I’m sure many of you in Philadelphia have been to Frankford Hall, Barcadia or Fette Sau- all located up in Fishtown. The neighborhood is beginning to attract a young crowd looking to buy and renovate homes. Check out this awesome Reno from the neighborhood from Apartment Therapy. click the photo to check out the house!
Wanted to share this PDF I made for a friends company to include in their new-hire/ relocation packet! I love using technology to make finding an apartment efficient and easy- and Prudential’s phone/iPad app & Home Pilot make it easy to stay organized and view all the apartments on the market that fit your needs! To download my app click on the picture (or shoot me an e-mail with your phone #…much easier way to get my app- it looks completely different on a phone!), and to get set up on Home Pilot send me an e-mail with your budget, bedrooms, etc- samantha.brandolini@prufoxroach.com. You won’t have to pay any broker’s fee!
Curious what $2,000 will get you for an apartment in Philadelphia? Think exposed beams in Old City, a 3 bedroom town home on the edge of Northern Liberties, or a 2-3 bedroom in Fairmount! Click the photo for a brief roundup on Philly Curbed
Did you know that America’s oldest residential street, Elfreth’s Alley, is located in Philadelphia? This Saturday is the 2013 Elfreth’s Alley Fete Day. Purchase your ticket and step back in time with period characters who used to inhabit the street, and tour 12 of the homes- which are all still lived in today! I love historic houses (check out the Tenement Museum next time you are in NYC!!!!!!) so I can’t wait to check out these homes this weekend!
I often pass by huge gorgeous old brownstones in Philadelphia and wonder what it was like to live there when it was a single family home- not apartments, a museum, a library… etc that is today. I’ve walked by the Stotesbury Mansion on Rittenhouse, built in 1870 many times and wondered about its history. Did you know that it was a wedding present for Thomas McKean, a descendent of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence? In 1890, Mr. Edward T. Stotesbury purchased the home as an addition to his adjoining residence with the press calling it the largest and grandest townhouse in all of the East Coast.
Click the link for more history (including the squash court added on the 5th floor and entire Georgian ballroom imported from an English manor)!
Philadelphia Water works was in operation from 1812-1909, then became the Philadelphia Aquarium from 1911-1962, with a portion of the defunct Aquarium being converted by the Kelly Family (Grace Kelly’s family) to a 3 lane swimming pool which was used until 1972. It currently sits vacant and abandoned, but Bradley Maule of hiddencityphila.org has a kickstarter project to bring some new life into the space, while honoring its history. (http://festival.hiddencityphila.org/projects/9)
Click the photo to view more of the history and photos of the Kelly Natatorium
I love this ground floor hang-out room in my friends Bridget & Kate’s row home off Fitler Square in Philadelphia on Croskey Street. It has been deemed the ‘Margarita Room’ and is right off their enclosed patio/garden (pics of that later!). They pulled the blue/green/yellows from the beautiful tiles that border the built in bench seating and the working wood burning fire place. Above the mantle hangs a vintage birds eye view of Philadelphia.
If you or your friends need helping finding a rental in or out of the city, let me know how I can help!
Yesterday I posted this picture of an abandoned coffee shop on Rittenhouse Square (on the backside of the empty lot on the square) on my Instagram (sambrando). I randomly stumbled upon this article today (click the photo) about that coffee shop and The Warwick (built in 1885) next door. In 2003 the PPA bought the buildings, gave Warwick residents 30 days to move out, and then did nothing but let it deteriorate. Of course there were battles with preservationists, and now the Walnut Rittenhouse Associates owns the buildings, which they purchased in 2007 for $36.7 million. WRA currently owes approximately $360,000 in tax liens. Will they ever be restored…….?
Supposedly, the Divine Lorraine is set to be restored and renovated into condos and restaurants with construction starting sometime in the near (?) future by developer Eric Blumenfeld who purchased it this past October. It was the first racially integrated hotel in Philadelphia upon its takeover by Father Divine, who ran what today many of us would consider a cult. Click the photo to view shots of the inside taken in 2006 before the inside was completely pillaged by a developer.
If you’re thinking of moving, or just curious what the market is like where you live, definitely check out the new Prudential website. It’s super easy to do a quick search in whatever area you’d like and look at some pictures!
Sam Brandolini 