Also Waiting for a Buyer: 1508 W. Wilson in Ravenswood
Sellers aren’t just waiting for buyers in Lincoln Park and Lakeview.
Maybe it’s something with the $400,000 – $500,000 price range?
This 2-bedroom gut rehab greystone unit at 1508 W. Wilson in Ravenswood has been on the market since May 2008 and has been reduced several times.
Here’s the listing:
UNBELIEVABLE PRICE FOR THIS STUNNING, ONE-OF-A-KIND PENTHOUSE IN CLASSIC CHICAGO GREYSTONE, FEATURING DRAMATIC CEILING HEIGHT, HUGE SUN-FILLED WINDOWS, EXPOSED BRICK, TREMENDOUS CHARACTER & HIGH-END FINISHES THROUGHOUT.
SPACIOUS GOURMET KITCHEN OPENS TO LIVING ROOM W/MARBLE FIREPLACE & DINING AREA. MBRM FEATURES ORGANIZED WALK-IN CLOSET & SPA-LIKE MRBL BATH. LRG 2ND BDRM, PRVT STORAGE, BACK DECK & 2 CAR PKG INCLUDED!
Cara Mamott at Jameson has the listing. See more pictures here.
Unit #3: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1650 square feet
- Sold in December 2004 for $372,500
- Originally listed in May 2008 for $469,000
- Reduced several times
- Currently listed at $399,900 (2 car parking included)
- Assessments of $197 a month
- Taxes of $5,304
- Central air
Note to developers: Stop ruining perfectly good spaces by “opening up” the kitchen to the living area. It’s depressing. Not everyone wants to live in a loft wannabe.
Okay, my square footage rant again–this place ain’t anywhere close to 1650–the listing even says the living room is 15′ wide (can’t be 26′ wide, as teh lot is only 25′). If we call the place 16.5′ wide, it has to be 100′ long. Even if it’s 20 feet wide (unlikely), that’s still 82.5′. If the actual building interior is an inch over 75, I’ll eat my hat.
So, the place is more like 1500 sqft, maximum, not deducting for interior walls or anything else.
And, the immediate ‘hood is still a little less than one would hope for, altho sharing the block with a Staples is a bonus.
OPEN-KITCHEN-LIVING-DINING-CONCEPT is officialy dead. Gone. Stop It hurts my eyes to look…..
Is an open kitchen and Dining room ok? You are scaring me!
I think that place looks okay.
Well said, Paul and Mitchell.
The 1990s/ early 21st mock open-plan —i.e., boring suburban- kitchen/ pseduo-loft like living room hybrid mutation is OLD and TIRED. Unless you truly live in a real LOFT, this look rarely can be pulled off with aplomb (unless you live in a multi-million condo, say in the Contemporaine).
Further note to developers/ rehab’ers: STOP with the ubiquitous granite counters, suburban grandma oak cabinets, and “modern” stainless steel appliances. It is BORING and TIRED. MOVE ON.
And, with the risk of not being P.C. (that b.s. concept is old & tired, too), the kitchen should be for the hired domestic help; and out of sight and ear shot (preferably, with its own separate entrance). As for any mother or father who will say they want to watch their kids while cooking, I say: Teach your children how to play civilly and without your overbearance…’cause you can not watch your children AND cook AND do both well.
BTW: This place is overpriced. In order to return all its graystone charm– before this gross rehab stripped it away– the price needs to be reduced. Even without a much needed “restoration,” it is still overpriced for Ravenswood/ W.Wilson.
paulj… gotta admit, I hate not having the American kitchen layout anymore. Damn retaining walls.
” “modern” stainless steel appliances. It is BORING and TIRED.”
Again, I ask, to what? Oh, trendspotter Luke, please bless us with your knowledge of what’s next–I don’t want to be behind. Should I find an Avocado refrigeratot of what?
Just don’t say “cabinet front” b/c it’s not plausible for the middle to upper middle market.
“with the risk of not being P.C. …, the kitchen should be for the hired domestic help”
That’s not un-PC, it’s out of touch. Who that can afford domestic help to cook buys a crummy two bedroom condo? If you’re talking about $2mm+ condos and SFHs, sure, but bringing up domestic help as a design cue ignores 99%+ of American households.
Sure, I want to be that rich, but I don’t want to be stuck with architecture that is non-functional for the way I *do* live.
Finally, I also don’t like the kitchen open to the rest of the living space–I do prefer some real rooms other than beds and baths. But then I never bought a condo (and hopefully won’t so long as I’m ambulatory), so I’m not the target market.
in re: fixtures, “developers” or any other rehabber/flipper use what’s popular. If the market decides SS/granite/etc are indeed “OLD and TIRED” you will stop seeing them.
In the meantime, people will continue making decisions you disagree with based on their own preferences and the perceived market demand.
