Around the Block: 10/21/2022

October 24, 2022 BY JEFF CITY BLOCK

Clay mugs & Ethiopian dinner, our new and current listings, and Philly happenings. If you’d like to discuss real estate or anything in this newsletter please send me an email: [email protected]. This edition of Around the Block was originally published on Saturday, 10/22/22.

10/21/2022

Relevant Commentary, all information Philly (real estate and otherwise), Open Houses, Listings, Happenings, and More — by Jeff “City” Block

City Block Team Art Class & Dinner at Gojjo

I want to say how much I appreciate the members of the City Block Team and note how grateful I am to work with such an awesome group. Let me also mention that I love what I do and considering how much I work, that makes me feel really blessed as well.

Last night we had a team event that was a ton of fun and we all got to spend some time together outside of work.

We started out with a group clay, hand building class at the University City Arts League. Then we all went to dinner at Gojjo Ethiopian Restaurant a few blocks away.

First, UCAL is a wonderful non-profit that offers the West Philadelphia community (and the city at-large) tons of activities including art classes (many choices for grown-ups and kids), an after-school program, an art summer camp, exhibits, event space, pop-up events, and more. UCAL brings great value to the community.

The City Block Team organizes fun team-building events every so often. Past examples include an escape room and axe throwing. We are a long-time supporter of UCAL and thought a class where we can hand build clay mugs would be a great idea for our next one.

It turned out to be so much fun! And this comes from someone who was never the teacher’s favorite in grade school art class. My recollection of Mr. Mack at St Peter’s was his forlorn look when he would view my “work.” Well, that pretty much continued last night. Our instructor Nina was excellent, and they showed us step-by-step how to make a mug. The mugs all turned out great, except for one. All I will say is that Nina was too respectful to duplicate Mr. Mack’s expression. No quitting the day job for me.

Next, the group went to Gojjo for an amazing dinner. If you enjoy ethnic food and are not familiar with Ethiopian cuisine, then you should absolutely add this to your list. Ethiopian food offers unique and delicious spices and a significant variety for vegans, vegetarians, pescatarians, and true carnivores alike. Philly is lucky to have many quality Ethiopian options, mainly in West Philadelphia. In addition to its plethora of superb traditional dishes, Gojjo won Philly Mag’s Best of Philly for its Ethiopian twist on the Philly cheesesteak. It is basically one of the City’s better cheesesteaks where the meat (beef or chicken) is infused with Ethiopian spices. Gojjo has multiple spaces, outdoor patios, and a full bar. It always has a nice, casual buzz and a lot of neighborhood regulars.

At our team meal, we enjoyed, among other things, the cheesesteak (sliced up as an app), lentil and beef samosas (really crispy, different from the Indian variety), Asa (a whole fried fish that was spectacular), Doro Wot (a spicy chicken stew), Kitfo (Ethiopian steak tartare), and salmon tibs (kind of a stir fry/stew hybrid). I am so craving to go back. One of the regulars I met there recommended the Korniece, which is beef cooked two ways, then layered with collard greens, curd cheese, and beef tartare. The thought of that already tasty tartare infused with the warmth and bursting flavor of that savory cooked beef… wow.

Special thanks to City Block Team Operations Coordinator Darlene Dolhun and Marketing Coordinator Megan Hoey for coordinating this clay/dinner combo. And did I mention that CBT REALTOR® Tsion Habtamu’s family owns Gojjo? Thanks to Tsion for helping to organize and her family for serving such an awesome meal. Especially on such a packed night where they had a significant bar crowd (Phils game), most tables full, and another private party much larger than ours!

And thanks to the rest of the City Block Team both for providing Expert Real Estate Representation to CBT clients all the time and for being a great group to hang out with outside of work:

Melani Lamond (Gojjo regular)
Missy Tewksbury
Carrie Waterman
Peter Watson
Deannah Shaheen
Martin Goldfarb
Lauren Morihara
Joe Brady
Kylie Tsai
Jamie Foster
Greg Zarro, Senior Listing Coordinator
Shelby Pihl, Transaction Coordinator

Sometime next month we will pick up our kiln-fired mugs, and maybe I will include a photo of mine. You will then understand how Mr. Mack must have felt!

Have a great weekend.

Warm regards,

Jeff

My Main Team

While talking about teams, I wanted to mention a topic that is really important to my other team-the Block Family. This topic is bird collisions, which I have written about before. My wife Kristen has taken this passion to The Philadelphia School and is helping to lead the charge to birdproof the TPS campus. Here is a piece from the TPS Blog about this bird-proofing initiative (Click on Conservation in Action: Creating a Bird-safe Campus with the 7th Graders) and how it fits in with the students’ studies on birds and migration.

Photo of Ari & Ezra helping mom install FeatherFriendly® DIY Tape at The Philadelphia School.

Spotlight Property

SOCIETY HILL

525 1/2 Spruce Street #10

Brand New Listing

2 BD | 2 BA | 1,566 SF | High-end Finishes | Low Condo Fees | Private Balcony | Parking | $850,000

Stunning and spacious 2 bedroom, 2 bath contemporary condo with open floor plan, high-end finishes, and private balcony in the heart of historic Society Hill.

