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Tag: New Digs

New Digs: From Brooklyn to Fishtown

Posted on by Stephanie Aviles

Ben Tracy and Christine Khaikin were living in a one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn when they began their search to buy a house in Philly. “We were open to a lot of neighborhoods, including South Philly and the Art Museum area,” said Christine. “When Alejandro Franqui of Solo Real Estate showed us this house in Fishtown it checked all of our boxes,” said Ben. “It was exciting.”

“We were coming from a one-bedroom apartment, and were hoping for a three-bedroom house,” said Ben. “This was the only four-bedroom house we saw. For the price of this home, all we could’ve gotten in Brooklyn is maybe a small one-bedroom or studio condo.” The numbers said it all. Their current mortgage is only one hundred dollars per month more than their rent for a one-bedroom apartment.

“It’s unbelievable. For a small increase in our monthly payments, we’re building equity.”

The front facade exterior of the Khaiken's home
The exterior of the Khaiken's home
The exterior of the family’s new home.

Having welcomed a baby into their family just eight months ago, those extra rooms were a much-needed bonus for the couple. They both practice law from home for NYC-based firms and they now have their own home offices, a nursery, a guest room, and two and a half bathrooms.

The home features an extra wide living room
The home features an extra wide living room space with plenty of windows.

Other pluses? “We have a backyard and Konrad Square Park is right across the street, so it’s like having a front lawn,” said Ben. These perks are also appreciated by their Dachshund-Spaniel mix Woofy.

Konrad Square nearby serves as additional outdoor space.

Their 2,000 sq. ft, 1918 house had been renovated by the previous owner and included an energy-efficient dishwasher and washer/dryer. Both Ben and Christine love the quality of light in their second-floor bedroom which has a vaulted ceiling. “We get both morning and afternoon light,” said Christine. Ben also likes the first floor’s open plan layout. “We only did some cosmetic touches.” We painted some walls, installed new backsplash, and some ceiling fans.”

A bedroom and home office painted a lively shade of green.


However, it’s also the neighborhood — Fishtown — that Ben and Christine find ideal. “I didn’t know anyone here, but I can see this is a family-friendly, dog-friendly neighborhood,” said Christine who practices healthcare law. Meanwhile, Ben who practices music law is thrilled about all the live music venues steps from his door, including Johnny Brenda’s, The Fillmore, and Kung Fu Necktie.

“I grew up in the Overbrook section of Philly and lived there until twelve years ago,” said Ben. “When I went to Penn, I lived in West Philly, and later, I lived briefly in Kensington. But Fishtown was, basically, an unknown area neighborhood to me until now.”

Ben and Christine are aware that Fishtown has become popular with many other former Brooklynites for the same reasons. More living space for less money, with no shortage of restaurants, cafes, yoga studios, and live music, all within easy walking distance. As well as easy access to New York City and Center City Philly.

Solo welcomes the Tracy-Khaikin family to Philadelphia and is here to help longtime apartment dwellers find a home that better suits their needs, whether they are returning to Philadelphia after living in another city or looking for a new neighborhood to settle into.

New Digs: Sharne & Jan swap Francisville for a new condo in Mount Airy

Posted on by Stephanie Aviles

Sharne and Jan Algotsson loved the Francisville condo they bought in 2014. It was a modern, three-story Trinity condominium with a dynamite view of Philly’s skyline from its two-tier roof deck. But they eventually started to long for a home more suited to their empty-nester lifestyle. 

“New buildings had sprouted up on either side of us and our small street became densely packed. We realized we were the oldest residents in the area and our needs had changed,” said Sharne, a semi-retired interior designer who previously had a shop on Antique Row. Her husband Jan is a retired carpenter and contractor.

Their biggest complaint? “We were there for seven years with no parking. Some nights we had to park several blocks from our home,” said Sharne.

This was not the Algotssons first move. Far from it. “I grew up in Southwest Philly and met my Swedish husband when he was an exchange student here in the 1970s,” said Sharne.

“Besides Francisville, we’ve lived in East Oak Lane, Stockholm, Wash. DC, and Northern Liberties. We are city people and we were open to many different neighborhoods from South Philly to East Falls.”

