Philadelphia local news, sports, jobs, cars, homes

Author: Paul Jablow

  • House of the week: A historic house on a tree-lined street in Queen Village for $519,995

    House of the week: A historic house on a tree-lined street in Queen Village for $519,995

    Mark Worker said his two-bedroom, one-bathroom house in Queen Village has “so much character” and is “close to everything,” with “a true neighborhood feel.”

    Probably built in the late 1800s as part of a cluster of homes to house workers for an adjacent factory, it was augmented in the early 2000s by an extension in the rear.

    Worker, a software account manager, bought it in 2022 when he was single, but he soon married, and now he and his wife are moving to London for his work.

    The dining area.

    The house is 1,092 square feet and sits on a tree-lined street in the heart of Queen Village.

    It has hardwood floors throughout, all new windows, updated plumbing, a new HVAC system, and a new roof.

    The interior has been freshly painted and the bedroom windows let in abundant natural light.

    The primary bedroom. The windows let in abundant natural light.

    The primary bedroom is on the second floor. A second bedroom, on the third floor, was used as a nursery by previous occupants.

    “The third floor is really the best part of the house,” Worker said. It has an open floor plan and is being used as a living room and office, although Worker previously used it as a bedroom.

    The third floor is being used as the living room.

    The deck, just off the third-floor room, was carefully landscaped, with a picnic table and a variety of plants.

    The home has an unfinished basement for storage, and a dedicated outdoor space in the rear.

    The roof deck, which is landscaped with a picnic table and a variety of plants.

    Commuting is easy with ready access to public transportation, I-95, and other major highways.

    Adjacent landmarks include South Street and Head House Square.

    The house is listed by Jay Edwards of OCF Realty for $519,995.

  • House of the week: A custom-built four-bedroom house in Bucks County for $799,999

    House of the week: A custom-built four-bedroom house in Bucks County for $799,999

    Joann Spatola and her then-husband were living in a Horsham townhouse in 1990 when builder Nicholas Braccia came to them with a proposition.

    He knew of a vacant piece of land near the Chalfont pizzeria the couple owned that would be the perfect place for a contemporary home they could help design.

    “We’d only been married two years, and we wanted something of our own,” she said. So she and Braccia went over blueprints and basically designed the house together.

    The great room.

    She has spent 35 years in the four-bedroom, 3½-bathroom home.

    But she is single now, and her kids are grown, so she is ready to downsize to an over-55 community in North Wales.

    The house “has good bones,” she said. “They don’t make them like that any more.”

    The kitchen was redesigned five years ago.

    And she is particularly sad to lose the kitchen she helped design five years ago, with its quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances. “But it’s too much upkeep for me,” she said.

    The house has 2,671 square feet and is three stories, including the finished basement, which has been used as a home gym and includes a half bathroom.

    The dining area off the kitchen.

    The first floor has two bedrooms, a great room with a vaulted ceiling, the kitchen and dining room, and a full bathroom.

    The second floor has the primary bedroom and bathroom, with the main closet in the bathroom, as well as a double-bowl vanity and sunken bath tub. There is another bedroom and bathroom on this floor. And there is a walkout attic.

    The deck overlooks a large, landscaped yard with a gazebo.

    Dining room

    All mechanicals have been updated.

    The house is close to parks, schools, and shopping. It is in the Central Bucks West School District.

    It is listed by David Dupell of Coldwell Banker Realty for $799,999.

  • House of the Week: a Passyunk Square home with a famous neighbor for $455,000

    House of the Week: a Passyunk Square home with a famous neighbor for $455,000

    Rebecca Procopio was attracted to the walkability of the two-bedroom, 1½-bathroom home to the eateries, “the vibrant energy,” and other attractions of Passyunk Square.

    But after buying it in 2023, she took particular delight in the view from her front porch of the studio of renowned mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar.

    “I’ve always felt drawn to the unique,” said Procopio, referring to both to the neighborhood and the house. The home “felt a lot more open than the other homes I looked at.”

    Her fiancé, Tyler Griffiths, joined her there last year. But the couple is now headed for Chicago where she has a new job in her field of genetic counseling.

