3-Bedroom Loft Available for the First Time in 30 Years for $950,000: 2035 W. Charleston in Bucktown
This 3-bedroom loft in the Manchester Building at 2035 W. Charleston in Bucktown came on the market in July 2025.
Built in 1890, the Manchester Building was originally a hospital and then, by the 1920s, was converted to an industrial building with a bunch of different small businesses. It was converted to 18 loft condos in 1990.
The building has attached garage parking and an elevator. But it also has interior staircases. There doesn’t appear to be an exercise room or other amenities.
The listing says this top floor 3-bedroom plus office is available for the “first-time in over 30 years.”
It has some of the features of lofts including tall ceilings, exposed ductwork and columns. There doesn’t appear to be any exposed brick, however.
There are hardwood floors in the living and dining room.
It has three exposures: south, west, and east. And skylights.
The three bedrooms all have windows, which is rare in a loft. There’s even an “office” space, or fourth bedroom, which also has windows.
The living room has a marble fireplace.
There’s a large, separate dining room.
The kitchen has white cabinets and appliances along with a double doored pantry and big south facing windows.
It does have 3/4th walls which separate it from the dining room.
There is a big balcony off the living room and an interior staircase that leads to a private rooftop deck with city views.
The primary suite has a walk-in-closet, en suite bathroom and fireplace.
The second bathroom is in the hallway.
It has the features that buyers look for including central air, a “true” laundry room and 1-car garage is included.
This building is in the heart of Bucktown, near the 606 and the shops and restaurants on Damen.
Listed in July 2025 at $950,000, it has not been reduced.
It last sold in April 1994 (according to Redfin) for $309,000.
What will it take to get this sold?
Emily Sachs Wong at @properties Christie’s has the listing. See the pictures and floor plan here.
Unit #405: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2320 square feet, loft
- Sold in May 1990 for $269,000
- Sold in April 1994 for $309,000 (per Redfin)
- Originally listed in July 2025 for $950,000
- Still listed at $950,000
- Assessments of $672 a month (includes parking, exterior maintenance, scavenger, snow removal)
- Taxes of $12,353
- Central Air
- Washer/dryer in the unit
- 1 car garage parking included
- 2 fireplaces
- Skylights
- Bedroom #1: 12×20
- Bedroom #2: 10×13
- Bedroom #3: 13×16
- Living room: 22×19
- Office: 11×12
- Kitchen: 13×13
- Dining room: 22×13
- Laundry room: 7×7
- Rooftop deck: 14×19
- Balcony: 8 x 28 (?- I couldn’t read the small writing well)
I can’t.
“the charming all-white kitchen”
“a charming hall bath”
That is apparently a defintion of ‘charm’ that I am unfamiliar with–“saved from going into the neighbor’s reno dumpster’? Never heard that before.
‘true laundry room’
is that the “closet” in the dining room?
Needs another .5 bath, at least.
Would be really nice with a $200k? $300k? reno, including relocating some walls.
I don’t care for the look/layout of 205 (contingent), but it’s not an immeidate reclamation project: https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/2035-W-Charleston-St-60647/unit-205/home/13357142
and…
highest closed sale in the building appears to be 402, @ $1m:
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/2035-W-Charleston-St-60647/unit-402/home/13357476
Which is (imo) a *lot* better designed/finished than 205.
Looks like composite decking on the roof, too, which is a big upgrade. Could use a $100k pergola, tho–wonder if they are against the condo rules? Or some ordinance?
Feels like this one is priced as if the baths could be updated (not as DIY) for $20k for the pair, and the kitchen for under $50k. Yes, you “can” do that, but then you have new stuff that still looks like it belongs in a $400k unit. And that’s not addressing funky wall placement.
Came here to say that this may be the most pathetic “kitchen” at this price point in all of Chicago land. Minimum of $100K needs to come off of the ask to balance out the amount of work this needs. Some of these finishes are the exact same I used in my home depot renovation of a rental property I used to own so I know exactly when the owner last invested in this….
As tight as inventory is, buyers do not want to do a lot to properties. And especially if they are priced at the high end. They listed this too high for the amount of work needed. And now they are stuck.
I would withdraw it and list next spring at a new price.
Also, the market appears to be slowing in Chicago. More properties are sitting now, especially those that aren’t “perfect.” Inventory, however, remains low. Not much new coming on the market either. It’s like everything is frozen again.
I’ll have a new post again tomorrow. I’m having troubles finding properties to discuss again.
I can see this one (if updated) being somewhat ‘better’ than 402–and using RF’s estimate and rounding up for scarcity, selling at $1.15m in comparable finishes.
But what would it cost to get there? Just the appliances are over $25k.
Add the carry costs while the work is getting done and the headache of managing it all, this one seems like it could be a decent buy at something starting with a 7. But someone super optimistic might bite in the low 8s.
At least $100k too high in its current state.
Which almost certainly means someone will buy it for $895k, within the week.
As to something to discuss, this new construction one seems like a good one:
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/932-N-Monticello-Ave-60651/home/13284996
Or the 2-flat at 4258 W Augusta
Or less far afield: 2634 W Haddon
Humboldt Park (ahem *West Bucktown Gate*) day!
Thanks anon(tfo). I’ll take a look at those properties.
Finally got one right
MAHA-man likes West Bucktown Gate!
It’s west of Damen. North of Armitage. Check again
Anyone else finding Zillow and Trulia impossible to use now that they’ve added a “press and hold” button on the page to thwart bots?
How do you “press and hold” on a laptop without a touch screen?
You cannot.
Anyone know how you get rid of the bot check if you cannot “press and hold”? I couldn’t figure it out otherwise and abandoned it.
“Anyone else finding Zillow and Trulia impossible to use now”
Are there benefits to use those sites over Redfin? I find redfin easier to use anyway.
“Are there benefits to use those sites over Redfin?”
Zillow sometimes has better tracking of price changes, and sometimes shows more prior listings. When Redfin doesn’t show any prior listings, I’ll check Zillow.
“Are there benefits to use those sites over Redfin? I find redfin easier to use anyway.”
I prefer Redfin, but sometimes Zillow has better prior price data.