Looking For a 3-Bedroom Vintage Beauty Under $325,000? 647 W. Buena in Buena Park

This 3-bedroom at 647 W. Buena in the Buena Park neighborhood of Uptown has been on the market since October 2010.

647-w-buena.jpg

Built in 1910, the top floor unit has a dining room and a sun room.

The listing says the third bedroom was opened up but could be restored.

The unit has hardwood floors throughout.

The kitchen has been updated with stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops.

It has an in-unit washer/dryer but no central air (just window units.)

However, it does have a coveted deeded parking space- which is rare for vintage in this neighborhood and of this era.

I couldn’t find an original listing price- but it has been recently reduced $24,900 and is now listed just $20,000 above the 2004 purchase price.

In June, another top floor unit in the same complex, at 651 W. Buena #3E, sold for $295,000. But it did not have parking.

What will this unit ultimately sell for?

Thomas Sillitti at Baird & Warner has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #3E: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage listed

  • Sold in June 2004 for $305,000
  • Originally listed in October 2010
  • Was listed at $349,900 at one point
  • Reduced
  • Currently listed at $325,000 (parking included)
  • Assessments of $425 a month
  • Taxes of $4962
  • No central air- window unts
  • In-unit washer/dryer
  • Bedroom #1: 17×13
  • Bedroom #2: 14×13
  • Bedroom #3: 9×9 (opened up but could be restored)
  • Dining room: 17×13
  • Living room: 21×13
  • Kitchen: 14×9
  • Sunroom: 12×7

121 Responses to “Looking For a 3-Bedroom Vintage Beauty Under $325,000? 647 W. Buena in Buena Park”

  1. I don’t understand the floor plan. I wish it was included. The place looks pretty nice but again this is an example of a kitchen which is too modern for the unit.

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  2. Oh Uptown! Look at that beautiful mid-century soviet style building in the background. Yeah that’s not gonna give the new owner nightmares.

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  3. Deals like this only come around once in a while. I love this place.

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  4. HD go buy it then.

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  5. I love it, too. But the sunroom should not be the dining room, and looks like the dining room- which is quite large- is the family room.
    Got to be a better way to use the space. Love the quality of photos.
    How’s the neighborhood?

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  6. SoPoCo Lurker on July 22nd, 2011 at 6:50 am

    Last night two citizens were shot 3 blocks west of here. Welcome to uptown!

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  7. wonderful place, oddly placed furniture (new owners do a better job), but just a wonderful job with working with the old layout.

    but i shall call a foul on listing it as a 3bedroom. the price looks great if it was a really a 3 bedroom. just plain out false advertising. now that i know its really a two bedroom max one should pay is 275k.

    still a great urban starter home (starter homes dont exist anymore) but still a great home at 275k.

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  8. THEN MOVE TO NAPERVILLE WHERE THERE IS NO URBAN CRIME.

    “SoPoCo Lurker on July 22nd, 2011 at 6:50 am

    Last night two citizens were shot 3 blocks west of here. Welcome to uptown!”

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  9. SoPoCo Lurker on July 22nd, 2011 at 7:03 am

    DON’T PRICE YOUR PSEUDO-3BR LIKE IT’S IN THE GREEN ZONE WHEN IT’S NOT.

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  10. Bob: I already have my eye on something else is prospect heights.

    http://www.redfin.com/IL/Prospect-Heights/704-Galway-Dr-60070/home/13841364

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  11. $325,000 is not priced like it’s in Green Zone.

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  12. “Bob: I already have my eye on something else is prospect heights”

    Rule violation #37,

    thou shall not refer to any suburb other than Oak Park, Park ridge, Evanston, willmette, winnetka, Highland park, Glencoe

    exceptions to the rule;

    thou shall make a reference to
    *Palitine only to make fun of HD
    *all references to naperville shall be used in a derogatory manner and made extreme to piss of juliana (or some chick with the letter J)
    *OB/Hinsdale shall only be used to mock Clio, and to be used in a limited manner as Oak Brook sucks butt anyway.
    *Kenilworth may only be used to summon JMM or to mock OakBrook in a Clio mocking (one may substitute lake forest)
    *one may use montgomery or some crazy xburb in once a month to compare how shitye a WestLincolnPark townhome looks
    *schuamburger is only said out loud to emphasize the epicenter of all thats wrong with the burbs.

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  13. Does anyone else think the assessment is high? I live in a 3-bed in a six-flat from the same era and my assessment is $240-ish.

