I've lived in various neighborhoods and buildings throughout the past 13 years in San Francisco, and the Palms is hands-down one of my favorite places that I've lived. First and foremost, this is a condo not an apartment building, which means that building management is held accountable by the HOA and the owners. Titan management, our building management, along with its 24-hour staff have been excellent. They are very kind, helpful, and friendly. They handle all of our incoming and outgoing packages efficiently. The building itself has been very well-maintained. Any accidents, dings on the hallway walls, or any time a lightbulb needs to be changed in any public area, they are on top of it. The lobby was remodeled not too long ago, and we just remodeled our gym this year. Sadly we haven't gotten to use the new gym yet because of COVID. They have also been great about setting guidelines around COVID, like asking residents to try to take elevator one household at a time. Everyone has been good about that. Elevator wait times seem as fast as usual. We probably had to wait a few extra minutes a third of the time, which really isn't too bad considering the current pandemic. There are 6 elevators serving the building, which is a lot compared to some of the other buildings we've visited in soma and mission bay. We live on the 8th floor (there is only one floor above us), and I would say that sound is very insulated. We never hear anything coming from our courtyard-facing balcony and very rarely hear our next door or upstairs neighbors. We also live close to the elevators and have never heard it from our unit. Also never hear anyone walking in the hallways or anything like that. Most importantly, this location is probably one of the most convenient if you work in SOMA, fidi or in the peninsula. The Facebook and Google shuttle stops are 1 block away. I work in Fidi. It's about a 30 min walk OR you can buy your own electric scooter (like a Bird or Lime) and get to work in 15-20 mins. Caltrain is 2 blocks away. Whole Foods and Safeway are 2 blocks away (both have parking if you need it). Gus's community market (more high end) is 4 long blocks away. Trader Joe's, Best Buy and Costco are 8 min drive away. The Westfield mall, Target, and both Century and the AMC Metreon movie theaters are clustered together around a 20 min walk away. The ballpark is 3 blocks away. We've walked to Chase Center before and it's about a 30-35 min walk. On Saturdays, we enjoy jogging over to the Ferry building for their Farmer's Market. I believe they're still open even during COVID. The microclimate in SOMA and the along the embarcadero is great. It's often 10 degrees warmer than other parts of the city and sunnier. If you have a dog, there's a dog park and a cute grassy park called Mission Creek Park in Mission Bay near Channel Street that is a 15-20 min walk away. Our unit comes with parking inside the building. I don't think all units come with parking so make sure to ask! We also have a gas stove (only 8th and 9th floor units have this). Lower floors only have electric stoves. read more

