Looking for Pocket Doors? A 3-Bedroom at 1210 N. Astor in the Gold Coast
This 3-bedroom vintage unit at 1210 N. Astor in the Gold Coast just came on the market.
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 still has the original European style elevator.
That’s not your typical crown molding in the living/dining room. It’s over a half foot thick.
It also has 10.5 foot ceilings, curved walls and 3 fireplaces.
The kitchen has white custom Amish cabinets, a 4-burner Viking stove and Wolf, Subzero and Miele appliances.
The unit has the original 8 foot pocket doors. Why don’t builders put in pocket doors anymore?
It has space pak cooling but there is no washer/dryer in the unit.
There is no parking but it’s available for rent next door.
Before everyone complains about the HOAs, remember this building has just 14 units and has to be maintained.
At $699,900, is this unit a steal for the location and square footage?
Harry Maisel at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures and floor plan here.
Unit #4B: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1800 square feet
- Sold in December 1989 for $755,000
- Sold in April 1998 for $490,000
- Sold in November 1998 for $525,000
- Sold in August 2001 for $765,000
- Sold in December 2011 for $525,000
- Currently listed for $699,900
- Assessments of $2023 a month (includes heat, water, snow removal)
- Taxes of $14305
- Space pak cooling
- No in-unit washer/dryer
- No parking- but available to rent next door
- 3 fireplaces
- Bedroom #1: 17×17
- Bedroom #2: 15×13
- Bedroom #3: 13×11
Great looking place
The realtor get big props for actually including the floor plan, even though its detrimental to selling the space. Unfortunate that the 2nd bathroom is only accessible thru the 3rd bedroom
Assume the 3rd bedroom was the Maid/Nanny area back in the day
Does anyone care about Amish Cabinets?
OMG the assessments!
” Unfortunate that the 2nd bathroom is only accessible thru the 3rd bedroom”
Not the way I’m looking at the floor plan. It looks like you access it through the hallway that leads to the bathroom.
“Does anyone care about Amish Cabinets?”
I’m sure the Amish do
The place has potential. Most of the horrendous stuff (the light fixtures, decor, furniture, bathroom finishes) are not what the buyer pays for or could be easily updated.
I really dislike what they have done to the wood in the bedrooms. I guess restoring that would not come cheap.
Some other issues are high assessments and the fact that parking is rental and not in the same building.
If I were selling this, I would have made the place look its true charming vintage to at least lure buyers who are into that.
I do like this and agree that it is a good example of “Vintage meets Modern”.
it does suck that parking is next door and laundry is probably in the basement.
“European style elevator”
Pulled up and down by gypsies? A paternoster?
Is there a better than 1 in 1,000 chance that it is an elevator not made by Otis, with a car made locally in Chicago?
Prior CC on this building:
http://cribchatter.com/?p=16545
“Not the way I’m looking at the floor plan. It looks like you access it through the hallway that leads to the bathroom.”
OK, then, if that’s how you’re looking at it, the *first* bathroom is only accessible thru the 3d bedroom.
“it does suck that parking is next door and laundry is probably in the basement.”
What difference does it make when the owners will likely be paying someone else to do the laundry for them?
“What difference does it make when the owners will likely be paying someone else to do the laundry for them”
permit me to traipse down to my wine cellar and then beat my manservant for standing idly by while I am forced to commit the indignity of doing something for myself.
“OK, then, if that’s how you’re looking at it, the *first* bathroom is only accessible thru the 3d bedroom.”
well I really meant to take Floorplan Reading as an elective in college but they only offered it in the Fall and each year I had a full course load of required subjects.
“The unit has the original 8 foot pocket doors. Why don’t builders put in pocket doors anymore?”
They do, mostly for bathrooms and powder rooms though
I actually hate this version of vintage meets modern, it looks crappy having the shittly little white painted trim next to the big natural wood trim and doors.
Would either paint everything or strip everything in this place, what a disaster and hastily cobbled together mish mash of renovations.
sq. footage?
how much is rental parking next door?
can you put in a washer? maybe the low suds front loaders are ok now?
“Why don’t builders put in pocket doors anymore?”
Pocket doors over time will malfunction. I would also speculate they are more expensive to install.
Love this building..this is where I would want to live in the city. This is not the best side (tier??) of the building but its a nice unit. I agree that there is way too much painted wood and some of the finishes are bad. Concerning laundry, they have a laundry room with “professional,” machines that do laundry quickly and with only 14 units its not a huge problem.
Beautiful unit and great location but the lack of ensuite Master, no laundry, and sky high assessment really hurt this place imho.
I can’t imagine living without an in-unit washer/dryer or paying to park in a lot next door to where I live. Also, are those radiators?
The pricing history on this unit is really interesting.
“Would either paint everything or strip everything in this place, what a disaster and hastily cobbled together mish mash of renovations.”
would you really? I mean give the cost and level of effort to strip everything down wouldn’t you just live with the mixed mode instead of succumb to painting everything and losing what original woodwork could be saved?
If I had enough money to buy such a place I would probably not dare live in such squalor.
“Pocket doors over time will malfunction.”
Ours are 110 years old. With my luck, they’ll probably finally malfunction during our 2-7 year ownership of the house.
Nailed my one of my 60-year-old pocket doors open while hanging a picture. Other than that they work great!
Love the unit and the building, but not sure I’d want to pay that assessment. Worse than that is the tax, which is higher than what I pay for a single family on the North Shore.
Interesting that the servants’ quarters were on the top floor. I’ve heard of that in other buildings from the 19th century as well, including on East Lake Shore. I suppose that elevastors weren’t as reliable back then, so being higher up wasn’t necessarily an advantage. Or maybe there’s some other reason I don’t know about.
Interesting price history on this unit – I agree. I wonder if the 1989 number is a mistake. I was following Chicago real estate pretty closely back then, and this isn’t the type of place that would have gone for over $700,000 back then. At that time, $700,000 got you a really nice place in the new (in 1989) Bloomingdales building (900 N. Michigan), or a very substantial home on the North Shore – the type that now sell for $2 million. Even $500,000 for this would have been a stretch back then.
Heat rises so it was hot on top floors which is why servants were up there. The culture was not all about roof top decks back then. Most older buildings now don’t even have an elevator to the roof. What you do is take an elevator to the top floor, and then you have to walk the several staircases to get out to the roof top decks that they have now installed.