506 S 46th St Philadelphia, PA 19143

On the west side of a leafy, shaded block where 46th St. meets Larchwood Avenue in the Garden Court neighborhood of University City/ West Philly, this elegant twin is one of 14 beautifully preserved matching houses built c.1910 in the post Victorian style called “Colonial Revival.” It has private entrances off a main staircase for the lower 2-story unit and the 3rd floor in-law /au pair suite. And by simply opening two hall doors, all three floors can be used together, providing options for the next owner as they grow into the full house over time.

Chock-full of ornate original woodwork, leaded glass and gleaming original flooring, the house has a built-in window seat, 2 decorative fireplaces, and convenient back stairs. Plus, the current owner has made extensive renovations since purchasing the property in 2014.

On the first floor, there’s a handsome living room, a recently added half bath, and a full dining room. The up-to-date, eat-in kitchen also has a period pantry cabinet. The fenced back yard features shrubs bordering an open area with Vermont field stones, ground covers, and an arbor holding 50-year old grape vines. There’s a direct entry to the basement - great for bike storage. The front yard is an easy-easy-to-care-for mix of blue Japanese iris, orange day lilies, grasses and ground covers.

The kitchen’s back stairway leads upstairs, where there’s a living-room-sized second floor front room. Originally designed to be a family room, it could also be a handsome bedroom. There’s a marble bath, and to the rear, two connected rooms designed to be used as main bedroom and either dressing room or nursery. Off the main bedroom is the original “sleeping porch,” with all new casement windows.

The third floor has 3 bedrooms, a bath, and a kitchen with laundry.

The Garden Court location, just north of Baltimore Ave., the area’s “main street,” couldn’t be better. Catch the #34 trolley on Baltimore and arrive in center city in 15 minutes, with stops at UPenn, Drexel, and the 30th St. train station along the way. Or stay local and dine at one of the small local restaurants along the Avenue, or visit Clark Park or Cedar Park, each only a few blocks away. Also, this location is within the catchment area of the high-performing Penn Alexander K-8 public grade school, although catchment area location doesn’t guarantee admittance.