He Wants A Loft But She Wants Vintage Charm: A 2-Bedroom At 333 W. Hubbard In River North

This 2-bedroom loft in the Union Square Lofts at 333 W. Hubbard in River North just came on the market.

It’s a bit unusual because it has been upgraded with vintage features including crown molding and wainscotting in the bedrooms.

The bathrooms have been upgraded and the fireplace has a marble surround with built in bookcases on either side.

The kitchen has maple cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.

It appears that just one of the two bedrooms has a window.

This unit has some exposed brick and tall concrete ceilings with exposed ductwork.

The loft also has an in-unit washer/dryer and central air.

There’s no parking with the unit, but it’s sometimes available for rent in the building.

It’s listed $19,900 over the 2006 price.

Will it get the premium?

Richard Wright at Rowhouse Realtors has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #507: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1207 square feet

  • Sold in April 1998 for $189,000
  • Sold in December 2005 for $345,000
  • Currently listed at $364,900
  • Assessments of $641 a month (includes heat, a/c, gas, doorman, cable)
  • Taxes of $5163
  • No parking
  • Central Air
  • Washer/Dryer in the unit
  • Bedroom #1: 14×11
  • Bedroom #2: 13×10

 

69 Responses to “He Wants A Loft But She Wants Vintage Charm: A 2-Bedroom At 333 W. Hubbard In River North”

  1. I’m guessing they don’t serve red wine at parties.

    I think the lack of parking is going to be an issue, plus I think the number of potential buyers who will oooh and aaah over wainscotting in a loft is going to be small. My guess is that it will go for under the 2006 price, but not much under.

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  2. Brought to you by Restoration Hardware

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  3. That “northern city view” their broker touts includes a big turn of Brown Line tracks immediately left of Sabrina’s photo.

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  4. The microwave really ties the whole place together.

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  5. Well, you can’t call it cookie cutter.

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  6. This is why Northern boys should not marry Southern girls. I guarantee you this owner does not work at the Mart. No one at the mart would bastardize a loft in this fashion. This is designer wanna be who shops at Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardward. (Actually, RH is above this…she just used some of their pieces like the bathroom vanity.)

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  7. gag me with that kid’s room

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  8. I agree with the comments about interior design. If that is your thing I almost feel that should have drywalled over all the brick and the ceiling but that would be crazy. Taking a loft like this and trying to add all these features and doors and all this millwork just doesn’t really make sense. However, it shouldn’t be THAT difficult to undo a lot of this – maybe $10k of demo, drywall and painting, if that’s your thing. Parking hurts it too. I have not seen units like these selling that quickly but in a stronger market maybe this sells around the 2005 price?

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  9. LOL picture #3-5 is just…. so sad

    Need a window in a room with wainscotting and why did they do it to the top, it just accentuates the horribleness of a ‘soft loft’ bedroom, you want to take attention away from that.

    Also those windowed double doors are horrible, I had some in a Jr. one bedroom i rented a long time ago and hated them with passion. Absolutely not suitable for bedrooms.

    I will say one thing though, this place is unique and certainly turned me off from putting crown molding in my place

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  10. “Also those windowed double doors are horrible, I had some in a Jr. one bedroom i rented a long time ago and hated them with passion. Absolutely not suitable for bedrooms.”

    Yeah considering how much five-knuckle-shuffling and boxing-the-clown you do.

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  11. Just when I think I have seen it all, I see a baby’s room decorated like that. Poor baby!

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  12. #1 mistake when renovating a loft:

    forgetting it’s a loft.

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  13. you guys are being a little harsh. With the exception of the baby room, the upgrades and improvements are very nice, and a buyer will be lucky to get them, as opposed to late 90’s originals. The baby room looks like it was created as a prop room for a photo shoot, or as a showroom at the Mart. Those little kiddy kitchen appliances are cool, but if the baby is still in a crib, it’s too young for the them.

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  14. “#1 mistake when renovating a loft:

    forgetting it’s a loft.”

    Love it!

    This place was ruined.

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  15. looking to buy on March 13th, 2013 at 1:36 pm

    Here’s my theory:

    Man buy’s loft. Marries woman. Woman suggests they buy a new place. Man says he can’t/doesnt want to take the loss. Woman moves in from crappy rental. Woman decorates the place how she wantssince she would have never moved to a loft in the first place.

