Are You A Fan Of Modernist Architecture? A 2-Bedroom Penthouse At 320 W. Oakdale In Lakeview
This 2-bedroom penthouse in 320 W. Oakdale in East Lakeview has been on the market since September 2012.
Yes, it is a “real” penthouse.
It’s on the top floor and it has a massive private terrace which has views of Lincoln Park and the lake.
It was apparently the home of the architect who designed the building in 1955: Milton Schwarz.
320 W. Oakdale is considered one of the finer examples of Chicago modernist mid-century architecture.
Its floor to ceiling windows were ahead of its time.
The property is being sold as an estate sale. I don’t know if some of the furniture will transfer with the property.
In this post from Curbed Chicago in September 2012, you can see the blue bathtub and toilet in one of the bathrooms. It’s not in the current listing.
The kitchen is also not pictured.
But a buyer would redo the kitchen and baths anyway- right?
It has central air but no in-unit washer/dryer.
Parking is also available in the building with a $1000 one time transfer fee.
The unit was recently reduced $40,000 to $629,000.
Who has the vision to take this on?
And at what price?
Donald Breitfelder at Koenig & Strey Real Living has the listing. See the pictures here.
Or you can see it in person at the Open House on Sunday, March 10 from 1- 3 PM.
Unit #2102: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage listed
- No prior sales price- estate sale
- Originally listed in September 2012 for $669,000
- Reduced
- Currently listed at $629,000
- Assessments of $1369 a month (includes cable and doorman)
- Taxes of $1431
- Central Air
- No washer/dryer in the unit
- Parking can transfer for $1000 fee
- Private terrace
- Bedroom #1: 20×15
- Bedroom #2: 15×15
I prolly wouldn’t want to live in that neighborhood, but the space seems kind of cool and big. Is the parking actually deeded separately with the $1000 transfer fee to cover the cost of recording the transfer? That part wasn’t clear. The taxes seem really low, gotta think senior exemption and those will go up. Assessments seem a touch high, but that comes with the territory of such a large space I guess. That place will make someone really happy.
What is the ceiling height? looks low to me.
Seeing the word “prolly” makes me want to stab myself in the eyes.
“The taxes seem really low, gotta think senior exemption and those will go up.”
Yes, senior exemption and senior freeze in place. Currently assessed at $449k, which would put taxes in the $7500-8000 range
“Currently assessed at $449k, which would put taxes in the $7500-8000 range”
With HO exempt, would have been ~$7000 last year. About $7500 w/o HO.
Have toured the place. Furniture does not stay (it’s going to auction), kitchen isn’t shown for good reason (horrible 70’s redo), bathrooms are original and need to be gutted. Have the vision…this place could be spectacular. However, the numbers don’t make sense with the shell costing $629k. Also, parking spot is outside…
That terrace is amazing.
anyone know where/when is the estate sale? would like an eames lounger if those are authentic.
The place is very cool and the terrace is amazing, but agree it doesn’t price out. When the day comes that the glass in the building needs to be addressed hang on to your pants. The space feels much smaller than the rooms sizes and floorplan would suggest. The period furniture adds much to the the charm and it will be quite amazing if someone with vision, restraint and deep pockets picks it up.
RE taxes and assessment at $2000 per month, makes this place impossible to rent out for an investor and pay debt service.
Very nice deck, great windows and light, but that comes at the cost of having an ugly exterior. Looks like the concrete floors between the floors are thick, so it’s probably soundproof. These buildings (modernist) caught on in the thrifty era of 1950’s because they were very cheap to build, with no frills to them. In the Loop they started building ugly boxes too, the CEOs of the corporations loved them because they weren’t costly to construct. Think Brunswick Bldg, at 69 W. Washington etc.
Fwiw I read this random comment posted today on Curbed Chicago: “Walked through this unit today. Has great potential to return to a period beauty. But, the building finances may prohibit a realistic buyer with the many special assessments. Sale price and cost to renovate may price it out of the market for the neighborhood … even with the terrific terrace.”
I hope whoever “improves” the bathroom will be original- or artistic-minded enough to keep the blue fixtures. I love seeing these remnants of “modern” architecture in the high-rises from that era. Oh, to return to the days when interior designers recognized that there is a whole rainbow of colors at our disposal ans not just the same boring neutrals!
But what do I know – I also dig harvest-gold, aqua and bronze kitchen appliances. Never much cottoned to avocado, however.
cmb: anyone know where/when is the estate sale? would like an eames lounger if those are authentic.
I’d bet they’ll go through Wright, they have the biggest slice of the mid century modern auction market in the area, assuming the family knows what’s up (and if they are sending stuff to auction I’d bet they do). Wright does an amazing job of getting top – no, over the top – prices for their auctions.
Susanin’s, Treadway, Leslie Hindman don’t have quite the cache but for stuff that comes up all the time like Eames loungers they generally have much better prices.
here is a video of the unit
http://www.chicagomag.com/Radar/Deal-Estate/October-2012/Afloat-Over-Lake-View-in-a-Milton-Schwartz-Penthouse/
iowan: http://www.estatesales.net/estate-sales/IL/Chicago.aspx
Looks like Aqua ripped off this building’s architecture, and just decided to make the concrete floor dividers curved.
Everything in architecture is “ripped off” from (or is a “tribute” or “homage” to, or “refers to”) something done before.
I mean no disrespect to architects by saying that. It’s just that there are only so many ways you can design and build and still come up with a structure that is suitable for its stated purpose, or any purpose at all. Attempts at originality in these times mostly mean structures that are: so weirdly configured that they are largely useful for any purposeful activity, such as living a normal life, and result in stratospheric construction costs, or they are built of materials that can’t be repaired and are difficult if not impossible to replace. Worse, they date much more quickly than a more conventional building. We have a lot of sad stuff that looks decades past its time sitting around, that was once very cutting edge and not so long ago.
Like this sad building, for example. I’m familiar with it, having had a friend who owned there when I lived up the street a couple of decades ago. It was a cramped, mingy, charmless place with low ceilings, insufficient closet space and a tiny bathroom.
This one’s been renovated and is available again.
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/320-W-Oakdale-Ave-60657/unit-2102/home/13370727
2013 sale price (October) of $550k.
This one’s been renovated and is available again.”
redfin is also showing a 11/2019 sale price of 705k
interesting that they chose to spend money on the kitchen when it was already updated and pretty nice as is.
“chose to spend money on the kitchen”
Right? But they replaced all the floors, so that was part of it–the kitchen tile did look a bit shit.
Don’t understand replacing the hood with a downdraft while still against the wall like that–unless the former hood was a recirculator.