Cantina Dos Segundos is an awesome addition to Northern Liberties !

My wife Stephanie and I took a break from our workaholic schedule and the craziness of the philadelphia real estate market to enjoy dinner at Cantina Dos Segundos (otherwise knows as the restaurant that replaced Azure ) at 931 N 2nd St - see google map.

What a treat ! We used to go to Azure at least once a week so we were very sad and disappointed when Azure closed. We just figured that the new restaurant would be the run of the mill Mexican joint. We were pleasantly suprised !

We were started with delicious nachos and salsa - very fresh and appealing - was a great way to break in with a drink. Stephanie really enjoyed her red wine ! We ordered mini octopus for an appetizer and carne asada for an entre. Both dishes were delicious - we were in heaven !

The service was superb and the atmosphere was a delight. We found out from our server that the name stood for "2 seconds" and it was the 2nd Cantina (first one is in South Philly) and of course it is on 2nd St (in Northern Liberties) If you have not gone as yet, we would highly recommend it ! Below are some of the photos of the evening !

Our Azure Blues are officially over (it took awhile) !

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Finally, a local hardware store in Northern Liberties !

Stephanie and I love to shop and support the local businesses where we live in Northern Liberties. Today instead of going to our usual locksmith's store to get keys made we popped by Metro Home and Hardware, in Northern Liberties at 618-20 N Front St - see google map.

We met Ben, the owner who is the store's sole employee during store hours on Monday through Friday from 8 am to 6 pm, Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm and Sunday 10 am to 3 pm. Wow - this guy must be a workaholic (like us) ! The store is awesome and large. He has every possible item that one would need from a local hardware store. He also does repair service for screens, windows, lamps, small appliances, sharpening and of course keys are made. Ben's phone for the store is 215-238-0600.

Most of the other neighborhoods in the area have a hardware store such as the one that has been in Old City for decades. This is a great addition to Northern Liberties to finally have a local hardware store !

We strongly recommend checking it out ! Below are a few photos of the exterior of the store.

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A Slow Market - how to strategize ?

We held 2 open houses in Northern Liberties today. We helped coordinate an open house blitz with other offices. The whole neighborhood was alive with open houses - basically if your realtor did not take advantage of this, you might want to fire them since every house was pretty much open today !

But wait a minute ... did it really matter ? I have not seen open house traffic this slow in a long time. Were the buyers just taking the day off ? Gearing up for the Phillies ? Maybe still paralyzed by the doom and gloom of the media ? (See Gag the media ? Or Hang the DJ ?) .

Is this a sign of things to come ? A crawl into spring ? Or look deeper - what it is is a sign of and a reminder that for the properties that will sell should be priced below market, show super well and have a prominent realtor market and advertise everywhere (all over the internet - not just the MLS) !

As far as realtors are concerned, those realtors that are web savvy and are ahead of the curve from an internet marketing standpoint will continue to prosper and gain market share in this challenging envirnonment.

If you are a seller thinking about listing with a professional realtor, make sure your realtor is ahead of the curve from a web marketing standpoint and knows the market inside and out !

If you are a buyer, get out there, find a strong buyers agent and get yourself a great deal ! Northern Liberties was ranked in the top 15 neighborhoods to purchase in the United States so that is a great place to start !!!

The traffic may be slow until spring... what do you think ? How slow is your market ? And what are you doing to take advantage of it ?

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If you are a buyer or seller in Northern Liberties or Philadelphia seeking realtor representation or have a question about our market, contact Chris and Stephanie Somers at thesomersteam@yahoo.com .

NORTHERN LIBERTIES OPEN HOUSE TOUR ON 10/19 1 to 3 FROM THE SOMERS TEAM

Please join us on Sunday from 1 - 3 at the following open houses in Northern Liberties. Each of these properties are unique and are in terrific locations within Northern Liberties.