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  16. why couldnt they buy one of those boring new box condos. all that they did here would have been perfect in the boring boxes and with the design and work could have sold that box way over the price they paid.

    now doing this in a “loft” actually makes the property worth less due to all the changes someone looking for a “loft” wants.

    and why all the hate on the babies room? i think its pimptastic just uncalled for in this type of unit.

    oh, and just to point out as i did back in 2009-2008. yep its another 2/2 with a crib on cribchatter yet no one gets the theme after 5 years

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  17. looking to buy on March 13th, 2013 at 2:00 pm

    “and why all the hate on the babies room? i think its pimptastic just uncalled for in this type of unit.”

    Probably becuase it looks like it will eventually be used to genderize the child. Dresses on the wall? Princess stuff all over with splashes of pink and pastels?

    Get my drift? This kind of relates to my previous post about the woman moving into the man’s loft. She finally found the man to take care of her.

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  18. looking to buy on March 13th, 2013 at 2:01 pm

    “Princess stuff all over with splashes of pink and pastels? ” <— I meant that this would probably be the next step.

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  19. “Get my drift? This kind of relates to my previous post about the woman moving into the man’s loft. She finally found the man to take care of he”

    see/read it loud and clear

    “be used to genderize the child”

    hey if i had a daughter you better bet that i would build a pink castle in her room or playroom.
    When my boy sees me in a pink shirt he says “pink is for girls daddy”. i did not teach him this nor did my wife

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  20. Looks like a bunch of mock-ups inside of an IKEA store- decorated walls up to 8 feet, then industrial ceilings.

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  21. looking to buy on March 13th, 2013 at 3:35 pm

    “When my boy sees me in a pink shirt he says “pink is for girls daddy”. i did not teach him this nor did my wife”

    Maybe you should teach him that pink is just a color and it’s for anyone that likes it. You should also teach him that if anyone makes fun of him for thinking that way, he should plant his fist in there face.

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  22. This “wainscotting” is an easy weekend do-it-yourself project often described in Handyman and Women’s Day-type magazines. It’s applied stock wood trim pieces glued (or nailed) to drywall in “box” configurations, and then each section is painted to distinguish “wainscot” from remaining wall.

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  23. “why couldnt they buy one of those boring new box condos. all that they did here would have been perfect in the boring boxes and with the design and work could have sold that box way over the price they paid”

    good point Groove

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  24. ^ and while he’s at it maybe teach the boy the proper use of their, they’re and there

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  25. It would be nice to see how these horrific renovations flow, but unfortunately not an ounce of care was taken into properly photographing the place. If you’re going to take shitty amateur photographs, at least take them with a wide angle lens.

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  26. We have a loft we just sold (this week, in fact) and I was surprised at the number of people who wanted to close up the bedroom walls to the ceiling, so it would be less “open.” The bedrooms were actually much more private than most lofts I’ve seen, too. I couldn’t help but wonder why they were looking at lofts in the first place. But this place really takes the cake though. And it’s a pretty frosted cake, at that.

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  27. chicago expert in all things on March 13th, 2013 at 6:16 pm

    It needs something like a framed and signed Hawks jersey on one of the walls for the guy to mark a little territory.

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  28. Wow – is this a real estate blog or a interior design hate fest? I thought in the early days of CC, there was some decorum about not trashing someone’s interior design choices. I really wonder who you all think you are and why on earth any real estate agent would ever allow listings to be featured here.

    Post pictures of your places and we can all comment on your furniture and microwaves and children’s room.

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  29. Wow–is Lorin a really stupid millenial misspelling of Lauren rather like Meghan is of Megan?

    ” I really wonder who you all think you are and why on earth any real estate agent would ever allow listings to be featured here. ”

    Yeah, uhh,…I don’t think they have to allow it.

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  30. In the past, there was a post by Sabrina stating that she did contact the real estate agent prior to posting. Perhaps that has changed. It really doesn’t matter. Anyways – I did contact the real estate agent myself and ask for his opinion. I have no interest in exchanging insults. I am quite certain that if the tables were turned, not everyone on this site would appreciate this style of feedback Maybe this isnt a serious site anymore… I used to find the information here helpful and interesting. Now – its more like a hazing.

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  31. “In the past, there was a post by Sabrina stating that she did contact the real estate agent prior to posting.”

    That was years ago Lorin. That’s only if I was asking to use the interior pictures (which never happens anymore because I don’t have time to contact agents about it.)

