In 2020, Sophia Dahab and her husband, Paul Sensale, bought a house in South Philadelphia that made sense at the time. Their three-bedroom, one-bathroom home near 19th and Rittner suited their lifestyle. Six years later, however, they began to realize there were things on their wish list that South Philly could not provide.

“We wanted trees, parking, and more space,” said Sophia, curator of the Rare Book Department at the Central Parkway Library. Paul, a beer distributor who spends much of his time on the road, had also grown weary of one of South Philly’s most familiar challenges: finding a parking spot at the end of the day.

“I contacted Solo agent Becca Nichols Franqui, our friend and neighbor, whom I met through her running team,” said Sophia. “I knew exactly what I wanted, an older house with character.” She also knew where she wanted to look. “I have friends who live in Germantown and had considered a house there in the past,” she said. Another draw was the Wissahickon, where she often runs.

When Sophia and Paul saw an 1896 Edwardian twin on the 5000 block of Morris Street, it was love at first sight. “We also considered Fairmount, but Germantown offered more square footage for the price,” she said. “Now we have four bedrooms, two and a half baths, and our closet space went from two to seven.”

The home also came with off-street parking, a shaded front porch, and a backyard deck. “Eventually, we’ll create a flower bed in the front yard and reduce the size of the deck in the back so we can plant a fig tree,” said Sophia.

The house itself brought everything they had been missing, including a stately stone exterior, high ceilings, natural light, original hardwood floors, a parquet vestibule, a bay window in the living room, and a butler’s staircase off the dining room. After growing up in Nebraska, living in Brooklyn for ten years, and spending six years in South Philly, Sophia finally felt like she was home.

Meanwhile, Becca helped them sell their South Philly house quickly. “It was on the market for less than three weeks,” said Sophia. “We moved to Germantown at the end of January, just before those snowstorms hit.”

Now that they have settled in, Sophia, Paul, and their two cats are enjoying the extra space. “This house was well maintained and well loved. The previous owners had recently upgraded the kitchen and bathrooms,” she said. “They even left us their curtains so we can take our time replacing them.”

Their first project will be replacing the HVAC system. After that, Sophia is thinking about paint colors for the dining room. “I’m thinking a pale coral for the walls and bright yellow for the ceiling.”

The couple has already started to feel at home in their new neighborhood. “I commute to work via Wayne Junction, which offers convenient transportation options and is also home to Attic Brewing,” said Sophia. They have also discovered nearby favorites like Material Culture and Weavers Way Food Co-op at Morris and Chelten Avenue.

Neighborhood Spotlight: Germantown

Germantown is one of Philadelphia’s historic neighborhoods, dating back to William Penn’s 1683 land grants to German and Dutch settlers, which is how the area got its name. By the 1950s, Germantown was a strong middle-class neighborhood anchored by Quaker schools, churches, and a thriving commercial corridor along Chelten Avenue.

While many parts of Philadelphia experienced dramatic demographic shifts in the mid-20th century, Germantown’s Quaker community played a notable role in maintaining neighborhood stability and welcoming new residents. Today, the section west of Germantown Avenue continues to attract buyers for its architecture, tree-lined streets, and proximity to green space.

The neighborhood’s location next to the Wissahickon Valley and East Falls adds to its appeal, along with nearby institutions like Jefferson University’s East Falls campus, Drexel University’s Queen Lane campus, and William Penn Charter School.

Germantown’s architectural character is one of its defining features, with grand 18th- and 19th-century homes set among mature trees and gardens. Notable examples of Victorian and Gothic Revival architecture can be found throughout the Tulpehocken Station Historic District, along Schoolhouse Lane, and on Wayne Avenue.

Recent investment has also helped shape the neighborhood’s future, including the $30 million renovation of the SEPTA Wayne Junction Transportation Center, the adaptive reuse of the former C.A. Rowell Department Store into Vernon Lofts, and the expansion of Weavers Way Food Co-op, which has strengthened access to fresh, local groceries.

For Sophia and Paul, the move to Germantown was about more than gaining extra bedrooms or a place to park. It was about finding a home that matched the next chapter of their lives, one with historic character, outdoor space, and room to dream about future projects, like a backyard fig tree and a colorful dining room. After years in South Philly, they found what they were looking for in Germantown: a neighborhood where they could put down roots and make a historic house their own.

Ready to find your own next chapter? Read more New Digs stories, explore Philadelphia neighborhoods, or reach out to Solo agent Becca Nichols Franqui to learn more about buying a home in Philadelphia.