Philadelphia | $900,000
An 1890 Victorian rowhouse with five bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, on a 0.04-acre lot
Although the Northern Liberties neighborhood is just a 10-minute drive from Center City, the neighborhood wasn’t officially part of Philadelphia until the 1850s. For many years, it was a hub for producing beer and was home to the Christian Schmidt Brewing Company, the largest brewery in the city’s history. In the late 19th century, when this house and its neighbors were built, the area was a cross between a city neighborhood and a suburb, conveniently near downtown but less crowded, with ample space for new residential construction.
This house is a few blocks from Girard Avenue, one of the city’s main arteries and home to a lively mix of bars and restaurants. Poplar Park, which has a children’s playground, a swimming pool and tennis and basketball courts, is half a mile away.
Size: 3,020 square feet
Price per square foot: $298
Indoors: The front door at the top of the stoop swings open to an antechamber with a second door that opens to the foyer. To the left is a living room with hardwood floors, original crown molding and a decorative marble fireplace topped with a gilded mirror.
The hardwood floors continue into the dining room, which has whitewashed brick walls and another decorative fireplace. This space opens to an updated kitchen with a cream-colored Bertazzoni range and matching hood, two Sub-Zero refrigerators, custom-made cabinets and a center island. Beyond the kitchen is a breakfast area with botanical wallpaper and a built-in banquette facing a patio. Also on this side of the house is a powder room with a wood vanity.
From the foyer, an original wood staircase leads to the primary suite on the second floor. A walk-in closet connects the spacious bedroom to a bathroom with a claw-foot soaking tub, an exposed-brick wall and a vanity with a marble counter. Across the hall is a space used as a family room, with two street-facing windows and a pendant light.
The staircase continues to the third level, where there are three guest rooms. One is divided by a low wall painted to resemble a playhouse, with a desk nook behind it. The bedroom across the hall has a decorative fireplace that holds a chalkboard. The third bedroom is big enough to hold a twin-size bed or a crib. These bedrooms share a bathroom with a walk-in shower.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nytimes.com
