On the Market: Updated Beaux-Arts Condo on Rittenhouse Square

Classical elegance and modern sensibility get along very well with each other in this high-ceilinged condo at 1830 Rittenhouse Square #11C, Philadelphia, PA 19103 / Images via Laurie Phillips, BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors

The denizens of Society Hill may out-earn them now, but Rittenhouse Square residents still outclass their peers elsewhere in the city. The neighborhood surrounding Thomas Holme’s Southwest Public Square continues to set the standard for elegance and gracious urban living in Philadelphia.

It didn’t always look this way, however. In the 18th century, the square was a cross between a barnyard and a brickyard. The elegant townhouses for which the neighborhood is known didn’t begin to appear until the mid-19th century, and the oldest of the high-rise apartment towers that ring the square now dates to 1900.

1830 Rittenhouse Square

That would be the Beaux-Arts building at the corner of 19th Street and Rittenhouse Square which contains this updated Rittenhouse Square Beaux-Arts condo for sale. When it opened, it was known as the Wetherill Apartments; today, it’s a condominium that fuses Old World elegance and New World swagger.

Main living area

This sunny condo on the building’s 11th floor retains all of its turn-of-the-20th-century style and character. But, as the photos of the open main living area above should demonstrate, the makeover it got not too long ago also turned it into a totally modern residence.

Dining room

The open-plan living/dining room makes entertaining easy.

Kitchen

So does the placement of its totally up-to-date kitchen in one corner of the space. That allows its island to function as a bar for social gatherings. The kitchen itself boasts top-drawer appliances that include a professional-quality Viking gas range.

Two bedrooms lie beyond the living room. The one next to it has an unusual frosted-glass picture window in the wall that separates it from the living room.

Primary bathroom

The primary bedroom has a bay window with views that look out onto the square.

Primary bathroom

Its marble-lined bathroom is nicely outfitted with a soaking tub and a glass-enclosed shower with two shower heads and a handheld wand.

Large windows in all the rooms make this Rittenhouse Square Beaux-Arts condo for sale exceptionally sunny, especially in the afternoon when sunlight streams into its west-facing windows.

Fitness center

Besides European elegance, the building also has a fitness center and a 24-hour doorman. But the Square itself is the nicest amenity. It hums with life all day long. Some of the city’s finest restaurants ring it, and its toniest shopping street runs along the opposite side of the square from this building.

Comfortably sized and priced right, this modern condo in a historic building is perfect for anyone who wants to live in the middle of it all in style.

THE FINE PRINT

BEDS: 2

BATHS: 2

SQUARE FEET: 1,256

SALE PRICE: $1,075,000

OTHER STUFF: A $1,092 monthly condo fee covers building insurance and maintenance of the building and common facilities.

1830 Rittenhouse Square #11C, Philadelphia, PA 19103 [Laurie Phillips | BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors]