The $3 Million New Construction Contemporary in Lincoln Park: 2643 N. Magnolia
This 5-bedroom new construction single family home at 2643 N. Magnolia in Lincoln Park has been on and off the market since January of 2009.
Built on an oversized Chicago lot of 35×125, it has 3 bedrooms on the second floor and 2 in the lower level.
It also sports a 4-car garage, a rarity among single family homes in the city.
The contemporary home has an open concept on the main floor with what looks to be a custom kitchen.
The house has been reduced by $550,000 in 2010.
Gayle Tepper at Prudential Rubloff has the listing. See the pictures here.
2643 N. Magnolia: 5 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, 6000 square feet, 4 car garage
- Sold in July 2005 for $890,000 (old house)
- Originally listed in January 2009
- De-listed in November 2009
- Re-listed in February 2010 for $3.75 million
- Reduced
- Currently listed for $3.2 million
- Taxes are “new”
- 4 fireplaces
- Bedroom #1: 16×15 (second floor)
- Bedroom #2: 26×11 (second floor)
- Bedroom #3: 12×11 (second floor)
- Bedroom #4: 12×11 (lower level)
- Bedroom #5: 12×9 (lower level)
How did this big box get approval?
If they can’t sell it as a home, it could be a Wal-Mart.
I love contemporary, but talk about open living. That entrance directly into the living room is not appealing – even a half-wall/hall might make a difference. Not a fan.
to me, it looks a house you would see in “The Sims”
magnolia is a gorgeous street. but you would need a very specific kind of taste to appeal to this home. i think it may sit on the market simply because of that, but hard for me to gauge how many people out there have that kind of taste..
i just look at what is in LP for $3M right now, and if it were me, I wouldn’t even walk through this one because I couldn’t get over the plain box feel. just nothing special about it.. (not even a 4 car garage 😉
but that’s just my opinion.
That is one of the ugliest exteriors I’ve seen in my life, and probably *the* ugliest exterior I’ve seen in this price range. The interior is also fairly unappealing, IMO.
To me, this is good looking. It is plain, but it has midcentury touches (the most notable of which to me are the floor to ceiling windows, the staircase to the lower floor, and the paneling on the lower floor walls). I like the idea of having a Chicago house whose second floor ceiling is high throughout and not cathedral, or slanted like an attic. I’m not fond of that dark mantle.
For all that space what is with the smallish/ odd shaped bedrooms? The sparce interior is without character and nothing speaks to it’s asking price.
I’ll take “Most Boring for your Buck” for $3.2million, Alex.
Staging FAIL.
God how many photos of that living room couch are we going to see, its a big house show us something else!
Really saddens me to see my “dream house” is going to cost 3 million dollars, I better get back to work!
didnt even look at the listing, and could care less.
I would hate life if i had to come home from work and walk to that front door everyday. then to reach into my mail box and pull out my mortgage bill then realize i paid 3 mil for this. i am sad just thinking about it.
doenst this place remind anyone of the police station on pulaski and sunnyside?
“I would hate life if i had to come home from work and walk to that front door everyday.”
I wouldn’t! I’d be all like, I’m rich beyotch!
Seriously worst listing ever. Wandering the living room/kitchen snapping photos from EVERY CONCEIVABLE ANGLE is not an effective way to market a $3.2M house. And seriously — combo living room/kitchen for $3.2M?
Is the rest of the house not done?
Jenny Ames would have done a better job.
I am grateful for this, as maybe one day if I get lucky and inherit $3m it means a beautifully rehabbed greystone with CLASS might be in my range.
this looks like an architecture undergrad project… from a second-tier school.
There are additional pictures under the virtual tour, but I didn’t see a floor plan. For this price, I expect a video narrated by Kanye.
Better version of the same interior space concept here:
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/3909-N-Claremont-Ave-60618/home/13388539
Likely *more* overpriced with location and smaller lot.
If I have 4 cars I want to garage in the city, 35′ is not really enough space. Need at least 9.5′ per car, to avoid door dings and have space to walk around them.
hahaha @anon,
dude did they really build that in st ben’s area? i could see it in buck/wicker but st ben’s, i strangely like it and love the randomness of the of the block its built on
I can’t believe they built a 2.6 million dollar house (beautiful IMO) near Irving and western… UGH
This place is a joke at $1.5 million imho. Looks like a Lego house.
“dude did they really build that in st ben’s area?”
Was in the Tribune mag a couple years ago. Architect owned (and lived in?) the house they tore down to build.
Its good to be a gangsta…..
