Near the Lake and the Park and Reduced Again: 552 W. Armitage in Lincoln Park
We last chattered about this 2-bedroom townhouse at 552 W. Armitage in Lincoln Park in May 2009.
See our prior chatter and pictures here.
It’s still on the market and has been reduced another $25,000. It is listed just $7,000 above the 2004 purchase price.
It has central air, outdoor space and deeded parking and is just a short stroll from both the Lake and Lincoln Park.
Check it out yourself this Sunday at the Open House: Aug 16, 12:30 to 2:30.
Matt Garrison at Coldwell Banker still has the listing. See more pictures here.
552 W. Armitage #1: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage listed, duplex
- Sold in September 2004 for $370,000
- Originally listed in June 2008 for $424,000
- Reduced a few times
- Was listed in May 2009 at $399,900 (parking space included)
- Reduced
- Currently listed at $374,900 (parking space included)
- Assessments of $140 a month
- Taxes of $3945
- Central Air
- Living room: 21×11
- Kitchen: 10×8
- Bedroom #1: 11×10
- Bedroom #2: 13×11
great loaction, great school district.
but it looks like the front door opens up to the street level on armitage? dont know if you would like that
I used to skateboard behind that fire dept, every skater knew it as the fire house, ahhh the good old days 🙂
Ick, from the outside, I thought it was some form of public housing.
Downside: it’s at street level. Upside: you could ollie right through the front door.
heheheheeheee, ollie through the front door, pricless 🙂
this would be a great place for two depaul students. or a single parent who will get a great school district close to work. its a great location.
it does look like public housing matt, and the street level thing too is what maybe hurting its sale?
Would it be possible to fence in the front yard too? Giving you space out there as well and maybe curtailing some of the fears of a first floor door?
http://imgprd.nrtwebservices.com/Chicago1/Properties/JPG_Main/850/807850_7.Jpg
methinks if you hold out a little bit longer this couple is going to get desperate to move their kid to the burbs.
a:
You going to post that comment again when this place sells?
Looks like a god awful townhome development in Carol Stream, IL… but its in LP, so it will sell. I’ve seen much worse at this price point, but these places are really small for the price.
#
anon (tfo) on August 14th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
a:
You going to post that comment again when this place sells?
Point out the fact that I’m right? Of course. They’re getting desperate. This is what happens when you meet some dumb broad with dreams of a giant house, minivan, 3 kids, a dog, and a white picket fence. I can smell his misery now. SMELL IT.
“Point out the fact that I’m right?”
Make sure you find out which suburb they buy in. Easy enough around here.
I looked at renting a similar unit right out of college. Me and my roomate couldn’t bring ourselves to do it. The whole development is an eyesore and doesnt look at all like Lincoln Park is supposed to. It looks similar to the public housing on North Ave. That being said, it is a great location and priced to accomodate the bad exterior.
ps:
(his) Parents appear to live in Glencoe. But then, he went to Ignatius, so there’s a chance they stay in the city.
Buffalo Grove is calling…
anon: your intertube skills continue to impress me.
He should have never knocked her up. Now he has to move from this cool pad in LP to a meaningless, vacuous existence in the burbs.
I think it sells at or near ask. It is a townhouse not a McCrapBox condo.
Nah, Sonies, he’s going back home to the north shore, at least that’s my guess. They usually do.
man you guys are harsh on new families flocking to the soulless suburbs
The suburbs aren’t all bad. Most suck, yeah, I grew up there, I should know, but a handful of places have some distinction, and if you can get a decent property with a decent lot in a decent burb for a decent price, I’m sure you too would consider living there: The north shore Evanston Oak Park Hinsdale Lake Forest Inverness Barrington maybe St. Charles/Geneva maybe floosmor/homewood But that’s about it.
I think I would kill myself before I lived in Palatine or Carol Stream or bridgeview or markham or skokie or naperville. I really would kill myself.
“I think I would kill myself before I lived in Palatine or Carol Stream or bridgeview or markham or skokie or naperville. I really would kill myself.”
I’m stronger than that. I would just cry myself to sleep each night.
The north shore
no
Evanston
maybe, but still a no
Oak Park
no
Hinsdale
hell no
Lake Forest
(see north shore)
Inverness
(see above)
Barrington
Dear god help me no
St. Charles/Geneva
gun to head please
floosmor/homewood
lol hell to the no
But that’s about it.
Yep, the suburbs pretty much completely suck. I know, I also grew up there and will never go back!
Glencoe used to have a kick ass video arcade downtown (26 yrs ago). And a Fitigues in the 90’s (maybe still). Not sure what now is there as far as shops etc.
i used to say the same things you guys would say about the burbs and when all, i mean seriously ALL my friends i grew up with and family flocked to the burbs i ribbed them good about abandoning the place where we grew up. city kid and always will be!
but now with the family, ummm…..well i have been battling the inner turmoil that has been pulling us towards the burbs. its so rough guys, its a rough battle 🙁
i live close to oak park and use all its wonderful amenities 🙂 but get the chicagos rough parks and schools 🙁
A nice crib on the north shore, off Sheridan road, with a wooded yard….come on…I know most of you would do it.
