“Entertain Your Friends” in this 3-Bedroom Triplex Loft: 1601 W. School in Lakeview
This 3-bedroom triplex loft in the Tower Lofts at 1601 W. School in Lakeview just came on the market.
This building was a former Wieboldt’s department store so the loft has authentic features including exposed brick, big windows and tall ceilings.
This triplex top floor unit, has a spiral staircase leading to the second and third levels.
The three bedrooms are all on separate floors with one on the first floor, one on the second and one on the third.
The listing says the buyer can entertain his/her friends in this unit, as it has a private rooftop deck with downtown views and an outdoor grill.
There aren’t any good pictures of the kitchen, but it looks like there might be stainless steel appliances.
The loft also apparently has TWO washer/dryers in the unit.
Is this a deal for the square footage and location?
Laura Veeneman at Rerthoffer Realty has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #701: 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 1800 square feet
- Sold in January 1996 for $219,000
- Currently listed for $450,000 plus $25,000 for parking
- Assessments of $428 a month
- Taxes of $6799
- Central Air
- 2 washer/dryers in the unit
- Private 16×24 rooftop deck
- Bedroom #1: 12×15 (second floor)
- Bedroom #2: 12×15 (main floor)
- Bedroom #3: 17×12 (third floor)
Yeah this place will entertain your friends…
in a carnival “fun house” sort of way (600sqft per floor? ack)
The scaffolding or whatever you call that stuff (sidewalk protection?) in your picture sabrina leads me to believe that this place has facade issues, and those relatively low assessments will go up a bit
Looks like one of the skyline pix is from the common roof area, rather than the private deck.
“The scaffolding or whatever you call that stuff (sidewalk protection?) in your picture sabrina leads me to believe that this place has facade issues, and those relatively low assessments will go up a bit”
They’ve been doing (have recently completed?) tuckpointing work. Probably planned, probably reserved for, but (as always) check condo financials before buying.
The location is a good one, this is probably one building-conversion that should hold value over the long-term.
“The location is a good one”
Really? Sandwiched between Ashland and Lincoln? No thanks.
So ugly.
Just imagine the look on your father’s face when you tell him there is a private roof deck four stories straight up.
Good luck to all involved.
Based on 1635 W. Belmont comps and actives, I can’t see more than $380k for this.
“Just imagine the look on your father’s face when you tell him there is a private roof deck four stories straight up.”
Confused? b/c that’s the look on my face right now.
I think what chicagobull is thinking is that the private rooftop deck is on top of the triplex making it the 4th floor.
(1) it looks more like it is off of the 3rd floor based on the description/pictures.
(2) funny that the listing for unit #406 describes a common rooftop deck (and this listing describes it as private). Hmmmm…
“(2) funny that the listing for unit #406 describes a common rooftop deck (and this listing describes it as private). Hmmmm…”
Check the aerial–there are private roofdecks and what appears to be a common roofdeck. Possibly separated by parts of the structure.
I wont even look at the listing/pictures/price/virtual tour, i can care less as its in the clusterfunked of six corner traffic jam that will bring the toughest man to tears.
I looked at a unit in a building in the South Loop that was advertised as having a “private desk” – otherwise loved the unit, but the private deck turned out to be a 12×12 space on the roof among a sea of other tiny decks with no separation other than a railing. To get there you went up the freight elevator. Lovely.
I have to say that I am so over exposed brick…
Still like the area and recall touring it when it was converted. I could live at that address without issue. Whole foods, chase bank, Starbucks, bars, the el, and a gym right in walking distance. Not to shabby.
Obviously I’m in the minority but I’d love to live in this place. Way out of my budget and completely undoable with my two kids, but I’d take it if I could.
this is a no brainer for anyone looking for a “townhouse in the sky”
I don’t know all the details, but I believe the work has been significantly more extensive than just tuckpointing. If I recall correctly, the facade of the building was actually pulling away from the structure leading to the need for very major repairs. The special assessment was quite large and I think a struggle for a number of the owners. A very close examination of the condo records is needed here.
The sidewalk covering has been there for quite a while, at least a year. So I’d hope whatever tuckpointing/facade work they’re doing will be completed soon.
I agree with Jp3… this location has a ton of things people want in their city life. All steps away. It’s a fun booming area, people walking, things going on and easy to Lakeview, Wrigely, Roscoe Village, Lincoln Park etc…
Pretty sure owners have already been bonked hard with the special assessment for facade work awhile ago. Not cheap and probably reflected in the current monthly assessmnet amount.
The “traffic” in this spot is just that, normal traffic. No big deal. I drive/walk this location weekly as it’s central to a lot of listings/my buyers/ my office/ home and I use to live at Roscoe and Damen not THAT long ago. I pass through here all the time. Rush hour going north on Ashland is really the only time it can back up, but it’s not bad. I drive home from appoinments during that time often.
Besides, when you live here, you NEVER have to get in a car unless heading to the parent’s house in the burbs… and your car is all snug in the garage.
I’ve been in nice units here, even a large simplex along the Ashland side (which would be the worst exposure but fine at the right price). Some units have really nice, large walk-out private terraces. This unit has all the wrong finish style, very cheap looking and too traditional for the price/ loft style. I have no idea what this floorplan feels like, but it will get showings and those finishes will be esy to change. I would have listed $449,000 tops including the parking depending on how crazy the layout is.
