2 Years Later, Our Favorite Lincoln Park Coach House Reduces Under $300K: 2011 N. Kenmore
We’ve chattered about this 1-bedroom coach house at 2011 N. Kenmore in Lincoln Park several times over the last year.
See our December 2011 chatter here.
Until March 2012, the price hadn’t seen a reduction in a year. The sellers were sticking with $315,000.
In December, most of you thought it had to be listed under $300,000.
It has now been reduced and is priced at $285,000.
If you recall, it is a duplex loft-like unit with skylights, exposed brick and exposed pinewood ceilings.
The kitchen is newer and has white cabinets, stainless steel appliances and black limestone countertops.
The listing says a new half bath was added and that the master bathroom has been completely renovated with a new rain shower.
Last year, the Groove thought it was one of the “coolest quirkiest listings on cribchatter” and he especially liked its Battlestar Galactica vibe.
It has central air but no parking. The garage in the picture is for the building on the other side of the coach house.
Is this property finally priced to sell?
Jennifer Mills at Koenig & Strey Real Living now has the listing. See the pictures and a virtual tour here.
2011 N. Kenmore: 1 bedroom, 1.5 baths, no square footage listed
- Sold in June 2000 for $169,000
- Sold in July 2003 for $241,000
- Sold in May 2007 for $295,000
- Was listed in March 2010 for $349,000
- Reduced
- Had been listed for $315,000 since March 2011
- Reduced to $309,900 in March 2012
- Reduced
- Currently listed at $285,000
- Assessments of $110 a month
- Taxes of $3358
- Central Air
- Washer/Dryer
- No parking
- Bedroom: 21×18
- Living room: 24×13
- Kitchen: 13×9
From the prior chatter:
“miumiu (December 22, 2011, 8:45 am)
It is pretty cute. I wonder if one of the neighbors could buy this as live-in nanny quarters. But 300K is just too expensive unless the surrounding homes are multi-million cribs.”
I like how miumiu’s default use for an LP coach house is nanny housing. She must be eyeing one of those fancy NYC $180K+ nannies. Then again, this wouldn’t be good enough for a truly premium nanny.
I like the master bath in this place, but realistically it is a 1 bedroom place with enough bathrooms for Jenny and no outdoor space and very little indoor space. No one is really going to use that roof deck, having to use a board to cover the stairs to get to it and then not knock themselves out on the neighbors’ balcony.
Quirky and cool but really unrealistic. I think this was and will be a bad purchase.
“Last year, the Groove thought it was one of the “coolest quirkiest listings on cribchatter” and he especially liked its Battlestar Galactica vibe.”
“Last March, the Groove said he was “strangely drawn to the shower”.”
the lower the price get the more i like it. its a very well though out design up untill the “outdoor” space benji mentions
nothing like grilling outside while your neighbors untied shoelace dangles hitting at the back of your head.
What does “having to use a board to cover the stairs to get to” the roofdeck mean?
Could this be a tear-down? Seems like you could build a four-story SFH where it now sits (1 car garage and entry door on ground level, with laundry/mechanicals/storage and a powder room on that level; living/dining/kitchen on second floor; two beds and at least one bath on the third; a nice master on top; and a spiral staircase running from the kitchen/dining area up along the rear facade to a roof deck. Assuming there’s enough footprint to do so, and assuming the “association” here would permit it (you’d obviously continue to pay fees), how much to build a nice little house as such? $400k?
They should remove the bars on the door and windows. I don’t want my house to be a prison. I would rather live here than a condo of the same size, but a similarly sized condo would probably cost less.
Unit starts one floor above grade; it’s not a freestanding coach house per se. Those window bars belong to the condo garage, not the quirky unit which doesn’t have a parking space. This unit only makes sense to a single-person household/buyer who gets a “bargain”, and doesn’t plan to resell for a very long time.
What are the chances this sells for 240ish? My younger brother is looking for a unique space in the city and this would be right up his alley. The furniture is hideous, this place could look much more modern / cleaner with some effort. Crappy deck but could also look a lot better with some staging. But wow, that couch in the living room…yuck.
Also, am i safe in assuming you do own this land if buying the unit ( regardless of the grade it starts on? )
I’m not sure if there is a ‘catch’ with that aspect.
“Unit starts one floor above grade; it’s not a freestanding coach house per se. Those window bars belong to the condo garage…”
Then that front door and windows don’t even belong to this house? I revise my opinion about rather living here than a condo in that case. New price guess: $199k
“nothing like grilling outside while your neighbors untied shoelace dangles hitting at the back of your head.”
You better not drop your steak coming back in from the grill either, as you cross the board, or it is going to end up at your front door instead of on your table.
I actually like the decor and furniture. Fits nicely with the hardwood and exposed brick.
“Also, am i safe in assuming you do own this land if buying the unit ”
You own an undivided interest in the land. It’s part of the condo.
Still funny that we’ve discussed two units in this (4(?) unit) association multiple times each.
