At one point in the last few decades, for what could have only been a very brief time, it became acceptable to cover an older row home’s brick facade with vinyl siding. Whether these homeowners were simply seeking an inexpensive solution to a porous front wall or whether they were trying to suggest a suburban aesthetic in the city, the look has not held up well at all as the years have gone by. Case in point:

Lots o vinyl

Three homes in a row on the 1700 block of Catharine St. are clad from top to bottom in different colored vinyl siding. And in a neighborhood with so many classic Philly row homes, they stick out like thumb that just got whacked with a hammer. Incidentally, this little “vinyl row” will soon be broken up, as 1730 Catharine St. recently went…

A reader reached out the other day and told us about a new home going up at 225 Carpenter St., on a residential Queen Village block. For years, this property was vacant, with what looked like some sort of storage use.

In the past

In June, 240 Dupont Street LLC purchased the property for $175K and began construction almost immediately on a single family home. According to the listing, the home will be 2,000 sqft, and will include 3 bedrooms, three bathrooms, and possess “all the bells and whistles of a premium Queen Village block.” Unfortunately, trouble struck in July, when a Stop Work Order was slapped on the property for exceeding the allowable provisions of the building permits that were originally issued. Notable from looking at the property is that it seems way too tall to have been built by right,…

A reader checked in the other day, giving us the heads up about an ongoing renovation at 815 S. 21st St., in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood. As recently as just a few months ago, this property looked, well, a little ugly.

In the past

Another angle

Now, it’s true that vinyl siding and fiberglass awnings are the pinnacle of good taste, but we’re not sad to see a change at this corner, which had a bit of a permanent Christmas motif going on. Checking in recently,

In December, we told you about five homes replacing empty lots at 2001-09 W. Oxford St., a few blocks north of the Girard College campus. At the time, the developers had just gone to zoning. Now, these buildings have been framed out and are getting facades.

In the past