Forest Knolls, San Francisco Real Estate & Homes for Sale
Forest Knolls is a postwar San Francisco neighborhood on the southwestern slope of Mount Sutro, along Warren, Crestmont and Oak Park drives below the eucalyptus forest. Single-family houses mix with an unusual cluster of apartments and condos, and slope protection rules plus mapped landslide zones shape any project.
Explore Forest Knolls, San Francisco real estate and homes for sale with this local guide. Contact Diamond to discuss your criteria and current property-search options.
| County | San Francisco (City and County) |
|---|---|
| Local government | San Francisco Planning; DBI slope protection review |
| Housing | Postwar single-family houses, apartment buildings and condominiums |
| Hazards to check | 16 mapped landslide polygons; no liquefaction |
| Getting around | Muni 36 Teresita on Warren and Oak Park drives |
| Local rules | Slope protection checklist; Rent Ordinance for older apartment buildings |
Forest Knolls is the postwar neighborhood on the southwestern slope of Mount Sutro, built along Warren Drive, Crestmont Drive and Oak Park Drive with the eucalyptus forest above it and the Inner Sunset and Forest Hill below. The MLS and the Assessor code it 4D, in District 4 .
Two facts shape ownership here more than anything else: the forest edge and the slope.
Forest Knolls homes for sale
Forest Knolls market report
Below the Mount Sutro forest
The neighborhood sits at the forest’s southern edge, and the Assessor’s records date most of its houses from the 1950s to the mid-1960s. UCSF says it bought a 90-acre parcel south of its original Parnassus land in 1953. Today it owns the 61-acre Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve, with more than 5 miles of public multi-use trails.
UCSF lists Monterey pine, Monterey cypress and blue gum eucalyptus among the reserve’s trees and says it is replanting eucalyptus groves alongside native species. Wikipedia’s neighborhood article gives Warren Drive as the southern and western edge, Mount Sutro as the northern edge and Midtown Terrace to the east.
Beyond the forest lie UCSF’s Parnassus campus and Cole Valley and Parnassus Heights; downhill to the west is the Inner Sunset, and Forest Hill is to the southwest.
Streets on the hill
Clarendon Avenue, Forest Knolls Drive, Devonshire Way, Locksley Avenue, Woodhaven Court and Lake Forest Court make up most of the rest.
The streets switch back across the contours, so addresses that look close on a map can be a steep walk apart. The roll also lists a few public parcels on Clarendon Avenue, Crestmont Drive and Belgrave Avenue, and at the forest edge near Medical Center Way.
The Northwest Mt. Sutro Slope Protection Area
The Department of Building Inspection names ten Assessor blocks in the Northwest Mt. Sutro Slope Protection Area: 1850, 1851, 2635, 2636, 2638, 2674, 2675, 2676, 2677 and 2686.
On those blocks, DBI’s slope rules apply to any of the following:
Check the parcel’s current mapped hazards and ask DBI which slope-protection, geotechnical, grading, shoring and independent-review requirements apply to the actual project. Older checklists and numerical triggers may differ from the current amended Building Code; allow for any required engineer-stamped documents and review fees before pricing an addition.
Mapped hazard zones
Planning’s earthquake-induced landslide layer returns 16 polygons inside a rectangle drawn around the 4D parcels, and a point we checked on public land within the neighborhood fell inside one. The liquefaction layer shows none in that rectangle; the nearest polygon lies far to the east, along Portola Drive.
The landslide polygons cover parts of blocks, so look up the exact parcel. A mapped zone must be disclosed at sale.
Houses, apartments and condominiums
Forest Knolls mixes housing types more than its neighbors do.
Compare the particular property’s lot dimensions, permitted living area, construction history and ownership form using current records. Assessment classifications do not certify legal use or current listing availability.
Zoning: houses above, apartments along Warren Drive
At the Warren Drive apartment row, Planning’s current map shows RM-2 (Residential, Mixed, Moderate Density) and a 40//40-R-4 height limit; the same point falls within the Family and Senior Housing Opportunity SUD.
Apartment buildings of this age can fall under the city’s Rent Ordinance, and buyers of an occupied building will ask for leases, rent histories and any Rent Board filings. Our San Francisco multifamily guide covers the documents. This is general information, not legal advice; a California landlord-tenant attorney can tell you how the rules apply to a particular building.
