Selling a 5-Bedroom Greystone in Uptown: 4436 N. Paulina
This vintage 5-bedroom greystone at 4436 N. Paulina in Uptown has been on and off the market since May of 2009.
It was recently reduced $100,000.
Built in 1898, the listing says the first two floors have been renovated.
3 out of the 5 bedrooms are on the second floor with the master bedroom on the third floor which is currently being used as a rec room (no bathroom on that floor apparently.) The 5th bedroom is also on the third floor.
The listing says the kitchen is “updated” with an open floorplan. There are cherry cabinets and stainless steel appliances.
The house is on an oversized 38×165 lot which allows for plenty of green space and a rare 3 car garage.
What price will it take to sell this vintage home?
Kirste Gaudet at Coldwell Banker has the listing. See the pictures here.
4436 N. Paulina: 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, 3 car garage, no square footage listed
- Sold in July 2000 for $536,000
- Originally listed in May 2009
- Withdrawn
- Was listed in August 2010 for $1.199 million
- Reduced
- Currently listed at $1.099 million
- Taxes of $12,286
- Central Air
- Bedroom #1: 25×22 (third floor- being used as a rec room)
- Bedroom #2: 20×14 (second floor)
- Bedroom #3: 15×12 (second floor)
- Bedroom #4: 13×12 (second floor)
- Bedroom #5: 14×10 (third floor)
Beautiful house, wow
Shame that its in Uptown, even though its a really nice part of uptown and more closer to “graceland west” or whatever its called
A house like this in LP would be 2 mill+
Spacca Napoli!
What’s this area like? I’ve walked around there after pizzas, thought it looked nice, and wondered. Never looked seriously b/c of schools.
“I’ve walked around there after pizzas, thought it looked nice, and wondered.”
I’ve found myself in this area after hitting some bars up north and, surprisingly, wasn’t terrified. It actually looked like a really nice area.
beautiful place, although they must have some really crazy/destructive kids because the lack of any landscaping in the back seems odd considering the attention to detail in the rest of the house.
I run past this house nearly everday. It’s right next door to a church parking lot,which I think detracts a bit. I was a bit suprised it didn’t sell back in 09, but don’t think they were aggresive enough with price.
Overall this neighborhood is solid and while the lots are big and wide and there are some beautiful homes there are also quite a few apartment complexes, the big old courtyard ones.
Depending on your political prefernce, you’d only be 1.5 blocks and one over from Rahm. So if he gets in at Mayor, you should have a pretty safe area.
“What’s this area like?”
2.5 blocks from Rahm’s house. 1 block from the (improving) R’wood school. Lots of smaller private school options in walking distance.
The sewer work has undoubtedly made the place harder to sell, but it’ll be 100 years before they do it again.
I’d rather be further from Ashland (even Hermitage would be better), but this is a pretty decent stretch with no bus traffic.
“smaller private school options”
North Park Elem? Know anything about it? Other non-parochial you know of?
It really is a disservice to call this area Uptown (even if it technically is Uptown). This area and Wilson and Broadway couldn’t be more different. Gorgeous house. Love the area. And given the size of the lot and the house, it seems to be priced right.
A 4400 block in Uptown is a completely different world than a 4400 block west of Clark (more-so Ashland). Isn’t this property technically in Ravenswood (Lincoln Square)?
I live on a 4400 block a little east of Clark. Though I am on a nice block, the area west of Clark is cleaner, nicer, and will go as far to say safer. There is less of a chance to hear gunfire. I would say this block of Paulina is Ravenswood.
I went to North Park Elementary back in the 90s. It was great.
This is an amazing house. I prefer being closer to the Loop, but I have to say this is a beautiful house and I would feel lucky to live there (not that I can afford 1 mil+)
What kind of idiot says, “I found myself in this area…and surprisingly, wasn’t terrified.” If you haven’t figured out that Uptown is big and most of the problems are near the Wilson stop, you really need to get out more.
Huge houses and huge lots-really nice neighborhood.
Not what you think of when you think ‘Uptown’
DZ- North Park Elem is a very small school-one class per grade.( So it is hard to get into) Lots of interesting, creative, parents. Not very racially diverse. Very well priced for a private. Only goes up to 8th grade, I think. Academics are pretty good, but as a really small school they are not going to be able to deal so well with kids who are really ahead or behind.
Pilgrim Lutheran is near here too. I know people who go there who are not Lutheran. They like the community. Very inexpensive.
It is Uptown. Uptown doesn’t get real bad until you go east of Broadway. I live on the 4600 block of Magnolia, and it is nice!
