T
he "crookedest" street in San Francisco attracts tourists, but living along this iconic destination on Russian Hill is a challenge. Among the few opportunities available is 2-4 Montclair Terrace, a brick-paved, winding stretch of Lombard Street. This property has not been on the market for over 60 years and is now up for sale after its longtime owner passed away last year at the age of 102. The property is a two-unit 1910 building with four levels, a detached garage, courtyard, and private garden. It was purchased by designer, arts patron, and environmentalist Mérí Jaye in 1962 after she spent 10 years living in hotels across Europe and New York. Jaye was tapped to design the interior of the International Building at 601 California, which was the headquarters of shipping company American President Lines at the time. She also designed interiors for several of its freighters.
Jaye spent four years redesigning her own 5,400-square-foot home, which has a ship weathervane on top and a "Mad Men" kitchen. She moved into her growing art and book collection in 1966, according to her obituary. After Jaye passed away in March 2023, the property was prepared for sale with fresh paint, redone floors, and new lighting fixtures. The property has five bedrooms and 4.5 baths, including a primary suite soaker tub and a wood-paneled penthouse floor with views of Alcatraz and the Transamerica Pyramid. The property is zoned R-3 for multifamily use, with one unit on the top two levels, another unit one floor below that, and a garden studio on the lowest level. There are full kitchens on the middle two floors and a "mid-century modern kitchenette" on the highest and lowest floors.
The property has several entrances, including one on Lombard Street and others on Montclair Terrace, a one-block street that connects Lombard and Chestnut. Montclair has a two-story detached garage and an entrance to the private garden. A 100-foot-tall Redwood tree on the property was landmarked by the city to acknowledge its importance. Jaye planted the sapling in 1962 to commemorate the lives of her husband and two young sons who had died in a plane crash. The tree was landmarked as the city's 26th protected tree this summer after a contentious process that stalled until then.
The property has been on the market for almost two months, and while tourist traffic on Lombard could be considered a drawback of its iconic location, most of the tourists are at the top and bottom of the block, with few at this midway point. The property is surprisingly private since it is separated from Lombard by a green space.
