Haver-designed apartments

[RJSchex]

In 1960, a couple of apartment buildings designed by Ralph Haver were built at Mayflower Village (now Paradise Palms), located at 1517 E Colter.

Though not designed by Haver, the apartments across the street display some striking MCM architecture. Originally called Driftwood (later Chateau, and now part of Paradise Palms) the 64 units on the north side of Colter have a giant room-height window (with Arcadia door) facing the center courtyard. Also, Driftwood is notable for being the first apartment complex in the US to feature split-level units.

[Tabletoo]

We lived there a few months while househunting! I loved the feel of the interior space but the complex-wide A/C was awful and I was wilting and unable to sleep in the heat. (Of course being a long time San Francisco resident did not help my heat adaptation!). We were on the south side of the street and as I recall there was a big double height great room with huge windows and you went up half a flight to the bedrooms. Above the bedrooms there was a big enclosed utility crawl space. Very large for an apartment. And we could walk to the 5 & Diner.

Luckily we found a place quickly and moved out in July. My husband still grouses occasionally that we could have found a better place if we had taken a little more time - he's probably right but we do like our neighborhood and places were selling fast then.