“North Park Elem? Know anything about it? Other non-parochial you know of?”
Don’t really know much about NPE, except that the drop-off line is pretty well run and have acquired more outdoor space. German School, a few parochial schools.
Have friends who are near-ish and just went thru the elem private school shopping process, so if you were seriously interested, I could ask for more details of options. Let me know.
“What kind of idiot says, “I found myself in this area…and surprisingly, wasn’t terrified.””
He’s poking fun at himself on that one. You must have missed the 100 posts mocking him about Western Ave, south of the Kennnedy.
Thanks, all, re schools. anon, I’ll ping you if we get serious in that area. I’m not sure expanding our search area is the best thing at this point….
I am, as I have posted before, seriously interested in any info on intercultural montessori, especially its mandarin immersion program (westloop and oak park).
There should be a schoolchatter website; I’d totally lurk there. I don’t know when to start shopping.
I wonder if the fatal flaw of this house are the baths. No pix is a very bad sign.
Also, Sabrina says that 3rd floor is used as a rec. rm, but Redfin says Master bed and bath are on the 3rd floor. Possibly it is listed that way to make it seem like the master has its own bath.
This listing really needs a floor plan and more pictures. I think people most likely expect a real master suite at this price-point.
The German School is walking distance from here. I toured it recently, and it’s a nice, inexpensive (9200/yr) private school option if you’re interested in having your child learn in a non-English environment. This is their 2nd year so they currently have kindergarten only (ages 3-5). Next year they add 1st grade and plan to go through 12 using an IB-based curriculum.
Wicker – cpsobsessed.com is a good place to start.
Unfortunately, all of Uptown gets painted with the same broad brush. I’ve spent time in Sheridan Park and find it very comfortable. In addition, it does appear that the desirability among buyers rises as you move west. The dividing line between Lincoln Square and Uptown is Ravenswood. A lot of people see this as “almost Lincoln Square”.
Wilson stop is getting cleaned up, and THANK GOD we will have a new alderman soon!! My property value rose $50K just by Shiller announcing her retirement!
Thx for the cpsobsessed linke chi_dad. With all the time I kill on CC, I’ll be on cpsobsesed in the middle of the night. I wonder if there are “Bob” or “Clio” character equivalents on there?
maybe not, though I bet you’ll find an HD type
Yes thanks for the cpsobsessed1 We are very interested in finding out more about montessori options in Chicago also. We’re also looking at the Lycee Francais. Anyone know anything about it? It’s close and the little guy is already in a French nursery so might as well continue it, if it’s a good school. Hard to find out much online. We prefer a montessori environment, it would be great if there was a French montessori! Who knows about this stuff?
“We’re also looking at the Lycee Francais. Anyone know anything about it? It’s close and the little guy is already in a French nursery so might as well continue it, if it’s a good school. Hard to find out much online. We prefer a montessori environment, it would be great if there was a French montessori! Who knows about this stuff?”
Funny thing is, Park View Montessori is on the same block as Lycee. Don’t have direct experience with either.
“We are very interested in finding out more about montessori options in Chicago also.”
I’m actually more interested in intercultural for the chinese program than the montessori, but have heard very good things in the past about near north montessori and know someone who just decided to send their kids there. Also, know family who had kids very recently at cardinal bernandin (more for younger kids) who were very happy. Not very convenient to you though.
“It is Uptown. Uptown doesn’t get real bad until you go east of Broadway. I live on the 4600 block of Magnolia, and it is nice!”
Except for the corner of Magnolia/Wilson and the dudes slingin there all the time and occasionally popping off shots at each other, that’s a pretty nice area.
Nice looking house!
I thought Park View Montessori and Lycee Francais actually shared that building. Could be wrong though.
Oh yeah, this house is absolutely gorgeous and I love it-obviously.
“I thought Park View Montessori and Lycee Francais actually shared that building. Could be wrong though.”
Not knowing for sure, I stuck with the clearly correct.
This is not uptown. see map: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_JTlCj7YVS0Q/TBVt5GDGpnI/AAAAAAAAFIg/z-K6QkQJf7A/s1600/UptownWards.jpg
green shaded area is uptown, nor is it in ward 46, schiller’s ward. this house is in ravenswood.
“this house is in ravenswood.”
Ravenswood does and doesn’t exist:
http://chicago.straightdope.com/sdc20100225.php
oh gosh you guys have ballz, once little groove(s) makes real school age He(they) is(are) out of Montessori, i have no faith past age 7 that its the way to go.
