Live Among the Mansions on Astor for Less: 1450 N. Astor in the Gold Coast
This 2-bedroom unit at 1450 N. Astor in the Gold Coast is located on a street many people one day aspire to live on.
Filled with vintage mansions and elegant mid- and high-rise buildings, on Astor you can even hear the horse and carriages clattering through the neighborhood on a warm summer day.
But it doesn’t take big bucks to enjoy the block.
This unit is priced under $400,000 and has a split floor plan and plenty of space for a dining room table.
It also has a balcony from where the listing says you can see a glimpse of the lake.
There is no central air (only wall units- as the building was built in 1972) and there is no in-unit washer/dryer (it’s located on each floor though).
Parking is available for lease.
The unit has parquet floors in the living/dining rooms.
The kitchen has some stainless steel appliances and the bathrooms have been upgraded.
Victoria Amoroso at Baird & Warner has the listing. See more pictures (including the floorplan) here.
Unit #3C: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage listed
- I could not locate any original sale price
- Originally listed in December 2009 for $359,000
- Currently listed at $359,000
- Assessments of $568 a month (includes cable)
- Taxes of $3426
- Parking available for $100 to $150 a month
- No central air- only wall units
- No in-unit laundry- but it’s on every floor
- Bedroom #1: 15×12
- Bedroom #2: 11×14
I think you should distinguish between “window unit” AC and “wall unit” AC. They are worlds different–worlds. Window units have to be taken in and out with the seasons, and they interfere with views and window treatments. Such is not the case with the wall units this building has.
I genuinely prefer wall units even to central air, as they are more efficient.
I always wonder what “upgraded” really means in realtor speak. I’ve seen it used frequently to refer to cases where the kitchen or bathrooms have been upgraded since the building was built (ie built in 1960, upgraded in the 80’s, hence still outdated). Does it simply mean “not fully renovated in recent years”, but “not original”?
I agree, Kenworthey. I am not a huge fan of single zone CA in townhomes or SFH.
I really like this place. Great floorplan.
I really like this place but considering the amount of comparable condos in that price range, in that area, I would be scared to bite
Looks like someone is using this as an office currently
8 foot ceilings, no washer/dryer, no views, mid-block location with no amenities nearby within walking distance other than CVS and Division bars, and it’s like a cave/prison cell.
I would seriously consider a new unit, with downtown views, open and airy w/ more natural light, and a parking space, at that development at Division & Clybourn. Buy a vespa to skoot around the Gold Coast.
Is an Astor St. address that important? Who is that going to BS?
>
I guess those who believe the 3 most important things in real estate are…
“Is an Astor St. address that important? Who is that going to BS?”
Trixies, dude. Think of all the Trixies.
I looked at a unit in this building a couple years ago. If you’re looking for a peaceful block in the city, this is definitely it. It’s almost eerily quiet considering its proximity to Division. There is a great park for kids a block down, and Third Coast and the Pump Room are good breakfast options just around the corner.
I think this is a nice unit, and the fact that the laundry and storage are on the same floor is a big plus for me.
I seem to remember this is actually a co-op?
I lived on this block and found more amenities within walking distance than I have had in River North or Streeterville. Four grocery stores, all of the Old Town retail, etc.
Could this be the real reason behind the obesity epidemic? “Walkable” is defined by 1.5 blocks?
“I would seriously consider a new unit…at that development at Division & Clybourn”
Across from Seward Park? Are you kidding? You have to beat off the bums with a stick just to get in your front door. I don’t think a Dominicks being across the street is worth that much. Maybe when the last two Cabrini Green towers come down…
“It’s almost eerily quiet considering its proximity to Division.”
Division is half a mile away so I wouldn’t necessarily call it eerily quiet.
“I lived on this block and found more amenities within walking distance ”
Last I checked, the south end of Lincoln Park and the lake are still w/in 1.5 blocks of 1450 Astor, but I guess it *is* questionable whether those qualify as “amenities” on the level of a CVS or Walgreens.
I have family that lives on this block. You can walk to almost everything (Mich Ave, Wells Street, Lake, LP, Viagra Triangle), parking is pretty easy on the street, and the block is absolutely gorgeous with the mega mansions.
The only issue with the high rises over here is that your neighbors are probably going to be older… a lot of retired/sr. citizens in these buildings. The buildings are dated, but they are usually very solid HOAs with good reserves. The units are also typically larger than new stuff even if they are a bit dated.
You are definitely paying for location on arguably the most prestigious street in the city.
If those are amenities than so is a comparable location on the coast of Lake Superior. City folk like “urban” amenities more than they do nature.
