Get a Vintage Lakeview 2-Bedroom With Arched Windows for $399,900: 823 W. Oakdale
This 2-bedroom at 823 W. Oakdale in Lakeview came on the market in March 2023.
823 W. Oakdale was built in 1929 and has 10 units. The building does not have parking and is in the Oakdale historic landmark district, with its famous terra cotta wall and homes and buildings. The block was landmarked in 2006.
This top floor unit has many of its vintage features including wood trim (not painted), moulding, medallions and arched windows in the living and dining rooms.
It has solid core doors, except for tri-fold French doors between the living and dining room.
The chef’s kitchen has green cabinets, and some open shelving, with a Viking stove with an outside venting hood, Fisher Paykel dishwasher drawer, wood counter tops and an “elegant” apron sink.
There’s also a butler’s pantry.
There are arched doorways.
The primary bedroom has Elfa closets.
The unit has some of the features buyers look for including space pak cooling and a recently installed (2021) in-unit Miele washer/dryer. There is no parking with the unit but it is available on the street.
There is a back deck and a large storage unit in the basement.
This building is near the shops and restaurants of Central and East Lakeview as well as several bus line and the Diversey brown line stop.
Listed in March 2023 at $399,900, that’s $27,900 above the 2021 purchase price of $372,000.
After adding the in-unit washer/dryer since the last purchase, will it get the premium?
Michael Greco at Baird & Warner has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #3A: 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, no square footage listed
- Sold in March 1986 but no price in the CCRD
- Sold in June 2003 for $270,000
- Sold in July 2021 for $372,000
- Currently listed at $399,900
- Assessments of $357 a month (includes heat, exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger, snow removal)
- Taxes of $6368
- Space Pak cooling
- Washer/dryer in the unit
- No parking
- Bedroom #1: 12×11
- Bedroom #2: 13×10
- Living room: 19×14
- Dining room: 16×15
- Kitchen: 15×13
- Foyer: 15×5
- Deck
Nice place and glad no one has seen the need to paint the trim
W/D + spacepac are great in a building like this.
If they can find someone that wants vintage this should sell at ask
There’s around a $600/mo delta in payment based on rates.
Proper HOA which is a good sign.
Why no photo of the deck?
“Why no photo of the deck?”
I flipped thru the other units that have pix on redfin–this is the only one I saw with a pic of the outside:
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/823-W-Oakdale-Ave-60657/unit-1/home/13363036
Garden unit, so it’s worse than a top floor porch would be, but that one is also so dire that you understand why they wouldn’t include on any of them–it’s basic Chiacgo back porch, nothing more.
“W/D”
Ok, it’s a great feature in the unit, and a hard ting to find a decent place for, but even recognizing that:
That’s what they decided to do?
I’d have to figure out a door to the “bedroom wing”, so that wasn’t a secondary focal point of the foyer.
I would have remodeled the full bath and incorporated the washer/dryer into the bathroom.
I really like this place overall though.
I went to the open house.
Back deck is wedged between the brick wall of this building and the building next door — so pretty useless for anything other than a grill.
The redone kitchen is beautiful and fits perfectly with the era of the building.
“I would have remodeled the full bath and incorporated the washer/dryer into the bathroom.”
The full bath was redone by previous owner and is in perfect shape (including heated floors). Current owner added the W/D within the past couple of years. I agree it’d be worth incorporating the W/D into the bathroom when it needs a full reno 10-15 years down the road.
“The full bath was redone by previous owner and is in perfect shape (including heated floors).”
It may have been remodeled, but it’s not really functional. There is very little storage space. It needs a new custom cabinet to maximize the space. It also could benefit from a much larger medicine cabinet. I was expecting that with the clawfoot tub, that there’d be a separate shower, but you’re stuck using one of those shower curtains that encircles the tub. I would bump out the wall into the larger bedroom, turn the tub around and add a shower next to it.
Beautifully put together and decorated unit, gorgeous even for a vintage hater.
Kitchen and butler’s pantry are beautiful, but useless. Viking range suggests whomever bought it liked to cook, but where are you putting your pots and pans? I would have put a floor to ceiling cabinet where the eat-in kitchen table is. Countertop, as staged, has too much clutter to be useful and how to you sanitize wooden countertops? I would say the kitchen suggests the owner microwaves everything, but there is no microwave. I like that the range it is vented outside.
Lots of entertaining space, but you’re bring in food and putting it on the radiator.
Love the unit and decorating. It has a ton of character. This will go quickly.
They could probably have moved the washer & dryer to the butler pantry and then would have been able to close off the full bath & master bedroom to make it en suite. However, at this price point it probably wasn’t worth the cost.
Lack of parking sucks but I guess that is to be expected for the location and price.
“Kitchen and butler’s pantry are beautiful, but useless. ”
Disagree. It has been very well thought out IMO.
