On the market: Stone Colonial in Elkins Park for $329,900
The half-acre lot is large for Elkins Park, the owner says, and “the house gives you the feeling of being in a natural setting.”
In the 28 years she has lived in her Elkins Park home, Janis Smith has seen the rabbit population go down, and the deer population go up.
She isn’t exactly sure why, but the fact illustrates the open views of the four-bedroom, 3½-bath stone Colonial she shares with husband, Shimon Waldfogel.
The half-acre lot is large for Elkins Park, and “the house gives you the feeling of being in a natural setting,” says Shimon, a hospital psychiatrist.
He is from Israel and was living on a kibbutz there when he met Janis, a Northeast Philadelphia native who was visiting.
“I went over with a backpack and a sleeping bag, and I came back five years later with a husband and two babies,” she says, jokingly.
The couple lived in West Mount Airy from 1985 to 1992 before moving to the Elkins Park Colonial. Janis says they moved largely to be in the Cheltenham School District.
Now, drawn by the growing bustle of downtown Ambler, they plan to move there.
The house, built in 1948, has arched doorways, deep windowsills, random width wood pegged floors, and a brick fireplace.
A family room/great room the couple added has floor-to-ceiling windows, a vaulted ceiling, and a freestanding gas stove.
The formal dining room has a wall of windows framed by original built-ins. The eat-in kitchen has light wood shaker-style cabinets, granite counters, a ceramic tile backsplash, and recessed lights.
The first floor has a powder room and a large mud/laundry room with ample storage space and a driveway that can accommodate six cars.
The second floor has the master bedroom with master bath that has glass-enclosed shower and floor-to-ceiling ceramic tiles, plus two more bedrooms.
The third floor has a bedroom with farmhouse-style built-ins and additional storage space.
With the 2,372-square-foot layout and the large backyard and two separate patio areas, the home is ideally suited for entertaining.
The house has a new central air system, and it is within walking distance of parks and a local playground.
Philadelphia is reachable in less than 20 minutes by regional rail, a half-hour by car.
The house is listed by Yael Milbert of BHHS Fox & Roach-Jenkintown for $329,900.