“If those are amenities than so is a comparable location on the coast of Lake Superior. City folk like “urban” amenities more than they do nature.”
That’s a pretty broad brush you’re painting with there. Not that I entirely disagree, but being by the park and the lake is pretty great.
No in unit laundry, no central a/c, no parking. Epic fail at 360k & it needs to lop off another 100k.
“But it doesn’t take big bucks to enjoy the block.”
Where I come from 360k is big bucks. But I can see in this real estate bubble of gimmicky financing its easy to lose track of that. and believe its an appropriate price for a McCrapBox condo.
You ain’t in Kansas anymore, Bob.
Walking distance from this place:
Michigan Avenue
Wells Street/Old Town
Viagra Triangle
Lake
Lincoln Park
Sunny day you could walk all the way down to River North in like 20 minutes or so. Easy bus access on Clark Street too. This is a perfect place for someone without a car too.
A little dated and the lack of laundry is an issue, but overall not a bad place and the location is fantastic.
Russ: “Walking distance from this place:”
I hear that all that stuff is either (1) not really walking distance or (2) not really something that someone who would like to live in this sort of place would actaully care about. I can’t really imagine who would even want to live here.
My $820/mo rental has more modern amenities than this place (central air & parking). I would never live here unless it was free.
Oh yeah I can walk to Lincoln Park and Wrigley Field too in my $820/mo rental.
I guess my definition of walking distance is more than 1 block…
Having family on this block is nice because they have an extra parking spot that we use when we want to go to Wells, Michigan, Lake, etc. We park at their place and walk to those things… the street parking is also very easy too. You just need a parking pass after 6pm.
Bob,
I’ll bet you a donation to charity of winner’s choosing this closes for over 320 (I’ll throw in a deadline date if you want). What do you say? Friendly CC wager?
Bob on March 4th, 2010 at 1:47 pm
No in unit laundry, no central a/c, no parking. Epic fail at 360k & it needs to lop off another 100k.
I don’t doubt that somebody will pay $320k for this. I am just totally confused at their logic for doing so other than if they are anchoring to a bubbly prior sales price. No bet.
bob, there are flop houses in walking distance to a lot of stuff, but that doesn’t mean I would want to live in one. Nor would I want to live in a building with a bunch of drunk big 10 grads.
No one is arguing that the place isn’t dated or lacking the laundry/parking. However, the value is the location, decent space, and a phenomenal street.
This will close near ask imho.
Re: “Sunny day you could walk all the way down…..”
Yeah but most of the time Chicago is wet and cold and windy. Most “Astor Streeters” wouldn’t be caught dead walking under the urine-soaked tunnel to get to the Lake. They workout on treadmills somewhere, if at all.
The dog owners? Will they go to Lincoln Park and its cold, wet sod? Get their precious pooches’ feet all full of mud? Will an Astor Streeter walk to jungle Jewel and shop and walk home lugging shopping bags, getting harassed by 5 panhandlers along Division? No.
I could go on and on..
Let’s just say someone on Astor St. wants to use their car? It says the bldg. is self-park, that’s at least better than dealing with a valet and the waiting times. Get your car out, and you’re in traffic and density. I think if someone is going to live in a high-rise of this type, it would be better to be in River North where there actually amenities available. This Astor location is an isolated desert!
I also don’t see someone living here crossing all the way past LaSalle to get to Wells/Old Town either.
Retailers in commercial RE do “radius rings” 1,3,5 mile to determine population, demograhpics, competition, etc. and 1/2 of the subject location is water (lake michigan) which means despite the urban location, it has less amenities than a comparable location which has far more within a 1 miles radius.
PS I guess if one were going to be stuck in this area, perhaps a condo at 1150 N. LSD would at least provide better views. It has the same square-box, 8 ft. construction, and comparable prices.
Sales of “C” units in this building listed on Redfin:
11C, 11/25/09, $418K
9C, 3/27/08, $377K
14C, 12/12/07, $440K
15C, 10/1/07, $440K
7C, 8/30/07, $380K
8C, 4/4/07, $425K
6C, 3/21/05, $355K
12C, 8/20/03, $365K
5C, 8/8/02, $360K
16C, 6/19/01, $395K
The taxes seem cheap for a unit in the $400K-$500K range. Is this the latest tax bill?
I’m seeing tax bills that high for Rogers Park condos with 1100 sq ft, listed for $100K-$150K.
Those aren’t window (or through wall) a/c units. They are heat pumps. Which means electric heat, i.e. $$$$ for heating, since they tend not to work well below around 30 F (or some similar number). A friend of mine has them and their electric bills are astronomical in cold weather.
