2436 Presidio Drive is a Mills Act Spanish in new millennium style and condition, just waiting for your lucky move-in. A meticulous, exacting and fussy owner has made this historic (and tax savings) home into a gracious and convenient haven for the pride-of-place homebuyer. In the highly sought after Presidio Hills area of Mission Hills, legacy of our revered forefather George Marston, this crisp and luscious 2-story sneaks a harbor view from the upstairs and luxuriates in a plush “secret garden” scape in back that includes outdoor dining, spa, and fishpond.

Main floor includes formal living and dining rooms, stretch modern kitchen with gorgeous finishes, 2 dishwashers, 2 sinks, generous cabinetry, cook’s “office/library” and favorite appliances, an adjoining casual dining area, and a cushy family room with another expanse of shelves and storage cabinets. A highlight of the main floor is the study, a roomy custom-built den for computers and business, central but nicely separate.

Upstairs are 4 bedrooms, the 4th a little smaller and now embracing gym equipment, with the master suite at the back of the home, including double closets, double steam shower, double vanities, skylight.

Encompassing 3419 sqft., and all approved for the property tax savings under the Mills Act, you will find this home enhanced with distinction and sumptuous comfort.
 

This graceful experience has 3156sf of wandering indoor spaces and 1454sf of outdoor entertaining area, 330sf of cavernous underhouse storage, and a spa frolic. A stunningly renovated "Blizzard White" quartz, stainless, bamboo and Italian kitchen - great room, adjoins formal dining and living spaces, where liqht, quality and privacy collide in a lush whispering branch canyon. Stepped into privacy, you enter over a waterfall to this meticulously rebuilt contemporary masterpiece. A master suite with private bath, canyon views and deck, and personal study shares the main floor with an expanse of public spaces and an office. The living room flows past the formal entry to an expandable dining area, kitchen/great room, where casual and cuisine revel in the finest appointments and copious tidy storage. Upstairs, 3 additional bedrooms each with their own private access, bath, and deck service room with sink+refrigerator, all attend a 1454sf treetop deck. Bring your 100 best friends or quietly watch the sunsets in silent splendor. The sprawling canyon bottom land offers pomegranites, dog run space, green thumb and nature husbanding. In the heart of San Diego, yet serving to dispel the public world and invite a personal imaginarium, this home is designed to be the palette for your personal showcase of success and artfulness.

LUXURY IS THE RIGHT NEIGHBORS AND THE RIGHT PLACE with beautiful, convenient living in no-worry condition (new roof, new Pella windows, upgraded decks and wonderful new kitchen). Meticulous style, choice of master suite upstairs or down, double-door entry that casts a look all the way through the home to the Park canyon and vistas beyond, sleek maple floors, discretely toned walls, trims and doors, shiny new hardware. Guests are welcomed through an arbor into the obviously carefully-landscaped, and visually-protected morning garden. This sheltered garden is also a place to enjoy when the canyon and ocean breezes become cool on the NE side of the house. From the double-door step-in entry the guest is invited to look all the way through, across a formal living room, to the broad veranda, wild canyon and vistas beyond. Rich, sleek maple floors, discretely toned walls with rich completely refurbished wood windows, trims and doors, shiny new hardware, and smartly designed/decorated rooms run throughout. A master suite on both the main level and upstairs offers desirable flexibility. The upstairs is the typical large room with generous closets and attached full bath. The downstairs has a canyon-view bedroom, full bath, and study. An additional guest half-bath sits smartly adjacent to the entry and study. The kitchen is beautifully and functionally equipped, with woven stainless steel backsplash, fine oak cabinets, and a special "wow" recycle chute on the sink wall. The home is all electric, true to its birthright in the 1960's when Ronald Reagan was pitching the amazing new all electric homes on television. Gas is certainly available to the property, should a buyer wish to accommodate any particular uses. The upstairs is lightened by an open landing study/reading/computer area. It includes two bedrooms with a fresh jack-n-jill bath between, and a large master suite at the end. The owners have added a large canyon-view balcony across the back of the home, inviting closer spectating of the squirrel and raccoons who enjoy the glorious full pine on the northeast corner of the property, and relaxing panorama over the canyon, USD and on toward Mission Bay. An attached double garage includes a crisp laundry area with storage. Most plumbing redone, original all copper. Roof is newer concrete tile offering decades of life to owner. Canyon is sprinklered.

