SANF September 2008 : 144
144 SAN FRANCISCO SEPTEMBER 2008 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Left: John and Cindy Zervakos have a new lease on life at their new home in The Infinity. Right: A modern interior design fits their lifestyle today. The San Francisco skyline is undergoing a revolution as new, high-end buildings continue to spring up downtown and in hip neighborhoods. Today’s breed of residential building offers a stunning array of amenities and design features for all kinds of people in every stage of life—from young urbanites buying their fi rst home to suburban refugees buying a pied-à-terre. Here are why a few of them made the move: FROM SUBURBAN TO URBAN: LIFE AT THE INFINITY John Zervakos gave up a five-bedroom house, a large yard, and his Jaguar—and he’s never been happier. Last year, John and his wife, Cindy, moved into a two-bedroom condominium in The Infinity, and it’s changed their lives. The couple traded in a long commute from Tiburon, a high-maintenance yard, and a two-car lifestyle for a quick walk to work, spectacular views, and a single car that rarely leaves its parking space. “Our kids left for college, and we didn’t need all that space.” says Cindy. “Our social activities revolved around school and kids, but now we wanted to focus on other things and causes that are important to us.We wanted to spend time together in the city as a couple.” The Zervakoses looked at some outlying neighborhoods but chose The Infinity for its location, style, and amenities. Their house in Tiburon was contemporary, but leaned toward the traditional. They chose to begin their new life with an ultra-modern aesthetic, so the sleek lines and fixtures of the building appealed to them. “We wanted something totally different for this new phase of our lives,” says John. Working with interior designer Eddie Saunders of Saunders Design, the couple selected furniture as modern as the building and as colorful as the surrounding city. “In Tiburon, we had a very monochromatic, beige- and-white house,” laughs Cindy. Their new home’s vibrant color palette includes bright shades of red, deep blues, and peaceful greens. The Rincon Hill location, just blocks from their Embarcadero Center offices, couldn’t be more ideal. “I love walking to work,” says John. “The other day I looked around and realized that at the age of 54, I was walking to work with an iPod, a messenger bag slung over my shoulder, and a cup of coffee—and I’m surrounded by a bunch of twentysomething guys doing the same thing!” “Frankly, we rarely start the car,” says Cindy. “We walk to the grocery store, museums, and the Ferry Plaza farmers’ market. Being so close to everything, we find that we are attending more things—we can use the in-house concierge to help arrange tickets.” The Zervakoses say the change has been revitalizing and energizing. “We love our lifestyle,” says Cindy. “We feel like a young couple.”
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