This 5-Bedroom Bucktown Single Family Home Tests The Hot Market: 2050 W. Churchill
This 5-bedroom single family home at 2050 W. Churchill in Bucktown was first listed in December 2010 and stayed on the market for 7 months.
It never sold.
It’s back on the market and has been reduced. I couldn’t find the original 2010 list price but in January 2011 it was listed at $1.199 million.
It’s now listed at $999,900.
It’s on the corner of Churchill and Hoyne so that gives it a rare front entrance on the side of the house.
The listing says it has a “chef’s kitchen” with granite counter tops, maple cabinets and upgraded stainless steel appliances.
3 of the 5 bedrooms are on the second floor. The other two are in the lower level along with the family room.
Built on a smaller than standard Chicago lot of 24×100, it has a deck on top of the 2-car garage for entertaining.
There is also the possibility of a rooftop deck (you can see the easy access door in one of the listing pictures.)
The house is listed just $64,900 above the 2003 purchase price.
Is this a deal for the location and square footage?
Beth Ryan at Ryan Realty & Associates has the listing. See the pictures here.
OR see it at the Open Houses on Saturday March 9 from 10:30 to 11 AM or Sunday March 10 from 11- 12 PM.
2050 W. Churchill: 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 3200 square feet, 2 car garage
- Sold in August 2003 for $935,000
- Originally listed in December 2010 (I couldn’t find the original list price)
- Was listed in January 2011 for $1.199 million
- Withdrawn in June 2011
- Recently re-listed for $999,900
- Taxes of $9788
- Central Air
- Bedroom #1: 20×16 (second floor)
- Bedroom #2: 13×11 (second floor)
- Bedroom #3: 14×11 (second floor)
- Bedroom #4: 15×12 (basement)
- Bedroom #5: 12×10 (basement)
The glass block fortress look is awful. Cramped looking bathrooms too. I can’t see this more that 850k at a stretch.
“I don’t find it all that relevant if the old listing is more than a year or so old (UNLESS- it has continuously been on the market most of that time.)”
Did we go thru a wormhole again? Is it March 2012, and not March 2013?
“Did we go thru a wormhole again? Is it March 2012, and not March 2013?”
Fuck off anon(tfo). I’ve been doing it the same way for nearly 6 years.
anon(tfo)- let’s say your conspiracy theory is correct. Let’s say I have some kind of agreement with Jenny Ames to somehow make her listings look good (ha! ha! Even just the thought of that is hilarious but let’s say that it’s true.)
Why would she care if I did or didn’t put some listing information on the post from a couple of years ago when she likely didn’t even have the listing herself? Why the hell would she care? It is already available (if you can find it) on public sites like Redfin and Zillow. If it’s not too old the MLS will also have the listing history (although that only goes back like 2 years- right?)
What’s the conspiracy then?
I don’t get it.
It’s just so hilarious. So much wasted energy over something so stupid.
Hilarious. Anon(tfo) accuses me of a bring a troll the other day, and the last few days he’s been the biggest troll of them all, insulting our host, giving her a hard time. There’s only one other person in that category of a$$hole and I dare not say this troll’s name!
That is a pretty cool garden. Well done for a nice small space. Nice flowers and paths.
LTV of the mortgage is actually respectable for a million dollar house in bucktown. II’m so used to seeing 90% LTV for anything purchases before 2006.
But I guess it’s not that surprising for an employee of god’s and america’s favorite profession.
WHo thinks this family will be downsizing into yesterday’s condo at 3100 N Sheridan. IT’s great for kids, right?
I wonder if they have a bunch of similar vases and bought like 60 tulips, or if whoever was taking the photos just kept moving that same vase of tulips from room to room while snapping pics.
And yes, I thought the “tulip vase mystery” was the most interesting thing about this place.
“There’s only one other person in that category of a$$hole and I dare not say this troll’s name”
JZ?
