The Renaissance Continues
Renaissance Estates, a contemporary and luxurious new community in South Philly’s hot Packer Park, provides a safe, comfortable, and customizable place to call home.
The past year has taught us one thing more than all others: Health and safety have never been more important, within our homes and within our community. Our homes have learned to multi-task as much as we have, as we shelter in place and stay safe. The home has become not only where we bed down after a long day, but also a school, a gym, a spa, a sickbay, an office, and so much more.
Realtor and developer Barbara Capozzi has created a new community in South Philadelphia that she believes is unlike any other. It’s called Renaissance Estates, and its model homes are now ready for viewing by private appointment. She offers this guarantee: “We’ll surpass the high-quality selections and the workmanship of any other new construction out there.”
Packer Park, the southernmost section of Philadelphia, is known to be the one of the safest communities in the city, if not the safest. Capozzi attributes this to the close-knit neighbors, who do not tolerate lawlessness and speak up in a unified voice when anything threatens their neighborhood. She would know, because Packer Park represents Capozzi’s longtime home. It’s also her passion and her family legacy, making Renaissance Estates much more than a development project.
Renaissance Estates represents a masterpiece of peaceful, luxury city living: 14 highly customized townhomes, each measuring 3,200 square feet, complete with three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms, a lower level, a five-stop elevator (capable of accommodating four people), Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, Porcelanosa European-designed kitchen, flooring, tiles, Kohler fixtures, a two-car garage with an interior entrance into the home, ample custom closets, smart technology, a large roof deck, and much more.
Of course, a full 10-year tax abatement starts on a buyer’s first day in their new home. Plus, buyers can pick every selection and color from a wide variety of samples, all choices within the base price of $990,000 from an on-site showroom.
“When we developed the Reserve, the Villas, and the Regency, we designed different-style homes, so as not to hurt the resale values of the existing Packer Park homes,” she says. “Now, if you want a flat condo, we have them. If you want a bi-level condo, we have them in this community. If you want a small, compact home to just retire, with low maintenance, all in a safe, green, convenient community, we have them. If your desire is for a large home, with most of the features that are in a $2.4 million new home in Center City—double garages, elevators, roof decks—we have those, too, and for far more reasonable prices.”
Capozzi designed Renaissance Estates to enhance Packer Park’s endless charm, while adding to the suburban appeal that makes the area so unique. Her husband, Frank Scaramuzza, supervises the construction and oversees the curation of the Architectural Digest-worthy interiors. The exterior is brick, metal, and oversized windows, with no expense spared. A gorgeous private courtyard is in process. Inside, the buyers can customize the interiors to their desires: kitchen and bath cabinets, handles, the doors, the countertops, flooring, custom closets, more. Capozzi’s anything-but-cookie-cutter mindset is a refreshing outlier in today’s world, much like Packer Park’s status as a wave-from-your-front-stoop neighborhood.
Renaissance Estates’ safe environs and central location make it an ideal destination for everyone from young professionals to families with children to empty-nest retirees. The area’s diverse population includes police captains, attorneys, judges, entrepreneurs, and restaurateurs. Residents take great pride in the neighborhood, with well-kept landscaping and beautiful light displays to celebrate the winter holidays.
“People here look out for each other, especially for our children and seniors,” Capozzi says. “You can walk the dog at night without looking over your shoulder. You’re nestled in this little, green community of 1,600 homes. Packer Park’s convenience, green nature, and accessibility are unsurpassed.”
Renaissance Estates is one block from the Olmstead-designed FDR Park, which includes a bird sanctuary, skateboard park, tennis courts, and fishable lakes. The park is now undergoing a $200 million master-planned restoration with two large destination playgrounds, new ballfields, and pickleball and tennis courts, cafés, walking trails, a 5K running trail, and much more—making FDR Park South Philadelphia’s version of New York City’s Central Park. In fact, FDR Park recently won the honor of hosting the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show in June, the first time the show will be held outdoors.
The community is also a short walk to the city’s trio of professional sports and entertainment venues: Citizens Bank Park, Wells Fargo Center, and Lincoln Financial Field. When it’s time to get out of town, Philadelphia International Airport is a seven-minute drive away. For those who crave a closer escape, Renaissance Estates is five minutes to the Walt Whitman Bridge, offering a quick route to shore points in New Jersey and Delaware.
Renaissance Estates is more than just a place to call home; it’s an invitation to experience a treasured family tradition, a high-quality lifestyle, and a point of deep civic pride.
“These homes are being built with love, care, and attention to detail,” Capozzi says. “My neighbors hold me to a high standard, and I hold myself to a very high standard, as well.”
Renaissance Estates
2000-2013 Renaissance Walk (formerly 3320 S. 20th Street)
Philadelphia, PA 19145
(215) 551-5100 | bcapozzi@kw.com
Call or email for a private showing.
Photograph by Plush, courtesy of Renaissance Estates
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, March 2021.
