Crib Chatter

This 3-bedroom in the City Centre Club at 212 W. Washington in the Loop came on the market in September 2020.

Built in 1913, this building was originally the home of the Illinois Bell Telephone Company.

It was converted into 183 condo units in 2000. It’s a full service building with a doorman, fitness center, sundeck and parking garage.

This unit is a corner unit with South and West exposures.

The listing says it was “completely renovated” in 2019.

It has a new “Chef’s kitchen” with what look like gray cabinets, a pantry and wine bar, an island with quartz counter tops and stainless steel appliances.

All 3 bedrooms are fully enclosed. Two of them have windows but the third doesn’t appear to.

The primary bedroom has a walk-in closet and a spa-like en suite bathroom with white Carrera marble, an RH double vanity, brushed gold plumbing fixtures and a walk-in shower.

The second bathroom has black, white and wood farmhouse finishes.

The second bedroom has a built-in Murphy bed.

There’s a balcony off the living/dining room.

The unit has the finishes buyers look for including central air, washer/dryer in the unit and 2 side-by-side parking for $35,000 extra.

This property was last sold in January 2019. According to the listing:

“Built as a ‘forever home’ seller is being transferred–rare opportunity for a NEW home w high end finishes and w the potential to be fully furnished.”

Listed for $585,000 with the 2 parking spaces, is this a deal for a completely renovated 3-bedroom in this location?

Ann Bauer at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures here and floor plan here.

Unit #2004: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1450 square feet

• Sold in January 2000 for $347,500
• Sold in April 2001 for $401,000
• Sold in September 2009 for $409,000
• Sold in June 2015 for $495,000
• Sold in January 2019 for $420,000 (included parking)
• Currently listed at $550,000 (2-car side-by-side parking for $35,000 extra)
• Assessments of $1100 a month (includes heat, gas, parking, doorman, cable, exercise room, exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger, snow removal
• Taxes of $7382
• Central Air
• Washer/dryer in the unit
• Balcony
• Bedroom #1: 12×14
• Bedroom #2: 11×14
• Bedroom #3: 10×13
• Living room: 24×18
• Kitchen: 19×8
• Foyer: 4×6
• Laundry: 4×6

This 2-bedroom loft in 22 N. Morgan in the West Loop came on the market in September 2020.

22 N. Morgan has somewhere between 22 and 26 lofts (as each of my posts has a different number. Lol) and outdoor parking with a central courtyard.

Although this listing says it has 1 garage parking space included so there may be some garage parking as well.

This is a second floor authentic loft with timber ceilings, exposed brick walls and exposed ductwork.

It has big industrial windows with east, west and south exposures.

The listing says it has designer lighting and ceiling fans.

It also says there is an “upgraded” kitchen with dark cabinets, an oversized island that seats 5, Subzero and Wolf appliances, and a wine cooler.

The loft has 2 wood burning fireplaces.

Both bedrooms have windows and full walls, which is rare for lofts.

If you’re looking for outdoor space, this loft has a large 30×31 private rooftop deck with several seating areas.

The loft has central air, washer/dryer in the unit and 1 garage parking space.

If you recall, we chattered about another large loft in this building in June 2020 with a similar rooftop deck which even had a hot tub.

It was listed at that time for $715,000.

I can’t find any sales price and it isn’t currently listed but you can read our chatter here.

Listed at $975,000, does the pandemic work-from-home phenomena change everything for the West Loop?

Owen Duffy at Fulton Grace Realty has the listing. See the pictures here (no floor plan).

Unit #212: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, loft, 2400 square feet

• Sold in May 2000 for $401,000 (no parking listed)
• Sold in October 2007 for $555,000 (two parking spaces listed)
• Sold in July 2009 for $575,000 (one parking space listed)
• Currently listed for $975,000 (one car garage parking included)
• Assessments of $834 a month (includes parking, exterior maintenances, scavenger)
• Taxes of $15,658
• Central Air
• Washer/dryer in the unit
• 2 wood burning fireplaces
• Bedroom #1: 12×14
• Bedroom #2: 17×14
• Living/dining: 20×23
• Family room: 14×20
• Kitchen: 10×13
• Sitting Room: 14×20
• Pantry: 3×10
• Storage: 15×6 (second floor)
• Deck: 30×31 (second floor)

This 3-bedroom top floor condo at 3320 N. Clifton in Southport came on the market in August 2020.

Built in 2012, this building has 4 units and garage parking.

This unit has luxury custom features including coffered ceilings in the living/dining room, wainscoting, crown moldings and a gas fireplace.

The kitchen has 42″ espresso cabinets, a Viking refrigerator, a Viking 4-burner gas stove and Bosch dishwasher.

The primary suite has tray ceilings, 2 walk-in closets and heated marble floors and a marble steam shower in the en suite bathroom.