There are too many men, wearing skinny jeans (ripped at the ankles) and riding bikes in this neighborhood.
Agree jenny, its fucking disgusting!
This listing could use a floorplan. I’m not a fan of having the FR on a different level than the kitchen. Who wants to walk around with food, up and down stairs? If there’s ever an instance where a TV over the fireplace would be good, it’s above the fireplace directly across from the kitchen island.
I actually like this neighborhood. It’s very quiet and lots of high end SFHs. Access to Milwaukee Ave and Armitage is good.
“There are too many men, wearing skinny jeans (ripped at the ankles) and riding bikes in this neighborhood.”
LOL, yep. That’s the “image” that’s pumped out there for the SWPL youth to adopt: Androgyny, feminity, etc. These wimps on their “bicycles”….guys only jay could love. I read today that China has 83 billionaires in its parliament, and jay champions progressive chumps that ride bikes and he thinks Illinois and Chicago have it all down pat.
“There are too many men, wearing skinny jeans (ripped at the ankles) and riding bikes in this neighborhood.”
Can you be more judgemental?
I must say hh, your love affair with the Chinese paper tiger is just fascinating to me
” I read today that China has 83 billionaires in its parliament, ”
as if that’s a good thing in a supposedly communist country! Our country is run by millionaires mostly, and some of the newer members, the tea baggers as everyone calls them, are younger and not wealthy. Even Obama had to become senator to finally pay off his student loans
This place looks nice…agree that the little garden is well done, (though I would be worried about drunks peeing on my plants..is this that kind of neighborhood?) Why no pic of the garage deck?
“wearing skinny jeans (ripped at the ankles) ” LOL..what does the ripped at the ankles mean? A new fashion trend? Oh these kids today. My neighbors kids is exactley like you discribed and when he got a job downtown he was thinking of moving into the loop or the Gold Coast…I have no idea why but he is a suburban kid and that is his idea of “city living.” I steered him toward Bucktown and apparently I was right…he loves it and it seems there are others just like him.
“Even Obama had to become senator to finally pay off his student loans”
That didn’t really pay any better than the biglaw opportunity he declined. His book(s) paid off their loans.
“though I would be worried about drunks peeing on my plants..is this that kind of neighborhood?”
not saying it wont happen but this street is mainly million dollar homes.
Regardless, this is a good time to try with the inventory so low. This time is the best chance in a long time to go for price increases.
” His book(s) paid off their loans”
You’re absolutely right, but he gained popularity as result of becoming a senator, which helped sell his books, which he used the proceeds from to pay off his student loans.
here is other things you could buy for the same money. why would you buy this thing in Bucktown?
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Highland-Park/126-Edgecliff-Dr-60035/home/14361390
So cast your votes for the best CC fight so far:
Southlund vs HH
HD vs tfo
tfo vs Sabrina
Groove vs TMD
These are just recent memory, i’m sure there are some all-time classics as well.
or this one; why would you get this in one in bucktown?
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Park-Ridge/107-Murphy-Lake-Rd-60068/home/13647926
and if you really need a 606 zip code then why not this?
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/600-N-Lake-Shore-Dr-60611/unit-1004/home/26814832
“Fuck off anon(tfo). I’ve been doing it the same way for nearly 6 years.”
Classic.
BTW, Anonny, are you looking in Bucktown now that your child was accepted at a gilted 30k a year private school?
“I’ve been doing it the same way for nearly 6 years.”
you haven’t been doing it the same way for six days.
Don’t forget JZ vs. the chatterati
That’s always a blowout like Washington Generals vs. Globetrotters
HD: “Anon(tfo) accuses me of a bring a troll the other day”
You’re a moron. Your reading comp this week is worse that clio’s.
I’ll try to put it in little words for you HD:
You like to say that “builders build, lenders lend” which is a truism, but who doesn’t lieka truism? I sure do. In the midst of a horrible trollfest (one in which you, HD, were on the side of the angels, barely acknowledging the trolling, and when doing so decrying it), I suggested you needed to add another truism to your list: trolls troll.
