House of the week: A two-bedroom, two-bath condo in Old City for $445,000

When Philadelphia natives are ready to buy a home, the decision is usually one of intent.

It may be where they grew up, or in a neighborhood they’ve always admired.

But for out-of-towners like South Dakota native Tiffany Rolfing, chance often takes the lead. In her case, it was a fire and a work assignment.

Rolfing, a management consultant in the area of environmental efficiency, originally came east for graduate school at what was then Philadelphia University. She lived nearby in East Falls, liked the neighborhood, and thought she might settle there.

But when she began doing a good bit of work for a company based in Center City — ”the office was right across from the Liberty Bell” — she thought about settling there instead and rented an apartment. When a huge fire next door forced her and other tenants to seek temporary shelter elsewhere, she decided to make a more permanent move and bought a two-bedroom, two-bath Old City condo in 2018.

Now, though, she has moved to Florida to be closer to her family.

Looking back at the decision to buy the third-floor condo, she said the building, built in 1900, was “warm and homey” but also “industrial and iconic.”

“I wanted a place with character, but there you could walk anywhere,” she said. ”Grab some groceries, jump on transportation. I fell in love with the brick, the exposed beams.“

She also liked the large window sills, the trees outside her bedroom window, the large, walk-in closet in the primary bedroom, that there was space for her to work, and that the building has an elevator.

The building is also pet-friendly; she had a dog when she first moved in.

The 1,158-square-foot unit is listed by Kristie Bergey of Coldwell Banker Realty for $445,000.