4000+sf 1964 contemporary on one-third acre pano view site in prestigious Presidio area hub-of-San-Diego location priced to reflect needed upgrading. With soaring ceilings and spaces that chase the lot parameters and panoramic views over Old Town to the Harbor, Point Loma and Mission Bay, this home is genuinely reflective of the appreciation of natural materials that was vogue during its creation, exhibiting lovely warm wood walls and trims, large light and view presenting windows and doors, and a generous kitchen that flashes back to the pictures from Better Homes and Gardens of yore and women in petticoats. The grand foyer welcomes you with a look over a sweeping crescent staircase in the center, large library to the left and living room to the right. A large deck invites view pleasure and Southern California outdoor living. To the right is the master suite with bath in his and hers sections, separate shower and tub, and a walk in closet. An elevator eases transport of people and possessions between the two levels of the home. Downstairs under a custom wrought iron chandelier is the formal dining room focusing on conversation. The kitchen is large with excellent storage and walks right out to the yard and perfect breakfast patio. Under the upstairs living room is the downstairs family room. A very substantial 2-story fireplace serves both living and family rooms and both rooms have a separate wetbar area with counters and convenience for snack and beverage service. Down the east wing are two bedrooms and a connecting bath, all comfortably good sized spaces with good storage. Over on the westerly side of the house by the kitchen is a large full bath with laundry and adjoining bedroom, probably intended originally for maid service. The kitchen and family room both walk easily to the outdoors, a large level green area with podacarpus trees and shrubs, and around to an almost completely private large pool and decking. Beyond the large level yard, the ground slopes fairly steeply into what is today a very lush green canyon, down beyond a huge eucalyptus tree which gives hint to the lot boundary, and to the Heritage Park Victorian homes below. The views take in the ponderous peninsula of Point Loma all the way over Old Town to the Harbor and north to Mission Bay . A generous double garage opens conveniently to the upper level.

Classic Spanish lines and detail, coved ceilings, original built-in niches and arches add architectural interest. This comfortable long trail of good sized rooms and convenient floor plan has been upgraded with an eye toward copasetic design. The yard, a rare find in our urban area until you get to much higher prices or much smaller homes, provides both large patio entertaining adult areas and a large grassy play or pet or gardening and plush area. Although natural breezes waft through our east-west facing homes because of the ocean thermal effects, central air has been added for those exceptional times or crowded company convenience.

About 5 blocks from the Presidio Park area, a perfect stroll with Spot or Rover, Jack or Jill, this neighborhood also enjoys many other architectural gems and gardens.

Totally private and stunning Mid-century Contemporary, knees-easy-one-level, gorgeously updated, set away from the street by a huge hedge and circular driveway, resort-like backyard with award winning spa and pool and waterfall and fabulous lighting, free-loading hummingbirds, deck and dining and lush gardens with a peek view to the sea. Black granite kitchen with space for table, island or company. Slate, glass block, gleaming oak floors, skylights, expansive storage throughout, and a 3 year old roof with Owens Corning Woodcrest 50-year shingles. AND Solar panels that heat pool and spa, save money on hot water, a double garage with extra storage in the breezeway access, stand up attic, automatic sprinklers, gardener only has to come once a month to tidy. Little plant sick bay and potting area behind garage. This house has no questions, only good answers. Once upon a time, perhaps 2 owners ago, this was the home where Sol Price, founder of the Price Club, now Costco, raised his children.

Up above Old Town, this home is a short downhill to the fabulous tourist mecca birthplace of California and transit hub for the San Diego Trolley and buses, and a short uphill to the first “fine home” community of Mission Hills, founded over a 100 years ago when Downtown, a ride down another hillside, was a cacophony on dirt streets, with cowboys, adventurers, seafarers and fiscal entrepreneurs carving out our city. 10 minutes to San Diego’s international airport in one direction and 10 minutes to the shopping, hotels and entertainment of Mission Valley in another, or 15 minutes to the popular beaches of Ocean Beach, Pacific Beach, La Jolla and up north, the central location proves itself a convenience and pleasure.

This updated Craftsman bungalow is sited among lovely neighbors in an especially desirable pocket of South Mission Hills, and welcomes guests with a broad front porch, picture grandma’s swing. There are gleaming hardwood floors throughout except tile in kitchen and bath. A large fireplace-focused living room and generous dining room span the front of the home, each with original built-in storage and buffet, deep crown moldings and big light-welcoming windows. Beyond the dining room, a modern kitchen provides convenience and ample storage, as well as extending into an adjoining den/family room, possibly the location of an original third bedroom now perfectly blended into the updated home. Both bedrooms are generous, with the east bedroom, assigned to the son at this time, large enough for two siblings to share comfortably. Access to the play-sized backyard is provided from a kitchen door. A laundry room is separate at the back of the home, and the garage has been restorably converted to a business office with an additional room for storage. There is under-house storage, although not full standing height. This neighborhood is a quiet culdesac of architecturally charming homes predominantly representing early Mission Hills homes, and sheltering trees and canyons. Torrance presents the appealing family togetherness of the bungalow style and appears to have been maintained and developed with thoughts of both good function and visual appeal. The current owners simply have a need for greater space with two children and a full time business occupying the home. The back fence is approximately 1 foot inside the property line, because of the big pepper tree, and has been for 6 years. Grant K-8 School.