“What does “having to use a board to cover the stairs to get to” the roofdeck mean?”
JJJ, from another reader the last time it was chattered about…..
“I went and saw this place. You don’t realize how tiny it is until you are there. The upstairs especially came off as cramped, barely room for a bed and a desk. Downstairs was alright, but you needed to block the entrance stairs thing with a board to get access to the door for the deck. Not kidding.
There is a board.
You place over the stairs.
To access the door to the deck.”
And if you look closely at the pictures, there is a door (that leads to the deck) that has no floor (aka a hole aka the stairs) in front of it. Don’t ever expect to have guests come in while you are out on the deck or you’ll have a lawsuit on your hands when they ram their head into your board you put down to get out there.
“But wow, that couch in the living room…yuck.”
sorry riz i guess you sense of stlye comes from a pottery barn and/or dwell studio catalog. that red couch is FUNKTASTIC. Its the accompanying coffee table, green/tan love seat, basic blue throw, and sad table lamp that hurt the flow.
with the right pieces you can take that red couch and leather chair and make a front room (living room for you burbies and foreigners) worthy of any design magazines/publications.
its just your vanilla sense of style that holds you back.
I recommend a three year suspension for the realtor that told them to list this place at $54K over the already CRAZY price from 2007. That was a different era when people believed that paying over $200K for a dinky coach house with odd room sizes, no garage, and a board bridge to get over a staircase opening to the deck door was acceptable.
No way that $349K was going to happen today!
I grossly misunderstood this unit. No longer interested, bah, search continues.
That was me that wrote about the board over the stairs. It does have a certain quirky appeal. But I think this property at this price is the same as this property at 315K 2 years ago. Everything is down. I wouldn’t offer over $250k now.
I’m having a hard time understanding the layout? is that the front door to the living room in the picture above or is that a door that enters the building itself with a garden unit below this unit?
“is that the front door to the living room in the picture above or is that a door that enters the building itself with a garden unit below this unit?”
It’s the front door which leads to the stairs which must be covered to lead to the deck which is above the garage which is not for this unit which is next to the garage which this unit sits atop which is also not for this unit. HTH.
“It’s the front door which leads to the stairs which must be covered to lead to the deck which is above the garage which is not for this unit which is next to the garage which this unit sits atop which is also not for this unit. HTH.”
My mind just exploded. 199k.
“its just your vanilla sense of style that holds you back.”
groove, that couch is fugly as hell dude. i don’t care what ‘funk’ spin you put on it. Just like leapord print, vanity plates, and mohawk haircuts, tacky is always tacky.
It’s cute but it’s limited and not comfortable. It’s strictly for the young and agile, what with the low closet doors in the bedroom and ladder-like staircase.
The bars on the windows bother me. They aren’t there because the owner finds them decorative, for a fact. Now, maybe she is only nervous because she is living right on the sidewalk with no “buffer” strip of lawn between her and the street, and the foot traffic just feels and sounds too close. That would be the deal-breaker for me.
That said, it is an attractive and unusual little Single Person house with a lot of possibilities. I think it will sell here.
OOOHHHHHH! Go to the street view and look at the building from the north. From there you can see the garage that this unit is over. The mind exploding statement will start to make sense.
This view: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=2011+n+kenmore+ave&ll=41.918461,-87.654617&spn=0.001724,0.00221&hnear=2011+N+Kenmore+Ave,+Chicago,+Cook,+Illinois+60614&gl=us&t=m&z=19&layer=c&cbll=41.918637,-87.654621&panoid=r5eSZylHmIGs_4stzY4UZg&cbp=12,133.85,,0,-4.37
Riz, I am with you on tackiness of all listed except animal print. In small doses, it can be lovely.
See:
http://www.bluefly.com/Jimmy-Choo-blonde-leopard-print-pony-hair-Bidder-ankle-boots/cat20448/317533001/detail.fly
“That said, it is an attractive and unusual little Single Person house with a lot of possibilities. I think it will sell here.”
Except it’s listed for a price above a townhouse. MLS #: 07984931. And say what you want about that townhouse, its a helluva better value with more amenities than this glorified dorm room.
As a few others have noted, the bars are on the windows of the garage that this condo is on top of. Calling this a coach house is kind of misleading (to me) since its really a condo over a garage. It may have been a coach house in another era, but its a 2nd floor condo now, and the bars are not in this unit, they are in the garage that is under this unit.
“The bars on the windows bother me. They aren’t there because the owner finds them decorative, for a fact. Now, maybe she is only nervous because she is living right on the sidewalk with no “buffer” strip of lawn between her and the street, and the foot traffic just feels and sounds too close. That would be the deal-breaker for me.”
“Except it’s listed for a price above a townhouse. MLS #: 07984931. And say what you want about that townhouse, its a helluva better value with more amenities than this glorified dorm room.”
Bob: You of all people should know the rule: location, location, location.
