Dear Mother, what’s between Allegheny West and East Falls? Well, come to Paradise! Now that the painful pop-punk pun is thankfully over, we are here to discuss the Paradise area, perhaps more familiar as the area bounded by Ridge, Allegheny and Hunting Park Ave., wedged in between those aforementioned neighborhoods. This triangular nook has become a bit of an entity unto itself, being physically cut-off by much of its surroundings thanks to cemeteries and infrastructure. But that doesn’t mean that this area isn’t teeming with interest, as the video below does a wonderful job of summarizing.

But history isn’t the only thing that’s drawing us to the area, as there has been a recent development boom, especially on the western edge of the area. We were lucky to get a tour of the action from the fine folks at Argo Property Group, who have several projects in the works amongst some others that are beginning to transform the feel of the area. We’ll start our journey at a Pave Rox Development project at 4001 Ridge Ave., which is technically across the street in East Falls. This 27-unit building designed by Morrissey required a zoning variance for its apartments-over-retail-and-22-parking-spaces approach, and it’s looking like a lovely gateway to East Falls where the Catfish Cafe once graced the corner. There’s no active retail tenant yet, but this would be a prime spot for yet another cafe to continue the Catfish legacy.

As you continue south, two small multi-family buildings, both originally developed by Argo, are adding some density to Ridge. 3919 Ridge Ave. was a shell of a rowhouse before, but will soon bring six white-brick, traditionally inspired units designed by Canno. Steps to the south at 3915 Ridge Ave., a DesignBlendz look with eight units was completed a couple years back and is currently managed by Mega Property Group.

Jumping a block south across from Laurel Hill Cemetery’s gates (which are receiving a multi-million-dollar refresh), is another Argo/Canno combo. Dubbed the Laurel Ridge Estates, these gray-brick structures at 3883 Ridge Ave. will offer 21 three-bed/3.5-bath homes with parking once all of the phases are complete. The brickwork here is the star, with Canno once again utilizing creative patterns to turn a standard rowhouse massing into something that stands out along this major thoroughfare, with these for-sale homes coming in at a shade under $600K. Just next door at 3801 Ridge Ave., a second phase will add another 22 homes to the fold.

Jumping a few steps off Ridge is Clearfield Court at 3422-32 W. Clearfield St., where eight duplexes and a ten-unit apartment are underway. This also comes to us from Argo/Canno, with this design taking a more traditional red-brick approach for these two- and three-bedroom spots. The look is still contemporary, while continuing to provide texture and depth that pairs nicely with the existing homes all around.

At 3120 N. 34th St., we come to a project we last visited back in Summer 2021, where a one-story building was to be replaced by six unique townhomes. Previously called Zero Six, the realities of the pandemic led to some necessary shifts in plans, with architect BrightCommon‘s eco-forward design sadly getting adjusted for cost reasons. However, these buildings – now called West Alley Row – are still completely eye-catching in their current state, offering one of the boldest designs we can remember, along with parking across these four stories.

At 3430 W. Westmoreland St., we come to the very aptly named Paradise Peak. Yet another project we visited in Summer 2021, these 24 townhouses are another Argo/Canno venture, and are almost complete. We got to take a look at the modern, open-floor plans of these three-bedroom homes with parking, with one of the bi-level units currently available for $525K. We are also loving the landscaping and trees here, making these brand-new homes seem like they’re part of the neighborhood already.

The last of the rowhome projects from Argo is the three house Westmoreland Row, which brings a trio of three-bed/3.5-bath homes with parking to this little corner of the block. Designed by 24/7 Design Group, these are also listed for sale, with prices starting once again near the $600K mark for these handsome new homes.

Our last stop today is a major switch-up from the previous projects. At 3417 W. Indiana Ave., Main Street Development is working with Morrissey on a much larger mixed-use project: 176 units, 74 parking spaces, and several commercial spaces according to the Civic Design Review submission though various sources have various unit counts. One number that stood out to us: $45.6 million, which was the construction loan amount for this project. Needless to say, this is a major investment in an area that had seen very little until just recently.

Want to throw in some additional speculation? Main Street Development’s website also has some conceptual renderings for the lot across the street at 3402 W. Indiana Ave., teasing that 130 more units and two additional commercial spaces could join the fold.

Quite the journey, wouldn’t you say? Hundreds of units of any size you could think of are quickly coming to this increasingly interesting neighborhood. The additional commercial spaces will continue to energy to this spot, which would further put this on the radar for a wide variety of homebuyers and renters. And if you’re looking for additional information, Argo is hosting a brokers open walking tour of the area on June 20th, so there’s still a chance to grab your own little piece of Paradise.