Who Will Restore this 1891 Landmark Greystone? 2823 N. Pine Grove in Lakeview
Roma recently pointed out this 5-bedroom vintage greystone at 2823 N. Pine Grove in East Lakeview.
The listing says this stretch of Pine Grove is Chicago’s longest greystone block.
According to public records, the property was given a Chicago landmark designation in 2007.
This greystone was built in 1891 on an extended 22×197 lot.
The listing (and the assessor) say it has a 2-car garage.
The house has 11-foot high ceilings and some of its vintage features.
There are two fireplaces.
4 of the 5 bedrooms are on the second floor with the 5th on the third.
The listing says to “bring your architect” so you can “build your dream home” but there is a new roof.
Who has the vision (and budget) to restore this greystone back to its former glory?
Robert John Anderson at Baird & Warner has the listing. See the pictures here.
2823 N. Pine Grove: 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, 3200 square feet, 2 car garage
- I couldn’t find a prior sales price
- Currently listed for $850,000
- Taxes of $15,895
- No central air
- 2 fireplaces, including one in the master bedroom
- Bedroom #1: 21×17 (second floor)
- Bedroom #2: 12×12 (second floor)
- Bedroom #3: 12×12 (second floor)
- Bedroom #4: 12×12 (second floor)
- Bedroom #5: 16×14 (third floor)
Anyone know of the hurdles dealing with landmark status? is it only for exterior facade?
“Anyone know of the hurdles dealing with landmark status? is it only for exterior facade?”
If you think bribing a city inspector is expensive…
This place has potential if you have around $600-700K in cash to do the reno right.
Anyone hear about the violent robberies in Oak Park recently?
What a beautiful home (excluding the interior damage)! If I had Money, this would be the type of place where I’d like to live.
“What a beautiful home (excluding the interior damage)! If I had Money, this would be the type of place where I’d like to live.”
i think 90% of cribchatters feel the same way. greystones give me a RE woody but they are either very expensive in good areas or dirt cheap in bad areas.
neither of those fit my profile but its good RE eyecandy ro fulfill the day
“Anyone hear about the violent robberies in Oak Park recently?”
No…send the article.
And, regarding greystones, I think they’re arguably Chicago’s most beautiful residential structures.
Here’s one link on the Oak Park robberies.
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/crime/oak-park-armed-robberies-battery-police-warning-pattern-connected-20110801
There have been others that have occurred in between April and July that didn’t even make the news. My friends in Oak Park live about a half mile west of Austin and don’t feel threatened, but also don’t walk around outside past 10pm.
This Pinegrove place is nice, but it’s kind of close to Diversey and right acrosss the street from that cheap condo building that’s been on cc before.
“This Pinegrove place is nice, but it’s kind of close to Diversey and right acrosss the street from that cheap condo building that’s been on cc before.”
The proximity to Diversey is a blessing and a curse. At least this place is a stone’s throw from the Red Hen, whose awesome garlic rings always seem to sell out before I get there.
Kind of funny you just posted that article about the Oak Park robberies, as we closed on the sale of our Oak Park house a few minutes ago. (And thanks to everyone that previously posted responses on my rent vs sell question I posted several weeks ago. We ultimately decided to sell because the house needs a good amount of work and I wasn’t interested in dealing with the hassle of renting it. And, in this market, we’re very happy to be walking away from the sale with a nice profit!)
I’ve never understood why Oak Park and Evanston are so tolerant of violent crime and general street thuggery. The residents of this town (you would think) pay so much in taxes they would not want to put up with this crap.
“greystones give me a RE woody but they are either very expensive in good areas or dirt cheap in bad areas.”
Indeed, lots of cheap greystones, never where you want them tho…
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/3748-W-Huron-St-60624/home/13262287
Chris M… Congratulations and good luck.
“Chris M… Congratulations and good luck.”
Thanks Ze. And, for the record, I seriously considered your advice. But, being a broker, the costs in/out aren’t all that bad.
“Indeed, lots of cheap greystones, never where you want them tho…”
So, jumping off from that–even tho that place is officially in Humboldt, does that area (and the Orr area) really have the HP feel, or is it more East Garfield, north? Haven’t been remotely over there, except the conservatory, in a looong time.
I’ve always loved this block. The graystones look great. A few years ago, there was no way I could have afforded one, but now the price is low enough to put it in my ballpark, and it will be interesting to see how low the price ends up going. Obviously, it’s a big project for someone, but if the economy recovers (which is a huge question), this could end up being an excellent investment.
“So, jumping off from that–even tho that place is officially in Humboldt, does that area (and the Orr area) really have the HP feel, or is it more East Garfield, north? Haven’t been remotely over there, except the conservatory, in a looong time.”
I would say E GF park, but then again I’m only over there when I take Grand ave West. My impression is that part of Humboldt park SW of the train tracks makes the other areas of HP look like the Gold Coast.
“does that area (and the Orr area) really have the HP feel, or is it more East Garfield, north?”
The latter, until you cross Grand, but it may be changing (slowly).
This place is gorgeous. It may be decrepit, but at least it hasn’t been compromised over the years by bad renovations.
I hope that the eventual buyers does an archival restoration and resists the temptation to clean-wall the place to death, install can lights and drop ceilings and expose brick walls and open the kitchen to the dining room and otherwise “modernize” this great old place. That doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice modern amenity- by all means reno the kitchen and baths and otherwise bring the place up to code. Replace dead plaster, finish the floors, replace old floorboards. Just don’t make it look like so many bland rehabs in Lincoln Park and Lakeview.
Nice greystone, but should be purchased for $400K to be able to restore–there are many problems here that are expensive to fix.
