A Vintage Unit with a Loft Thrown In: 542 W. Brompton in Lakeview
This 2-bedroom unit in a courtyard building at 542 W. Brompton in Lakeview isn’t your typical vintage unit.
While it has a full-sized separate dining room which is typical in this era of a building and bay windows, it also has a unique second floor “loft” area that measures 26×9 which is accessible from a staircase in the living room.
The kitchen has new cabinets, stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops as well as some exposed brick.
The listing says the bathrooms have been remodeled.
There is a European-style washer/dryer in the kitchen but there is no central air and no parking (it is available for lease in the neighborhood.) The listing says the seller will credit 6-months worth of parking.
Janis Northon at Prudential Rubloff has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #3S: 2 bedrooms, den/loft, 1.5 baths, no square footage listed
- Sold in October 1989 for $269,000 (?)
- Sold in April 1994 for $151,000
- Sold in October 2000 for $250,000
- Originally listed in November 2009 for $349,900
- Reduced
- Currently listed for $339,900
- Assessments of $400 a month (includes heat, cable)
- Taxes of $3939
- No central air- window units
- In-unit washer/dryer
- No parking- available for lease nearby
- Bedroom #1: 16×10
- Bedroom #2: 11×10
- Living room: 19×12
- Dining room: 15×11
- Loft: 26×9
- Kitchen: 16×8
- Foyer: 23×5
the no parking does suck azz and the no CA sucks even more bum bum add to the that the euro washer/dryer the is a booty stank.
but i like the place and dont think there is a comparable rental (with a loft) like this in the area so i guess that can add a premium.
I think this place is pretty cool for the price. No parking, no central air, and the .5 bath would be deal killers for me, but the size of this place at this price point makes it stand out.
“i guess that can add a premium”
But what can you rent for $2200/mo w/o parking? ‘cuz that’s a lot of premium. It’s pretty darn nice at the ~$1800 (pre-income-tax) cost the current owners (should) have, tho. They could probably make it fly as a rental.
“But what can you rent for $2200/mo w/o parking? ‘cuz that’s a lot of premium”
am at a complete loss for what rentals are going for around here i am assuming a good comparable sized/finishes unit would fetch 1600-1900? but then add the loft area could be more.
i am probably off my rocker and speaking out of my bum bum 🙂
BTW, i will be insanely happy when the red as a wall color fad is gone.
NO parking NO A/c, i’m sure that loft area is just lovely with the tiny little window in the summertime.
This place is a walkup, rental and should not have ever been converted!!!!
“should not have ever been converted”
The ’94 buyer both (a) had a reasonable monthly nut, even with interest rates at the time, in comparison to rental prices then, and (b) made $100k on the sale. So there is at least one person who is very, very happy that it was converted.
The 2000 price is about right, given the drawbacks.
Sonies, the standards for condo buyers has changed dramatically over the years. When this was converted, buyers probably didn’t care about the things like central air, etc. Any conversion these days better have those things though. This place is just dated from a features standpoint.
I looked at quite a few early 90s vintage conversions in Andersonville and all were 2/1s or 2/1.5s, no laundry, and no central air. Give the space of these units, they would have easily been 2/2’s had the developer put in a second bath but that wasn’t necessary back then. Of course, these places probably sold for around $100k in the early 90s but would now command around $300k.
“BTW, i will be insanely happy when the red as a wall color fad is gone.”
funny! those red walls got popular in like 97. just when those black halogen lamps were at their peak. it was a ubiquitous combo for a while. the lamps got banned iirc
No central AC… window units… and that might be fine… except I’d like to visit this in the summer… I imagine that loft gets mighty toasty. Possibly even unusable as anything but storage kind of toasty.
Lack of parking is a deal killer for most people in that neighborhood…
In before “RILFx2” BTW.
The kitchen has a very odd layout.
And, is that a washer or dryer smack dab in the middle of the kitchen? It couldn’t be, right?
Yes, Nancy. It is in fact both a washer and a dryer. “Euro Style.” Longer wash/dry times, but it takes up half as much space.
As for why it’s smack in the middle of the kitchen… uh… that’s a good question… well, they do it that way in Europe. The flat I stayed in Paris had it that way.
European owner, perhaps? Wanna-be European owner?
And, why is the fridge away from the rest of the kitchen? Odd.
But we’re not in Europe. Having a washer / dryer combo in one’s kitchen is just wrong. FAIL.
“And, is that a washer or dryer smack dab in the middle of the kitchen? It couldn’t be, right?”
That’s “European style” and it’s VERY trendy (at least according to realtors).
If you could move the fridge and the cabinets next to it, you’d regain a little breakfast nook, which would be nice.
“In before “RILFx2? BTW.”
Don’t worry I don’t see that happening…
PS anytime they show you a picture of the half bath, without showing you a picture of the full bath, it’s a massive red flag.