I lived in this building for 4 years and finally moved out a few months ago. Pros: - Close to Whole Foods (2 blocks away); but related to this pro, the con is that you have to walk through a stretch of tents under the highway overpass to get to WF. Recently the tents have been swept but the ground is nasty and you have to walk with your head on a swivel. - Close to highway and CalTrain. - Lobby looks nice and front desk takes packages. - Staff are generally nice. - There's a building gym. Cons: - SAFETY: This is an unpleasant part of town. There have been bullets that have hit apartments in our building. Stray bullets from the highway apparently, which hit a 6th floor apartment. There has been an incident of an intruder who have followed a resident into an elevator and then proceeded to expose themselves in the elevator. There have been random people who have snuck into the garage and stolen bikes. The surrounding area is littered with feces and often smells. Dried dog pee smells are also around. Homeless encampments are within blocks of this place even though there is a homeless shelter 1 block away. - Poor Treatment of Residents: Someone else mentioned this, but this place is run like a prison. There are cameras everywhere to catch you making mistakes (and fining you $250 for your mistakes). The management encourages you to snitch on your neighbors, and residents are quickly accused of doing random things even if you didn't do them. The sound travels and they can't figure out which unit is making noise. - Expensive: Move-in and move-out fees are $500 each. They will nickel and dime you for every little thing. -Neighbors: There are some horrible neighbors around but also some nice ones. But you remember the bad ones more, unfortunately. The bad ones will keep you up at night. They will wake you up at the crack of dawn then you don't want to be awake. The sound travels so easily. You can hear people sneezing and coughing up phlegm in the bathroom, you can hear their television, you can hear them scooting their chairs. - Power Outages: we have had power outages for 2 full days on end (while rest of SOMA was fine), and random outages throughout the year. There are currently 2 construction sites next to this building and apparently they have caused power outages (not sure if this is true). Super disruptive and you never know when it's going to happen again. No sincere apologies either, after 2 days of no power, the management sent an email telling residents that they are not allowed to throw spoiled food down the trash chute, but have to bring them down to a specific bin in the trash room. No empathy. (as an aside, in the middle of writing this review, I lost power for a few hours!) - Water Shut-offs: at least once a month, there is some water shut-off issue. The plumbing in the building is poorly designed, which means that if one unit needs plumbing work done, the entire building loses water for hours on end. Even if there is not plumbing work, the hot water heater for the building has had tons of issues that caused many water shut offs. - Fire Alarms: fire alarm testing is not just once a year. Somehow, this building has random fire alarms once every few months and if you work from home, it's a pain to deal with the work disruption. - Poor Noise Insulation: as I mentioned, the noise transfer is horrible in this building. The thing is, the transfer is so bad that you can't tell from whose unit the noise is coming from, which is one of the reasons why the management team gets so many noise complaints and they have to do investigations (having staff members listen in outside and inside apartments). If there is a noise complaint at 6am that wakes you up, they expect you to call the front desk, allow someone into your bedroom, and listen for the noise. - Smell Transfers: smells also transfer easily in this building. We can smell random food smells from unidentified apartments that are coming in through the vents, and there is no way of preventing that smell from coming in. Don't know who designed or built the building but they really skimped on a lot (e.g. noise transfer, smell transfer). I would never buy a unit from this building. - Don't Live Here if You Value Sleep: In addition to the situation with the noise transfer issue and the bad neighbors, heat is easily trapped in apartments even with windows open. Heat will be trapped even when the heatwave was 3 days ago and it's currently 61 degrees outside. Nope, your apartment will still be 75 degrees, which is terrible for sleep. And when your windows are open at night, you get to smell the occasional dumpster fires outside and you also get to hear the garbage truck at 5am. And bugs will come in through the open window.. - Strict Delivery Guidelines: it's a pain to order furniture and large items because you have to schedule it 5 days in advance, and they can only be delivered in slots of 9-noon or 1-4pm. read more

Great amenities! Convenient location in SoMa close to Caltrain, the embarcadero, etc.

As part of my condo search, I recently checked out a couple listings at the Palms down in South Beach. The modern look and amenities originally caught my attention - a concierge, fitness center and private 20-seat theatre (never seen that before!). I really liked the central location: The Walk Score was 97! Transit Score was quite good at 84 and the Bike Score (I don't bike myself) was 90. A few of the other reviews on here got me concerned about the HOA so I made sure to investigate it thoroughly... it had an HOA score of 6.28 which is "Fair". I ultimately decide to pass on the building since Reserve Funding was low. I plan to purchase something for the longer term and want to minimize risk of future dues increases and special assessments! References: https://www.walkscore.com/score/555-4th-st-san-francisco-ca-94107 https://www.hoa-score.com/associations/CA/San-Francisco/The-Palms-San-Francisco read more

The Palms - Walk Score, Transit Score, Bike Score - Condominiums Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Since this review, they fired their entire front desk staff and replaced them with people who are too young, unprofessional, unpleasant, neglectful, etc. They viewed their jobs as "enforcing rules" instead of "helping residents". This was such a huge change that it actually made it unpleasant to live there. After this change, I had to escalate every issue to management because the staff was unwilling to handle things in a flexible manner. I grew to feel extremely mistreated by management, including Veronica Nguyen. I moved out a couple of years ago, but wanted to update my review to let folks know that this seriously detracted from the experience of living here. read more

The HOA runs this place like a prison - they make you afraid of violations and don't help you remediate any problems. Felt unsafe here twice and management chose not to interfere. Do not recommend. read more