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  32. “Post pictures of your places and we can all comment on your furniture and microwaves and children’s room.”

    None of the furniture will be there when you move in. Please refrain from commenting about it. But, in this case, the wainscotting, crown molding and built-in bookcases will be so it’s fair game to chatter about that.

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  33. “oh, and just to point out as i did back in 2009-2008. yep its another 2/2 with a crib on cribchatter yet no one gets the theme after 5 years”

    Groove: that’s just a coincidence, but a funny one. The “crib” was originally taken from its usage by MTV and others (meaning their “house” or “home”). But strangely, the majority of properties featured here since 2007 seem to have a crib in one of the bedrooms.

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  34. “Now – its more like a hazing.”

    In the past Lauren I did haze places like this. Making fun of the parents for their predicament of now trying to flee to the burbs after making a sizeable investment of hundreds of thousands of dollars with seeming assuredness they’d be able to pick up and move at any time. I used to even joke that perhaps the lovely couple didn’t even know how they became pregnant.

    But how many times can I make fun of the same scenario? There are thousands upon thousands of these people in Chicagoland, and a couple hundred featured right here on CC, and they make the same predictable choices (and mistakes) at every turn. RE agents in condo-laden hoods must be making some good coin helping people buy these and resell them 5 years later when it’s flee to the burbs time. I’ve tired of it, not really for any lack of derision but rather a lack of energy.

    And let’s be honest Lauren none of these loft condo folk are much of a salt of the earth community type people. They’re the people that keep to themselves in whatever suburb they wind up in.

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  35. Unit 801 in the same building is not so bad. 50% bigger and with seemingly nice views.

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  36. Yes, I imagine it is exhausting. It is also a self-inflicted wound and perhaps you would find it less tiring if you didnt take the bait so easily. Good luck.

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  37. This is the apartment that Pinterest built. I’m sure they’ll find some combo of buyers that want a burb house in the city. But that babies room with the four poster crib. Just wow.

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  38. Everyone assumes the female did the interior decorating; but what if it’s not? what if the baby isn’t the owners but a relative who needed a place to stay for a while “Sure I’d love to let you stay in my condo sis”

    Think outside the box

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  39. This could be a stupid question, but please bare with me… I don’t have a kid yet, not even married… but is it normal to hang a chandelier over the baby’s crib?

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  40. Gramin,
    No, and it’s not normal to put wainscoting in a loft.

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  41. ” I used to find the information here helpful and interesting.”

    On this site? that must have been year zero or something.

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  42. Jeez no comments about the kids name on the wall?

    People are slipping

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  43. “I am quite certain that if the tables were turned, not everyone on this site would appreciate this style of feedback Maybe this isnt a serious site anymore… I used to find the information here helpful and interesting. Now – its more like a hazing.”

    I understand what you are saying, but this is the first property in months that everyone has (more or less) agreed on and not gone crazy off topic.

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  44. The other thing I don’t like about these ‘lofts’, wainscoting aside, is the layout of these places. They layout is really narrow and cramped, and the junior bedroom has no window, the bathroom has no window, and it just looks very tight. I’ve been in similar units and theyre not suitable for long term living. Sabrina says that most loft owners don’t stay more than a few years and I can see why. A real loft, a large open space with maybe a wall or two for a bathroom or bedroom, in an outlier neighborhood, that’s a real loft, that’s why someone would live in a loft – for the open space. Sabrina’s featured quite a few on CC. But these tiny highrise apartment sized ‘lofts’ with high ceilings, home depot finishes, exposed walls and duct work, and a long, almost shotgun style layout, seem to me like a con job the developers played on frenzied boom era buyers. This is a half-finished condo with high ceilings – that’s about it.

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  45. There’s a reason everyone wants to close up the walls in lofts. I don’t know anyone with kids who think open walls is a good idea. Even without kids people like privacy/ solitude. Personally I think the whole loft thing was a fad that still hasn’t died an appropriate death. But there are still people out there for whom it makes sense.

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  46. Guys, lay off Lorin, she’s probably the wife of the owner…..

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  47. This could be a stupid question, but please bare with me…

    I think you should buy us a drink first.

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  48. “a real loft, that’s why someone would live in a loft – for the open space. Sabrina’s featured quite a few on CC”

    Think my favorite loft-y space on cc is still the ghost trike one.

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  49. I was not aware that discussion of interior decor was out of bounds, so my mistake – however I’m a little surprised that out of all the comments on this thread, mine was the one that was deleted.

