At The Carson, They Put All the Best Things on Top

The developers of RTHe Carson decided that every one of its residents deserves to enjoy a fantastic city view. That’s why they put two roof decks and all of the amenities save one on the top floor. / Photography courtesy of Neff

Back when developers began to build apartment buildings for the middle and upper classes in the 1870s, they wanted a term that would distinguish them from the often-seedy tenement houses or the boarding houses many single men lived in.

The term they came up with was “French flat.” The idea was that these spiffier buildings offered the same kind of elegance found along the Parisian boulevards.

So perhaps it should be no accident that RREI LLC, the developer of the Carson, incorporated some lessons they learned in France into this building, their most recent to rise in Philadelphia.

The first of the slew of new mid-rise market-rate apartment buildings now rising along Spring Garden Street’s eastern reaches, the Carson in several respects resembles RREI’s other project along Spring Garden Street, the Dalian (whose front faces Pennsylvania Avenue and the Ben Franklin Parkway).

And that’s where Paris comes in.

“My father started the company over 50 years ago,” says Victor Rodin, RREI’s principal and co-founder. “We’ve done projects as a sponsor everywhere from here” — where RREI is headquartered — ”to Western Europe, and everywhere in between.

“I joined the company around 2011. One of the last projects we did in Europe was a mixed-use development in France, specifically Paris. We bought that expertise back here and built — it’s called Rodin Square/The Dalian.”

(And here I thought that project was named for the Rodin Museum just to its southeast. Maybe Victor and Auguste are related?)

In building the Carson, RREI wanted to provide the same level of style, class and luxury as those “French flats,” but in a way that appeals to modern sensibilities.

That meant stylish modern design in the public and community spaces, a heaping helping of technology, and some unique amenities.

“There has been a focus on increasing the services at the building,” Rodin says of property manager Cushman & Wakefield. “They bought in a bunch of different technologies which are really nice” for the tenants, Rodin says. And they also gave the staff who work the 24-hour concierge desk an upgrade — “more of a white-glove approach.”

The building entrance (left) and lobby (right)

As one might find at a five-star hotel. And Rodin points out that The Carson’s high-ceilinged lobby resembles what one might find in such a hotel. Works by local artists grace its Duchateau wood walls. The high ceilings, by the way, were actually a necessity because of the clearances needed to accommodate a supermarket. The Carson building will have one, but RREI is still in negotiations with an operator and cannot publicly announce who will run the store yet.

But those high ceilings also allowed RREI to add another unique amenity on the ground floor: A basketball half-court.

Basketball/pickleball court

The court is also striped for pickleball, putting the Carson at the forefront of a sports trend that’s sweeping the country. The Carson has one of the few indoor pickleball courts in the area. An arcade game room sits outside the basketball/pickleball court.

All the 12-story-high building’s other amenities are found on the top floor.

Rodin explains the bifurcated amenities thusly: The typical modern apartment complex looks like a square donut when viewed from above. It has a courtyard in the middle that contains the outdoor amenities, and the indoor ones surround the courtyard or are located on one side of it.

Instead, the Carson looks like a backwards C sitting atop a one-story podium. And the design put the basketball court where the courtyard would usually go.

“A lot of developers would have made [the first floor] their sole amenity [floor] and put some penthouse apartments on the top floor. We wanted the tenants to be able to appreciate the views whether they were on the second floor or the 11th floor, and so the whole 12th floor is amenities.”

Clubhouse and bar

Clubhouse game room

Fitness center

On that 12th floor you will find a clubhouse and bar, the fitness center, a game room, co-working facilities and a dog spa on the inside. Tenants can also bring video-game controllers with them and set them up on one of two big-screen TVs in a video gaming room, another amenity unique to this building.

East terrace pool

Skyline view from east terrace

The outside boasts two rooftop terraces. The larger one, on the southeast side of the 12th floor, offers views of the Delaware to the east and features a pergola with speakers that can be closed off for use in inclement weather. It also has two fire pits, an outdoor kitchen, a lawn with a cornhole game and a pool with a fountain at one end. The smaller, west-facing terrace contains a second outdoor kitchen, dining areas, a dog run with a water station and great sunset views.

“You might note that our fixtures, furnishings and equipment are kind of funky and cool,” Rodin says. Project architect BLTa worked with the duo behind Fearless Restaurants, Marty Grimms and his daughter Sydney, to come up with the look for the building’s amenity spaces.

Living room in a model corner unit

Large windows that stretch almost the entire height of the rooms fill the apartments with light.  Units on the building’s south side also get great views of the Center City skyline. Those on the north side get a clear view of the city to the north, punctuated by Temple University’s high-rises.

Living room in a model one-bedroom unit

Kitchen in a model one-bedroom unit

Bedroom in a model one-bedroom unit

The units have ample closet space as well — and “no dead space,” says Rodin.

Finally, the Carson is located right at the gateway to a great neighborhood. “In Northern Liberties, you have everything you could possibly want,” he says. “And it’s lively, and there’s a really strong community here.”

The Carson is also designed to foster one within its walls. It may look like it’s a luxury hotel, but to its tenants, it feels like home. The building, which opened its doors in May, is about halfway through lease-up.

The Carson By the Numbers

Address: 570 N. 5th St., Philadelphia, PA 19123

Number of units: 373 studio, one- and two-bedroom units. Some of the one-bedroom units have dens. Studios range in size from 420 to 632 square feet; one-bedrooms, from 685 to 715 square feet; one-bedrooms with dens, from 718 to 995 square feet; two-bedrooms, from 1,040 to 1,130 square feet.

Number of parking spaces: 86, in an underground garage, plus five surface parking spaces for guests

Number of bike parking spaces: 180, plus an on-site Indego bike share station

Pet policy: Pets welcome, up to two per unit; pet rent is $40 per month per pet. Breed restrictions apply for dogs; contact leasing office for details.

Rents: Studios, $1,630 to $2,150 per month; one-bedrooms, $2,160 to $3,075 per month; one-bedrooms with dens, $2,540 to $3,680 per month; two-bedrooms, $3,270 to $4,295 per month.

More information: The Carson website; leasing office on site; 267-417-7180