Looking For a 6-Bedroom Renovated Vintage Queen Anne? 3500 N. Janssen in Southport
This 6-bedroom Queen Anne at 3500 N. Janssen in Southport has been on and off the market since May 2012.
It is located in a popular sub-section of Southport, near the Southport brown line stop and all the shops and restaurants.
However, it’s not in the coveted Blaine school district but is in Hamilton instead.
The listing says it has a “reconfigured” floor plan with a new kitchen, with white cabinets and upscale stainless appliances, new electrical, new plumbing and new HVAC.
Built in 1901, the 6400 square foot house is on an oversized 42×123 corner lot.
Four of the bedrooms are on the second floor, with one on the main floor and one on the lower level.
There’s also luxury extras like a wine cellar.
Originally listed at $2.95 million, it has been reduced $200,000 in the last year.
What’s holding this house back?
Jennifer Ames at Coldwell Banker has the listing. See the pictures here.
3500 N. Janssen: 6 bedrooms, 4 baths, 6400 square feet, 2 car garage
- Sold in October 1996 for $550,000
- Sold in April 1998 for $890,000
- Sold in August 2003 for $1.925 million
- Originally listed in May 2012 for $2.95 million
- Withdrawn in November 2012
- Re-listed in February 2013 for $2.75 million
- Currently still listed at $2.75 million
- Taxes of $17,130
- Central Air
- Bedroom #1: 17×15 (second floor)
- Bedroom #2: 14×11 (second floor)
- Bedroom #3: 14×11 (second floor)
- Bedroom #4: 12×11 (main floor)
- Bedroom #5: 11×8 (second floor)
- Bedroom #6: 12×17 (lower level)
- Media room: 16×25 (lower level)
Not sure I like the first floor layout. Seems like it’d live like a 3 br, with a couple of guest rooms.
I’ll take it for 125% of Assessed (market) Value ($947,200, to save anyone looking).
Oh man, this is incredible. If only I had the $$…
Perfect!
I’ve always loved this house and wondered what it was like inside.
I’d much rather have 2 of these than one of that maisonette duplex down on ELSD from yesterday
Location.
I am just thinking, who would the owners pal around with? At the 2.75M price point and in this neighborhood you are clearly the most expensive house on the block, surrounded by lots of multi-family units and lesser homes. (It appears most of the 2.5M sales appear north of Addison) If you took that same 2.75M and went to the North Shore (Kenilworth) you could be surrounded by homes of similar value with neighbors of similar economic means.
It is the different of living in a 2.75M cell in which there is little life outside your home, verse living in a 2.75M home is an affluent village. (I am making a generalization that the 2.75M home owner does not frequent the drunkenness that occurs on Southport and probably enjoys a bit more tranquility)
Love it.
Notclio is correct. Price and location. That price point gets you a similarly spectacular, frankly if not more so, in Kenilworth, Winnetka, etc. Granted your taxes would be $20-$30m more, but if you are buying a 6 BR presumably you have children and that money goes towards excellent public schools and actually saves you money vs. multiple private school tuitions in the city(where there are a dearth of spots available at said private schools.)
In some of the interior pictures, it looks like the furniture is photoshopped in. Is this the case or is it some crazy filter on the camera that makes the photos look like that?
“but if you are buying a 6 BR presumably you have children ”
One of whom sleeps in the basement, one b/t the kitchen and the main floor hall bath, and one in a glorified closet. The two favored children won’t wonder about their relative status.
“Granted your taxes would be $20-$30m more”
If this were “fairly” assessed after a sale for ~$2.5m, the taxes on *this* would be about $40k. Somewhat less than a ‘fairly’ assessed $2.5m homein K’worth or Winnetka, but not 1/2 to 2/3 less as now.
“I am just thinking, who would the owners pal around with? At the 2.75M price point and in this neighborhood you are clearly the most expensive house on the block, surrounded by lots of multi-family units and lesser homes.”
How is this any different than living in the penthouse of a highrise? My building consists of studio to 2-beds mostly in the $150k-400k range except for the top floor penthouse that once sold for $12 million.
