MINI
FEATURE SUMMER 2020
DOWNTOWN DWELLER A Hidden Gem of Downtown Dwelling Story by: Jonathan Desmarais, Marketing Communicatons Manager Downtown Inc Photography by: Sean and Mandy Arnold
To know Mandy and Sean Arnold is to know that they are purposeful. From their business ventures to their urban residency, they are very intentional about their investments. As Baltimore transplants, the allure and flexibility of Downtown York was too hard to ignore. At the time, the Arnolds moved from Baltimore to the York area in 2003 to be halfway between their jobs. Mandy is the CEO/ President of Gavin and Sean is the chef-owner of Left Bank Restaurant and Bar, and jointly, they co-own Madison and Main Development, a commercial real estate company in Downtown York. Living in a suburb of York City for the next twelve years, Mandy and Sean could not ignore the pull of Downtown York with its dining, arts and entertainment scenes, and investment potential. In 2015 they made the switch from suburban life to urban living, and they couldn’t be happier. For Mandy and Sean, moving to Downtown York was not just a residency decision, it was also a substantial investment. As the owner and founder of Gavin, a boutique branding and communications agency serving regional and national clients, Mandy was looking for a home for her business, not knowing that she would also find a family home. Located in the up and coming WeCo District, Gavin found its home in a unique art deco property on West Market Street. While the commercial side of the property is in WeCo, a 5000 square foot warehouse apartment is in the back, located the within Historical Newton Square neighborhood. The warehouse originally served as an old sewing factory before becoming a furniture store and then an antique store in the 80s and 90s.
When Mandy and Sean purchased the building, they didn’t initially move into their urban getaway warehouse apartment, but the allure of Downtown dwelling was too hard to resist. As Mandy explains, “Our home is really hidden, which we love. No one knows it’s here. We have two patios to sit between two large brick walls, that offer stunning evening views of the sky.” When they first purchased the property, which started the journey of their commercial real estate company, Madison and Main Development, their friends thought they had lost their minds, investing so much in such an expansive space. Reflecting back on that decision, Mandy explains, “We feel very fortunate to have found it before anyone else grabbed it five years ago.” Together with their two Old English Bulldogs, Duff and Savannah, Mandy and Sean love the walkability and accessibility of Downtown York. Within minutes, they can easily find quality restaurant options and outdoor recreation. As a chef, Sean finds that Sundays are his day to join his wife in enjoying all that Downtown York has to offer. “We usually hit Handsome Cab or Holy Hound for brunch, then walk to Cantina for a beer, followed by burgers at White Rose in the afternoon. We’ll walk the dogs on the Rail Trail and then hangout on our back patio,” says Mandy. Within just one block of the Rail Trail and a few blocks of brew pubs, restaurants, galleries, and entertainment, Sean and Mandy (and Duff and Savannah) are quite content with their decision to invest and dwell in Historically Edgy Downtown York, and they hope that other investors follow suit.
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