Sometimes we wax nostalgic on Naked Philly, when a listing, neighborhood, or random thought triggers a rush in our ever-active brain. That’s just what happened when we came across a listing for a spot that basically screams bachelor pad. And while we never did have a bachelor pad of our own, we do have very strong recollections of sleeping on various couches up and down the Northeast Corridor back in the day. Which – if you’ll humor us for another couple sentences – brings us to 1324 Locust St. today.

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An aerial of 1324 Locust St.
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A closer look at the Arts Condominium building, just steps from Avenue of the Arts

We actually wrote up the interesting history of this site and building back in 2012, talking through the intriguing past of a property that was formerly the Sylvania Hotel. But onto the couch! As for that listing above, we bring you to unit #429. This unit is small – very small, in fact, to the tune of 321 sqft all told, though it’s absolutely packed with high-end features. Two of those features are extremely prominent in the living room, where art from Sky Neon Signs and a massive 86″ TV dominate the space. And we do mean dominate, as the custom TV that comes with the unit is actually wider than the queen mattress included in the pullout couch. The dark walls, marble floors, quartz island, lavish kitchen and bathroom hardware complete the look, creating something of a dude-jewel box in the heart of Center City.

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No mistaking where you are upon entry
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A look from the opposite side of the unit shows the entire layout
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A queen pullout takes up most of the living room
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A two-burner stove, a small dishwasher and a fancy (if shallow) sink-faucet combo
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The moody, refined look continues into the bathroom

If you’re OK with sleeping on the couch for the foreseeable future, this might be the spot for you, and all for just a shade under $200K. We joke, but this isn’t a terrible deal for a completely updated unit a few minutes from Rittenhouse, Center City, the Gayborhood and more. But let’s not forget about the HOA fees, which would add another $500 or so per month, or the fact that similarly sized units on higher floors in this very same building are available now for $85K. So, if you’re open to a little customization – and perhaps a little less neon directly over where you sleep – you can conceivably buy a piece of the action in the heart of it all for just a few bucks more than $1,000/month. Even the couch-surfing version of our younger self could get behind something like that.