On the Market: Modern Condo in Callowhill
Don't let the traditional trimmings fool you — this light-filled condo has a totally modern soul.
This six-year-old condo building hearkens back to the days when even modest apartment buildings looked substantial. But behind that Craftsman-inspired facade you’ll find totally modern spaces for living like 1241 Callowhill St. #1A, Philadelphia, Pa. 19123 | Bright MLS images via Coldwell Banker Preferred
They don’t build ’em like they used to.
“Indeed they don’t,” most people respond. But they don’t necessarily mean the same thing.
Where some will point to the lightweight appearance, flimsy materials and elevation of sizzle over substance that characterizes much new construction these days as evidence that they build ’em worse than they used to, others will call out high-tech smart-home control systems, energy-saving climate control, better insulation, improved kitchen appliances and many other things not necessarily visible to the naked eye as proof that they build ’em better than they used to.
I can’t say for sure whether the quality of construction of this condominium building near the north edge of Callowhill is better or worse than in days gone by, but this building is definitely built to look like they used to.
Given how unremarkable much of our modern domestic architecture looks, I’d consider channeling the past the way the builders of this handsome structure did on the outside an improvement on the way we build nowadays, or at least an improvement in design.
Building foyer and unit entrance
Walk into the building’s entrance hallway and approach this first-floor unit’s door and you will see that they managed to sustain that classic early-20th-century style on the inside as well.
Living room
But walk inside this Callowhill modern condo for sale and that throwback vibe quickly dissipates. About the only thing inside this totally au courant condo that recalls the elegance of that earlier era is the Arts and Crafts-style mullions in the main living area’s huge picture window.
(And picture windows, for what it’s worth, are a modernist development.)
The main living area features that modern staple, the totally open plan. It’s a single space that can accommodate both your living-room furniture and a decent-sized dining table.
Kitchen
And its kitchen is totally open to the rest of the room, with bar seating for more casual dining and entertaining. Its Frigidaire appliances may not be smart, but they’re definitely up to date.
Patio
There is one other neotraditional design element in this unit: the metal grate in the arched window that separates your private patio from the sidewalk in front. In addition to this patio, you have use of a gated common courtyard in back of the building.
Primary bedroom
Otherwise, with only modest departures like the bathroom vanities, this condo has the clean lines of a modern apartment and the fittings to match.
Primary bathroom
Primary bathroom and laundry in closet
Another thing it has is a convenient location. Spring Garden station on the Broad Street Line is a block and a half away, two SEPTA bus routes pass within a block of this place, and you can walk to several good local restaurants and coffee shops, Community College of Philadelphia, Chinatown and the Reading Terminal Market. (Some of those restaurants have been sidelined by the COVID-19 lockdown, but many of them will be back once we’re all vaccinated — at least, I hope so.)
All this makes car-free living an option you can actually consider here. But if you don’t want to consider that option, this Callowhill modern condo for sale comes with a deeded parking space in the building’s basement garage. You can also store your bike there. An elevator takes you directly to your floor. Which is the first, but to keep prying eyes from looking through that picture window, the floor is elevated above street level. Just like they used to do, and still do with many new houses.
THE FINE PRINT
BEDS: 2
BATHS: 2
SQUARE FEET: 951
SALE PRICE: $399,000
OTHER STUFF: A $277 per month condo fee covers building and common area maintenance. Four years remain on its property tax abatement. This condo’s sale price was reduced by $16,000 on Nov. 16th.
1241 Buttonwood St. #1A, Philadelphia, Pa. 19123 [Ashley Lauren Farnschlader | Coldwell Banker Preferred]