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  14. “schuamburger” is so depressing to me. Worst of all is that huge mall and terrible choice of restaurants. The only nearby decent place is Le Titi and even that one is not in schuamburger proper.

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  15. Very pretty, but I don’t like this neighborhood.

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  16. I used to babysit a kid in this building in 1984/85. This place looks a lot better than the one I was in back then. My memory of the building is that the apartments are somewhat cramped, which isn’t surprising considering when it was built. This condo looks pretty good. Nice renovation.

    The location is pretty good if you don’t need to have anywhere exciting to walk to within 5 minutes. You’re right off the lake, and the bus downtown is steps away. If you walk 10 minutes, you’re on Broadway in Lake View. But walk west from here and it’s kind of dull. Walk north from here and the neighborhood gets dicey quite fast.

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  17. Just had to share. I’m seriously missing beautiful, beachy Edgewater this morning. I just stepped outside by Port Authority in the 100 degree heat, and was hit in the face by a strong whiff of cheese…only I knew right away it was not a finely aged Gouda…but an overly-ripe person. I felt so ill, I didn’t even look around to see which person it was.

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  18. Thanks for explaining the layout JP, I was as confused as miu on that one! I like the place (other than the odd part of the kitchen behind the post) but I don’t see it going for over $300k without it appearing to have a proper dining room and having to “repair” the 3rd bedroom if you want it to truly be 3 bedrooms.

    Also, Groove good set of rules. I hadn’t even heard of Prospect Hieghts…

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  19. About this unit, I prefer Uptown north of Lawrence. However it’s quite nice by Marine Drive. Uptown in general has held its value and I don’t see deals there often. I think the apartment is nice but it’s not a deal and in this market, you want to buy a deal.

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  20. The post in the kitchen is awkward, but I think it’s a load-bearing beam so it cannot be removed.

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  21. WHY IS EVERYONE YELLING AT EACH OTHER TODAY?

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  22. Uptown has not held its value. We’ve got a 2 bedroom for sale in Uptown north of Lawrence. It’s listed for 90k less than what we paid for it (brand new) in 2005. We’re fortunate that we can afford to sell it and have already bought our new house. Every one of my neighbors is ready to move up, but they can’t afford to sell in the current market.

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  23. “thou shall not refer to any suburb other than Oak Park, Park ridge, Evanston, willmette, winnetka, Highland park, Glencoe”

    YOU FORGOT RIVER FOREST!

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  24. Bob 2 (Not Bob) on July 22nd, 2011 at 8:44 am

    Buena over there is a pretty chill and pretty street, not too much through traffic and got speed bumps. Not really the uptown that everyone fears.

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  25. “YOU FORGOT RIVER FOREST!”

    STOP YELLING!!!

    anywho, when one says Oak Park they mean OPRF its just annoying to say all of it.

    same goes for the reason behind chambana, is champaign/urbana really two towns?

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  26. “The post in the kitchen is awkward, but I think it’s a load-bearing beam so it cannot be removed.”

    Looks like the space behind the post is where the pantry used to be.

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  27. Re: the layout, I get the rooms but not their relative locations. A floor plan would be very helpful here.

    I believe this started out at 350. It’s actually been under contract once and fallen out (not sure why). Since then, they’ve lowered the price. Probably need to more.

    The neighborhood is very vertical — I think it’s less conducive to families, though obviously not for all. Narrow streets and tall buildings, not as many trees. Back when this area was cheap it was popular among LBGT and artists. Not so much anymore.

    Anyway,

    1) It’s really a 2br.

    2) The kitchen reno isn’t terrible but isn’t beautiful, and doesn’t overcome the very awkward, divided space.

    3) Taxes are high (almost 5k, and that includes the HO exemption)

    4) Gets a lot of noise from LSD

    5) The area is ok but lacks good retail and restaurants, other than TAC Quick. There is some good theater space.

    You’re not too far from the Sheridan red line stop (not extremely close, either), but have express buses that catch the drive @ IP. Close to Lycee, which is good if you want to go there but bad for traffic.

    No deck or yard, and little nice green space in the area other than the park by Disney (no good local school btw, but Disney could be a good option if you can get in and like the huge school with pods).

    It is right next to the underpass so easy access to the lakefront. Unfortunately, right here is the golf course (and not the entrance) so you have neither a lake view nor nice recreational space right here…you don’t have to walk too far either way to find it, though.

    Buena itself is pretty, but the area is declining in value. I mean, not as fast or hard as Sheridan Park (the other expensive part of Uptown), but then, what is?