I have no idea what “amenities” aren’t available at this location. Been going to visit family on this street (literally next door to this building) for 10 years now and they walk to damn near everything imaginable. Had two cars when they bought the place and got rid of the 2nd. Catch bus to office in Loop or god forbid actually walk. Walk to Michigan Ave. Need groceries, hop over to Potash. Not too far by car to Super Whole Foods.
“PS I guess if one were going to be stuck in this area, perhaps a condo at 1150 N. LSD would at least provide better views. It has the same square-box, 8 ft. construction, and comparable prices.”
LOL…it’s the Gold Coast. It is the most expensive real estate in the city. I think plenty of people would be fine being “stuck in this area.”
Clearly Dan had a *bad* breakup with someone on Astor.
Thank you to all who pointed out this unit has “wall” cooling units and not “window” units (I had it as both in the original post.)
You are correct that there is a big difference between the two.
This unit has “wall” units. Sorry for any confusion.
Debate all you want about the quality, condition, or size of this place, along with its lack of w/d, etc. But are people actually arguing against the location? Seriously?
I can’t believe that Dan considers Lake Michigan to be a negative, limiting the number of “amenities” within a given radius. The idea that someone would prefer a treadmill to the Lakefront is preposterous.
I used to rent at 1150 N. LSD. I don’t miss it, for all the aforementioned reasons. The lake is bascially nothing positive for 7-8 months a year, the wind is worse than being on a North Sea oil platform, literally. I hated walking all the way to Clark to get to jungle Jewel, past the scummy bars and homeless, it was not a quick trip. It’s a pain to drive anywhere. The red line is also at Clark St. so it’s not that close to the lake or Astor. I never heard of people from that area “Walking over to Old Town” past LaSalle on Wells.
I guess another analogy on the Lake = deadness (most of the year) is would one rather live in the prison that is Lake Point Tower, or live somewhere like the Pinnacle which actually has neighborhood amenities in alll directions of the radius that one can walk to?
PS I never saw the Astor St. rich on the lakefront, nor in the urine-tunnel under LSD to get to the lake, nor did I see them at Jewel. I did see some older matrons standing outside in fur coats freezing as their little dogs did their business, but these ladies weren’t walking into Lincoln Park at North Ave. either.
danny,
If living close to the lake is such a valuable amenity how come there is so much vacant property and beaches around the Great Lakes?
I suspect there is more hot air generated about being close to the lake being so great than actually is expelled from joggers there. You can get a condo right on the beach up in Rogers Park danny for under 200k, if its so great you’re welcome to move up there.
I suspect the RE industry uses the lake as a selling point to people new to town who really have no clue that its basically useless half the year. As far as swimming goes its useless nine to ten months of the year.
When we bought we instructed the realtor that we did not want a condo with a lake view because we did not want look at a black hole at night. We much prefer the stunning nighttime urban view we have in River North.
I guess it all depends on personal values. For me, there is no other reason to live in the God-forsaken midwest other than the Lake. Everything else is butt ugly.
I currently live directly across from the beach in Evanston (I rent). I previously lived in a Rogers Park rental across from the beach. In the summer, I go swimming on most days. In the winter, I cross-country ski. All year round, I stare out my window at the lake. Sunrises are religious for me. I’d post some pictures if I could.
There is no way I could ever move back into the grid. I’ve been spoiled by the view.
When it comes to purchasing property, I’m looking at a beach-front SFH in the area of Kenosha to Racine.
To eaches own regarding the lake. I prefer to be along a river or near a forest preserve with flaura and fauna. Nothing better than looking out your window and seeing a hawk or a cardinal or a kestrel in your tree.
The River is cool too. I especially like some of the places in Ravenswood and near North Park U. with their own canoe launches.
There is quite a bit of nature to be found in Chicago where you least expect it. There are many natural areas near Lake Calumet and Wolf Lake (inside City limits). And the Indiana Dunes are world renown for the diversity of plant species. Much of the science of Ecology was formulated by University of Chicago Professor Henry Cowles back in 1899, from studies of plant communities in the Dunes.
Of course, you wouldn’t necessarily want to live there given the industry nearby.
http://www.redfin.com/search#lat=41.991203338836556&long=-87.76711463928223&market=chicago&sf=1,2,3,4&v=5&zoomLevel=14
I personally like this northwest area (even though some people on CC disparage it). It’s in the city limits, it’s close to miles of contiguous forest preserve along the river, it continues all the way up to the skokie lagoons and into the botanical gardens. It’s in between two major highways, a handful of metra stops, a couple of blue line stops, plenty of shopping nearby, it’s not the suburbs but it’s not the green zone, it’s close enough to downtown for a decent commute (driving, metra is 22 minutes or even El if necessary). Schools are an issue I think but there are plenty of private schools.
