Putting down roots
Cooper Lee Kidd bought his first home, in East Mount Airy, one day before his 30th birthday and has made it his own.
After living in small apartments in Queen Village and Rittenhouse Square, Cooper Lee Kidd was ready to start shopping for his first home.
The Washington, D.C., native, who works in banking and volunteers for the Philly Goat Project, wanted more indoor space and more yard for gardening and entertaining friends. He purchased his home one day before his 30th birthday.
“This is the first house that we saw,” Kidd said on an autumn afternoon. The light from his living room window highlighted a strand of his purple hair. “I looked at another one, a rowhouse in South Philly, but it was literally sinking into the ground. We came back to this one.”
The 900-square-foot rowhouse, nestled near the end of the block in East Mount Airy, was thoughtfully designed, he said. The home, outfitted with hardwood floors, tall ceilings, and lots of natural light, felt less cookie-cutter and industrial than the many other houses he saw online. Most important, he said, it was located in a progressive neighborhood with a strong sense of community.
“I wanted to be very intentional about moving to the area. I didn’t want to live in a neighborhood that was all white. It’s also very economically diverse and that was very important to me,” he said. “Plus, you are near public transportation. You are near nature. There is so much happening here.”
In the front room, a large ornate mantel anchors the space. A decorative leaded glass door leads to a cozy porch. He painted the porch black and decorated it with a pride flag and corn that he grew in the backyard.
A steep set of stairs divides the living room and adjacent dining room, which like other areas of the home are decorated with Kidd’s photography, including images from his trips to Zion National Park, Assateague Island, and Chicago. Rustic wooden doors lead to a bathroom, which used to be a closet, and to the basement. The dining room boasts decorative tile, a large cabinet, and dining table.
“The previous owner left a lot of furniture. He got out of here very fast,” Kidd said. The owner, who moved out of the country, left the dining room cabinet, the TV stand, a bed frame, and even a French sports car that he tried to sell to Kidd.
Kidd didn’t buy the car, but he was grateful for the furniture. “It’s very expensive to furnish a home.”
In the back of the rowhouse, the spacious L-shaped kitchen came with oak cabinets, concrete countertops, and a dishwasher. While he’s not a huge fan of the countertops, Kidd said he was grateful for the upgrades.
“When I was in Rittenhouse, I had to wash dishes in the bathtub,” he said.
Double doors lead to a quaint deck, wooden pergola, and postage-stamp yard.
This past summer, Kidd spent some free time growing broccoli, kale, tomatoes, and native plants, purchased from local business Good Host Plants. It had taken weeks to clean out the trash that the previous owner had left in the yard.
“I had never gardened before,” Kidd said. “I grew up in a normal suburban home. My parents gardened. I don’t think my brother and I were interested at the time.”
Kidd attended the University of Maryland for his undergraduate degree in sociology. He went on to work for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for several years, studying HIV in adolescents, before the grant funding his work was cut. He then returned to graduate school at the University of Maryland. In 2022, he started his current job in banking and finance.
He uses the second bedroom upstairs as his office. Painted a moody hunter green, the office is outfitted with built-in bookcases and a charming pocket door.
The front bedroom faces a historic cemetery. The open space provides for a nice view.
“The Realtor joked that I could commune with my ancestors,” he said. “But you get a really nice sunrise and sunset. There’s no obstruction.”
Kidd is grateful the city and neighborhood even has affordable and attainable homes for someone his age.
“This home feels very cozy, so much more than the apartments. It feels like mine.”
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