Rare New Construction in East Lakeview: A 3-Bedroom at 2939 N. Clark
This 3-bedroom new construction condo at 2939 N. Clark in East Lakeview came on the market in August 2020.
This development consists of 2 buildings with 6 units and indoor heated garage parking.
There is private elevator access into each unit.
The top floor units have rooftop decks. The second floor units have a big deck off the back of the building (over the parking garage?).
This is a third floor unit with a front balcony.
The pictures show wide plank wood floors.
It also has a modern gray and wood kitchen with a breakfast bar.
The master bathroom has a walk-in shower and the on trend black faucets (the formerly trending gold faucets seemed to have faded quickly.)
It has the features buyers look for including central air, washer/dryer in the unit and heated garage parking is included.
New construction is rare for this neighborhood as it’s mostly filled in.
Restaurants, shops and public transportation are right outside your door.
Is this a rare chance to buy “new” in this popular location?
Boris Lehtman and Connor Dragel at Fulton Grace Realty have the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #3N: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1737 square feet
- New construction
- Currently listed at $749,000
- Includes a heated garage parking space
- Assessments of $400 a month (includes security system, exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger, snow removal)
- Taxes are “new”
- Central Air
- Washer/dryer in the unit
- Bedroom #1: 14×17
- Bedroom #2: 10×11
- Bedroom #3: 11×10
- Living room: 19×15
- Kitchen: 11×10
I wouldn’t think having daycare as a commercial tenant is a plus.
I only see photos of 2BR
There is zero excuse for not having a floor plan w/ new construction
Boris & Conor should feel shame
I’ve said this before, but the allocation of space between “public” and “private” areas in newer homes is ridiculous.
it makes me so sad when I see a tiny, cramped open kitchen + living/dining room juxtaposed with a massive main bedroom/bath/walk-in closet.
Also, is new construction that rare in East Lakeview? On my block, there are 4 condo buildings that went up in the last 2 years. Add in surrounding blocks and there’s a ton more.
This unit blows. Seriously – – no light, having that institutional grade elevator door in your living space is hideous and as Madeline pointed out, you get sleeping quarters and eating/living space. Where do you put the home office? Folks on the Zoom calls get to look at your unmade bed or living room. Open shelving in the kitchen is GROSS. Those items need to be taken down weekly and dusted but more likely folks here are ordering a lot of delivery.
I cannot get over how out of context the exterior is. What is up with this hideous color brick EVERYWHERE suddenly? Looking at the exterior of this place makes me ill for some reason. Agree, lack of a floor plan for new construction is not excusable.
Anyone care to chime in as to what is “wrong” with this area of Clark, between Diversey and Wellington? One would think it’d be hoppin’, but many businesses along this stretch seem to struggle.
Examples – the recently shutdown flagship Walgreens, the defunct mall attached to Century Cinema, several vacant storefronts. Of course online shopping has shifted consumer preferences but not to the extinction of brick and mortar stores (yet).
“There is zero excuse for not having a floor plan w/ new construction”
Link in the “Virtual Tour” section to 3d walkthrough with plan.
While we are at it, let’s throw the nearby stretch of Diversey just east of Clark into the conversation — another struggling commercial corridor in a highly populated area.
To be clear — both this area and the Clark stretch were struggling prior to COVID.
“what is “wrong” with this area of Clark, between Diversey and Wellington”
“Of course online shopping has shifted consumer preferences”
Pretty much the same issues for at least 25 years. And I cannot offer an adequate guess.
And, of course, the corner of clark/broadway/diversey now has *two* closed walgreens.
That’s a good question. When I first moved to Chicago I lived at Sheridan & Diversey. There was a grocery store on Diversey just around the corner – – not terribly nice but they always had a shopping cart full of one-off bottles of wine and the people working there weren’t too knowledgeable. I got some $100+ bottles for $15 all the time (maybe I put them out of business but I got the impression some of the wine had “fallen off of a truck”). I believe that store is gone and has been redeveloped into apartments. This area is so dense that you would think all sorts of things could survive if folks would just walk to them – – but people drive for some reason. There were times where walking down Diversey was faster than being in a car. The area is fairly affluent and dense – – I think it just has the wrong mix of retail personally. Not sure what the solution is or why things struggle there, but they struggled 15 years ago too. Seems to be an ongoing issue here.
I wonder if they experimented with closing Diversey to non-bus traffic from the Lake to Lincoln if it would help the area? They should really try something radical because it is a Bermuda Triangle for businesses. It is also the nexus of areas that are affluent while also having a significant “fresh outta college” crowd. Maybe one population isn’t spending any money at the businesses that cater to the other so in reality the population density is bifurcated and cannot support anything that specifically caters to one or the other end of the spectrum.
The Trader Joes is always hopping though, right?
Retail is struggling all across the city, not just in the areas mentioned in this thread. Southport Corridor lost a handful of businesses in the past few months and that stretch has a lot of foot traffic and affluent neighbors. Certain types of brick and mortar shops will fare better than others but overall things will not be getting better anytime soon for these businesses in the city.
“Link in the “Virtual Tour” section to 3d walkthrough with plan.”
