Get a Rare Adler & Sullivan 5-Bedroom Rowhouse in The Gap For Just $625K: 3141 S. Calumet
This 5-bedroom vintage rowhouse at 3141 S. Calumet in The Gap neighborhood of Douglas recently came on the market.
According to the designslinger blog, it is the only survivor of more than 2 dozen houses designed by Adler & Sullivan in the Gap neighborhood in the 1880s.
Read more about The Gap neighborhood here.
Built in 1885 on a standard 25×125 lot, it has a lot of its original features intact including the grand staircase and wood wainscotting. The entry way is also marble.
There are 5 fireplaces, including in the master bedroom, pocket doors, original door knobs and a stained glass skylight.
The kitchen has stainless steel appliances but you’re not buying this house for the kitchen.
4 of the 5 bedrooms are on the second level with the fifth on the third level.
The listing says it has a rooftop deck.
However, the rowhouse doesn’t have central air and I can’t find any reference to parking (street parking only?)
Is a house like this, at this price, worth taking a chance on in The Gap?
Shirley Amico at Koenig & Strey Real Living has the listing. See the pictures here.
3141 S. Calumet: 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 5000 square feet
- I couldn’t find any prior sales
- Currently listed for $625,000
- Taxes of $6723
- No central air
- No parking?
- 5 fireplaces
- Bedroom #1: 23×17 (second floor)
- Bedroom #2: 12×11 (second floor)
- Bedroom #3: 17×14 (second floor)
- Bedroom #4: 15×10 (second floor)
- Bedroom #5: 13×12 (third floor)
The Gap! That’s where I get all my clothes! (Am I doing matthewlesko right?)
Beautiful property, what can people say about the neighborhood?
Based on a satellite view, the houses to the south have parking, but this house does not. I wonder how difficult it would be to get a curb cut down there (the other houses have them). Very cool house. I don’t know a thing about the area so I have no clue whether this price is within bounds. I can’t imagine you are walking to all that many places.
That staircase is unbelievable.
I love this house, and it is a fairly quiet neighborhood. I’m surprised that this house does not have a curbcut and garage facing King Drive, but perhaps that would be difficult to get now. I’m not sure.
On pricing, while this home ( http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/3961-S-Drexel-Blvd-60653/home/13962393 ) doesn’t have as much of the exposed woodwork and is slightly further south, it is completely rehabbed for less money and on beautiful Drexel Blvd. I think this home needs to be reduced a fair amount considering how many of these beautiful old homes are available in this area and further south, both rehabbed, in this shape and significantly worse for far less.
As a great admirer of Sullivan, I’m thrilled at the thought of living in a home he designed. The home was built in 1885, early in his career, so I find that the interior doesn’t contain too many of his classic design motifs. Even so, it’s beautiful and seems extremely well cared for.
This neighborhood used to be scary 20 years ago. But I haven’t been back over there since the early 90s, and I know people who live a few blocks east and are doing fine. To echo JJJ, what’s Calumet and immediate surroundings like these days?
“That staircase is unbelievable.”
I agree although it is amazing how many homes in the Gap, Grand Boulevard, North Kenwood, and other neighborhoods nearby still have them intact. The housing stock down here is amazing.
Living in HP/Kenwood is bad enough — I wouldn’t take the risk on this neighborhood, no matter how beautiful it is. Maybe if the South Loop’s development creeps further south in a few years, but it seems like too big a risk, especially when there’s not much to do or walk to.
you had me at pocket doors
“There are 5 fireplaces, including in the master bedroom, pocket doors, original door knobs and a stained glass skylight.”
“To echo JJJ, what’s Calumet and immediate surroundings like these days?”
These side streets are pretty quiet. There are some people hanging out in the streets (generally old people from some of the senior buildings nearby) but I wouldn’t consider it unsafe.
King Drive is basically a highway and it and 31st can become chaotic during big conventions at McCormick Place. I’m not sure what influence Dunbar would have on this home, but I’m not a fan of the school itself. You’ll also sometimes see IIT students walking through the neighborhood to get to Prairie Shores/Lake Meadows.
Based on Benjamon’s comments, I’d guess this would be less risky for pioneers than say Garfield Park?
Icarus, definitely!
Here is another place down the street with once again less woodwork but more updated and with parking for $25k more. I think it has to be around the low-mid $500k’s probably maybe lower since not many people are looking in the nieghborhood.
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/3408-S-Calumet-Ave-60616/home/14070646
I want to strip naked and just embrace that staircase, I don’t care if that’s wrong.
Seriously, just an astonishing building – how much would it cost to put it on a flatbed and put it on the north side? I’m only kinda kidding.