122 W Laurel St - 3br/2.5 baths $350,000

737 N 2nd St - Unit 1 2br/1ba $317,500

1136 Oneil - 3 br / 1ba -roofdeck - $315,000

122 W Laurel - $350,000

This is a completely rebuilt 3 story, bright and sunny corner row property in the heart of Northern Liberties with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. The large finished basement has ceramic tile flooring and 2 windows for plenty of light plus a storage area. Bamboo hard wood flooring runs throughout the entire home. The 1st floor offers a spacious living room with open dining area, a beautiful eat in kitchen, deep set sunken windows, a laundry room, powder room and access to the fenced in rear patio.

There is exposed brick on each floor. The 2nd level offers 2 bedrooms with a master bath and hall bath and the 3rd floor is one room with 2 bright dormer windows. There is plenty of closet space throughout. Everything is new from the custom cabinets, granite counters, HVAC system, electric, roof, and alarm system. Exquisite details and craftmanship throughout. There is a 10 yr tax abatement. Enjoy all the restaurants, coffee shops and Liberty Lands Park just one block away ! House across the stree just sold for $450,000

737 N 2nd St, Unit 1 - $317,500

Welcome to this wonderful 1st floor, 2 bedroom, 1 bath condo in the best location in Northern Liberties, the corner of 2nd and Brown! The condo is the entire first floor of a three story building, with its own private entrance. The condo was originally known as a garment factory (Garden Looms) and it is zoned for live and work. This space has 10.5 foot ceilings, exposed duct work and a very modern feel. Since it is a corner building, there are many windows providing tons of natural light. The kitchen has modern stainless steel appliances and solid wood cabinets.

There are honey colored bamboo floors throughout, with the exception of the tiled bathroom. The condo is 1125 square feet, with generously sized rooms and an open floor plan. The master bedroom has a walk-in closet. Additionally there is an enormous 500 square foot private basement, which is unfinished but is heated/AC. The unit also features a full sized washer and dryer. The condo fee is only 160/mo!

1136 Oneil

You must see this bright and charming 3 bedroom home with a fabulous roof deck! Located in Northern Liberties and only a stone's throw to Liberties Walk. This 3 story home has a completely remodeled interior with features including solid hardwood floors in the living room, granite kitchen counters w/ breakfast bar, stainless Whirlpool appliances, large modern tiled bath with Whirlpool tub, Mohen and Kohler brand fixtures, and ceiling fans throughout. There is a tall basement with natural light, a subpump, a new 50 gallon hot water heater, space for storage, and a laundry area. There is a 3 ton central air system as well. The 2nd floor has a nice office space with a window, the large hall bath, and a large master bedroom filled with natural light. The 3rd floor has 2 bedrooms and a pull down staircase in the hall that leads to the roof deck. The deck has an amazing view of the city and is made from Trex wood (no maintenance). Wired for cable, phone, updated electric and plumbing and so much more! Welcome all !

Northern Liberties

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Below are the top 15 areas that Business Week highlights as the top real estate buying opportunties in up-and-coming neighborhoods !

Business Week Article

The article highlights a specific neighborhood within each city. The premis of the article is to watch where the artists are living now. Being that Stephanie and I live in one of the sections - Northern Liberties in Philadlephia - we can certainly attest to the thriving culture. We have great restaurants, coffee shops, artists and galleries and great new construction all around us. Further, the trend has moved north to Old Kensington as well which is one of our favourite investment areas and real estate opportunities in all of Philadelphia.

Enjoy the list below !

1. Atlanta, GA

2. Austin, TX

3 Boston, MA

4. Chicago, IL

5. Los Angeles, CA

6. Miami, FL

7. Minneapolis, MN

8. Brooklyn, NY

9. Philadelphia, PA - Northern Liberties - Our home !

10. Portland, OR

11. Durhan, NC

12. San Francisco, CA

13. Seattle, WA

14. Shreveport, LA

15. Washington DC

If interested in buying or selling in the thriving Philadelphia market, contact Chris and Stephanie Somers.

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