    Primary bedroom

    The house is 1,036 square feet and four stories, including the finished basement.

    The main floor is open concept, with hardwood floors in the living room, dining area, kitchen, and half bathroom. The living room also features an exposed brick wall.

    The kitchen has updated cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, and a marble countertop.

    Kitchen

    The two bedrooms have ample closet space and large windows, letting in plentiful natural light.

    The second bedroom has been serving as a combination guest room and home office.

    Guest bedroom/office

    The primary bathroom has a contemporary design, with ceramic tile and a large shower.

    The basement can be used as a family room, home office, or gym, in addition to storage space and a laundry area with a washer and dryer.

    Basement

    The property has a private outdoor space.

    Public transportation is easily accessible.

    The house is listed by Nancy Alperin of Maxwell Realty Co. for $455,000.

  • House of the week: A trinity down a red-brick path in Bella Vista for $319,000

    House of the week: A trinity down a red-brick path in Bella Vista for $319,000

    “We could walk everywhere,” said Kevin Diehn. “We’d even forget where we’d parked our car.”

    This was Diehn’s tribute to the rich offerings around the Bella Vista trinity he bought in 2012 with his wife, Ariel.

    But perhaps the most unusual is the path leading to their street, with mosaics by the legendary Isaiah Zagar. Diehn says it’s about 70 yards long.

    The outside of the home sits along a brick path.

    And “we loved the proximity to South Street,” he said.

    But now the Diehns — he works in the pharmaceutical industry and she’s a Pilates instructor — have moved to Maryland for work.

    From the 840-square-foot home, the Italian Market, South Street, Washington Square, Penn’s Landing, and Jefferson and Pennsylvania Hospitals are all easily accessible.

    The bathroom has a tub and a window.

    The two-bedroom, one-bathroom house is tied together by a spiral staircase that wraps around all four floors.

    The living room features exposed brick, wood floors, and a fireplace that could work if refurbished.

    The kitchen is in the basement and has an adjacent pantry, stainless steel appliances, a gas stove, a laundry area, and tile floor.

    The kitchen is in the basement.

    The winding stairs lead through French doors to the first bedroom and a bathroom with a tub/shower combination and glass enclosure.

    The primary bedroom is on the third floor with vaulted ceilings and two large windows. The upper floors have plentiful exposed brick.

    The house is in the Meredith School catchment area.

    It is listed by Pamela Rosser-Thistle of BHHS Fox & Roach at the Harper Rittenhouse Square for $319,000.

  • House of the week: A three-bedroom former architect’s home in Graduate Hospital for $795,000

    House of the week: A three-bedroom former architect’s home in Graduate Hospital for $795,000

    Nikka Landau and Peter Beaugard‘s townhome in the Graduate Hospital area serves three generations.

    They moved there to be closer to both sets of parents, and their kids like the accessibility of the YMCA across the street, and its pool.

    “It’s a great block,” Landau said, “lots of kids.”

    Kitchen

    Landau, who manages communications for a nonprofit, and Beaugard, who is in fashion marketing, aren’t moving far away, just a few houses closer to her parents. Both grew up in the Philadelphia area, and had been living in Connecticut for several years before moving to Graduate Hospital in 2022.

    The 1,830-square-foot, three-bedroom, 2½-bathroom house was built in 1920, and at some point was bought by two architects who redesigned it over a period of years.

    “There was a lot of sensitivity to the design,” Beaugard said.

    Backyard

    Entry is through a vestibule, which has space for coats and bags. The first floor is open concept, with a sunken living room with high ceilings and large south-facing windows with built-in shelving.

    The kitchen has quartz countertops, stone flooring, stainless steel appliances, a Wolf range, and a magnetic blackened steel wall. There is a private garden patio.

    The second floor has two bedrooms, a full bath with cast iron tub, and a den. The third floor has the primary suite, and the bathroom has a marble-top vanity and a tiled shower.

    Roof deck

    The roof deck has unobstructed skyline views.

    The house is in the Edwin M. Stanton School catchment area.

    It is listed by Kyle Miller of Compass Realty for $795,000.