Getting around
The 36 Teresita runs through the neighborhood. SFMTA’s route page lists stops on Oak Park Drive at Forest Knolls Drive and along Warren Drive at Christopher Drive, Devonshire Way and Locksley Avenue, with numbered stops at 117, 345, 400 and 455 Warren Drive. The route then heads down Seventh Avenue to Laguna Honda Boulevard and Forest Hill Station, where the K, L and M stop, and it also stops on Clarendon Avenue at Galewood Circle.
SFMTA’s schedule table gives a 30-minute interval all day; buses run roughly 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, starting two hours later on weekends. The walk from the upper streets to a bus stop or down to the Inner Sunset is steep, so try it before counting on it for a daily commute.
Selling a home in Forest Knolls
Buyers compare views, the climb to the front door, garage access and how close the lot sits to the forest edge. For apartments and condos, the paperwork carries as much weight as the floor plan.
- Confirm whether the lot is on a Northwest Mt. Sutro block or in a mapped landslide zone, and assemble any geotechnical, drainage or retaining-wall reports.
- Pull permits for decks, lower-level rooms and additions, which buyers on sloping lots ask about first.
- For a condo, have the HOA package ready; our San Francisco condo guide lists what it should contain.
- Work through the city’s pre-sale items, summarized on our selling requirements page.
Diamond may refer you to partners we work with, such as geotechnical engineers; you’re free to choose any provider. Current 4D figures appear in the market report on this page.
Questions people ask
Where is Forest Knolls?
On the southwestern slope of Mount Sutro, with Warren Drive along its southern and western edge, the Mount Sutro forest to the north and Midtown Terrace to the east.
When was Forest Knolls built?
Construction eras and later alterations vary by property. Confirm the particular building’s original records, permits and final inspections.
Is Forest Knolls in a slope protection area?
Much of it is. Eight of the ten blocks in DBI’s Northwest Mt. Sutro Slope Protection Area are in Forest Knolls, so larger additions, new buildings and significant grading there need a slope checklist and may get engineering review.
Are there apartments in Forest Knolls?
Use current listings to identify the property type you need, then verify its ownership form, legal unit count and any recorded restrictions.
Can you walk into the Mount Sutro forest from Forest Knolls?
Yes. UCSF describes its 61-acre Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve as having more than 5 miles of public multi-use trails; check UCSF’s trail information for the entrance nearest your street.
Which Muni line serves Forest Knolls?
The 36 Teresita, which runs on Warren Drive and Oak Park Drive and connects to Forest Hill Station. Check SFMTA for current service.
Selling a house, a condo or an apartment building in Forest Knolls? Request a home valuation and we will price it against sales of the same type on the hill. Our San Francisco guide covers the rest of the city.
Costs to plan for when buying in Forest Knolls
Transfer tax. San Francisco is a combined city and county, so there is one transfer tax, charged at a single rate on the whole price by tier: $3.40 per $500 from just over $250,000 to under $1 million, $3.75 per $500 from $1 million to under $5 million, and $11.25 per $500 from $5 million to under $10 million (sf.gov: Transfer tax). A large apartment building can fall in a much higher tier than a house or condo, so run the figure for the actual price. See our San Francisco transfer tax guide.
Property tax. The Proposition 13 base is 1% of assessed value plus voter-approved debt rates (BOE Publication 29). After a purchase, the city issues a supplemental assessment for the rest of the fiscal year (sf.gov). Bills also carry parcel taxes, including the School Parcel Tax of 2020 and the City College parcel tax, and, on apartment buildings, direct charges such as the apartment license fee that the Treasurer lists among special assessments (SF Treasurer). Our San Francisco property tax guide covers due dates and the homeowners’ exemption.
Slope review costs. On the Northwest Mt. Sutro blocks described above, the owner pays for any third-party design review DBI assigns. Build that cost and time into the budget for an addition or major foundation project.
Permits, ADUs and remodels in Forest Knolls
San Francisco Planning reviews zoning, design and ADU applications, and the Department of Building Inspection issues building permits and runs slope protection review.
For a house, Planning offers a Local ADU Program and a State ADU Program, which can’t be combined. The Local Program allows converted, attached and detached ADUs and can waive some Planning Code rules for existing buildings, though a unit built with waivers may need a Costa-Hawkins Regulatory Agreement that puts it under rent control. The State Program allows junior ADUs of up to 500 square feet inside a single-family house, with owner occupancy required when the JADU shares sanitation with the main residence. In apartment buildings, Planning offers ADUs under both programs as well (SF Planning: Accessory dwelling units). State law provides a ministerial path, when its statutory conditions are met, for interior ADUs in existing multifamily buildings, in space such as storage rooms or garages, up to 25% of the existing units (Government Code §66323), which can matter for the Warren Drive and Locksley Avenue buildings.
