A Ravenswood Manor Starter Home? A 3-Bedroom at 2925 W. Giddings
This 3-bedroom English brick single family home at 2925 W. Giddings in the Ravenswood Manor neighborhood of Albany Park has been on the market since May 2015.
Like many homes in this neighborhood of winding streets, it is built on an irregular lot measuring 30x66x46x11x125.
It is just a half a block to the Chicago River and just 2 blocks from the Francisco stop on the Brown line.
The house has a layout that many buyers would look for with all 3 bedrooms on the second floor.
The listing says the kitchen has been “renovated” with cherry cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.
It has a family room in the basement along with a massive laundry room.
There’s a deck off the back and a 1-car garage.
It also has central air.
Originally listed in May for $710,000, it has been reduced to $699,000.
That is $110,000 above the 2005 purchase price.
Is $700,000 the new entry level price for a single family home in Ravenswood Manor?
Pamela Hartman at Berkshire Hathaway KoenigRubloff has the listing. See the pictures here.
2925 W. Giddings: 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, no square footage listed
- Sold in November 1997 for $263,000
- Sold in April 2005 for $589,000
- Originally listed in May 2015 for $710,000
- Reduced
- Currently listed for $699,000
- Taxes of $7296
- Central Air
- 1-car garage
- Bedroom #1: 18×14 – 2nd floor
- Bedroom #2: 14×10 – 2nd floor
- Bedroom #3: 12×11 – 2nd floor
- Family room: 21×10 – basement
- Laundry room: 23×21 – basement
Sweet house in great condition, in a reasonably nice area…. but STILL….a “starter” home for over $600K?
The price just seems way out of line. I’m thinking $450K is more like it. I do not know the schools in this area, not being a parent, but I’ve never heard that they were excellent.
We may not be in a “bubble” yet, but we are getting a little frothy when a house in a relatively non-trendy area far out on the northwest side lists for over $100K over the bloated bubble peak price.
Potential buyers should start getting very cautious now. Nobody needs a house badly enough to overpay this much.
Nice house, but not seeing $700M nice.
Are you really sharing a garage with your neighbor? Backyard is a postage stamp
I called it a starter home (the listing didn’t) because it doesn’t fit into the move-up category by size or finishes.
Prices are WELL above the peak now. This neighborhood isn’t even the GZ (although it has always been more expensive than the other parts of Albany Park.)
Pretty sure this won’t go anywhere near ask, if so… wow
Ahhh…memories. My first boyfriend in seventh grade lived in this neighborhood. As I recall, this neighborhood was always considered nice/expensive.
I don’t think this neighborhood attracts first time buyers in general.
(I still can’t imagine paying this much and not having a full second bathroom or being this far from downtown, but not being in the north shore.)
It’s a nice little enclave and one could argue it is GZ. The governor lived here before getting sent to the pokey. The school here is Waters, which is getting rapidly gentrified, though isn’t all the way there yet. The people I know around here tend to send their kids of St. Matthias or Queen of Angels.
Starter home for 700k? Stop.
Additionally, I just never understood this part of the city. I have to imagine the commute via the brown line to the loop is around 45 minutes. Aside from sounding hip and saying you have a 606 zip code, what benefit does living here have over say River Forest? At this price point, you can get a great home there, better schools and have a shorter commute. What am I missing?
“The price just seems way out of line. I’m thinking $450K is more like it”
$450k likely wouldn’t win the dirt if the house burned down.
I haven’t looked at comps at this price point around here. For this particular place, a family has to decide if it can suck it up and deal with the limited space (and yes bathrooms). Waters is a viable school I think. If so then question is what else you can get in a niceish neighborhood w a viable school.
Having said that, what’s the point of the small price reduction. In this market, if it didn’t sell, it’s prob priced too high and by more than $10k. Maybe it’s to signal more flexibility downward on pricing, but who knows.
North Park Elementary is nearby. That’s where I went for middle school. It’s affordable and several kids from Ravenswood Manor went there.
I would prefer Sauganash or Wilmette to this area, but I am not at all surprised at the price of this house.
” Having said that, what’s the point of the small price reduction. In this market, if it didn’t sell, it’s prob priced too high and by more than $10k”
we’ve discussed various possibilities many times here. This is the one I choose to believe.