If you still believe that I was calling you a troll, no one can help you.
“i’m sure there are some all-time classics ”
John (?) vs MG on the square footage thing.
Is this a sign you’re working on the wiki?
“What’s the conspiracy then? ”
No conspiracy then, fair enough. But it sure got you fired up.
Still don’t understand why a 2011 no-sale listing is relevant for one property but not another. Maybe I’m as dense as HD.
“Is this a sign you’re working on the wiki?”
yeah because I need another non-paying gig. One word of caution: in my industry, it’s common for geeks to take advantage of someone careless enough to leave their laptop unlocked while they grab a drink from the break room. Silly FB posts are not unheard of. Is it possible that some of these “unbecoming and unlikely” remarks from various chatterati are simply pranks from colleagues with access to someone elses’ brower session….or more likely that they haven’t had sun or sex in a while?
” Groove77 (March 8, 2013, 10:19 am)
here is other things you could buy for the same money. why would you buy this thing in Bucktown?”
Two are in the burbs (dieing and boring) and one is a white box in the sky.
“though I would be worried about drunks peeing on my plants..is this that kind of neighborhood?”
“not saying it wont happen but this street is mainly million dollar homes.”
Right, it’s really a sleeper in that regard, a very nice area indeed.
“Anon(tfo) accuses me of a bring a troll the other day, and the last few days he’s been…”
I’ve always thought anon(tfo) was female, this whole time.
“His book(s) ”
His ghostwritten books.
I think for $1 million there should at least be crown molding along the ceiling.
“BTW, Anonny, are you looking in Bucktown now that your child was accepted at a gilted 30k a year private school?”
Whether private or public, or owning or renting, for as long as Chicago is home, we’ll be within a few blocks (at the most) of the park/lakefront. I would, however, like to get out towards Bucktown to eat more often.
Also, DZ: did your acquaintance ever confirm that they were in fact admitted early, or did they receive such notification yesterday/today?
@yoss,
WTH? your really saying the one in HP is boring? compared to this slapped together box in bucktown that looks like a quickly done addition to a bad CPS school?
and really your saying the PR one the is ON A LAKE, and a private lake that has a ban of any motorized boats is boring?
kind of agree with the white box in the sky though, but given the terrace and a couple can of paint and the FRICKEN AWESOME VIEW then i will stil say WTH? to you
“Two are in the burbs (dieing and boring) and one is a white box in the sky.”
@nonny,
did you get your letter yet? did you do the CPS SEES as a back up? or just skipped it because you have lincoln elem as the fall back?
“Also, DZ: did your acquaintance ever confirm that they were in fact admitted early, or did they receive such notification yesterday/today?”
I second the comment that the glass block windows on a major facade are a poor finish choice.
“Whether private or public, or owning or renting, for as long as Chicago is home, we’ll be within a few blocks (at the most) of the park/lakefront.”
I gather that means no acceptance. Personally, I think Chicago is screwed up from a school perspective. Good families whoring themselves for a decent education, turning themselves into pretzels and what not. It should not be that way.
“did you do the CPS SEES as a back up? or just skipped it because you have lincoln elem as the fall back?”
We really hadn’t even investigated the CPS SEES, partly because of Lincoln and partly because the prospect of having the elder kid attend a SEES while the other might not seems like a real bummer. I talked with someone recently who’s elder kid is attending a SEES. They absolutely love it, but it’s their understanding that the younger will need to basically test off of the charts in order to join her there.
This area is really more Logan Square than Bucktown, isn’t it?
“They absolutely love it, but it’s their understanding that the younger will need to basically test off of the charts in order to join her there.”
now you can see why Bell school district is so dang popular, if the kid gets into the RGC and kid two doesnt test well or is a dip shyte then kid two will be in the neighborhood program in the same school as the elder *better kid.
