How Long Do You Live in a Loft? A 1-Bedroom at 711 S. Dearborn in Printers Row
This 1-bedroom loft in the Donohue Building at 711 S. Dearborn in Printers Row just came on the market.
The Donohue Building is one of the original loft conversions in this neighborhood and is considered one of the top loft buildings in the city.
It has a timber and a concrete side. This loft is in the timber side.
The loft has 11 foot ceilings with exposed timber beams and exposed brick walls along with large, west facing industrial windows.
It has the original hardwood maple floors, which the listing says have been refinished.
The kitchen was renovated in 2016 by the prior owner. It has dark Thomasville solid hardwood stained maple soft close cabinets, quartz counter tops and LG and Kitchenmaid stainless steel appliances.
The listing says there is all new plumbing, wiring and a hot water heater.
There’s no central air, only window cooling units, but there is washer/dryer in the unit.
Parking is available to buy or rent in the building.
This is the 4th time this unit has been on the market in the last 5 years.
Is it hard to live in a loft for the long term?
Mary Gamber at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #406: 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 900 square feet (the 2016 listing said it was 875 square feet)
- Sold in August 1989 for $87,000
- Sold in July 1997 for $112,000
- Sold in February 1999 for $117,500
- Sold in April 2012 for $175,500
- Sold in July 2015 for $177,000
- Sold in November 2016 for $263,000
- Currently listed for $275,000
- Assessments of $528 a month (includes heat, security system, cable, exercise room, exterior maintenance, scavenger, snow removal)
- Taxes of $2939
- No central air- window units only
- Washer/Dryer in the unit
- No parking. Available to rent or buy in the neighborhood
- Bedroom: 13×12
I moved from a true timber loft into my current home. Lofts are romantic. Artists live in them in the movies. The hot sex scenes with the rain pouring down the windows always seem to happen in lofts, the lights of the city filtering in across the exposed brick. The reality? You can hear your neighbors having hot sex, peeing, or doing step aerobics, or talking to their mother in law on the phone. Everyday footsteps upstairs translate to a herd of elephants foraging for food. Cold in the winter. Hot in the summer. Beer pong parties on Tuesday nights. Boiling kale (or godknowswhat) wafting up from downstairs. Yeah, they photograph wonderfully – and thank Dog I’m out. I’m too old for that sh*t anymore.
Oh, sorry – to answer the question: 2 years to the day.
“thank Dog I’m out. I’m too old for that sh*t anymore.”
So too much Kale, not enough hot sex?
Sounds like any sort of condo/apartment living to be honest
It looks like this unit might have a concrete ceiling. I think that would help with the noise issue.
This place seems very overpriced though. If the assessments include heat, does that mean that you can’t control the temperature in your own unit? I could not cope with such a situation nor could I cope with not having parking.
On the other hand, I like this block. I like the restaurants and that the traffic is quiet. It’s also rather pretty.
I’m not sure I’d want to live on it with Kasey’s having a patio in the summer. I don’t have patience to listen to drunks. I also wouldn’t want to deal with the crowds of smokers who seem to need near continuous smoking breaks and will smoke directly below this unit.
“smokers who seem to need near continuous smoking breaks and will smoke directly below this unit.”
Tell me about it. I was at a rooftop bar that allowed smoking in a smoking section (which is like having a non-peeing section of a swimming pool).
It seems like each smoker took a turn smoking instead of, you know, all smoking all at once. And they were polite enough not to point their cigarette at the other smokers, instead pointing it away towards the non smokers.
“a rooftop bar that allowed smoking in a smoking section ”
Um, that’s illegal. Unless it is an area with no service:
“Unless an exemption contained in Section 035 of this chapter specifically applies, no person shall smoke in a public place or in any place of employment.”
““Place of employment” means any area under the control of a public or private employer that employees are required to enter, leave, or pass through during the course of employment.”
I lived in a loft for five years with my SO. I think an enclosed bedroom is a must to make it work. Our second bedroom wasn’t enclosed and we moved soon after our first was born.
“This place seems very overpriced though. If the assessments include heat, does that mean that you can’t control the temperature in your own unit?”
Not in my experience. Our association included heat and we could control the temperature.
rooftop bar that allowed smoking in a smoking section ”
Um, that’s illegal. Unless it is an area with no service:
In all fairness, it has been about 3 years since I have been on the rooftop as moose and squirrel prefer the downstairs.
https://g.co/kgs/uFhNYL
Contingent. Someone is looking for romance and hot sex.
I lived in my west loop loft for 13 years before moving out of Chicago. The previous owner installed dry wall over the timber ceiling. I lost the charm of the timber but had no issues with noise transfer or dust.
Maybe Chicago Dog’s loft was one of those cheap conversions with poor craftsmanship and materials? Or maybe I just got lucky.
Either way, never cooked kale in the unit but there were occasional episodes of hot sex.
“Contingent. Someone is looking for romance and hot sex.”
Lol!
Thanks for the update.