A Wall Street Journal Article Led This Couple to Pittsburgh

PHOTOS BY SAMANTHA, FLYOVER PROPERTIES

After decades of military life that took Tom and Pattie Sokol to cities such as Anchorage, Phoenix and Chicago, the couple eventually settled in Ohio to be near their grandkids — but it turned out not to be their forever home. 

“We had lived in a lot of places,” says Tom. “When we left Chicago after 20 years, we bought a nice house on four acres. Then their jobs moved them away, and we were alone in a neighborhood surrounded by cornfields. It was nice during the pandemic, but we missed walkability and sidewalks.” 

Then a 2021 article by Hot Property columnist Meg St-Esprit in the Wall Street Journal on a church conversion in the South Side caught their eye. While Tom is not from the Pittsburgh area, Pattie had grown up in New Kensington. 

Taken by the unique architecture and design of the 22nd Street Condos, as with its location on Sarah Street in a walkable community, the couple decided to visit the units for sale inside the former St. Casimir Church. 

“There were three unsold units in the building at that time,” recalls Tom. While the couple came to look at a smaller condo, the layout did not meet their needs. “We were downsizing, but we aren’t very good at that,” he says with a laugh. 

The couple ended up falling in love with Unit 105, which includes the original altar of the former St. Casimir Church, erected in 1902 as the home of the city’s Catholic Lithuanian parish. 

After developer Ivor Hill purchased the building in 2017, he enlisted help from architect Rob Indovina to convert the former church into the 12-unit 22nd Street Condos. 

“The builder tried to save and expose as much as possible,” says Tom. “There are arches and columns throughout this unit, which we loved. Every area you enter has some architecture.” 

Sara Leitera of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices says no two condos in the building are the same, and she would know. The realtor has previously listed several of the units for sale, including the condo featured in the Wall Street Journal that first caught the Sokols’ eye. 

Pittsburgh Magazine featured that unit, which has its own bell tower, as a Hot Property when it hit the market again last year. In a city with so many historic churches sitting in disrepair, the care and attention given to the former St. Casimir is notable. 

“This home has it all,” says Leitera, adding that while the 22nd Street Condos are some of the most standout homes in the city, they are within reach for many buyers.  

At almost 2,400 square feet, with two bedrooms, two full bathrooms and a powder room, Unit 105 is listed for $660,000.

“It has the comfort and convenience of city living, yet offers more square footage than most single-family homes you’d purchase at the same price point,” Leitera says. “The architectural features and character of the unit will never bore you.” 

The unit’s main level includes an open living and dining area, a modern and spacious kitchen, a powder room and laundry room. The kitchen has a large island lined with bar-height stools that’s perfect for gathering and there’s also space for a full-sized dining table. 

A den on the way to the upper level offers flexible office or reading space with access to a private inset patio with a glass railing. 

Upstairs, the primary suite includes a spa-style bathroom with a double vanity, multi-head walk-in shower and generous closet space. The second bedroom also has an ensuite bathroom; the property’s original columns and architectural details touch every corner of the condo. 

“The elevated fresh air balcony is my favorite feature,” adds Leitera. “It is in the perfect spot for people watching, yet offers privacy from the street. It’s a perfect spot for a morning coffee.” 

The building also includes garage parking, a fitness center and a furnished guest suite for visitors to the building. 

While the Sokols have enjoyed the comfort and layout of the home for the past five years, they’ve also enjoyed learning about the building’s history. 

“We have seen several people taking pictures of the church and discovered that they had various connections,” Tom says. “One lady’s parents were married here, and the builder told us a story of a woman he met during construction who had both been married and laid her husband to rest at the altar in their home.” 

The couple has also loved their return to a walkable community; they particularly enjoy seeing new local spots open up, or begin to thrive again, in the wake of the pandemic.

“The neighborhood, at that time, was like every place else that was struggling to recover from the pandemic,” says Tom. “Since then there have been changes. There are new businesses opening every few weeks. It’s also not dangerous — people have this concept that you come down here and get shot because of the news, but it’s quiet around us.” 

The couple says the residents of the 22nd Street Condos have formed their own little community. 

“I love it. It’s a great neighborhood, being on the South Side,” says Pattie. “It’s really a great place to be.” 

She adds she loves the South Side’s eclectic mix of people, from college students to retirees and everyone in between. Despite their love for their home, the couple has chosen to relocate to the West Coast for something even more important than show-shopping real estate — their grandchildren. 

Even so, they are thankful for their five years in Pittsburgh. 

“We lived all over after we were married, but we had seen that article and thought, ‘Pittsburgh is a place worth looking into,’” Tom says.