Looking for a 4-Bedroom Pre-War Beauty in Uptown? 4639 N. Beacon
This 4-bedroom top floor unit at 4639 N. Beacon in Uptown has been on the market nearly 2 years.
Built in 1915, it has most of its vintage features intact including built-ins in the living room and dining room along with a beamed ceiling and crown molding.
But it also has the modern conveniences buyers look for including air conditioning, in-unit washer/dryer and 2 car parking.
The unit has 2 large outdoor spaces and roof rights.
While the unit is technically a 4-bedroom, the fourth bedroom has been open to the kitchen so it is currently being used as a 3-bedroom.
The kitchen has maple cabinets, stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops.
First listed in April 2010, it has been reduced $69,100 in that time.
It is now listed for $30,100 under the 2002 purchase price.
What price will it take to finally sell this property?
Brad Lippitz at Prudential Rubloff has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #3: 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2100 square feet, 2 car parking
- Sold in January 1998 for $332,000
- Sold in October 1999 for $395,000
- Sold in September 2002 for $480,000
- Originally listed in April 2010 for $519,000
- Reduced several times
- Currently listed for $449,900
- Assessments of $266 a month
- Taxes of $6950
- Central Air
- Washer/dryer in the unit
- Fireplace
- Bedroom #1: 12×16
- Bedroom #2: 11×11
- Bedroom #3: 13×9
- Bedroom #4: 12×9 (currently open to the kitchen)
Either they photoshopped in a crapload of plants, or this place has a Gardens of Babylon thing going on. Too bad that the rooftop deck that they show looks to be the common one on the garage, a roof deck build out is expensive and a hassle these days.
I think nearly 6 months on the market at this price means it is overpriced. I don’t know Uptown very well but this looks like a nice place for $400k or so.
” I don’t know Uptown very well but this looks like a nice place for $400k or so.”
you should have stopped at “I don’t know uptown very well”…. honestly, why do people who don’t know anything about an area comment on what they think an appropriate price should be? Price is almost entirely dependent on location – so, if you don’t know the area, DON’T comment on the price. You actually end up doing more harm…..
“I think nearly 6 months on the market at this price means it is overpriced”
uhhh – no, it doesn’t. Look at what has gone under contract in your area in the past month. I would almost guarantee that MOST of those places have been on the market several months AND many have NOT had a big price reduction in the past few months. If something sells fast, it means it was underpriced. Right now, with the spring market weeks away, sellers should not (and are not) reducing prices. You will see very soon that this will be one of the best spring markets in recent history (4-5 years).
“You will see very soon that this will be one of the best spring markets in recent history (4-5 years).”
I know a lot of people in the market right now (at least 6 actively looking buyers) and most are having a tough time finding a place they like, mainly because options seems pretty limited to stuff that’s been on a while. I know the tradition of everything going on after SuperBowl, but I wonder if that will be the case this year.
There are some gorgeous buildings and units on Beacon. The problem is, no matter how nice the unit, when you walk out your door, it is still Uptown. It isn’t that bad of an area, but there are still quite a few Section 8, halfway houses, and all the other ills of Uptown nearby. I never understood folks who bought in this area instead of just going a few blocks north to Andersonville. What’s neat is that the 1998 prices in this area were higher than they were in A’ville at the time for similar units and Aville is by far a nicer hood. However, I think A’ville has surpassed this area of Uptwon now price wise.
I know Uptown very well and this is one of the best buildings in it; it’s far enough from Wilson/Broadway that classic Uptown sketchiness is much reduced, though 1325 Wilson is not an asset. An imaginative agent would call it south Andersonville for that matter.
I *don’t* know much about Stockton Elementary but its physical plant is attractive. From CPS site it looks like there’s a significant demand for social services in the student body, unfortunately.
$450 seems like a good price for this well-maintained vintage building; but seems the Uptown discount is driving it down farther. Anyway, I love it.
Echo Russ. This a beautiful place, but it is about two blocks away from the corner of Wilson & Broadway, the epicenter of a three-way gang war that has been raging in the area for two years. There have been daytime shootings in the area bounded by Montrose, Lawrence, Wilson, and Sheridan almost every two weeks. It’s worse than Howard St in Rogers Park.
I sincerely hope Cappelman succeeds in his efforts to clean up all the really bad corridor buildings and SROs, but it’s going to be a long haul at best. It takes a lot of work and documentation to get a landlord in housing court and get a court-ordered vacate or sale of the property, and the area is just stuck with the large number of CHA properties.
Uptown is filled with Section 8 and other subsidized low-income. If I’m going to spend 400k on an apartment (three times the city median), I’m not going to do it on one of the worst neighborhoods on the North Side.
Uptown posts always seem to strike a never with people. I won’t deny that Uptown has issues, that would be silly. But I don’t think you can just say “O you should skip Uptown and go straight to A-ville.” Uptown is a very different place. It is far more dynamic and urban. Should it one day truly gentrify (fingers crossed) it will be 10X the cultural attraction that Andersonville is. Furthermore I actually think Sheridan Park is one of the most physically beautiful neighborhoods in the entire city…leafy streets, beautiful ornate 6 flats, turn of the century mansions. It’s a real shame that the crime issues keep people away because it could truly be a gem.