Scene: a living room in late April, two people sit at the table.
Potential Seller: I’m thinking about selling my house but only if I can get at least more than I owe the bank.
Realtor: well you missed the DAy-after_Super-Bowl official kick off but I’m a top realtor and neighborhood expert and my interpretation of the comps say you should list for $710k, maybe even $725K.
Potential Seller: okay but I don’t even want to bother to list in the first place unless I know I can get that price and quickly.
Realtor: Trust me, I’m an expert.
Scene: same living room, two months later
Realtor: you have to lower your price, your property is lingering on the market.
Potential Seller: but I cannot afford to lower my price, I told you that.
Realtor: well YOU listed it too high…if you cannot afford to sell your property, YOU shouldn’t have listed it in the first place.
Potential Seller: I might be able to afford to sell if you cut your commission a little?
Realtor: (silence)
“This is the one I choose to believe.”
Plausible, but likely inapplicable here, given most recent mortgage was for less than $500k.
“I do not know the schools in this area”
CPS are going to take huge hits because of the budget problem. I read that Blaine is going to get cut by $140,000.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-chicago-public-schools-budgets-20150713-story.html#page=1
“At least 65 schools will have $200,000 cut from their budgets, Chief Financial Officer Ginger Ostro said.”
also:
“Interviewed while waiting to receive his budget Monday afternoon, Principal Troy LaRaviere of Blaine Elementary School in Lakeview, a frequent critic of Emanuel’s education policies, said his school has already dealt with significant cuts. He worries that further cuts at Blaine — where students test well-above the state average in reading and math — would erode the core services that help students thrive.”
“We have a classroom, for example, of first graders and there are 24 or 25 students per class,” LaRaviere said. “If we lose a position we’re going to have to make those four classrooms three classrooms.”
Blaine’s budget was cut by about $140,000.”
Wilmette: https://www.redfin.com/IL/Wilmette/313-Hibbard-Rd-60091/home/13778670
I wonder how many parents are scrambling to enroll their kids in private school for the upcoming year given the dire situation of CPS.
“CPS are going to take huge hits because of the budget problem. I read that Blaine is going to get cut by $140,000.”
So, under $200/kid. And the principal is suggesting that the first significant thing to go would be a first grade teaching position. Typical alarmism.
Now, for a school like Jenner, that’s losing $325,000, and has about 200 really poor kids, $1,600/kid is a really big deal. Even $200/kid would be a big deal, there.
Julian HS is losing almost $3,000 per kid, but the parents in Washington Heights ain’t moving to Wilmette either way.
It’s interesting to see you talking the CTU’s side on this.
“CPS are going to take huge hits because of the budget problem. I read that Blaine is going to get cut by $140,000.”
In California, where every school gets allocated the same money no matter the school district, the rich parents simply hold fundraisers to pay for the extras they want. They want a library or music class? They fundraise to hire the people.
It hasn’t hurt those schools at all.
“It’s a nice little enclave and one could argue it is GZ. The governor lived here before getting sent to the pokey.”
This is NOT the GreenZone, no more than Sauganash or Edgebrook are either. The GreenZone indicates a neighborhood where people who move to the city want to live- with a large selection of bars, restaurants etc.
I don’t think I would even put the Rockwell Crossing area in the GZ either – although some people DO lump it in with Lincoln Square directly to the east.
Lovely home in a great neighborhood, and one of the best streets in the neighborhood to boot. Space does seem pretty tight, but you could make it work with a family. Not sure what schools are like around here.
I’ve always liked Ravenswood Manor due to its proximity to the river and Lincoln Square, as well as the unique aspect of a ground-level el, which distinguishes the area from many others.
Now I’ve read everyone else’s comments. I agree the price is high. You could get a similar size house in Wilmette or Highland Park for the same price, with a similar commute time and no school issues. But people who are truly committed to city living would choose Ravenswood Manor and deal with the school issues. Maybe they’d use the Catholic schools, as someone said. I think Rod’s kids did that.
Sad to hear about cuts to public school funding. Would be interested to learn how many millions that could have been spent on classrooms ended up getting spent on Millennium Park, Soldier Field renovation, etc. Not that I’m against public spaces, but if people don’t want to live in the city, then the public spaces are just for show.
