Hard Hat Tour: 1423 N. Myrtlewood Street

The three-story house under construction on the right is the shape of things to come on North Myrtlewood Street. | Photos: Sandy Smith

Most of the news you read on real estate and development sites like this one focuses on multi-unit projects that often take up the entire side of a block, or even a whole block.

That’s one way to effect the transformation of a community. But there’s another: One house here, another there, then another over there. Before you know it, builders working in this fashion can reshape an entire neighborhood, especially when their own projects encourage others to invest in the neighborhood as well by either building new or fixing up the homes they already own.

And so it was that we paid a visit to a single solitary brand-new house under construction on the 1400 block of North Myrtlewood Street in Brewerytown.

The block right now is snaggletoothed, to put it mildly. Vacant lots outnumber standing houses. But around the house being built on this block, one can spy other recently built homes as well as existing homes whose owners have spruced them up.

This all-new home just might spur other such efforts. It’s one of 12 homes developers Vincent  and Kimberly Viney are building on the 1300 and 1400 blocks of Myrtlewood through their company, V2 Properties.

This home is a neotraditional row home designed by architect Danilo Vicencio. The front windows have a touch of the Craftsman about them, though. On the day of our visit, the construction crew was idle, but the interior framing had been completed as the property was being prepared for an April completion date. In both size and features, they will stand out just a little from the existing homes around them, but they will be priced in the mid-$300,000 range, within reach of most middle-income and even some first-time buyers.

For that money, the buyer will get a very nicely outfitted home. The home will be wired for sound, with a five-speaker system in the living area and built-in speakers in the master bedroom and bathroom as well. There will be a wet bar with a beverage fridge in the third-floor master suite, just under the stairs leading to the roof deck, which will also be wired for sound with built-in speakers. The basement will be fully finished with a tile floor. The kitchen will be equipped with stainless steel appliances and under-cabinet lighting, and the home will also have a pre-wired alarm system.

The photos below show the home ready to receive its final fittings: wiring, drywall, stairs, and all the rest. The contractors have indicated where everything should go. That should make things simple for the crew when it comes back to prepare the home for its projected completion next month.

1423 Myrtlewood Street, Framed and Suitable for Hanging (Drywall)

The 1400 block of North Myrtlewood Street. 1423 is the home sticking up above the others on the right.

1423 and 1425 North Myrtlewood.

Cladding still needs to be applied to the front bay and side party wall.

This closeup of the front entrance shows the Arts and Crafts-style windows.

The main floor will have an open plan, as is standard for just about every modern home regardless of style.

The stairs leading to the upper and lower floors are temporary construction stairs.

The permanent stairs have been delivered and were awaiting installation.

A view towards the living area on the main floor.

The kitchen will feature a large central sliding glass door leading to the backyard. The door will allow more light into the kitchen.

The back yard is still in a state of disarray, naturally. Grading and planting remain a ways off.

The contractors have labeled the next steps in the process throughout the home.

The future laundry room on the second floor.

The view from the second-floor rear bedroom windows.

Ductwork for the climate control system.

Plumbing and exhaust fan ductwork for the second-floor hall bathroom...

...which is located next to the laundry room.

The view from the second-floor front windows.

Ductwork and a vent in the second-floor front bedroom, next to the closet.

The rear wall of the front bedroom and the stairs to the third floor.

The temporary stairs to the third floor.

The bedroom in the third-floor master suite.

The master bedroom's dual closets.

The master bedroom will have tray ceilings with ambience rope lighting installed in the recess.

There will be a recessed alcove shelf in the master bedroom...

...and a wet bar under the stairs leading to the roof deck.

This view shows the contractor's markings for placement of the alcove.

The master bathroom and the stairs to the roof deck.

The master bathroom.

Duct work, exhaust fan ductwork, shower framing and plumbing in the master bathroom.

The roof deck pilot house.

The view to the west from the roof deck.

The view to the south from the roof deck.

The three-story building in this view is another one of the townhouses V2 is building on the 1300 and 1400 blocks of Myrtlewood.

The basement mechanical closet, where the climate control system will be installed.

The rear light well in the basement bonus room.

The basement will be divided into multiple rooms for activities and storage.

The French drain in the basement.

The basement bathroom with contractors' marks.

The basement rec room.

This home is not yet on the market, but another home in this scattered-site development is. 1325 N. Myrtlewood, visible in the view to the south from the roof deck of this home (above), is complete and ready to tour:

1325 N. Myrtlewood St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19121 [Elan Elkaim Group | Philly Living Team | Keller Williams Realty – Center City]

(Elkaim is the agent marketing all the homes in this development. “Property” editor Sandy Smith edited the Philly Living Blog before becoming Home and Real Estate Editor.)

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