Holabird & Roche Elegance at Under the 2001 Price: 1210 N. Astor in the Gold Coast
This 3-bedroom at 1210 N. Astor in the Gold Coast has been on the market nearly a year.
In that time it has been reduced $99,000.
The Holabird & Roche designed building was constructed in 1897 for John McConnell, who had recently purchased the corner lot.
Called the McConnell Apartments, there were 2 units per floor in the 8 story structure. According to Neil Harris’ Chicago Apartments, the units were rented by socially prominent families with the top floor housing the servants quarters.
According to Harris, the red-brick, limestone and terra-cotta structure is supported by a steel frame, similar to some of the early Loop high rises.
The building is now 14 condominium units. Masonry facade work was done on its 100th birthday- in 1997.
The building also has the original European style elevator.
This 3-bedroom unit has the high ceilings and large room sizes of its era.
There are also 3 fireplaces, including one in the master bedroom, and pocket doors.
The kitchen has white cabinets and granite counter tops.
While it has space pak cooling, I can’t find anything about a washer/dryer. The other unit also on the market, #1A, also doesn’t mention anything about a washer/dryer (either in the unit or in the building.)
Parking is rental nearby.
The unit is currently listed $66,000 under the 2001 purchase price.
Is this a deal?
Janice Smith at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #4B: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage listed
- Sold in December 1989 for $355,000 (? it’s unclear from the record)
- Sold in April 1998 for $490,000
- Sold in November 1998 for $525,000
- Sold in August 2001 for $765,000
- Originally listed in May 2010 for $798,000
- Reduced
- Currently listed for $699,000
- Assessments of $1741 a month (includes heat)
- Taxes of $12,603
- Space Pak
- Washer/Dryer isn’t mentioned in the listing
- No parking- rental nearby
- Bedroom #1: 17×17
- Bedroom #2: 15×13
- Bedroom #3: 13×11
Association Fees + Taxes + Parking puts you over $3,000 per month.
Pass.
really nice place (and I hate vintage) but the deal killer here is that its a $2791/mo. month place before the mortgage+dp and no parking on site?
close to the CVS
those pocket doors are friggin awesome by the way
It is nice, but man the assessment is painful at least to me.
Those pocket doors are sweet. Agree with the majority on this one, those pre-mortgage fees are painful!
Gorgeous building, gorgeous apartment. Love the multi-paneled pocket doors. Space Pak is a rare and nice inclusion on a vintage high rise apt. Do not love kitchen or bath. I see these buildings with high maintenance costs and no parking (and there are a ton along LSD) continuing to drop in value.
On vintage units like this are the radiators still acutally used to heat the unit, or are they left for the vintage look?
It’s getting to the point where it’s easier to spot real wood trim in these older units vs. the MDF used in all the mccrapboxes. I think henceforth real wood trim would be worth the extra expense because of the quality look it gives off, even in a mccrapbox.
Great looking unit. However, the assessments have got to be painful. Three G’s a month before the mortgage? Ouch.
What’s up with the $7 Menard’s ceiling fans (and $12 lighting fixtures)?
Other than that, I love this place.
“Holobird”
Ha, if you’re going to use the panache of an influential and prolific architect, you should try to spell his name right.
Those pocket doors are awesome, but those things can be an absolute maintenance nightmare if they aren’t in good shape. If the get off the track or something gets misaligned or damaged, it can be game over man, game over. I know someone who had to remove the entire wall to fix one, and we’re not talking easy-to-replace drywall here, it was lathe, mesh and plaster, totally old school, and a lot of woodwork and built-ins had to be removed as well.
everyone always says that trim/moulding is so important… really? crap that costs a $1.50 a foot that you can easily install yourself really that big of a deal?
Sonies: given the pricing differential between distressed sales (many of which only require a little bit of work) and clean, turn-key properties, it appears things like that really do make that big of a deal.
As clio said 99% of people can’t get beyond a little dirt or messiness. Maybe an exaggeration at that figure, but it undoubtedly plays into the psyche of many potential buyers.