Also:
“That price point gets you a similarly spectacular, frankly if not more so, in Kenilworth, Winnetka, etc.”
Meh. Really depends on what spectacle one is enamored of; I don’t think the similarly priced NT homes are more spectular, but would agree that, in a world of two choices to sink $2.5m+ into (this v. whatever you want to pick up there in the range), I’d pick the NT house, as they generally appear to have more ‘livable’ layouts for family living. Which, to my mind, is *less* ‘spectacular’.
“One of whom sleeps in the basement, one b/t the kitchen and the main floor hall bath, and one in a glorified closet. The two favored children won’t wonder about their relative status.”
those bedrooms are for the maid/butler and gardener.
“One of whom sleeps in the basement, one b/t the kitchen and the main floor hall bath, and one in a glorified closet. The two favored children won’t wonder about their relative status.”
or just do it brady bunch style, you know where only the oldest gets the preferred room (in the attic). so when greg goes to college marsha gets it.
Marsha Marsha Marsha!
What in the world are you people talking about??? This hood is filled with TONS of multi-million dollar single family homes. “Who would you pal around with?” How about your pals? My pals all don’t live within a block of me and we still hang out. Come on.
I love the sister home to this one, on the corner of Addison, I drive by it everyday and nearly everyday the little old lady who lives there is out there tending her gorgeous garden. She even does the little area at the very corner so she’s practically sitting on/in Addison weeding, you can tell she really loves what she’s doing.
I much prefer the location of this one, being on a much quieter corner than Addison… even if you are living amongst the lower classes. lol
Oh also, I wonder if taxes are so low because of some sort of historic reason? Because they are WAY low! Not to get into this same discussion again but these make no sense. I know people in a newer $1.5mil home that just had their’s reduced from $30K to high 20’s. And it’s smaller than this place.
I will never understand…
“but if you are buying a 6 BR presumably you have children”
I disagree. After 19 years of marriage, anything under 6,000 sq ft feels small.
“taxes are so low because of some sort of historic reason?”
Nothing noted on assessor site when I looked. They paid $30k before ’08 or so.
“In some of the interior pictures, it looks like the furniture is photoshopped in. Is this the case or is it some crazy filter on the camera that makes the photos look like that?”
It’s obvious that nobody lives here and it’s staged. I wonder what wine they used in staging that cellar? $5.99 yellow tail?
“I am just thinking, who would the owners pal around with? At the 2.75M price point and in this neighborhood you are clearly the most expensive house on the block, surrounded by lots of multi-family units and lesser homes.”
Wow. People here don’t go to Southport much, do they. It’s one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the city now. I would say it rivals many (but not all) parts of Lincoln Park. It doesn’t yet have a $4 million sale but with the $3 million sale last year to the Cubs GM, the $4 million level isn’t that far behind.
In addition to various Cubs employees, half of the Blackhawks live in this neighborhood.
“That price point gets you a similarly spectacular, frankly if not more so, in Kenilworth, Winnetka, etc.”
Someone who is actively looking at $3 million homes in the city is NOT also looking at a suburb 40 miles away (or Oak Brook or Hinsdale or Burr Ridge or wherever else you want to compare it to.)
It’s like apple and oranges.
If someone is looking at a $400,000 condo in Southport do you think, “gee, think of the bigger condo you can get in Winnetka for that”? Um…no.
If you’re a city buyer, you’re a city buyer. If you’re a suburban buyer, you’re a suburban buyer. Both are well aware of the pros and cons of buying in BOTH locations. Pulease. To compare it what you get at this price point with the suburbs is silly. This buyer is NOT looking in Winnetka.
I’ve been told (by someone who read this somewhere) that the Southport area (mostly west of Southport between Belmont and Irving Park, roughly) is the most affluent in the city now. I have no idea if this is true nor have I looked into the claim but it wouldn’t surprise me. I agree with Sabrina and TS, this area has blocks and blocks of mega-million homes and you are not on your own “rich island in the middle of nowhere” here.
