MANAYUNK

Originally Published in Manayunk.com Magazine

By Ainsley Maloney

A little over a year ago, as Troy Schoning, 44, and his wife, Melanie, 41, anticipated sending their daughter off to college, they, like many empty nesters, took a step back to re-evaluate what they wanted the next stage of their life to look like.

“We’d already done the McMansion phase—the large brick colonial on a golf course,” Troy explained of suburban life in Columbia, SC. “But there was nothing within walking distance; everything was a drive. Once your kids go off to college, you don’t want to be stuck in the suburbs. My wife and I said, ‘Let’s take a different approach.’”

That approach, the couple decided, meant being able to step out of their front door and walk everywhere they needed to go. It meant finding the perfect home to ‘right-size,’ as Melanie calls it, yet that was spacious enough for their two rescue dogs to roam. Enticed by the accessibility of a city, they began their house hunting in Center City. Yet something was missing—well, two qualities, actually—that they couldn’t put their finger on until they discovered the “neighborhood feel and character” that the historic district of Manayunk had to offer.

“Manayunk has a heartbeat,” says Troy. “It has that small-town charm, yet with a forward-thinking approach. When we’d go to the restaurants on Main Street, we thought it was really cool that the first thing they did was bring out bowls for the dogs before taking orders from the owners. When you go into the bars, it’s relaxed. The people are friendly. We really felt the whole vibe of Manayunk is what we were looking for, with the restaurants, the coffee shops—I mean, where else can you get a cupcake at 1 a.m.? It has such a cool culture.”

Troy and Melanie, who moved into The Cliff Townhomes in November, are part of an emerging demographic of upper-middle class suburbanites, aged 40 and older, eager to free themselves from the high taxes, endless upkeep, and tethered feel of car-pooled suburban living, and who are choosing to settle down in Manayunk over ritzier areas such as Rittenhouse Square or Northern Liberties.

Facilitating the trend, it seems, is the emergence of brand-new luxury condos and townhomes that have been sprouting up along Manayunk’s hilltops over the past two years. These two-to-three bedroom units—with their modern interiors, spacious walk-in closets, and private garages—serve to eradicate any notions of the older homes, cramped spaces, and difficult parking that had deterred this demographic from moving to Manayunk in the past, explained Khara Cartagena, developer of Falcon Condominiums, located on the 3800 block of Terrace Street.

Khara says that her luxury condos and those like it—the 2-to-3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 1,800-2,000 square-foot units—are the perfect size for this demographic, whether it be a couple with one child or empty nesters. For the latter, she suggests the ideal set-up of a three bedroom to be a master bedroom, guest room for visiting in-laws or children, and a den or office in the third space.

Matthew Neducsin, a realtor for The Cooley Group Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, agrees. Matt specializes in new construction and land development and is part of the team behind The Cliffs, modern architecturally designed townhomes along Leverington Avenue. After completing Phase One of The Cliffs, Matt says the demand for even higher end amenities is what led them to design Phase Two, which will include seven more homes on Silverwood Street. In Phase Two they are specifically targeting downsizers by building wider homes with additional features including not two, but four car parking. “When we brand it toward downsizers it’s all about paying closer attention to details like putting the master bedroom on the right floor and adding features like elevators,” he says. “Michelle Cooley has been branding Manayunk for years as a location for downsizers so we are excited to see it now become a reality.”

Once the last of their six children enrolled in college, Lisa Martin and her partner, both in their 50s, moved in April from the Main Line to a freestanding three-story townhome in Manayunk. They enjoyed watching their home being created from the ground up and having a hand in the finishes. “We have amazing views, and that’s one of the main reasons we bought it,” says Lisa of their townhome, which is situated at the top of a hill overlooking Pretzel Park. “We sort of had a joke that if we found a house with a certain set of criteria, we would move.” Gorgeous views? Check. Centrally located? Check. Manayunk is located just 6 miles from her job at Temple University on Broad Street while also being a quick drive to pop in on her friends, parents, and family on the Main Line.