“If the market decides SS/granite/etc are indeed “OLD and TIRED” you will stop seeing them”
And they won’t be replaced until there’s a plausible alternative, which no one proffers, at least w/r/t appliance. I do agree that there is some move away from granite, but there are more reasonable substitutes there. Does anyone really expect a return to white or black (or, god forbid, colored) appliances, except as a cost-reduction move?
I was in this area late at night once. You couldnt pay me to live around Wilson.
how about a glass door fridge so you can see what’s inside? or is that cabinet front?
stainless steel has become so ubiquitous, I do think it will surely have to go out of favor. But you’re right, it’s tough to predict what’s next.
“a glass door fridge so you can see what’s inside? or is that cabinet front?”
Not cabinet-front. That’s a legit suggestion, but I can’t imagine it having any broad popularity, b/c who wants to keep their fridge that neat?
Has anyone seen the bronze finish appliances? How do they look?
neatness would be a drawback. on the plus side you could see the beer..nice and cold ready to be drunk. These things would be great for beer sales. I’m surprised anheuser busch hasnt brought them to market already.
“great for beer sales”
They make them* as separate refrigerators, often with locks, so you can keep the hoi polloi** from snagging your beer. Indeed, are there any “beverage refrigerators” that *don’t* have glass doors?
*I’m sure you actually know this; not meant to seem condescending.
**or kids.
I could see a seperate locked fridge if you had a drunk roommate or teenage kids, but little use for it otherwise. As far as teenage kids I’d say learn to discipline them better. As far as the drunk roommate scenario with drunk roommates pilfering beers are the least of your worries, the noise issues are far worse.
Actually, I was more worried about the “hired domestic help” and their hangers-on. It’s hard to find good help these days, and it’s easier to remove the temptation than to have to fire them for a minor slip-up.
On the teenage kids, the damocles sword in my house is a Singapore-style caning, but it’s easier to lock it than have to figure out if the reprobate friends of the kids are the resposible party–and even then, their parents tend to prosecute or demand a substantial settlement.
no condescension taken. Beverage refrigerators morphed into a full size standard kitchen fridge. That is what I’m going with. Someday, stainless will fall and glass will take it’s place. It’s as good a guess as any.
Actually most of the move away from granite seems to be towards brushed stainless steel countertops. Personally I will stick with ONLY granite, it’s beautiful and practical. Can’t be beat if you are a serious cook. 1 good scratch on a stainless countertop and that’s it.
Beverage refrigerators = for idiots with too much money to spend.
I’ve got a nice rack in my regular fridge for beverages.
Bob,
I was vacationing with my brother his friend and their families this summer. The friend is the CEO of a investment firm in California and they just purchased a new home in Newport Beach with 27 refrigerators in it. I don’t care how rich you are why in the hell would anyone install 27 refrigerators. 3 people live in this house!
Valasko… I have been in homes with over 27 car ports but never heard of 27 fridges. WTF!!! Guy has some bizarre fridge fetish or something????
Since when did a third-floor walkup become a penthouse?
My brothers friend thought is was strange as well. This guy works like 20 hours a day and let his wife buy the house. He didn’t even go and look at it before the purchase. I’m not sure I would let my wife spend over 15 million on a house without even stepping inside. All he did for the entire trip was bitch at his wife about the house, my guess is they will split up before next year is over.
Valasko
Maybe he figures that statistically with 27 they won’t find which one he stuffs her in.
“Does anyone really expect a return to white or black (or, god forbid, colored) appliances, except as a cost-reduction move?”
I wouldn’t be surprised if we start to see some very interesting colors on our appliances in the near future. No one thought that vibrant reds, blues and other colors would make their way into the laundry room, but now the coolest things to clean clothes are brightly colored washers and dryers…
I want an avocado refrigerator!
The 1990s/ early 21st mock open-plan —i.e., boring suburban- kitchen/ pseduo-loft like living room hybrid mutation is OLD and TIRED. Unless you truly live in a real LOFT, this look rarely can be pulled off with aplomb (unless you live in a multi-million condo, say in the Contemporaine).
Amen to that!
Hey!! I live in an open soft loft and I like it just fine. I also have a young child and love being able to see what’s she’s doing when I am cooking.
This particular kitchen doesn’t face the TV or living room per se which is no good.
I see no reason to have a small kitchen, small dining room, living room that nobody uses, and then a small family room in the back. I think the open plan is the best use of the square footage, plus you don’t lose any sq. ft. to hallways.
With the open floorplan I’ve rented long tables and had a lunch for the baptism that seated 18 people. It was great, didn’t have to go to some banquet room at a restaurant.
According to the MLS, this sold two months ago (January 2009) for $375,000.
Thanks for the update on the closing price mj.