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In Brewerytown, Where Pets are Welcome, Parking is Free

By Sheila Dyan, FOR THE INQUIRER

City digs with free parking and a friendly nod to pets captured the attention of Shana Feight when she was looking to move from her South Street locale to the Art Museum area of Philadelphia.

“I saw Sedgley Commons, and I liked it right away because it was in the city, while not in the center of it…. and the apartment is really nice, with a cathedral ceiling and loft, and a ton of windows. Plus, they have parking and allows dogs,” said Feight, whose household includes Jameson, a chocolate Labrador retriever.

Feight, 25, and Brian Sulpizio, 29, both recruiter for the Legal Search staffing firm, moved to a loft-style unit at Sedgley Commons a year and a half ago.

The complex is in what’s often referred to as Brewerytown, where over the last two decades many of the buildings of the old Bergdoll brewery have been renovated into rental and condominium housing. Sedgley Commons offers 24 one-bedroom rental apartments – many with sky-lighted lofts -- in a long, two-level building of brick and 12-over-12 industrial windows.

Each apartment has a private front entry, and a free-standing, wood-burning fireplace on a brick hearth. Open, beamed, wood ceilings add a rustic touch, while a washer and dryer, wall-to-wall carpeting (with hardwood in the lofts and dens), window blinds, abundant closet/storage space, and a full complement of kitchen appliances (including a microwave oven and dishwasher) supply the modern amenities prized by residents.

Adjacent, private parking holds one space for each unit, at no additional charge.
All units at Sedgley Commons have one bedroom and one bath and rent for $900 a month. The apartments are either flats (1,232 square feet) with a platformed sleeping area and a den, or two-level units (948 square feet) with a full stairway to a lofted bedroom suite. The refundable pet fee is $600.
“For the price, the size is really nice, and it has all the amenities I wanted,” said Jennifer Rowen, 25, who works in sales for the Philadelphia Eagles. “And it has a lot of character … like the loft, the wood ceiling, and the fireplace.”

As for the location, Rowen is pleased that it’s convenient to the city. “There are two buses right outside my door. And we’re also convenient to main arteries,” she said. “If I want to go to the [Fairmount] park, or the [Kelly or West River] drives, they’re right here, too. And it was great on the Fourth of July – with the fireworks, it was a neat atmosphere to be in.”

“There’s also a small park over the bridge, at 27th and Pennsylvania Avenue, that we call Puppy Park,” Shana Feight said, “because lots of people walk their dogs there.

“You can walk to the Philadelphia Art Museum, too. Also lots of good restaurants are around here, like Rembrandt’s, London Grill, and Jack’s Firehouse, and the area has a nice bar scene, with lots of young professionals,” she said.

“We have a nice group of people at Sedgley. Sometimes, we have a picnic or barbecue on a small, grassy area on one side of the building. And management has been very good. I’ve not had any real problems, but any time I’ve called, they’ve been very good, responding immediately.”

Rowen, who has been at Sedgley since April, also said she was satisfied with management. “It’s been good. I haven’t had any major problems, but any little maintenance things that had to be done, they took care of right away.”