Having said ALL that, 400K is simply too much in this neighborhood even though I love units with their vintage glory intact like this.
I do love how the Pudential Rippoff realtor wrote ” period fireplace” instead of indicating whether it was decorative or real.
“I do love how the Pudential Rippoff realtor wrote ” period fireplace” instead of indicating whether it was decorative or real.”
Every inspection report that I’ve seen where the fireplace is original has been noted as “unsafe” for one reason or another. I would imagine decorative vs real is moot with a period fireplace. Just an educated guess…
“I think nearly 6 months on the market at this price means it is overpriced”
‘uhhh – no, it doesn’t.’
Of course it does. Your biased view of the market (BUY! SPEND! YOU’VE GOT TO TO BE RICH!! I’M A DOCTOR WHO KNOWS EVERYTHING!) is worthless, since it’s obvious that this is just shilling and advertising for shitty suburban sprawl to benefit your company. If you’re sitting for 6 months on the market, at a time when interest rates, closing costs and other borrowing costs are at an all-time low, at a time when people are more optimistic and looking for places to buy, you’re overpriced. No question. You can have this fantasy that “the market will eventually appreciate and everyone will realize that my price was actually pretty good” but it’s just not realistic. Look at all the examples on here. If they made a few additional smart price reductions by now, like they were doing before, this would be sold by now. With the price static since the summer, they haven’t. Simple enough.
“you should have stopped at “I don’t know uptown very well”….”
You’re an idiot. I know it far better than you do, and better than any of the agents who work for you do.
Is there a shower in the tub that’s in bathroom with the two sinks?? I am a huge vintage fan and this unit is lovely, but it appears to be another illustration of the time-honored CC challenging location rule that people who want to live in this unit can’t afford it and people who can afford it don’t want to be in this area. Btw, I don’t believe that all original fireplaces are per se unsafe, although it’s certainly sensible to have the fireplaces & chimmney inspected/cleaned regularly.
” Btw, I don’t believe that all original fireplaces are per se unsafe, although it’s certainly sensible to have the fireplaces & chimmney inspected/cleaned regularly.”
Have the fireplace rebuilt and the chimney re-lined. Expensive, but definitely doable.
Beautiful exterior and a nice street. I agree about the Uptown comments on this thread. I hope someday the neighborhood improves, because the building stock is quite attractive.
OK – I just looked at the interior photos and will tell my wife tonight that we’re moving from Highland Park to Uptown. It’s that beautiful!
We’ll just buy some guns.
I don’t know what the right price is, but I do know that Uptown’s reputation for violence and lunatics is overdone these days. I’ve lived here for years, east of Broadway no less (and no, not in a lakefront high rise). Gritty? Yes, no getting around that. Section 8? Yes, we’ve got more than our fair share. Mental institutions, rehab clinics, yes, yes.
But it is indeed possible to live really well here. I’ve not been shot or mugged. I’ve had more friendly exchanges with the local dealers and misfits than you might guess. When your corner dealer compliments your new haircut as “fresh and bouncy” you know you’re not living in an episode of the Wire, Section 8 or not.
I know more people who’ve been mugged and attacked in Lakeview than in Uptown. I’m not denying the gang and drug presence. Just saying that it doesn’t impact your life like many people think.
Transportation is a dream, with red line and buses. I do not own a car, and I don’t mind at all.
Food options are amazing. We refuse to go out south of Irving Park because restaurants lack the interest factor… And are often full of shrieking drunk 25 year olds by 9 pm. Uptown has great Indian, Pakistani, Ethiopian, Mexican, and all sorts of Asian everywhere you look….and at all price points.
Architecture is terrific; in my experience, Uptowners are surprisingly interested in their neighborhood’s history. More so than many, if not most, other neighborhoods certainly..
Variety. If you’re tired of living among neighbors who look and earn just like you, Uptown is a great place. And plenty of opportunities to help your neighbors, from tutoring kids to teaching immigrants English. I’ve done both, and both made me feel closer to, and prouder of, the community.
I get the gun and flak jacket jokes – it’s not that I don’t see the humor too. But I’m afraid the reputation causes a lot of people to miss out on a pretty unusual (in bad ways as well as good) place that I and many of my neighbors actually love.
For those who haven’t been, venture to Uptown for dinner sometime!
This home is AWESOME! It is sad though that in this market H is exactly right. Someone that can afford $450k for a 3 bedroom will want a nicer neighborhood and those still willing to live in Uptown won’t be able to afford $450. However, if this fell under $400k, I think I’d be very tempted like Dan2 to find some way to buy it.
Simply a beautiful home! I really hope someone who will love it finds it soon and scoops it up around $400k.
Uptown is for people who, well, want to live in uptown, which tends to be a lot of section 8, crazies, drug dealers, homeless, and those who enjoy living among them. There nothing wrong with this, it’s just that it is not for everyone. It may have been for me when I was younger and I knew plenty of people who roughed it there during college for cheap rent , very large units for very cheap, but it’s not my cup of tea anymore.
