SROs don't have to use communal bathrooms. A family member lives in what's classified as an SRO, but in the ritzy Cow Hollow neighborhood. It's a tiny unit but has its own bathroom, including shower, and a very tiny kitchenette (sink, no stove). It's probably smaller than most of the more modern SRO'ish units that have recently been built around SOMA, even though some of those rely on communal spaces.
Other than the size of the units, it's a typical apartment building--office workers, teachers, retail workers, and even a dentist with a house in Marin who keeps a unit so he doesn't have to commute during weekdays. It was probably built in the 1940s or 1950s, before zoning laws stopped construction of such buildings.
Other than the size of the units, it's a typical apartment building--office workers, teachers, retail workers, and even a dentist with a house in Marin who keeps a unit so he doesn't have to commute during weekdays. It was probably built in the 1940s or 1950s, before zoning laws stopped construction of such buildings.