“Ravenswood does and doesn’t exist”
great. whatever. but it’s not uptown.
Wicker, another good website for info on schools is npnparents.org. It’s $40/year, and the info/discussions encompass more than just schools, but it’s good b/c the people on it are typically well-informed re: schools and also care enough to shell out the money.
anon (tfo): funny that you link to SD. I have it on very good authority that “Cecil Adams” lives very near this house (which, by the way, has some of the best housing stock in the city, though most of the houses have been ruined by the cherry-cabinets-reno crowd).
“it’s not uptown”
It’s part of the Uptown Community Area, whether you like it or not. Much like Costco is in Lincoln Park.
Get the city to change the “official” boundary, and people will stop calling it Uptown. Until then, it is and it isn’t.
This house is definitely in Uptown. Part of Ravenswood is in Uptown:
http://lucidrealty.com/uptown.htm
You can double click on the map for a larger version. The definition of the 77 communities is actually precise while neighborhoods like Ravenswood are less precisely defined.
“anon (tfo): funny that you link to SD. I have it on very good authority that “Cecil Adams” lives very near this house (which, by the way, has some of the best housing stock in the city, though most of the houses have been ruined by the cherry-cabinets-reno crowd).”
Welcome to cc, Cecil! What do you like best about living near here?
Ha! I am most definitely *not* Cecil — didn’t mean to sound so coy. But (well-sourced) rumor has it that the real Cecil does live in this neighborhood. *I* like it because of the wide lots and large old houses; I suspect Cecil would like it for some obscure reason related to infrastructure or engineering.
No one who actually knows this area would ever call the location of this house uptown. Paulina does not equate to Uptown. It may be “uptown” as in a subset of the general boundaries but the area is NOT uptown as in the way people generally define uptown east of Clark (really more east of Broadway).
This house is definitely Ravenswood.
“This house is definitely Ravenswood.”
Can you find Ravenswood on the list of 77 “Official Community Areas”? If you squint hard enough, I think you can make it out–it’s spelled u p t o w n.
Russ,
Uptown and Ravenswood are not mutually exclusive. Part of Ravenswood is in Uptown. This house is in both.
“Official Community Areas”
I know I’ve been on CC or in Chicago too long when I start commenting on neighborhood boundaries, but….
Sabrina certainly uses neighborhood designations other than official community areas for posts. Why should the official area necessarily win for the purposes of CC?
I know what the maps say, but the maps are antiquated and no one who lives in this area would ever refer to this particular area as Uptown. The maps have not kept up with how the people actually view the area.
Uptown has an entirely different connotation as a neighborhood than where this particular property is located. It is almost like equating one of the fancy houses in Lakewood/Balmoral or Andersonville to Edgewater. Technically, you can say it is Edgewater but no one actually considers the area Edgewater.
“Sabrina certainly uses neighborhood designations other than official community areas for posts. Why should the official area necessarily win for the purposes of CC?”
It shouldn’t “win”, but if it *is* in Uptown (or LP, or AP, or Westlawn), it’s hard to argue that it is *not* in that Community Area.
For instance–from your hood–were we presented with a house in Palmer Square, would you side with someone saying that it is “definitely NOT is Logan Square”? It’s both. The specific does not override the general.
“Technically, you can say it is Edgewater but no one actually considers the area Edgewater.”
Too bad skeptic isn’t around today. Even Gary and I are being to flexible for his taste.
“For instance–from your hood–were we presented with a house in Palmer Square, would you side with someone saying that it is “definitely NOT is Logan Square”? It’s both. The specific does not override the general.”
I wouldn’t deny a house is in the Logan Square community area, I might say the best way, perhaps the right way, to describe the neighborhood is Palmer Square or Bucktown or whatever. I suppose if I think Logan Square has some meaning outside of its use as the community area, and I do, then within the context of that meaning (which is something like the best common use descriptor for a neighborhood), would I not have to say that the house is not in Logan Square? Only question is whether when I say the house is not in X, do I mean X the common use neighborhood or X the official community area. If I mean the former, and am understood to mean the former, then I can say that even if I agree it’s in the latter.
BTW, nice kiddie play area in Palmer Square.
calyx: Thanks: I’ll sign up to that site tonight. Looks like there’s a yearly event to visit this saturday! I figure I should learn all this now to make it easier to watch for a place to move to near the elementary school of choice (private or public). Though I doubt I could swing the 20k+ private schools and would prefer the neighborhood one if possible.
