guide

A guide to office space in San Francisco

San Francisco is the commercial hub of Northern California, with a service-based economy dominated by the finance, tourism, medical research, and technology industries. The city is home to the headquarters of five major banks, including Wells Fargo and First Republic Bank. Corporations such as Craigslist, Dropbox, Twitter, Instagram, Gap Inc, Banana Republic and Levi Strauss & Co are also headquartered here.

The location

Situated on the northern edge of the San Francisco peninsula on the west coast of the United States, the city is one of the most densely populated in the country. San Francisco is made up of 36 neighbourhoods, with the Financial District acting as the main CBD.

Neighbouring areas - price comparisons, per person per month

The prices given below are the minimum to maximum average cost for executive suites, per person per month, derived from our Sales Team's knowledge.
Area Indicative price range
San Francisco $800 – 5000
San Bruno $800 – 2000
Burlingame $600 – 2000
San Mateo $800 – 2000

 

Cable car, San Francisco

Looking for an office in San Francisco

San Francisco is an international city with a variety of cultures and companies. There is demand for both executive suites and co-working spaces. The market is competitive: several centers maintain 100% occupancy. Soon, the Transbay Transit Center Project will create a modern regional transit hub connecting eight Bay Area counties and the State of California through 11 transit systems, completely revitalising transport throughout the city.

The executive suites and co-working options are much more cost-effective than traditional office space – executive suites provide excellent resources through the office provider, from reception services to videoconferencing, while co-working spaces allow entrepreneurs to work with like-minded people, and provide networking opportunities.

Costs

Pricing for executive suites can range from $500 – 5000, and coworking space in San Francisco range from $200 – 1000. These prices are inclusive of amenities, which can include Internet, meeting rooms, IT and administrative support, lounges and kitchens, car parking, videoconferencing and AV equipment, among others.

Office sizes

Office sizes start from about 95 square feet while there are many locations with co-working options and large open-floor plans. A good percentage of requests are for smaller offices, largely driven by San Francisco’s booming tech start-up industry.

Instant offer a great variety of office solutions across a range of sizes, and are able to accommodate most enquiries, regardless of how many people you need a space for. Executive suite providers can be flexible with the layout of the workspace, and are happy to discuss partitioning to fit a particular requirement.

 

Why choose San Francisco?

San Francisco is a populous city with a thriving economy, and is particularly attractive for technology companies and start-ups. There are also a number of big name corporations headquartered here, making the city a reputable location in which to conduct business. Quite apart from that, San Francisco also boasts an excellent cultural scene for those who live and work in the area, along with a wide range of entertainment and amenities. Finally, the redevelopment of the transport system will make it easier than ever to commute throughout the city and the state for business and leisure.

Five things you probably didn’t know about San Francisco: 

  • During the Great Depression, not a single San Francisco-based bank failed
  • The United Nations Charter was drafted and ratified in San Francisco in 1945
  • The Golden Gate Bridge was originally planned to be painted black with yellow stripes. Its current colour was only supposed to be a sealant
  • There are over 300 coffee houses in San Francisco
  • While Rome, Istanbul and Edinburgh are all built on seven hills, San Francisco has them trumped; the city is built on a total of 43 hills
Modern Art Museum, San Francisco

A closer look at San Francisco

These are the most popular areas in which to rent office space:

Financial District

The Financial District is the main commercial district in San Francisco, home to the city’s six Fortune 500 companies – McKesson, Wells Fargo, PG&E Corporation, Gap, URS Corporation, and Charles Schwab – as well as a number of corporate headquarters, consulates and businesses from the law, real estate, finance and insurance industries. The district is characterized by a number of landmark high-rise buildings, and is well served by public transport, with two BART stations, one cable car line and over twenty municipal bus and rail lines. There are excellent local amenities, with several shopping centers, plazas, parks, restaurants and hotels in the vicinity.

South of Market

As the name suggests, South of Market, also known simply as SoMa, is located south of the Financial District’s Market Street. The area contains both commercial and residential buildings, and a number of warehouses, hotels, galleries and museums. South of Market is also a hub for technology companies, with Foursquare, Wikia, Yelp, Sony Entertainment Network, CNET Networks, Dropbox and Zynga, among others, situated in the area. It's also become an attractive location for start-ups in recent years, following redevelopment in the neighbourhood. Landmarks include the Moscone Convention Center, the AT&T Park (home to baseball’s San Francisco Giants) and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Union Square

Union Square refers to the public plaza in downtown San Francisco, as well as the surrounding area, which is populated by an extensive collection of boutique and luxury retail shops, flagship hotels, art galleries, cafés, restaurants, theatres and nightclubs. Union Square is conveniently located near the Financial District, and is a short drive away from San Francisco International Airport, ideal for business travellers. The area is also served by the Powell-Hyde and Powell-Mason cable car lines, the F Market heritage streetcar, and the municipal and BART subway systems at Powell Street Station. 

Mid Market

Also known as Central Market, the Mid Market is a bustling up-and-coming redevelopment area incorporating parts of the Tenderloin, SoMa, and Civic Center neighbourhoods. Twitter moved into the area in 2012, which has spurred other technology companies to follow suit – partially due to a 2011 incentive that exempts these companies from city roll taxes if they relocate to Mid Market. The Mid Market area spans from Market Street, where it connects with Fifth Street, down to Van Ness, and includes some buildings from Mission Street.

Other prominent Coworking Space in San Francisco area include:

 

If you are looking for Coworking Office Space?

We Operate in US Top Cities:

 

Want to find out more?

If you’re looking to move into the area, or simply require more information, contact Instant Offices’ specialist local consultants.

Email our team or call us and we'll be delighted to help you.

Share this guide

Find your next office
Search & compare over 15,000 offices across the world