The Touraine, Apartments in Center City, Philadelphia, PA

Welcome to HISTORIC LANDMARKS FOR LIVING. Located on a picturesque street, midway between the refined brownstones and elegant high-rises of Rittenhouse Square and the revitalized entertainment district, Avenue of the Arts, The Touraine stands tall as the epitome of sophistication in the heart of Center City. Built in 1917 by renowned architect, Frederick Webber, as a grand hotel, Historic Landmarks purchased the building in 1982 and took painstaking care to preserve the charm, sophistication, and architectural integrity of an earlier era while creating an extraordinary community of 131 distinctive residences. From the marble tiled lobby with its elegant chandeliers to the fluted columns and pediment doorways, from the wide-open hallways to the authentic French doors, few residences can equal the splendor of The Touraine. Many of the studio, one, two, three, and four bedroom apartments feature decorative fireplaces with hand-carved mantels, oak floors, custom moldings, European gourmet kitchens, ceramic tile baths, and an abundance of space. The location of The Touraine is equally impressive, just steps from the fine shops of Rittenhouse Row and Liberty Place. An appetizing array of restaurants, theaters, cultural attractions, and the many services and conveniences of center city's business district are virtually outside your door, as well as major public transportation. For your added comfort and convenience, Historic Landmarks provides professional management, a 24-hour front desk, and a uniformed doorman.

Heat

A/C

Cold water

Sewer

Trash removal

Basic cable-ready

High speed Internet access available for an additional fee

Studios, 1, 2, 3 and 4 bedrooms

1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3.5 baths

Living area in all apartments

Dining room in select apartments

Resident storage area in the basement

Eat In or Separate Kitchen with Gas Range

Refrigerator

Dishwasher

Garbage disposal

Individually controlled central air conditioning and heating

Washer/dryer in most apartments

Hardwood floors in some apartments

Wall-to-wall carpeting in most apartments

Walk-in closets in most apartments

24 hour lobby deskman and doorman

24 hour emergency maintenance

On site property management

Authentic French doors in most apartments

Fireplace mantles in most apartments

Wheelchair accessible

Sorry, no pets allowed.

Imagine the center of central Philadelphia in the early 1900's. The business community was booming. A growing economy and a new era of prosperity was becoming increasingly evident in the construction of majestic banks and office buildings along Broad Street and its neighboring streets to the east and west. Grand hotels like the Bellevue Stratford, Ritz Carlton, Walton, along with residential hotels and elegant apartment houses dotted the area, interspersed with rows of refined brownstones. Merchants flourished. New theaters and vaudeville houses like the Forrest, Schubert, Erlanger and Locust thrived. Downtown Philadelphia was the center of commerce, culture, entertainment, influence and affluence in those heady days.

In 1917, on quiet treelined Spruce Street, just a block west of Broad, renowned architect, Frederick Webber, was hired to design an elegant hotel at 1520 Spruce, next to the towering landmark, Drake Hotel. Webber drew his inspiration from the glorious midrise hotels of Chicago and New York's Park Avenue. His 13-story design featured a porte cochere entranceway, a distinctive architectural detail that has virtually vanished from the landscape of today's Philadelphia. The lobby was small and elegant, rather than overstated or overwhelming. Webber's plan called for marble-tiled floors, fluted columns, sparkling crystal chandeliers, pediment doorways-design details that have stood the test of time and were incorporated into The Touraine's new life as a luxury apartment building.

Other dramatic details have been retained from The Touraine's earliest days. Incredibly wide hallways and handfinished mouldings in common areas remain. Working fireplaces with original hand- carved mantels, hardwood oak floors, authentic French doors and leaded glass windows offer a level of sophistication that you'll find in very few luxury apartment buildings today. Historic Landmarks preserved the best of the past and complemented them with a host of luxury features when it acquired the property in 1983.

Today you'll find spacious, captivating floorplans to appeal to your sense of style. Add to the original design details such luxuries as a European-style gourmet kitchen, ceramic tile bath, plush wall-to-wall carpeting, oversized rooms and you have a lifestyle that is second to none.

The Touraine offers all the elegance, all the quality, all the comforts you'd expect living in a landmark. Come experience a lifestyle that towers above the rest, in a building that has no equal in Philadelphia.

Elegantly appointed Lobby

Front desk concierge service

Street parking. Parking in lots available for an additional fee.

Less than 5 minutes to Routes 76, 476 and 95.

4 blocks to SEPTA train via Suburban Station. 1 block to Broad Street subway line. Walking distance to many Center City bus routes.