Above: The primary listing photo for this $550,000 Philadelphia townhouse.
That’s a nice picture and all, but where’s the actual home for sale?
Nope, not here. But let’s have a closer look at the street art…
There are 14 photos on this listing. A grand total of two of those photos are of the inside of the actual home being sold:
So, basically the seller here is asking you to pay over half a million dollars for some historic scenery and funky mosaic art outside the home.
According to google street view, there’s not much to see on this particular street – no flower boxes, no brightly colored shutters, no nice colonial detailing. But it is fairly close to some nice features for an urban area. There’s a lovely small “pocket” park and a larger park with a playground and enough room for a couple of ball fields, both within half a block. It’s within a quarter mile of Washington Square Park and about half that far to the Pennsylvania hospital. Washington Square park leads (diagonally) into the heart of the historic district, where Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell are located. There’s also Independence Visitor’s Center, the National Constitution Center, and the U.S. Mint, all lining a long grassy mall. Less than a mile to the northwest is City Hall, Reading Train Station, and the convention center.
I mention all this because the proximity is probably what has kept crime rates lower in this area, according to several maps I found. Always good to know if you’re planning on moving to the Murder Capital of the Country (or is it of the World?). But move too far west or south and you’ll need to stay on guard. Or have guards. Whatever.
The other reason I mention all this is because there’s really nothing we can say about the house, inside or out. At least it’s on an actual street, though one-way. Philly seems to love its one-way streets (with precious little parking in sight). There are also what are referred to as “streets,” which the google car seems to have maneuvered, though they seem barely wide enough for a colonial horse cart, so they’re really more like alleys. One of these is directly across from the front door of 728 Lombard (making a T intersection). It leads to the pocket park I mentioned.
I guess if you really, really love history and it’s convenient to your work place, this might be a location to consider. But half a mil? Well, it’s your money.