Two more rules apply here. Under the Local Program, ADUs can’t be built on lots with an owner move-in eviction in the past five years or another no-fault eviction in the past ten, and ADUs can’t be used as short-term rentals (SF Planning). A garage-level ADU on a sloping lot can also trigger the slope rules if it involves shoring, underpinning or significant grading.
Luxury homes and estates in Forest Knolls
Higher-end houses in Forest Knolls are the view houses on the upper streets and the lots at the forest edge below the Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve. RH-1(D) is the one-family detached district. Some parcels sit on Northwest Mt. Sutro slope protection blocks, so additions and new houses there go through DBI’s slope checklist.
For a high-value purchase, the due diligence that matters most is the engineering file: geotechnical reports, retaining walls, drainage and foundation permits, plus whether the parcel is in one of the mapped landslide zones. Our hillside geotechnical report guide explains the review. Price earthquake coverage early (earthquake insurance guide) and read insuring a high-value home in California. Before you write an offer, compare the house with its Report of Residential Building Record (3R), which a San Francisco seller must obtain and deliver to the buyer (sf.gov: Request a 3R report); a finished lower floor or added suite missing from that record is a pricing question, not just paperwork.
Some owners prefer a quiet sale. Ask Diamond Real Estate Group which permitted private-marketing options fit your property, goals and the applicable MLS rules. Availability of any particular listing is not guaranteed. Related reading: how we find off-market deals. See our San Francisco luxury homes page for how we market at this level.
Forest Knolls real estate: questions people ask
Where can I see Forest Knolls homes for sale?
The listings at the top of this page show current Forest Knolls, San Francisco homes for sale in MLS subdistrict 4D: houses, condominium units and, less often, apartment buildings.
Is this the Forest Knolls in Marin County?
No. This page covers the San Francisco neighborhood on Mount Sutro. Forest Knolls in Marin County is a separate community in the San Geronimo Valley; see our Forest Knolls, Marin guide.
Who handles permits in Forest Knolls, San Francisco?
San Francisco Planning reviews zoning and ADUs, and the Department of Building Inspection issues building permits and runs the slope protection review on the Northwest Mt. Sutro blocks.
Does Forest Knolls have a transfer tax?
Yes, San Francisco’s tiered transfer tax, charged at one rate on the whole price when the deed is recorded (sf.gov).
For a taxable transfer, the applicable tier’s rate is charged on each$500 or fractional part of the taxable consideration/value; exemptions and special rules can affect the result. Confirm the calculation with escrow.
The Local ADU eviction lookbacks have a specific exception for temporary capital-improvement evictions when the required declaration preserves the tenant’s right to reoccupy. Confirm the actual eviction history and chosen program with Planning.
Sources for this section
- City and County of San Francisco, Transfer tax: https://www.sf.gov/transfer-tax
- California State Board of Equalization, Publication 29: https://www.boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/pdf/pub29.pdf
- City and County of San Francisco, Learn about supplemental assessments: https://www.sf.gov/information–learn-about-supplemental-assessments
- SF Treasurer & Tax Collector, Parcel tax exemptions and special assessments: https://sftreasurer.org/property/parcel-tax-exemptions-and-special-assessments
- San Francisco Planning, Accessory dwelling units: https://sfplanning.org/accessory-dwelling-units
- California Government Code §66323 (via California Public Law): https://california.public.law/codes/government_code_section_66323
- Department of Building Inspection / City and County of San Francisco, Request a Report of Residential Building Record (3R): https://www.sf.gov/request3r
Sources & notes
- DataSF / SF Assessor-Recorder: Assessor Historical Secured Property Tax Rolls, 2025 closed roll (parcel counts by class, zoning codes, address listing with build years and unit counts for subdistrict 4D, and block-to-subdistrict check for the Northwest Mt. Sutro blocks; queried October 2026)
- San Francisco Planning: PlanningData map service (zoning, height and special use districts on Warren Drive; landslide and liquefaction polygon counts; queried October 2026)
- SF.gov / Department of Building Inspection: Comply with slope protection requirements for your building project
- SFMTA: 36 Teresita route page (streets, stops, hours and frequency)
- UCSF: Mount Sutro Open Space Reserve (acreage, 1953 purchase, trails, trees)
- Wikipedia: Forest Knolls, San Francisco (boundaries; background only)
Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
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