Off topic but, looking for a Realtor to sell a townhouse in Bridgeport.
Nice post, anon (TFO).
The house you linked to– known as Claremont House– was designed and lived in by architect Brad Lynch of Brinistool & Lynch, n/k/a Brinistool Kerwin Lynch. http://www.bklarch.com/index.html.
It’s located on North Claremont. IMHO the minimal design is done extremely well; the materials used inside and out were all high-end, with lots of custom cabinetry. It’s also very energy efficient.
It won an AIAChicago Citation of Merit Award in 2009 (to name one accolade). http://www.aiachicago.org/special_features/2009dea/awards.asp?subID=1344.
I love this house, but not the neighborhood.
This is all wrong, STOP BUILDING, I said no right angles, there are supposed to be no right angles!!! – Bev Hills Cop
This giant shoe box with nice finishes should go for 1.75 mil.
these places alway reminds me of the site unhappyhipsters.com
Does the 6000 sq. ft. include the below-grade part? If it were really 6000 sq. ft of quality construction (I’m asssuming), on that size lot, I’d think it would be worth $2.5MM or more. Someone can make some cosmetic changes and add some detail (and even a bit of landscaping could make the front a lot more appealing). Cookie cutter, 3000 sq. ft new construction around here, even at depressed prices, is still worth perhaps $1.3 or 1.4 MM, so there should be a substantial premium for double the square footage & a significantly larger lot.
But, if it’s really a 4000 sq. ft. house, then I’d revise my estimate down substantially.
3900 block of Claremont is not as desireable as the other blocks in Bell that are west of western. Close to Western and IPR as someone else mentioned.
Shows me Anon is looking for a pimp house in Bell though.
“Does the 6000 sq. ft. include the below-grade part?”
Yes, it surely does. Don’t think you could fit 3000 SF on the lot w/ required setbacks and rear yard, nevermind the FAR limits.
The real question is whether the 6000 sf includes the GatorDeck, etc.
The front exterior of the Magnolia place is so wrong. Limestone materials and window types like a faux-French mansion, and yet nearly zero details beyond that. Ugly mash up of styles. Then add the weirdness of all the windows seemingly boarded up from the inside, and that brick wall half-hiding the front door, which looks temporary or non-functional since there is no lighting, door handle nor door knocker visible. Did anyone actually live here?
“Was in the Tribune mag a couple years ago. Architect owned (and lived in?) the house they tore down to build.”
its a beautiful place, and should be in more mags, i am a sucker for the locker room look in the “mud room”.
“its a beautiful place, and should be in more mags, i am a sucker for the locker room look in the “mud room”.”
Little bit fishbowl-y for my taste, and way too expensive unless they stashed some gold in the walls.
“Off topic but, looking for a Realtor to sell a townhouse in Bridgeport.”
Check out Tommy Hicks at Kale Realty. He’s a good guy to work with (personal experience) and I believe he lives in or knows that area well. I have no affiliation with other than being a client.
“Little bit fishbowl-y for my taste, and way too expensive unless they stashed some gold in the walls”
yeah isnt that the neo-modern, the fish bowl look at me thing.
it wouldnt work for me, its not because the price (given it is HIGH) its that the groove is boxer brief no shirt around the house walker. the neighbors may object a tad 🙂
This has tacky new money written all over it. This is excessive, uninspiring and souless. And the pathetic staging makes it look so sad. This property is just a giant McMansion in the city — nothing more, nothing less. I imagine it will sell for $2.5M + to somebody who likes to flaunt their perceived wealth. Ick.
I like it!!
I think all of the usual haters comments are based on the furnishings or lack of them. And of course any property at this price will draw the ire of those who could never afford it.
If it were properly staged, I think the first impression would have been more positive.
As far as it being too design specific to draw attention of buyers, there is a ton of potential with the correct decorating/accessorizing. Give me $100k and let me loose …you’d all be singing a different tune then!!
The ONLY thing I don’t like is the lack of a formal entry….there has to be a foyer in a house at this price point.
Personally I love the minimalist look of it. So tired of seeing over decorated and over accessorized places lately.
If I were to design a house, it probably wouldn’t look this good. That being said, I can barely draw circle. I know nothing about design other than that feeling you get when something looks “right” or “wrong. This is definitely wrong, especially at this price point. There are so many beautiful (at least in my opinion) houses in LP north of $2MM, this one is going to struggle to get sold.
Minimalist check
Symmetry check
Mid-century influences check
Cool downstairs room check
Desire to be the owner of this home. No! Not sure why but it does not have the right feel or visual impact. Let westloop loose and make me love the place.