Sonies, there is a noticeable difference between real wood moulding/trim and the MDF (compressed plywood) stuff that most cheap renovations use. Yeah, it is hard to ascertain an exact value, but those who care about that stuff notice.
It is kind of like trying to describe why some neck ties costs $100+ versus a $30 tie at Macy’s. If you have owned a Hermes tie or some other really high end good, you really can tell the difference versus the cheap stuff. Not saying the price differential is worth X, but the difference in construction is very noticeable.
man americans are lazy as shit and stupid as hell
paying 100 bucks for a frigging neck tie? are you insane?
It is going to be very interesting to see what happens to all of these vintage units. The taxes and assm of nearly 3000 is a deal killer for 99.99999999% of people out there. Even if you pay cash for the unit, the 36k/year (and likely to significantly increase in the next 10-20 years) is unaffordable for ANYONE who would choose to live in this unit. (most people with that kind of money – and I am talking over 5 million in investments) are NOT going to live in this unit in this building.
Dumb question, but how can you tell MDF crown molding from real wood if the molding is painted? For ties, you can tell the difference between cheap and expensive silk by texture, sheen, and weight, but I’m not sure re: the subtleties of MDF versus real wood when the molding is painted.
Agree that those pocket doors are beautiful.
“trim/moulding…that you can easily install yourself”
Sonies, maybe I just suck at it, but I find working with a mitre saw and making the angles perfect pretty difficult, and have generally hired someone to do it. Trim and molding are definitely beyond the skill of the basis DIYer.
Aside from all the other quibbles listed in comments above, this is way too close to Rush and Division for me. I can only imagine the noise out on the street from drunks at 2 a.m.
co-sign. nice-looking corners are extremely tough, and the more elaborate the moulding, the tougher.
“I find working with a mitre saw and making the angles perfect pretty difficult”
“Dumb question, but how can you tell MDF crown molding from real wood if the molding is painted? For ties, you can tell the difference between cheap and expensive silk by texture, sheen, and weight, but I’m not sure re: the subtleties of MDF versus real wood when the molding is painted.”
It’s not a dumb question, I’m wondering the same thing. I’m saying that, I think, after you see so many places with MDF over and over again like we do with the mccrapboxes, the real thing starts to subtlely stand out, and I think this place has real wood trim on the floorboards, door trim, etc. Doesn’t it appear so? It could be MDF…I don’t really know for sure from these pics.
I think the tie analogy is a good one, to someone who wears ties daily the difference between the real thing and the knock-off is easily noticeable.
……but LV bags not so easy to tell from the 20 dollar one…
Gotta agree, I can tell real nice millwork from fake thru the paint no problem.
… Just remembering mistaking some really well made tile flooring for wood though. Just excellently well done to look like old wood boards…
Most of the so called McCrapboxes out there dont’t even use MDF. They use molded urethane (http://www.fypon.com/products/urethane).
I agree that there’s crown molding and then there’s crown molding…
You can hand plane down the solid wood (like they did in the 18th century) or run it through a router. Even solid wood through a router tends to look cheap to my eye. Guess I’ve just spent too much time in Colonial Williamsburg.
(Yes,I realize much of it is a re-creation and yes, it was done utilizing traditional construction methods.)
Maybe it’s a graining issue, i.e., MDF looks too smooth or flat, whereas you can still see the grain through the paint with real wood? Just thinking about it, you could probably tell the difference between, say, a cabinet made of MDF and one of solid wood, even if they were both painted with the same paint. But if you have 10 ft+ ceilings, will people be able to discern the difference with crown molding?
I also think a lot of it is context: from what we know about the building in this post, we assume that the moldings are going to be real wood. From what we know about a cinderblock three flat built in 2004, we assume that the moldings are going to be MDF.
I can spot a bad tie or a fake LV bag a mile away (you can always tell the LV bags by the symmetry of the canvas and the patina that develops on the leather, esp. the latter), but I can’t really tell with moldings, even though I’ve lived in a Victorian flat with all the real bells and whistles (wainscoting, crown molding, picture rails, tin panels, original door knobs and hinges) for the past five years. Guess my eyes need more training.