    There have been some ill-advised, high-priced developments on Buena and Bittersweet that are sitting forever.

    My impression is that there are a lot of young Big-10-grad-type singles and couples here, many of whom are now looking to get out (and so are a few of the residents of the mansions over on Hutchinson)

    p.s. Madeline, does you assessment cover heat and contributions to a reserve fund?

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  28. “Close to Lycee, which is good if you want to go there but bad for traffic. ”

    That should be changing w/in 5 years, prolly less.

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  29. Good post, Roma. Your observations are interesting.

    I know one Hutchinson house is on the market (the one right on Marine Drive). Are any others? How is pricing?

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  30. There are two right at the end of the block. I seem to recall seeing more for sale but I’m either mistaken or they are off the market. There are a couple others on Hazel and Cullom.

    Pricing? Don’t seem like great value to me, but I don’t follow the million-plus market too carefully and I’m still quite bearish on Chicago RE.

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  31. Buena Park blows, I have friends that bought a place there in 2007 and I never visit, the street is always filled with shady mexicans from the apartment building across the street.

    They just had a kid and I really feel bad for them because when they were looking I was trying to be polite and tell them its not a good time to buy but didn’t tell them straight up not to buy and now they’re stuck in a nice 2/2 in a marginal hood.

    But hey they can bike to Wrigley field so its all ok right?

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  32. “But hey they can bike to Wrigley field so its all ok right?”

    sonies, thats why we are internet homies!!! thank you

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  33. It’s not a 3 bed if the 3rd bed isn’t a bedroom. Either restore it if it’s so easy, or change the listing. If that weird kitchen space was originally a pantry I think it was a huge mistake to tear it out. I’d much rather have less cabinets in the kitchen and have a large pantry.

    I don’t think this is going to sell above $250k, at least not for a while.

    So I can’t mention Lake Forest/Lake Bluff anymore?

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  34. you rang? too many naperthrill references slipping by. So yeah, keep the garage door closed at night and you are pretty safe here. HDs remark was prob meant as an insult, but rings true.

    “*all references to naperville shall be used in a derogatory manner and made extreme to piss of juliana (or some chick with the letter J)”

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  35. Overall a very nice place for the asking. I too am not very familiar with the area, so I cannot comment on that issue…thanks roma for clarifying for us. I’ve driven by a hundred times getting to a couple of north side projects but we really did not pay close attention to this area.
    The kitchen renovation was been done quite well. LOL @ miumiu for commmenting that it is ‘too modern’. I think it fits well for the space, esp being furnished as it is. Eliminating the pantry allowed the space to have a window and also added extra ‘open’ storage and counter space. I’ve seen many renos like this here in NYC, esp on the UWS where walls to the butler’s pantry were removed in favor of enlarging the kitchen space, which in most NY kitchens is almost a requirement. Most places here have MB closets larger than their kitchens. I’d use that support beam to hang my Calphalons. Great idea!
    Converting the 3rd bdrm into an office was also a great idea…what else could one do with a 9 x 9 room? Visually gives it more appeal and a more ‘upscale’ look.
    Utilizing the DR as a media room is a very practical set up and I have been seeing more of this practice lately. The target market (young professional singles or couples w/o kids) for a unit like this are moving away from traditional, more formal dining rooms. With the size of the LR, you could easily fit a small bistro table where the piano sits…or as these sellers have done, utilize the sunroom for your dining alcove. Use a counter height table and bar style seating and it looks great.
    Lastly, MAJOR kudos to the sellers for their fantastic taste (AD mags on the toilet tank) in decorating and furnishing their obviously well cared for home. Great to see sellers utilizing the common sense required to properly stage a unit.
    More kudos to the agent for the pro looking photos…although with a unit this nicely decorated it is probably hard to take bad photos.
    Good Luck to the sellers in finding a buyer! They have done an awesome job on all fronts…something that seems to be missing the lower the prices go in Chicagoland.

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  36. MY COMMENT WAS NOT MEANT AS AN INSULT. MURDERS AND SHOOTINGS HAPPEN IN THE CITY. LEAVE THE CITY IF YOU DON’T WANT TO LIVE NEAR SHOOTINGS. I’M SERIOUS.

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  37. “I’d much rather have less cabinets in the kitchen and have a large pantry. ”

    You’d be giving up the window in the kitchen, too.

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  38. (At least) 20% of the building are renters, and the 651 listing notes special assessments.

