Do You Love Tall Ceilings? A 2-Bedroom Penthouse Loft at 70 E. 18th in the South Loop

70 e 18th

This 2-bedroom penthouse loft in the Casablanca Lofts at 70 E. 18th in the South Loop just came on the market.

The building was converted to lofts in 2005 and has 17 units and garage parking.

This loft has 18-foot ceilings with large, sunny south facing windows.

The living room is open to the second level, which has a den and loft that overlook the lower level.

Both bedrooms are also on the second level (and I’m not sure they have windows. Thoughts?)

The kitchen has 42″ cherry cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.

There are marble baths.

This loft has a tidbit of exposed brick on one wall and exposed ductwork. Otherwise, it doesn’t have any authentic loft features.

The unit has the other features buyers look for including central air, washer/dryer in the unit and garage parking is available for $25,000.

What would you do with those loft spaces that are off the bedrooms? It is unique space.

This unit hasn’t been sold in 11 years.

Will long time South Loop owners finally start listing en mass now that the market has recovered?

Kimberly Smith at Re/Max Vision 212 has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #4D: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, duplex, 1700 square feet

  • Sold in April 2006 for $497,500
  • Currently listed for $479,000 (parking is $25,000 extra)
  • Assessments of $454 a month (includes cable, exterior maintenance and scavenger)
  • Taxes of $6782
  • Central Air
  • Washer/Dryer in the unit
  • Fireplace
  • Bedroom #1: 16×12
  • Bedroom #2: 15×13
  • Loft: 12×3
  • Den: 24×11

 

 

21 Responses to “Do You Love Tall Ceilings? A 2-Bedroom Penthouse Loft at 70 E. 18th in the South Loop”

  1. Is Kroll’s still next door to here? I used to live on this block Loooooong ago when I was getting my masters. I hated it. At the time there was nothing around here.

    It was so far to the roosevelt red line, and there was nothing to do. Chinatown kinda wasn’t a great social scene. I would ride my bike straight down 18th and go to pilsen or the developing university village area a lot back then…There was a place on 18th and hasted..Kristoffer’s I think is what it’s called. Best tres leeches cake i’ve ever had.

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  2. its on top of krolls…

    theres way more stuff to do now around here than there used to be!

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  3. Ah, gotcha. Admittedly haven’t stepped foot around in here in almost a decade..I prefer the parts of the south loop closer to roosevelt / museum campus..but then again you’re not getting 1700 square feet for 499 over there.

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  4. This is a nice place. I think the price is fair if the square footage is accurate. Once I have a new job, I hope to be able to afford this type of place.

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  5. I wonder how feasible it would be to install pocket doors for the kitchen. It would be great to section the kitchen off and hide it out of view when not using it.

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  6. yeah, Riz, you should get down here… I too lived in the South Loop, as far as 23rd and Michigan in 1992, then on the 1300 block of S Wabash in 95… what’s funny is that way back in the 2000’s or 90’s you thought Pilsen and UV was more happening then the south loop (I’d agree with that), but somehow Pilsen is not today? I’ve gone a few times now to Hais Sous Vietnamese Kitchen, and I think it’s the best restaurant opening I’ve been to in over 30 years in Chicago… anyway, Kristoffer’s and the female half of the couple that run that place, does indeed still make the best tres leches cake in the world…

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  7. ” if the square footage is accurate”

    Something is funky. Based on the room measurements, the first floor is approximately 25′ wide and 30′ deep, but the building is ~50′ deep, with a blank north wall. Don’t understand the layout.

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  8. “install pocket doors for the kitchen”

    No wall to pocket into on the cabinet side, so would have to do a hotel ballroom solution with a folding partition, which would require a box on the opposite wall. Neither practical nor attractive. Would be better off with a curtain-based solution, which is also rather inelegant.

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  9. “what’s funny is that way back in the 2000’s or 90’s you thought Pilsen and UV was more happening then the south loop (I’d agree with that), but somehow Pilsen is not today? ”

    Hahaha! man you’ve got a heck of a memory. Always repping pilsen – i respect that.

