Forget the TV Show; Live in the “Real” Playboy Mansion: 1340 N. State Parkway
In honor of the debut of the new television show called “The Playboy Club” on Monday (which actually is being filmed in Chicago) and that Playboy Magazine has decided to charge 60 cents for its October issue as it did in October 1960, just one year after Hugh Hefner bought the Playboy Mansion – I present to you the “real” mansion at 1340 N. State Parkway in the Gold Coast.
Because with the right amount of cash- you can live here too.
According to Wikipedia, the 70-room French brick and limestone mansion was built in 1899 for Dr. George Swifth Isham.
Hugh moved in in 1959. Apparently the top two floors served as dorms for the bunnies.
Hefner moved to his California mansion full-time in 1974.
This full floor, 7874 square foot second floor unit recently came on the market.
It last changed hands 17 years ago.
The listing says the unit was once the mansion’s ballroom.
It has extensive wood paneling and carvings including beamed and tiled ceilings.
The kitchen has white cabinets and stainless steel appliances.
It has central air, washer/dryer in the unit, a 2-car garage and an attached terrace.
What more could you want?
Katherine Chez at Baird & Warner has the listing. Check out the pictures here.
Unit #2: 4 bedrooms, 5 baths, 7874 square feet, full floor unit, 2 car parking
- Sold in August 1994 for $2.1 million
- Currently listed for $6.7 million
- Assessments of $4717 a month
- Taxes of $80,384
- Central Air
- Washer/Dryer in the unit
- Bedroom #1: 17×28
- Bedroom #2: 14×19
- Bedroom #3: 14×14
- Bedroom #4: 14×17
The Play/ Recreational room looks like a childs dream………
Nice unit (yuk yuk)…
I could probably score a playboy model if I lived here… BALLA!
I think this was student housing for the School of the Art Institute, before being converted to its present form. That must have been a cool place to be an art student in the 1980s.
“Playboy Magazine has decided to charge 60 cents for its October issue as it did in October 1960.”
Was 60 cents a lot of money in 1960? What else could you buy for 60 cents back then?
“Was 60 cents a lot of money in 1960?”
Minimum wage was $1.00, for some context.
wake me at $5MM.
this place is very nice. compare this to atrocious “king wanted” tacky place Clio loves to post and you’d see why we are in decline.
I can think of a 100 better ways to drop ~7 million bucks.
For example, if you’re spending this much on housing, this kind of scratch will buy a number of penthouses and lakefront NS homes. Those are far preferable (to me) to the novelty of living here.
Note:
Over $11,000 per month, if you pay cash. Wow.
Well this sets a new definition for high assesments! Why the heck do they need $50K from this unit alone? Is Michael Jordan their doorman?
I’ve been looking for the perfect spot to open a bed and breakfast. Now I just need the cash..
Back in the day I attended parties here. Hefner was a major backer of NORMAL – the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – and I was corporate counsel for the Illinois chapter. Hefner lent the mansion to the group for fundraisers. The best scene was the basement bar with a glass wall looking into the swimming pool.
Attempts to sell the mansion were unsuccessful, in large part because no Chicagoan who could afford it wanted that high-profile of a residence, so it was donated to the Art Institute for the charitable deduction – a big deal back when the maximum tax bracket was 70%.
Yeah, the taxes on this place are ridiculous. I would much rather buy the top floor of 65 E Goethe from Wrigley and build it out to personal specs – you get more space views of the lake, and nobody living above you… and I’m assuming it could be had for closer to $8-9MM.
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/65-E-Goethe-St-60610/unit-8WNE/home/21997947
JP$ – that would be a great place to live but to build it out it would likely be close to another million. That’s alot of doublemints to drop on a home. Right now the Playboy thing is hot hot hot. That will fade again in a few months.
I did hear that they are talking about opening a new Playboy club in the area. WIll it be the hottest place again this time around? My guess is not a chance.
“to build it out it would likely be close to another million”
I would like the number of your contractor who could do any justice to that space for under $75 psf.
More like “another $2.5 million”, which, if you could get it for $8.5 (possible) could leave you with a nice finished place for the current raw space ask.
“Onlooker on September 16th, 2011 at 10:14 am
The Play/ Recreational room looks like a childs dream………”
Did I miss a picture? The whole thing looks like an AARP mailing list’s dream to me.
You’re right, it would cost a ton to do 65 E Goethe up right.
But who says you need to build out all 12,000 sf? Split the thing up into a couple of spaces, build out 6,000 for yourself and sell the other half to someone who comes along with the right offer.