Solo Real Estate agent, Alex Franqui, listed the Algotssons’ Francisville condo and helped them find a new home after it was under contract. “It was the second place Alex showed us,” said Sharne. “We had been prepared to rent a furnished apartment if we couldn’t find a place to buy in time, but as soon as we saw this new condo on a quiet little tree-lined street in Mt. Airy – we were sold,” she said. It all happened pretty quickly. They went to closing and settlement on the same day and moved in on that afternoon.

Images: Cory J Popp for Solo Real Estate.

Their new home features an open plan living/dining room/kitchen on the first floor, three bedrooms, two and a half baths, and a roof deck The deal was sealed by the floor-to-ceiling food pantry closet and a carport with hydraulic connections.

Besides being over 200sq. feet larger than their former abode, their new home feels more spacious and lighter due to the bright southern exposure, and open floor plan. “I can cook in the kitchen while looking through the floating plank stairs to the living room and dining area,” said Sharne who has already discovered Weavers Way Coop, a local food coop and coveted neighborhood organic food emporium.

Images: Cory J Popp for Solo Real Estate.

What does she like best? “Because of the layout, each of us has our own bathroom on the second floor. It was Jan’s idea,” she said gleefully. 

Their home is just footsteps from Mt. Airy’s lively shopping, theater and restaurant district on Germantown Avenue and five minutes from the fine dining, upscale shops and farmers’ markets of Chestnut Hill. A historic neighborhood known for its cultural diversity, green spaces and street fairs, Mt. Airy has a small-town vibe with Big City cred. Proof? There’s a yoga studio on every block and former Four Season’s Chef David Jansen chose to open his acclaimed namesake eatery here in an 18th-century cottage.

Images: Cory J Popp for Solo Real Estate.

Before their WiFi was connected, Sharne and Jan gravitated to an internet cafe just a block away. If they don’t feel like cooking, within that same block, they can choose from Italian, Mexican, American, or Vegetarian cuisine or grab a stool at McMenamin’s, a bar where “everybody knows your name” and the Angus burgers are as big as your face.

Images: Cory J Popp for Solo Real Estate.

La piece de resistance? “Jan was a hiker and now he walks in Valley Green,” said Sharne referring to the nearby woodsy northwestern tip of Fairmount Park, a favorite with hikers, bikers, dog walkers, and equestrians, in addition to being a popular brunch spot.

“It’s still the City,” said Sharne, “But we wake up to the sound of birds.”

New Digs: Finding the Unexpected in Queen Village

Posted on by Solo Team

When a new job at the University of Pennsylvania brought research scientist Stewart Anderson, his wife Alexandra, and their family from Manhattan to Philadelphia, they were eager to find a great and kid-friendly home. They would quickly learn however that getting the perfect house would require an open mind.

In beginning their home search, Stewart and Alexandra agreed on a few basic requirements for their future house: they wanted a place where their young son would be safe (“no spiral staircases” Alexandra says) that also had outdoor space, three real bedrooms (Stewart’s daughter from a previous marriage lives with the couple during the school year) and lots of light.

Where they might find a home with those attributes and in their price range became the real question though. After Alexandra ruled out West Philadelphia, Stewart’s new colleagues encouraged him to look in the Fitler’s Square neighborhood. While he and Alexandra loved the area, they had trouble finding a home there that met all their needs. “Prices were higher in Fitler’s Square than we liked, and I felt like we would be paying for the great neighborhood and not much more” Stewart says.

Stewart and Alexandra soon realized they needed to learn more about what was out there to find the right home. “We’re scientists,” Stewart says with a smile, “and when we find out there’s something we don’t know, we’re trained to educate ourselves.”

Working with Deborah Solo, they did their research and soon began looking in Queen Village – a neighborhood they had heard of but hadn’t realized was quite so kid-friendly. The couple quickly fell in love with the area’s quirky charms, strong community feel, and access to the great restaurants around Headhouse Square.