Still your willingness to cough up 25k a year is commendable as most (really me) if i wasnt in a SFH 9with the cash to do so) in LP i couldnt swallow that pill knowing that there are other options not in a 606 zip code close to the loop.
just based on the pictures, this place seems a lot nicer but perhaps a little smaller. do people value or devalue being on a corner lot?
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/2124-W-Churchill-St-60647/home/13356879
“Groove77 (March 8, 2013, 11:17 am)
@yoss,
WTH? your really saying the one in HP is boring? compared to this slapped together box in bucktown that looks like a quickly done addition to a bad CPS school?”
Nah – I was just messing around and referencing the article I posted a few days ago saying people are moving from burbs to the city. Didn’t mean the house was boring just that the burbs are (to me). Most of these SFH posts tend to gravitate towards “look what this buys you in X” posts.
anonny – What private school is your kid going to? I have a young child and will be choosing between entering the private school dance vs. Lincoln Elem soon. I hear Latin / Parker are basically impossible to get non-sibling / legacy kids into.
Groove, I think it just of course depends on what you want, and what your lifestyle is ( I know DUH!) Comparing all three have their plus and minuses but I think that the Bucktown house wins if you want to live in a real neighborhood have space to entertain, have a chance to meet your neighbors, not have to worry about condo noise issues, and still have walking access to bars and places to eat, and close proximity to downtown.
I like living in the burbs but we have a big house where we entertain a lot and we are friends with our neighbors. That is the plus for the two suburban places you list but a minus for the condo (I agree it is a big box in the sky and I have lived in high rises, you never get to know or even sometimes see, your neighbors. ) However, as much as I like hanging at home, once in a while it would be cool to be able to walk to a pub or to go grab something to eat without worrying about getting in the car ,etc going to strip mall land to find a place, or eat at some chain, (not to mention worrying about driving home if you had a couple) I think the Bucktown place has it all, room to entertain, outside places to do so (especially if you do the roof deck) living in a real neighborhood, and proximity to “night life,” as they call it.
For what it is worth, I am not a big fan of painted ladies, as nice as the HP house is, and the second one, while nice on the inside, looks like a Hampton Inn on the outside.
I think this goes under contract inside of 2 weeks. Hot neighborhood, good location, especially with all the light you get on a corner; and the price is right. I think it sells for $967,500.
I should’ve added that brick construction will be a nice plus for the selling price as well in my opinion.
“basically impossible to get non-sibling / legacy kids into”
It was either this year or last where one school supposedly even sent a letter to this effect after applications were due stating they had more legacy applications than total spots.
Again, it’s not a good thing that Chicago lacks good k-12 private options (that aren’t part of for profit corporations of course). The suburbs have both, in abundance.
” Didn’t mean the house was boring just that the burbs are (to me)”
agreed the burbs are boring, no matter what anyone tries to convince otherwise. go to the burbs on a beautiful warm sunny day and watch all the people not be outside or anywhere to bee seen.
“Most of these SFH posts tend to gravitate towards “look what this buys you in X” posts”
that only happens when bri bri post a uninspiring home that is priced so dang high in non-noteworthy school district and from the outside looks like the intake area for a mental institute.
“JMM (March 8, 2013, 12:36 pm)…
Again, it’s not a good thing that Chicago lacks good k-12 private options (that aren’t part of for profit corporations of course). The suburbs have both, in abundance.”
There are plenty of Catholic School options which aren’t too difficult to get into. Its just that the big names have no room. Regarding the suburbs – I have no interest moving out of the city and I live in a good school district and still have the option for private school. I think we will continue to see more private schools open / expand in addition to the GZ public schools get better. I know Catherine Cook is expanding and the British School is opening a campus in the south loop and I think Lycee Francais is opening a new building too.
@mitch,
I get a woody for painted ladies, also for Victorians with a large wrap around porch, so i am biased that way. and yes the PR house ref to hampton extended stay in is hilarious and true. it has a curb appeal of Rosie O’Donnell strung out on crack wearing stockings and a cloche hat.