Even this house had to be reduced under $600k for it to go under contract….and all of them have amazing staircases (if not as great as in the featured house). I’d prefer Drexel Blvd. too.
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/4240-S-Drexel-Blvd-60653/home/13962766
Now I’ll hush…
I’d love to live in such a beautiful house!
Benjamon, that first Drexel house you listed, it looks like they are looking to make a killing on it if they can find a buyer. I wonder how bad of shape it was in for it to go for $90k a year ago.
From the street view, it looks like a very pleasant block. Too bad there’s nowhere nice to walk to.
It’s just lucky this home didn’t meet the sad fate of so many others built by Sullivan and torn down between roughly 1930 and 1970. Usually they were replaced with nothing – just vacant land or parking lots. And it’s also lucky some clueless owner of the same era never decided to replace the staircase with something “up to date” and tear out the woodwork.
This neighborhood has far better possibilities than Garfield Park. There’s no comparison. Nevertheless, I’d love to know how much it would cost to transport this home to another neighborhood, simply because this area is too dull for me.
“Benjamon, that first Drexel house you listed, it looks like they are looking to make a killing on it if they can find a buyer. I wonder how bad of shape it was in for it to go for $90k a year ago.”
Most places in need of a full rehab are going for about that price down here. It does seem odd that it sold for nearly $200k under list price though.
I think you could definitely make a killing rehabbing places around here, but you have to have the cash to do it and it does involve a lot of risk today. There were a lot of people buying in the area in 2006 but today there are very few buyers. I have a feeling that first one on Drexel will sit for a long time even though it is a beautiful place and a nice location. 2 minutes from LSD and then only a 5 minute drive from there to downtown….maybe 10-15 in the worst of traffic.
Garfield Park? Really? Maybe you can now compare Uptown to Bucktown, Portage Park to Humboldt Park, etc, etc etc. Sigh.
Garfield Park? Really? Maybe you can now compare Uptown to Bucktown, Portage Park to Humboldt Park, etc, etc etc. Sigh.
” I’d guess this would be less risky for pioneers than say Garfield Park?”
Garfield Park is a slum
The gap is ok, not spectacular but pretty nice for a city hood
As a comparison, here’s something you could get in West Garfield Park for a lot less money:
http://www.trulia.com/property/1046333066-3910-W-Monroe-St-Chicago-IL-60624
As a resident of the “Gap”,happy to chime in with anyone’s questions. I know Architect usually has a few words to say.
The neighborhood is safe,look on any blog and compare what goes on here to other neighborhoods in the city.
The 3100 hundred block of Calumet is considered the premier block in the community.
Curb cuts are allowed out to King Drive,but nothing to the front of the home.
The Gap area is 31st to 35th street and from Michigan to King Drive.
Good access to public transportation,and plenty of street parking.
There is no retail,and not many options for grocery,but most people that live here don’t mind.
Mostly SFH’s with some condo’s and lots of students in the area when school is in session.
If anyone likes the neighborhood,but doesn’t want to spend $600 here is a link to a de-converted 2 flat that is now a 3 level SFH for under $400
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=3355%20s%20giles&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CE0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.redfin.com%2FIL%2FChicago%2F3355-S-Giles-Ave-60616%2Fhome%2F22985144&ei=cUfyT4OiJ4TBrQHdzrCOAg&usg=AFQjCNFiVxIeAX4Ne2lkU9cd63PxbqZMmw&sig2=MV-NhEEpe0iJwokkRRip6w
Dan #2, My father in law lives on Monroe a block or two west of there. You can certainly get a lot of home for little there. A lot of families don’t have the money for upkeep, so some aren’t in the best shape. Looks like that one had a bit of water damage eh?
GORGEOUS! Kitchen is gross though.
tomB, that home you linked to is nice and would be wonderful on the northside. It pales in comparison to the subject prop or others that benj has posted.
Tell me, if I moved there, would we increase the white population by double-digit percentage? As well as put the nerd population on the board.
What does $400k get you?
“It’s just lucky this home didn’t meet the sad fate of so many others built by Sullivan and torn down between roughly 1930 and 1970. Usually they were replaced with nothing – just vacant land or parking lots. And it’s also lucky some clueless owner of the same era never decided to replace the staircase with something “up to date” and tear out the woodwork.”
The blog I linked to in the post said there were about 24 Adler and Sullivan designed houses in this neighborhood and this is the only one that remains.
The area wasn’t designated a landmark district until 1988.
I should amend what I said about the demolition of Adler and Sullivan’s homes. Many were demolished to make way for Lake Meadows.
Icarus — I saw the house TomB linked to and didn’t post it because it didn’t seem quite in the same league even though it is beautiful. I’ll defer to Tom but while the Gap is a predominantly black neighborhood, I don’t think you would raise the percentage by double digits as you would if you bought further south in many of the places I posted down closer to where I live. As for the nerd population, I’m already nearby…so there is already a couple of us.
