Want to Live Among the Church Rafters? A 3-Bedroom at 1547 N. Leavitt in Wicker Park
This 3-bedroom top floor duplex unit at 1547 N. Leavitt in Wicker Park just came on the market.
This building is a former church that was converted to condos in 2004. It has 6 units and heated garage parking.
We’ve chattered about this building several times in the past but never about one of the top floor units.
This unit has unique slanted beam ceilings along with exposed brick.
The main level has the living room, dining room, kitchen and family room.
The kitchen has modern white cabinets, quartz counter tops and Bosch and Subzero appliances.
Two of the three bedrooms are also on the main level, including the master suite which has an en suite bathroom with marble tile.
The third bedroom is on the second level, which is accessed by a spiral staircase.
There’s also a full bathroom on the top floor along with a lofted area that is, I believe, the third bedroom but that could be used as an office or workshop etc.
This unit has all the features buyers look for including central air, washer/dryer in the unit and heated garage parking is included.
It also has additional storage in the building.
The listing doesn’t say anything about an elevator so presumably there isn’t one.
This is the first sale of this unit since the building was converted in 2004.
Will this church unit be under contract this week?
Kathryn Schrage at Redfin has the listing. See the pictures here.
You can also see it in person at the Open House on Saturday, June 1 from 12-2 PM.
Unit #3S: 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2100 square feet
- Sold in February 2004 for $460,500
- Currently listed at $699,900
- Assessments of $345 a month (includes parking and scavenger)
- Taxes of $14,868
- Central Air
- Washer/dryer in the unit
- Heated garage parking included
- Bedroom #1: 17×14 (main floor)
- Bedroom #2: 13×11 (main floor)
- Bedroom #3: 19×10 (second floor)
- Living room: 17×13 (main floor)
- Family room: 15×11 (main floor)
I suppose there is a market for a place like this.
I just feel like living here would be to constantly worry about tripping or hitting your head.
I love unique spaces, and I like seeing how people address the design challenges of a property like this.
This one has a lot of cool elements, but it’s not for me! I am nearing a claustrophobia-induced panic attack just looking at the pictures.
how hot must it be up there. the ceiling looks like its just the underside of the roof. no insulation.
The place is unique and the owners have good decorating taste, but it definitely is not for everyone. I mean, let’s call it what it is… living in an attic.
It doesn’t really have any true “windows” just the improvised sky lights. What is the situation with the insulation? It could get hot as mofo up there. This place looks like a no go for anyone over 5’8 with all the angled walls.
Question here: The pictures show uninsulated brick walls and uninsulated roof. In order to get a permit you need insulation, a lot of it now with stricter building codes. I here people all the time disappointed they cant have large expanses of exposed brick anymore, so what gives? Are these places done without permits or grandfathered? If done without permits is the new buyer responsible for upgrades like a buyer beware situation?
So, I’m sitting in the loft, watching tv, and need to go to the bathroom, which is on the same level, and 10 feet away, but requires going up 4 normal stairs and down 4 spiral stairs. Good times!
I would really like space like this in my house; I would really dislike all of my house being space like this.
@anon (tfo) – – don’t trip on the beams! You have to step over the beams on the second level.
This space is cute but not a 3BR. This is a 2BR with a loft for office / recreational use. Do not get drunk up there!
I am also thinking that in a heavy rain it would be loud as all git.
Agree, someone will buy it but it is definitely not for everyone. Wonder what the marketing time will be and hope they have fun moving all those books out of there 🙂
-current owners my guess are the ones who re-did the kitchen. No hood vent is a miss but guessing they couldn’t do much about that – – – really a developer miss. Vanities appear original. Perhaps they did the tub / shower surrounds? Anyhow, they dropped some coin but this is another example of why you do that stuff for yourself and not to make money on it. I am personally feeling that this place is over priced by about $100K at least, mainly since it is not in any way a true three bed and a family could not live here unless the children were grown or it was a divorced person who gets the kids on weekends (and the kids are grown). This is a place for a single or a couple who have a lot of couches and books.
I’m guessing that there is external insulation on the roof. But the city could have not inspected very thoroughly either – there are various exceptions and exemptions for historic or existing properties, but I’d still guess external insulation.
One of my friends bought a condo conversion (gut rehab) and there was no roof insulation – he was on the top floor. Twas’ miserable for him. Year round.
@anon – nah, you just slide under the beam!
I see why they did it because the spiral stairs hit right where the beam was, but really? was there nowhere else to put the spiral and avoid the beam?
“One of my friends bought a condo conversion (gut rehab) and there was no roof insulation – he was on the top floor. Twas’ miserable for him. Year round.”
I was wondering about the insulation too.
But these sellers have lived in this property for 15 years. If it’s “miserable”, you move. 15 years is a long time. This isn’t San Francisco or NY where you suffer because there aren’t many options.
The housing market recovered years ago from the bust. And this is a popular building. No reason to stick it out if it’s awful.
“No reason to stick it out if it’s awful”, But this could have been an investor property, or the owners took their baby and went suburban after a few years and rented the unit out. This home is probably staged, note white animal rug in the kitchen, rental quality bathroom. A youngish renter, roommates, would find this place unique and amazing. Now the sellers are divorcing or leaving Illinois for a job transfer and are liquidating.
“But this could have been an investor property, or the owners took their baby and went suburban after a few years and rented the unit out.”
For 15 years?
Does that look like renters furniture/belongings in there? It’s really easy to tell if you’ve looked at real estate in Chicago for any length of time. You can tell just by the type of couch in the living room and what is on the walls (sorry renters, you can.)
There’s also no history of it being rented out on the MLS. No reason they had to use the MLS, but in an upscale building, they usually do. And with just 6 units in this building, it’s unclear if they can even rent it out.
“But this could have been an investor property, or the owners took their baby and went suburban after a few years and rented the unit out.”
“Now the sellers are divorcing or leaving Illinois for a job transfer and are liquidating.”
All of those suppositions would appear to be incorrect, based on gthooi.