You Have One Last Chance to Check Out the Debut of “Philly Street Flippin'”

Rachel Street gets down to business exposing a brick wall in the initial episode of “Philly Street Flippin’.” | Photos: The Michael Group

The home and design channels are lousy with home-makeover shows that buff up suburban Colonials and ranchers and make them better than new.

Rachel Street’s show “Philly Street Flippin'” is the exception to this rule. And if you’re one of those urbanites looking for home improvement inspiration, this evening (Monday, May 22nd) is the last chance you will have to view its initial episode — and, Street hopes, convince the brass at DIY Network that there are lots more people like you and her out there.

“I think it’s exciting for people to see a flipping show that’s set in an urban area, and especially in a historic city like Philadelphia,” she said.

Street at work on a fireplace during production of the initial episode

Street originally studied music at Temple with an eye on a career as an opera singer, which she pursued for a while in opera houses all over Italy. “I earned enough to pay the bills, but not much more,” she said. So when, upon returning to the States, she discovered she could earn as much rehabbing just one run-down rowhouse as she could singing for an entire year, she decided to go into the house-flipping business full-time by starting her own construction company, Hestia Construction, LLC. Her father, himself a real estate industry veteran, gave her business the initial push it needed to get off the ground, but she also brought to the table her own knowledge of the business as an agent for Space & Company and a mortgage broker.

“One of the things I try to do with my renovations is honor the original Philadelphia architecture and combine the traditional elements in those homes with modern items to bring them back to life,” the South Philly native said. The home being renovated in the pilot is in her home neighborhood.

The show also presents the city in a positive light, she continued: “We haven’t been shown on a lot of TV shows in a positive way.”

That’s also definitely on the schedule for tonight’s airing of the initial episode for the third and final time at 6 p.m. If you like what you see, let DIY Network know.

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