Rittenhouse Condo Comparison: All in the Eye of the Beholder
Two condos offer the same size at different price points just several blocks from one another
Rittenhouse Square has long been the premier neighborhood in Center City, with its gorgeous architecture, abundance of shopping and dining, and proximity to the business hub of Market West offering just about everything one could hope for. While multi-million-dollar mansions and luxury condos towering above the Square might be what one immediately thinks of from a real estate perspective, there’s a surprising variety of for-sale spots for those looking to make a permanent home in the neighborhood at a lower price point. And today we shall tackle exactly those under-the-radar spots, with a pair of one-bedroom spaces in condo towers jumping onto our radar. Let’s scope out the scene.
While checking out some recent real estate listings, we couldn’t help but notice the similarities between two condos that just hit the market. As such, we thought it might be fun to do a side-by-side comparison of the two properties, breaking down each feature to give as objective of a comparison as we can. One property is a one-bedroom condo at River West Condominiums, Apt 1711 at 2101 Chestnut St., while the other is a one-bedroom condo at Parc Rittenhouse #1105 at 219 S. 18th St. Let’s start from the outside and work our way inwards as we begin our comparison.
While the view at 21st & Chestnut isn’t anything to write home about, Parc Rittenhouse definitely offers a more glamorous exterior, with the handsome design standing out along the park. And having Parc at your front door step is certainly not a bad thing. Advantage here goes to Parc Rittenhouse. Let’s head inside.
The lobbies here offer a wildly different approach, with River West diving into the white marble glamor of 1990s Miami and Parc leaning into a more traditional old school look. While we doubt many will be spending much time in either space, Parc once again gets the nod here.
Both condos offer gym space, and you’d probably believe us if we said both of the above photos were from the same building. Given the almost identical size, look, and equipment, we’re going to say these gym spaces are a tie. Let’s head up to the units, shall we?
The living rooms are quite similar in size and layout, but River West looks to offer a bit more space, along with a much larger window. Both offer what appear to be engineered hardwood floors, but River West gives a bit more room to maneuver. The advantage here goes to River West.
While both kitchens are small, but functional, the updated kitchen at Parc offers much more opportunity for cooking. Not only is the space larger and more updated, the Parc kitchen offers a dishwasher and a microwave, while the River West kitchen leaves you to handwash and heat up leftovers in the oven. This one is a clear win for Parc.
The bedrooms and closets here aren’t exactly spacious, but both are perfectly functional. While neither would be called glamorous, the walk-in closet at Parc could be a deal-sealer for those more sartorially inclined. We’ll give the slightest of edges to Parc Rittenhouse, again.
The bathrooms here are nearly identical, with the same footprint flipped for these full bathrooms, which just scream builder’s grade. This category is very much a tie.
At last, we get to some of the intangibles. The views at River West from inside the unit offer a wonderful Philly skyline look, while the Parc Rittenhouse views look directly at the nearby tower next door. However, Parc does offer some pretty sweet views of the city at the shared pool space - a feature absent from River West. However, River West does offer in-building parking, something absent from Parc’s offerings. Given the pool vs. parking match-up, we’re once again going to call this one a close tie.
So, for those counting at home, the Parc Rittenhouse option won a few more categories than the River West option, though this match-up of approximately 530 sqft spaces was fairly close on the whole. One thing we haven’t mentioned yet at length? Location. While 21st & Chestnut isn’t exactly the outskirts of the metro area, it’s tough to beat the A+ location of a condo directly on Rittenhouse Square in a building that shares a name with a famous restaurant.
And - as you might have imagined - that prime location does indeed come with a premium cost. The condo at River West is currently listed for $170,000, while the Parc Rittenhouse condo is currently $335,000 - almost double for a space of the same size. This goes to show that the “location, location, location” mantra of real estate is very much still true, as even a few blocks can mean twice the price. So, is that park-front location worth the extra bucks, or is the value of having a similar space just a short walk away worth the cost savings? We can’t answer that question for you, but it is certainly an interesting exercise to compare and contrast what is out there so you can make your own decisions moving ahead. You can thank us later.
Parc does have rental and sale parking options in the building. Also important category not mentioned Parc has laundry in the unit vs RW has common coin-op laundry facilities.