The Marlow at 1788 Clay: A Buyer’s Guide to Where Nob Hill Meets Polk Street
Real Estate Colleen Cotter June 1, 2026
Real Estate Colleen Cotter June 1, 2026
Newer construction, an attended lobby, and floor plans that live like a house. Here is what the building is really like.
The Marlow at 1788 Clay Street is a 98-unit luxury condominium building in San Francisco, completed in 2014 where Nob Hill meets Polk Street, one block off the Polk corridor. It offers one- and two-bedroom residences plus three-bedroom townhomes, an attended lobby, deeded garage parking, and central air conditioning.
I showed unit 809 last week. I walked out thinking about it for the rest of the day. South-facing, generous rooms, real closets, outlooks that opened the space up. It felt less like a condo and more like a home that happened to be on the eighth floor. That is rare in San Francisco, and it is the reason buyers keep circling this building.
The Marlow sits on Nob Hill, one block from Polk Street. That is the whole pitch in one line. You get the calm and prestige of Nob Hill behind you and the energy of Polk a block away, with its restaurants, cafes, wine bars, and the kind of Saturday-morning errands that make a neighborhood feel like yours.
Built in 2014, it is genuinely newer construction by San Francisco standards. That matters more than people expect. You get central heat and air conditioning, floor-to-ceiling windows, in-unit laundry, and modern systems that older Pacific Heights and Russian Hill buildings simply do not have. No knob-and-tube wiring. No shared laundry in the basement. No guessing about the roof.
This is a building for people who want the charm of the neighborhood and the ease of new construction at the same time.
The Marlow keeps its amenities focused. There is an attended lobby, a controlled-access garage with deeded parking, and a landscaped residents’ park with a bocce court, a barbecue area, and an outdoor fire-pit lounge. The social life of the building happens outdoors, in the sun, not in a fluorescent fitness room.
Because the honest answer is yes, there is no gym.
I never treat that as a flaw, because for most buyers here it is not one. You are one block from Polk and minutes from a dozen gyms and boutique studios. Many buyers would rather walk to the workout they actually like than pay into a building gym they will use twice. The trade-off is a leaner amenity package and a building that feels residential rather than resort-like. For the right buyer, that is the point.
People underestimate how much floor plan quality drives long-term happiness in a condo. The Marlow gets this right.
Unit 809 is the example I keep coming back to. South-facing light all day. Bedrooms that hold real furniture instead of apologizing for the bed. Large closets. Details throughout that made it feel house-like and deeply livable. And a quiet bonus that only shows up when you tour in person: an extra-long parking space in a traditional garage. Easy to pull in. Easy to pull out. No valet, no stacker, no lift. If you have ever fought a tight SF garage at 8 a.m., you know how much that is worth.
The residences range from compact one-bedrooms to two-bedrooms around 1,250 square feet, with three-bedroom townhomes on the lower floors for buyers who want more room without leaving the city.
The Marlow trades quietly. It is a building people buy into and stay in, so listings are infrequent. That is not a weakness. Low turnover is one of the clearest signals of resident satisfaction you can read in a building.
The headline 2026 activity is unit 809, and it tells the story cleanly.
Unit 809 is a 1,253-square-foot two-bedroom, two-bath.
It listed at $1,525,000, or about $1,217 per square foot.
It went pending in 13 days with no price reductions.
HOA dues run roughly $1,143 per month.
Read what that pace tells you. A two-week pending with the price never touched means demand is real and the list was honest. It has not closed yet, so the final number is still to come, but the velocity is the signal. The two-bedroom layouts in the $1.5M range are the heart of the building’s market, with one-bedrooms entering below that and the three-bedroom townhomes reaching higher.
For context on how this compares to another newer building one neighborhood over, see my guide to The Rockwell at 1688 Pine. The two buildings draw a similar buyer and make a useful side-by-side.
The HOA covers the attended lobby, the garage, common areas, building insurance, and management. Dues vary by residence and the size of the home.
The Marlow attracts buyers who want quiet quality. Downsizers leaving a larger home who are not ready to give up space or light. Professionals who want to walk to dinner and still park easily. Pied-a-terre buyers who want a lock-and-leave home in a central, attended building.
What they have in common is a preference for substance over flash. They notice the floorplans. They notice the parking. They notice that the building feels calm.
I get this question often, and my answer is grounded in actually being inside the units. Because this is newer construction with central air conditioning, you are not relying on open windows for comfort. With the windows closed, I do not find it loud. If you are someone who likes to sleep with the windows open, you will hear the usual city sounds of a major corridor. That is true of any central San Francisco address. The Clay-facing and higher units are the quietest read.
One of the real pleasures of this address is that you can leave the garage parked and do your whole weekend on foot. These are a few of the places I send clients to, all within a short walk.
House of Prime Rib (1906 Van Ness Ave). The San Francisco institution. One thing on the menu, done perfectly for sixty years. Book ahead and go hungry.
Cheese Plus (2001 Polk St). The neighborhood cheese counter and deli. Build a board for a dinner party or grab one of the best sandwiches on Polk.
Cris Consignment (1813 Polk St). A beautifully curated luxury designer consignment shop. This is where you find the piece you were not looking for.
Bloomin Couture (1505 Vallejo St). My favorite florist in the neighborhood. Susan’s arrangements are the kind you remember.
Hot Cookie (1817 Polk St). Warm cookies, open late. The neighborhood indulgence, and dangerous to live this close to.
BODYROK Polk (1850 Polk St). A reformer pilates studio around the corner. Proof of the point about the gym. You are never far from a great workout here.
The Marlow does the things you live with every day well. Light. Layout. Parking. Location. Newer systems. Those matter long after the amenity list stops mattering.
If you are considering a home here, or simply want to understand how the building is trading right now, I am always available for a confidential conversation about timing, the right stack, and how The Marlow compares to its neighbors.
Where is The Marlow located in San Francisco?
The Marlow is at 1788 Clay Street, 94109, on Nob Hill, one block from Polk Street along the Van Ness corridor. It is walking distance to Polk Street dining, shopping, and Muni transit.
Does The Marlow have a gym?
No. The Marlow does not have an in-building gym. It offers an attended lobby, deeded garage parking, and a residents’ park with a bocce court, barbecue area, and fire-pit lounge. Numerous gyms and boutique studios are within a short walk.
How much do condos at The Marlow cost?
Two-bedroom residences trade around the $1.5 million range. A 1,253-square-foot two-bedroom listed at $1,525,000, or about $1,217 per square foot, and went pending in 13 days in 2026. One-bedrooms price below that and three-bedroom townhomes price higher.
Does The Marlow have parking?
Yes. Residences include deeded parking in a controlled-access traditional garage that is easy to enter and exit. Some spaces, including the one in unit 809, are extra long.
When was The Marlow built?
The Marlow was completed in 2014, making it newer construction by San Francisco standards. Residences feature central heat and air conditioning, floor-to-ceiling windows, and in-unit laundry.
What restaurants and shops are near The Marlow?
The Marlow sits one block from Polk Street, putting House of Prime Rib on Van Ness, Cheese Plus, Cris Consignment, Hot Cookie, and the BODYROK Polk reformer studio all within a short walk, along with the wider Polk Street dining and shopping corridor.
Check Out:
Colleen Cotter | Sotheby’s International Realty | CA DRE# 01703078
15+ years in San Francisco real estate | Top 1% of SF agents
415-706-1781 | [email protected] | colleencottersf.com
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