We lost out to both New York City and Washington DC, this time in the contest for the town with the highest earnings.  Here are the Top Ten, courtesy of CNN/Money, of the places with the highest median family incomes.

People, this is not good. Not only did High Tech lose out to High Finance and High Crimes and Misdemeanors, but there’s Highly-wood right behind us. Also this list is disturbingly full of Least Coasters.

Here’s what they thought of The Specialest Place of Them All (Not Including Mountain View, because for Pete’s Sake, Palo Alto may be Special but it does Not Have Google Anymore).

3. Palo Alto, CA          3 of 25

Population: 65,260
Median family income: $163,661
Median home price: $1,225,000

Nestled in California’s Silicon Valley, Palo Alto has attracted a pile of tech companies — and their CEOs. Not only does tech granddaddy HP have its headquarters here, but so do newbies like Pinterest and Ning. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg has a house in Palo Alto, as did Steve Jobs. Stanford University, which falls within its boundaries, adds to the city’s prestige.

Palo Alto nurtures startups and the money that results from their successes. Its residents reap the rewards. Area schools are exceptional, while the city has 35 parks and a Mediterranean climate that varies by only 20 degrees year-round.

See complete data and interactive map for Palo Alto

Did you know that Palo Alto’s climate was More Special than that of any of the surrounding Not As Special cities?  Perhaps Redwood City (Motto: Climate Best by Government Test) is going to have to come over and punch them out for getting airs.

Oh yeah, and Mark Zuckerberg is mostly hanging out in San Francisco these days.  Could he have picked up this little pied-a-terre?  Just kidding, that place was sold to a school, which is now awash in neighborhood NIMBY lawsuits.  But have a look at this SocketSite discussion and see if you can figure out where Mark bought.  Two possibilities: 366 Liberty or 376 Hill.

First, a trip to the way back machine:

September 19, 2008

How much does a garage cost in San Francisco these days?

CleanOffer
13 Lucky St
San Francisco, CA 94110
Price: $499,000

Followed by:

December 13, 2008

A letter from the owner of 13 Lucky St

It’s rare that Burbed gets email from the owner of a property that is publishable. Here’s one about a recent posting.

Glad you’ve all enjoyed commenting on our property. I’m sure things are slow and you’ll want to look busy, that is if you still have a desk at which to look busy.

However, 13 Lucky Street is far from a loser. And it’s large size qualifies it to be listed as a small warehouse.

13 Lucky is currently listed at $399K. It is variance-approved for one, SFH occupying the entire footprint of the existing building. It is not currently a SFH.

I have recently spoke with a builder who estimated a cost of $130-$170/sq foot to build, so at approx 2000 sq ft, you’d be closer to, say, $700K total for a BRAND NEW, custom built residence. the city has approved the building mass and we are moving ahead with plans for construction.

Owner financing is available as well.

Please contact me for any further enlightenment at davee (at) got (dot) net

Thanks!

Well, thanks to Burbed reader Brian, it appears the Bay Area’s best address is back! And available for a small discount!

$289,000

13 Lucky San Francisco, CA 94110

Now this is smart marketing! It appears they’ve decided to move away from selling the “Own a gritty part of San Francisco, like a garage with no bedrooms or bathrooms” (ugh, how dated) to a “Sell the dream!” strategy.

Genius!

So… is this your dream? That sketch looks pretty cool! And, just think of the hot address you’ll have!

601 Dolores St, San Francisco, CA 94110 | MLS# 352172
601 Dolores St San Francisco, CA 94110
Price: $9,950,000

Beds: 3
Baths: 2.5
Sq. Ft.: 17,000
$/Sq. Ft.: $585
Lot Size: -
Property Type: Single-Family Home
Style: Traditional
Year Built: 1910
View: Panoramic, City Lights, Bay Bridge, Downtown, Garden/Greenbelt
Region: San Francisco District 5 (Central)
Area: Mission Dolores
County: San Francisco
MLS#: 352172
Source: San Francisco MLS
Status: Active
On Redfin: 61 days
This stunning Gothic Former Church is now one of the most extraordinary & largest homes in SF. A one-of-a-kind property featuring an enormous lvng area/sanctuary w/ soaring ceilngs, arched wndws framing The Park, original stned glass wndws, custom mahogany finishes, 2 wdbrng & 2 gas frpls, a new chef’s KIT & a spacious DR. The Master BR w/ marble Roman BA, dressing rm & 360 vws from the tower’s meditation rm & deck. Huge grand floor lvl that could be gallery/gym/offce/rcrdng studio. 4-6 Garage.

Thanks to Burbed reader Paul for this find. And people say San Francisco houses are unaffordable. At $585 per square foot, this is an incredible steal!

Personally, I’m wondering where the 3 bedrooms go. I chose to feature this photo because this is probably where I’d put the master bedroom. Just think of how romantic this would be at night! Every night you could renew your marriage by walking down the aisle, up to the altar.

I know IPOs aren’t doing so hot right now, but I just know that when the next hot startup IPOs, this will be instantly snapped up. Can’t you imagine this property filled with Aeron chairs, bean bags, Razor scooters, and neon beer signs? I can. And I can’t wait!

Come on Silicon Valley – let’s snap this up now!