“but it’s not my cup of tea anymore.”
well you better switch brands, because it is going to HAVE to be “your cup of tea” – it is the only place you can afford!!!
LOL at Dan 2 and Benj. If you move in, may I come to the house warming party? This place is lovely.
Great comment, Kball. Your love for the neighborhood comes through.
I actually lived on Lakeside for a few months many, many years ago (1991). I still remember hearing gunshots outside my window. And it was very sleazy, but, like you say, very real. Aside from ducking under my bed that time the gunshots blasted, I never felt unsafe. The architecture is great and so is the food. We love taking our kids to Argyle for Vietnamese.
I live nearby and this is truely one of the nicest buildings in uptown. Top of the line renovations were done in the last 10-15 years and the units are extra wide with excellent decks in the rear. In the summer the plantings are amazing.
Oh! I sent this one in because I love love love it! I could deal with the location because I truly believe that Uptown will turn around one day. Remember Wicker Park 20 years ago? I have hope with Schiller out. Plus the location/transportation is great. The hardest thing is all the gangs and section 8, I really don’t know what would have to happen to get the riff raff out. Anyway, like I said I could deal with it but we have 2 young boys and I would want them to be able to walk to the train, which I would be scared to let them do now. (Ha, good thing they are 2.5 and 6 months old!)
I can see this being a fantastic investment though, if the neighborhood does get a bit safer in the future.
Oh and it seems like the deck over the garage is the common one, and this particular unit has rights to the roof to do/build as they please, so it would be private.
“I can see this being a fantastic investment though, if the neighborhood does get a bit safer in the future.”
People have been “waiting” for Uptown to “turn around” for over 20 years. Hasn’t happened yet even though we had the largest housing bubble in history.
Uptown is significantly safer and nicer than it’s been in decades.
Well, if it is significantly safer, then that leaves too much supply of overpriced properties and too little demand from qualified buyers as the explanation for current market conditions. I wonder what will happen?
beautiful unit definitely on one of the nicer streets on uptown. neighborhood still has a way to go but with a new alderman, baker and nosh opening this week and the $135million rehab of the wilson L stop things are headed in the right direction.
4140 N sheridan buildings aren’t going away anytime soon. I guarantee I know more people who live in those two towers than every member of this board combined. But I still wouldn’t live in Uptown.
What’s holding back Uptown is all of the mental health facilities and, as others have pointed out, the abundance of Section 8 housing. As long as the neighborhood is full of these things (the eastern half in particular)–and it will be difficult to push them out–the neighborhood will continue to resist gentrification. However, I agree that the architecture in much of the neighborhood–particuarly the area between Clark/Broadway and Lawrence/Montrose–is great, though many of the buildings have been neglected and have been stripped of a lot of their former glory. The parts of Uptown between Montrose & Irving Park and between Clark & Broadway north of Argyle are by far the most pleasant.
Oh, and everything west of Clark–particularly the area between Ashland & Ravenswood, is fine. It’s really that area bewteen Montrose/Foster and Broadway/LSD that has the issues.
Hey HD, what do you think of 4235 N Monticello Ave? Listed today for $300k–might work for you…
“Oh, and everything west of Clark–particularly the area between Ashland & Ravenswood, is fine. It’s really that area bewteen Montrose/Foster and Broadway/LSD that has the issues.”
This. You all realize Uptown’s borders are Irving on the South, Foster on the north and Ravenswood on the west.
“The parts of Uptown between Montrose & Irving Park and between Clark & Broadway north of Argyle are by far the most pleasant.”
“Oh, and everything west of Clark–particularly the area between Ashland & Ravenswood, is fine. It’s really that area bewteen Montrose/Foster and Broadway/LSD that has the issues.”
So what does that mean about the location of this place? It’s not west of Clark, nor is it in the areas you have defined as “most pleasant” and “having issues.”
“So what does that mean about the location of this place? It’s not west of Clark, nor is it in the areas you have defined as “most pleasant” and “having issues.””
It’s not the best part of the neighborhood nor is it the worst. That section has some of the most impressive architecture but doesn’t seem quite as safe as the areas south of Montrose, west of Clark, and northwest of Argyle/Broadway. Just my impression of the area based on previous time spent there. I don’t think I would have a problem living there myself.
This section of Uptown has a mix of Section 8 bigger buildings and owner-occupied two flats. I suspect if you’re home before dark, you’re safe, as long as you’re polite to your block’s gangbangers. That’s what newlywed friends on the next block did for a year, but late night gangbanging did get noisy at times too. (Don’t make disparaging comments, avoid eye-contact, better to cross street and avoid them altogether, but then you’re likely driving in/out of your garage w/o sidewalk contact.)
It’s a beautiful unit, and safely contained within its fenced and garaged lot. Having read several of the Uptown resident blogs, viewed their home movies of gangbangers in action, and read the excerpts from Jesus People Church articles regarding “life in harmony w/negative Uptown elements”, I’m thinking the owners realized that their kids wouldn’t be playing out in the open on their block outside their fenced lot anytime soon, that school costs were adding up, and that the suburbs beckoned.
Uptown rocks! There s no danger near this building. You Uptown haters are crazy…