What You Get for $600,000
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Alexandria, Va. | $600,000
A stone cottage built in 1949, with two bedrooms and one bathroom, on a 0.2-acre lot
With its narrow streets lined with Colonial-era buildings and the restaurants along the Potomac River, Old Town Alexandria is popular with tourists and locals alike. This house is a few miles from the historic neighborhood — close enough to enjoy the amenities, but far enough to avoid the traffic. It is less than a half-mile from the wooded trails of the Civil War-era Fort Williams Park and a five-minute drive from the shopping on Duke Street, which includes a Giant supermarket and several pharmacies. The King Street-Old Town Metrorail Station is 10 minutes away by car; from there, the train takes commuters into Washington in about 20 minutes.
Size: 1,404 square feet
Price per square foot: $427
Indoors: A small, paved patio sits directly in front of the bright blue door in the center of the house’s stone facade. The door opens directly into an open living area with a wood-burning fireplace, a bay window and parquet floors that continue into a dining area.
Around the corner is a kitchen with stainless-steel Bosch appliances, quartz countertops and room for a breakfast table. Off one side of the space is a laundry room.
A short corridor leads from the living room to the primary bedroom, which has another street-facing bay window and a sizable closet. Next door is a home office that could also serve as a nursery, with a wall of built-in bookshelves and cabinets. Also on this side of the house is a full bathroom with a new vanity and a combination tub and shower with the original tile.
Across the hall from the primary bedroom is a staircase that leads to the second floor, where there is another bedroom and a cozy sitting room with wood paneled walls and sloped ceilings.
Outdoor space: The property has a deep backyard with a storage shed and room for play and sports equipment, as well as a garden. The one-car garage sits to the right of the house, behind the driveway, which has room to park at least five cars.
Taxes: $5,556 (estimated)
Contact: Sue Goodhart, The Goodhart Group, Compass, 703-362-3221; thegoodhartgroup.com
Credit…Kory Johnson for Lenihan Sotheby’s International Realty
Louisville, Ky. | $599,900
A 1915 bungalow with four bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms, on a 0.1-acre lot
This house is in Crescent Hill, home in the mid-19th century to a nearly 40-acre fairground and known today for its quiet streets and charming bungalows. It is few blocks from Crescent Hill Reservoir, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, thanks in part to its Gothic-style gatehouse. The streets surrounding the reservoir are popular with runners and dog walkers.
Frankfort Avenue, the neighborhood’s main thoroughfare, is five minutes away, with restaurants serving barbecue, hot chicken and baked goods. Nearby schools include a public elementary school and an all-girls Catholic high school.
Size: 2,684 square feet
Price per square foot: $224
Indoors: A simple paved path leads from the sidewalk to the covered front porch, where a door opens into a living room with street-facing windows, a fireplace and refinished hardwood floors. Just off this space is a powder room.
Beyond the living room is a windowed dining room with a midcentury-style light fixture and a door to the kitchen, which has a center island, stainless-steel appliances, granite counters and sliding-glass doors that open to a deck.
The primary bedroom is on this level, off the kitchen. The bedroom has view of the backyard; the en suite bathroom has a walk-in shower lined with subway tile.
Across from this bedroom are two sets of stairs: One leads down to the finished basement; the other, up to the second floor.
At the top of the stairs is a guest room with a window overlooking the street; next door is another bedroom. At the far end of the hall is a third guest room with an arched window facing the backyard. These bedrooms share a bathroom off the main hall, with a granite-topped double vanity and ample cabinet space.
The finished basement, on the lowest level, has carpeted floors and enough room to serve several functions: The sellers use it as a media room, exercise space and home office.
Outdoor space: The wood deck was built in 2018, and has a gas grill hookup and space for not only a grill, but also an outdoor dining table. From the deck, steps lead down to the backyard, where a paved patio looks toward the property’s mature trees and flower beds.
Taxes: $6,600 (estimated)
Contact: Andrew Beckman, Lenihan Sotheby’s International Realty, 502-298-9961; sothebysrealty.com
St. Louis | $599,900
A two-bedroom, two-bathroom penthouse in a circa-1900 factory converted into condominiums
In the early 20th century, this building was a shirt-making factory, one of a number of factories in this part of the city. Converted into condominiums, the building now has 30 units, including this one, at the penthouse level.
The neighborhood is walkable, with the America’s Center Convention Complex and the bars, restaurants and nightlife that surround it a few blocks away. Enterprise Center, home to the St. Louis Blues, the city’s N.H.L. team, and a series of parks along Market Street are little more than a half-mile away.
Size: 3,253 square feet
Price per square foot: $184
Indoors: This unit’s front door opens into a foyer with polished concrete floors and a view of the wide-open living area, which has ceilings with exposed beams and ductwork.
Off the foyer is a bathroom with a stall shower and a pedestal sink. To the immediate right is a dining-and-sitting area with black walls illuminated by sconces with Edison-style bulbs. Facing the dining area is a kitchen with light wood cabinets and stone counters.
Another, larger sitting area is set next to an exposed-brick wall. Built into a corner, on a platform, is a full-size bar and a wall of wine storage. Glass doors open to a balcony overlooking the city.
A wall in the main sitting area sets off the bedroom on this level, which has a walk-in closet and city views. The en suite bathroom has a green-and-white tiled shower and separate bathtub.
Metal stairs rise from the center of the living space to a mezzanine that the seller uses as a home office.
From the landing just below the mezzanine, stairs lead to the primary bedroom on the second floor, which has access to the roof deck and enough space for a king-size bed, a sofa and a desk.
Outdoor space: The balcony on the main level is big enough to hold chairs and a small table. The roof deck upstairs offers sweeping views of St. Louis, and has room for a full suite of outdoor furniture and a barbecue. The unit comes with two dedicated parking spaces.
Taxes: $3,456 (estimated), plus a $453 monthly homeowner association fee
Contact: Christopher Thiemet, The Christopher Thiemet Team, Circa Properties, 314-412-0654; circastl.com
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