I take exception to Clio’s comment. You certainly don’t need a net worth of $5 million to pay cash for a $700,000 apartment and afford the 36K yearly fees.
This closely approximates my co-op building (in both price and assessments), and being on the board, I see the financial statements of all those who buy in.
I like this apartment, however, I love my view better.
I think Americans on average are quite frugal when it gets to clothing and food. I’d say they pay substantially less for those items (in terms of percentage of their income) compared to Asians, European’s and even North African’s. Many people are happy wearing Old Navy cloths. I know very few American men who spend 100$ for a tie. So if spending money on cloths is your measure of stupidity (not sure how it relates to laziness?!), I think most of rest of the world is more deserving of that title.
“man americans are lazy as shit and stupid as hell
paying 100 bucks for a frigging neck tie? are you insane?”
“……but LV bags not so easy to tell from the 20 dollar one…”
Beg to differ. Also the women carrying them differ too which helps give them away.
they are awful… The checkered ones just less so. Change the initials on the same exact cunstructed bag and you wouldn’t buy it for 10.
now regardless of a wardrobe of flip flops, shorts,and t-shirt i have to say spending on nice tailored cloth makes complete sense to me. The difference is extreme.
To Dan # 2,
There really isn’t any noise. I live a block down at 1300 Astor and it’s a really pleasant, quiet block. The apartments along state , Dearborn, or lasalle might get some riff raff spillover from division street, but I can’t speak on that. I go for a run pretty often late nights on weekends or early mornings and have yet to run across a drunk on Astor.
Ah, as far as clothes go btw, it’s not an area of life to be cheap. The difference between a 3 thousand and 300 dollar suit is almost always evident at first glance. Though this applies mainly to dress clothes, it crosses over into casual apparel as well. It’s obvious when someone is wearing a pair of 50 dollar express jeans vs a nice pair.
I’m sure others will argue this, but apply the rule to anything. A 70k BMW m3 and 30k mustang gt may have similar horsepower and torque but there is worlds of difference in the build.
I will disagree that Americans are cheap though, we just spend money on other things, like mcdonalds, booze, houses we can’t afford, etc.
Who said anything about being cheap, man you guys read everything as negative. I said they don’t spend as much money on food and cloths. I think in fact, American’s are very generous. They tip a lot. They spend quite a bit on their houses, in bars and so on.
Ah, sorry miu miu I misread that. We are in agreeance.
Ze, have you seen LV Alma? It is very classy and chic:
http://www.louisvuitton.com/fr/flash/index.jsp?direct1=home_entry_fr
Yes we are sir : )
“I take exception to Clio’s comment. You certainly don’t need a net worth of $5 million to pay cash for a $700,000 apartment and afford the 36K yearly fees. ”
Sure – when you are earning – but I am talking about retirement. Who wants to buy a place that they have to move out of at age 70 because they can’t afford the assm/taxes? Someone with only 1 -2 million in savings at retirement age would (or should) be scared about living in a place like this. Think about it – if you were 60 and had 2 million in savings and paid off this place – by age 80, 720k of that (and probably more) would be gone in just assm/taxes. Now add in healthcare costs, cost of extra help, etc. and you will see that most people would not chose to live here.
Those rooms are beautiful. Not for me at this point in my life, but really nice.
Can someone explain why the assessments are so high? Is it just because of the age of the building (and a desire to keep it in top form)?
“Can someone explain why the assessments are so high? Is it just because of the age of the building (and a desire to keep it in top form)?”
more or less. Most luxury condos /co-ops that are 20+ years old have this problem. Raises to staff, keeping the building updated, condo board expenses pile up over the years. I live in a 800 sq. foot 1 bedroom and the assoc. fees are almost 800 dollars a month; pretty ridiculous compared to new construction in the same neighborhood. And my building doesn’t have a pool or common area even.