I agree with Sabrina on this neighborhood begin very expensive. However, this is not a $3M place. I think ultimately it goes for $2.1M or so.
Ok that does it. I am officially tired of the dark wood floors with light tan walls and white cabinets in the kitchen. That look is officially over as of today. At one time I actually liked the light oak floors laid diagonally with maple cabinets and black granite counters. That ran it’s course around 2002 and now this look has clearly run it’s course as well.
Sabrina I know that you normally do not encourage decorating chatter however you were just talking about potential decor updates the other day on the streeterville penthouse. Therefore I ask the question. What should be the new trendy look for homes be in 2014? Give me your answers on the following basics and add any other must haves:
Wood floor colors?
Kitchen cabinet colors?
Wall paint colors?
Wallpaper themes (grass, floral, large prints)
Appliance look?
Countertops?
This place is amazing to look at from the outside, but it seems a bit underwhelming inside. Seems like a great place to live with two kids, and frequent sleepover guests. But for a two-child home – however stately and sprawling it might be – that carries a (closing) price tag of (likely well) over $2mm, I’d want it to be north of Division and south of Belmont (east of Broadway if north of Diversey, east of Halsted if north of Armitage, east of Larrabee if north of North, and east of Clark if north of Division). Otherwise, there are certainly some very attractive two-child homes on prime streets of Evanston and Wilmette (much less than 40 miles away).
“Kitchen cabinet colors?
…
Appliance look?
Countertops?”
Been asking that for at least 3 years here. We’ve (according to you) at least moved thru the one plausible (to me) answer to any of them (white cabinets). No one ever had a good answer for the others (that wasn’t solely the province of $200k kitchens).
So, any new stabs on a ‘upper middle’ (meaning something that ‘works’ cost-wise in a home any of us is likely to own, too) applicable answer?
“(much less than 40 miles away).”
Troll.
“We’ve (according to you) at least moved thru the one plausible (to me) answer to any of them (white cabinets).”
White or white-ish cabinets may not be cutting edge, but it is surely the current trendy (if that makes any sense) choice. Gotta think of renos being done now in a umc+ house that white is leading choice.
In the modern history of cabinets, has there ever been a phase where it’s anything other that (1) wood (or fake wood), (2) white, and (3) different colors (but with no one color particularly dominant).
As for appliances, don’t the fancy white and fancy black, in combo with stainless, seem likely to be main choices?
“(much less than 40 miles away).”
“Troll.”
I thought sabrina’s intiial mention of 40 miles was the trolling.
“I thought sabrina’s intiial mention of 40 miles was the trolling.”
I’ve come to gather that questioning/challenging anything Sabrina sez is trolling.
yeah yeah anonny we get it, you want to live in east lincoln park
the single greatest location to live on planet earth
“As for appliances, don’t the fancy white and fancy black, in combo with stainless, seem likely to be main choices?”
Those, and cabinet front, are about all there is, right?
“yeah yeah anonny we get it, you want to live in east lincoln park
the single greatest location to live on planet earth”
Don’t get him started on the lack of truly breathtaking natural wonders in CHicago, which wonders he will get to appreciate once he goes to live w his kids in college, after he finally gets them in latin/parker.
“the single greatest location to live on planet earth”
nono. merely the single best place to live in Chicago if you have young(ish) kid(s) and work in/near the loop for 60+ hours/week.
“yeah yeah anonny we get it, you want to live in east lincoln park”
I thought the parameters I set forth above encompassed LV, OTT and GC (not to mention sub-optimal areas of ELP)?
“Those, and cabinet front, are about all there is, right?”
Don’t you think that stainless will basically persist as main choice, w some use of white and black? There is no post-stainless default in e.g. the next 10 years.
What was the default umc+ fridge in e.g. 1985? Just a nice white fridge?
“Don’t you think that stainless will basically persist as main choice, w some use of white and black? There is no post-stainless default in e.g. the next 10 years.”
That’s been my view since I started commenting here. Many like to dispute it, but the best alternative offered up are ‘cabinet front’ and ‘carbon fiber’ and ‘glass’, none of which fly, imo.