    250 seems too low to me, though 651 may be an outlier @ 295. You might be better off getting this for pennies and then redoing yourself:

    http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/703-W-Buena-Ave-60613/unit-2E/home/21822752

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  39. “anon (tfo) on July 22nd, 2011 at 10:18 am

    “I’d much rather have less cabinets in the kitchen and have a large pantry. ”
    You’d be giving up the window in the kitchen, too.”

    Perhaps I would have added some window panels to the wall that joined the kitchen along the top quarter of the wall, just to add some light. But I’ve spent the last 15 years living in tiny apartments and townhouses so maybe I’m used to a lack of windows!

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  40. @ westloopelo, so they had those back splashes in 1910?

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  41. westloopelo,

    dooode its friday i dont want to read that much, try breaking it up into three posts puleeease

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  42. “I’d use that support beam to hang my Calphalons. Great idea!”

    i know some people love hanging pots and pans, but i personally dislike the cluttered look it creates. to me the look belongs to a restaurants kitchen only.

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  43. @ miumiu, so if the backsplash was your problem, why not just say so. Saying the kitchen is too modern for the unit does not get your point across if all you are saying is the backsplash is out of place.

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  44. Groove,
    Read one paragraph.
    Go read a few of yesterday’s posts.
    Come back, read the second paragraph.
    Read some of clio’s “I hate CC now for being revealed for the real Clio I am so now ‘you’re an idiot’ posts.
    Come back and finish the last paragraph.
    Lather, rinse and repeat.

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  45. you are right. it was a bad way of putting it.

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  46. btw, what is appropriate? tiles maybe or just the wall?

    i understand that most folks including myself are not interior designers or architects, but if you have money hire one and if not, why not borrow an idea from all the nice design magazines and books rather than coming up with some bizarre concoction?

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  47. “…to me the look belongs to a restaurants kitchen only.”

    Really? I’ve been in a large number of restaurant kitchens and have yet to see pots and pans hanging anywhere. It would be too impractical and time consuming for restaurants to hang their pans between use. Most working kitchens have dozens that are constantly being used, then washed, then used, then washed…
    Perhaps you might be thinking of a realtor’s pictures when they state their listings have a ‘chef’s kitchen’.
    Huge difference.

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  48. I’ll generally leave the design comments to westloop et al, but in the pics at least, the backsplash and counters look like a terrible near-match clash.

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  49. I do have to agree with you regarding the back splash…it is overdone with small tiles. Perhaps if the size of each tile were larger…think subway tiles…it would be more appealing.
    Great idea, wrong choice of materials.

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  50. never been in a restaurant kitchen, but I have seen clutter in movies such as:

    http://wwwdelivery.superstock.com/WI/223/1557/PreviewComp/SuperStock_1557R-02479.jpg

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  51. I’m also not a pot hanger. I have a nice Calphalon set too, but I don’t want them out and cluttering the space. Most kitchens I’ve worked in kept them stacked, either over/under the stove or on shelving racks nearby. They would also get covered at night, something you probably couldn’t do if they were hanging.

    When it comes to backsplash tile, how do you choose the right color/style? My cabinets are a similar color to these, my granite is black with copper accents and my walls are a slate gray/brown color. I was leaning towards copper colored glass mosaic but I’m just not sure.

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  52. hate mini-tiles in kitchens – think of all that grease gathering in the grout. our granite just goes up the wall to the cabinets. easy to clean – no clashing colors/surfaces. i do love a good subway tile too, but would hate to clean the tiles near the stovetop. also like 8 or 10 inch slate tiles. slate goes with anything.

    nice unit, great street and neighborhood if you’re looking for a quiet retreat in the city.

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  53. Will any of these fit?

    http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://m01.cariblogger.com/2010/07/kitchen-backsplash-designs-51.jpg&imgrefurl=http://cariblogger.com/60-kitchen-backsplash-designs&usg=__SgdL54I2kR6Q-A8PHKKah2Pt8_s=&h=456&w=500&sz=178&hl=en&start=9&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=o3_y6f_addXamM:&tbnh=119&tbnw=130&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dbacksplash%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26tbm%3Disch&ei=fbwpTqWdEsuhtwe_863XAg

    Personally, I prefer the bland ones more than the very colorful that have a fiesta going on : )

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  54. gringozecarioca on July 22nd, 2011 at 12:22 pm

    You can hang pots without question if you have the farmhouse country thing going and then they must be copper. From there it’s kinda tough, sometimes goes, sometimes awful.