These reviews need a little balance. I've lived at the Palms for about two years now (renting) and while the location is great, much about the building has left me disappointed. Before I launch into a parade of horribles, let's hit the high notes. Location, location, location. Can't beat it. Great restaurants and nightlife are easy walking distance. Look and feel are great - some people scoff at the L.A. wannabe appearance, but believe me it's nice to have some beach lighting and palm trees to look at on those chilly summer nights. And the movie theater is pretty sweet. Now the bad news. - Build quality. I don't think this is the developers' fault; the building codes in SF/California are among the most Byzantine in the country (notice how all the new construction condos in SOMA have the same monotonous, soul-deadening look to them?). Unfortunately, once you get done complying with all the (often internally contradictory) building regulations, you're not left with much creativity, much less money, to put into the final product. As a result, developers are looking for ways to cut corners so they can profit on building here. Result? They skimp on the finishes. My unit has three closet doors, all of them cheap hollow-core. Nothing huge, but for a condo that goes for $450k+ I expect real doors. Next, the facing walls consist of 5/8" standard (not damage or mark-resistant) drywall mounted on solid concrete. The result? Good luck trying to mount anything heavier than a large framed picture. I tried to install a lightweight curtain rod in the bedroom, and it ultimately ripped a huge gash across the wall. Mind you, I spent a summer hanging drywall in college, so I know at least the basics of mounting fixtures on drywall. Same problem in the rest of the condo - if I so much as bump into a wall with anything other than my person, it invariably leaves a mark. Some can be taken care of with a magic eraser, but not all. In the bathroom, the toilet has clogged several times, and the shower handle came off in my hand one morning. The grout in the shower was improperly finished, so that even though I clean it at least once a week, ugly black and red mold has become visible. - Empty retail spaces on the ground floor, on either side of the main entrance to the building. They've both been unoccupied the entire time I've lived here, and the one on the north side of the building has become a storage space for someone's discarded furniture. Apparently it would take too much effort to throw a few couches into at least one of them and make a decent lounge. Actually, better yet, they could move the exercise equipment into one of the spaces so that tenants would have someplace to work out other than the windowless basement that currently serves as a gym. - Which brings us to the gym. Calling it small is an understatement. It's maybe 200 sq. feet of mostly cario machines. No barbells or free weights at all, and the dumb bell set is laughably incomplete (I'm not exactly a meathead, but sometimes a guy needs more than 45 lbs.). There's a "yoga studio" across the hall from the gym, which amounts to a carpeted room with two nautilus machines and a few mismatched exercise balls that sort of roll around in the a/c. Oh, and one sit-up mat that apparently is to be shared by all 300+ residents of the building. They used to offer yoga classes, but those stopped more than a year ago. Let me put it this way: the gym in my freshman dorm would put the Palms' to shame. Obviously, I'm pretty fed up with the building, and I'm sure it's not quite as bad as I'm making it out to be. Point of this post is, as I said at the start, simply to bring a little balance to the reviews. I strongly urge anyone looking at renting (or god forbid, buying) in this building to take a long, hard look at the place before making a commitment. Look beyond the pretty lobby and the Sub-Zero fridge, and really kick the tires. But not too hard - they might fall off. read more

While everything that is said about the Palms is not true, we all know that reality is shaped by others' perceptions. For that reason, we think Palms is doomed. Before any educated prospective buyer makes an offer, he or she will certainly do a quick search on The Palms SF... and like it or not, the Palms is getting massive damage on the PR side. But objectively, what can we say about the place? The units are average quality build. Only the top two floors have gas stoves (we don't understand why). The amenities are abundant. But the location is lacking-- however, in due time, this area of SOMA will continue to sprawl with the UCSF facilities and Mission Bay residential communities. In the spirit of transparency, we did put an offer down on a unit here several months ago. We low-balled our 2/2 and surprisingly enough (at the time), we got it! However, we couldn't pull the trigger. The risk is way too high. Even if this development is getting unfair treatment by the RE blogs and other local pundits, I think The Palms is beyond recovery. However, why do we give it two stars? Well, we like to be as objective as possible. The Palms isn't a bad place to live. However, it will take at least five more months before it finds its equilibrium. If you're still planning on buying here, what is our assessment? Just wait. A 2/2 1000 sq. ft should go no more than $450K here. A 1/1 750 sq. ft unit should be closer to $300K. We'd love to share more of our thoughts, but this is enough for a public forum. Hope this review helps prospective buyers! read more

