On the Market: Expanded Rowhouse in Point Breeze

For his first foray into development, real estate agent Bobby Sethi took a faded rowhouse on a standout Point Breeze block and turned it into a standout of its own. You’ll find this house that’s loaded with outdoor space at 1723 Wharton St., Philadelphia, PA 19146 | Photos: Dan Robnett, Plush Images, via Bobby Sethi, OCF Realty, unless otherwise noted

The north side of the 1700 block of Wharton Street in Point Breeze stands out among South Philadelphia rowhouse blocks.

The reason why: The houses on it have front as well as back yards. And both yards have plenty of room for city rowhouse yards.

All that outdoor space, however, wasn’t enough for Bobby Sethi when the OCF Realty agent decided to get into the development game.  (He picked a good place to start a development career: Ori Feibush’s company is an old hand at the game, with dozens of single- and multi-unit projects under its belt or under construction. However, Sethi has formed his own development firm, Sethi & Company.)

For his first project, Sethi chose a two-story house in the middle of the row of eight units. This is what it looked like in 2019:

1723 Wharton St. in 2019 (center) | Google Street View image

And the photo at the top of this article shows you what it looks like now. Basically, he took that slightly faded two-story “workingman’s” row house and built an entirely new house around it.

Since this Point Breeze expanded rowhouse for sale is the first one on the block to get a third story added onto it, Sethi set its top floor back from the cornice line as the city zoning code requires.

Sun porch

Then he added an enclosed sun porch to its front. Those two moves enabled him to create a house with outdoor space on every floor, from the ground to the roof.

Main floor

And on the inside, he opened it up and made it totally modern, starting with the open main floor.

Living room

The main floor has the standard living/dining/kitchen arrangement. A 100-square-foot black granite accent wall with a gas fireplace adds an element of drama to the living room.

Dining room

Imported curlicue LED chandeliers add an element of whimsy to the dining room and kitchen.

Kitchen

The kitchen has a breakfast bar with a waterfall quartz countertop, modern cabinetry, a gray tile backsplash and a complete suite of stainless-steel appliances.

The mud room in back has a Spanish-style tile pattern on its floor and a half bath next to it.

Rear patio

And behind it lies a large rear patio — large enough to hold a party of 25 guests. You could also make it greener by adding climbing vines, planting beds and other elements that also help reduce stormwater runoff. (The city Water Department’s Rain Check program can help you pay for the improvements.)

Second-floor balcony

Each of the upper-floor balconies offer views of the surrounding blocks. And each can also accommodate 10 guests.

Second-floor front bedroom

The second floor contains three bedrooms and a hall bath with a marble-tile-lined tub/shower combo. The smaller middle bedroom could make a great home office or nursery.

Third-floor rear bedroom

The third floor has a large bedroom in the rear — but it’s not the primary bedroom.

Primary bedroom

That honor goes to the smaller bedroom in front.

Prrimary bathroom

It has a dry bar and a large bathroom with dual vanities and a walk-in shower.

Third-floor balcony

And, of course, a balcony. (It’s quite likely that, given that the front bedroom contains the only bathroom on the third floor, it has been staged here as a sitting room.)

Roof deck, view to north

Roof deck, view to south

On top of all this is a full-floor roof deck with great views in all directions. You can entertain a crowd of up to 40 here. Yes, Sethi designed this house for those who love entertaining.

Basement rec room

And there’s one more space where you could entertain, namely, the basement rec room. You could set this space up as a home theater, for instance. In the back you will find the laundry room.

Not only will you not lack for entertaining space here, you won’t lack for dining and neighborhood shopping choices around this Point Breeze expanded rowhouse for sale. Right across the street from here is Olivares Food Market, a neighborhood convenience store that gets good marks for the quality of its sandwiches.

Scattered around you are eateries ranging from the American Sardine Bar to Rosario’s Pizzeria to El Mezcal Cantina to PHARMACY: (coffee//gallery//music), a quirky local coffee shop featuring live music in a former drugstore.  (Another of Feibush’s businesses, OCF Coffee House, has an outpost nearby at 20th Street and Point Breeze Avenue.)

You can also cross Broad Street and head to East Passyunk Avenue and the Italian Market for even more shopping and dining options. And if you want a dose of city excitement, just hop on the Broad Street Line at Ellsworth-Federal station and head north; or head south to reach the Sports Complex.

Lots of room, loads of style, a convenient location and even a white picket fence around its front lawn. Not too shabby at all for a first effort, don’t you think?

THE FINE PRINT

BEDS: 5

BATHS: 2 full, 1 half

SQUARE FEET: 3,100

SALE PRICE: $649,900

OTHER STUFF: This house’s sale price has been reduced twice, most recently by $20,000 on June 16th.

1723 Wharton St., Philadelphia, PA 19146 [Bobby Sethi | OCF Realty via Zillow]