I also have a bias of not liking bucktown and not understanding its overly priced properties for what you get in return.
My links were not to say “hey look what the burbs have” as to more of a “if your spending a million here are just a spec of all the option you have” and why choose this bucktown place
“For what it is worth, I am not a big fan of painted ladies, as nice as the HP house is, and the second one, while nice on the inside, looks like a Hampton Inn on the outside.”
“the British School is opening a campus in the south loop”
yes will it be called british school or “the roosevelt collection school brought to you by the British school?
also i dont know the details but is it going to be there HS?
“and I think Lycee Francais is opening a new building too”
crap again brain failing me but i thought they were moving not opening *another?
Groove: “also i dont know the details but is it going to be there HS?”
Yes, the British School planned for the South Loop is the HS. The Halsted property will remain.
Groove: “crap again brain failing me but i thought they were moving not opening *another?”
Yes, Francais is moving to the old Ravenswood Hospital site, most of which is demolished now.
“Yes, the British School planned for the South Loop is the HS. The Halsted property will remain”
i havent seen the actual plans but heard there is something about the roof being a communty park? and the NIMBY’s are in full force on this whole thing?
“Yes, Francais is moving to the old Ravenswood Hospital site, most of which is demolished now”
any input on the school? (not the moving just the quality)
“you never get to know or even sometimes see, your neighbors.”
you say that like its a bad thing?
apparently you have lucked out and never had shitty neighbors
I believe Lab school is also nearly doubling their enrollment…at least since when I graduated… new buildings, etc. There doesn’t seem to be a lack of people willing to pay for private schools.
A Waldorf School opened near me a couple years ago and think they are expanding. A Montessori school is scheduled to open soon too.
Groove, the NIMBYs are always out and about in this City, it bugs the crap out of me.
We have friends from Europe and South America who send their kids to Francais. They like it. I don’t think it’s the outrageous either. I’m glad to see Ravenswood torn down too!
I’m genuinely curious – Why do people in poor neighbors, with bad schools, get angry when CPS wants to close their failing school? If they are closing the worst of the worst schools, shouldn’t the parents welcome the change and want their kids to go to a new school, even if it’s only slightly better?
Actually I take that back, it’s not cheap. It’s all French as well, so you have to want that.
Jenny, good question. My guess is that many of the parents don’t care about education in the first place unfortunately. They do like the convenience though.
“do people value or devalue being on a corner lot?”
Both?
I know people who would “never” (quotes bc I don’t believe them, entirely) live on a corner, supposedly bc of noise, and people walking by, etc. I also know people who *only* (in one case, to the point of bidding on something like 2 dozen houses before hitting on one) live on a corner for sunlight reasons.
I’d prefer the *right* corner to a mid block location, but very few corners in the city are the “right” corner–far side of stop signs on two one-ways, neither of which are heavily traveled *ever*, nice SFHs on each of the other 3 corners, limited alley use, with an easy exit on the other end.
“Groove, the NIMBYs are always out and about in this City, it bugs the crap out of me.”
not that some NIMBYism isnt a good thing in some situations but the past 5 years it seems like the fly out of the wood work for anything now. (maybe with the news/blog updated it just “seems” that way)
“We have friends from Europe and South America who send their kids to Francais. They like it. I don’t think it’s the outrageous either.”
its not an option for us so dont really have any info on it so i ask when it comes up. thank you
” If they are closing the worst of the worst schools, shouldn’t the parents welcome the change and want their kids to go to a new school, even if it’s only slightly better”
“My guess is that many of the parents don’t care about education in the first place unfortunately. ”
talk about ringing the feeding bell right at the end of the day
“They do like the convenience though.”
why would they its not like they are working and somewhere better to be on time?
and with that i shall sign off for the day, see ya folks monday as nothing good in this post from here out will be said/typed 🙂
“and I live in a good school district”
Until high school. Good luck with that. I am just pointing out a lot of people don’t like to have that level of uncertainty 10 years further into their child’s life.
