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Just Listed: Late Victorian Townhouse in Cedar Park

This nicely updated University City classic added modern amenities while preserving its original character. And it has a backyard to die for.


house for sale cedar park victorian townhouse exterior front

This trio of houses on South 49th Street in University City’s Cedar Park section includes a very well-maintained and very smartly updated one that’s as modern as it is traditional. It’s the one on the right: 505 S. 49th St., Philadelphia, PA 19143 | Bright MLS images via RE/MAX Action Realty

Sometimes, it takes a suburbanite to appreciate the virtues of a house in the city. The Horsham real estate agent who is marketing this renovated Cedar Park Victorian townhouse for sale asks all the right questions in her listing copy:

Have you been searching for that classic home that’s full of character? Is location important to you? Would you enjoy urban life without so much hustle-bustle? Can you imagine the fun of picking a fresh peach from your very own peach tree??

She had me at the peach tree. That’s a rare treat, and this handsome house has one in its backyard.

house for sale cedar park victorian townhouse rear patio

Rear patio

That backyard also has a very attractive brick patio next to the deck, which is off the kitchen. The patio is an especially green oasis.

house for sale cedar park victorian townhouse rear deck

Rear deck, replaced in the summer of 2021

But I’m putting the cart before the horse here, because the house attached to that backyard is a truly grand old dame whose owners have taken very good care of it over the roughly 10 years they have lived in it.

house for sale cedar park victorian townhouse living room

Living room

For starters, they knew enough to preserve and protect the many leaded-glass windows on its main floor. These windows give the main floor an extra dash of pizzazz.

house for sale cedar park victorian townhouse dining room

Dining room

Their more contemporary tastes come forth in the light color palette they chose for the walls, detailing and most of the trim. The bright colors make the main floor feel airy and even more spacious than it is.

And note how well they redid the trim.

house for sale cedar park victorian townhouse kitchen

Kitchen

Not to mention the kitchen, which got a total makeover that brought this late-19th-century house into the 21st. But along with the granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, white traditional cabinetry and large island, you will also find the original kitchen’s built-in pantry. The stairs the servants used make it easy for you to come down from the bedrooms for a late-night refrigerator raid.

family room (primary bedroom)

Family room (primary bedroom)

The primary bedroom on the second floor currently serves as a family room.

bedroom

Bedroom

Three other bedrooms and a hall bath share the floor with it. The third floor contains two more bedrooms and another hall bath, and under the dormer roof on the top floor is a large carpeted sixth bedroom. (The first and second floor have oak floors, and the third floor uses pine.)

basement rec room

Basement rec room

The agent points out that this simple yet elegant design works well with either modern or traditional furniture, which the photos also make clear. But it’s the things you can’t see that make this old house truly modern. These include a whole-house Pelican water-filtration system, new electrical wiring, a roof installed in 2017 and still under warranty, and improvements to the steam heating and plumbing systems.

And, above all, wiring the house for high-tech with Ethernet connections on every floor, hooked up to available Verizon FIOS gigabit Internet service.

And you couldn’t ask for a better location. This Cedar Park Victorian townhouse for sale is just four blocks north of the intersection of 49th Street and Baltimore Avenue, right smack in the middle of the Cedar Park restaurant row and shopping district. Here you will find a slew of great restaurants that include Dahlak, Booker’s, Loco Pez, Gojjo, Gold Standard Cafe and Dock Street Brewery. Augmenting the dining scene are the Mariposa Food Co-op and many quirky, funky, unique and very local boutiques.

And you can catch the Route 13 trolley to get to your job at Penn, or Drexel, or destinations in Center City. The Route 52 bus on 52nd Street, two blocks west, takes you to the Market-Frankford Line; you can catch it at Larchwood Avenue, next to Malcolm X Park.

So if you love grand old houses but want modern conveniences; if you want to live in a funky, tranquil and integrated neighborhood in West Philly; and if you want to live close to great dining and eclectic shopping, then, as the agent says, “love is in the air” all around this very special house.

THE FINE PRINT

BEDS: 6

BATHS: 2 full, 1 half

SQUARE FEET: 3,000

SALE PRICE: $675,000

OTHER STUFF: This house offers off-street parking in the form of a common driveway behind its backyard. If you don’t have a car, it can also serve as a play space. This listing is so new that it has yet to appear on the brokerage’s website (either that or some technical glitch is preventing remax.com’s MLS scraper from picking it up).

505 S. 49th St., Philadelphia, PA 19143 [Carol M. Cei | RE/MAX Action Realty via Zillow]