I lived here for a year and had a great experience. I would absolutely consider living here again, though there are some disadvantages worth noting as you consider moving in. Great things: -- Nice sized units with large bathrooms -- In-unit washer/dryer -- Bedrooms in most units are carpeted and living room is hardwood floors -- Units have great kitchens w/ Bosch & Subzero appliances w/ quartz counters -- Units on the top two floors have gas stoves -- Very friendly and helpful front desk managers (love them!) -- Front desk will sign for packages; mailroom in lobby -- Beautiful and comfortable lobby, lots of Palm Trees -- Great location in SoMa on 4th Street near Starbucks & CalTrain -- Nice open courtyard in middle of building (though see below) -- Simple gym open 24/7 (though see below) -- Covered parking with several nearby elevators -- Infrequent fire alarms (many condo buildings have frequent false alarms) -- Small office area with computers and printers available for use -- Pool room with pool table -- Theatre room that can be reserved for movie screening, sports events, etc. Disadvantages: -- Thin walls w/ little soundproofing - unhappy neighbors -- While friendly, there's no neighborhood feeling; I barely got to know anyone -- Bedrooms are very large, at the expense of living room space :/ -- Floors in living room are not very hard - got several divots from ladies' heels -- Gym is very minimal and lacks many free weights; treadmills are low quality -- Building lacks a poor and hot tub -- Parking space in garage is very limited and sold out -- Courtyard in middle is relatively lame and always in the shade -- Building is pet friendly, so sometimes there's puppy droppings in the hall -- Balconies are very shallow and thus have limited use (can barely fit a chair) -- Bedrooms have only a single large window which only cracks open -- Air conditioning system is imprecise and lacks digital thermostat -- Has a bit of a hotel feel (maybe not bad?) -- Lacks a service elevator, so very hard to move large furniture -- So, the main elevators almost always have ugly furniture pads on the walls -- Empty retail spaces on first floor; have been empty forever -- Move in/out fees for use of loading dock or elevator pads (pricey!) read more

THE GOOD Location: The building is within walking distance of many businesses in SoMa, South Beach, Embarcadero and other areas. Transportation: The nearest Bart station is a 10-15 minute walk. Weather: Being in San Francisco, it's often foggy. But at least it's on the "less foggy" side of the city. Package Receiving: The front desk is staffed 24x7, and they'll sign for packages from FedEx, UPS and others. This is an incredibly valuable service in SF, where unsecured packages get stolen quickly. Drive-ability: The building has very very good access to US-101, I-280, and I-80. Combining that with an in-building garage makes this building advantageous for folks who need to commute by car. THE BAD Construction noise: About two blocks away is a major construction site for the MUNI tunneling project. Until this project completes, expect to hear loud industrial fans, backup beepers, and other machinery on a near-continuous basis. Road noise: The building is constructed well enough to block out most of the car wooshing sounds that emanate from I-80 and other roads. But when Spring and Summer roll around, expect to hear motorcycles rumbling like thunder all day and late into the evening. Noise Insulation: The building has poor noise insulation between units. Bass sounds seep through the walls especially well. Pray that you do not get an inconsiderate neighbor. Concierges / Front Desk / Security: -- Have an envelope you'd like to leave at the front desk for someone to pick up later? They won't do it because it's a "liability". -- Looking for a friendly recommendation for a business in the area? They won't offer any suggestion, because "it's a liability". Dogs: Keep your eyes down when you're walking in common areas! The building has some irresponsible dog owners who fail to cleanup their dog's poop. The surrounding sidewalks are often a minefield; and it's not unheard of to see a clump of poop or a skid mark in the elevator. read more

The property management at this location is sub-par. You might compare the level of customer service to that of a Motel-6. One of the management representatives, Ken Arriola, is one of the rudest and most disrespectful people I've ever had the misfortune of meeting. His mother must not have taught him any manners or how to have a private/personal business conversation in private. This man sought to personally harass and embarrass me in the lobby of the location in front of other tenants/homeowners. Other than the terrible management, the walls are thin - the elevators slow and rarely functional - and the amount of human and dog feces surrounding the building is unacceptable. The area is ok but for the price, I'd find something elsewhere. read more

The Palms is my new home and I kinda love it here already. Perks: - the great front desk staff - the gorgeous lobby - my huge new room and plenty of space in our new apartment - very cool new appliances throughout - my new bff Speed, the big bald man who does our in-house car wash/wax/detail service - the fact that we have a gym, although I haven't been there yet - my awesome new neighborhood and being walking distance to the Embarcadero - and the best: the fact that my bathroom is heated Irks: - the annoying British accent of our elevators - the parking sitch - my windshield was bashed for NO APPARENT reason on day #5 of living here. The front desk asked me if I had any stalkers/ex-boyfriends who would be potential suspects. Totally deadpan. - the slightly Ikea-ish funishings in the apartment read more

lived at the Palms for over two years before moving to LA for a new job, and I have nothing but great things to say about it. I think the negative reviewers here would find flaws in almost anywhere they lived. Every place is going to have it's positives and negatives, and positives certainly outweigh the flaws. You can not beat the location, especially if you have to commute on Cal-train. You can walk to Whole Foods, Safeway, the ballpark, the Metreon, downtown and Union Square. Muni is also super easy to catch. All of the neighbors I met were very friendly and the doormen and Concierges were also quite helpful. All in all, The Palms was a great place to live and I miss living there. read more