Good questions, Dan2. Could our city be insolvent because we have grossly mis-allocated our money for the past 25 years, and continues to do so, and on a mind-boggling scale? You mention Millennium Park, which overran its budget by hundreds of millions of dollars, and it’s only one example. I like trophy parks, too, but we have become like the people who buy $80,000 cars with 7-year loans while living in a 4 room shanty with a sagging roof and 40 year old furnace about to fail.
A fried of mine owns commercial frontage- 3 storefronts in the Uptown neighborhood from which he collects about $6,000 a month rent. His taxes are $24,000 a year. He looked up the itemization of his bill- where the tax money goes- and discovered that over $12,000 of it goes into the Broadway-Lawrence TIF, which redeveloped the old Goldblatt’s building that contained the Border’s Bookstore, and the building across the street, whose lofted storefronts still remain empty, as is the old Border’s space. That is $12,000 that should be going against our pension shortfall and into things like repairing the decrepit Lawrence Ave viaduct that dropped a 15′ slab of concrete onto the street. Thankfully, no one was passing through at the time, which was sheer luck.
This city has over 160 TIF districts, most of which have failed to bring the development they promised, and which cost the taxpayers far more than the tax revenues they were supposed to bring. The TIF districts are just a way to convey our money to the back pockets of crony developers and connected businesses, which do not have to commit to staying in the area, and can’t even guarantee that they will remain in business.
I don’t think the Blaine principal is being alarmist. The current budget and cuts are predicated in getting 500 million from the states or loans. This, there is stil a 500 million dollar shortfall. He’s probably already putting together a backup plan for further cuts. The Earnst & Young audit indicated that even with pension assistance another 500 million needs to be cut. I suspect he is trying to give his parents (who are some of the most demanding in the city) a realistic preview so they can make their decisions now (stay or go).
The city clearly had money elsewhere and had chosen not to spend on schools. CPS has been borrowing nearly 500 million per year since 2011. I think that Rahm is not going to use TIF funds unless and until the state fixes the teachers pension problem for Chicago. Chicago unfairly pays in to both the CPS pension and the state teaches pension. Evan once the pension situation is fixed, there is still a ton of bad debt. I really don’t think Rahm is as adverse to bankruptcy as everyon thinks. He’ll let his friend Rauner do it if there is a better plan for CPS on the other side. It’s just going to be a few bad years and if your caught in it now, I’d consider private or leaving.
My in-town was in Ravenswood Manor for 3 years. It’s a gorgeous, leafy, rarefied enclave. People take excellent care of their homes. I was in tears moving there from my beachside place in Edgewater, but I ended up loving RM more. The neighbors are great. They are all yuppies with kids and dogs. Exactly the type of people you want to live around. There’s a guy who lives on the block who used to plow the sidewalks for everyone just because.
I used to roam around at all hours. I frequently flew in very late on Friday nights and always took public transportation from O’Hare and never took a taxi. Horner Park is right there. They have a farmers market and I’d run and work out there. You’re in the middle of the city, and you have excellent access to all parts of it. I don’t have a car. There are plenty of trains, buses, or you can just walk. There’s lots of grocery shopping. I love Harvest Time on Lawrence. Cermak Produce on Kedzie has an excellent butcher. Lebnan Sweets and Semiramis on Kedzie are scrumptious. There are some bars on Irving Park Road and also on Montrose. There are plenty of restaurants.
It was my favorite place I’ve ever lived in Chicago. I’m moving soon again to Avondale this time for another project, but I’m holding on to my RM place just in case I decide to move back.
The irony behind this is that my grandparents left the NW side of Chicago in 1961 for a move to the suburbs. I once asked my grandmother why she left. She didn’t say “white flight” or “crime” or “job transfer”. She specifically said “because Chicago Public Schools were bad, everybody knows that.” My grandparents didn’t want to pay for private school for three young children so they moved to the NW suburbs.
Funny how 54 years later newcomers are still *shocked* that CPS has financial problems and for the most part, sucks. Here’s a few pockets of exceptions today (Bell, etc) just as there was in 1954 but overall, little has changed. Yet CPS ‘educators’ with years of experience are still earning around $100k a year or more. (I can confirm this firsthand). Educator salaries are no better in the suburbs but at least the student outcomes are better.