Wow, assessments like that are brutal when you’re not even getting perks. Seems like, in the case of this place, it narrows your buyer pool down to (1) people who fall in love with it and justify the assessments to themselves because of it and (2) people for whom money really isn’t any object (and aren’t those people going to want a showier place with a higher price tag?).
Nice place. Not my usual meh.
miumiu on April 15th, 2011 at 5:28 pm
“……but LV bags not so easy to tell from the 20 dollar one…”
Beg to differ. Also the women carrying them differ too which helps give them away.
Which is why I don’t have a LV bag – I could afford the real thing but I just don’t look like I can, so there’s no way I’m buying a $600 bag that people think cost $20!
Often times the difference between a counterfit and a real is what hour of the day the bag rolled off the assembly line…the factory in china makes the real bags during the day and runs the factory at night for the counterfits.
$600 bags is a waste of money and is little more than conspicious consumption usually engaged in by fresh off the boat foreigners and the bankrupt clients that walk through my door.
Because we don’t have $600 purses outside of the US?
“Often times the difference between a counterfit and a real is what hour of the day the bag rolled off the assembly line…the factory in china makes the real bags during the day and runs the factory at night for the counterfits. ”
Haha you understand what merchants on the street do. I know people who make a living off of those third shifts–one of my best friends even. Yea one of my most guys guy friends indeed can talk purses with women at a bar. I estimate over 70% of his margin is in these goods or goods that are ultimately female delivered (guys aren’t generally willing to spend nearly as much $ on things they utilize like beer).
For a lawyer HD I am impressed. It’s an unspoken rule what’s going on on the streets. I am a frequent customer on the much lower margin stuff 😀
Seriously I get deals.
If you think the Chinese aren’t dumping their excess capacity here you’re just not aware of what’s going on. Those factories are a fixed cost and they’re out to maximize profit.
“I think Americans on average are quite frugal when it gets to clothing and food. I’d say they pay substantially less for those items (in terms of percentage of their income) compared to Asians, European’s and even North African’s.”
This is an incorrect assumption overall. Just today I read about an artist relative talking about her Banana Republic purchases. Her income is likely under 25k/year.
Substantially less vs. percentage of income is another thing entirely and not subject to defining frugality. The US is a first world country which means even someone on the minimum wage can earn a multiple of someone from a third or second world country.
Miumiu I hate to tell you but the US people generally aren’t frugal in the sense you described. Their “frugality” has been imposed by outside sources such as the banks that previously made enormous profits off of their spendthrift ways.
I could go off on a race tangent (yea and it includes my race) but there’s been a lot of that lately. Suffice to say most people on this planet aren’t good with money and that extends to most Americans.
@ HD, I thought you spend some time in Italy. So you did not notice people there carry bags way over $600? I think at the end of the day, people enjoy different things and everyone is entitled to spend their money on things that make them happy (of course as long as it does not put pressure on their family).
@ Bob, while there are certain goods that are just overpriced and can be easily reproduced on 3rd shifts, there are many items that require luxury raw material and craftsmanship. I have seen people opening their fake designer bags to show poor work inside, or having a zipper stuck. Believe me, it is not hard to spot many of the fakes on truly high-end bags.
@ Jennifer, I am sure you could sport anything you desire. You are a confident and smart woman. Also you have much bigger fish to fry (raising a wonderful family) and saving towards getting a nice house. Since we have started our home expansion project, I have cut down a lot on shopping too. Sometimes, I wonder if I used to shop so much partially because I had no big goals in front of me.
Bob, I have not seen data on this so my comment is more based on my observations so might very well be off. I know lot of women from other parts of the world who would spend way more on their cloths. Almost all the Italian women I know have Prada, LV, YSL,…bags even when they make south of 2000 euros a month. Very few of my female American friends (who make way more) have bags that cost over 300$.
I think even when economy is good, it is more likely for these women to spend a ton of money on spa treatments and 20 pairs of 150$ jeans (which I cannot tell apart for life of me) as opposed to buying one really nice bag. I feel quantity takes precedence over quality here, but I might very well be wrong.
