The Rare Lincoln Park Coach House with Parking: 2616 N. Orchard
This 3-bedroom coach house at 2616 N. Orchard in Lincoln Park has a rare feature for most coach houses: parking.
At 2400 square feet, it has 3 levels and includes a 1.5 garage.
The coach house has a wood burning fireplace in the living room and a fireplace in the master suite, which also has cathedral ceilings and a skylight.
Two bedrooms are on the second floor and one is on the third floor.
There are also multiple private decks and a patio.
The coach house has central air.
Is this a good townhouse or condo alternative in East Lincoln Park?
Daniel Otto at Sudler Sotheby’s has the listing. See the pictures here.
Or you can see the property in person this Sunday at the Open House: Apr 11: 11:00 to 1:00 pm.
Unit #4: 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1.5 car garage, 2400 square feet, coach house
- Sold in September 1989 for $576,000 (?)
- Sold in October 1999 for $448,000
- Currently listed for $598,000
- Assessments of $135 a month
- Taxes of $7834
- Central Air
- Wood burning fireplace
Why the heck is the microwave in the sink?
$600k to live in a coach house? Ha! I rent a 3-story coach house in the area, with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, central air, but no parking for $1800 a month.
“Why the heck is the microwave in the sink?”
Because there’s a TV and cable box where the microwave goes?
I like very much. Wow a SFH deal in Lincoln Park!
Reality is returning to the market..at least for those owners who didn’t pay a stupid price in the 2003-2008 timeframe and aren’t underwater.
Just a reminder (in general) as this has been creeping back into the comments lately.
Please keep the comments about the property itself, not the decor (drapes, furniture etc.) As none of that will be there when you live there.
Thanks.
“Please keep the comments about the property itself, not the decor (drapes, furniture etc.) As none of that will be there when you live there.”
Wow – talk about micro-managing… can we discuss realtors or is that not relevant to RE? Can we discuss how sellers/realtors stage properties or is that not relevant to RE? Decor actually matters.
Some people (myself for example) have learned a lot about how to prepare and present a house by reading people’s posts on this website.
The reality is that a lot of buyers do look at paint color and drapes and do feel clutter despite the fact that they can change all that after buying.
“Wow – talk about micro-managing… can we discuss realtors or is that not relevant to RE? Can we discuss how sellers/realtors stage properties or is that not relevant to RE? Decor actually matters.”
Yes- we’ve talked about staging and paint colors numerous times- including when the unit was obviously staged.
But comments like, “that couch is ugly” or “what a stupid precious moments collection” or “nasty orange rug in the bathroom” don’t really discuss the property. If you want to discuss those things you can go to apartment therapy or other interior design sites.
Sorry- it really doesn’t add anything to the discussion.
By the way- I don’t recall ever seeing a comment like, “wow- that couch is beautiful. Wonder where they got it?” It’s always something really negative about the furniture- which won’t be there when you move into the property.
we all need to agree that the microwave in the sink, if not relevant, is pretty darn funny and deserves a nod.
nice looking place. coachhouses get a bad rap, I lived in one for 5 years and we loved being set back off the street
Not really one to bash a property, but this one cannot escape my comments. It is UGLY!! Both inside and out….I can only imagine what the main house looks like and viewing it on Google, it too is pretty bad.
When I think Coach House, I immediately picture a grand Victorian with fab details that are carried on back and a nicely landscaped yard/courtyard. This one is an epic fail in so many ways…layout, unusable third floor bedroom (unless you are a little person) horrific kitchen….I could go on.
Even if it were priced at $250, I would not care to rehab it to bring it up to the surrounding properties. Hell, even if it were donated to me I would not be interested in it.
PASS regardless of how ‘rare’ it might be.
A great reason why Coach Houses get a ‘bad rap’.
what am i missing regarding the microwave. it appears to be on the counter. the sink looks like it’s in the corner to the right of the refrigerator and next to the dishwasher. perhaps my eyes are just playing tricks on me…
curious to know the traffic levels on this site, because the conversation is getting stale.
Completely lacking coach house cool. . . seems like it’s really lacking usable space.
But of course, this place is 2,400 sq ft, so it must just look small in the photos.