Naturally, a heavily weighted criteria in both Lisa’s and Troy’s decisions involved comparing the price points of Center City condos to similar-sized units in Manayunk—and deciding, without a doubt, that Manayunk offered the best “value for the money.” Lisa explained, “We were looking at places in Fairmont, and we would have had to pay two times the amount” for a similar-sized house. Manayunk’s affordability is a huge draw, agreed Khara. Her condos at Falcon are selling for about $400,000 per unit, or $206 per square foot. Meanwhile, “the exact same space in Northern Liberties would be 30 to 40 percent more—$650,000 without batting an eye,” about $340 per square foot, added Khara, who develops properties in both neighborhoods.

Matt agreed that buyers can get a better value in Manayunk and get great spaces with amazing views that they can’t find on the Main Line or in Center City. Pricier units are here though, Matt adds; Phase Two of The Cliffs will be listed in the higher $600,000’s to lower $700,000’s and Michelle Cooley hit a record high price in Manayunk by selling a home for $899,000, explained Matt. “We are seeing more people who can afford up to a million dollar home,” he says. “These are people who use to live in multimillion dollar homes on the Main Line.”

With such disparate prices, Center City must surely hold some secret perk that Manayunk doesn’t, right? Interestingly, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Newcomers to Manayunk haven’t expressed a single feeling of missing out on city life. If anything, they say, Manayunk offers all of the trendy restaurants, boutique shops, and walkability of Center City—sans the “1-hour waits at three different restaurants on a Friday night,” says Khara. “Although Center City has more, sometimes that means more traffic, more people, more lines. And if you ever wanted a fancy night out, you could easily get into the city via the train.”

For Matt’s buyers it’s all about walkability to Main Street and accessibility to Center City, King of Prussia and the Main Line. His buyers love Manayunk because it has everything they need—shopping and great restaurants—and there’s even more coming with the addition of the new Venice Island Performing Arts & Recreation Center and the opening of the Manayunk Bridge, Matt adds. “I really feel like this is another revival for Manayunk and people are really proud to be a part of the community, it’s the place to be,” he says.

Indeed, the only thing Manayunk appears to be lacking compared to the city’s core, residents are delighted to share, is the crime. “Manayunk is just safer,” Khara explained.  “You don’t get the muggings or shootings that happen in Northern Liberties.” Which is why Lisa can feel safe strolling down to Main Street alone to take a fitness or yoga class, and Troy and his wife can walk home from the movie theater on a Saturday night. “When I was looking at a loft by Rittenhouse Square, I walked out of the place, and it’s like, ‘Got any spare change?’” Troy says. “You just don’t get that stuff in Manayunk.”  

Troy felt such an instant connection to Manayunk that he not only chose to relocate with his family to The Cliffs, but also to base his business, Impress Décor, out of Chimney Hill Properties, both of which are located off of Leverington Street and owned by Neducsin Properties. “It’s our only office in North America, and we chose to do it in Manayunk,” says Troy who is the Director of Sales for North America with the international decorative laminate company.

“The office is super trendy and it’s a loft style. The office has a pulse, in and of itself, which helps get to the emotions of the customers. That’s key. And that’s why in Manayunk, we can walk customers down to Main Street to the restaurants and shops, or within minutes, we can be at the Art Museum. Showing customers around here is a win-win.”

Now, Troy and his wife and best friend of 27 years, lead a more spontaneous and easygoing life where they walk everywhere and have taken advantage of local events, such as the Manayunk Bike Race, and celebrated New Year’s Eve on Main Street at the Manayunk Brewing Company. Within minutes, they can be walking their dogs along the Towpath, a 2-mile path hugging the Canal and Schuylkill River. “We utilize the park system with our dogs, Wissahickon Park and Valley Forge trails.” Each morning, Troy leaves his house and walks a single block to get to work. “It’s a fantastic way of living,” Troy says. “It’s all about quality of life—that’s the key. Without that, you can have the biggest house in the suburbs and what does it matter?”

Ainsley Di Duca is a local freelance writer and is part of our new initiative to get local voices into the Manayunk Magazine. Interested in writing about your community? Email Shannon Geddes at sgeddes@manayunk.org.