Sonies “I’m rich beyotch!” comment was the best laugh of my morning!
Jp3, that checklist beats: Garage space, Check! SS, granite and cherry, CHECK! Extra bathroom CHECK! Outdoor space (however pathetic) CHECK! (and who cares if it’s a glorified box) that we have been seeing so much of.
This house ought to be zoned commercial so you can open up a new club in it or something, and get some really eccentric, edgy designer to tear the place up and do something interesting with the interior.
As a “mansion” it’s a disaster. WHAT bottom-drawer, basement-dwelling, AutoCAD-enabled excuse for an architect designed that hideous entry?
The interior is boring, bland,cold, and really sort of commercial-looking. It does not look or feel like a residence.
Lincoln Park is glutted with new mansions in this price range and a number of them are really beautiful. No way can this place compete.
Also, this isn’t Magnolia between Clybourn and Dickens, which is beautiful. This is Magnolia between Wrightwood and Diversey. A nice block, but not a premier one. An important distinction.
At this price point, I’d think maybe the realtor could get their photographer out to shoot some exterior pics without the SNOW in the virtual tour????
Nothing says “buy me” more than pics from last winter.
GTFOH.
“And of course any property at this price will draw the ire of those who could never afford it.”
While there might be some tiny, marginal amount of truth to this (especially amongs the crabby old man contingent) I don’t think this is really that valid. That’s like saying you have to be a professional athlete to be able to criticize them.
Tough crowd today. I think that it is time that everyone take a mandatory nap for the next half hour and check back in when you are back in a happy mood. If you are asked at work why you think it is ok to take a nap tell the boss that JP3 authorized it.
The entryway sucks but what should they have done with this type of facade? I see this all the time in Bucktown, LP, and Lakeview. If they did a front porch it screws up the setback. A half wall does almost nothing on a cold day. I think that a side entrance or offset door was possible given the 35 foot lot. What would have been appropriate at this price point?
BTW if it was unclear by my last post I am absolutely not a fan of a front door opening directly into the living room.
Anon hit the nail on the head with his comparison. The house on Claremont is architecture. The house under discussion is a glorified builder’s box.
Modern minimalism is very hard to do well because every detail and proportion matters and you can’t distract with fancy moldings, etc. The House on Claremont looks to be very thoughtful and detailed. A good architect thinks about what you will see every time you enter a space and a really good architect will even think about what you hear (acoustics).
One of my favorite architecture books is “Experiencing Architecture”, by Steen Eiler Rasmussen…might be out of print or reprinted by MIT press.
anon (tfo) on July 20th, 2010 at 8:16 am
Better version of the same interior space concept here:
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/3909-N-Claremont-Ave-60618/home/13388539
““Experiencing Architecture”, by Steen Eiler Rasmussen…might be out of print”
Nope:
http://www.amazon.com/Experiencing-Architecture-Steen-Eiler-Rasmussen/dp/0262680025/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279658233&sr=8-1
Westloopo, when I see a truly beautiful house offered at $3.2M, or $1.5M, or $800K, I feel ENVY, but I do not feel ire.
I mean, I’d never get to live in all the splendid dwellings I see that make me sick with yearning even if I could afford them. But they don’t offend me; they do not rouse my “ire” because they’re beautiful and I enjoy having them to look at.
But ugliness, blandness, and stupidity at this price point arouse my ire. I mean, you don’t have to be rich to buy ugliness. It’s dirt cheap, available in every deteriorating WW2 suburb, along every fast-food-drive-through strip or strip mall slum. Why pay $3.2M for it?
And thanks to the poster who supplied the link to Unhappy Hipster. What a great site!
I drove by this house yesterday morning to see what it looked like in person. While I still think a $3MM house should have more character and curb appeal, this picture makes it look worse than it actually is. The lot to the north is vacant and this house has some very nice windows on that side. Not sure if that lot will remain vacant, but if you can afford a $3MM house, you might as well buy the side yard to keep the view.
it looks *exactly* like that old police station on pulaski.
It does like look the old police station now that I think about it.
raise your hand if you have been in lock-up at the OLD pulaski CPD.
it looked so small outside but once inside it felt massive. or mabye that massive feeling was realizing i was in hand cuffs and i “wasnt getting out of this one”
Nice groove! Have we seen you on Cops?
“Nice groove! Have we seen you on Cops?”
I dont think i signed the release waiver? one of my arrest in this district would have made top 5 funniest!
i thought daley would let cops film in chicago?