As with most blogs, IIRC, for posters there are over 100 lurkers, and for every 100 lurkers there are another 100 who only look at the front page and don’t bother to read the comments.
“#brad on April 8th, 2010 at 8:42 am
curious to know the traffic levels on this site, because the conversation is getting stale.”
sorry, typo, for every poster there are over 100 lurkers.
I only post when I’ve got something to say, but I read many of the threads.
And as far as coach houses go, you need to be very, very, very picky about the alley you live off of, ie scope it out at night for homeless people, look for potential rat sources (restaurants, bars etc.)
I’m a “lurker” who’s willing to out himself. I’ve been reading this blog religiously (i.e. every post, every comment) for many months now but won’t post – until now. As someone in his early 30s with two kids, renting in SoPo in LV (yes, I’ve even got your lingo down now), who didn’t get burned by the bubble and is looking to buy very soon, I can tell you that this blog is *by far* the best education in Chicago RE that I’ve seen. I’ve even come to love the personalities here (Sonies, HomeDelete, DZ, Groove, Anon(tfo) and even Joe Zekas). All the throw away /sarcastic comments (e.g., school districts, layouts, crappy realtors, CCRD) are immensely helpful too. I’m in a better place because of this blog and people who comment here. Now, I just wish there was a CribChatter for the North Shore cos all you guys have convinced me to move out to Winnetka! Of course the real winner is Sabrina… I have a feeling this website concept is gonna go big time soon.
“what am i missing regarding the microwave. it appears to be on the counter. the sink looks like it’s in the corner to the right of the refrigerator and next to the dishwasher. perhaps my eyes are just playing tricks on me…”
You’re totally right. I didn’t notice there was a virtual tour and looking at the little lo-res photo, it looked like whatever vaguely metal stuff to the left of the microwave was the sink. Guess not!
“I’m a “lurker” who’s willing to out himself. I’ve been reading this blog religiously (i.e. every post, every comment) for many months now but won’t post – until now. As someone in his early 30s with two kids, renting in SoPo in LV (yes, I’ve even got your lingo down now), who didn’t get burned by the bubble and is looking to buy very soon, I can tell you that this blog is *by far* the best education in Chicago RE that I’ve seen. I’ve even come to love the personalities here (Sonies, HomeDelete, DZ, Groove, Anon(tfo) and even Joe Zekas). All the throw away /sarcastic comments (e.g., school districts, layouts, crappy realtors, CCRD) are immensely helpful too. I’m in a better place because of this blog and people who comment here.”
Thank you for your comments Robert. My goald is for the site to be informative for people who are looking to move (either rent OR buy) and it sounds like from your perspective it is. Success!
Robert Sanderson,
Assuming your reference to Winnetka isn’t (?) tongue-in-cheek.
It won’t be a CribChatter, but a week from today we’ll be launching “Homeward Bound, North Shore” at the Tribune’s ChicagoNow.com site.
It’s one of six new sites that the Tribune has hired us to start up over the next 60 days.
Homeward Bound, North Shore will feature news and tidbits from dozens of “Local correspondents” who are knowledgeable about the North Shore – real estate agents and managers, landlords, developers, architects, attorneys and more. As usual, we’ll have a ton of video and visuals too.
Joe: people want honest discussion, not marketing & sales. Nobody in the RE biz that speaks unanonymously will be candid.
Who listens to CEOs where their job is to always be 51% optimistic on camera, even if they don’t believe it in their hearts? People on TV hardly ever tell the truth.
The Tribune’s site will be biased with people who have business interests to not be candid or truthful. After this last decade, how could anyone listen to RE biz drivel?
1) Go to compete.com and check the traffic. I believe the actual traffic is about 3X what that shows based upon the reports for sites of friends where we know the traffic
2) I think that if the microwave had been in the sink it could possibly have been relevant. I always look for strange uses of space as it could be an indication of a functional limitation of the home.
3) My thought with looking at the picture is that, if in fact that is the sink in the corner, the corner is not a great place for a sink and that sink is awfully small.
Yes, I’m the one who always comments on school district. This is in Alcott…which is a very good school. If you have kids that are verging on school age, it might be worth a kitchen renovation.
Just in case you are wondering. I read religiously and never post either. I have gained a ton of knowledge from the comments. I agree–people don’t need to be evil in their posts, but microwave in the sink is pretty funny (although apparently not true).
