With brand new rooms sporting full kitchens, flat screen TVs and full city views, the Panoramic is a far cry from your average dorm. A day after moving in, returning pianist Michael Delfin ’16 still seemed slightly incredulous. “It’s an apartment. I didn’t expect that. It doesn’t feel like a dorm at all.”

The Panoramic offers students an affordable and convenient option in San Francisco’s competitive housing market. SFCM is leasing the top five floors of the 11-story building on the corner of Mission and Ninth Streets, three blocks from campus, adjacent to San Francisco’s Civic Center performing arts district and on the city’s main public transit artery. The building is the latest sign of the neighborhood’s revitalization, spurred by companies like Twitter and Dolby and now marked by a proliferation of grocery stores, restaurants and shops. Delfin, who commuted from San Bruno last year, says the location is hard to beat. “No matter what you need to do, a five-minute walk and you’re there.”

Some 130 SFCM students moved into the Panoramic this month. They join tenants from the California College of the Arts and individuals completing academic programs and internships at institutions such as the SanFrancisco Ballet. A roof garden, deck and lobby lounge will encourage a sense of community while practical amenities like soundproofing and study areas ensure domestic harmony.

But creature comforts aside, the Panoramic’s greatest appeal is most evident in its name. “The views are phenomenal,” says residential advisor and composer Collin Whitfield ’16. “On a really clear day you can see across the Bay. And then at night, too, it’s gorgeous. And having a rooftop where you can hang out with friends and have a party and grill, it’s really just a great luxury to have - for a college student let alone anyone else.”

For more information, visit sfcm.edu/the-panoramic.

Photos: Keith Baker Photography (top) and Shase Hernandez (bottom)