I hate yardwork and insects. No thanks.
hd,
yeah if you want to give me a home in the north shore off Sheridan with a private beach, i will take it!!!!!
but when you got that type of money you have a “in town”
Don’t know why defending my burb is even something I would choose to do, considering right now I’m out on my 30 acre farm in the driftless region of Wisconsin. Going from Naperville to farm is quite the culture shock.
But Naperville, yeah, whats so wrong with Naperville? Nice downtown, high end shops and restaurants, low taxes, beautiful historic district, McMansions, the riverwalk, top competetive schools for the pampered offspring, big homes for less than the north shore, mature landscaping in most of the subdivisions, great park district, good services, the ribfest, last fling, carillon concerts in the park, civil war reenactment at Naper Settlement, and on and on. All that good stuff, and less than 30 minute commute to Union Station.
What it doesn’t have, what I get at my farm, is privacy, creative space, natural beauty (the inside of my 120 year old barn is a work of art), and armageddon insurance(lol). I am thinking of all kinds of hobbies to pursue on my farm, from mushroom growing to alpaca raising. Last night we checked out chickens and pigs at the county fair while the kids rode the rides. They were one kid short of being able to enter the “catch a pig” contest, which was the main event of the evening.
But we still have Naperville, and I spend more than half my time there. I still have my Steppenwolf subscription, so I still have my Chicago ties. I just don’t understand what your problem is with Naperville, as a suburb.
homedelete:”I think I would kill myself before I lived in Palatine or Carol Stream or bridgeview or markham or skokie or naperville. I really would kill myself.”
i said this before so i will copy and paste
“i lived in Naperville for three months with a girl i dated, its beautiful there, extremely family oriented but by the third month i wanted to scratch my eyeballs with sand paper! but now having a family its looking more attractive.”
naperville is wonderful, riverwalk is beautiful, only a select few good places to eat, shopping is all right there, mature tree and landscaping is GREAT
but its “sterile” the people that lived there got on my nerves so much.
i still might end up there 🙁
hd–go ahead and end it all. it’s so much easier than finding a great deal in the handful of towns where you would buy.
While not entirely aware of the names of the various suburbs I have driven through, I do have to say there are some very beautiful homes located in a few of them. Most of the ones I liked (Itasca being one of them) are very peaceful and tranquil. If you took the $750k you need to gain entry in say, One Museum Park and bought a place there near a Metra station I don’t think most here would regret that decision.
Being a city boy all my life though, it would be very hard for me to make that move to the sticks. I think I might be willing to make that move to suburbia IF I were able to convince whoever would force me to do so that I would have to keep my places in NYC and Miami for weekend getaways…much like I am doing now.
All that aside, this is a rather boring place with not much to offer for that price. While it may get some househunting traffic, I don’t think it will be remembered enough to find a buyer.
The Museum Park complex is itself its own little suburb, complete with limited retail and no nightlife.
John 2: there are deal everywhere. Nowhere is immune.
Whats wrong with the Chicago burbs?
This is from a perspective of someone who didn’t grow up here and is a city dweller: the cost.
The Chicago burbs to me are perfectly substitutable with any other midwestern city’s burbs. It has the same driving culture (and lack thereof of culture in general) and its essentially the same lifestyle.
I live in the city for the lifestyle it affords me. I generally don’t have to drive and can walk or take public transit to most places I need.
If I were to abandon the city lifestyle for a suburb, it would be more within my means to spend 300k for a really nice house outside a city like Indianapolis or Cincinnati vs. 550k+ for the same house in a same boring suburb here.
The cities of Indianapolis or Cincinnati aren’t perfect substitutes for Chicago in terms of urban living. But the soulless suburbs are perfect substitutes. And no reason to pay double on housing just for the ability to take the Metra into town on weekends and walk around the Mag Mile like the obese fat tourists.
Oh and anybody who spends 750k for a condo in the Museum Park area is a fool. Those condos are going to be hit so hard its not even funny.
At least most buildings there have an indoor pool so the residents can practice swimming year round because they’ll need the skill: they’re going to be so far underwater scuba lessons might be needed.
why does everyone knock One Museum Park? i would think it would have some great views.
Groove77,
I’m sure One Museum Park is a nice place to live. However I’d rather pay $2500/month for a 2/2 to live there renting than to have a 750k mortgage.
Its full of speuvestors, just check out rentals in that building and the post here on them from awhile back.
me and the misses have been debating renting there for the spring and summer next year.
we have realized that we are stuck in our place in the hood for a few years and it would be nice to have a CHEAP place on the weekend with a view.
does anyone else know a cheaper place to rent with views? i havent found any yet?
i am hoping in feburary some of these flippers at this building will be desperate and i can haggle a sweet rent package.