HH,
I gave you a list of the best schools (non test in) in the city limits here; http://cribchatter.com/?p=8367#comment-69459
Alcott is not on it. still a good school though 🙂
“It won’t be a CribChatter, but a week from today we’ll be launching “Homeward Bound, North Shore” at the Tribune’s ChicagoNow.com site.”
The Tribune has been trying to get Cribchatter on ChicagoNow for months. I’ve refused their offers.
I don’t understand why the Tribune doesn’t have anyone who can blog or create their own content (but that’s another story.) All the bloggers on that site are paid by the Tribune (which I’m assuming everyone would understand.)
“Just in case you are wondering. I read religiously and never post either.”
I post religiously and never read
I do agree with Homebuyer and Robert Sanderson, there is a plethora of info in this site from people from every walks of life even if some are are 3 cheeses away from a 4 cheese pasta they still do bring i view and insight from there perspective that we all can learn from.
posted about the value of comments on CC many times even on other sites http://yochicago.com/call-of-the-wild-realtor-bashing-in-action/13741/#comment-49628
glad to see others feel the same.
and now on cue i will go off track….Anyone really like Chicago now? It feels like a dump site of jumble, hard to navigate and to quote from DJ above seems like it will be biased, governed, and Ad pushy.
I too have learned a great deal of valuable info on CC about Chicago, both RE related and otherwise. It did have a big impact on how I thought about the city during and after my stint here.
As far as posters who come on, read (and comment) then have the balls to say the ‘conversation is getting stale’…who is FORCING you to be here? It is not required reading for all Chicago residents so perhaps you should consider finding other forums with lively conversations that you WILL find fascinating.
“As far as posters who come on, read (and comment) then have the balls to say the ‘conversation is getting stale’”
They rarely (here or elsewhere, including IRL) are people who add much, even if they bother to exert the effort to contribute.
I was going to post your thought anon, but didn’t want to be branded a poster hater! So thanks for doing what my balls didn’t allow me to do…
WL:
“Rarely” means I wasn’t talking about whoever is offended by the implication–that person I was complementing for rising above the typical “you all are boring” complainers.
So I recently moved my blog to Chicago Now. Technically I’m paid but it’s a pittance and not the reason I moved there. It’s purely traffic based – not that different than the Google ads on this site which are click based. I suspect that Joe got a different deal from his description. I’m sure that almost all the blogs there are on the same deal that I am.
I moved my site there because I believe it will get me a larger audience for my pontifications. I think the concept is good but wish it was a bit more selective than it is. I think 300 blogs is a bit much. They don’t take just anyone but I do think they could raise the bar a bit.
Sabrina,
I am glad you have not gone over to chicagonow, but if you do i understand you gotta do whats best for you. (cant imagine google even pays that much probably just covers hosting software and some drinking cash)
Gary,
Its a great move for you and your business. More traffic to your RE biz is a good thing.
BTW i will be giving you a call in the next month or two for buying.
Groove77,
Thanks. Look forward to it. Obviously, your identify will be safe with me 🙂
I read the CTA stuff on Chicago Now and RedEye. My biggest problem is that they are not obligated to post. So, I can’t rely on them for a source when there is, say, L construction or changes.
Here is a very detailed post about why one blogger quit ChicagoNow: http://www.chicagocarless.com/2010/03/01/the-past-imperfect-of-chicagonow/
After he posted there, it blew up on WindyCity and lots of other bloggers chimed in about their experiences.
Groove77, au contraire, by test scores alone, Alcott is in the top 10 among neighborhood schools that do not require a lottery or GEAP testing. (Sadly, I have spreadsheets on this stuff.) Plus it’s one of 9 north side schools that I toured recently, and it has a lot going for it.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/1855121,chicago-elementary-schools-rank-1009.article
HH:
Maybe I’m miscounting the neighborhood schools, but it looks like Alcott is #11:
Oriole Park
Lincoln
Bell
Edgebrook
Norwood Park
South Loop
Blaine
Burley
Ebinger
Solomon
Alcott
one quick note when i say tops/best i mean STATEWIDE not just city.
“(Sadly, I have spreadsheets on this stuff.)”
