Philly Living Blog

Though Inga Saffron may have been skeptical a year ago when the project was announced, the recent unveiling of The Residences at Two Liberty Place did a fine job at showing that good design can overcome the difficulties of converting an office building into spectacular residences.

With residences starting at the 42nd floor, the lowest of these condominiums is higher up than any other penthouse in the city.  Simply put, the views will take your breath away.

The interior of the units are just as spectacular.  The kitchens feature Snaidero cabinets and Miele and Sub-Zero appliances.  Spacious living spaces are ornamented with beautiful finishes.

The 37th floor of the building  features a private owner’s club with lounge, theatre, fitness center, yoga room, pool, and a private owner’s dining room in the new signature restaurant.  Residents will have access to white glove concierge and porter services included river-to-river chauffeured town car service.

With introductory prices from $650-$750/sq.ft. and settlement occurring withing 4-6 months, this is truly an opportunity to acquire one of the most sophisticated living spaces in Philly without the wait and uncertainty of new construction.

If you ever find yourself around the South Street Bridge, you’ve no doubt been staring at the blight of a building that used to house some of the administration for the Philadelphia School District. However, thanks to Switzenbaum and Associates (along with Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates), this perpetual eye-sore is being turned into one of Philly’s most exiting renovations.

Aptly named South Bridge, the building is exhibiting some of the most forward thinking and green architecture that Philadelphia has yet to see. Just some of the amenities:

• 1-car parking included with every unit and you park on your floor
• A “green” roof garden available to everyone in the building
• 24-hour concierge with refrigerator and freezer for your grocery deliveries
• Olympic length swimming pool and 4,000 sq. ft. exercise room

The units themselves are going to have custom teak flooring made from a renewable teak plantation. Every unit has a laundry room and many have separate storage rooms. The ceilings are approx. 11 ft throughout, with floor to ceiling windows. The kitchens and bathrooms will be incredibly high end, on par with projects in the $600+/sq.ft. range.

So what is so interesting about this project? Priced at $400/sq.ft. (including that parking space), you get more for your money here than any other new construction project around. Delivery is aimed for fourth quarter of 2007.

Please, e-mail us with any questions that you might have.