Realty Check: What $625K Gets You in Old Northside

From the front, this canary-yellow, three-story Italianate with English-style gardens and a stately front porch blends in seamlessly with its Old Northside neighbors. But enter from the backyard, and you’ll find an urban oasis boasting an in-ground pool that’s surrounded by clusters of banana trees—features foreign to this historic area near downtown.
The 4,248-square-foot home with four bedrooms and four baths was built in 1900, when the fashionable residential district was thriving. But when Matt Morarity purchased the estate in 2008, it needed to be completely refurbished. He spent three years meticulously restoring the abode to its glory days, floor by floor. “Indianapolis’s high society lived in this neighborhood and threw grand parties,” he says. “That’s what I wanted to bring back.”
Morarity preserved the grandeur of the parlor, which already showcased a mosaic-tiled gas fireplace, stained-glass windows, and a 100-year-old grand theater chandelier (one of 15 such period fixtures throughout the house). Custom Art Deco wallpaper elevates the sophistication of the space. The formal gathering room got a slight facelift with an added bar and leaded-glass liquor cabinets.
Modern conveniences are integrated among the vintage elements. The updated kitchen includes Bosch appliances and cherry-wood double-stacked cabinets illuminatedby dual crystal chandeliers. Although the residence is divided into several quarters, akin to most 19th-century designs, sprawling areas such as the great room, which has an adjoining staircase that leads to a third-floor rooftop deck, are ideal for hosting guests. “It’s a formal design, but it still has a really good flow for entertaining large groups of people,” Morarity says. Many of whom will no doubt want to spend a lazy summer day poolside.
Want to Buy It?
Address: 1409 N. Park Ave.
List price: $624,900
Agent: Kate Flock, Flock Realty
Phone: 317-634-6676