We really enjoy a good pierogi, and perhaps the best in town are made Czerw’s Kielbasy in Port Richmond. This family business has been operating out of a storefront on Tilton Street since the late 1930s, and apparently makes a pretty good kielbasa too. Unfortunately for us, the secret is out about this place and it’s not so easy to get pierogi anymore- per their website: DUE TO THE OVERWHELMING DEMAND FOR OUR IN-HOUSE, HANDMADE PIEROGI, WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING PRE-ORDERS… PIEROGI WILL BE AVAILABLE EACH MORNING ON A LIMITED BASIS FOR SALE IN THE STORE. Serious stuff. Right before the new year, we were motivated to get our hands on some tasty treats from this neighborhood institution, and when we were on our way, we noticed some colorful pilot houses just down the block.

Making a business trip of it, we circled around to the 3300 block of Salmon Street to see the other side of this seemingly new development. Before we got there, we happened to notice a row of homes that were built on the block maybe half a decade ago.

Finally, we arrived at 3330 Salmon St., a property that was previously a vacant lot. Now, Paiz Construction has built a row of five new homes, and they’re memorializing the neighborhood’s ship building history by calling the project “The Shipyard.” These homes certainly don’t fit in with the surrounding architecture- they honestly don’t fit in with any architecture anywhere in town. But we’d argue that this is a good thing! Most new construction just looks like other new construction- these homes are contemporary and playful, and definitely catch the eye. Already, four of the homes are sold, and the last one is currently listed for $439K.

We’re impressed at the prices that these homes are selling for considering they’re almost two blocks past Allegheny Avenue. Most of the construction activity we’ve seen in Port Richmond has centered around the Richmond Street corridor, so it’s surprising to see what we’d consider to be premium Port Richmond prices this far into the neighborhood. Maybe it’s the fact that the homes have parking, maybe it’s the fact that the parking is in the back and allows for traditional row home layouts. Perhaps it’s the proximity of outstanding pierogi that make these homes worth a little more. We’d also posit, however, that the colorful facades played a significant role in getting these homes sold, and at strong prices.