buyers in San Francisco.
This home at
1731 Powell in
North Beach clears the 40′ North Beach height limits and has phenomenal views. However, it’s in a smaller mid-rise building. We love the home but we don’t think it meets the criteria for a penthouse.
The Harrison in
South Beach is offering this half-floor residence as part of its “signature collection” of 1/2 floor homes marketed as penthouses on the 45th through the 49th floor. Floors 45 – 48 offer two homes per floor. The finishes are the same as in other homes in the building, and the only unique feature is the size of the home and its relatively high location in the building.
While floors 45 – 48 offer 1/2 floor homes at The Harrison, the 49th floor is primarily occupied by Uncle Harry’s, the luxurious owners’ lounge at The Harrison. However, the 49th floor has one home, an average size 2/2 plan that doesn’t offer a unique layout, unique finishes, or have private outdoor space. It also shares the 49th floor with Uncle Harry’s — and it’s entirely plausible to think that people might be a little rowdy and boisterous when going to or coming from the owners’ lounge. It’s a lovely home, but no penthouse. More like the black sheep of penthouse homes.
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Finally, we have this stunning full-floor co-op flat in
Pacific Heights. It’s not the top floor in the building; it is one level below that. However, it is one of only two homes in the building that offers a full-floor layout, and it does offer some pretty spectacular views. Given the views and size, we’re inclined to agree with the penthouse moniker for this stunning home.
That’s our take on penthouse homes for sale in San Francisco. What are your thoughts?
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