Rare Open Concept Living in a Vintage Lincoln Park Building: A 3-Bedroom at 2608 N. Lakeview
This 3-bedroom in The Marlborough at 2608 N. Lakeview in East Lincoln Park just came on the market.
Built in 1912, The Marlborough is one of the original grand dames of Lincoln Park, with park and pond views.
This unit has seen a complete overhaul since its last sale in 2014.
The listing says it has new hardwood floors, electric, windows and copper pipes.
Most interestingly of all, the kitchen wall was busted open to make an open living concept floor plan with a large kitchen peninsula overlooking the family room/den.
The kitchen has white cabinets and 2 inch Brazilian Quartzite on the peninsula and stainless steel appliances.
There’s also a Dual 48 bottle wine cooler.
The bedrooms have walk-in Elfa closets and ensuite bathrooms.
The third bedroom, as it is in many of these larger vintage units, used to be the maid’s room. They have installed a wall of storage which includes a murphy bed (be sure to check out the pictures in the listing.)
The unit has in-unit washer/dryer and zoned, split cooling system with remote controls but there’s no parking with this building. It is rental in the neighborhood.
Despite its renovation, it still has some of its vintage features like crown molding and a decorative fireplace.
Is the open concept living a vast improvement on this vintage unit or will vintage buyers be turned off?
Christopher Sterling at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures here.
You can also see the 2014 listing pictures here.
Unit #4C: 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2200 square feet
- Sold in 1986 (no price listed)
- Sold in May 2014 for $530,000
- Currently listed for $749,900
- Assessments of $1796 a month (includes gas, cable, exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger, snow removal)
- Taxes of $9851
- Zoned cooling system
- In-unit washer/dryer
- No parking- but available to rent in the neighborhood for $240 a month
- Bedroom #1: 17×12
- Bedroom #2: 16×12
- Bedroom #3: 12×6
The open concept is a turnoff, but not as bad as that HOA, lack of parking or lack of private outdoor space.
A beautiful apartment, lack of parking at this location is not a concern. Those AssFee’s of $1,796 a MONTH?????? We have talked about this on CC in years past at what point in these beautiful older buildings do the HOA fees get so large that the price of the unit will actually go down if not to zero?
Also say the remodeler of this place wanted to make 25% return on the reno. Do you think that $165k was put into this remodel?
With AssFee’s of $1,796 a month, I’d want valet parking and a doorman. I guess not many of the vintage buildings have a doorman.
Wow a murphy bed because that bedroom is so small don’t see that every day!
And white kitchens look great in photos and all that but in reality when you’re drinking red wine and having people over and cooking… ugh what a disaster they must be!
Its a nice place but dayum expensive I couldn’t justify the 2400 bucks a month before my mortgage! Then again I’m not an amenities person, could really give two shits less about a doorman and all that jazz.
“Do you think that $165k was put into this remodel?”
Retail price? Quite possible. But if the builder was doing it on spec, then nope, but that carves the 20%+ profit out of the reno cost.
If that was done for under $100k, at retail price, I want to talk to that builder.
“If that was done for under $100k, at retail price, I want to talk to that builder.”
IDK, looks like they threw on paint in all the rooms. electrical outlets look to be in the same spots no new were added. Only one bathroom was redone, i think the other even has the same towel in it from last time. the murphy bed i cannot tell if its custom or an “off the rack” cabinetry. i will say off the rack because of the height as if i was to bout it i would go higher and add molding to the top.
Kitchen looks to be the only substantial change. I would say the opening of the wall took restructuring and that the had to add a lvl header to carry the weight of that span. BUT if you look at the picks of all the rooms you can see a pronounced header in the dining, living rooms.
I cant tell if that powder room was added?
So i am on the fence if the reno cost $165k?
*bathroom $10K
*painting and plaster touch ups $3k
*powder room it wasnt a gut so probably used existing plumbing so $7k
*third “bedroom” $5k
*Kitchen with wall removal and toss in structural lets say $65k
*other misc updates $7k
I’m coming up with $97K
Am i missing anything? floors look to be the same, just refinished and will fall under my misc category. and actually that bathroom reno should be less as i just noticed that they painted the vanity white and just changed the counter top, every thing else is the same.
“*Kitchen with wall removal and toss in structural lets say $65k”
You want to install that level of appliances, and that much marble, and (at least partly) new cabinets (they dropped the ceiling, too, for the cans) in my kitchen for $65k, you’re hired.