I like the idea that Sabrina mentioned where tax dollars cover the basics for the school and then parents can contribute more if they want extra programs.
I think the mayor should strip CPS bare. Maximize class size and cut special programs. Then dump the blame on the unions. They want their huge pensions, then the current teachers/students are going to suffer.
My understanding is that there are more teachers than there are jobs. Why not stop negotiating with the union, come up with a new pay structure, and encourage new people to apply for the jobs of the would-be strikers?
“proximity to the river”
Has anyone else ever noticed the massive stench of the Chicago River at Webster St. right by the new Mariano’s? Man, it smells terrible there, often. Really bad.
Anyone want to know how much your city worker friend makes?
https://data.cityofchicago.org/Administration-Finance/Current-Employee-Names-Salaries-and-Position-Title/xzkq-xp2w
“the Chicago River at Webster St.”
See:
http://www.isws.illinois.edu/pubdoc/CR/ISWSCR2000-02.pdf
I figured it was the leather Tannery that was making the horrible smells around there…
HD, most educators working in Chicago do not make 6 figures. I have a master’s degree and just finished my 12th year teaching and still was a good sum away from 6 figures. Most teachers do not stay in CPS that long. I’ve now moved out to the burbs, and if I went to an elementary district it would have been a pay cut, but many HS districts it was the same pay if not better in the burbs.
benjamon, you may not be making $100k a year but teacher across the hall with 25 years experience is or at least close to it. I’m by no means a rail on teachers kind of guy but the system pays a lot of people too much money and quite a few too little.
I for one think someone who works as a teacher (not an easy job at all, and an extremely important one) for twenty five frickin years SHOULD be making 100k
Hell if you can put up with the bullshit of the public school system for more than 10 years you should probably be making that especially if you have a masters degree!
Public school teachers shouldn’t get over $100k until they work year-round like the rest of the working world.
CPS teachers work 193 days a year (not including 15 sick/personal days). Office workers work 251 days a year (not including any vacation days).
The work day for a teacher is 7 hours, while most of those in the private sector making over $100k work 9-10 hours a day.
It’s ridiculous to ask tax payers to pay huge salaries to teachers. It’s out of line with just about any other job in the work world.
I think teachers should make whatever the free market will bear. If a really good teacher commands $250k, so be it. I just want them to be accountable.
I do have a problem with the out sized pensions, union, and bureaucratic morass though.
I am also confused as to why year round school isn’t on the table in CPS, I mean shit it would pretty much reduce a ton of crime, kids will learn more, parents will have to worry less about child care, and its not like we live in an agrarian society anymore what is the fucking point? This is such a no brainer! OH the unions… right…
I think kids should get the summer off to explore and play and just be kids. It also gives families time to go on vacation.
Hike in a national park and learn about nature…go to a foreign country and learn about history and other cultures..
Spend the summer taking art classes or playing a sport…
Summer vacation is very important in my mind.
“I am also confused as to why year round school isn’t on the table in CPS”
The non-impoverished portion of CPS (like 1/3, notwithstanding reports to the contrary) would be opposed.
oh I forgot their little Sophie and Jaxon need to go to summer camps to round themselves out as special little snowflakes…. *eyeroll*
“Sophie and Jaxon need to go to summer camps”
When will they get better at soccer? I hear *all the time* that that is an absolute requirement of having kids–that they play soccer, and you spend weekends driving them around. If they can’t go to soccer camp, how will they ever get playing time on a competitive team?
I heard there were 200 girls that tried out for the New Trier soccer team. Good luck sending your kids into that pressure cooker environment. Half the US world cup women’s team were man-jawed, testosterone-laden lesbians.
Year round school would probably be better for family vacations. The schedules tend to provide significant breaks spread out throughout the year. As a result, you can get away at non-peak times.
“When will they get better at soccer?”
they could you know, go outside in the back yard, maybe play in the park, they could even do that UNSUPERVISED!!!!