The microwave is smartly tucked into a cabinet on the wall near the exterior door, and those cabinets contain a bunch of pull out shelving, including in the corner (which would have been dead space without the customization).
There is a ton of storage in the butler’s pantry — two cabinets of 4 drawers each with large cabinets up above that could store entire sets of china.
Fun fact — there is a wine fridge tucked into the cabinet above the refrigerator.
“It may have been remodeled, but it’s not really functional. ”
Jenny, if you are complaining about a claw foot tub and a pedestal sink, I think vintage is just not your style. Nothing wrong with that, but the most appropriate buyer for this place is going to be a vintage lover who wants the clawfoot tub and fixtures that match the era of the unit.
btw, June 2003 for $270,000 + CPI = $442k. Much better value today, for a much better unit.
1986 price appears to have been $86,500.
Overall a very lovely unit with beautifully maintained vintage details and a few high end upgrades.
Something you can’t see in the list pictures, however, is the condition of the flooring. It is VERY creaky and I think would be hard to get past –both the noise and the sort of unsettled feeling of it under foot. Assuming it would cost an arm and a leg to fix and might involve having to approach from the unit below — anyone know?
” Assuming it would cost an arm and a leg to fix and might involve having to approach from the unit below — anyone know?”
Was the floor level? Spongy when walking in it?
Might be able to use a countersink bit and screw the flooring back down and dowel to hide the screwhead
KK, thanks for presciently attending the open house to give the inside!
I thought the lack of a microwave was part of the commitment to a vintage aesthetic. What was the countertop condition like? Coffee and raw meat patina?
“There is a ton of storage in the butler’s pantry — two cabinets of 4 drawers each with large cabinets up above that could store entire sets of china” I have three sets of china stored in my kitchen cabinets.
Lauren – happy to help, lol! Counter top was a little rough. Some water marks and scratches. Probably not too difficult to refinish with some sort of a varnish?
Johnny – yes, the floor was spongy in most areas. Does that indicate the joists need to be reinforced?
“Does that indicate the joists need to be reinforced?”
My guess: most likely not, but not definitely not. Could be improved, and possible cured, with JU’s suggestion.
“Lack of parking sucks but I guess that is to be expected for the location and price.”
No reason to have a car in this location. Where are you driving to? Walkable to everything: grocery stores, pharmacy, hospital, Wrigley and then multiple bus lines and subway to take you everywhere else.
If you must drive to Home Depot or Costco, can either Uber or take a zipcar.
“I went to the open house.”
Thanks for sharing your in-person insights KK. Did you manage to go to Seminary too?
“There is a ton of storage in the butler’s pantry — two cabinets of 4 drawers each with large cabinets up above that could store entire sets of china.”
This is so vital in vintage with the smaller kitchen. They weren’t dumb back in the day. Lol. That’s why so many have a butler’s pantry or built-ins in the dining room.
And you should NEVER get rid of built-ins if you can help it. They really do store a lot of stuff.
KK: What was the vibe at the open house? Was it crowded? Did the agent indicate they may have offers coming in already?
Also, KK, is this a walk-up? How was the staircase and lobby?
The place was buzzing. Agent indicated there has been a ton of interest. He didn’t mention any offers but I was one of the first through there.
It’s a walkup. Carpeted staircase in good vintage condition. No lobby. Separate entrances for 823 and 825.
It’s smart that they put the entrance / staircase on the side of building rather than front, which allows for the extra wide layout.
What does everyone think of the current owner (or maybe just the stager) repurposing the dining room as the living room?
See 2021 list pics for the opposite staging.
Personally, I’d prefer to have the dining room closer to the kitchen.
“repurposing the dining room as the living room?”
IMO, the TV is in a better place than any available in the other room, so it depends upon how you feel about TV being central to the LR.
…I mean, look at how poor the layout for watching TV is in the ’21 pix.
“What does everyone think of the current owner (or maybe just the stager) repurposing the dining room as the living room?”
Not sure. Is there room to have a combined living/dining room and then use the other other as a TV/family room? I really like having space to entertain separate from the TV area. This way, my friends’ kids can go play the Playstation in the TV room without it being disruptive. I can also easily keep the living room tidy.
Contingent.
Love the look and feel, but like others wish there was a deck photo. Price seems reasonable, especially with W/D and central AC, which aren’t always a given in vintage units. No parking, but that’s pretty common. If I lived here I might not own a car.
“Does that indicate the joists need to be reinforced?”
My guess: most likely not, but not definitely not. Could be improved, and possible cured, with JU’s suggestion”
Agreed with TFO
Based on your description, I think it’s a pretty low risk. If you had joist failure, I would have expected a “dip” in the floor.
Not surprised this went under contact, curious how many offers and if over ask