On the Market: Industrial Loft Condo in Fishtown
This unit in the Old World Warehouse didn’t require much work to turn it into an apartment. In fact, the developers even left some of the original industrial equipment in place.
The industrial loft aesthetic gets reduced to its essentials in this large, open condo at 1100 Shackamaxon Ave. #2F, Philadelphia, PA 19123 | Bright MLS images via Space & Company
Fishtown’s Old World Warehouse — built in the 19th century to house an elevator manufacturer — is one of the most distinctive industrial loft condo conversions in Philadelphia, as should be evident to anyone who has checked out the previous units for sale that have been featured on this website.
What makes this Fishtown industrial loft condo for sale on the west end of the building’s second floor distinctive is how unremarkable it is. The owner of this unit, perhaps inspired by its simple form and layout, opted to keep things simple when furnishing and decorating it.
Wildey Street elevation; this condo is located on the Shackamaxon Street side of the building
In form, this condo is simply a large L-shaped box. It got split in two with the insertion of a small cube containing the bathroom, laundry and mechanicals just above the corner of the L. Thus, the only thing that guides you in determining where to put stuff is the presence of the kitchen on one side of the cube.
Bedroom, view from unit entrance
Because that kitchen is on the side of the cube away from the entrance to this condo, however, that means that the first thing your guests will see when they arrive is the bedroom.
Bedroom
They will probably also notice the original woodworking pulley assembly hanging from its ceiling and the glass-block windows that let light in. You will probably notice that the room has plenty of space for more than your bed. One of the things you will want to fill that space with is an armoire or two, because this unit lacks a closet. Another thing you could put here is a desk for working from home.
Bathroom
The bathroom is located in the cube, off the bedroom. Its recent renovation gave it a double vanity and a large shower with a bench and a hand-held wand in addition to a regular shower head.
Follow the exposed brick wall past the cube to enter the open main living area.
Living room
Outside the windows at the living room end you will find a Juliet balcony whose railing screams for hanging planter boxes from it, as the owner of the unit above this one has done.
Kitchen and dining area
Were this space not a single open rectangle, we might call the modern, up-to-date kitchen “eat-in” because it wraps around the dining table. (And you know where the dining table is supposed to go because of the industrial-style chandelier hanging from the ceiling.)
Ceiling fans in both spaces help the climate control system work more efficiently, and the lower halves of the living-room windows open to allow both fresh air in and you to go out onto the Juliet balcony to tend to your planters. (You are going to hang planters from the railing, aren’t you?)
And the Old World Warehouse is located roughly midway between the Delaware riverfront at one end of Shackamaxon Street and Frankford Avenue at the other. That means you can easily walk to Penn Treaty Park, Rivers Casino, the Fillmore Philadelphia and the other restaurants, bars and entertainment spots along Canal Street and the Frankford Avenue dining and shopping strip. The Route 15 trolley/bus and the Market-Frankford Line are also a short walk away, making this an ideal spot for car-free living.
So besides convenience, what you will get with this Fishtown industrial loft condo for sale is a blank canvas on which to project your own personality. Whether you like simplicity or love to fill your space with things, this condo can handle it.
THE FINE PRINT
BEDS: 1
BATHS: 1
SQUARE FEET: 1,401
SALE PRICE: $409,900
OTHER STUFF: A $393 monthly condo fee covers building and common area maintenance and insurance, water and sewer service, snow and trash removal and the building’s alarm system. This condo’s sale price has been reduced twice, most recently by $10,000 on Oct. 7th.
1100 Shackamaxon St. #2F, Philadelphia, PA 19123 [Jackie Dabrowski | Space & Company]