I rent here and would not buy here. In the past 6 months, I've heard of 4 floods and experienced 1 myself. I think there may be some long-term issues with the construction quality of this building. The concierge and security staff are great. The manager is horrible - unresponsive and acts as if residents are a nuisance. read more

dropped off items at the building regularly and staff was nice but i witness the tenants are so mean and rude to the staff, myself. they do not have the slightest manners. I saw a tenant yell at them, throw items at them, cuss at them. this very bad, rude people stuck up. read more

I went to an open house for a unit available for rent today. Here are some of the pros and cons I experienced in my trip. Pros -About one city block from 4th and King Caltrain. If you ride daily, like me, this is perfect. Best of all, its not going along with stadium foot traffic. -The concierge is a plus for those with safety in mind. Locked doors and elevators that require a key fob make you feel safe from the shenanigans that could occur outside. -Price for a fairly new unit was quite good in comparison to other similar spots in SoMa -The courtyard area is quiet (at least on a Sunday afternoon) and points away from freeway traffic. Cons -Once you get off the elevator, you feel like you're in a hotel. Not a cheerful, at home, vibe. -The construction is shoddy. The floors sounds like some cheap hardwood equivalent. Maybe a wood veneer and some composite core. There was a hole in the entry way closet. You could see that it was the cheapest door available. Entering the bedroom, the carpet was all over the place. Looked like someone took some carpet and threw it over the wood floor. Also saw more holes around the closet and skimpy drywalling. The previous owner might have been angry, but a child would have a field day making holes in every wall. Needless to say, my open house visit was short. Lots of glitz and glam, but no substance. read more

I had a expensive bottle of whiskey shipped to my apartment at the Palms. The front desk logged that they accepted the package but when I went to pick it up, it was not there. The property management believes that the security stole the package but refuses to compensate me for the lost package. The process of working with management to retrieve the cost was a bit of a headache that resulted in me losing money. I'd feel safer knowing that my packages were safe. I've been shipping packages to my work and walking home with them since. This defeats the purpose of paying the premium to stay in a building like the Palms. read more

Beautiful place, but I HATE that they never leave the lights to the lobby fireplace on. It's always so pleasant to see it when I come in. All the doormen are super nice, especially Blue-Seas. Overall, cool place and its maintained well. read more

I bought a place and lived here for over two years, and I've been really happy with living here. The most important aspects to me were convenience (including location, gym, and parking), comfortable finishes, nice neighbors, and reasonable (for SF) HOA fees, and I've been happy with all of the above. There are aspects which aren't perfect, like occasional HOA disagreements, but I've never heard of a community where this doesn't happen. I think it just comes with living in a city. I'm of course a bit biased, as a property owner. Then again, the reviews below (including from someone who never actually lived here!) seem somewhat tilted as well. All in all, I'm happy I bought here and would do so again, if given the same choice. read more

My brother lives here so I get to stay in the heart of it all for free when I visit the city. While people complain about the doors on closets, I think it is easy enough to fix that yourself. Appliances and finishes are nice, W/D in units, All very nice at even the 'barebones' level, and if you are spending 450+ for a condo I think you can afford to fix things up too. I think the prces are a bit lower now due to economy. If you like a walkable place, this is in the heart of it all. Probably hundreds of restaurants and stores within a mile, about 2 blocks from freeway access, and I can not see anything wrong with the place. Then again, everytime I come I'm visiting and living the high life, so how can I complain? read more

I have been here for 4 years and yes, i did not buy at the best time but this is san francisco, the 20% hit that someone mentioned in their review, is money you would have lost if you were renting in Sf for 4 years anyways. I am optimistic that the place will bounce back up in a few years because of location, location, location. I love coming home to it. read more

Close to almost everything: Whole Foods, Safeway, Wells Fargo, BOA, Post Office, Restaurants & high access. It is off the beaten path from Condo Row of King Street making it noticed. The lobby ambassadors are great and the parking is a god-sin (no need to circle). Amenities like the theatre, lounge, business center and gym could keep you in the building if you didn't have to eat. New appliances, Sub-zero, Gas range, microwave, granite countertops, w/d, and walnut floors makes living here the BEST (Nacho Libre)! read more