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  50. Gary, why buy a loft then? It’s not like there aren’t other condo options out there.

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  51. “Gary, why buy a loft then? It’s not like there aren’t other condo options out there.”

    That’s my point. I don’t see the appeal except for people who need a lot of open space – e.g. an artist or an architect. People who buy them seem to want to dump them as soon as someone else enters their life. Maybe it’s just a function of my clientele.

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  52. “People who buy them seem to want to dump them as soon as someone else enters their life. ”

    That’s blasphemy on this website. According to the chatterati, lofts are great for raising children, and they’re great places to live, and you, as the realtor who actually has experience dealing with real life people who buy and sell lofts, don’t know what you’re talking about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111

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  53. From a loft-owner with kids (and non-realtor) perspective, we are moving from our loft because we are moving out of state to another city — not a suburb. We are not “fleeing” anything. And I wouldn’t be so quick to assume that just because we’re parents that we had no clue about buying and selling. We intentionally bought our loft in 2010 (we were happily renting) because we did our research and ascertained that the market was bottoming out, and we’re selling now because we see the market turning quickly and we wanted to make a profit. So, we rushed to get our unit on the market and it paid off. And, we bought a loft with cool architectural elements but that was dated. So, we fixed it up ourselves and are making a nice profit on the sale. The openness of a loft actually worked really well for us and our two kids. The one staircase we have to a small loft area upstairs is gated off, so the kids can roam freely on one floor and not get into too much trouble. I can just hear them in their room from the main living areas, but at night a sound machine works perfectly to keep them from hearing us. (Personally, when my kids are quiet, I know they are up to something, so I want to hear them a little.) We have a full wall to the ceiling only between the bedrooms, which works perfectly to keep sound from transmitting back and forth. There is no one above or below us and we never hear our neighbors on one side. This place has been amazing for entertaining, too, because it is so open and allows for much interaction. Including for kids’ birthday parties, where we just shove all the furniture to edges of the room and let the kids run wild. I knew I wanted to live in a loft because I appreciate interesting architecture and design. Just because I have kids does not mean I have to live in a boring cookie-cutter condo.

    Lastly, from a seller’s perspective, I think the comments on the interiors can be valuable. If a place looks hideous and people point that out, it may help the seller to improve the space accordingly and realize a better sale price. Or it may help them understand why their place isn’t selling at all. There is a way to comment on this constructively, however.

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  54. From a loft-owner with kids (and non-realtor) perspective, we are moving from our loft because we are moving out of state to another city — not a suburb. We are not “fleeing” anything. And I wouldn’t be so quick to assume that just because we’re parents that we had no clue about buying and selling. We intentionally bought our loft in 2010 (we were happily renting) because we did our research and ascertained that the market was bottoming out, and we’re selling now because we see the market turning quickly and we wanted to make a profit. So, we rushed to get our unit on the market and it paid off. And, we bought a loft with cool architectural elements but that was dated. So, we fixed it up ourselves and are making a nice profit on the sale. The openness of a loft actually worked really well for us and our two kids. The one staircase we have to a small loft area upstairs is gated off, so the kids can roam freely on one floor and not get into too much trouble. I can just hear them in their room from the main living areas, but at night a sound machine works perfectly to keep them from hearing us. (Personally, when my kids are quiet, I know they are up to something, so I want to hear them a little.) We have a full wall to the ceiling only between the bedrooms, which works perfectly to keep sound from transmitting back and forth. There is no one above or below us and we never hear our neighbors on one side. This place has been amazing for entertaining, too, because it is so open and allows for much interaction. Including for kids’ birthday parties, where we just shove all the furniture to edges of the room and let the kids run wild. I knew I wanted to live in a loft because I appreciate interesting architecture and design. Just because I have kids does not mean I have to live in a boring cookie-cutter condo.

    Lastly, from a seller’s perspective, I think the comments on the interiors can be valuable. If a place looks hideous and people point that out, it may help the seller to improve the space accordingly and realize a better sale price. Or it may help them understand why their place isn’t selling at all. There is a way to comment on this constructively, however.

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  55. OK – I see my snarky comment on the decorating was removed. I guess that’s off limits for subject material from now on. But in cases like this, when it’s so over the top, I’d think there’s nothing wrong with having a conversation about it.