For the right traditionalist, this could be the perfect place. I think the assessments are high to keep out the riff raff.
Actually, back of envelope calcs, per sf, the assessments aren’t unreasonable.
jp$ i thought the 65e raw space was owned by jamie dimon (in addition to the mansion he sold earlier this year)…
Thats hilarious jay-zee used to be corp counsel for NORMAL!
This is going to be a looooong protracted bust when bozos like this think their property is worth over 3x what it was 17 years ago. And of course the taxman was there to confirm it the entire time but he’s not exactly an impartial third party! 😀
Not just corp counsel for NORML, but kickin’ it in the Playboy Mansion in the 70s.
Tell us more Joe. Were you tokin’ up with Styx?
cool story for sure. but that basement scene..so everyone was down there stoned watching the underwater action in the pool? I’m not sure if that would feel more creepy or hilarious.
at any rate sounds better to have been a part of the cool crowd back when hef was in town than running around with billy dec today.
“jp$ i thought the 65e raw space was owned by jamie dimon (in addition to the mansion he sold earlier this year)…”
No- William Wrigley. And he has already split up the unit into two to try and sell it (or at least part of it.) Even that is not working.
http://cribchatter.com/?p=7758
Since I can buy a mansion on the lakefront in Highland Park for less than $4 million with 40% lower taxes and no assessment, I think that will be my choice if I suddenly obtain $20 million or so.
“Since I can buy a mansion on the lakefront in Highland Park for less than $4 million…”
There are a couple of near Lakefront houses in HP for about $1.25 million, including 2 at Ft. Sheridan. Less than a block away are some decent houses for around $600k.
CH: “…watching the underwater action in the pool? I’m not sure if that would feel more creepy or hilarious.”
Apparently the Playboy mansion in LA had a recent issue with Legionnaire’s disease, which infected over 80 people at a conference party. All of those hot tubs, pools, fountains, grottos, and fog machines can breed some nasty bugs.
This was one swingin’ neighborhood back in the 60s. In addition to the PB, there were hip restaurants in the Ambassador West (1300 N. State) and the Churchill (1255 N. State) in addition to the immortal Pump Room (so glad the new owners are respecting tradition); also Maxim’s disco in the basement of 1300 N. Astor.
Just a block or two south, of course, was Rush Street…back when Rush Street was Rush Street…
And if I wanted a weekend place in the city (near the Playboy mansion), there are plenty of beautiful 3 bedrooms near there with lake views that I could buy for $1 million or less. So my $20 mln would be spent on the lakefront place in HP and the Gold Coast apartment. Not on the $6 million apartment in the Playboy mansion with its $80,000 a year taxes.
And I’d still have $15 mln for other things!
Once again – the HP lakefront property I have in mind:
http://www.coldwellbankeronline.com/property/details/2170454/MLS-07842665/307-North-Deere-Park-Drive-Highland-Park-IL-60035.aspx
What’s Rush Street now?
seniors gooped up on viagara, tourists and suburbanites?
if you buy that hp castle dan2, you will host cc holiday soiree. sorry icarus.
Years ago – probably when Viagra first hit the market – I was the third assistant to a financial big wig. You guys would know him if I named him. He was an asshole. He sent assistant number two running all up and down Fifth Avenue one day to find silver pillboxes because he was taking his best buds on a European bike trip and wanted to give each of them Viagra as a gift. He also had 3 long-term girlfriends. He had set each of them up on estates in different parts of the US, faaaaaaar away from each other. One of them had a horse farm in Idaho. Whenever one of them called we were never to refer to the others or say he was away visiting with them. He lived in a fancy hotel on the Upper East Side which was part condo.
He was one of the richest, crassest people I have ever met. The Playboy Mansion spread would appeal to him. First of all, he could afford it. And he’d drop $1,000 on his dinner every night at the same restaurant. So stupid and wasteful.
CH –
You should just name a bar, a date and a time and have whichever CCers dare to show, show. I like to drink. I’ll come.
CH,
I’m happy to host the soiree. That’s the easy part. Coming up with the cash to buy that house is just a bit more challenging…
Milkster – most of the top one percent are similar to how you describe them. Neurotic personalities who really think that they are the center of the world. Think of Larry Ellison (Oracle). He thinks he’s god and there’s a book written about him. He made more money one year than some nations in Africa.
http://www.amazon.com/Difference-Between-God-Larry-Ellison/dp/0060008768
Yup, sounds like him. He was a condescending jagoff who didn’t like his assistants to be too smart. I became friends with the girl I replaced. She told me they had been paying her twice my salary. I asked him for a raise and he fired me.