We Love Conservatories: 638 W. Oakdale in Lakeview
Sometimes there are just cool features to a property that are unique.
Such is the case with this vintage single family home at 638 W. Oakdale in Lakeview that has an “english conservatory” attached to the back.
Here’s the listing:
Exquisite renovation of 1882 Chicago greystone on 28′ lot. Original vintage features combined with 21st century kitchen, bathrooms and mechanical systems.
Three bedrooms/four bull baths and one half bath, library, English conservatory, three antique woodburning fireplaces, two-car brick gar, gorgeous patio/garden. No expense spared.
Suzan Bramson at Rubloff has the listing. See more pictures here.
Check out the property website here which shows the pretty back garden/patio.
638 W. Oakdale: 3 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, 2 car garage, 3754 square feet
- Sold in August 1992 for $329,000
- Currently listed for $1.599 million
- Taxes of $10,309
- Central Air
Darn its too bad zero down or ridiculous loans are gone. Had this thing been on the market last year I would’ve ‘bought’ it and squatted on the place living there while I skipped payments. I bet I could’ve strung it out for over a year of rent free living in this awesome house. Whoever bought it in 1992 for 329k was a genius.
“Whoever bought it in 1992 for 329k was a genius.”
And spent several hundred thousand renovating it.
16 years at 5%/yr is $719k.
And is that backyard excavated down? It sure looks like it (steps up to garage) and if so it’s a lake waiting to happen.
Man, now this place is more like it. Butler’s pantries are great. Note the lack of granite in the kitchen. This is how it’s done. Too much money, but I’d take this place any day over some cookie-cutter glass box condo in the Loop.
“I’d take this place any day over some cookie-cutter glass box condo in the Loop”
But who is going to shovel the snow? And what if you need a plumber? How could you possibly want this when you can share costs with your neighbors for services you may or may not need?
I’m amazed it’s *only* $1.6 million. They did a stunning job of renovating it. Some of the decorations are a bit much, but it’s a seriously gorgeous and well-maintained old home.
Regarding Anon “16 years at 5%/yr is $719k”.
If the stock market has returned 0% in the last ten years why do you assume real estate sellers are entitled to assume a 5% annualized return. For doing WHAT, slapping in some granite? Talk to me when the price of these places is where they were ten years ago. Until then, it’s still overvalued.
That’s an awesome home, but I have to say that it is strange that the kitchen is on the first floor and the dining room is on the second floor.
re: Flipflop
If the stock market returned 800% or -75%, it’s not too relevent to historical average return on RE. I assume that (1) real property generally returns slightly above inflation, over the longterm, and (2) inflation has been understated for the past couple decades, and (3) that using 5% gives some context for properties that last sold before half the posters were old enough to get driver’s licenses.
And, as to this property, we should all shut up until this is on the market for
“is strange that the kitchen is on the first floor and the dining room is on the second floor”
Don’t want the help socializing with the guests.
Huh, 3:12 post was cut off–it finished with:
less than $500k? I don’t (personally) like the house for the price range, but the lot would sell for $500k –right now– if the house burned down.
Anon.. you can use wage growth but remember the top earner wage growth since 92 is way over avg earner wage growth. I think the grow room alone is worth a few hundred.
Its a conservatory not a grow room Ze. Get your mind outta the “weeds”. haha This is a really cool house.
If Ze bought this house he would enter it and you would never see him emerge. Just green smoke coming out of the chimney and lots of pizzas delivered.
Nope you were right the first time.. never see me again. I make my own pizza. Now working on this one where I cook eggplant skin in vinegar and sugar, then put on top and bake. Then I cook the pizza 🙂
While on the subject… Today I was pissing off a friend who wouldn’t stop his shit about going back to a gold standard. he knows I can’t stand gold but thats another story. So I am saying how it has no real utility and send him a quote from buffet which i will share:
“[Gold] gets dug out of the ground in Africa, or someplace. Then we melt it down, dig another hole, bury it again and pay people to stand around guarding it. It has no utility. Anyone watching from Mars would be scratching their head.”
So all irritated he again asks me so what would be better to which I said we should go to a weed standard. I am waiting for him to scream and instead he says “you know thats not such a bad idea, after all these years I’d be able to call my mom and say Yes, money does fuckin grow on trees”
Ze,
I think that quote is a bit moronic. There are few ladies who don’t find the utility in gold jewelry. Therein the utility is transferred to guys too if via having gold they can get the ladies (or it helps). Its a fairly simple observation and I’m not surprised it was over Buffett’s head. But if he starts taking Viagra watch him turn bullish on gold.
Do you understand the concept of bright, shiny, pretty things = attract the opposite sex (or at least females)? Its not restricted to humans and pretty common throughout nature, actually.
The issues with the gold standard are more of a practical nature: all the gold ever mined in the world can fit onto 40 trailers.
The quantity of gold is quite fixed even if a little can be mined each year. Its too fixed to account for the value of all other goods and services in an increasing population and goods economy. And a lot of real economic activity would be wasted on doing more digging.