Also when we go out for lunch with my colleagues, I am amazed how they all want to go have a Chipottle or some other cheap thing and get annoyed if we go somewhere more pricy. Most of these people are more senior and make twice if not more than me.
They also tend to get annoyed when we order expensive wines for dinner. We eat out way less than most of these folks, but once we go out we like to have good food.
But, we end up heating and cooling our house more moderately and these folks have no problem paying higher costs for it. I just think people spend their money on different things.
the way they price clothes and goods for women, there is never a value:price return on quality for high end goods. They kill women on this. Men have it so much easier. Dark blue suit…. Good for nearly a lifetime.
the way they price clothes and goods for women, there is never a value:price return on quality for high end goods. They kill women on this. Men have it so much easier. And a dark blue suit… In style for a lifetime.
Miumiu I’ve made the same observations as you when it comes to spending on clothes and food, I don’t think people who haven’t truly lived in Europe can see it the way we do though. Of course there are gourmets and fashionistas here, just as there are those who eat 99c frozen meals and wear cheap throwaway clothes in Europe!
And don’t get me started on the women that are eating Taco Bell because they’re broke while they’ve got $300 highlights and a $80 set of acrylic nails!
Miumiu, Jennifer – I agree that Americans have preference of quantity over quality. Europeans or Asians tend to have few but more expensive things. This actually makes total economical sense to me – things last years and still look sharp/like new.
Bob and HD – there are no LV factories in China.
“Which is why I don’t have a LV bag – I could afford the real thing but I just don’t look like I can, so there’s no way I’m buying a $600 bag that people think cost $20!”
Jen, Jen, Jen – Never discount yourself like that and put yourself down! You can rock whatever you want. It’s all in the attitude. One of the best pieces of advice I received was “wear an expensive item as if it is cheap and a cheap item as if it is expensive.” You know what I mean?
miumiu – I received a cute LV Damier tote as a gift from a famous Czech movie star a couple of years ago (long story), but it sat in my closet unused. I appreciated the sentiment, but it wasn’t really to my taste because I am one of those girls who loves style, but I shop at all the downscale places. So I sold it for $550 and that paid most of my attorney’s fee for my Chicago apartment purchase. So it was a GREAT gift even though not in the way it was originally intended.
HD –
I bought that apartment from a Russian lady who came to the closing dressed in head to toe Chanel with the really super large conspicuous logos on her shoes and handbag.
She tried to pull a fast one on me. I bought the unit with a tenant in place. My RE agents met with the tenant and signed a new lease for me and it was agreed he would start paying me instead of the Russian lady in April 2010.
She called him a few days before the closing and told him to pay her and that she’d give a credit back to me. No one knew about this. Not I, not my lawyer, not her RE agent, not her lawyer. My tenant thankfully called me and told me about it so I was able to bring it up at the closing. She was totally busted.
By the way, miumiu –
If I lived out there I would be your nanny! I speak fluent French from growing up in Canada, and also some Czech and Polish and I understand Italian and Portuguese. Plus, I exercise every day and cook most of my meals. Do I qualify?
Love Milkster 🙂
About the unit in this profile, it’s grossly overpriced. There are plenty of comparable properties out there at half the price, half the assessment and half the tax. And yeah, it’s vintage but there’s nothing really remarkable about the place aside from the pocket doors. I’ve seen better in Rogers Park, actually.
There’s a reason why this place has been sitting on the market for 349 days. I feel bad for the owners. It’s a tough sell. The Holabird and Roche name means nothing to me. Nothing.
Jen –
I had to go to an ortho doctor for a sports-related back injury. He said posture is very important and a lady should always walk with her shoulders back and her breasts out, LOL. So just do that whatever you wear.
Milkster, you are way over qualified. I think given how much more common sense you have. I should work for you and learn.
Btw, I love Prague. It is like a Place from a fairy tale. Women are beautiful there too. All tall and slim. As for the breast out part, I say if you have it enjoy showing it off. I was so happy my first trimaster that I was in the league of the blessed but then my belly cut up…hehe
Very nice condo, with wonderful vintage detail, and an original.