LOL. I’ll actually buy the specific vs general argument, but I don’t in any way support the “but this is how people now view the area” – not good enough, that’s a subjective call and depends on your personal circle.
and I don’t care if 100,00 people go all Jonestown Koolaid and convince themselves that say, the Target at Elston and Logan is Lincoln Park – they’d still be wrong, just like someone is wrong if they say this address isn’t in the Uptown Community Area – you can definitely still be quite solid saying the neighborhood is Ravenswood.
It’s pretty simple IMO, one community area can’t go and steal land from another one. Concrete examples are that Lincoln Park will never, ever extend north of Diversey, and Lake View will never, ever extend south of Diversey. Admittedly weird things like the River can create some gray zones.
I’ve been geeking out on the old neighborhood names at this site (Jefferson Park attached for an example):
http://www.historicmapworks.com/Atlas/US/12053/Cook+County+1908+Jefferson+Township+and+Norwood+Park/
Maplewood anyone? Sounds better than “Avondale East”
Re NPN, I’ve signed up a couple of different times for it and let my membership lapse. At the time I was looking more at schools in Bucktown/Wicker and was disappointed with amount of info and board activity, at least for that area. Not nothing, but not a lot, and not more than asking around. If you want a nanny share in ELP, however,…
nice take by DZ. I was actually talking with a friend who grew up in “now Roscoe Village/once upon a time just by-Lane-Tech” and we were both laughing that Bucktown had absolutely no presence when we were growing up – almost all of it was lumped in with Logan Square.
“Only question is whether when I say the house is not in X, do I mean X the common use neighborhood or X the official community area. If I mean the former, and am understood to mean the former, then I can say that even if I agree it’s in the latter.”
Sure, which is one of, and perhaps the largest*, reason why these discussions are frequent, circular and annoying.
I hesitate to link to Joe-Z, but his description of the boundaries of Ravenswood is really pretty good, and he mentions Uptown *twice* in defining Ravenswood, and his boundaries of Uptown are, of course, the community area.
http://newhomenotebook.com/neighborhoods.aspx
*right up there with my and skeptic’s regular participation in them.
““now Roscoe Village/once upon a time just by-Lane-Tech””
You mean “East Riverview Park”?
Skeptic: “I’ve been geeking out on the old neighborhood names at this site”
The History Museum has good stuff here:
http://www.chicagohs.org/research/resources/architecture
Yeah, I’d like to second the motion to use Joe Zekas’ ultimate guide to Chicago neighborhoods. It is extremely well thought out and internally consistent.
“Joe Zekas’ ultimate guide to Chicago neighborhoods … is … internally consistent”
Except that Lakeview–which runs to 4400 N–is “North” and North Center–which stops at 4000 N–is “Far North”.
A note to DZ on Montessori schools – Chicago Montessori is in its fifth year as a school and fourth year in this neighborhood. A great school and affordable – in Montessori terms, at least. We looked in this neighborhood as our kids are at Chicago Montessori – we were priced out of the neighborhood but know lots of people that live there and love it.
I knew putting this in Uptown would cause some confusion. Technically, it IS in Uptown but most people don’t consider this neighborhood that. And I didn’t really want to call it Ravenswood either (or Graceland West- but maybe it could be that too.)
As someone pointed out- many times I will just use a certain neighborhood designation (i.e. Southport instead of Lakeview or East Village instead of West Town.)
Sometimes it gets tricky. Maybe I should look at Joe’s designations- as some of you suggested.
Roma:
I deleted your post only because I want to chatter about that property you linked to next week and don’t want to spoil the discussion. Sorry! I’ll post it on Monday though.
Sabrina
“Sometimes it gets tricky. Maybe I should look at Joe’s designations- as some of you suggested.”
No no need to bother Sabrina. They, like most realtor contrived neighborhood definitions, are way too specific so as not to be much help to those who don’t live immediately nearby.
It’s like those on here calling property west of Halsted but still between the river, North & Diversey not Lincoln Park proper. LOL.
According to Joe’s definitions any area with it’s own unique lamp side-signs qualifies as its own niche hood (IE: Sheffield Neighbors).
Anyone who actually reads my neighborhood list will see that Bob’s characterization of it is Boblike in its accuracy.
http://knol.google.com/k/the-ultimate-list-of-chicago-neighborhoods#
“Anyone who actually reads my neighborhood list will see that Bob’s characterization of it is Boblike in its accuracy.”
Hey, Joe-Z, was there a reason for NC in the “far north” and Lakeview in just plain “north”? Except maybe to balance the length of the lists?
Also, why is Logan in the N rather than NW side? I’d also quibble about using North ave as border between Bucktown/Wicker but I think that is a genuine debate.
