House of the week: A three-bedroom penthouse condo in Old City for $675,000

They held out as long as they could.

For a dozen years, Liz and JP Colussi lived in the National condominium building in Old City.

For seven of those years, starting shortly after college, they rented a unit there, and five years ago, they bought a penthouse unit in the complex.

They had grown up in the suburbs — Liz in West Chester, JP in Ambler — but they loved what Center City offered. It was also convenient for JP’s work as a commercial real estate broker.

And they loved the sixth-floor views of the Ben Franklin Bridge from their bedroom, looking down at Elfreth’s Alley toward the courtyard.

Nine years ago, they had their first daughter, Sophia, and four years later, their second, Charlotte, but they stayed in the home, juggling space.

“We just weren’t ready to leave,” said Liz, a financial analyst for a water purification company. “We loved the neighborhood and the coffee shops. We found great schools. We were comfortable.”

But when their third child, William, was born 2½ years ago, they realized it was finally time. They are buying the West Chester house where Liz grew up from her parents.

“It’s a special place,” she said.

The 1,557-square-foot three-bedroom, two-bath penthouse unit they are selling has an open-concept layout.

The kitchen has granite countertops, custom cabinetry, and a breakfast bar. The washer and dryer are in a large closet opposite the kitchen.

The bedrooms all have custom-fitted closets, and the primary bedroom has three large closets, one of which has office space.

The primary bathroom has both a standing shower and a jacuzzi tub.

The complex has assigned garage parking and a community courtyard. There is a padded “tot lot” for outdoor play.

It is listed by Nancy Serpentine of Compass Real Estate for $675,000.