” the default umc+ fridge in e.g. 1985?”
The relatively few UMC+ houses I can recall from that era had (not quite matchy-match) ‘cabinet’ fronts, black or almond (or sometimes other coordinating color) ‘nice’ (ie, with in-door ice dispenser) fridges.
Wood floor colors? Black Granite Floors
Kitchen cabinet colors? White
Wall paint colors? White
Wallpaper themes (grass, floral, large prints) .. Ze, no like wallpaper
Appliance look? Stainless Steel
Countertops? Black Granite
“I thought the parameters I set forth above encompassed LV, OTT and GC (not to mention sub-optimal areas of ELP)?”
To be honest I don’t read your posts if they are over two sentences long as I want to smash my head into my computer screen when I do
When I was buying my current condo (almost 10 years ago), the developer’s “design consultant” was trying to convince me to upgrade to thicker granite countertops with beveled edges. When I said that I didn’t really care enough to pay extra, she said that it would help my re-sale value. My response was ” by the time I sell this place, people won’t be impressed with those countertops; they’ll be saying, ‘hey, remember when granite countertops were stylish’.”
Well, I’m probably going to sell within the next year, and nothing has really displaced granite countertops at the top of the style heap.
“If you’re a city buyer, you’re a city buyer. If you’re a suburban buyer, you’re a suburban buyer.”
You’ve been pretty big on the generalizations lately. I don’t agree with most of them. Two years ago, we were considering Evanston/Wilmette/Winnetka until we finally stopped striking out in the city. I also know plenty of people who have gone back and forth (either actually, moving back or forth, or looking at both) between the city and the suburbs and other who see the benefits and detriments of both the city and the suburbs. It’s mostly the North Side (LP, LV, RV, Southport, some Lincoln Square) and River North / “New East Side” vs. the near North Shore. I also know a few people recently who sold their city places, thinking they were going to the suburbs, and decided to rent in the city or buy another place.
“Well, I’m probably going to sell within the next year, and nothing has really displaced granite countertops at the top of the style heap.”
Quartz is pretty close to it. I know several people, including myself, who have renovated their kitchens recently and not one has installed granite.
I’m not a fan of granite either, unless it’s honed or a sold color. I really like concrete, butcher block, quartz, and marble slab. There are others but I think the ubiquitous swirly patterned granite (in the brown/tan color family… gross) is so played out. I like white cabinets, I think they are classic and timeless. I really dislike cherry cabs just because everyone has them and I think they tend to look too traditional, for my taste at least. I think wood flooring will always be in because it’s classic. Just not ultra dark, although I like the look, I think it will be dated in a few years… just like the cherry/stainless combo and those god-awful vessel sinks! As far as appliances I think a commercial-style range in any color or just stainless, panel front dishwasher, and built-in counter depth fridge in stainless is best. Unless you can afford a SMEG, which if you can, you definitely should in any color you like!
Cherry cabinets are a safe neutral choice, because they’re in between the (light) maple and the (dark) espresso, which tend more to the extremes which can then be called “unfashionable”. Regular unstained oak floors never go in/out either.
I am a fan of Silestone over granite. Only that darkest of black granite has stood the test of time, and that always will imho.
I live next door to this house. It’s been on the market forever, and they don’t shovel their snow very well in the winter. I see people falling All. The. Time. You would think if you could afford to buy a multi-million dollar home you could hire someone to shovel your walk way.
TS Good comments on countertops. I like the concrete as well but only in some homes that can carry that theme. Butcher block is great in a piece of an island.
anon – I think that I stumbled upon another thread about this led by you previously. My habits here come and go based on how busy I am at work. Perhaps I have overlooked some other threads.
Still like stainless and on occasion I like the color accent Viking stoves. It is a rare occasion and has to be the right vibe in that home to carry it well. Most likely that would get old quickly.
We need a new trend on cabinets. SOON someone out there needs to create something really cool. And I am not just talking about putting up a sideways facing upper cabinet with a frosted glass panel.