This property has two outside spaces including a front balcony and a private rooftop deck with a pergola, a wet bar, a gas grill. It’s also wired for sound.

This unit has all the features buyers look for including central air, washer/dryer in the unit and 1-car garage parking.

The listing says it’s in the Nettlehorst school district.

It’s just a quick stroll over to the shops and restaurants of Southport, which has become one of the hottest neighborhoods over the last 10 years.

Listed in August 2020 at $900,000, is it a choice between Southport and a single family home in Winnetka for buyers in 2020?

Lyn Harvie at Baird & Warner has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #3: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1815 square feet

• Sold in January 2013 for $720,000
• Sold in August 2018 for $878,500
• Originally listed in August 2020 for $900,000
• Currently still listed at $900,000 (includes 1-car garage parking)
• Assessments of $191 a month (includes exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger, snow removal)
• Taxes of $13,789
• Central Air
• Washer/dryer in the unit
• Gas fireplace
• Bedroom #1: 15×14
• Bedroom #2: 12×12
• Bedroom #3: 12×11
• Living/dining room: 22×20
• Kitchen: 13×11
• Laundry room: 4×4
• Balcony: 9×20
• Deck: 28×72

This 3-bedroom condo in 1625 N. Burling in East Lincoln Park came on the market in July 2020.

Built in 2017, this building has 13 units, an elevator, and attached heated garage parking.

If you rode on the Brown Line to downtown in 2017, you saw this building being constructed from the subway window right near the curve between the Armitage and Sedgwick stops.

This is a re-sale of a second floor corner unit with floor to ceiling windows with south and east exposures.

It has the new construction luxury finishes including what the listing calls a “Chef’s kitchen” with white Archisesto cabinetry, a 6-burner Wolf stove, Subzero refrigerator/freezer, a wine cooler, quartz counter tops with a waterfall finish on the large kitchen island and a Culligan water filtration system.

The primary suite (as the realtors are no longer using “master” as the designation but are now using “primary”- I will be changing my lingo on this site as well) has a walk-in closet, and an en suite bath with a double vanity and a walk-in steam shower.

The outdoor space includes a 30×8 covered terrace with a gas line and a Savant audio system for TV, surround sound both inside and on the terrace.

This unit has the features buyers look for including central air, a full-size washer/dryer and 2 attached heated garage spaces.

Listed at $1.245 million in July 2020, that’s $161,000 above the 2017 sales price of $1.084 million.

If you’re priced out of a single family home in East Lincoln Park, is this a good alternative?

Susie Pearson at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures and floor plan here.

Unit #204: 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, no square footage listed

• Sold in February 2017 for $1,084,000
• Originally listed in July 2020 for $1.245 million
• Currently still listed at $1.245 million (includes 2 attached heated garage parking spaces)
• Assessments of $614 a month (includes security system, exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger, snow removal)
• Taxes of $19,580
• Central Air
• Washer/dryer in the unit
• Bedroom #1: 15×10
• Bedroom #2: 11×10
• Bedroom #3: 11×10
• Living room: 18×11
• Dining room: 15×9
• Kitchen: 10×16
• Laundry room: 6×5
• Walk-in-closet: 7×5
• Terrace: 30×8

We’ve been waiting to get the updated data to see what is happening in the downtown apartment and condo markets.

As we’ve been chattering about for several months, residents of New York City and San Francisco have been flocking out of the city center to the suburbs, and other states, to escape the city after COVID and due to new work-from-home options.

But what about Chicago?

Crain’s provides an update on the downtown second quarter apartment market.

Remember the second quarter was April through June, or the height of the pandemic.

According to Integra Realty Resources, a consulting firm, occupancy fell to 89.2%, the lowest since 2002.

From Crain’s:

Net rents at the most-expensive Class A downtown buildings fell 12.4 percent in the second quarter from a year earlier, while Class B rents dropped 14.9 percent.

Suburban landlords, meanwhile, are faring surprisingly well. The suburban occupancy rate has edged lower, to 95.1 percent from 95.3 percent in second-quarter 2019, but the median net rent has risen 1.6 percent, according to Integra.

“Everything’s moving against living in the city right now,” says Maurice Ortiz, director of operations at the Apartment People, a Chicago-based brokerage. “It’s going to come back, but I think we are in for a year or two of difficulties.”

That’s bad if you own a multifamily building in the city, but not if you are in the hunt for a new apartment. Ortiz found an apartment in the neighborhood near DePaul University for about $1,600 per month, down from $2,000 before. To fill their buildings, some landlords are offering two months rent-free, concessions that would have been unheard of at the beginning of the year.

“If you are a renter right now, the bargains are everywhere,” Ortiz says.

First you had COVID, then you had layoffs, now the $600 a week unemployment has expired, and then you had the protests and looting.

