Are Lofts Still Popular? A 2-Bedroom Penthouse At 1801 S. Michigan In The South Loop
This 2-bedroom loft in the 18th Street Lofts at 1801 S. Michigan in the South Loop just came on the market.
The corner unit has features loft lovers look for including a ton of exposed brick walls (including in one of the bathrooms which also has a huge window) and a 15 foot high timber ceiling.
But never fear about hearing noise above you (with the timber) as it’s a top floor penthouse unit with roof rights.
The loft also has industrial size 9 foot windows.
The kitchen has cherry cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.
The loft has a garage parking space, central air and washer/dryer in the unit.
It is listed just $20,000 above the 2004 price.
Are lofts as popular as they were a decade ago when every industrial building in the GreenZone was being converted?
Anne Victorin at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #701: 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, 1150 square feet
- Sold in August 1998 for $175,000
- Sold in October 2000 for $255,000
- Sold in June 2004 for $280,000
- Currently listed for $300,000 (includes parking)
- Assessment of $403 a month (includes cable)
- Taxes of $4549
- Central Air
- Washer/Dryer in the unit
- Roof rights
- Bedroom #1: 14×12
- Bedroom #2: 11×10
Honestly these sellers will be lucky to get $240k. South Loop has been murdered in the past few years and the comps don’t really support much more than that around there.
I like this building. I look at a unit here back in the day, but didn’t like the way the unit faced. The people selling that unit were leaving their cat behind though and stated that the cat came with the unit.
300k is a bit steep for the sloop.
but groovey loves him some lofts but when i hear the word loft i do not imagine that cramped arse kitchen/living/dining combo crap they have here
Jenny – I hope you’re joking about the cat thing.
“Are Lofts Still Popular?” – in good locations, sure!
Well designed lofts are timeless and always popular. However, the problem with many lofts is that, during the boom, the developers created faux lofts (not real warehouses, just units with exposed ducts and concrete) with small, odd floorplans. These are not really lofts. And, dark, cramped spaces do not sell, lofts or not. Large, open lofts with real concrete, brick, timber and good light will always retain their attractiveness.
We listed our loft (in Logan Square) on a Friday and were under contract the next day. However, I think that speaks more for the neighborhood than whether it was a loft or not.
Real lofts are hard to find. Most of the real ones were done well before the boom and were typically located in sketchy areas. As the design aesthetic gained traction, developers created these faux or soft lofts. People wanted the design, but not the drawbacks of real loft living.
I still love lofts, but only the truly unique ones with the original architectural features, great open floor plans, large spaces, windows, etc. You just can’t mass produce these units no matter how hard a developer tries.
A good well designed loft is a great home!
Even as our lives have changed our loft has evolved with our needs. We welcomed a kid a few years ago and more are coming soon. Our loft has continued to work perfectly. Ours is on one level and much like living in a ranch home. The lack of stairs is awesome for little kids learning to walk, run, and chase things.
The biggest downside in many newer lofts is the lack of sound dampening between rooms. Also choppy small multi level spaces. Those suck!
Honus…were you near the california blue line? My neighbors are trying to sell a loft not too far from there…not having quite the same instant luck…but hoping for something quick.
“You just can’t mass produce these units no matter how hard a developer tries.”
you would think with all the vacant factories throughout the city you could create some awesome lofts an the cheap.
yes these factories/buildings are all in shitty horrible areas but that was the true essence of the loft idea in the first place. Suck it up and deal with the defunct surrounding area for huge open sqftage and on dirt cheap $ per sqft
“The lack of stairs is awesome for little kids learning to walk, run, and chase things. ”
the real question is how do your neighbors feel about the sound travel from the kid?
Buster – Yes, in the St George Lofts. I saw another unit in the building go on the market today.
Neighbors and noise are just not an issue. Building was done with excellent sound insulation. I think that the only noise complaint we ever got was from our dog. He was pissed one day about some movers in another unit working on our floor. They kept banging doors and making noise and it upset his normal routine of napping for most of the day.
I want his life!
“Neighbors and noise are just not an issue”
i know JP, i ask this question to you twice a year, mind aint what it used to be. thank you for answering everytime.
I know my kid runs jumps throws balls at walls i cant imagine if i had shared walls and floors what my neighbors would have to deal with.
all my sound issues are of the basis of when i was young and renting and recalling the sound travel from those places.
I sold my timber loft in river north not long ago. I couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there. It was great the first year or so when I had no upstairs neighbors. Noise was a major problem from upstairs, downstairs, and side neighbors. This was a highly desirable RN loft building and I sold my unit very quick. Another issue is the dust from the brick and timber. I made the mistake of buying a new glass dining table and the first time the cleaning lady wiped the table, the dust from the bricks scratched the hell out of it. Sure they look cool but I’ll direct everyone I know to never buy a timber loft.