This coach house is just a few blocks from the El stop and shops/restaurants. That townhouse is in far west Lincoln Park (or as anonny would say- not “real” LP). The two locations couldn’t be more different.
Riz:
What about something like this 1-bedroom at 1009 W. Wolfram in Lakeview?
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/1009-W-Wolfram-St-60657/unit-1W/home/18904419
“Bob: You of all people should know the rule: location, location, location.
This coach house is just a few blocks from the El stop and shops/restaurants. That townhouse is in far west Lincoln Park (or as anonny would say- not “real” LP). The two locations couldn’t be more different.”
I was going to say..I have a friend who lives at those altgeld townhouses and they are close two where whirly ball is…which nobody really considers ‘real’ lincoln park..Although if i had to buy one..i would probably still get the townhouse, haha.
On that Wolfram unit what do you think was the deal with that 2009 purchase at $299k and then listing it less than two months later for $30k less and selling a year later for $40k even lower? That must have hurt!
“On that Wolfram unit what do you think was the deal with that 2009 purchase at $299k and then listing it less than two months later for $30k less and selling a year later for $40k even lower? That must have hurt!”
The market changed very quickly in that time period. Prices have been plunging. It seems like people who bought in 2010 are taking even bigger losses than many of those who bought in 2005/2006 so we’ll see how the seller who bought in 2010 fares.
Sabrina, i like that place – The ceilings look kind of low, but i’m going to send the mls to my realtor and see if i can check it out soon. I’m passing on the above posted ‘coach house’ , living above the garage was kind of the nail in the coffin 🙁
“As a few others have noted, the bars are on the windows of the garage that this condo is on top of. Calling this a coach house is kind of misleading (to me) since its really a condo over a garage.”
It wouldn’t be that bad if it was at least _your garage_. You could use it for cars/storage & as it is now you have no control over noise & better have some CO detectors everywhere if your downstairs neighbor is a drunk/stupid/absent minded & and great fire prevention within unit as well.
Would also matter whether the garage spaces are owned by one or two people. If it’s one household you could at least let them know not to mess with you but if it’s two esp. landlord assigned hahaha. Imagine trying to teach 2 sets of renter transients each year/lease period not to F around in the garage you live above and be quiet according to your schedule hahaha yeah no.
And if those other apts are rented to say college students who get that garage imagine you have to work the next day but the person downstairs is having a kegger in the garage? Or what if you work late but one or both of the car owners of that garage are day people?
If this had that garage I’d guess over 300k. 330k for both spots. As it is now..who knows but a lot lower.
This is a glorified dorm room.
“Bob: You of all people should know the rule: location, location, location.
This coach house is just a few blocks from the El stop and shops/restaurants. That townhouse is in far west Lincoln Park (or as anonny would say- not “real” LP). The two locations couldn’t be more different.”
And a Metra stop. But anonny might not know thats a passenger train system that transports people to work at places that are both past the western wall that is Halsted. To anonny it’s like north of the wall in Game of Thrones–where the “wildlings” roam.
“(or as anonny would say- not “real” LP)”
So he (and likely many others) places a premium on certain parts of town because he loves the lakefront and the ensuing winds and weather. Well it could be the winter lakefront but at least in summer I place a premium on being at least a little ways away from anonny. 😛
“So he (and likely many others) places a premium on certain parts of town because he loves the lakefront and the ensuing winds and weather.”
I am the sword in the darkness and the watcher on the Halsted Wall.
“I am the sword in the darkness and the watcher on the Halsted Wall.”
ha! ha!
Its disgusting what they did to this coach house.
Poor Poor Poor Coach House, (this is all made up)
Long Long Long ago, a coachmen lived there,
with the horse below. Then maybe it was a drunkards
paradise, or just a fun place to be and live there
with your car parked below. While the Owner
lived elsewhere, dreaming nice dreams about his
buildings. THen the next owner did something disgusting.
He treated his building like a pizza PIE!!
Now its being sold SEPARATELY, from its Aristocrat’s
Main Property, Most Disturbing. Servants quarters for sale!!!!
Any Takers???? And as a servant you cant even park below
where you rest your weary head!!!
Yes the Car breathing CO isnt yours below your very body!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! A coach house, which can house a coachmen
but not his ride. What an awful disgrace of a joke. I think unless
it is restored to its proper use ( aplace to stay and park for the same person)
you might as well tear it down. (White garage door is extremely BORING too)
If it really was an intact undisturbed unit being sold like a pizza pie,
atleast the owner could hangout in his garage in the warmer months.
Now there is no option at all.
How much would it go for it if was atleast an intact
undisturbed little house that wasnt defiled by someones
nightmare scheme?
Coach houses are supposed to be cool. NOw this is just a headache.
ANd the land inbetween the former coach house (it isnt one anymore not really)
is taken up as well, WOW, this is just exploiting the land. I would never want to
live there under such conditions. They worked hard to create this unreasonable
and uncomfortable situation. Good Luck.