Also, soccer is effing boring at even the highest level, I can’t imagine how bored I’d be watching kids that suck at it play all the time
Soccer is awful. I don’t understand why so many kids play soccer when there is a world of sports that are inherently more fun such as: Horseback riding, swimming, sailing, bowling, gymnastics, ice skating…
Summer should be a time where kids can pursue their own unique interests. School is so rigid. I think kids need a break from that.
“Horseback riding, swimming, sailing, bowling, gymnastics, ice skating… ”
Oh jenny, you live in such an upper middle class world (other than bowling!)
I bet most of the people with kids on this site have them enrolled in most of the things I mentioned.
It’s weird how free market thinking goes out the window when we discuss teacher compensation.
If we want better teachers than we currently have, we should pay them more than they currently make. If we want worse teachers than we currently have we should pay them less than they currently make.
Excessive retention and poorly optimized promotion issues are of course a factor that need to be addressed, but that doesn’t negate the influence of compensation as a determining variable for quality.
Criticizing the quality of teachers and then calling for reduced compensation in the same breath is a strangely self-contradictory attitude with bizarre prevalence.
http://www.ibtimes.com/us-17th-global-education-ranking-finland-south-korea-claim-top-spots-901538
“Criticizing the quality of teachers and then calling for reduced compensation in the same breath is a strangely self-contradictory attitude with bizarre prevalence.”
IN the private sector, this is true, 100%. In the unionized government sector, this is not true at all. You’ll never, ever find a teacher who claims to be overpaid and underworked. Just like in prison you never find a guilty person either.
The work day for a teacher is 7 hours, while most of those in the private sector making over $100k work 9-10 hours a day.
My children’s teachers are required to be present at school for 45 hours per week.. I don’t think the work day is 7 hours. Some teachers work over summer break (on curriculum planning teams, donig evaluations of special needs kids etc…) I’d rather make school year round — like European and IB schools- with more frequent 1-2 week breaks. Research shows that kids learn better this way — no loss over a long summer — and it stil allows those who can afford it to take family vacations. Travel and camp are nice luxuries that most CPS students cannot afford. Year round in Chicago would help low income studnets, decrease crime, etc… You could provide low cost camp/child care during breaks at school or set up interships for low income children to be exposed to various occupations.
“The U.S. was ranked 17th in an assessment of the education systems of 50 countries, behind several Scandinavian and Asian nations, which claimed the top spots.”
Misleading because the USA has different races. When you compare the individual races separately, you see that America does just fine. White Americans compare equally or favorably with Europeans. Our Asian-Americans are not behind the real Asians, and our black outperform their African peers, and our hispanics do OK compared to Latin American nations. Our Jews probably do the same or better than Israelis. So our system isn’t that bad.
“Misleading because the USA has different races. When you compare the individual races separately, you see that America does just fine. White Americans compare equally or favorably with Europeans. Our Asian-Americans are not behind the real Asians, and our black outperform their African peers, and our hispanics do OK compared to Latin American nations. Our Jews probably do the same or better than Israelis. So our system isn’t that bad.”
First of all this is a HUGE generalization, but that aside;
THIS:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/03/02/u-s-millennials-post-abysmal-scores-in-tech-skills-test-lag-behind-foreign-peers/
“No matter how you sliced the data – by class, by race, by education – young Americans were laggards compared to their international peers. In every subject, U.S. millennials ranked at the bottom or very close to it, according to a new study by testing company ETS.”
“they could you know, go outside in the back yard, maybe play in the park, they could even do that UNSUPERVISED!!!!”
Nothing is unsupervised, unless they’re playing videogames. For everything else the parent is with them at all times.
“I heard there were 200 girls that tried out for the New Trier soccer team.”
Of course! It’s not just New Trier. It’s ALL of the schools. And it’s not just soccer. It’s softball and volleyball. Where have you all been? Maybe your kids are older.
You send your 10 year old to camps every summer. You have to or they won’t be able to get on the high school team. By 8th grade they are attending camps given by the coaches at the high school- so they can be scouted ahead of time. Again- you MUST do this.
If your child (male or female) is good enough to play high school sports at a major urban or suburban high school- they have really reached the pinnacle. Because it is NOT easy to do. The competition is super fierce. And to make a college team (ANY team) is, again, another level higher.