The thing I don’t like is that in the area shown on my computer screen (from the redfin link above) the median price is $429,000 with a median of 145 days on the market. Everybody and their grandma HELOC’d craploads of cash out of their home during the housing boom and now they’re trying to pay it all back and earn some profit to pay for retirement.
Thank you for bringing up Lake Calumet on the south side danny. There has been great pains taken to restore some of natural habitat down there and you can actually see prairie grass growing again. Amazing.
Take a ride down the river on the south side sometime. They are doing amazing things.
Isn’t there a new nature center down there as well? (for bird watching etc.?)
Yes (although still in development). It will be called the “Ford Calumet Environmental Center”. I actually worked for the City briefly at the end of the 1990s on this project.
Here is a link summarizing the project:
http://www.metropolismag.com/story/20040701/ford-calumet-environmental-center
Here is a link to a design competition that was held for the building:
http://www.architecture.org/BG/ford_port.html
Danny – Indiana’s wealthiest community is located right next to Cowles Bog and the Mittal (formerly Bethlehem) Steel Mill.
So I’m an Old Towner and I do walk to reverse at least into the Gold Coast area on the way to Michigan Ave, etc.
I can see people at this address going to reverse way to Old Town if they go beyond the Potash Bros and to the Treasure Island on Wells for groceries at least…
sorry meant “the reverse” instead of “to reverse”
“I can see people at this address going to reverse way to Old Town if they go beyond the Potash Bros and to the Treasure Island on Wells for groceries at least…”
The TI on Clark/Walton is a little closer, no? Is the Wells TI that much nicer? The parking *is* easier, but that’s a different issue.
Maybe.
I mapped the subject location (1450 N), and it is alot closer to North Ave. than Division (which is my history and bias, oops), so I suppose people might leave the Gold Coast and walk west to Old Town via North Ave.
I can tell you that NOBODY on the Gold Coast walks to Old Town/Wells St. from the Division St. side. You’d have to pass the Divison bars, the jungle Jewel, that busy/crappy/uninviting Domino’s Pizza intersection at LaSalle, etc. Nobody does it.
Not true. I live in the GC and I make that walk all the time. Big deal. The people watching is entertaining.
The time to see all the GCers on Division is Saturdays during the spring/summer/fall when the farmer’s market opens on Division from State to Clark. A very good market and another reason why 1450 N Astor is a convenient location.
“I can tell you that NOBODY on the Gold Coast walks to Old Town/Wells St. from the Division St. side.”
Who the hell would choose to walk on Division from Astor to OT, in any case, unless one were going to Glunz or OT Brasserie (and, even then, only if one lived v. close to or s of Division)? Both Goethe and Schiller are much more pleasant walking streets.
Regarding grocery stores, I would think if I were at 1400 n. astor
you go to Potash for distance (if its closest)
you go to TI for your Jewish European I am Trader Joes before there was Trader Joes
you go to Jewel on Clark and Division for your produce.
The Farmer’s market is AWESOME. so much better than the one on Armitage. and the one east of Clark towards the lake.
As stated before, I am in Old Town.
When going back and forth between the Mag Mile, I choose my streets depending on whether I want the quiet walk. Up down on State / Dearborn and through Schiller Goethe or if I want the action, the Jimmy Johns the bars etc and up down Rush Division and across on Wells.
You really have your choice.
The best stock-up grocery choice for those in the area without wheels (i.e., me) is Peapod. Also – Jewel has a Red Box. I’m not aware of any other RBs in the immediate area.
According to this Sun-Times article, the environmental center is an endangered species itself.
http://www.suntimes.com/business/roeder/4569275-452/jeanne-gangs-deal-to-build-environmental-research-center-wilts.html
probably unsurprising given our current climate, but a shame since it seemed like such a fantastic project and design.
Sabrina on March 7th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
Thank you for bringing up Lake Calumet on the south side danny. There has been great pains taken to restore some of natural habitat down there and you can actually see prairie grass growing again. Amazing.
Take a ride down the river on the south side sometime. They are doing amazing things.
Isn’t there a new nature center down there as well? (for bird watching etc.?)
45.
danny (lower case D) on March 7th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Yes (although still in development). It will be called the “Ford Calumet Environmental Center”. I actually worked for the City briefly at the end of the 1990s on this project.
Here is a link summarizing the project:
http://www.metropolismag.com/story/20040701/ford-calumet-environmental-center
Here is a link to a design competition that was held for the building:
http://www.architecture.org/BG/ford_port.html