“European owner, perhaps? Wanna-be European owner?”
Cheapest place to plumb it, most likely.
Trendy? Really? I’d love to hear an explanation from a realtor to why washing your clothes in the same area where you cook is “trendy”.
I get the “European style” thing. In Europe, there is severe space limitations, so perhaps this sort of thing makes sense. But, calling something “European style” is just another way of saying “tiny” in the states.
“But, calling something “European style” is just another way of saying “tiny” in the states.”
Actually, we already have “cozy” for that 🙂
The place probably wasn’t built for a w/d back in 94… adding in those Eurostyle w/d units is like putting in a dishwasher. Probably the only way to put one in the unit.
I think the ‘european style’ washer combo makes a lot of sense for space constraint places. In this particular unit I think it means it either has the washer/dryer option or it goes without it completely. Which, people would rather have the option in the kitchen than nothing right? Clearly there are many units in Chicago where this would make a lot of sense.
Of course, there are environemental reasons as well, front load uses less water, yadda yadda yadda. Obviously you aren’t parking these units in kitchens in upscale properties that have space. I lived overseas for a few years and even the super swank apts had the washer in the kitchen, but again, it was all due to space issues.
This is actually really cool.
“funny! those red walls got popular in like 97. just when those black halogen lamps were at their peak. it was a ubiquitous combo for a while. the lamps got banned iirc”
and soon red leather couches will be banned and burned. maybe we can do a steve dahl disco type of thing?
At my sister’s house in England, the washer/dryer in the kitchen blended in and you would have never noticed it was there unless you were looking for it.
This? Hey look at me! I’m in the wrong room!
Stainless Steel appliances need to die.
“Stainless Steel appliances need to die.”
Maybe if it’s a washer staring you in the face from the kitchen, but I hardly think that warrants a death sentence to all stainless steel appliances. What is it that you suggest in their place? Cheesy, Florida retirement community white? I think we had a dark brown refrigerator growing up. Maybe the yellows and greens of days past? Seriously. Other than some appliances made to look like nice cabinetry, there’s no other option in my opinion.
“Other than some appliances made to look like nice cabinetry, there’s no other option in my opinion.”
Everyone rails on SS and no one (here, at least) has proposed a decent, general-use*, alternative.
*that is, something that works in a variety of kitchen decors (so, excluding white appliances in an all-white kitchen, which is an obvious alternative) and can be mass-produced by Whirlpool or GE at a mid-market price (suitable for a $300k home), which excludes “cabinet front” appliances.
“Other than some appliances made to look like nice cabinetry, there’s no other option in my opinion.”
Meant to say “there’s no other ALTERNATIVE TO SS in my opinion.”
So we agree I think anon (tfo).
White is right. Seriously, it is the timeless and most practical color for kitchen appliances.
“White is right. Seriously, it is the timeless and most practical color for kitchen appliances.”
U R Funny.
“So we agree I think anon (tfo).”
Yep.
“White is right.”
That w/d would stand out *more* prominently were it white than it does in the not-SS finish it has.
Altho white is definitely going to blend better with almost any color of painted cabinets (esp. white, of course).
“White is right. Seriously, it is the timeless and most practical color for kitchen appliances”
agree with ya JPS!!! but i feel if someone is redo’n a kitchen, even with stock cabinets 1k-2k more to “build in” the appliances makes a world of difference i am waiting for that fad to catch on then trickle down to the under 1mil places.
If that is the combination washer/dryer shown in the kitchen: clueless American buyers beware. These are common throughout Europe and you better get used to ironing all your clothes coming out of those things. Oh and the dry cycle doesn’t work too well either. Major, major PITA.
Nice little enviro-touch for the strapped for time professional wanna-save the world type who also gets to enjoy a $733 monthly nut before the mortgage.
“White is right. Seriously, it is the timeless and most practical color for kitchen appliances.”
Unless you enjoy red wine
I’m surprised everyone here can’t look past the no A/C, funky kitchen, red walls, no parking, etc. You obviously did not read the first part of the description: this is a “Penthouse Unit!” — that alone should make up for all its other shortcomings…
I’ve lived in multiple place in Europe with those washing/drying machines. Some are better than others. A good new one isn’t that bad at all. Had no problems with wrinkles. It just takes 90 minutes to dry – that’s the drawback. They do it in europe whenever they do remodels because small euro apartments never have closets (often not even in the bedrooms). The one I used always had a matching kitchen cabinet drawer to cover up the machine so you wouldn’t even notice.
If you have a small space and no laundry, it’s actually a genius way to jam it into your place.
“I’m surprised everyone here can’t look past the no A/C”
ryan, i am a grown man in 2010 and have three window units now…I WILL NEVER EVER EVER EVER GET A PLACE W/O CENTRAL AIR!!!!!!!!!!!!