GINA & JASON South Philly will always hold a very special place in my heart. I lived in South Philly for fifteen years and my very first home was on the 2400 block of South Juniper Street. The day we moved in, the neighbors came out of the woodwork to welcome us. The warmest and most wonderful neighbors we were delighted to discover, lived right next door. Kathy and Joe Marandola were not only the kind of neighbors who provided that one egg we needed for a last minute recipe when all the stores were closed; they were also the kind of neighbors who helped us haul antique furniture into our house after a weekend of treasure hunting and the kind of neighbors who had our snow-covered sidewalk shoveled before we were even awake. Most importantly they are the kind of neighbors we missed tremendously after we moved.

The Search

When Kathy and Joe’s daughter, Gina and her husband, Jason decided to move back to Gina’s childhood neighborhood, I was enlisted to help. I adored Gina immediately. She was upbeat and bubbly like her mom. Jason was calm and thoughtful and often the voice of reason. We began our search in Packer Park. Gina and Jason had lived for several years in Collegeville and giving up parking was something they were not yet ready to do. A safe neighborhood was a definite, as their adorable daughter, Ella needed a place to play.

The Home

After seeing a lot of homes in disrepair, we ultimately set our sights on an amazing rehabbed property on 10th Street near the stadiums. The home was wider than most and the kitchen was a chef’s masterpiece. It had beautiful hardwood floors, a finished basement and a Master bath. It was a perfect slice of suburbia in the city. Gina, Jason and Ella have done a magnificent job of making the house their home. Their furnishings are modern and comfortable and the home is filled with love. The view of the fireworks at the Phillies Stadium from their back deck is an added plus.

I will always love South Philly and the Marandola family is a big part of that. I still look forward to our yearly visit around Christmas and am welcomed into their home with the promise of wine and great conversation. I am so grateful for the support and friendship of the entire family and am so happy to have been a part of Gina and Jason’s home buying experience.