This is why I say- it doesn’t matter if you live in Naperville and only have the Potbelly and the Noodles & Company to go to (just like Southport.) Because, as a parent, you don’t have time to go out to eat at any of the trendy restaurants anywhere else. And people who say they do don’t have kids over 5 or their kids aren’t in ANY activities (not even sports! Try the local musical. Those things are weeks of practice. Who has to drive them there?)
well thats fucked up no wonder parents are so miserable these days
“I am also confused as to why year round school isn’t on the table in CPS.”
Part of the reason for this might be the facilities. A lot of the schools are older. Do they all have a/c? If it’s going to be 100 heat indexes, you would have to make sure that every single school had the proper cooling.
“well thats fucked up no wonder parents are so miserable these days”
This is the reality. Your life, at least in major metropolitan areas, revolves around your children. There is nothing “adult” anymore. And it’s endless. Endless games and activities. Some as far as 2 hours away.
There’s no such thing as a summer “off” anymore. At least, not that I’ve seen. That hasn’t been around in at least a decade. It’s too competitive now. Your kid won’t get into the right college unless they’re in unique activities and have some kind of interests/pursuits. Sitting under a tree and reading really doesn’t count anymore.
I’m not saying it’s right or wrong. But it’s the reality.
“Nothing is unsupervised, unless they’re playing videogames. For everything else the parent is with them at all times.”
yeah 200 unsupervised kids at Hinkley park In park ridge last July lead to a fight that put two teens away in prison for years long sentences. it was a national news story on drudge under the heading “Chicagoland”.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2697763/Shocking-video-shows-teens-beating-man-middle-park-raucous-crowd-cheers.html
Great example HD.
Two of them were 18 years old.
Two were 16 years old.
Yeah- if you can drive- I guess you’re left alone. If you can get legally married, I guess you’re left alone. Are 12, 13 and 14 year olds left alone? Not in middle class or upper middle class families. Sorry. They are scheduled at ALL times. Hockey, soccer, volleyball, musical, band practice, piano lessons, computer programming class, French club, ballet, “volunteering” – the list is endless.
Doesn’t anyone have kids over 5 on here? Jeez.
The only “alone” time is when they’re down in the basement playing video games or on their iPads.
Everything is one big schedule. You can’t even take a family vacation anymore. If you pull your kid out of more than 2 games or practices they get benched from the team. And this is with 10 year olds.
Recently, I did see two 12 or 13 year old tweens come into the local Starbucks giggling. They ordered frappacinos and sat down and talked for like a half an hour and then left.
I thought it was great that those parents were brave enough to let them walk down the street and go by themselves into the Starbucks. You rarely see it. It’s the only way they will learn how to be independent.
Pay your school loans already HD
http://bloom.bg/1Lb3bym
One of the sentenced assailants lived in Norwood Park and the other’s parents were renters in Park Ridge! (Don’t know about the 3rd juvenile charged, no info provided).
“They ordered frappacinos”
Little young to be getting addicted to caffeine. The mom is probably on Xanax or some other kind of pharma cocktail, has the obligatory therapist and “does yoga”. Probably walks around barefoot in their $1.695 million house too.
“Probably walks around barefoot in their $1.695 million house too.” LOL – just curious…what’s your objection to this, Danny? I walk around barefoot in my 20K home too.
We had a fire drill at work yesterday and the warden said he was going to put all women who wear flip flops into the city on suicide watch cuz number one you don’t want to be running down the street in Manhattan in an emergency wearing flip flops, and number two, just think of all the rat fur and bum whiz you’re stepping in all over the place. Who wants that in their house? Don’t tell me you wear your street shoes in your house?
“Are 12, 13 and 14 year olds left alone? Not in middle class or upper middle class families. Sorry. They are scheduled at ALL times. Hockey, soccer, volleyball, musical, band practice, piano lessons, computer programming class, French club, ballet, “volunteering” – the list is endless.
Doesn’t anyone have kids over 5 on here? Jeez.”
Yeah, I have kids over 5, and under driving age. Not very scheduled. Get to go places in the hood alone or with friends. Trick or treat with no adults, park, etc etc.