That range, tho “just” a GE, is a $7,000 item, alone. And the refrigerator is $9500. The twopart ‘beverage center’ is another $3500. So that leaves under $45k for the labor, cabinets and counters.
Send me your form GMax contract, and I’ll sign it *today*.
ps: Could a builder do it at that price, with $0 profit? Maybe; probably, even. Please refer me to the builder who would do $0 profit work for *me*.
“The twopart ‘beverage center’ is another $3500.”
The underccounter thing? Really. seems nuts. is that w or wo your abt employee discount?
“That range, tho “just” a GE, is a $7,000 item, alone. And the refrigerator is $9500. The twopart ‘beverage center’ is another $3500.”
dang it, you do work for Abt.
okay missed on the level of appliances, so lets add 20k to the kitchen. So 85k for the kitchen
so still only $112k for the reno (took 5 off for the bathroom), that’s $107k in profit from the 2014 price.
so do we crib chatters feel thats an acceptable amount?
Complaints about assessments on here are as reliable as goose poop around the North Pond. What would be an appropriate (or tolerable) amount for this unit, this building? While there’s no doorman, etc., there is a staffed office during the day (for packages, etc.), and they take very good care of the property (cleaned pretty much everyday, etc.). And I pay this compliment as someone who was not universally loved by all of the staff when we rented there.
Great kitchen.
“The underccounter thing?”
Two units at $1800 msrp each. So, yeah.
“so do we crib chatters feel thats an acceptable amount?”
1. That’s the ask.
2. I still think your reno number is wholesale, not retail, and someone looking at before/after and knowing what they would have to pay (+20-30%) would see a smaller mark-up.
3. See #1.
4. Before it looked like a ‘project’; now it looks finished and comparable to similar-priced places.
“Before it looked like a ‘project’; now it looks finished and comparable to similar-priced places.”
Yeah. If a reno is with 5-10 percent of what I want then I’d pay some premium versus having to do myself even if that would get me exactly waht I’d want (partly bc I could avoid the pain of figuring out what I want).
“If a reno is with 5-10 percent of what I want then I’d pay some premium”
that’s a good consideration, as i too would pay a premium to have some else deal with the it. Only thing you lose is having it the way you want it. And really what people want is always more than their pocketbooks can handle.
“I still think your reno number is wholesale, not retail,”
could be, but i feel it was all cosmetic beside the kitchen.
“Before it looked like a ‘project’; now it looks finished and comparable to similar-priced places”
true, but my question really doesnt factor in comparable places. its just they paid 530k and now want to sell for 749k i factor in a 25% ROI and the rest i am trying to get back to the cost of reno.
You will be surprised to see that sometimes a buyer will come along and will snap up this place. All their real estate agent has to say is “this area is seeing tremendous growth and future home prices are projected to grow by double digits” and boom the buyer is tripping over himself to buy the property. Or my favorite; they did their research on Zillow and Zillow says this place is 10% undervalued.
It does have location, location, location for $350 psf (not incl. HOA). Maybe some NYC transplant will snap it up, because there’s no way someone like that is going to be living near Ashland.
The kitchen made me think of the counter at a Johnny Rocket’s.
I like the industrial/commercial plumbing on the sh!tter. That could handle anything Groove could throw at it.
Helmethofer I just want to say this about you. You are very opinionated and not afraid to say what you need to say. Some people on this board do not like you. Because of your opinions. But thanks for at least being honest and telling us what is on your mind. I wonder how many other people feel the same way as you do and are hiding their beliefs? I remember how I visited my relatives in southeastern Missouri. Their little sleepy town borders Tennessee by a few miles. I could tell by some people’s body language that I was not welcomed there. One guy told me outright- “mister, we don’t appreciate y’all coming into our country….”. At first I was pissed (hey that guy is a fucking racist I thought). But then I had to admire him for telling it to my face what others really are thinking. I also had to remind myself what my parents told me when I was a young lad: just keep working hard and beat them academically and financially.
Helmethofer you are a big backer of Mr. Trump. So is one third to possibly one half of America. On the other end of the spectrum we have Bernie Sanders. We do live in interesting times. The next few months are going to be very interesting.
Nimesh,
You were in a rural area south of the mason-dixon and they probably thought you were a terrorist. There are small minded people every where. I’m a white guy and there are plenty of places I don’t go because there’s a big target on my back, like most inner cities in America. I did a jury trial a few years ago and one hispanic juror flat out said that she was racist against white people and she couldn’t give a fair verdict to the Plaintiff or her white lawyers. It is what it is.