I do too! but mine are like a year or two old. Now i just go by feed back from teachers and parents. and lost interest a bit as school funding cuts will make things worse an more people with pay cuts will turn to public school, we are turning to private if not burbs.
I spent many late nights (while wife was preggy) analyzing CPS and then this fall going over and over if we should move to the burbs for the schools.
the school thing is a mind bender and i am taking a break 🙂
“one quick note when i say tops/best i mean STATEWIDE not just city. ”
Well, then your list was still wrong. It’s Oriole Park and Lincoln and that’s it. And neither of them were top-10, non-test schools in 2007-2008.
That sun times article is pretty interesting; schools in the ‘green zone’ have drastically improved.
Anon(tfo) remember I said that Belding was rapidly improving? apparently it’s jumped in ranking by 374 schools and now it’s ranked only 991 in the state! But not at much as Mitchell in West Town which jumped 800 spots!
I think we are finally witnessing something positive from the housing bust. Parents are staying in Chicago and sending their children to CPS elementary schools and putting their efforts and resources to improve them. at least in the green zone. Alcott jumped 143, audubon jumped 435, south loop jumped about 100…
“I think we are finally witnessing something positive from the housing bust.”
or more no child left behind crap where the teacher teach testing and dont get to really TEACH.
“Well, then your list was still wrong. It’s Oriole Park and Lincoln and that’s it. And neither of them were top-10, non-test schools in 2007-2008”
ah, but it depends on how you look at if your looking at the sun’s stats for Elm or middle school?
“Anon(tfo) remember I said that Belding was rapidly improving? apparently it’s jumped in ranking by 374 schools and now it’s ranked only 991 in the state!”
Yep. Won’t really be perceived as having “turned the corner” until the poor kid % is below 50. It’s 72.9% on that chart. Almost all of the schools with good reps are under 35%.
“but it depends on how you look at if your looking at the sun’s stats for Elm or middle school?”
Bell was the top City ‘hood Middle School, but that’s for future-anon-tfo to worry about, so why would I include that?
I looked at the Elem list, of course, cuz that’s what HH linked.
http://labs.suntimes.com/reportcards/results/index/2009/1186
Wells HS for the win….
“Wells HS for the win….”
27 worse high schools. How bad can it be?
“Maybe I’m miscounting the neighborhood schools, but it looks like Alcott is #11:
Oriole Park
Lincoln
Bell
Edgebrook
Norwood Park
South Loop
Blaine
Burley
Ebinger
Solomon
Alcott”
Bell and S Loop are partly based on testing, and scores include both groups(?), so not clear how to treat them.
“it’s one of 9 north side schools that I toured recently, and it has a lot going for it.”
HH: if you have any other observations from your grand tour that you can share, I’d really appreciate it.
“but that’s for future-anon-tfo to worry about, so why would I include that?”
DZ is rubbing off on ya? He wont on me as its my nature to over plan future and avoid risk as much as possible and have back up plans for back up plans with emergancy plans for the back up plans back up plan.
“Bell and S Loop are partly based on testing, and scores include both groups(?), so not clear how to treat them.”
True. Same with Lincoln for the IB program.
For Bell (bc I don’t have a handle on headcount at Lincoln IB), there are about 2:1 neighborhood to gifted. If you peg the bell gifted scores at above skinner but below edison (fair guess, I think), the rest of the kids would score somewhere around Edgebrook/Hawthorne–still top 10 in the city and in the 60s statewide.
“Same with Lincoln for the IB program.”
I was wondering what the asterisk on Lincoln was for.
“have back up plans for back up plans”
That is also my line (albeit not exactly an original one), and is actually my line rather than my wife’s line (which explains why). http://cribchatter.com/?p=8295#comment-67463
“That is also my line (albeit not exactly an original one)”
Partial credit for that as i heard it from my aunt for years, but since you recently said it it get the partial nod 🙂
“For Bell (bc I don’t have a handle on headcount at Lincoln IB), there are about 2:1 neighborhood to gifted. If you peg the bell gifted scores at above skinner but below edison (fair guess, I think), the rest of the kids would score somewhere around Edgebrook/Hawthorne–still top 10 in the city and in the 60s statewide.”
add that confusion to the magnet program and cook count tax calculation, your brain ends up friend trying to figure out “the ways of the city”
DJ,
“Joe: people want honest discussion, not marketing & sales. Nobody in the RE biz that speaks unanonymously will be candid.”