A large outdoor space at his Queen Village home was a major selling point for Stewart Anderson (pictured) and his family.
A large outdoor space at his Queen Village home was a major selling point for Stewart Anderson (pictured) and his family. Image: Benjamin Grinspan

Growing steadily more confident about the area, Stewart eventually found a modern five-bedroom townhouse on a residential block in Queen Village. Touring the home, Stewart loved the huge back deck area, expansive windows, and one-car garage. For her part though, Alexandra was put off by the home’s décor. Stewart insisted, and Deborah affirmed, that those aesthetic issues could be easily fixed. Indeed, both Stewart and Alexandra are quick to add that working with Deborah was a breeze – “She knew when to take the lead and when to step back. We appreciated that” Stewart says.

While their home search wasn’t quite as quick as they had hoped, the family is truly pleased with their new abode. More than just the house itself, they’ve come to appreciate their new neighborhood’s little perks, like the easy access to I-95 and the decidedly non-Manhattan-like peace and quiet of Queen Village. These are the kind of benefits that make this new Philadelphia family confident they’ll love this home for many years to come.

New Digs: Seeking Fewer Compromises in Philly

Posted on by Solo Team

“The difference between New York City and Philadelphia is the difference between perpetually renting and setting down roots.” That wisdom comes from Gregorio, an art director, who after living for years in New York City made the decision to embrace home ownership in the East Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia.

Before his move to the City of Brotherly Love, Gregorio spent nearly a decade living in a loft apartment in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. Those familiar with Bushwick know that the area, once one of that city’s roughest, has recently experienced tremendous redevelopment. For all the good that development has done though, Gregorio ultimately came to feel pushed out by the community’s rapid change “My landlord wanted to raise my rent from $1500 to $1900, and honestly I didn’t want to be around the people who would pay that for 500 square feet in Bushwick.” While he considered buying an apartment in the area, the city’s runaway real estate prices ultimately made Gregorio feel like he was fighting a losing battle.

With his dreams of owning a home on the back burner, Gregorio made a fateful trip to Philadelphia’s Rodin Museum. As a Southern California native, he had little experience with our city, but was immediately impressed by Philadelphia’s authenticity, lack of pretension and deep cultural heritage. Gregorio is quick to note that, as someone who used to live in Italy, Philadelphia feels to him like “the most European city in the United States.”

With his visits to Philadelphia becoming more frequent, so too did Gregorio’s doubts about living in an increasingly expensive New York City. He eventually made the choice to contact Solo Real Estate, deciding he was ready to look in Philadelphia for a real house where he wouldn’t have to compromise on space or the little luxuries of home ownership.

Gregorio worked with Solo Real Estate’s Alex Franqui, asking to see rowhomes with outdoor spaces in great, up-and-coming Philadelphia neighborhoods. “I think we saw 20 houses in one day” Gregorio laughs, saying that he felt drawn to East Kensington both for its energy and sense of community. Eventually Alex called Gregorio, then back in Brooklyn, and told him he had found a great place that he needed to see immediately – “I rented a car, came down and knew it was perfect right away” Gregorio says with a smile.

Gregorio's artwork, including this fabulous portrait of actress Tilda Swinton, decorates his bedroom (left), while potted plants liven up his new home's backyard (right).
Gregorio’s artwork, including this fabulous portrait of actress Tilda Swinton, decorates his bedroom (left), while potted plants liven up his new home’s backyard (right).

After a quick negotiation, Gregorio purchased a three bedroom home not far from the El’s Berks Station. The home came with great built-ins, thanks in part to its woodworking former owner. And with his artist’s eye, Gregorio also made his own series of unique design choices, all complimented by the home’s beautiful hardwood floors.

As for his job as a freelance art director, Gregorio has found that Philadelphia makes a great base for his work, which can take him across the country. Best yet for this native Californian, he was able to purchase a car along with his new home, something he’d only fantasized about in Brooklyn. “I don’t use it that much because the area’s just so walkable” Gregorio says, adding however that “it’s still a great little perk of living here.” That choice seems to be indicative of Gregorio’s whole Philadelphia experience, using his new home here to enjoy the urban lifestyle to its fullest.