This charming University City 2 bedroom Garden Court condominium overlooks a gated, green & leafy courtyard featuring flower beds, fountains and koi ponds - a beautiful place to sit outside and enjoy a quiet moment on a perfect spring day. Inside, there’s a large living room with built-in floor to ceiling bookshelves, a renovated kitchen, and a really wonderful dining area with a bay of 5 windows featuring courtyard views through the trees. The washer & dryer closet is tucked into a cabinets which matches the kitchen, convenient but completely out of sight. A side hall leads to two very generous- sized bedrooms - one currently used as a home office with multiple work stations and still plenty of space. The sellers added a modern custom-made vanity to the classic bath. There are many closets in the 1190 sf unit, and the owners made electrical upgrades and chose their appliances for energy efficiency & reliable service. (Note that although the sellers preferred an electric stove, there’s a gas line behind it which would allow a new owner to have a gas stove instead if that’s their choice.) Nine of the windows in this unit have been replaced in the historic style appropriate for, and required by, the building.
The Garden Court complex was designed by West Philadelphia developer Clarence Siegel in the 1920s in the gracious “pre-war” style which includes oversized windows, classic woodwork and hardwood flooring. Its timeless bathrooms feature leaded glass windows, ceramic tile floors and Vitrolite glass walls. The Preservation Alliance now holds a façade easement on its historic exterior. When it was built, the complex was offered as a 6-story luxury apartment development for residents who didn’t want the hassle of taking care of a house. Converted to condos in 1994, it still fills that hassle-free housing spot today. Condo amenities include a glamorous indoor year-round swimming pool, exercise room, library, meeting room, indoor bike storage, and outdoor space with gardens, fountains and koi ponds in two gated courtyards. The location is just six blocks west of the University of Pennsylvania and close to public transportation, nearby restaurants and coffee shops.