@ Jenny
I’m genuinely curious – Why do people in poor neighbors, with bad schools, get angry when CPS wants to close their failing school? If they are closing the worst of the worst schools, shouldn’t the parents welcome the change and want their kids to go to a new school, even if it’s only slightly better?
From what i’ve been told by my Teacher friends, parents don’t want the neighborhood schools to close because if they have to go to another school, they may be crossing gang lines and thus exposing themselves to more violence. Also, some of the schools that they are closing have different programming (english/spanish immerision, arts, etc) and the parents want to keep their children there. I also think that they are worried that if the schools are closed, they may be more likely to be in the 41 person classroom that CPS deems fine. Just what I’ve heard; we are not personally in the situation.
“I’d prefer the *right* corner to a mid block location, but very few corners in the city are the “right” corner–far side of stop signs on two one-ways, neither of which are heavily traveled *ever*, nice SFHs on each of the other 3 corners, limited alley use, with an easy exit on the other end”
I think I can visualize this but you might have to draw me a picture. So the SW corner of the intersection of two one way streets, one going South, the other West? the NE corner of one going North, the other going East?
“So the SW corner of the intersection of two one way streets, one going South, the other West? the NE corner of one going North, the other going East?”
yep. bc I find accelerating cars less annoying than stopping cars. The flip (both stop signs right in front of the house) would be okay, too, but would not want both, as you would get both sets of noise.
” they may be more likely to be in the 41 person classroom that CPS deems fine”
I heard that CPS thinks it’s fine to have 50 kids in a room, provided that the room has an equal number of rats and crocodiles.
CPS doesn’t deem that ‘fine’, but it’s become an article of faith that they do, because a spokesmoron or two decided to say something along those lines. And, no, the existence of several classrooms of that size this school year is not actual evidence that CPS thinks it’s ‘fine”.
Yes, it’s what, 20 kids per person (according to the website), so if there a teacher and an aide in the classroom, that’s fine for 40 kids? Even if the aide is technically for a few specific kids?
Icarus, did you see the Ridgeland house went under contract? Very tempting to place a wager on how low it sells for…..
Benjamin, I saw that. Didn’t it briefly go contingent once before? I think it would have sold sooner if it hadn’t been so ridiculously priced 8? Months ago.
Ill guess $415k. .
I don’t think it has been under contract before. I would bet it goes closer to $400, maybe $405k.
The Lycee is great, we would have sent our son there full time but we prefer Montessori (and not paying so damn much), so he does the summer camp there every year. We are very happy with it, and my son loves it. Our friends who send their son there like it but have commented more than once on the the attitudes of the other parents being snobby, which is not surprising. All said they spend $22K a year (between school and summer camp) and with a new baby that will be in school in a few years I wouldn’t be surprised if they are out of there soon. We have other friends with 2 kids there that have been there for years and they say the cost has steadily gone up year after year to the point where it’s out of reach for most people. It’s just that there are no other options for French, other than Lincoln but that is a before school program as far as I know, and not full day immersion.
“So cast your votes for the best CC fight so far”
My “rice ‘n beans” fight with that interior decorator Westloop.
The one in which he claimed he was an ethnic minority and that he paid his workers on the books.
“get a woody for painted ladies, also for Victorians with a large wrap around porch,”
Victorians with wrap around porches, definatley..I always wanted to live on the block of those houses in “Meet me In St. Louis,” so I guess I like PL’s just not so…painted???
” so i am biased that way. and yes the PR house ref to hampton extended stay in is hilarious and true. it has a curb appeal of Rosie O’Donnell strung out on crack wearing stockings and a cloche hat.”
LOL, thanks for that image, and I was eating a greasy McDonald’s breakfast so I am laughing and fighting nausea at the same time!