Thank goodness you never have to get in a car at this location as belmont/lincoln/ashland is probably the most ridiculous intersection in the entire city
Sonies – my vote for worst intersection in Chicago would have to go to Damen/ Fullerton/ Elston.
That intersection actually hasn’t been “TOO” bad lately. The worst is the backup on Lincoln going NW, most of the other directions are signficantly better. My vote for worst is Damen/Fullerton/Elston, when it’s lucky if you can get off the expy because of the backup.
aye aye – this one is worse by a country mile, it’s suckitude seems to stem from the weird island in the middle where cars languish, blocking through traffic as they couldn’t get through before the light changed.
“Damen/ Fullerton/ Elston”
The ceilings are unusually low in the bedrooms and baths. Plus, having 3 levels kind of kills the openness of a loft.
sonies, I drive through lincoln/belmont/ashland multiple times a week. not even close to as bad as you’re saying (I can name many worse intersections, mostly involving Elston), and if you live right there, you can easily get around it. If you’re coming from the north, the traffic rarely backs up past the whole foods, so you’re at most 1 cycle from home. From the west or east, if Belmont is bad, you take school (which the garage entrance is on) or roscoe to avoid it. From the south, ashland does back up to Barry sometimes, but if so, take Paulina to school to avoid.
oh right I forgot about the elston damen fullerton one with the insane wierd island left turn lane thing cluster
It’s a better location than Pencil Lofts at 1800 W. Roscoe, because of the access to Lincoln: “Whole foods, chase bank, Starbucks, bars, the el, and a gym right in walking distance. Not to shabby.” You’re above the fray in this building for the most part.
“Really? Sandwiched between Ashland and Lincoln? No thanks.”
OMG.
besides Whole Foods, you forgot to mention Wishbone and that wonderful bakery,…. hell, what’s it called…. um, uh, DINKEL’S!
If you never had to go to work, or if you could work at home, what more could you want in a location??? Just don’t go anywhere further than walking distance.
That said, I really expected a lot more from these Weiboldt’s lofts. This unit just doesn’t have that >$400k feel, even with 3 bedrooms.
And, for some more Old Lady Living on the NorthSide All Her Life cred, I remember shopping there when it WAS Weiboldt’s.
Yeah, if you don’t like traffic don’t live in the city. In fact, don’t live anywhere near civilation. Move to Montana and start mailing packages with surprises inside, Kaczynski!
I think it’s a nice, unique place with a lot to offer in the neighborhood. Just far enough away from mark-up locations but still ‘in it.’
AND there is frozen custard down the street!!!
Dailynews: the traffic argument – at this intersection- is legitimate. There is city living and there is traffic nightmare.
“Dailynews: the traffic argument – at this intersection- is legitimate. There is city living and there is traffic nightmare.”
Yep. It’s one of the intersections I get angry about if I forget what I’m doing on a weekend. Like rush hour from 11-6 on most weekends.
But, as noted, there are reasonable work arounds. School, b/t Paulina and Lincoln usually is *not* one of them.
LS’n – I’m not all that “old,” but yes I have memories of shopping at Wieboldts, Woolworth’s, Sounds Good Records and Goldblatts…all condos now.
LBA was a vibrant retail center until the late 1980’s and may be again some day, if a redevelopment plan described by Blair Kamen in the Trib 3/18 comes to fruition.
BTW is this the Burley or Audobon school district?
Looks like it’s Burley. North of school there is Hamilton though, Audubon’s eastern boundary is Wolcott. Jahn’s close there too, but it’s eastern boundary is Ravenswood.
I think this one goes for around $425,000 to $430,000 including the parking. It’s still going to take a higher income to buy this one, most likely not a first time buyer. There’s a gym and coffee shop downstairs, whole foods across the street, a couple of blocks south of the El, right next to several banks. The traffic will always be there, but it’s not something that is bad late at night.
And if you can’t afford Whole Paycheck after the mortgage etc., there’s Jewel at Ashland/Wellington…and Dollar Tree.
Went and saw this today- Ohhh, boy. The (only?) good thing is that the special assessment ‘would be covered’ by the seller. This is appropriate for a serious gutting, or crazy parties with 20-24 year olds. 3 rickety spiral staircases, weird rigged-together “drawbridge” to a bedroom with 2 separate bathrooms (?!) that have seen wear since 1995. All the cabinetry looks like whoever installed them got a deal on surplus cabinets from Menards. There are really weird light switches 15 feet up and around a bizarre hidey-hole corner on the top level, strange plywood trap-door rigged at that level, weird cheap cabinets *overhanging the staircase* – in other words, you would have to lean over the open stairwell to fetch something out of the cabinet… um, and strange holes in the bottom of the cabinets, about the size of a coffee can. Also a serious smell of bathroom cleaner- has been occupied by renters for the past 5? years.
There is a nice view of the city from the roof. There is a viking stove/range. Everything else is WEIRD, mishmash, and poorly finished.
I have no idea on price, but you can’t speculate until you walk through, that is for sure. Location (minus the traffic snafus) seems nice.
I dont remember a time when there WASNT a scaffold in front of or around that building
The new Jewel up Southport is also nearby.
And, the Lakeview Chamber of Commerce really wants to make it easier to navigate that BAL intersection.
Glass block AND a spiral staircase?! I can now live my dream of living like Todd and Margo from Christmas Vacation!
Uninteresting.
The Damen/ Fullerton/ Elston intersection “won” some award for worst intersection in the country. I think by the NTSB for most accidents.