On the Market: Bi-Level Penthouse Condo in Rittenhouse Square

High enough to offer great sunsets but not so high as to give you nosebleed, this bi-level condo in the 23 Condominium at 23 S. 23rd St. offers a truly elevated living experience in a most convenient location. / Photography by Paul McGlade, Better World Photography, via Compass and *Bright MLS

If you’ve followed my articles over the years, you should have picked up by now that I have a thing for sunsets. You may recall my waxing rhapsodic about one in my writeup of the Arthaus penthouse when Philly Mag previewed it last summer.

Well, I suspect that were I to live in this Rittenhouse Square bi-level penthouse condo for sale, I’d be inclined to do something along the lines of what I did when I lived in Watertown, minus the spliff.

Sunset view from main-floor balcony

And, for that matter, the view of the laundromat, for this nicely outfitted, move-in-ready condo offers a much better sunset view.

The listing for this property states it was built in 1900. That may be the case for the bottom six floors of the building containing it, but the top two floors were added to it when it got converted into the 23 Condominium in 2009.

Those top two floors consist of bi-level condos like this one, with huge windows facing north, west or south. And since this one sits at the building’s southwest corner, you get nice views in two directions. That also means you get lots of southern sun along with lovely sunsets all year round.

Main floor

The main floor consists of a large open space combining the living room, dining room and kitchen.

Living room and foyer; the staircase wraps around the powder room

Because of this, the main floor can both handle private relaxation with your family and entertain a crowd.

Dining room and wine rack

Built-in bookshelves on the living-room side and a built-in wine rack on the dining-room side flank the central fireplace.

Kitchen

The kitchen boasts Carrara marble countertops, cherry-wood cabinets and Viking stainless-steel appliances. Tom Dixon pendant lamps hang over its waterfall-counter-topped bar. The hood over the gas range vents to the outside, by the way.

You’ll also find a Tom Dixon pendant light hanging over the stairs to the upper floor.

Primary bedroom

And if the 11-foot-high ceilings on the main floor weren’t impressive enough, wait ’til you get a load of the 15-foot-high ones in the two bedrooms upstairs. The primary one, of course, occupies the southwest corner. You can open the doors to its two Juliet balconies to let fresh air in whenever you want. And when you want some shuteye, you can lower the blackout shades over the upper windows and close the curtains on the lower ones.

Primary bathroom*

It has a large walk-in closet, and its primary bath was just renovated. The makeover gave it a walnut dual vanity and storage cabinet imported from Italy. The vanity has a quartz countertop, and the porcelain-tile-lined shower and soaking tub feature Kohler fixtures.

Bedroom

The second bedroom, outfitted here as a den, has access to a hall bath.

Community patio*

In addition to your own balconies, you have access to a community patio overlooking the building atrium, located just across from the door to your unit.

Building atrium*

The atrium’s pretty nice, too.

As is the location. If you work in eastern University City, you can walk to your job at Drexel, Penn, HUP, CHOP or 30th Street Station from here. And from 30th Street, you can take the train to Philadelphia International Airport to head almost anywhere else.

Of course, this condo comes with a deeded garage parking space. But with three subway and train stations nearby, you can leave your car parked much of the time and let SEPTA take you where you want to go.

Many amenities and attractions surround you on this side of the river as well. You can walk from here to the Schuylkill River Trail as well as Rittenhouse Square itself. A Trader Joe’s sits a block to your east, next to the 22nd Street trolley station, and the Giant at Riverwalk is three blocks to your north.

Not only does that Giant supermarket have great selection and variety, it’s also an unusual place for a date night. You’ll also find plenty of great restaurants within walking distance if you’d rather go on a more conventional one.

And the best thing about this Rittenhouse Square bi-level penthouse condo for sale is: It comes with everything you see in these pictures. Just pack your clothes, linens, toiletries and housewares and move right in.

THE FINE PRINT

BEDS: 2

BATHS: 2 full, 1 half

SQUARE FEET: 2,584

SALE PRICE: $1,195,000

OTHER STUFF: A $1,389 monthly condo fee covers maintenance of the building and common areas, grounds maintenance and trash and snow removal. There is also an additional $110 per month fee whose purpose is not explained in the listing. Pets are welcome, up to two, with a 50-pound weight limit per pet.

23 S. 23rd St. #7H, Philadelphia, PA 19103 [Jocelyn Morris | Compass]