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Mon
Sep 19
2011

Itty Bitty Building Being Built on Itty Bitty Block

A reader asked us about a newish foundation they noticed on tiny Clymer St. in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood.

Cute, right?

Bulldozer is still there

Clymer St. only runs for two blocks in the neighborhood. The 2000 block is almost exclusively for rear (and often parking) access for homes on the 2000 blocks of Fitzwater and St. Albans Sts. The 2100 block of Clymer St. provides the same service to the 2100 block of St. Albans St., but has little houses on its northern side. This means that people who live on Clymer St. have a permanent view of the backs of the houses on St. Albans St. On the other hand, because the street dead ends before 22nd St., it likely provides a little more peace and quiet than most.

Not a big street

In order to conform to zoning requirements, the builder is permitted to build on 70% of the lot, which means the building’s footprint will only be approximately 16′ by 26′, or a little over 400 sqft. As you can imagine, it’s difficult for most developers to make the dollars work for projects like this, which is why you find so few of them building houses of this adorable size.

But you know, now that we’re thinking about tiny homes being built from the ground up, we’re suddenly remembering seeing new homes being built with similarly small footprints. Now where was that again?

Hmm….

Oh yeah.

Federal St., just before 17th St. Not a tiny street. Or tiny lots, either. Just tiny houses.

Affordable housing currently being built in Point Breeze at an average cost of $345K per house!

Looks like they’re gonna be worth every penny.

Sigh.

7
COMMENTS
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Posted in Graduate Hospital | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments
  • Anonymous

    Some comments were sent along to us by a reader. Now things make a little more sense:First, I live on the 2100 block of Saint Albans, so my parking is off the back of my house (towards the
    end).  I can tell you, that block is fantastic.  That block of Clymer is filled with young couples and families and is very friendly.  Since it is a dead end, there is NO traffic (foot or cars), so there is often kids playing out back and neighbors hanging on the front steps drinking a beer or us
    on St. Albans out back grilling.  Most people on that block wouldn’t trade it for anywhere.

    As to the new construction, its not going to be a new house, but as far as I know its an extension of the neighboring house.  If you look on the left side, you’ll see a door cutout of both the existing house and the new foundation.  What exactly he’s going to do with it, I’m not sure. When I asked him what he’s going to do with it, he kept answering “I’m putting in a pool for the neighborhood”. So I’m not sure what it is….but its definitely his property and construction.

  • Guest

    I live in BV, can you ask your source if that’s close enough to qualify for free pool membership? :)

  • Dugier

    Its actually a raguetball court  in the winter, lap pool in the summer. Memberships are sliding scale.

  • SocialClymer

    The construction is in fact an addition to the existing house.  The owner has patiently waited for permits for many months, and is relieved to finally be building. 

    I am one of the “families” who live/hangout on Clymer St.. (technically our address is St. Albans, but we’re “Social Clymers”) and I wouldn’t trade the location for anything.  The dead-end is excellent for our kiddo and his buddies to play ,with very little interruption – it is essentially our “back yard”.   I challenge anyone to find a better block this close to Center City, where you can comfortably raise your kid and hangout in your backyard – not to mention its proximity to Marian Anderson Park, Chester A. Arthur Elementary school (http://www.friendsofchesterarthur.org/) Fitler Square… et. al…

  • SocialClymer

    correct link to 

  • SocialClymer

     NP you should come back and check this place out now…  not so itty bitty… and built so quick. 

  • http://nakedphilly.com/graduate-hospital/itty-bitty-house-quickly-built-on-itty-bitty-block/ Itty Bitty House Quickly Built on Itty Bitty Block | NakedPhilly

    [...] month, we wrote about a foundation that a reader noticed on the 2100 block of Clymer St., a tiny block in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood. [...]

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