On the Market: Roof-top hot tub with skyline views in Queen Village for $1.25 million
On the Market profiles homes for sale in the Philadelphia region.
Jake and Betsy Ramage bought their Queen Village home in winter 2010, excited to be living a few blocks from where Betsy grew up in Society Hill, and knowing that they were looking at nine to 12 months of renovations.
"We gutted the whole thing," Jake said. "We put in all new systems and created a more modern way to live."
The couple brought in David Amburn and the late Jerry Jarosinski to redesign and renovate the four-bedroom home completely.
"Everything was thought about and anticipated," Ramage said.
They installed a laundry room upstairs near the kids' bedrooms and moved the kitchen. They also petitioned for zoning approval for a roof deck.
"I just loved the idea of a roof deck," Ramage said. "At night the city is just beautiful."
At night the home also becomes an ideal spot for entertaining. Ramage said the first floor was designed with a social flow in mind. The garden connects with the open kitchen, making "one giant indoor-outdoor space," Ramage said.
"The roof deck lends itself to good parties," he said. In addition to separate dining and sitting areas, the deck includes an eight-person hot tub imported from Canada that the couple positioned specifically for skyline views.
"You can have the music going and feel the whole city going around you," he said.
Inside, the Ramages borrowed an idea from Betsy's parents, turning the lower level into an in-home movie theater to complement the natural pitch of the floor.
"It's just a whole other level of entertainment," Ramage said.
The home also features a luxury kitchen outfitted with Viking appliances and an island made from marble salvaged from Independence Mall. Two-car parking and inclusion in the Meredith Catchment add to the cachet.
Having built the home exactly to their specifications, the couple expected to stay there for a while. Until Betsy's sister's neighbor agreed to sell her house in Chestnut Hill. Now the couple is moving to Chestnut Hill, where the two families can effectively share two adjacent homes and one large swimming pool.
"I didn't think we'd ever leave Center City," Ramage said. "But this opportunity was really good. Our kids can now play and live next to each other."
The home is currently listed with Jeff "City" Block at Berkshire Hathaway Fox & Roach for $1.25 million.