{"id":145674,"date":"2026-03-23T02:22:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T02:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/145674\/"},"modified":"2026-03-23T02:22:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T02:22:10","slug":"a-sense-of-community-drew-this-family-to-observatory-hill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/145674\/","title":{"rendered":"A Sense of Community Drew This Family to Observatory Hill"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"23bonvue<\/a><\/p>\n

PHOTOS BY ED ADAMS<\/p>\n

On a quiet dead-end street in Observatory Hill is the kind of home that doesn\u2019t just check boxes \u2014 it tells a story.<\/p>\n

For the past eight years, Chelsy and Jonathan Gevas have filled 23 Bonvue Street<\/a> with a growing family, neighborhood friendships and the kind of simple, everyday moments that create core memories.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe used to joke that my husband was looking for the house that made practical sense, and I was looking for the one that \u2018felt\u2019 like home,\u201d Chelsy says. \u201cAnd 23 Bonvue hit the mark for both of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"23bonvue<\/a><\/p>\n

That balance is still evident nearly a decade after the couple, their three kids in tow, first stepped onto the home\u2019s wide, welcoming front porch in 2017.<\/p>\n

Built in 1930, the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home has been thoughtfully updated, including a full renovation in 2017 that added a new kitchen, bathroom and roof, and refreshed the finishes of the nearly 2000-square-foot-home, all while retaining its warmth and character.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up very near Pittsburgh and had always hoped to come back and make the North Side my home,\u201d says Chelsy. \u201cWe were looking for something that could hold our growing family and had a spark of charm.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"23bonvue<\/a><\/p>\n

After the family found what they were looking for at 23 Bonvue, they even added a fourth child to their brood.<\/p>\n

On their long list of reasons for why they love the home is its layout and cozy atmosphere. The bright, easy-flow living spaces lead to standout features such as the third-floor primary suite, where exposed beams and original pine floors create what Chelsy calls an \u201cinviting and whimsical\u201d retreat.<\/p>\n

Over the years, that space has evolved alongside the family, serving as a bedroom, guest suite and even a storybook-like playroom.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the colder months, that third floor was such a cozy escape,\u201d Chelsy says. \u201cBut in the summer, the back deck overlooking the yard was my oasis.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"23bonvue<\/a><\/p>\n

The outdoor space is strung with twinkling lights; the couple often paired dinner on the grill with the kids playing outside as the sun went down.<\/p>\n

As they prepare to move just a short distance away to another home on the North Side, the couple has listed 23 Bonvue for $349,000 with Nancy Snider<\/a> of Coldwell Banker<\/a>; she doesn\u2019t think the property will be on the market for long.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith its thoughtful updates, functional layout and ideal location, this property is ready to welcome its next owner,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Snider adds that having both a spacious yard and detached garage is a rarity on the North Side. The deck\u2019s extended living space in warmer months also enhances the property\u2019s livability and flow.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s beautifully updated, offering both modern comfort and classic neighborhood charm,\u201d says Snider.<\/p>\n

\"23bonvue<\/a><\/p>\n

Also a perk is the home\u2019s clean, dry basement, which could be used as a workshop, home gym or as a functional storage space.<\/p>\n

For Gevas family, it isn\u2019t the home\u2019s square footage, fixtures or paint swatches that sets it apart \u2014 it\u2019s the community.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe neighborhood is filled with genuine neighbors,\u201d Jonathan says. \u201cWhether it was helping to jump a car, bringing fresh flowers for our girls to plant, or simply stopping by to say hello, everyone is incredibly kind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"23bonvue<\/a><\/p>\n

That sense of community extends beyond Bonvue Street. Located less than a mile away, Riverview Park consists of green space, a public pool and a steady calendar of free events that range from summer concerts to movie nights; there are also loads of trails to explore. Among the walkable neighborhood\u2019s staples are Observatory Hill Deli and Ida\u2019s Sandwich Shop.<\/p>\n

\u201cBonvue Street is a community within a community,\u201d Chelsy says. \u201cIt\u2019s the kind of place where kids still knock on doors to ask their friends to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"23bonvue<\/a><\/p>\n

Those connections have created some of the family\u2019s most precious memories, such as projecting movies onto the garage for backyard screenings and placing their Christmas tree in the home\u2019s front window, where it glowed like a scene from a Norman Rockwell painting.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt held so many seasons of our lives so well,\u201d Chelsy says of the home. \u201cBoth the ordinary, everyday rhythms and the really special milestones.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, with updates complete and the living spaces ready for whatever comes next, the family can\u2019t wait for their favorite neighbors to welcome someone new to the block.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the neighborliness that drew me back to Pittsburgh,\u201d says Chelsy, \u201cAnd the thing I am most grateful to have found.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"PHOTOS BY ED ADAMS On a quiet dead-end street in Observatory Hill is the kind of home that…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":145675,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[73,75,74],"class_list":{"0":"post-145674","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-pittsburgh","8":"tag-pittsburgh","9":"tag-pittsburgh-headlines","10":"tag-pittsburgh-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145674","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=145674"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145674\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/145675"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=145674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=145674"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=145674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}