Just Listed: Modern Rowhouse in Roxborough
This svelte looker is a standout on its mixed residential-industrial block. Or it would be if it weren't set back from the sidewalk.
439 Krams Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19128-3302 | Bright MLS images via Houwzer
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: Someone buys a narrow vacant lot on a street in one of those hilly Northwest Philly neighborhoods and then builds a house on it.
That alone is enough to make the house stand out, as this nine-foot-wide Manayunk rowhouse we featured last fall does.
This house for sale stands out for a different reason: It’s a striking modern rowhouse that got shoehorned in between a row of garden-variety 1920s houses and a roofing contractor nine years ago.
And its builder must have gotten the heebie-jeebies about standing out like this, for the house is set back far enough from the street that you can park your car in front of it.
It also has one other unusual feature: It puts its best foot backward, aside from that cool facade.
Living room, view to kitchen
When you enter a typical Philly rowhouse, the first room you see is the living room. If the house has an open-plan main floor, you will also usually notice a bunch of darker wood and a counter at the back. That’s the kitchen.
Kitchen, view to rear
Here, you’re greeted by the kitchen the moment you walk in. This feature will make interacting with your guests when they arrive for your dinner party incredibly easy.
Dining and living rooms
And if it’s summer and you’re dining outdoors, you can just throw open the French doors at the back, behind the living room, and make it an indoor-outdoor affair where your guests can flow easily between the living room and backyard.
Master bedroom
Master bathroom
Upstairs, you will find three bedrooms, a home office and two bathrooms. The one in the top-floor master suite has a separate tub and a shower with rain head and body sprays. It also has a full tile wall and striking modern dual vanities.
Second-floor bathroom
The second-floor hall bath has both of those last two items as well. Whoever built this house apparently has lots of experience fitting things into small spaces, for those two face basins and their mirrors occupy about half the space a typical dual-vanity setup would.
Both of the rear bedrooms, by the way, have private balconies overlooking the backyard.
Roof deck
Up above, there’s a full roof deck with nice views. Down below, there’s a full finished basement and a half bath.
If you have to drive to work, this location is very convenient: the Schuylkill Expressway’s Green Lane/Belmont Avenue interchange is just down the hill from here. The Ridge Avenue shopping district is just a block away, and you’re close enough to Manayunk’s adult playground and Regional Rail station that you can take advantage of both as often as you like.
How utterly efficient.
THE FINE PRINT
BEDS: 3
BATHS: 2 full, 1 half
SQUARE FEET: 2,200
SALE PRICE: $365,000
439 Krams Ave., Philadelphia, Pa. 19128-3302 [Houwzer]
