On the market: Queen Village house with a pneumatic tube elevator for $1.18 million

Edward Solow and his wife, Nevine Zariffa, were living in Wynnewood, but he yearned to be in Center City.

“I had always wanted to live in Center City,” he said. “I had lived there in a previous life.”

At first, they limited their search to properties strictly within Center City, looking in such neighborhoods as Washington Square West. But their Realtor was patient.

“He put up with us for weeks upon weeks of looking,” Solow said. “But I put up with him for 30 years.”

The Realtor, who also happens to be their son Josh, was not only patient but also persuasive. He eventually convinced the couple to look at a property in Queen Village.

“We loved the place, and we bought it,” Edward Solow said.

They were drawn to the space, which would allow Solow and Zariffa to each have an office. “It was just the two of us,” he said.

After purchasing in July 2014, the couple hired contractors to do major work resurfacing exterior walls and insulating the basement.

“Then we did the big thing,” Solow said.

At the time, he was recovering from knee surgery and knew surgery on his other knee was inevitable. In the course of their house hunting, the couple had seen a property with a pneumatic vacuum elevator — one that didn’t require room for mechanicals and would be relatively easy to install.

“It’s very smooth,” he said. “You push a button, and it sucks you up the tube.”

Solow said the elevator was worth the investment.

“I had my second knee done, and it was a godsend that I didn’t have to walk stairs,” he said. “It’s nothing like coming into the house with two or three or four suitcases and just loading them onto the elevator, pushing a button and they’re upstairs.”

In addition to the elevator, the couple also enjoys the multiple decks and outdoor access in the four-bedroom, four-bath property, Solow said. “I love the amount of outdoor space in the house,” he said. “The roof deck is gigantic.”

The couple originally planned to expand the rooftop space. Now that the property is listed for sale, Solow said, the water and gas connections on the deck will make it easy for new owners to install an outdoor kitchen.

In addition to such finishes as a central vacuum, a smarthome system, and custom carpentry, Solow expects the Queen Village neighborhood to be a draw, he said. “The house is great, and it’s in a great part of the city,” he said.

Zariffa’s family lives in Montreal, and Solow said the couple is building a home there to be closer to them once Zariffa retires. Luckily, they have a Realtor they trust.

The property is listed for $1,184,000 at Compass with Josh Solow.