Bob… I now have a picture of you as Mr. T
Gold has intrinsic value as a currency because there is a limited supply of it, it’s easy to melt and mold and it can’t be faked easily. It’s been the currency of choice for thousands of years and humans are naturally attracted to it for some reason, giving it intrinsic value. You could have a gold standard that’s backed by paper currency, as the US once had. Politicians wouldn’t be able to print monopoly money to cover up their deficits though! The biggest problem with a gold standard is that it leads to wage and price deflation if you can’t increase the gold supply fast enough to match economic growth. Our best bet would be a monetary system that simply increased the money supply each year by a percentage equal to the long-term GDP growth rate. That would be better than letting politicians and fed officials manipulate the money supply for their own benefit.
T2.. It’s just part of a joke.
Do you spend all day on this message board?
I mean what type of T are you if you don’t spend all day pissing into each other…
No I was out at the beach most of the day… then I really hurt my leg. It is my link to English. Sorry, I will create a new name – UberT2 – and post with that. 🙂
Ze: “you can use wage growth but remember the top earner wage growth since 92 is way over avg earner wage growth.”
Hey, I’m not stupid–the reno is worth something (tho I’d want to re-do a lot of it). The $719k number is the purchase price inflated. And I noted that they clearly spent a few $100k.
Flipflop thinks even $719k is too much–which is clearly detached from reality–but this is definitely one of those lokking for a certain buyer–as in of the less than 10 people with the wherewithal and preferences that suit this place at this price. Altho at $719k, I might be motivated to move.
very beautiful! the decorations are eccentric/unique . . . and the layout (kitchen and dining on diff’t floors) is different, . . . . but what a welcome contrast to the boring “standard” stuff. it has character. 3 cheers for character! 😉 i love the floors! and the lovely, decorative, detailed ceilings! and the furniture (granted, the furniture isn’t “the house,” but still!) selections are wonderful! and brave! and cool! 2 wood burning fireplaces! and, sigh . . . a library! yay! a conservatory is a very rare find too! i don’t think i’ve ever seen one in a chicago home . . .
Went to a party here a year ago. The place is like a museum. The pair that own it put a lot of meticulous effort into the renovation. Really, it kind of gave me a headache everything was so exquisite and fancy. Hard to say if the price is right given comparables or market conditions…but that is one super nice home.. and pretty big.
Was it decorated by a drag queen? Awesome rear yard.
Those black & white checkered floors throughout are horrible.
WHEN I LOOK AT THIS HOUSE THE FOLLOWING COMES TO MIND; COMFORTABLE, TAILORED, BALANCED,LIVABLE,FRIENDLY, PERSONALIZED, AND CAREFULLY EXPRESSED….HEY PAULJ AND KJ, I CAN TELL YOU HAVE NOT REACHED THAT LEVEL OF GOOD TASTE AND DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT QUALITY IS…WHAT A WONDERFUL HOUSE, UNDERPRICED FOR WHAT IT IS! VERY EUROPEAN AND SOUTHERN IN ITS CONCEPT OF THE DINING ROOM AND KITCHEN ON DIFFERENT FLOORS…IF SOMEONE WHO REALLY UNDERSTANDS THE HOUSE AND DECORATING THEY COULD LIVE IN IT AND ENJOY IT, NOT BE INTIMIDATED BY ITS BEAUTY…I APPLAUD WHOEVER LIVES HERE.
Hi all, I’m the listing agent for this property and it’s been fun reading all the comments you’ve taken the time to send in. As Jeff said, this is an absolutely wonderful home. The English kitchen, on a different level from the dining room, has a “dumb-waiter” to carry platters up to the dining room and back down again. The vintage rowhomes in the 1200 block of State Parkway are constructed this way and also open onto the garden (although you’d have to spend another million dollars to live there if the house were finished in this way). The garden is truly an oasis in the city–very private. The black and white checkerboard faux-marble canvas floor cloth in the double parlors kj referred to was custom made to fit over the original and restored oak floors. I invite you or any friends seeking a new home to email or call me for an appointment to see this spectacular house and to see how every detail, every inch of the home has been touched and re-touched to perfection. You’ll think you’ve been transported to England. And with all its beauty and decoration, it’s a very liveable and practical city space, convenient to the lake, shopping and transportation. If you’re a buyer, please call me at 312 368 5393, at Rubloff Residential Properties.
Thanks for checking in Suzan and providing us extra details. It really is a unique property.
The garden is lovely.
SOLD!
This hasn’t sold yet. It’s under contract though.
I SEE IT WAS SOLD THEN
I SAW MORE PICTURES ON THE INTERNET THAT MUST HAVE BEEN TAKEN AFTER MOST OF THE FURNITURE AND ACCESSORIES WERE REMOVED; WHICH COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE ATMOSPHERE!!!
WHOM EVER DECIDED TO,(AS IT’S CALLED) “STAGE” THIS HOUSE AND THEN TAKE PICTURES AFTER IT WAS ON THE MARKET FOR A WHILE NEEDS TO KNOW THE STAGING DID NOT SELL IT. I HEARD IT WAS SOLD BEFORE ALL THAT TOOK PLACE..
WHY DOES THAT MATTER?
I’m bummed that I never got to see the original pictures. The web links no longer work.
Definately sold and still the past owners are outside doing work. They most certainly are dedicated property owners. Living in the neighborhood, I hope the new owners appreciate the care.
Just found this string of commentaries during a random search. We purchased this home last year and, while its uniqueness may not appeal to everyone, we have enjoyed every minute of living and entertaining in it since. Cheers!