That’s your Sick Sad World, Sabrina, not everyone’s.
who wears shoes in the house?
and Sabrina, even the craziest mother I know will let her 12 year old go to starbucks or chipotle and buy stuff by himself, in Franklin Park of all places lol
I can just see the 12-13 year old tweens coming home with their ‘frappacinos”, wearing some Justice-trash tween clothes comprised of pink and zebra print, acting like they are all grown up, getting on the Ipods and watching some trash on youtube, while the too-thin or too-chubby mom is walking around barefoot just starting her glass of chardonnay. “should we order in from Via Carducci” (oops just went out of business) or “want to go to Crosby’s Kitchen”? Walking around with barefeet on wood floors all the time is gross.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-delivery-driver-shot-dead-on-way-to-work-in-irving-park-20150717-story.html
The northern section of this tiny neighborhood is awesome and indepenence park is a nice park. I played tennis there often and the 4th of july kids bike parade is awesome and very upper middle class yuppie; but there’s like a invisible dividing line at Grace and the southern half of the ‘hood is the ‘hood. THe athetlic field park near the addison stop is basically a ‘no go’ zone for the parents who take their kids to independence park and is all gangbangers playing basketball. ANd the elementary school sucks too.
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/3704-N-Saint-Louis-Ave-60618/home/13455261
The owner of this house a block away from the murder can’t get out quickly enough! How many hours do you think it will be before the owner makes large price reduction?
what about socks? are those ok to walk on hardwood floors? Thats what I do about 90% of the time…
I must know this, I don’t want to be like a trashy yuppie housewife!
oh and white socks, definitely not red
HH I don’t know why you rip on law abiding upper middle class teenage kids and their wine drinking mothers when there are so many other murderous gangbanging cartel destroying property values everywhere.
hd: what’s the neighborhood just north of Montrose and Milwaukee near Our Lady of Victory? I know someone there who owns a SFH house, newer construction (approx. 2005), that just got broken into and burglarized.
back to schools, CPS and budgets and taxes: http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2015/07/emanuel-fiddles-while-chicago-burns.html
It’s crazy to see the price on that house on Saint Louis. I find the main drag of this area to be very sad. I often get off the expressway at Pulaski to go up to visit my friends in Peterson Park and that stretch of road between Pulaski and Foster is horrid.
“Soccer is awful. I don’t understand why so many kids play soccer when there is a world of sports that are inherently more fun such as: Horseback riding, swimming, sailing, bowling, gymnastics, ice skating”
First of all, soccer is so much fun to play and watch. Second, it requires very little equipment or especial arena. Horseback riding and sailing are not only expensive, but also not readily available in the middle of a metropolis.
I am starting to think you just open your mouth and never stop to think before you speak.
I have tried both playing and watching soccer and I hate it. I hate most team sports though.
Horse back riding is actually not much more expensive than being on a soccer team. I took lessons and they weren’t any more expensive than soccer lessons. You don’t have to own a horse or sailboat to take lessons on either. There are programs for poor kids to take lessons if a parent feels like doing a little research.
I was speaking mostly of Chicago when I wrote my list. Of course, not all of the activities I mentioned are going to be available everywhere.
(Horseback riding has the extra bonus that you don’t need to hear a god damned whistle being blown every other minute and no one shouts on a megaphone.)
“(Horseback riding has the extra bonus that you don’t need to hear a god damned whistle being blown every other minute and no one shouts on a megaphone.)”
BUT THOSE DAMN MOUNTAIN BIKERS ARE ZIPPING BY LIKE LUNATICS EVERY COUPLE OF MINUTES – GET OFF MY TRAIL YOU WHIPPERSNAPPER!
http://cambr.org/SMF/index.php?topic=29181.0
My response would be, as a fellow equestrian, to desensitize your goddamn horse to unexpected stimuli. Unless it’s an OTTB that is.
But HD- someone is paying nearly a million dollars to live in that neighborhood now.
Wow.
And people think this housing market is “normal”? That is above the 2007 bubble pricing for that neighborhood- when everyone thought prices were insane.
When I can buy a house in Lakeview for the same price as one in Independence Park…then I think something is going on.
“They ordered frappacinos”
Half of Starbucks frappacinos don’t have caffeine. They don’t have coffee. They are like shakes.