Lawrenceville row house on market for $239,900
Cara Delestienne didn’t want to sell her row house in Lower Lawrenceville.
“They made me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” she says. “I got recruited for a job [in Florida] and just couldn’t pass it up.”
So she has put the 1870s threestory house at 247 Cobalt Way on the market for $239,900 (MLS No. 1488465) with Georgann
Koumaros of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices (412-274-7712 or www.thepreferredrealty.com).
The red-brick row house has two bedrooms, one bathroom and a very popular location.
“I bought it for a number of
reasons — one because I wanted to be in Lawrenceville where you can come home from work, park your car for the night and go out,” Delestienne said.
She noted the many restaurants and bars within walking distance of Butler Street. She also said Lower Lawrenceville is safe and quieter than other parts of the Pittsburgh neighborhood. The other reason she bought this house is the kitchen: She loves to cook.
In addition to a nice-sized ”kitchen triangle” where nothing is more than a few steps away, its 5-year-old stainless-steel appliances include a built-in double oven, a microwave, a dishwasher, a refrigerator and a gas stovetop. Butcher-block counter tops add a woodsy note to the white cabinets and subway tile backsplash. Pops of color come from a bright red door with a stained-glass transom.
Delestienne painted the decorative fireplaces in metallic shades. The living room fireplace is two tones of silver that complement the birchwood accent wall and ceramic tile flooring.
The first-floor bathroom is all white and chrome with touches of black in the flooring and the large framed mirror. Subway tile is in the shower and there are large drawers for storage beneath the single sink.
“I liked the character of the place — not cookie-cutter,” Delestienne said. “It’s a good size for me. Plus, on Saturdays, I’d walk down to the Strip [District], get my exercise and my Bloody Mary.”
Upstairs, the master bedroom measures 14 by 13 feet and other one is 12 by 11 feet. Each has a decorative fireplace, one painted gold, the other steel.
The third floor could be used as a third bedroom or a sizable home office. Two dormers bring in lots of light and add architectural interest.
In 2017, Delestienne replaced the composition shingle roof and had central airconditioning installed.
“Outside the kitchen door is a small patio area — big enough for a table and chairs, nice, quiet and secluded back there,” she said.
The neighbors on one side have installed lattice and are growing vines so it will stay private.
The house also has a Pittsburgh favorite, a breezeway that runs along one side of the house and has doors at the front and back, by the patio. It’s a great, secure place to store bikes, patio furniture or a kayak.
There is on-street parking only but Delestienne says
that’s never been an issue as her house is the only one on Cobalt Way. Parishioners at the nearby church, part of Our Lady of the Angels Parish, don’t compete for parking most of the time, she said.
Over the past five years, houses on neighboring streets have sold for an average price of $320,000. The property’s Allegheny County assessment is $123,000 (www2.alleghenycounty.
GeneralInfo.aspx?).
“I lived in Mt. Lebanon, Dormont and Bethel Park but this is my favorite house,” said Delestienne.