    And I am sorry. All Clad.

    “hate mini-tiles in kitchens -” sealant or occasional spray with bleach but I agree that for someone who cooks a lot, way to much trouble.

    A-Moo? Slate floor or backsplash? I’m thinking of doing a slate floor shortly. Either that or poured concrete with something like 1 inch wide wood laid into it to create a grout effect, and maybe some antique tiles interspersed into it too.

    Although I passed the idea, 2 days ago, onto the wife about building a new contemporary home, and she didn’t give me any bad look or the standard “Ai, do I ever get to have peeeze with you”

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  55. “You can hang pots without question if you have the farmhouse country thing going and then they must be copper. From there it’s kinda tough, sometimes goes, sometimes awful”

    gosh my parents hang the fricken copper pots/pans and they have never used them to cook. yet every 2-3 months there my mom is cleaning the tarnish and my dad cleaning the copper hanging light fixture thing in the kitchen.

    I am all for hanging pots and pans when space is limited and access is easy, but why my parents hang it for decoration is beyond my limited brain capacity.

    in my life i have seen my mom and aunts run out of pots while making a holiday meal, yet no one grabs the copper ones but will call somebody to borrow theirs to finish

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  56. gringozecarioca on July 22nd, 2011 at 12:39 pm

    “in my life i have seen my mom and aunts run out of pots while making a holiday meal, yet no one grabs the copper ones but will call somebody to borrow theirs to finish”

    That’s great! They are a bitch to keep. Slowly build the All-Clad set if that’s the only way you can do it, but they will outlast you by a long long time. I’m going to raffle mine off at my funeral. Oh that’s awesome!! Last will and testament gets ripped up tomorrow! I’m having a raffle!!!

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  57. “Slowly build the All-Clad set if that’s the only way you can do it”

    http://www.cookwarenmore.com/

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  58. “Last will and testament gets ripped up tomorrow! I’m having a raffle!!!”

    there is know way i could get through a shift without you man! keep em coming 🙂

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  59. ““Slowly build the All-Clad set if that’s the only way you can do it””

    Now that someone else said it, I’ll third the motion.

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  60. “And I am sorry. All Clad.”

    It’s one of the few quality things we still make!

    I’m a fan, although I really like cooking with cast iron.

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  61. gringozecarioca on July 22nd, 2011 at 1:00 pm

    “there is know way i could get through a shift without you man! keep em coming ”

    No seriously, I’m dead!! Who cares! I love the idea!!!! It’s not mean spirited I screw over the whole family that’s been waiting patiently for me to die. It’s in the name of fun! Not like Jack Kent Cooke who had to have been the most evil son of a bitch father in the world.

    Nah I’m thinkin more on the lines of a Howard Marshall, that was poetic!! I mean to pick a chick that, even I, wouldn’t waste my piss on her rotting corpse.

    oh and as for houses and houseware… the first All-Clad I ever bought was the lower Masterpiece series, still works like a charm almost 2 decades later. Tell ya, got an affinity for a really nice well kept cast iron, too. Le Creuset, much easier though.

    Good cookware is one of the few things truly worth every penny.

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  62. I love my calphalon copper bottom set but no way I would keep them hanging over my kitchen, mocking me for I am too lazy to polish them because, really… whats the point when one use they are gonna get dirty lookin again thanks to my gas stove

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  63. “Slowly build the All-Clad set if that’s the only way you can do it”
    “Now that someone else said it, I’ll third the motion.”
    “I’m a fan, although I really like cooking with cast iron.”

    Yeah, I think though that you really only “need” a couple pieces of all clad, a frypan or two and a deep saute pan. Maybe a roasting pan and stockpot if you want to be fancy though the performance benefits of those (for the way we cook) are marginal. Fill out with cast iron, le creuset style pot, and cheapish (essentially disposable) non-stick frypans.

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  64. I leave for two hours and the discussion turns to All-Clad cooking pots? WTF and I get bitched at because I say I actually like a property? Is this is real estate blog or an AOL chat room?

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  65. gringozecarioca on July 22nd, 2011 at 1:12 pm

    DZ.. ya gotta throw in the butter warmer. It’s practically a give away piece and chicks always seem to dig it. 🙂

    Anyone have a recommendation on a roasting rack? I would love more of a flat bottom with a little turn up on the sides as opposed to a more v shaped one. In need of a new one next time I get back to the states.

    And the All Clad roasting pan is great too, but definitely $$ if you don’t use it much.

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  66. This is the fricken hen house in here.