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  56. Dan2: Imo the true snarkiness of your comment was your Dann lite imitation. I wasn’t copied on the memo when you appointed yourself the N Shore’s gatekeeper, able to deny others permission to move there based on their prior selections of decor.

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  57. @ looking to buy,

    well since you are now a part of raising my kid i am bout 20k short a year for sending OUR kid to the school anonny is sending his kids.
    Email me for the routing and account number to the funding institution

    “Maybe you should teach him that pink is just a color and it’s for anyone that likes it. You should also teach him that if anyone makes fun of him for thinking that way, he should plant his fist in there face.”

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  58. “Groove: that’s just a coincidence, but a funny one. The “crib” was originally taken from its usage by MTV and others (meaning their “house” or “home”). But strangely, the majority of properties featured here since 2007 seem to have a crib in one of the bedrooms”

    ahh MTV cribs i get it now.

    Really the predominate thing on the listings here you see a crib but rarely do you see a teenagers room or preteen or an 8 year old bedroom.

    i guess thats good for woodfeild malls’ economy

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  59. “and while he’s at it maybe teach the boy the proper use of their, they’re and there”

    it would probably be better to have you teach him how to call shorts *correctly

    ” Gramin (March 14, 2013, 8:42 am)
    but is it normal to hang a chandelier over the baby’s crib?
    Vlajos (March 14, 2013, 8:51 am)
    No, and it’s not normal to put wainscoting in a loft.”

    and that is why cribchatter is awesome and entertaining. thank you Vlajos

    ” Gary Lucido (March 14, 2013, 10:40 am)
    People who buy them seem to want to dump them as soon as someone else enters their life. Maybe it’s just a function of my clientele.”

    WTH Ze???? there is a hooker/escort joke or analogy right there and you didnt jump on it?

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  60. Southbound,

    I was trying to be funny but if it came off as offensive, my apologies. I know others on this site have made fun of Glenview/Northbrook in the past, so it was meant in the same vein.

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  61. ” I know others on this site have made fun of Glenview/Northbrook in the past”

    and why are you guys so cheap in HP. put in some dang street lights already.

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  62. “I know others on this site have made fun of Glenview/Northbrook in the pas”

    still not as bad as we make fun of naperville

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  63. “why are you guys so cheap in HP”

    nomnomnom trolls love straight lines nomnomnom.

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  64. my bad, that wasn’t my intention at all.

    still was way to easy so he didnt want to hit a unintentional lob ball.

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  65. “Maybe you should teach him that pink is just a color and it’s for anyone that likes it. You should also teach him that if anyone makes fun of him for thinking that way, he should plant his fist in there face.”

    ah, promoting tolerance with intolerance. next evolution is we can punch people in the face who are intolerant of the intolerant.

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  66. “Maybe you should teach him that pink is just a color and it’s for anyone that likes it. You should also teach him that if anyone makes fun of him for thinking that way, he should plant his fist in there face.”

    ah, promoting tolerance with intolerance. next evolution is we can punch people in the face who are intolerant of the intolerant.

    Well, if the people are Dutch …

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  67. “Yes, I imagine it is exhausting. It is also a self-inflicted wound and perhaps you would find it less tiring if you didnt take the bait so easily. Good luck.”

    Lauren you’re the one who got a self-inflicted wound in this whole RE mashup. In fact your whole generation rather has one. Funky spelling on names because your parents thought it’d be cute to have a phonetically proper name but wanted to express individuality? Hah–that’s not much better than the names people in the ghetto call their kids, Lauren.

    But now knowing what generation you hail from I find your predicament all too predictable and hilarious. Your whole life you were told you were awesome and great and can succeed at anything, your whole generation has, actually. This made you stupid as to the risks of purchasing a loft condo such as this if you wanted to crap a kid out soon. You probably just glossed the risks over or thought “everything would be okay”.

    At the end of the day the situation you find yourself in is entirely of your own making: noone held a gun to your head and made you buy. Now its time for a little detour into reality: you likely aren’t going to sell this place with enough of a gain to have a downpayment on that house in the burbs. Heck you might not even cover your costs. In fact any accumulated equity might even be gone, but as you likely stretched to buy this place let’s be real you probably don’t have much equity on this place even if the value hadn’t fallen.

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  68. Look on the bright side Lauren: your loss on the condo is partially offset by your savings on baby monitors–you aren’t going to need them in this place! 😀

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  69. Oh and just noticed the kid’s name BWAHAHA–that’s a stripper name!

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