Sunlight shines through three stained glass windows and the brick frame is adorned with a concrete cross above the front door at Matthew’s Lofts on the South Side.
The building, once a convent part of the former St. Matthews Church that closed in 1992, has been transformed into two condominiums. Three structures — the convent, rectory and school — form Enclave at St. Matthews, which has seven other condominiums.
The street level condo in the former convent, which includes a fully-finished basement, is available for $349,999.
Located at 1817 Mary St., the unit for sale has three bedrooms and two and one half baths in 1,760 square feet.
There is plenty of natural light. Granite counter tops in the kitchen include an island. All of the appliances are updated, including a gas stove. The flooring throughout most of the space is oak.
The light fixtures are dimmable. It has high ceilings and whole house audio speaker system.
“It has such a nice open floor plan,” said Ammy Chau, sales associate for Howard Hanna Real Estate. “I really like this place.”
There is a covered patio, a side walkway and gated parking for one vehicle. A gym and common area are available for all tenants in a nearby building.
There are two bedrooms on the first floor, including the primary bedroom, which has an en suite bathroom. A third bedroom is in the basement with a large closet.
A washer and dryer are housed in a separate room.
“People really like condominium living because there isn’t a lot of maintenance or landscaping,” Chau said. “Some people like it when they are starting out and others like it when they are downsizing.”
Chau said the location is attractive because it’s close to SouthSide Works, the various bicycle trails and is walking distance to restaurants, bars, coffee shops and stores. It’s also minutes from Downtown Pittsburgh.
“It’s far enough away from Carson Street to be quiet, but close enough to riverfront trails where you can bike, run or walk and near a park where you can hike,” said Barbara Rudiak, president of the South Side community council. “It’s very convenient. I have a car, but I rarely use it. There is public transportation. There are so many reasons to live here.”
Chau is planning an open house from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on March 5.