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  67. ya gotta throw in the butter warmer. It’s practically a give away piece and chicks always seem to dig it.”

    Dunno about the butter warmer and such, but yeah I forgot a small saucepan is worth it too.

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  68. “This is the fricken hen house in here.”

    Did you know that Chris M actually has a hen house? On property that he owns (there! back to to real estate).

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  69. gringozecarioca on July 22nd, 2011 at 1:17 pm

    “This is the fricken hen house in here.”

    Well I’ll make it quieter for a bit, need to take a walk, all weed – no flame. 🙁

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  70. “an AOL chat room”

    What’s an “AOL”?

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  71. “I would love more of a flat bottom with a little turn up on the sides ”

    Have one. May have two. Will check and let you know. Can’t recall where they came fro, tho.

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  72. ” I’m having a raffle!!!”

    Damn I wanted to do a raffle with my shoes. Now it will look as if I copied you!

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  73. gringozecarioca on July 22nd, 2011 at 1:27 pm

    had a non-stick and just fell apart. absolutely disgusting to use and clean, once it started.

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  74. “Did you know that Chris M actually has a hen house? On property that he owns (there! back to to real estate).”

    Yes, it’s true. If you include new hen houses in the housing starts figure, the current real estate market might not look so bad.

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  75. ““This is the fricken hen house in here.”
    Did you know that Chris M actually has a hen house? On property that he owns (there! back to to real estate).”

    LMAO…This thread is surreal.
    Folks on CC are colorful: Chris M had a hen house, Ze has cows. Anyone else care to report on what other kind of beast they are rearing?

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  76. Chris M – at the very bottom of the Avondale house thread, I mentioned a little place on Belmont where you can buy pet chicks. Sorry I can’t remember the exact location, but it’s somewhere between Kimball and Rockwell on the north side of Belmont. I love pet chickens!

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  77. BTW, talking about kitchenware. I cannot live without my Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker. It rocks.

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  78. Miu, my boyfriend is the Wolfman! He is much younger, so sometimes he likes to joke that I am raising him.

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  79. My sister has friends that raise chickens and then have chicken slaughter parties… what a bunch of sick hipster fuckheads

    honestly

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  80. “Chris M – at the very bottom of the Avondale house thread, I mentioned a little place on Belmont where you can buy pet chicks. Sorry I can’t remember the exact location, but it’s somewhere between Kimball and Rockwell on the north side of Belmont. I love pet chickens!”

    Belmont Feed & Sees, I believe.

    “BTW, talking about kitchenware. I cannot live without my Kuhn Rikon pressure cooker. It rocks.”

    Agreed. We have one and use it almost every day, particuarly to make baby food, beans/rice, and very good risotto.

    “My sister has friends that raise chickens and then have chicken slaughter parties… what a bunch of sick hipster fuckheads”

    That’s not us. We’re doing it for the eggs (obviously) and the experience. And I think our daughter and all the other babies on the block will love it and come to appreicate the source of their food.

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  81. My sister bought a house that had a rooster…..luckily the nasty rooster house was gone when they moved in…not sure what happened to it though.

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  82. gringozecarioca on July 22nd, 2011 at 2:04 pm

    Chris… do everything you can to get them lawn clippings, will do things to those eggs that you have never seen before.

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  83. Only a cat for us. And a 30lb 1 year old – does he count?!

    Love the Le Creuset but it’s expensive. Ze I have a “Bialetti” roasting pan with a rack like you’re describing – it was somewhat cheap but it’s held up great so far. It looks exactly like the Calphalon one, but doesn’t cost as much.

    I haven’t bought a pressure cooker yet. Not really felt the need. I make my risotto the old fashioned way, I can’t imagine making it any other way. I do have a slow cooker though, I make pulled barbecue chicken in it.

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  84. There’s a Le Crueset outlet in Michigan City IN. Also you can find both them and the occasional All-Clad/Staub/Mauviel at TJ Maxx/Marshalls for good prices.

    Anonemoose: oh my god.

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  85. “That way you can bring your chooks into the house and not worry about them crapping all over the furniture.”

    Man, I’m speechless.

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  86. “There’s a Le Crueset outlet in Michigan City IN. Also you can find both them and the occasional All-Clad/Staub/Mauviel at TJ Maxx/Marshalls for good prices.”

    I’ve heard some of the cheaper le creuset knockoffs (e.g. at target) are decent quality. Have had all the pieces I’ve needed for a while so haven’t really investigated. The “seconds” website for all clad I linked to above has good prices, especially during certain times when they have additional discounts.

