On the Market: Stately Updated Victorian in Fox Chase
This house comes equipped with all the charm you'd expect to find in an 1890s Victorian. It also comes with all the amenities you'd expect to find in a mid-market 21st-century house for sale.
8128 Elberon Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19111 | Bright MLS images via Quinn & Wilson, Inc., Realtors
“Fox Chase” sounds like an exclusive neighborhood, doesn’t it? Doesn’t that name conjure up images of grand estates, hounds, riding jackets and French horns?
Well, you’ll find none of those in the Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood of that name. You will find some very nice parks, a cute business district with several good restaurants and bars (we especially recommend the Hop Angel Brauhaus), and lots of middle-class charm.
But that doesn’t mean you won’t find elegance there. This house for sale proves that.
It’s a beautifully maintained and upgraded 1895 Victorian on a quiet residential street just up the block from Fox Chase Regional Rail station.
Living room and side parlor
As you should be able to see from these photos, its owners have preserved all of its original charm and woodwork while inserting thoughtful upgrades.
Dining room
Its main floor combines an open double parlor, currently used as a living room and a music room, with a formal dining room and an updated kitchen.
Kitchen
That kitchen has a beamed wood ceiling, a built-in breakfast bar, office area, tile countertops, a hardwood floor and lapboard wainscoting. It’s a stylish blend of old and new designed for the busy chef.
Master suite sitting room
Upstairs, two of the rooms and one bathroom have been combined into a masterwork of a master suite.
Master bedroom
It has a sitting room that could also serve as a nursery and a bathroom that combines classic (clawfoot tub) and contemporary (vessel-sink vanity and walk-in shower) style.
Master bathroom
The second floor has two more bedrooms, and you’ll find two more and a storage room on the third.
Rear deck
Laundry facilities and a powder room lie behind the kitchen, and behind those lie a spacious backyard, storage shed, and large redwood deck with arbor and fire pit.
Since this house is close to the train station, it’s also close to Fox Chase’s tranquil town center. Don’t let the tranquility fool you, though: it’s full of great places to eat and a specialty grocer or two.
This house is so simply elegant, you may want to buy a jacket to wear while entertaining guests. We’d recommend a smoking jacket over a hunting one, though.
THE FINE PRINT
BEDS: 5
BATHS: 2 full, 1 half
SQUARE FEET: 2,363
SALE PRICE: $339,900
8128 Elberon Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19111 [Lindsay Betz | Quinn & Wilson, Inc., Realtors]