I have lived here (renting) for almost 3 years and I can't wait to move out when our lease is up. Living in this building is beyond frustrating. I agree with everything Dean S. said on a previous review. 1 star because the location is great and the front desk staff is very nice and helpful. Now the negative: - The manager for the past 3 years was horrible. She just resigned and I am so happy about that because maybe now we will at least have a manager who responds to resident issues. - Frequent flooding in the building- toilets and bathtubs were leaking into units below and there have been at least 5 times I've seen plastic sheeting up covering walls for weeks while repairs were done. - Shared vent system so if someone smokes in a different unit and doesn't turn their vent on, my apartment smells like an ashtray. I don't smoke and am really sensitive to the smell, yet the building doesn't seem to care about the effects of secondhand smoke. - Our shower hasn't been working properly for 9 months now. It takes at least 2- 3 minutes for the water to heat up enough to turn the shower on and then the water is scalding hot and won't turn down. We've complained about it for months, the manager denied it was a building issue, and then surprise- we found out at least 20 units in the building have the same issue. We are still waiting for it to be fixed. - One of the elevators and/ or garage doors is usually out of service. - Super thin walls so I constantly hear the very considerate person above me blasting their bass at all hours of the day and night. Again, I've complained about this to the manager and nothing is done. - We are lucky to live on the 8th floor and have a gas stove, but I know that none of the units on the lower floors have them. - Crappy quality to the wood floors in the living room and the walls. They mark up if you barely brush them. We have marks all over our walls and I'm someone who actually takes good care of the places I live. - Cheap doors throughout the unit - The shower molds despite the fact that I clean it all the time. - The gym is a joke- it's a small hot room without windows, the TV's are always broken, and who knows the last time the equipment was serviced because machines are always out of service. - Still an empty retail space on the bottom of the building that's been vacant for the entire time we've lived there. Seriously, do not live here. Don't even think about buying, the quality in this building is pathetic. It's obvious that the builders cut a lot of corners. read more

I've lived at the Palms for 2 years now. Location is amazing. I work a mile away and walk to work, I can't even complain when it rains. I'm a Giants fan and its only 3 blocks from the ball park. The 24hr concierge staff are awesome and are very helpful. SOMA is up and coming, so things are getting better. However, this place is still on the border of shady stuff, so cars are broken into all the time and you will still get a good amount of homeless lingering around. Now on to all the reasons why you shouldn't live in the Palms. 1. There really was lack of foresight when planning the building. - No Gas stove. Its like really? I don't know if its building code or what but I find the ability to upgrade to a gas stove important as I like to cook, and cook with a lot of heat. - Parking spaces are really designed for subcompact cars (think mini's), but more on that later. - As awesome as the theater is, whoever installed the projector did a shotty job. Is it really that hard to center the projector so that it projects onto the center of the screen and not have the top cut off? And its not straight. Sounds like someone was just trying to get their job done. - The gym is really more like a storage room with work out equipment. Why would you even want to work out in a stuffy storage space. (A lot of the other developments in the area have gyms that have windows, with much more equipment). - The courtyard really is just a curvy walkway that brings you to the edge of the building, at which you get a great view of the residents across Zoe Street, and the back of a lot of billboard (can't even see what's on the billboards). The lights aren't even all on! It would have been nice if someone actually thought of it as a place that could have been used for something. BBQ area, small pool, at least a bench for picnics. Whoever designed this intended it to be used sparingly. 2: Management and the HOA are horrible. I put these two together, because although dealing with the building management is fairly easy, it is evident that they really are just a tool for the HOA. And the brings me to worst part of living here...the HOA is horrible. I had the miserable experience of sitting through a meeting once and it quickly becomes apparent that they are on a power trip. The reason I was there was because of a parking issue. We have our own private garage that is supposed to be a tandem garage. So we parked two cars in there (a coupe and a small sedan), and it stuck out about a foot. It didn't block anybody and our neighbors were okay with it. We parked like that for a year and a half. However, recently the HOA president started complaining about it. Now keep this in mind, he doesn't live in the garage or on a level close to it. He parks his car in the assigned spots away from the private garages, but I guess it wasn't visually pleasing to him. I GUESS SEEING A CAR STICK OUT A FOOT IN A GARAGE FULL OF CARS IS AN EYESORE TO HIM! They cited us for not fitting in our parking space, but if you look around the garage, half the cars don't fit in their spots, even his non-compact car in a compact space. They initially said they would fine us $100 a week if we continue to park in that fashion after our hearing. We got a letter saying that the $400 (never mentioned before) fine would be suspended, but it would be $50 every occurrence. Obviously, they are coming up with these amounts at their whim. But enough about my issues. Lets get down to what the HOA meeting was like. - 3 hours long - A presentation on the T-Line Extension - Somebody requesting permission to make some changes to their unit. - Somebody complaining about smoke from other peoples apartment (at which the response was we can't really do anything at this point, maybe you can ask them to cover up the gap under the door) - Some financial stuff - A list of people who owe them dues (lots of foreclosures in the building and a lot of people not paying Dues). - A lengthy discussion as to what music should be played in the lobby (some quotes "It should be more like a Hotel in the lobby, we need more of that music" "Soul music has its time and place, but not our lobby." "The concierge are paid to work there, they should listen to whatever they are told to, its their job") I kid not, those were actual quotes. - A lengthy discussion of how a bench in the lobby is ugly and needs to be removed. Management: "It was requested by a disabled person to be put there so they can see their cab coming" Response from HOA and Group "They can sit at the big plushy couch like everybody else" "If we think its ugly, it needs to go" The bench was promptly removed from the lobby. All in all, if it wasn't for the stellar staff and location, I would have given the Palms 1 STAR. I would suggest looking at other places, before you get that Palms owner feeling of "I could have done better in this area." read more