    I was younger then, and admittedly a tattoo’d, fixie driving, mustache’d ( sad to admit that ), hipster wannabe. So pilsen was the spot. Many too many a night spent at Simone’s ( I think that’s what it was called )..

    But to be honest, yeah, as i’ve gotten much older and have a family, Pilsen is not really what I look for / value in a neighborhood. And i think that’s okay..right?

    Not my ideal neighborhood to raise a family.

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  10. Recall going to a realtor party here to promote the development. I think it may have been in this exact unit actually. They are nice units. You get a ton of space. Surprised they are so cheap still.

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  11. Simone’s is still there. A man was murdered inside though and I haven’t been back since. The food there isn’t good enough to risk one’s life. On the other hand, it’s one of the few non-slummy restaurants in Pilsen.

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  12. ‘ Simone’s is still there. A man was murdered inside though and I haven’t been back since. ‘

    Right, so to my point – Pilsen is not a family friendly neighborhood. No matter how much pilsen arch tries to spin it. 🙂

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  13. “The food there isn’t good enough to risk one’s life.”

    Seems that it was random crazy that could have been many places, but happened to be there:

    http://homicides.suntimes.com/2015/05/31/prosecutors-jealous-knifeman-slit-rudy-avinas-throat-in-pilsen-bar/

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  14. you guys are trolling me, right?

    certainly not going to argue with anyone about where to raise your kids, but as far as non-slummy restaurants:

    Pleasant House Bakery (replaced Nightwood)
    HaiSous (making many city-wide best new lists)
    Duseks’s
    Honky Tonk BBQ
    May Street Cafe
    Skylark
    Pl-zen
    Azul 18
    Alulu Brewpub
    and.. S.K.Y.

    “With more and more culinary talent venturing south of Madison Street, Pilsen has emerged as a burgeoning neighborhood for new projects. Stephen Gillanders will soon join the fray with his first restaurant S.K.Y. The former executive chef at Intro recently left Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, but is staying in Chicago to try to soar to new heights despite initially planning a move to Los Angeles. His elevated-yet-approachable style of cooking will feature global influences from Mexico, Italy, and Korea, while the wine program will also be a main focal point.”

    And that’s not counting ANY of the awesome mexican places at all price points…

    yeah, I’ve committed to living on the slight frontiers of Chicago my whole life because I’m convinced that those are the places that I can find the best value in city living… the only frustrating part is how many northsiders I encounter that have a totally ignorant/naive/fear-based/something view of Pilsen…

    anyway, it doesn’t matter to me if I change minds here or not, just trying to point out some facts…

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  15. It makes me happy to hear that Pilsen is improving. I should probably check out some of those places since I live so close. Maybe it would help change my mind.

    I’m just tired of the Pilsen bullies who seem intend on keeping the gangs put in Pilsen while every other up and coming neighborhood seems to be getting rid of the gangs. The more “affordable housing” they insist on building, the fewer middle class families are going to want to move there.

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  16. intend = intent
    Damn fingers

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  17. I’m surprised anyone on this blog actually ventures south of Roosevelt. If you haven’t gone down 18th Street recently, you really should: Pilsen is now filled with hipsters. Tons of new, good restaurants. Lots of developing nightlife. Pilsen is the next Wicker Park, or it at least REALLY reminds me of Wicker Park in the 90s.

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  18. Since when are hipsters a positive, or an endorsement of a neighborhood?

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  19. It’s a harbinger of economic development/gentrification.

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  20. “I’m surprised anyone on this blog actually ventures south of Roosevelt. If you haven’t gone down 18th Street recently, you really should: Pilsen is now filled with hipsters. Tons of new, good restaurants. Lots of developing nightlife. Pilsen is the next Wicker Park, or it at least REALLY reminds me of Wicker Park in the 90s.”

    I live south of Roosevelt. I’m very close to Pilsen, but very rarely venture there. It always struck me as very dirty, except for that stretch of Halsted with the artists’ studios. I worry that Pilsen will never gentrify because of the bullies who want to keep Pilsen as a low income, crime infested community. I’m starting to get hopeful though after seeing a bunch of single family homes going for $750k in Pilsen though.

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  21. Today’s hipsters are to gentrification what gays were to gentrification in the 90s.

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