The expansive living room is flooded with natural light and features soaring cathedral ceilings, two skylights, newly installed Mirage 6.5″ engineered hardwood floors, and floor-to-ceiling front windows. The newly added wide seat beneath the fourteen-foot-high window will be your favorite spot for reading, lounging, and more. No expenses were spared on the custom European-style Chef’s kitchen. The top-of-the-line Miele’s kitchen appliance package includes a fully plumbed steam oven, second speed oven/microwave, induction cooktop, newly released push-to-open refrigerator, knock-to-open dishwasher, and a luxury plumbed built-in coffee station. Dekton countertops with bull nose edges, push-to-open and soft close sleek cabinetry, floating shelves, under cabinet lighting, overhead app-controlled night light, a Brizo Lite smart touch faucet, space-saving trash compactor, Lutron recessed lighting, and lighted lower glass front cabinets complete this designer kitchen. Enjoy seating for four at the breakfast bar while enjoying the view outside the two-story window beyond. Off the kitchen is a full bathroom with stall shower, overhead heater, large vanity area, and linen closet and a large storage area under the stairs.

Continue to the guest bedroom, which is spacious enough for a bed plus office area or home gym and completed by an entire wall of custom-built closets.

Upstairs the large primary suite occupies the entire second floor having been extended to make the best use of the space. It includes a custom back-lit closet with glass barn doors, Lutron recessed lighting, and glass French doors leading out to the private balcony. The balcony can also be accessed through the hallway for guests. The spa-like en-suite bathroom has a jacuzzi tub and an oversized stall shower with its own interior skylight, dual shower heads, bench seat, and heat lamp to step out under. A custom dual sink vanity, high ceilings, two additional skylights, a linen closet, and a new washer and dryer complete the experience.

Additional features include a brand-new AC compressor and Smart home extras including Nest, Lutron, Ring Doorbell and alarm system, keyless entry, upgraded lighting, and motorized window treatments. Private entrance with a foyer and large coat/storage closet. Low condo fees and 1 car designated parking spot at a reduced fee is available (association has a special arrangement with nearby garage).

Located in beautiful Society Hill, just steps from the oldest and most recognized landmarks in the city. Acme and CVS within half of a block. Quick walk to Washington Square, amazing restaurants, Old City, Penn’s Landing, The Liberty Bell, and both UPenn and Jefferson Hospitals. Easy access to 95 and the bridges. McCall Catchment.

View full listing here

Philly Fun This Week

Film Fest and New Exhibition

If you love movies then you need to check out the 11-day annual Philadelphia Film Festival. This cinema extravaganza includes over 100 film screenings, VIP receptions, and panel discussions with directors and actors. Check out the event’s schedule to see all the awesome showings this week and onward.
This week was the opening of the exhibition, Matisse in the 1930s, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This exhibition features a collection of Matisse’s work including various formats such as sculpture, drawing, easel and decorative painting, printmaking, and the illustrated book. The exhibition delves into the changes in Matisse’s style and methods throughout his pieces and how he depicted female models in the studio.

Photograph from thephiladelphiacitizen.org and content courtesy of uwishunu.

Fun New Restaurant

The beloved Reading Terminal Market now has a delicious new restaurant. Check out the family-owned Georgian eatery, Saami Somi, and try out their tasty menu items including soup dumplings, seasonal small plates, and khachapuri which is basically a bread boat filled with cheese.

Photograph from @saamisomi on Instagram and content courtesy of uwishunu.

Featured Listings

SOCIETY HILL

525 1/2 Spruce Street #10

BRAND NEW LISTING

2 BD | 2 BA | 1,566 SF | $850,000

WASH WEST

505-D S 10th Street

COMING SOON

3 BD | 2BA | 1,785 SF | $550,000

MOUNT AIRY

7111 Germantown Avenue

New Construction

$340,000 – $1,200,000

NEWBOLD

1413 S Chadwick Street

NEW PRICE

3 BD | 3 BA | 2,340 SF | $520,000

SOCIETY HILL

742 Lombard Street

3 BD | 2 BA | 1,446 SF | $725,000

UNIVERSITY CITY

403 S 42nd Street

6 Units | 4,790 SF | $1,200,000

UNIVERSITY CITY

4928 Pine Street

Duplex | 2,025 SF | $479,000

UNIVERSITY CITY

4614 Paschall Avenue

4 BD | 4.5 BA | 2,800 SF | $650,000

FRANKFORD – PHILADELPHIA

4115 Salem Street

3 BD | 1 BA | 648 SF | $79,900

Experienced real estate agent?

Would you consider joining one of the most respected real estate teams in Philadelphia?

The City Block Team is looking for an experienced agent who wants to provide Expert Real Estate Representation. CBT is committed to helping you build your business and offers excellent coaching and mentoring; solid systems & admin support; leads (quality over quantity); superb team camaraderie; and outstanding team name recognition and regard.

Please contact [email protected] to discuss. All inquiries are confidential. Thank you.

Know Someone Looking to Buy or Sell?

As always, please know that I’m humbled by and appreciative of your introductions and referrals. If you have a friend, colleague, or family member that is in need of Expert Real Estate Representation, please have them contact me.

Be assured, I will do my best to exceed their expectations! Thanks for taking the time to read this issue of Around the Block.

Some imagery in this e-newsletter was sourced via UWISHUNU, thephiladelphiacitizen.org, saamisomi, and Canva.

Office: 212-913-9058

Compass RE is a licensed real estate broker. All material is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description or measurements (including square footage). This is not intended to solicit property already listed. No financial or legal advice provided. Equal Housing Opportunity. Photos may be virtually staged or digitally enhanced and may not reflect actual property conditions.

City Block Team Art Class & Dinner at Gojjo

My Main Team

525 1/2 Spruce Street #10

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