    “had a non-stick and just fell apart. absolutely disgusting to use and clean, once it started.”

    Really impossible to make non stick that lasts. I’m sure all clad would replace under warranty, but that’s a pain in the ass. Easier to buy cheap and treat as disposable.

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  87. gringozecarioca on July 22nd, 2011 at 2:33 pm

    Thanks Jen. I’m kind of trying to get a feel for surface type that clean well and something I can drop at least 2-3 racks of baby backs on, and keep them flat.. Other than that the thing kind of just doesn’t do very much.

    People in South America seem to love the pressure cooker, particularly for beans. I refuse to touch one.

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  88. gringozecarioca on July 22nd, 2011 at 2:37 pm

    “The “seconds” website for all clad I linked to above has good prices”

    Awesome, 6-qt saucepan on sale $141.. shipping to Brazil – $743.

    Thanks asshole! 🙂

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  89. “I’m kind of trying to get a feel for surface type that clean well and something I can drop at least 2-3 racks of baby backs on, and keep them flat..”

    Can’t you just crumple up some pieces of tin foil? Racks are pain to clean.

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  90. gringozecarioca on July 22nd, 2011 at 2:41 pm

    DZ.. In all honesty. I have this Kitchen Aid Mixer… Maybe $400 or so Cost in a store down here i’ve seen once or twice for $2,000+. You should see what I unpack/ re-pack and haul down through customs.

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  91. gringozecarioca on July 22nd, 2011 at 2:42 pm

    “Can’t you just crumple up some pieces of tin foil? Racks are pain to clean.”

    Add I bring a roll or two of Reynolds with me. Stuff down here is paper thin. That stuff to me is gold!!! But fantastic idea!

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  92. Oh man. The Wolfman told me once that the best type of man for a woman to have is a “domesticated pig”. I don’t know if any of you guys were ever pigs, but you are very, VERY domesticated, LOLZ!

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  93. “6-qt saucepan on sale $141.. shipping to Brazil – $743.”

    Invariably, what my wife wants to buy is only available out of country. Haven’t had a $600 shipping bill yet though.

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  94. “There’s a Le Crueset outlet in Michigan City IN”

    There is one near Dayton OH too and the outlet also has Northface. I was visiting the WPAFB one summer and that outlet was the only thing that kept me alive.

    @ Milkester…lol at the pig comment. Unfortunately most women get the pig part of wolfman’s recommendation. CC guys are the better half : ) Oh and women have a longer life expectancy so it is better to date younger guys.

    @ Jennifer, 30 lbs? That is so chubby. What are you feeding him? Miracle grow? ; )

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  95. “occasional All-Clad/Staub/Mauviel at TJ Maxx/Marshalls for good prices.”

    True and you can also find Le Crueset. Sonoma’s often has sales for All-Clad too. I don’t own one, but next time I see one at TJ, will grab it after all the praise I read about it.

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  96. ““occasional All-Clad/Staub/Mauviel at TJ Maxx/Marshalls for good prices.””

    Also occasionally on Amazon, esp wrt Staub, in “last year’s” colors.

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  97. please post when there’s a screaming deal on a Staub dutch oven on Amazon!

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  98. “please post when there’s a screaming deal on a Staub dutch oven on Amazon!”

    Which size?

    I just looked it up and we got an 8 qt for $130 a couple years ago.

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  99. Chris M and roma –

    Chooks are actually fun to have as pets. Lots of personality. They’ll come running to greet you like a dog, no joke.

    Just make sure to get hens. Roos suck.

    One of the funniest threads about chickens I’ve ever read: http://www.ultimatedressage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=197757&start=0&hilit=silkie

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  100. I’ve heard good things about the Martha Stewart enameled cast iron at Macys. They have some amazing prices, but I just don’t have the space for any more right now.

    Miu the outlet area in Pleasant Prairie, WI has both a Le Creuset and a North Face outlet. They also have Cole Haan, Restoration Hardware and Calphalon. It’s kind of under the radar for Chicago residents, not sure why. Wave on your way past the town that shan’t be named (rule 3?) if you go sometime!

    I confess that my son is almost 15 months now, but yes 30lbs is a lot. He’s not chubby though, amazingly, because he’s just as tall.

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  101. Rule 37, sorry.

