A few months back, we pointed out a framed out third-story addition at 2017 Carpenter St., taking the shape of an out-of-nowhere bay window. At the time, we stated that it didn’t really seem to fit in with the building or the surroundings, but expressed hope that it would look better once complete. Well, it’s finished, but it doesn’t look a whole lot better than it did before.

In April

The other day

Another angle

Hey, we understand that many modern homebuyers in Philadelphia are looking for more space than a two-story home affords them, and we’re not objecting to third story additions in general, but this is simply an example of questionable taste. The two-story brick building looks like it’s wearing an ugly hat. In this case, a mansard roof could have provided almost as much interior square footage, but could have produced a more aesthetically pleasing effect. It’s just a shame.

Meanwhile, just a few doors down, 2009 Carpenter St. is also undergoing a renovation. According to public record, the property hasn’t changed hands since 1985, so it’s possible that the owner is simply repairing a damaged facade. On the other hand, the facade didn’t look all that bad before, so we’re guessing that a developer is doing work here and that the transaction just hasn’t shown up yet on public record. We’ll keep an eye here and let y’all know if anything interesting is taking place. Hopefully, the new facade won’t take aesthetic cues from the addition at 2017 or the newish duplex next door.

In the past

Shot of the plywood that's replaced the recently demoed facade