Elite urban liberals want to label and stereotype the Trump phenomenon as a bunch of working class racist white guys, when that’s just not true at all. Trump has broad support across many demographics. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with limiting immigration at this point in our history when immigration is historically at record levels, and especially when most are coming from one place and they overwhelmingly vote for one party (D) just like the one party state they came from.
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/10/07/a-shift-from-germany-to-mexico-for-americas-immigrants/
” I did a jury trial a few years ago and one hispanic juror flat out said that she was racist against white people and she couldn’t give a fair verdict to the Plaintiff or her white lawyers.”
I saw Bob Fioretti recently in the lobby of the Union League club. If I wasn’t in a hurry, I came very close to asking to speak with him. I seriously wanted to know how he felt after spending a career being a “progressive” (aka anti-white white person) that he only received 7% of the vote. All the Jews voted for Rahm. All the Hispanics vote racistly too, for Chuy. The blacks didn’t repay him either.
All his efforts at rejecting whites and sucking up to non-whites were repaid to him as racist rejection, as noted above.
Chicago is racist, but it’s not the whites who are the most guilty.
PS Before southbound comes in whining, the discussion and analysis of “demographics” in integral to the analysis of real estate. It’s just the way it is.
Yes, I would agree that there are plenty of racists in every racial category. I sat on a jury and the foreman treated me like I was a foreigner. While the Polish guy with a thick Slavic accent was “an all American”. LOL. I do not buy the nonsense that if you are a minority then you can not be a racist. Bunk. I know plenty of Indians who hold prejudicial views against other races.
A friend told me when Chuey Garcia and Rahm Emanuel went into a run off. He told me that the blacks would never vote for a Mexican. He has been involved in Chicago politics since he was a teenager.
Isn’t it refreshing to just have people say what is on their minds?
The reason we can speak our mind is something called the 1st amendment, an ideal from the depths of the enlightenment, that many places around the world did not experience. We can thank a couple of middle aged dudes in 18th century France and England. There’s a theory out there that coffee and tea, but most coffee, directly led to the enlightenment because for the first time in human history, man was drinking something other than dirty water or alcohol…but i digress…
As far as the last mayoral election, there really wasn’t much of a choice. Chuy and Fioretti weren’t serious candidates, and they were way in over their head. Detroit elected Kwame and DC elected Marion Berry once upon a time and ‘Chuy’ was easily Chicago’s Marion Berry. Rahm despite his faults and politics is the only adult at the table capable of running a city, although I’m he’s probably rewatched the wire half a dozen times since the election…
can we get back to real estate and not this bull shit debate over race and racism.
that makes you a racist for not wanting to talk about race. you can’t just ignore your white privileges,sir.
what makes you think I’m white? or male?
You act like a white male, a lot like Trump actually, as you run around insulting viewpoints you don’t agree with and calling them as*holes.
“MZ on August 1st, 2015 at 9:17 am
the preponderance of as*holes on this site is staggering.”
ahh, yes. take things out of context and then use them as insults; so educated and mature of you. Not unlike D Trump at all. Excellent straw man argument!
You’re a racist for not wanting to talk about race on a real estate site? Really? Get over it. This is a real estate site, there are more than enough outlets online tainted with peoples’ obsessive comments about race and politics to choose from elsewhere.
I’m not sure how you can take your judgmental statement ‘out of context’. you called the posters here A$$holes. nice try, but total fail on your part.
and yes, I’m trolling.
Showing contingent
“Maybe some NYC transplant will snap it up, because there’s no way someone like that is going to be living near Ashland.”
HH you have a point. Why WOULD you want to live near Ashland? (that goes for anyone- not just a NYC transplant.) If you have $800,000 to spend you might as well have beautiful views of the park. And compared to either of the coasts, this is very cheap.
Many people don’t have cars anymore so these vintage buildings without parking could come en vogue again.
I’m not surprised that this is under contract already. It’s move in ready.
Most properties should be under contract within like 3 days of listing (that gives enough time for all the offers to come in etc.) There are usually multiple offers.
I know ya’ll are going to hate, but I like the old kitchen more. The open wall is nice, but the finishes look nouveau riche to me.
Ashland is a very, very long street and “near” could have a number of interpretations. But generally speaking, I’ll take “near Ashland” over Streeterville, over the South Loop, mostly over the West Loop, over Edgewater, over a lot of hoods. It’s an ugly street, but there are many nice and convenient blocks near it.