Noise is a problem in timber lofts but is not a problem in concrete ones. Many concrete lofts have 4-6 feet of concrete between floors.
“I sold my timber loft in river north not long ago. I couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there. It was great the first year or so when I had no upstairs neighbors. Noise was a major problem from upstairs, downstairs, and side neighbors. This was a highly desirable RN loft building and I sold my unit very quick. Another issue is the dust from the brick and timber. I made the mistake of buying a new glass dining table and the first time the cleaning lady wiped the table, the dust from the bricks scratched the hell out of it. Sure they look cool but I’ll direct everyone I know to never buy a timber loft.”
Oh god… this brings back memories for me a few years ago when rented at Cobbler Square for a year. Holy freaking’ hell that sucked!
It was bad enough as a rental situation, I can’t imagine how pissed I’d be if I found myself owning a place like that!!!
My parents live in the Domain loft building on 900 kingsbury, HUGE upgrade from China Club Lofts, the big difference being noise insulation (from concrete and between units), and, as another poster pointed out, nowhere near as much dust as a timber unit. I think if you’re going the timber route, go penthouse or go home. Otherwise, if you’re unlucky enough to get an upstairs neighbor that wears high-heels and has the sex drive of Ghengis Kahn, you can kiss your sleep and your sanity goodbye.
Pros: This loft seems to have windows in every bedroom, and the south loop is getting better everyday.
Cons: Transportation options are poor from this location
“Otherwise, if you’re unlucky enough to get an upstairs neighbor that wears high-heels and has the sex drive of Ghengis Kahn, you can kiss your sleep and your sanity goodbye.”
ha! ha! Thanks for the imagery.
Will lofts still be popular if gas and electric rates rise steeply? Timber lofts with exposed brick walls and ultra-high ceilings look extremely hard to heat. What is the experience of posters here?
The great irony of the “loft explosion” of the past 30 years is that the original fans of lofts (artists and artsy wannabes: think “Flashdance” and “Rent”) have been priced out of the very neighborhoods they were heralded as the saviors of, via the loft fad. I still get occasional 20-something newcomers to the city asking where they can get a “raw loft with cheap rent.” Sorry, that limo has left the cabstand…
I agree with what the majority have said. I was lucky enough to find a ‘true loft’ at Honore and Division in 2001. It was my first purchase and I thought it was so cool. It was converted in ’89 so it had all the true loft features; 1350 sq ft 1 bed/1 bath. The bathrm was 10 x 5 and the bedrm was 10 x15. So in 1350 sq ft they used 200 of it for the bed and bath… LOL.. today that would be a 2/2 with 800 of it used for the beds/baths..The bricks rained dust all the time, it was drafty, etc. I was on in the middle unit of a 3 story building so not only could I hear EVERYTHING from unit above but also had to think about every move I made past 10pm or downstairs neighbor would bang on my floor with a broom(really..he did – often). Then the downstairs neighbor put unit on the market and I was hoping some dude who didn’t give a crap about anything would buy it. Instead I got the opposite. W-Park had become hot and suddenly people from L-Park, etc. were starting to buy there. The unit was bought by an uptight couple with a new born. The day I got a note taped to my door asking me to try to be quieter on Sat & Sun between 1-3p -nap time and every evening after 9p…..I was out! A true timber loft is like a vintage sports car… really cool to look at and show off but a pain and the ass to live (drive) in too long. There’s something to be said for modernization.
@ Beckola,
thank you that was a perfect honest statement of loft living i have ever read.
Chitown, it is ironic. Flash dance is the loft that made me think it was cool. And then the one in Fatlal Attraction in what I believe is the Meat Packing district which is definitely high rent nowadays.
I remember when lofts were first developed back in the late 80s early 90s in Castleberry Hill in Atlanta. Total shit hole area. I think at the time you could get like 3000 sqft for around $100k or so. Views of the sky line. All the original features remained in tact – drafty huge windows, industrial elevators (IN THE UNIT). I recall going in one where the building had a huge old bank safe that was turned into a office or something. It still had the original vault door. Cool as hell. Huge industrial gears still attached. Crazy catwalks because of the 15 – 25 foot ceilings and all kinds of unique features. No two were a like. Now they have built a bunch of the soft lofts with the bowling alley lay outs.
Lofts are not for everyone. People who live in lofts typically tend to be edgier and willing to live in areas that some other people may deem sketchy. I once rented at the opera lofts of 26th and dearborn – perfect lofts. The floors were at least 1ft of concrete thick – you could see the thickness in some spots in the bldg. Never heard a a thing inside the unit. However, most lincoln park types who probably turn up their nose at some nowhere land near chinatown. #loftsarentforeveryone.