Okay, let’s talk about this San Francisco penthouse thing. It wasn’t like I actually lived in one, you know? Not even close. But there was this period, maybe ten, fifteen years back, when I got really obsessed with the idea of it.
I’d just moved to the Bay Area. Had a decent job, nothing crazy, but enough to make me think, maybe, just maybe, I could climb the ladder. So, what did I do? Like a total rookie, I started looking at those glossy property websites. Just dreaming, mostly.
My Little Ritual
It became this weird habit. Every Sunday morning, coffee in hand, I’d fire up the old laptop. Didn’t even filter by price at first. Just typed “penthouse san francisco” and scrolled.
- Saw these places with floor-to-ceiling windows.
- Crazy views of the bridge, the bay, everything.
- Photos of rooftop pools, fancy kitchens I wouldn’t even know how to use.
It was pure fantasy. My actual apartment at the time? Let’s just say the view was of the building next door’s brick wall. And the kitchen… well, it worked. Most of the time.
The Reality Check
I even dragged my partner along to an open house once. Not a penthouse, obviously, but something slightly nicer than our place, way out in some neighborhood I couldn’t really afford. We walked in, looked at the price tag, looked at each other, and just sort of laughed. It was way out of reach.
That kind of snapped me out of the penthouse daydreaming phase. It wasn’t about the fancy apartment itself, I figured out later. It was about feeling like I’d ‘made it’ in a tough city.
What Happened Instead
So, I stopped browsing the fantasy listings. Focused on my actual life. Worked hard, saved a bit, moved a couple of times. Never got that penthouse, not even close. Ended up in a comfortable spot, not in SF downtown, but somewhere quieter, easier.
Funny thing is, I visited a friend recently who actually does live in one of those high-rise buildings downtown. Not the penthouse, but pretty high up. We stood on his balcony, looking out at the city lights. It was nice, sure. But honestly? I was mostly thinking about how long the elevator ride down would be.
Guess my priorities changed somewhere along the way. Still like a good view, though. Just maybe not from that high up, with that kind of price tag attached.