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  102. that’s a hell of a deal.

    probably a 5-qt or so would get more use for us

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  103. btw, sometimes smartbargains has good deals too and the outlet I was talking about is:
    http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/store_listing.asp?id=79

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  104. thanks Jennifer. Added it to my outlet list : ) deux deux is 5.5 kg and is not 2 month yet. he has a double chin now : )

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  105. Got me some guinea fowl in my bizarro world other life. Fascinating barnyard friends. Also checked out some goats at the county fair today to help keep my pastures from becoming wild jungles.

    Kind of late to the show here, but I am so glad my other home has a gas stove where I can use my Griswold #8 cast iron skillet. Best nonstick surface ever.

    “Folks on CC are colorful: Chris M had a hen house, Ze has cows. Anyone else care to report on what other kind of beast they are rearing?”

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  106. Putting in a plug for the Wilton Tent Sale (every June in Woodridge), the Le Creuset outlet, and All Clad MC2. Wilton owns Copco, which makes the Mario Batali enameled cast iron. It’s either unmarked as such or has a small M on the knobs so the branding is not too bad, but it’s great quality esp for 75% off. There are all kinds of fun cooking and of course baking/cake/kids party things there at huge discounts. Got some nice, heavy half sheet pans for, I think, $4 each this year. If anyone’s a crafter, Wilton also owns a bunch of paper crafting companies, including the folks that make the Martha Stewart craft stuff. I *love* the tent sale, although people can be a little (OK a lot) crazy right at the beginning when it’s also pretty hard to park due to aforeseaid overzealous tent sale shoppers.

    The best time of year for the Le Creuset outlet is January right after new years.

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  107. BTW, a few weeks ago while doing high end diaper shopping at costco, I think I saw they had a set of All-clad for sale but did not look at the price as I was not interested in it.

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  108. “BTW, a few weeks ago while doing high end diaper shopping at costco, I think I saw they had a set of All-clad for sale but did not look at the price as I was not interested in it.”

    They did, but I didnt check the price as too much overlap. Might still be there.

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  109. “BTW, a few weeks ago while doing high end diaper shopping at costco, I think I saw they had a set of All-clad for sale but did not look at the price as I was not interested in it.”
    “They did, but I didnt check the price as too much overlap. Might still be there.”

    I tend to think getting “seconds” (with cosmetic blemishes that will be indistinguishable from firsts after prob one use) is better deal, unless you really want just about every item in a set.

    Also, what is “high end” diaper shopping. High volume? I don’t miss buying diapers much. Found amazon more convenient, get it shipped to door, similar maybe better price.

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  110. lol…was just making fun of buying the coctco brand. They are much cheaper yet work very well : )

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  111. “Found amazon more convenient, get it shipped to door, similar maybe better price.”

    mm–if you sign up for subscribe and save with Amazon, the diapers are *very* cheap compared to any other outlet.

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  112. @ anon, wow…just checked it out. It is a pretty cool feature. Thanks!

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  113. “if you sign up for subscribe and save with Amazon, the diapers are *very* cheap compared to any other outlet.”
    “wow…just checked it out. It is a pretty cool feature. Thanks!”

    There’s an additional discount if you join the “amazon mom” program. No fee for joining (at least when we signed up) and other benefits.

    “lol…was just making fun of buying the coctco brand. They are much cheaper yet work very well : )”

    I see. I don’t particularly think of costo/kirkland as “low end” at least as compared with huggies/pampers or other mass market products.

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  114. The second best thing about Amazon Mom is Amazon Prime, which you can get for free so long as you are still buying diapers. I think the cloth diapers we use might be high end at $20 a piece. But they pay for themselves very quickly.

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  115. Thanks for the advice all. I am planning to switch to cloth diapers in a month or so too. Any recommendation on the brand?

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  116. Down to 310k. Is the bottom in for this place’s listing history? Story at 11.

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  117. No, bottom was not in. Under contract at 299k. Probably still too expensive but at least not absurd.

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  118. We’ve been doing cloth and disposable. I’ve grown to hate the cloth diapers–it’s such a mess to clean up and I really question how “green” it is given all the water necessary to get them clean again. We tried Bum Genius and Fuzzibunz. Bum Genius is better between the two but, again, I highly recommend not using them. Especially if both parents are working–you’ll never have time to keep up with them.

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  119. And Amazon phased out free Amazon Prime for Amazon Mom a month or so ago.

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  120. Hah–I just realized that the diaper conversation happened 7 months ago…

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  121. For those who got shut out of Prime with their Amazon Mom, you can get another free year with Amazon student (just need an .edu email account).

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