Dzi?ki
Biggest Deck is thru the MBR
Not sure that the exterior shaft between the 2 BRs is for, other than to theoretically provide natural light
The black hinges look like crap. Might have been able to pull it off if they went w/ storefront Vs residential windows.
“Retail is struggling all across the city, not just in the areas mentioned in this thread. Southport Corridor lost a handful of businesses in the past few months”
I am speaking to an issue in this dense pocket spanning 15+ years, prior to COVID and other events of 2020. Heck, probably prior to the Southport Corridor actually being built up as well.
“And, of course, the corner of clark/broadway/diversey now has *two* closed walgreens.”
That’s a shame. I used to shop at the old one, and the new one looked really nice (would see it heading up to El Nuevo when in town). A Walgreens was supposed to open in the shopping center that’s a few blocks from our current home, but it’s been about four years and nothing is happening (presumably they pulled out of the deal). What was the name of that place below the indie movie theater, like a fancy food court?
“Anyone care to chime in as to what is “wrong” with this area of Clark, between Diversey and Wellington? One would think it’d be hoppin’, but many businesses along this stretch seem to struggle”
20+ years ago people didnt have big boxes in the inner city nor internet retail. It gets overlooked but people also just had more spending money for bars, restaraunts, hobbies, etc. Now that stuff is relatively more exspensive as is rents, insurance and driving costs. People are far more stretched. Take all that and add in rediculously leveraged commercial real estate demanding higher and higher rents and you have this situation now. I’d love to see the big cities get together and tax the shit out of Amazon and the rest of the E-Tailers to make brick and mortar competitive again but more importantly make our streets human agains. The Etailers got a 20 year free ride allowing them to get into this dominant position and even now they arent pulling their full weight. They pay some sales taxes but no property taxes, that’s a net loss to all the cities’ budgets. And the big boxes paying shit wages so that their employees have to go on snap and live in section 8, that’s a tax on us and a subsidy to them. I dont see either party truly addressing the hard issues either. They both are in big tech’s pockets.
Not to mention Amazon using tax-payer funded streets as the primary way of delivering their merchandise…and blocking bike lanes and endangering lives while they are at it. Couldn’t agree with you more on this point Marko: The streets need to be made human again.
And yeah, the rents too damn high.
The areas that have innovative / creative small entrepreneurs are all areas where rents aren’t through the roof. Gentrification eats its own and you are seeing it now in the west loop – – if you are an up and coming chef looking to open a small restaurant, you are definitely not looking to the west loop. It has jumped the shark and is now on the decline toward full mediocrity. Crap they even have an Anthropologie. The border of Lakeview / Lincoln Park along Diversey from the Lake to Lincoln suffers from rents being high enough to ensure it has to be a bland national chain that rents the space but half the population living their, doesn’t want that.
I can’t remember that strip every being particularly lively – isn’t there/aren’t there some residential properties with no storefronts along here too – seems there is something at street level that is missing (although there are some long term businesses, bar, carpet store and then you are in the strip mall corner by the Chalet).
“20+ years ago people didnt have big boxes in the inner city nor internet retail. It gets overlooked but people also just had more spending money for bars, restaraunts, hobbies, etc.”
And 20+ years ago, the couple of blocks of Clark (and, Broadway too, notwithstanding the mexican dance club) north of Diversey were at best spotty, apart from the Great Ace.
Clark Street between Diversey and Belmont has become so unattractive over the last 50-60 years, and this doesn’t help. Between the strip malls and that horrible intersection of Clark and Halsted, it’s aesthetically a disaster almost all around. I wish the person who’d designed this place hadn’t decided to add to the cacophony.
I lived on Lakeview just south of Diversey in the mid-to-late 1990s and early 2000s.
Diversey back then had the little grocery store, MarketPlace, where my wife and I could pick up basic dinner and breakfast stuff. There was a St. Louis Bread Company (now Panera), a really cute little ice cream parlor at the corner of Pine Grove and Diversey, a couple of ethnic restaurants, a Walgreen’s up at the corner of Clark, and both a Border’s and a Barnes and Noble. As 20-somethings, we loved living there. Everything was walking distance (until we had kids and started needing all the crap you have to buy for them at big-box stores).
I’m not saying this stretch was the best retail area in the city, but it filled our needs, and if you wanted more interesting shops you just walked north on Broadway (Clark south of Diversey not so much).
It’s been 18 years since I lived in the neighborhood and I’m sorry to hear the grocery store is gone. You need good grocery and book stores to make a neighborhood work-just my opinion. The ice cream place was also a nice touch. I really miss it.
“I’m sorry to hear the grocery store is gone.”
Replaced by these:
http://cribchatter.com/?p=26578
“Diversey back then had the little grocery store, MarketPlace, where my wife and I could pick up basic dinner and breakfast stuff. There was a St. Louis Bread Company (now Panera), a really cute little ice cream parlor at the corner of Pine Grove and Diversey, a couple of ethnic restaurants, a Walgreen’s up at the corner of Clark, and both a Border’s and a Barnes and Noble. As 20-somethings, we loved living there. Everything was walking distance (until we had kids and started needing all the crap you have to buy for them at big-box stores).”