Time walk into this 3BR 2.5ba 3000sf canyon and harbor view home where modern day conveniences have been added to yesteryear's craftsmanship. Mission Hills and Craftsman homes are a perfect synergy. When you step into this entry hall, pause. The staircase, light well, intricate craftsman detailing all foretell the quality and artistry of this home. Surrounded by major properties, Arista marries the humble hands of the artisans who built our great early homes with the generations of skill and dreams of pride. Everything surrounding this home is wonderful, and you could bask in that excellence.

About 20 years ago the modest bungalow that sat on this canyon-bay view 7500sf lot was scrupulously remodeled and expanded into a 2-story Arts and Crafts home. Conveniently, the master bedroom suite preserved its position on the main floor, and an addition of 2 bedrooms, bath and large family room with deck were constructed over the original home with its own U-shaped steel foundation that rides separately above to exacting and generous seismic codes. But what you see first is the strict recreation of quality craftsmanship – gleaming oak floors, clean fir trims and moldings, bull-nose corners, glorious light filtering through trees and beautifully maintained double-hung windows from the east in the morning and the west in the afternoon.

In spite of its glorious design heritage, Arista is a comfortable house. Past the gathering living room with warming fireplace, there are choices for dining arrangements. The kitchen invites guests to hang over the counter or sit near by in canyon view chairs and kibbitz with the cook. it is also equipped with two Vermont soapstone “farm” sinks, sleek granite countertops, natural looking cabinets (some with glass showcase fronts), a large pantry, counter range top with retractable down-draft venting, stainless Kitchen Aid appliances, and canyon views.

The main level master suite limits the number of stairclimbs an owner may have to do. A sitting area-study with large closet is accessed through double doors Beyond and to the left is a tile-floored bath with glass-block-surround shower, (salvaged from the renowned Hillcrest Phuong Nam restaurant), private commode, two large sinks with lateral shelf running behind and large medicine cabinets above each. Two large pullout laundry hampers are included in the extensive closeting in the suite. The bedroom is to the right of the sitting area and projects along the north side of the deck capturing views and breezes. A deck accessed from the dining, breakfast and master areas of the main floor surveys the canyon and lovely homes way across and offers a view of San Diego Bay .

On your way upstairs, note that Behind the staircase is a well-located powder room. That access in the floor is how contractors accessed the under house during the convention of the two steel U-frames.

At the top of the stairs a grand parlor, great room. Today’s words say “family room”. It is the showcase of the home with appropriately tiled fireplace, walls of bookcase and lit display cabinets, oak flooring, exacting Craftsman detailing, 3 walls of windows, and views to the canyon and Bay from both the room and the veranda beyond. Tucked in a discrete closet under the pull-down access to a lit, floored stand-up attic is the laundry room, easy to run to between books or games or work in the great room. The back bedroom is large with more built-ins and a large semi-divider, serviceable for 2 children to share if so desires. A full bath adjoins this room to a front bedroom overlooking the front garden and nearby homes and off to the Sea World tower.

The lighting throughout is thoroughly planned for wherever necessary and appropriate to the style and use of the home, such as the dining area lighting, copied from the Gamble House in Pasadena. Windows throughout the house are new or excellent condition original wood. An attached garage is a two car tandem with very high ceiling, 3 circuits of power and benches for the handy-or-hobbyist, a utility sink, and more storage. If someone wants to add a kitchenette to the upstairs Great Room, there is plumbing and a drain in the wall toward the hall, because of placement of the laundry!

The home is gloriously private. The neighbors to the south have no real look into the home, on the north they are separated by the garage, and on the east and west are separated by a canyon. It is unnecessary to have any window coverings on the master suite because of this setting. The owners rave happily about their neighbors to the north (the house to the south has just been sold and new owners are not yet own) and have advised that there are a number of youngsters on the street. The property lines to either side are fairly obvious. In the canyon the property goes way down to just past two small torrey pines on the left side. The lot is 50x150 overall. Everything is sprinklered. Plans for the remodeling/expansion work are available for a new owner to review and to receive permanently at closing.

The utility lines along this part of Arista are expected to be undergrounded in the foreseeable future. The owners have signed their contract with the City and there will be no charge to the homeowners for this work, only a very temporary disruption in their street service.