Any good magnet/gifted programs at Ravenswood GS?
No problem, I thought that would be an ideal CC house. Should be an interesting discussion, I’m looking forward to it…
FWIW, this place is definitely Ravenswood to me (I do consider it a neighborhood), too far west for Upwtown and def too far north for GLWest.
Joe’s list seems quite well-done, comprehensive and fits my sense of Chicago boundaries for just about every hood I checked. I have a question, tho: if we use a “hard” north border of Bryn Mawr for Andersonville, what are the streets like Olive and Hollywood? Not Edgewater or Magnolia Glen. What we do we call the triangle bounded by Rige, B M, and Clark?
Also, I will say that for some of the south and west side, the more official names don’t match up to the ways Chicagoans actually talk and classify areas.
“Roma:
I deleted your post only because I want to chatter about that property you linked to next week and don’t want to spoil the discussion. Sorry! I’ll post it on Monday though.
Sabrina”
Lots of us old timers just called our neighborhood by the closest important corner—Madison and Crawford, Chicago and Lawndale, 63rd and Ashland, Irving and Cicero and so on. Or we went by parishes; I grew up in Resurrection (I didn’t meeet a white Protestant until I was 16 years old) . Made it easier. Well for regular folks if not for real estate people and transplant climbers.
“What we do we call the triangle bounded by Rige, B M, and Clark?”
TriBeRid!
I like how West Lakeview is technically in the North Center officially designated community area and not in Lakeview.
If that’s not an obvious trick of Realtors trying to misrepresent an area to overhype it & pump sales then I dunno what is. Why don’t we just start calling Oakland Lincoln Park South?
DZ,
Logan Square straddles our North and Northwest side boundaries. We made an arbitrary call to list it as North because it includes Bucktown and other areas more familiar to lakefront-oriented people.
anon (tfo)
No reason for the misstatement. It’s one of a number of categorization errors on the NewHomeNotebook version of this, and we’ll be correcting them in a few weeks when we move the page to a redesigned YoChicago.
Bob,
I explicitly call out a number of faux Realtor-created neighborhoods in my Google Knol list. Many people remember when Bucktown was nothing but a figment of Realtors’ imagination, and I mocked them for it for years. The jury’s still out on many neighborhood names.
Take up your beef with the people who live in what they call West Lakeview, a part of North Center. We take our guidance from residents, not from Realtors.
More Uptowners than Realtors are expanding the Andersonville boundaries willy-nilly.
Thanks, Joe-Z!
” What we do we call the triangle bounded by Rige, B M, and Clark?”
I ( and Redfin) call it Andersonville. What people generally regard as Andersonville ( cute shops, restaurants , cafe’s designer mid-century mod furniture stores) has been creeping north for a number of years now. South of Ridge is Andersonville IMO.
“Logan Square straddles our North and Northwest side boundaries. We made an arbitrary call to list it as North because it includes Bucktown and other areas more familiar to lakefront-oriented people.”
Thanks. I fully appreciate that it is to some extent arbitrary (which is why I have generally tried to steer clear of these discussions), which is not to say irrelevant, but FWIW, I think people in logan square proper (jk) think of themselves as on NW side. I don’t know as many Bucktown folks. Also, I don’t think lakefront-oriented people think of Bucktown as part of the north side, even if they are familiar with it, but I’m purely speculating here. Not trying to give you a hard time, just FWIW.
Note regarding Montessori schools….If you are just starting your search, you shouldn’t miss a coffee at Near North Montessori. They are clearly the gold standard in montessori education in Chicago — but it’s not inexpensive. One of the great things about it is that they have a large student body (500+ kids from toddler to 8th grade) but it still has that warm, nurturing environment that I think montessori families value. They also have a complete before and after school program, a zillion after school activities, a pool, etc. I know it’s hard to get into, but they do a double lottery for families from diverse backgrounds — meaning they get a double chance, if that happens to be you! I would say Rogers Park Montessori is coming along as well, although I’ve heard that it is not as true to Montessori method as Near North, nor as warm. Just keep in mind that it all sorts itself out in the end. Chicago is loaded with great schools. Good luck!
DZ,
I agree that the people who think of themselves as living in Logan Square, especially the longer-term residents, consider themselves residents of the NW side. Newer Bucktowners, in our experience, have a different perspective.
Eric Zorn, in a piece I link from my knol, provides a good overview of the elusiveness of setting definitive boundaries on Chicago’s “sides.”
http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2005/05/for_your_refere_1.html