Ladybug-
I am a resident at WPH and greatly enjoy being so close to the park, shopping, and the heart of the city. In terms of WPH, I agree with Bryson662001 that the decision of which unit is very personal. I prefer the NW or SW corners as they have sunset views and I also like the floors above 11 (NW) as they clear the stock exchange building. the NW corners have great light so I would not be concerned with that. The Balcony's are preferable as they have great space and unfortunately look at older A/C units in the buildings but we had a city landscaper take care of those views with plants and furniture design.
In terms of your questions about construction, everything needs board approval. The main things to keep in mind with demolition is that you need to be aware of the electrical chases and the vents and stacks. I am not a construction expert and we went though several architects and contractors. The building uses one guy and as Bryson pointed out he is "allowed" to remove a tub. IMHO, he is pushed on perspective buyers and his costs are at least double most comps. Anyway. walls can be broken and they are all the time. The bathrooms can be expanded and it is tough as you need to be aware of the toilet stack which is immovable. I had an electrical team spend about a month retrofitting fixtures and such and you are limited as you need everything to be approved by the WPH board. We gutted our original unit and then looked at the space again and again. It was funny looking back as the only thing there was an old A T and T rotary phone and wire....which survived and is in my office.
BTW when I disconnected this it effected my phone and internet connections. In the Kitchen, you totally can open up (some or more depending on vents and chases) and use Granite or such. Materials are easy, the configurations and board approval and aggravation are the main expenses. Oh, back to the tub...It is a big big deal. Remember this is an old building and to remove a tub you need a permit to remove asbestos which is probably there if the board tells you to do so. It is a PIA. Bryson is low on the figure, I believe tub removal was like $7500. Feel free to PM me with any questions. It is a great value and unfortunately, I need more space presently and need to move. However, I do have access to another unit here if I need to be in town....

Saw that in the newsletter and never saw resolution occur. I will look into it. Overall IMHO a very safe building and I believe this was an inside job and isolated event. We feel very secure here

I Would have to disagree with you as the units being sold by the WPH Cooperative have been passed over buy all folks living in WPH as well as the 600 plus people on the "wait list". Most are Raw space or in disrepair. On the other hand, owners selling their units privately have for the most part made significant upgrades to the property that would normally not be realized at sale. I would look at many examples before committing to WPH as there is a huge inventory for sale now.

A person I know is trying to get some soul to pay approx. $280K for his unit at WPH...

...so he can move to a coop up the street for $80K.

I lived at 1925 Chestnut for 20 years.I loved the block until they opened all the bars on the corner.Drinkers etc.The noise and the fights,and before I left last year there had been more than one shooting.I know people in WP and they don't get much sleep starting Wednesday nights..I watched a many fight from my window Yuppie on Yuppie but you don't here about it when they fight..And any street work is done after 7pm.Air hammers all night long.My god when I got off work and saw Peco trucks I knew not to try to go to bed till after 1am.And I had to be in at 7am then.But if you are younger and dont have to get up too early you cannot beat it because you are in the middle of everything..I would come home for lunch eveyday,my gym was on Market and 18th work was on 11th.

I guess that is the difference between living in a hi-rise (with double glazed windows) and a walk-up. I don't hear any of that from my apartment and I live in that corner of the building. The only thing I hear, if there is a window open and I am awake, is the horns honking when traffic backs up because of the taxis who block the street at 2AM to pick up bar patrons. Some of my neighbors complain about walking past the bars at night but I am usually home by then and don't see it.

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Can’t we all just get a lawn?

Too bad you missed that opportunity.... I feel your pain.

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Can’t we all just get a lawn?

You have no idea what I missed or didn't miss ... stop trying to be clever you squat little cupcake of a guy you.

Just wondering -- how is the sound insulation in WPH? I was looking at a few of the units (efficiencies) there this week. I know that there is 6 inches of concrete between the ceilings/floors, which I guess would keep sounds from above or below to a minimum, but I was curious about how much sound you do or don't hear from your next door/across the hall neighbors? I realize it's not likely to be a rowdy crowd for the most part but would you tend to hear a tv, music, singing in the shower etc. from next door? Thanks in advance if you can share any insights about this.

It's very quiet inside the WPH units which is consistent with how nice a building it is (as it relates to being well maintained, amenities, location, etc).

Be aware there may be potentially serious issues concerning the building-fully investigate.

My simple suggestion to those reading this post- seek out a balanced review of WPH.