It’s a Love Story in Lawrenceville

PHOTOS BY FLYOVER PROPERTIES

From their meet-cute at a beloved local entertainment venue to their baby shower, Stephanie Meyer and Derek Palladino’s love story is rooted in Lawrenceville — and the circa-1890 row home they shared there. 

Meyer, who bought 4613 Carlton St. in 2007, says she was initially drawn to both the house and community due to an infusion of new energy happening at the time. New businesses and restaurants, as well as the planned relocation of UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, were bringing many new faces to Lawrenceville: It felt like something she could be part of. 

“My father was a real estate agent, and it was clear that Lawrenceville had some exciting changes ahead and a strong and engaged community, especially with organizations like Lawrenceville United,” says Meyer, who adds that the home captured her interest just as much as the streets around it. 

“I was drawn in by the crown molding and hardwood floors. Much had been redone recently and I appreciated that some of the original features, like the marble built-ins and window sills, had been kept,” she says. 

Once Meyer moved in, she began getting involved around the community, including frequenting well-established local favorites such as Brillobox. That’s where, at a soft rock happy hour, she met Palladino. 

Years later, when her baby shower venue fell through, Brillobox owners Lou Ickes and Janessa Walter saved the day, letting the couple host at their maximalist-style space. 

“Not everyone can have a giant 18-foot Great White Shark replica on the wall at their baby shower,” says Meyer with a laugh. 

Enjoying the house first on her own, later as part of a couple, then as a family of three, Meyer has a long list of reasons the home served their needs so well, including the property’s history, layout and location. While the three-bedroom, one-bathroom row home has a small footprint — measuring just under 1,500 square feet — the smart layout and design choices help the home feel anything but cramped. 

Already moved into their new home north of Pittsburgh, Meyer and Palladino hired the team at Rooke Creative to showcase their Lawrenceville property through creative staging.

The front door opens into a shotgun-style layout, with the living room, dining room and kitchen all in a row. A back door leads out to the shared green space, where Meyer says she could often be found in her hammock while enjoying a book from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville branch on nearby Fisk Street. 

“Four adjacent homes share one backyard with fantastic neighbors, including one who is a prolific gardener and has been featured on the Lawrenceville Garden Tour,” Meyer adds. 

The basement, which is clean and dry, has a grade-level entrance to the communal backyard. A one-car garage and set of stairs sit at the rear of the property. 

On the second floor, two nicely sized bedrooms share an updated bathroom. The third floor is home to the primary suite as well as a loft area that could be used for a home office, nursery or studio. 

Despite the lack of closet space many older homes are known for, the couple added storage wherever possible throughout the home. The property also has a new roof and insulation. Fresh white paint and neutral finishes make it a blank slate for the next owners to leave their own mark. 

Now staged and ready to show off, the home is listed by Heather Visnesky of Compass Realty for $335,000. It hit the market with a great deal of interest, which was no surprise to Visnesky. 

“First, this home is an absolute gem in any neighborhood, but to find a home like this in Lawrenceville is extra special,” she says. “The location alone is a selling point. It’s walking distance to coffeeshops, bakeries, restaurants and shops, yet on a quiet dead-end street. This is a truly affordable Lawrenceville home, and buyers don’t have to sacrifice in order to live in this sought-after area.” 

She notes that a garage in Lawrenceville is very desirable, especially at this price point. If this were her own home, Visnesky says she knows just where she’d spend her down time — on the third floor. 

“It’s so often a neglected area of row homes, and the family has created a space that could be a bedroom, an office or a media room,” she says. 

The flexibility of the space, as well as sweeping views of the Allegheny River, make it a major perk for any buyer. “I’m a sucker for a built-in window seat, and would make that into my own reading nook,” Visnesky adds.  

As Meyer and Palladino settle into their new home, there are some understandable mixed feelings about leaving the neighborhood that created their family unit, which came to include a furry friend. 

“I adopted a neighborhood cat who had been left behind, who I named Henry Sunshine,” says Meyer.

Despite enjoying his newfound family, Henry often got the urge to roam Lawrenceville, recalling his former independence. One morning, Meyer says a neighbor knocked on their door to let the family know Henry was dancing on the roof. 

“Sure enough, he was prancing up and down the rooftops of multiple homes and even visited a neighbor’s house by jumping in their open third floor window,” she recalls with a laugh. “He was rather infamous.”