Perhaps your misguided assumptions about real estate people have led you to pay insufficient attention to what they actually say.
We’re recruiting scores of top agents and other professionals to participate. My experience has been that the most successful agents got to be successful by being what you say they’re not: candid and honest.
Look at some of the agents who participate here – Matt Garrison, Mario Greco, Gary Lucido and Eric Rojas. Are you contending they’re not candid in their responses? Not how I read them.
Look at Gary’s ChicagoNow blog if you want to see a brutally erroneous assessment of a development:
http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/chicago-real-estate-getting-real/2010/03/can-new-marketing-strategy-sell-a-bad-location.html
We’ve posted lots of blunt talk from agents on our site and in videos, and linked to more of it.
As someone who’s been involved in real estate advertising and marketing for many years I have some other news for you: buyers seek out and pay attention to ads and sales pitches. Along with CribChatter and other Web sites they’re part of the information mix people value when buying homes.
“buyers seek out and pay attention to ads and sales pitches.”
Those buyers also bought straight into the bubble and financing fiasco.
Sabrina,
The aged skeptic in me wonders whether your aversion to participating in ChicagoNow is partly based on the Tribune’s 1) requiring its bloggers to be completely transparent in disclosing any interest they might have in what they write about, 2) knowing the true identity of its bloggers, and 3) enforcing a privacy policy that doesn’t give its bloggers access to commenter e-mail addresses.
“3) enforcing a privacy policy that doesn’t give its bloggers access to commenter e-mail addresses.”
Err wrong again. My e-mail address is a joke. Any fill in is allowed here.
On the other two points–just the same old Jay Zee complaining that Sabrina chooses to remain anonymous. Boo hoo for Jay Zee.
“Err wrong again. My e-mail address is a joke. Any fill in is allowed here.”
Well thank your stars you didn’t Bob–you wouldn’t believe the amount of spam–much of it obscene under the most liberal standard–my email box has been filled with since I first used it here.
[/sarcasm]
The ratio of Bell’s neighborhood program (and deaf program) to the Options program is closer to 4:1. The Options program has only one class ( 30 students) per grade. and the total school population is over 900 at this point.
I’ll tell you more about it next year-my oldest will be starting 1st there.
“The ratio of Bell’s neighborhood program (and deaf program) to the Options program is closer to 4:1. The Options program has only one class ( 30 students) per grade. and the total school population is over 900 at this point.”
Check your math–8×30 = 240; 240×4 = 960; 960 + 240 = 1200.
There are about 80 kids in K, who don’t test (neither do 1 and 2), so they don’t count. 944 (from S-T) minus 80 = 864; 864 – 240 = 624; 624/240 = 2.6:1. Play around with the numbers however you like, but it’s much closer to my off the cuff 2:1 than 4:1, which was just a basis for a guesstimate anyway, and based on the *fact* that each grade has one gifted class and 2 ‘hood class–no idea on deaf program headcount.
Also, not that there is any good reason for them not to, but are the deaf kids included in the testing stats?
Bob,
I’m wrong about the Trib’s privacy policy? Enlighten me.
You can’t comment on ChicagoNow without first having created a login account with a valid e-mail address.
Give it a try.
More than 80% of commenters on our sites, over the years, have used a valid e-mail even when we allow an invalid one. Sabrina’s experience might be different.
ps Dahlia: congrats to the little dahliachi.
“and 3) enforcing a privacy policy that doesn’t give its bloggers access to commenter e-mail addresses.”
The moderator of this site doesn’t have access to commenter e-mail addresses either (if commentators wish them not to).
It appears you were trying to assert that that was the case via listing three things apparently different from ChicagoNow’s site from this one. Or am I missing something?
Good ol’ Jay Zee trying to play word games and confound/confuse the issue. Or is your reading comprehension really that bad?
If that is indeed the case _how did you pass the LSAT_?
Miss the point much, Bob?
My LSATs were top 1%. Law review editor. Big-law attorney. Adequate reading comprehension.
Your response at 4:48pm clearly shows you are slipping in your old age, Joe.
Bob,
You have a firm grip on what you meant to say. I have a better grip on what you actually said.