Sad turn of events:
-The Barnes & Noble was replaced by Trader Joe’s
-The Trader Joe’s put the Marketplace out of business (razed for condos)
-The old Walgreen’s was vacated (still vacant) for a new flagship location
-The flagship Walgreen’s went into the old Border’s space. Went out of business 6 months ago. (store is now vacant)
-Panera tried a “Panera Cares” model which never worked. Replaced by a Pancake House
-The ice cream shop space has turned over several times (first Bakery, then Lobster rolls). Now a falafel place — well-run by a nice hardworking family, but I fear they won’t survive.
Dan #2,
I think you mentioned you were a resident of 2626. This is where I have lived for several years and always loved it.
However, it has turned almost draconian since the pandemic. For the first few months, no outside service providers (cable, baby-sitters, cleaning, repairs, furniture delivery) allowed. The worst was that we were not allowed to have any guests in the building (not even a significant other!). Now, each residence is allowed just 2 guests per day. The pool and rooftop deck are expected to remain closed until next year.
Yes, I lived in 2626 from 1994-2002. So sorry to hear about the draconian measures. Sounds like overkill to me. My wife would never think of moving back (she hated those windows and also the creaking noises the building made in the wind), but I secretly hope to change her mind someday and maybe retire in a high-floor 03 unit if a nice one comes up in good condition. Lots of condos there on the market now, I notice. I wonder if people are starting to recoil at all the rules you mentioned. Sounds rdiiculous.
By the way, good to hear about the family-owned falafel place on Pine Grove and Diversey. I’ll check it out. I love supporting independent businesses like that and hope they can stick it out. But I really loved that old-fashioned ice cream parlor that probably closed 20 years ago.
A couple other places I remember on Diversey from the 1994-2002 period included a “back rub” store where you could walk in for a quick massage; a body products store catering to women with lots of fancy soaps and other care-type things (I bought my wife a gift basket there when she got home from delivering our first baby in early 2000); a middle-eastern restaurant which I believe is still there but wasn’t ever that good; a chiropractor I went to once or twice; and a bank. And of course a Starbucks, surprise surprise. Wow, I sure miss living there. Nice and quiet out here on the North Shore, but I’m bored. And I loved the views from the 24th floor. Sunsets and airliners coming into O’Hare. At night we could see all the way up the lake shore to the lights blinking at the Zion nuclear plant.
That sounds like a lot of money to be a goth.
Dark postmodern abomination in the wrong neighborhood.
“However, it has turned almost draconian since the pandemic. For the first few months, no outside service providers (cable, baby-sitters, cleaning, repairs, furniture delivery) allowed. The worst was that we were not allowed to have any guests in the building (not even a significant other!). Now, each residence is allowed just 2 guests per day. The pool and rooftop deck are expected to remain closed until next year.”
The city has restricted the number of high rise guests to 5 because too many were having big parties.
Most high rises have restricted their elevators to 2 people- or families only.
Yes, outside service providers weren’t allowed. In many high rises, they still aren’t allowing food delivery but they’re certainly allowing services, including construction crews. Heck, people are buying and selling condos and moving in. Same with apartments. September isn’t March or April.
Many buildings have reopened pools and exercise rooms. Sorry that 2626 doesn’t have the capability to do reservations like other buildings are doing. You reserve your time in the gym so that you can socially distance. Same with the pool.
Why is everyone so surprised at pandemic restrictions? Duh. The restaurants still can’t seat more than 50% indoors. And Trader Joe’s is still counting people for capacity reasons.
Life has changed.
“-The Trader Joe’s put the Marketplace out of business (razed for condos)”
Disagree. It was the Walmart supermarket. They couldn’t compete on price.
“And the big boxes paying shit wages so that their employees have to go on snap and live in section 8, that’s a tax on us and a subsidy to them.”
They are?
Target pays higher than Chicago’s minimum wage. $15 an hour, plus more during the pandemic.
You’d get paid less to work at a mom and pop paying you minimum wage.
“What was the name of that place below the indie movie theater, like a fancy food court?”
That’s been closed for like a decade now anonny. They finally put an axe throwing entertainment in there but then the pandemic hit so that is toast.
“Certain types of brick and mortar shops will fare better than others but overall things will not be getting better anytime soon for these businesses in the city.”
Many are going to go under. Same with the restaurants. People won’t shop indoors, especially in small spaces. And, in some cases, they’ve had to close after employees got COVID. 2 weeks shut so that employees can quarantine doesn’t help the business model.
Some in Congress have proposed a $150 billion bailout specifically for the restaurant industry. They need it.
“Why is everyone so surprised with pandemic restrictions?”
Umm, because we’ve never been through one?
“Many are going to go under. Same with the restaurants. People won’t shop indoors, especially in small spaces”
I see plenty of lines to get into bookstores, liquor stores, bike shops, etc…
“Umm, because we’ve never been through one?”
KK: it’s been 6 months now. What’s there to be “surprised” about?
It’s been like this for months. And it will be like this until there’s a vaccine.