LV might not have a factory in China but Coach does, and so do many other ‘luxury’ designers. Not all of course.
I spent some time in Italy, over four months. While that’s not long enough to say that I was resident of Italy, I do know enough that the average 20 or 30 something italian is an only child who lives at home with his parents and stays in college for a long time. They own a handful of fancy clothes but they too find a way to buy it off the rack. They’re not shopping in the designer stores off the Spanish Steps. Sort of like the 25 year old who drives a brand new mustang to impress the girls but lives in his parent’s basement. I’m just sayin’.
Yes- Coach has factories in China (which it is now in the process of moving to Vietnam because Chinese labor costs are rising too rapidly.)
Isn’t there like a 40% unemployment rate for those under 35 in Italy? I heard it was super high. Could explain the living at home with the parents part.
I wouldn’t consider Coach a luxury brand. Most truly high end luxury brands (Hermes, LV, Chanel) still produce their goods by hand in Europe.
Actually I am a big fan of Coach for their quality and customer service. They offer a lifetime warranty on goods and can repair anything for flat fee of only $20. One of my tote bags started to fray on the edge of the handles trim (this was my fault – I was carrying a bunch of textbooks in the bag for 2 years!) and Coach couldn’t repair it so they refunded me $400 I originally paid for the bag 2 or 3 years ago. This is something that worth premium for me and would never buy a knock off from a street vendor.
Coach is not a high street brand in my book either but they make nice bags for sure. It is definitely true that in other parts of the world often young people cannot afford to buy a house or move out without help from their parents. I often wonder if this is one of the reasons they spend more on clothing as they have no hope of say buying a home ever. But I think there is a real cultural difference factor too. I have 2 pairs of jeans which I wear for a while and then just give them away when fashion changes or they get old. I have couple of tshirts while my friends here run 2 or 3 loads of jeans or tshirts worth of laundry. I buy fewer items and don’t keep them for years in my closet unless they are very high quality or real classics.
“Most truly high end luxury brands (Hermes, LV, Chanel) still produce their goods by hand in Europe.”
They might but guess what? The Chinese have knock-offs. So you won’t know if that bag you see on someone is real or a knock off. It would require an expert to test threads likely.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jan/20/italys-mamma-boys-cant-cut-ties
Why Italy’s mamma’s boys can’t cut the ties
More than half of Italians aged 18 to 34 still live at home. One ‘bamboccione’ who lives with his parents explains why
More than 50% of Italians aged 18 to 34 still live at home with their parents. This state of affairs has prompted one minister to call for a new law forcing “bamboccioni” – mummies’ boys and girls – to leave the nest at 18. What does Maurizio Schiavi, a 36-year-old who lives with his parents in Rome, think?
If the minister knows how to pay for it, I’d welcome a law forbidding over-18s from staying at home. I’m a trained sound engineer. I’ve lived alone and abroad. I’ve been married and divorced. But here I am, back with my mother and father at age 36.
Like a lot of people in the music business, I’ve been hit by the recession. I’m short of work. In my industry, the state will pay 70% of my previous salary for six months. After that, nothing. Overall, the welfare payments are a fraction of what you get in the UK. We work. We pay our taxes. And then we’re left high and dry by the state when we need it. Italians have no option but to turn to the family.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Spain is not that much different:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/12/business/global/12youth.html
“Data from Eurostat, the European Union’s statistical agency, show Spain had a jobless rate of 40.5 percent in May for people under 25. That was the highest level among the 27 members of the European Union, far greater than the 9.4 percent in Germany in May and 19.7 percent in Britain in March. “
living with your parents sucks, I would rather die than do that, so would a lot of people I know
You guys have it all wrong – as someone who is half Italian (first generation) I have a better understanding of this situation – it is all cultural. It has nothing to do with the economy or being a “momma’s boy”. Families are tighter in europe and asia and they live together – have been for centuries. It is really only in the US (and a handful of other countries) where kids go out on their own at 18 and older parents are put in nursing homes.
