Facebook Australia's ex-head of operations is selling his San Francisco home that sits on a beloved off-beaten path in the city. Take a look inside the $4 million house.

Katie CanalesFeb 15, 2020, 01:02 IST

A four-story home on San Francisco's Macondray Lane is for sale for $4 million.
Its owner is Facebook Australia's former head of operations, Paul Borrud, who left the company in 2012 but remained in Sydney.
Macondray Lane is one of the most romanticized parts of the city, having been fictionalized in Armistead Maupin's book series "Tales of the City."
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Nestled in San Francisco's Russian Hill neighborhood is a pedestrian street surrounded by foliage and homes called Macondray Lane.

It's an idyllic part of the city that was fictionalized as "Barbary Lane" in a series of books set in San Francisco and penned by author Armistead Maupin starting in 1978. It was made into a TV show in the 1990s that starred Laura Linney and Olympia Dukakis, and Netflix rebooted it last year.

Macondray Lane, or "Barbary Lane," has come to represent San Francisco in its most romanticized form, what newcomers envision the city to be when they first arrive.

The lane and the alcove it forms were added to the city's National Register of Historic Places in 1988 as the Russian Hill-Macondray Lane District. It's a bit of a rarity to snag a home along the strip - there are only a few.

But the one at 36 Macondray Lane is for sale for $4 million. And its owner once helmed one of the biggest companies in the tech hub region - and the world.

Here's what it's like inside Facebook Australia's former head Paul Borrud's idyllic San Francisco home.

See Facebook Australia's ex-head of operations is selling his San Francisco home that sits on a beloved off-beaten path in the city. Take a look inside the $4 million house. >>

Paul Borrud is the former head honcho of Facebook's operations in Australia and New Zealand.

He was one of Facebook's earliest hires at the now-behemoth social media company. He set up shop in Australia in 2009 to run Facebook's operations, but in 2012, he quit Facebook and opted to remain in the country.

Despite his decision to stay in Australia, Borrud turned to San Francisco's Macondray Lane for a place in the city in 2013.

Source: SF Gate

The idyllic pathway runs east to west between Taylor and Leavenworth Streets.

He scooped up this four-story home in 2013 for $2.8 million.

Source: Redfin and SF Gate

The exterior is wooden, and sits just off the pathway.

The home features four bedrooms and three bathrooms.

Source: Compass

There are 3,373 square feet of living space.

Source: Compass

It was built in 1900 and saw a major remodel in 2013, according to Zillow.

Source: Zillow

There's the main floor where an open concept layout holds a dining room and high ceilings.

The kitchen is on this level as well. It's a "chef's kitchen" with bar seating and high-end appliances.

There's a living room, where stunning views overlooking the bay to the north are afforded.

The home comes with two outdoor terraces.

The views from them are stunning.

Borrud didn't buy the home back in 2013 for its ties to "Tales of the City," according to SF Gate.

Source: SF Gate

He was enamored with the views, with the Bay Bridge, Coit Tower, and Alcatraz all in the distance to admire.

Source: SF Gate

A spiral staircase leads upstairs.

There's a den just off the stairs of the upper level.

And then there's a solarium-style living room just off the stairwell that has pane after pane of glass letting in natural light.

Source: Compass

A sweeping view of the bay is also visible from here.

Down on the lower floor is a space for laundry and storage.

Source: SF Gate

As much as Borrud loves the home, he doesn't get to use it often since he lives in Sydney, Australia.

Source: SF Gate

"I love everything about the property and hate to see it go," he told SF Gate.

Source: SF Gate

There isn't a garage with the property, but a 12-month lease for neighborhood parking comes with the sale.

Source: SF Gate

The listing is a far cry from Borrud's Australian property, which hosts a massive bash he throws each year, complete with a 100-meter water slide.

Source: Daily Mail

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Facebook Australia's ex-head of operations is selling his San Francisco home that sits on a beloved off-beaten path in the city. Take a look inside the $4 million house.

Paul Borrud is the former head honcho of Facebook's operations in Australia and New Zealand.

Despite his decision to stay in Australia, Borrud turned to San Francisco's Macondray Lane for a place in the city in 2013.

The idyllic pathway runs east to west between Taylor and Leavenworth Streets.

He scooped up this four-story home in 2013 for $2.8 million.

The exterior is wooden, and sits just off the pathway.

The home features four bedrooms and three bathrooms.

There are 3,373 square feet of living space.

It was built in 1900 and saw a major remodel in 2013, according to Zillow.

There's the main floor where an open concept layout holds a dining room and high ceilings.

The kitchen is on this level as well. It's a "chef's kitchen" with bar seating and high-end appliances.

There's a living room, where stunning views overlooking the bay to the north are afforded.

The home comes with two outdoor terraces.

The views from them are stunning.

Borrud didn't buy the home back in 2013 for its ties to "Tales of the City," according to SF Gate.

He was enamored with the views, with the Bay Bridge, Coit Tower, and Alcatraz all in the distance to admire.

A spiral staircase leads upstairs.

There's a den just off the stairs of the upper level.

And then there's a solarium-style living room just off the stairwell that has pane after pane of glass letting in natural light.

A sweeping view of the bay is also visible from here.

Down on the lower floor is a space for laundry and storage.

As much as Borrud loves the home, he doesn't get to use it often since he lives in Sydney, Australia.

"I love everything about the property and hate to see it go," he told SF Gate.

There isn't a garage with the property, but a 12-month lease for neighborhood parking comes with the sale.

The listing is a far cry from Borrud's Australian property, which hosts a massive bash he throws each year, complete with a 100-meter water slide.