“Indeed, lots of cheap greystones, never where you want them tho…”
In my opinion, there is a HUGE difference in a “greystone” in Humboldt Park or wherever else and one that was built closer to the lake (either in Hyde Park/Kenwood, LP, Lakeview etc.)
The housing built closer to the lake was built for rich people. The further you get away from the lake the more “working class” it was (unless it was built on the Boulevard system- which was also built for rich people). So- you may still have greystones in Southport or Roscoe Village- but they’re “working class” greystones with less vintage woodwork, fewer fireplaces, not as tall of ceilings, no ceiling medallions, no wainscotting etc.
They really can’t be compared.
“In my opinion, there is a HUGE difference in a “greystone” in Humboldt Park or wherever else and one that was built closer to the lake ”
Yes and no. The same workers and builders that put together the ones by the lake also built the ones in Humboldt, Roscoe Village, et al. Yeah they skipped out on the wainscotting, fireplaces and whatnot, but the bones are still there.
Same thing happens today. Those condos on Ashland near Roscoe that you are always featuring…same design as the ones built as far west as Harlem.
I have to agree 100% with Laura on this one. I hate the thought of what happens to all these old places with such great craftsmanship inside.
Also congrats Chris M!
“Yes and no. The same workers and builders that put together the ones by the lake also built the ones in Humboldt, Roscoe Village, et al. Yeah they skipped out on the wainscotting, fireplaces and whatnot, but the bones are still there.”
No- the bones are NOT there. Completely different building materials were used. You know- kind of like today. There are new construction homes built in ALL limestone and there are those built with a brick facade and cinder block or frame on the other 3 sides (yes, I have seen this.) Both are marketed as “luxury” but one was built for the truly rich and the other was not.
But- I totally disagree about the vintage mansion homes from 100 years ago. Where’s Laura and Architect when I need them?
The detailing is much, much different in the homes for the “rich”. If you can’t see that in the pictures- then maybe I should do two posts on the same day with a vintage SFH home on, say, Belden in LP and one in North Center on Bell.
Yes, they’ve “remodeled” the one on Bell. But it doesn’t have 12 foot ceilings and medallions (and never will.) It doesn’t have 3 or 4 marble fireplaces. It doesn’t have stained glass or plaster 6 or 8 inch crown molding.
The working class vintage was just that- working class. It has one fireplace with a wood mantle. It may have crown molding but much smaller. It has no medallions. It doesn’t have 11 or 12 foot ceilings. It doesn’t have stained glass or other expensive architectural features that tells a guest that the homeowner has “arrived.” It wasn’t built for the rich. The majority of Chicago housing was not.
This greystone on Pine Grove WAS built for the rich. You can tell from the details (even though much has been stripped away.) And that is who lived near the lakefront. The rich.
This ask price is a joke there are greystones in west lakeview for 350k these days.
Hey, didn’t anyone else here read that artcle in the Trib about how East Garfield Park is becoming the next artist/hipster haven – esp Carroll St. between Sacramento and Kedzie?
“No- the bones are NOT there. Completely different building materials were used. You know- kind of like today. There are new construction homes built in ALL limestone and there are those built with a brick facade and cinder block or frame on the other 3 sides (yes, I have seen this.) Both are marketed as “luxury” but one was built for the truly rich and the other was not.”
Not true whatsoever. Common brick used for the structure was just that… common. The floor joists and framing were all 2″ thick douglas fir. These “bones” were the same in everything built back then and it shows: 100 years later they are still standing whether in the working class areas or the lakefront.
IMO that is really all I need. I am not particular to 100 year old finishes. I would be happy to buy one of the working class greystones that need a full gut rehab and have everything my way. Trying to maintain 100 year old plaster and finishes is a pain. While I do have an appreciation for the vintage detail, I don’t prefer to live in it.
In my experience, I’ve noticed that the features you describe are generally more attributable to the period of the home than anything. Most of the late 19th century homes I’ve toured have exceptionally high ceilings and, over the decades, ceiling height gradually came down. I’ve been in very nice bungalows—bungalows built for the wealthy in the north section of Oak Park—and the ceilings aren’t noticeably taller than they are in the working class bungalows. Details like plaster medallions and wainscoting also appear to be something that was relatively more common in before the turn of the century. Greystones were constructed 1890-1930, and I’ve noticed that most of the “working class” greystones were after the turn of the century. As for fireplaces, it was generally the only source of heat for most homes and having multiple fireplaces was more a function of how large the space was—and eventually, with the advent of radiant heating, fireplaces were actually viewed as outmoded and some of the wealthy omitted them from their homes (at least this is what I was told during a historic house walk in Logan Square). In any event, the Indiana limestone used for this house is the same Indiana limestone used on all other greystone buildings throughout the city.
for the most part I’d agree with Sabrina but there are random exceptions I have seen some good greys in non-rich sections; having a fireplace and en-suite bath would qualify for a master bedroom. but just like today if could cheap out they would; it was usually on building materials than construction techniques [unlike today]. Some of those boulevard greys mansions are in a class of their own.
“There are new construction homes built in ALL limestone”
I sure hope not.
I think an investor should purchase it and convert it into a bed & breakfast.
There are a few neighborhoods away from the lake with beautiful older high-end housing stock built for rich people, and some of these neighborhoods are extremely UNtrendy and you can get in very cheaply.
Take a look at West Rogers Park. Some of the most beautiful older single-family homes I’ve ever seen, with incredible architecture and details. This beautiful neighborhood is being tossed away- is very deteriorated from where it was just 10 years ago. I’m shocked to see formerly pristine streets and fine houses and buildings now dirty and decrepit.
Good time to get in while everything there is dirt-cheap. Reminds me of Logan Square and Bucktown and Wicker Park back in the early 80s, except that Bucktown and WP don’t have a quarter as much going for them in the way of built beauty.
East Garfield park gentrifying lmfao