We Love Rooftop Terraces: 1258 N. Lake Shore Drive
What if you were to have your own single family home right on Lake Shore Drive?
What if it was right in the middle of the Gold Coast?
1258 N. Lake Shore Drive is now on the market and, as the listing states, it is one of only four single family homes on Lake Shore Drive.
But what we really like is that phenomenal roof top terrace.
Here’s the listing:
A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO OWN ONE OF THE FOUR REMAINING SINGLE FAMILY HOMES ON LAKE SHORE DRIVE. THIS HISTORIC AND ARCHITECTURALLY SIGNIFICANT HOLABIRD & ROCHE HOME WAS BUILT IN 1895, AND RECEIVED A ‘CHICAGO LANDMARK’ DESIGNATION IN 1989.
THE HOME HAS FOUR FIREPLACES, MAGNIFICENT 27’X 18′ ROOF TERRACE OVERLOOKING THE LAKE AND NAVY PIER, AN ELEVATOR SERVICING FOUR FLOORS, AND A PARKING SPACE AT THE REAR OF…
1258 N. Lake Shore Drive: 4 bedrooms, 5.5 baths, no square footage given
- I couldn’t find a prior sales price
- Currently listed for $5.8 million
- Taxes of $17,464
- Central Air
- Parking? From the listing- it sounds like there is a spot
- Mary Pendergast Real Estate has the listing
So it was built AND decorated in 1895?
Needs a re-do but someone should be all over that…
Does the air quality make it hard to sell a street-level home here?
Dave: That’s a good question. There are thousands of cars a day driving by on Lake Shore Drive.
I live right on LSD on the next block & since you have the buffer of inner LSD and a strong (or really strong) breeze, I don’t think air quality is as big of an issue of noise.
The wind doesn’t help that one at all.
I love it, and I don’t think it needs a redo.
I’d change the colors in the kitchen, but I might keep it otherwise intact. It is unique and charming.
The place is absolutely beautiful.
I wouldn’t quite know just what the right price is for something like this these days.
$5.8 million for a money pit? I think not. There are so many better options in that price range.
It’s hard to put a price tag on the location and the extremely small number of homes on lsd — i think it will go fairly quickly.
Somebody please enlighten me – doesn’t Chicago landmark status affect your rights to make improvements to the unit? Red tape hell. At least the designation may effect any exterior improvements, but if it may affect internal remodeling as well. I don’t know.
Air quality probably isn’t a substantial problem, since LSD is not a truck route. Buses could be a potential issue since about a dozen routes do traverse this stretch, though air quality on bus routes has improved markedly since CTA switched to low-sulfur fuel. Living over the Kennedy would be much worse, and the difference between truck routes and non-truck routes is noticeable even as a pedestrian strolling (or better yet, jogging) at ground level.
Neat place, but yeah it probably needs about $500K-1M worth of work.
I agree with anon1. Theres a lot more people with $6mm (or more likely 10mm+) than there are SFH’s on LSD.
minibust:
1258 has a LPCI (Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois) facade easement.
The LPCI site indicates “The basic premise of the preservation easement agreement stipulates that the owner will seek pre-approval from LPCI on any significant exterior change to the outside of the property.” Owners get a significant tax deduction. Interior changes are not under the purview of LPCI:
“The Preservation Easement does not require that the property remain “frozen in time” but that any outside changes to the front, sides, and roof of the building need to be architecturally compatible to the original architectural integrity and design of the property. For major exterior changes and expansions, LPCI will work with the owner to ensure that any alterations remain sympathetic and compatible with the architectural character of the original structure. Changes to the interior are beyond the scope of the preservation easement and therefore allowed. Routine maintenance projects do not require LPCI’’s review. However, switching/changing exterior materials (roofing, siding, windows), adding new additions, demolitions, and alterations to the protected sides, do need pre-approval from LPCI.”
It is a narrow house (18 feet wide) on a busy street. For the same amount you could get a 35 foot wide house on Astor Street, which is much quieter.
“Buses could be a potential issue”
There is a bus stop directly in front of the house.
Noisy would be an understatement. Unless they have some extraordinary triple pane glass, the motorcycle and sirens on LSD will drive you nuts. And forget opening the windows to enjoy the lake breezes, this place was built when LSD was a small, pleasurable road. Today it is a 6 lane freeway. I think we should bury it like in Boston.