Clio my husband is Italian, born and raised there until he was 28. You are right about the family structure being tighter, but there is definitely a financial component too. The young people cannot often afford to buy their own place.
Sonies I am with you on that. But, when there are no options people make do with what is available to them. Also Italian mothers are amazing, they cook like top chefs, run the house so well and adore their sons. My mother in law pampers us so much that I am willing to move in with her forget my husband : )
Down here it is practically unheard of for a kid from a good family to move out before they are married, girls 0%! But like my wife says, why would they. they have maids, and cooks, and drivers…
clio & miumiu: you should rent the movie Gomorrah (however the book is better and has more detail and CPL has it). Made in Italy still exists, they haven’t sent the luxury goods production to China. Maybe Coach does this, but they are a New York Jewish operation, not a “Made in Italy” label. Anyway, the Made in Italy stuff is contracted out to local manufacturers around Naples, these shops crank out the luxury/couture goods made by Italians who have skills. These businesses are run by Neapolitan organized crime. The book Gomorrah lays out what’s happening now: the Commora keep some of the manufactured goods for themselves and then they supply the illegal muglinan’ street vendors, often with the same goods, so whoever said some of the counterfeits can be of high quality, that’s sometimes true. Lately Chinese immigration into Italy has occurred (because liberals everywhere in the West love to destroy nationalities via multiculturalism) and Chinese sweatshops are being set up in Italy itself(!) to undercut the Commora pricing. See the movie…or better yet read the book.
awesome Dan… Stop globalization and market efficiencies and support your local mafia!
I have seen Gomorrah. It is an excellent movie.
Milkster –
Do some Googling on Holabird and Roche. They were part of the starchitect group from the late 19th century.
Hi Anonemoose –
I love and appreciate pre-war buildings. I feel sad whenever one is demolished. I will take your advice and Google because I love Chicago history.
However, like a genuine LV bag, I feel with this apartment you are paying a premium for the name and branding. You could buy an apartment of similar vintage and size in the same area and pay half the price and it would serve you just as well. That’s what I meant about the name being absolutely meaningless to me.
My boyfriend – lets just call him the Wolfman – was a stockbroker in Madrid for a few years. He said a large part of the problem is that it is not a meritocracy like the US, and that there’s a ton of nepotism involved when jobhunting. You have to know someone to get a job. Added to that, all menial jobs are held by foreigners, mostly from poor Spanish speaking countries like Ecuador or Bolivia or Mexico and there is zero social mobility for them. It’s a highly classist and prejudiced society. People are not career oriented. They work to live, not live to work. There’s much less opportunity. If you do find a job, you will be stuck there, and chances are it’s not something which excites you, so you don’t work that hard. One of the weirdest things he told me is that you have to include your photo on your resume. I was like I’ve never heard of that before!” He said “That’s because you’re American. It’s like that in all Latino countries.”
Ahah – got a better link for you, Milkster:
http://digital-libraries.saic.edu/cdm4/index_mqc.php?CISOROOT=/mqc
Scroll down to Holabird and Roche. You might recognize a lot of the buildings they designed. 🙂
If you’re interested in Chicago history, go read City of the Century if you haven’t already done so. You may want to skip the section that graphically details the workings of the slaughterhouse. Otherwise the book is a well-researched tome that takes the reader through from the founding of Chicago to the 1893 exposition.
As far as this building goes, it’s not so much the architect as it’s the location. Division and Astor is solid Gold Coast. That’s what drives the price. But I agree with you. Plenty of vintage to be had at lower prices elsewhere.
And a piece of trivia: The Gold Coast is built on a swamp. Potter Palmer filled it in and sold the lots to his wealthy friends. The high falutin’ residents are what gave the area its name. In fact, if you’re so inclined, you might want to trace Potter and his wife, Bertha Honore’. Two very fascinating characters that were highly influential in Chicago’s development.
Coach isn’t a true luxury brand. Not by a long shot! Perhaps it’s the fact that around here every 8 year old seems to be carrying one…
I give my kid whatever he needs above his earnings to make sure he stays in Los Angeles.