The Palms is the hottest spot to live in the hottest neighborhood (SOMA). Well, maybe its not yet the hottest place yet, cause the 300 units in this condominium complex are only about 20% occupied right now. One block from Whole Foods, across the street from Fringale, Zuppa, Tabu, and Bacar and just a five or ten minute walk from everything else, it's the perfect location for Yelpers like myself. Amenities like 24 hour concierge, security, fitness center, yoga studio, conference room with video conferencing, and a 20 seat movie theater for residents seals the deal. This is a very well-lit building with a garage and a sweet courtyard where residents can hang out or just enjoy the view. The units are somewhat small, but reasonably priced for this area and come standard with just about everything. I've only been here a week now, but I highly recommend it for any singles or couples looking to buy in this area. read more

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This place is just sooooo damn cool. I love it too much. I feel so Patrick Bateman when I get into the lobby. Gonna start using the(MY!) gym next week. Look out tight t-shirts, here I is. read more

I live here and have since the building opened. What started off as a cool place quickly became sink hole - they billed the place as having a concierge, valet parking, full security - basically all the luxe amenities you could ask for. All of these "perks' were gone within the first 18 months. Property prices have fallen off the board yet rents have remained ridiculously high. The building management is a joke - they like to send out notices that you should lock your car because now the garage (since the departure of the on-site security) is now experiencing break-ins. Definitely time to move - if you're thinking of moving here, please think twice and then think one more time. read more

Seems like the people who hate this place are renters.. and with all things, if you have a bad landlord, you have a bad place to live. For the record, I own and I love the place! The building is in a FANTASTIC location. I can't stress that enough. Super quick to CalTrain and 12 minute walk to Bart- and in the next couple of years, we are getting a Muni line at the corner. Whole Foods and Safeway are both very close, as are lots of restaurants and pubs, services and shops. If you want to get to the Westfields, that is quick to get to as well. The parking lot across the way is perfect for guests. We are on the top floor and as I understand it, only the 8th and 9th floors have gas for the stove top and it has something to do with some SF code. This is not unique to the Palms- we found this in every condo we looked at in this area. Why blame the builder for that? Unlike others, we find that the doors in the bedroom and bathroom are VERY effective and good at sound barriers and we never hear our neighbors. I suspect there are some bad units in the building where their location or neighbors are bad- again, what does that have to do with the management or builders? Pick a better unit and shut up! :-) We love the communication through email and website on news from the community and building. Makes it feel more like a community than a apartment building... We have spoken to and met people because of it. This building has a conference center and business center for use which is SUPER convenient if you work from home like I do. For those days when you have someone in the place doing work or if you just want a change of scene (or your wifi goes out) it is very convenient to have this! The theater and other amenities are very cool too. I am not sure what people are expecting from amenities, but for me, I think they are sufficient and really nice to have inside the building. No pool or spa, but for me, that isn't important. For the cons- Sure, the gym is small, but unlike others have stated, there ARE free weights and there is a second yoga room with other weights, pads and plenty of space for non-aerobic and stretching activities. For me, it has several machines and it has mirrors all over the place, so it feels bigger than it is. Could they put it in the empty spaces of the building? Maybe, but I would rather have a restaurant in there- fingers crossed! It is sometimes hard to recycle in this building since it isn't super easy to do it, but if you want to, you can manage it. I suspect people in this building recycle less than perhaps other buildings. For me, it does what it needs to do - is it the same as a cosy house or small apartment building? No. Is it the Ritz? No. I don't need either of those things and am perfectly happy here! So, my recommendation is, if you don't like this place- move out or don't move in. Only nice/cool people need apply! read more