TomB — While I definitely like The Gap neighborhood, wouldn’t living on the 3100 block of Calumet be less desirable than 3200 S and maybe a little further west away from Dunbar? I know when Dunbar gets out King Dr. can become a little chaotic. Does any of this spill into the nieghborhood?
“I should amend what I said about the demolition of Adler and Sullivan’s homes. Many were demolished to make way for Lake Meadows.”
That is depressing. Lake Meadows and Prairie Shores are such obsolete eye sores! I wish they were gone and neighborhood streets and houses/condos/apartments returned!
Dunbar is not a good school. CPS and CPD do a good job of moving the kids out of the area.They get them loaded on the buses and there are monitors on all the corners.I would say 35th St is more of a problem after school with the Dunbar kids merging with the Bronzeville Academy kids.
As far as Demographics go,drive through the neighborhood,lots more whites than you think,there is strong interest from the Asians(who happen to be buying),lots of mixed race couples and if anyone is familiar with CRA reporting,this neighborhood is considered “upper”,so it does not qualify for any low to mod finance programs.
As far as the house I linked to on Giles, I think it is a tremendous value for a 3000 sq. foot home that is done,and clearly I realize it is not in the same league as the Calumet property.
There’s potentially a lot of biking infrastructure going in on MLK and 31st, which would make this a really easy bike ride to either the lake front or downtown or University of Chicago. http://www.chicagobikes.org/public/Citywide%20SFC%202020%20Network.pdf
Cant believe nobody has commented on lack of central air at this price point
“benjamon9 (July 2, 2012, 12:05 pm)
Even this house had to be reduced under $600k for it to go under contract….and all of them have amazing staircases (if not as great as in the featured house). I’d prefer Drexel Blvd. too.
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/4240-S-Drexel-Blvd-60653/home/13962766
Now I’ll hush…”
Why hush? This is a fun game.
A totally different animal, but this place could be amazing:
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/4404-S-King-Dr-60653/home/13960664
I wonder if the price on this one includes the (presumably) self-portrait. And what in god’s name do you do with a ballroom nowadays?
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/4404-S-King-Dr-60653/home/13960664
[E] “Cant believe nobody has commented on lack of central air at this price point”
Similar to Sabrina mentioning that ” you’re not buying this house for the kitchen”, most anyone seriously looking at this home won’t care about a lack of central air.
[Elizabeth] “There’s potentially a lot of biking infrastructure going in on MLK and 31st, which would make this a really easy bike ride to either the lake front or downtown or University of Chicago.”
There certainly is…and more importantly, MLK will get hit with a much needed road diet at the same time. From 26th to 35th (behind this home), the new protected bike lanes would reduce MLK from 8 travel lanes to 6. From 35th to 51st the new PBL turns MLK from 4 travel lanes to 3.
Read more here: http://gridchicago.com/2012/cdot-proposes-road-diets-protected-bike-lanes-for-king-31st-and-55th/
E, I’m sure any buyer of this home will put in central air just as they will put in a new kitchen. One of the reasons I think the price needs to drop on this home is most likely anyone who buys it is going to want to put in some work and therefore the price needs to reflect it.
Dude, I am fully in support of MLK being reduced in lanes north of 35th but to reduce it from 4 to 3 lanes south of there seems like a pain in the ass to me. I’m all for biking, but people are not going to be biking down MLK home south of 35th anytime soon. If it happens, I guess I’ll just start using Indiana and Michigan even more than I do now over MLK…
@Ryan, nice find. In pic#5 it looks like they drywalled a living room to make it a bedroom or something. Also in the last picture, it looks like the window has a metal screen. Perhaps to prevent breakins? If I were more of a pioneer and could get the lot next door,i I’d do it.
PS your comment didn’t show up until today because Sabrina has it set to moderate posters with more than one URL.
“@Ryan, nice find. In pic#5 it looks like they drywalled a living room to make it a bedroom or something. Also in the last picture, it looks like the window has a metal screen. Perhaps to prevent breakins? If I were more of a pioneer and could get the lot next door,i I’d do it.”
That house is next door to the Alderman’s place. I believe she lives in the townhouse complex next door. It looks like a neat home, but clearly needs work. I would love to see all of these homes rehabbed one day and returned to their glory.
3961 Drexel has open house Saturday, July 14, 2012 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM
someone should go check it out
9 am – 11 pm, eh?
I’d go since it is a few blocks away but I’ll be on vacation. Please go for me and report back! You can also pick up some chicken and waffles at King and Oakwood while you are down here. 🙂
This home has been reduced to $589k. Icarus??