ADDRESS: 2220 Green Street (runs from Green to Brandywine). Land footprint: 4790 sq. ft.,Int. Sq. Footage: 7524 sq. ft. Reportedly up for possible sale in September.
TAXES: $6600 a year for real estate tax.
ASKING PRICE: However much money it takes to stay free and quash the shame.
AMENITIES: Property has an elevator, shooting range, gold plated ceiling, weather reading instrumentation on the roof, borders up next to the Pink Sisters for Christ’s sake. Also comes complete with an enormous black iron fence, two stone eagle statues at the front steps, and all the gaudy South Philly Christmas decorations you could possibly want. Seriously. Every year, Vince Fumo (present owner) shuts the street down, brings out an ENORMOUS cherry picker, and drops four or five of these five foot tall illuminated angels in his front yard.
NEIGHBORHOOD HISTORY: “Spring Garden” used to be an industrialist success story of conspicuous consumption. Fell on hard times during the 50s or 60s through the 70s up until about 10 years ago, when whites with money started moving in. Now you can’t park anywhere, shit is WAAAAAAAAAAY over-valued, and it’s entirely populated with all the little twitty professionals you could ever want to cast aspersions upon, if not water ballons. The neighborhood conscientiously separates itself from Fairmount, it must be noted, as “Spring Garden.”
CAVEAT: Fumo’s place, though, is NOTHING compared to the Bergdoll Mansion on the Northwest corner of 22nd and Green. That place is worthy of the Vanderbilts. Lots of homes in the area have servant’s quarters, kitchens in the basement for said servants to cook up some din din, dumb waiters, and sub-basements, for god’s sake. Now the homes have been divided into studio apartments (for modern day servants), no kitchens whatsoever, for very educated waiters and yuppies.
[Photo credit: Michael Branscom/City Paper, "Castle Fumo," Oct. 17, 1996]

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 27th, 2007 at 1:08 pm.