After renting for over 5 years in the South of Market Area, 2009/10 was the year to buy. I knew all the buildings in the area and their plus and minus. (I've rented at Beacon, Palms and Paramount) After searching for some time, I decided on the Palms. #1 reason why I bought here: Prices in the building dropped over 35%, when they were bought new. I got a 1 bedroom for a deal. I am paying almost the same on my mortgage compared to renting at my last place, Blu. The doorman and staff are great. The give treats to my puppy and always have a smile when I see them. I do agree that the building is a little different lifestsyle compared to other buildings in the area but it's not Miami as people say. I actually like it becaused it caters to young professionals. I think the majority of people living here is between the ages of 21-40. Only grief is I do not have deeded parking and need to pay a monthly fee to park downstairs. read more

Perhaps the most over-rated property SOMA. To live in the MANAGED community is to be at the mercy of BINDER upon BINDER of rules and regulations from the HOA. Not that order is a bad thing, but when the HOA keeps adding policies and fines as they discover how poorly the place was constructed it starts to effect one's quality of living. Say you've been traveling for work and you come home around 11pm after a long flight and through your keyless entry front door, only to notice that you forgot to take the trash out before you left. Well at The Palms, you can't dispose of trash down the garbage chutes after 10:30pm as the chute was not soundproofed so the poor residents that live along its nine floors hear your garbage rumbling down the metal corridor like a box of rocks. I am sorry but if you pay 500K (at the low) for a HOME, you don't want to hear a peep from anyone at any time of day! Sorry folks, I took my trash out anyway, fortunately I didn't caught and fined $150. Yep add that to your half million dollar mortgage. Most of the units also share bedroom walls, I know it all seemed like a great I idea on the drafting table when proper insulation is installed as the directions call for in a LUXURY housing complex. Forget about it here...one of the main complaints at the HOA meetings are noises and odors between units. And not loud noises, LIVING noises. Laughing at the TV before you go to bed, nose blowing, hanging your clothes in the closet....dare I say metal clanking. You can expect a call from the concierge from neighbors that are hearing "noises" or my favorite....savage banging on your wall from the other side. It seems that some of the residents here previously lived in a vacuum tube, void of sound and movement. My neighbor bangs when I pull the plug out of our shared wall. Oh, and almost all of the outlets pull away from the drywall when you unplug things like they were installed with rubber bands. Oh yes, The Palms with all of its amazing amenities and perfect location turns out to be built with substandard materials and less than amazing workmanship. Quality you can afford! read more

I'm saying for stats because there's no option for 4.5, and nothing's perfect. I've lived on the Palms for four years and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The staff have been professional, friendly and very helpful. I'm wondering if Daniel R. Is confusing Keen with someone else, my experience has been extremely positive. SF is a city and is a great place to live, but is not without its warts. The palms is hard to beat for value and location. I would recommend it to family and friends. read more

A nice building on the outside, but falling apart on the inside. The management team are highly irresponsible and have no concerns for any of the residents living in the building. I would not recommend this building for anyone considering to move in. It has had a slew of break-ins recently, and the board has done nothing about any of them - they are too concerned with their own money and are not willing to spend the necessary money to benefit other residents. I've lived here for the past seven years and never have I felt so unsafe in this building. We receive multiple emails daily and weekly about break-ins, about apartments that have had expensive items stolen, about packages that have been stolen and and so many concerns about building security not being sufficient. This should not have to happen. Do NOT move in here. read more

I came to visit a friend of mine and I was having a particularly bad day. As soon as I walked in, the doorman (I think Blue Sea was his name) was very friendly. I spoke briefly with him, but his positivity really brightened my day and uplifted my spirits. I really appreciated his kindness. He was also very professional and well dressed and I appreciated that too. He's truly an asset and just ads a spark to The Palms community. Even my friend who is a longtime resident thinks he's just the greatest and she said he's by far her favorite out of the doormen that she's known. Now I look forward to visiting Blue Sea and my friend when I return. read more

Place is fantastic. The quality of the bulding is superb.

Recently bought a place here and I am loving it. The location is great with a number of restaurants and shops around the area. Easy access to hwys. Close to a number of offices which is what i enjoy the most. I only live a mile away from work. The one thing i wish was better are the amenities. The gym can use some remodeling along with the "party" room. read more

just got foreclosed.... and theyre selling my place for 20% less than what i paid =(

terrible staff, place had previous damages that we got charged for, very rude in their emails