I never thought I’d say this but I actually preferred SH to JZ.
Oops on the math-not my forte. Luckily the small one shows far more promise in that department then I ever did.
“The aged skeptic in me wonders whether your aversion to participating in ChicagoNow is partly based on the Tribune’s 1) requiring its bloggers to be completely transparent in disclosing any interest they might have in what they write about, 2) knowing the true identity of its bloggers, and 3) enforcing a privacy policy that doesn’t give its bloggers access to commenter e-mail addresses.”
Actually Joe, the Trib was willing to allow me to continue to be Sabrina on ChicagoNow- so that would be no different than here. Obviously, they would have to know who I was to pay me.
I have no problem with being completely transparent. That’s not the issue.
The issue is that ChicagoNow is not where I want my content to be. And I don’t want to work for the Tribune. Not now. Not ever.
Additionally, I don’t know a single person who reads the blogs on ChicagoNow so that tells me all I need to know. I’m quite happy with my blog as it is.
You rock, Sabrina!
Sabrina,
Bloggers at ChicagoNow don’t “work for the Tribune” simply by virtue of blogging at ChicagoNow. I have a decades-long, nationwide relationship with the Trib. Ask anyone there whether I “work for” the Trib and you’ll get a hearty laugh.
Bloggers have had mixed experience with ChicagoNow, some of those experiences widely reported. I can understand why it’s not everyone’s preferred platform.
I don’t know what to make of the fact that you don’t know anyone (including, apparently, me and Gary Lucido) who’s read a platform that had 1.3 million unique visitors and 13 million page views in February.
I may be the only one to voice this, but I’m sure ‘m not the only one who finds ridiculous the notion that someone who’s so diligently and completely anonymous can claim to “have no problem with being completely transparent.”
Actually, at Bell, the deaf kids are included in the stats. As for ISAT scores, the principal told me they separated the gifted scores from the neighborhood program just to see, and they were still high (can’t remember the exact number).
Hey DZ, what I liked about Alcott was its intimate feel, Mandarin language program, and commitment to differentiated learning (something like three textbooks for each grade, so if you’re working above or below grade level, they can tailor lessons). Also, the philosophy there is to challenge your kid without going all “helicopter” on him/her. The principal is always saying, “Let your child be a child.” They do admit a weakness in science but they’re working on improving that. The parent community is heavily involved and very good at fundraising. It will be interesting to see how the administration handles both the K-8 school and Alcott High…
“Hey DZ, what I liked about Alcott was its intimate feel, Mandarin language program,”
Hey Home Hunter: being enthused about your kid learning Mandarin is about as cliche and faddish as sushi bars were in the 1980s. Except in this case its your kid’s life your messing with in your pursuit of fads.
You better hope you don’t have a strong willed kid or they might just grow up to make your life difficult, in reaction to you severely affecting their life so you can brag to your friends about their Mandarin at your friend’s wine parties.
“what I liked about Alcott was its intimate feel, Mandarin language program, and commitment to differentiated learning (something like three textbooks for each grade, so if you’re working above or below grade level, they can tailor lessons)”
Thanks, Home Hunter. Does anyone know other viable neighborhood elementary schools with mandarin programs besides Alcott? I know Chicago is supposed to have a lot but haven’t seen a list. I know Oriole Park and Bell have programs.
“Does anyone know other viable neighborhood elementary schools with mandarin programs besides Alcott?”
Without too much digging(*), it appears the answer is currently “no”.
But it shouldn’t matter b/c Bob would be pissed off on behalf of DZ, Jr. and none of us want that.
*two year old list here: https://grahamschool.uchicago.edu/general/documents/startalkcpspressrelease.pdf which I’ve had intermittent trouble loading.
“But it shouldn’t matter b/c Bob would be pissed off on behalf of DZ, Jr. and none of us want that.”
I might be trying to follow Bob’s advice and looking to avoid schools with mandarin. Anyway, what do I know, I still eat sushi.
“I might be trying to follow Bob’s advice and looking to avoid schools with mandarin.”
Of course! Makes perfect sense.
When looking for a list, I found a Univ. Hawaii presentation that claimed there are over 2 BILLION Chinese readers in Mainland China. Which was rather funny to me, for more than one reason.