There's a stretch of San Francisco's Hyde Street that's classic: tree-lined, clanking with cable cars and lined with lovely Edwardian apartment houses. Here's one of them.

The Basics: A classic two-bedroom, 2-bath cooperative apartment on Russian Hill's historic Hyde Street, with parking and a separate servant's room now remodeled as a gym. Asking $1.795M, with monthly maintenance charges of $942. On the market for almost seven months.

Not So Basic: This stretch of Hyde Street was among the first developed after the earthquake of 1906, and with apartment houses instead of private homes. It's along a ridge (the crooked part of Lombard Street is a block away) and offers sweeping views east, even though the apartment's only on the second floor. 2164 Hyde Street was built in 1914 by architect Patterson Ross—he was involved in a number of new "co-operative" buildings in the area—and prospective owners had to be interviewed and approved in advance. They still do. Buying a co-op requires approval by a committee of other owners, plus in a co-op, you're getting a proprietary lease rather owning the apartment outright.  Read more...