Add onto that, that many of the big downtown companies including Facebook, Google and Salesforce, are allowing employees to work-from-home until at least August of 2021, why renew your lease in downtown Chicago?

Putting more pressure on landlords is the continued construction of new apartment high rises that are expected to come on the market with hundreds of more units.

How low will occupancy go before it stabilizes?

New figures show downtown is being drained of apartment dwellers [Crain’s Chicago Business, by Alby Gallun, September 4, 2020]

This 3-bedroom new construction condo at 2939 N. Clark in East Lakeview came on the market in August 2020.

This development consists of 2 buildings with 6 units and indoor heated garage parking.

There is private elevator access into each unit.

The top floor units have rooftop decks. The second floor units have a big deck off the back of the building (over the parking garage?).

This is a third floor unit with a front balcony.

The pictures show wide plank wood floors.

It also has a modern gray and wood kitchen with a breakfast bar.

The master bathroom has a walk-in shower and the on trend black faucets (the formerly trending gold faucets seemed to have faded quickly.)

It has the features buyers look for including central air, washer/dryer in the unit and heated garage parking is included.

New construction is rare for this neighborhood as it’s mostly filled in.

Restaurants, shops and public transportation are right outside your door.

Is this a rare chance to buy “new” in this popular location?

Boris Lehtman and Connor Dragel at Fulton Grace Realty have the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #3N: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1737 square feet

• New construction
• Currently listed at $749,000
• Includes a  heated garage parking space
• Assessments of $400 a month (includes security system, exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger, snow removal)
• Taxes are “new”
• Central Air
• Washer/dryer in the unit
• Bedroom #1: 14×17
• Bedroom #2: 10×11
• Bedroom #3: 11×10
• Living room: 19×15
• Kitchen: 11×10

This 5-bedroom single family home at 1246 W. George in Lakeview came on the market in July 2020.

I don’t know when it was built but it’s on a 25×124 lot. The listing says it was gut-rehabbed by G-Corp.

It has an extra wide 23-foot floor plan and many loft-like features including 12 foot ceilings and exposed brick wall with black industrial-looking windows.

The listing says it has a “custom” kitchen with black cabinets, Wolf and Subzero appliances, a 12 foot Calacatta gold quartz island, and a Butler’s pantry with wet bar.

The master suite takes up the entire third floor.

Three other bedrooms are on the second floor with the fifth bedroom on the main level.

The listing says there’s an au pair suite- is it in the lower level recreation room?

There’s a second floor family room that walks out to the 1100 square foot designed outdoor space (on top of the garage?)

There’s a 2.5 car attached garage.

The house has central air.

It also has climate controlled wine storage and “multiple” laundry rooms.

Listed at $2.85 million, does this house have what it takes in the coronavirus world?

Mark Icuss at Compass has the listing. See the pictures here.

1246 W. George: 5 bedrooms, 6 baths, 5800 square feet

• Sold in April 1998 for $200,000
• Sold in July 2003 for $644,000
• Sold in August 2018 for $800,000
• Originally listed in July 2020 for $2.85 million
• Currently still listed at $2.85 million
• Taxes of $19,445
• Central Air
• 2.5 car garage
• Bedroom #1: 16×17 (third floor)
• Bedroom #2: 14×11 (second floor)
• Bedroom #3: 11×11 (second floor)
• Bedroom #4: 14×11 (second floor)
• Bedroom #5: 12×12 (main floor)
• Office: 12×12 (main floor)
• Living room: 15×29 (main floor)
• Kitchen: 23×24 (main floor)
• Recreation room: 18×47 (basement)
• Deck: 23×50 (second floor)

This 1 bedroom triplex in the Carl Street Studios at 155 W. Burton in Old Town came on the market in August 2020.

The Carl Street Studios were built in 1917 and are a Chicago landmark. It has 17 units with a front, walled garden, and a rooftop deck.

It has coin laundry and a bike room, but no parking.

This triplex has all the unique features of the Carl Street Studios including hand carved woodwork and marble mosaics.

The first floor is the Euro-style kitchen with a dishwasher, Subzero refrigerator and freezer, Gaggenau cooktop, and a Miele oven.

The second floor is the living room with 12 foot lofted ceiling, a fireplace, inlaid wood floors and stained glass.

There’s also a study on the second floor.

The third floor is a lofted bedroom with a marble tile bath.

The listing says there’s a washer/dryer set-up with board approval (which means you could maybe put it in?).

There’s no central air, only window a/c.

This building is just steps away from the restaurants and shops on Wells in Old Town.

It looks like this unit is still owned by the original buyer, as the building was converted to condos in 1997-98.

Listed at $310,000, is this triplex the solution for those trying to avoid the white box condos?

India Tougne at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures and floor plan here.

Unit #5: 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 700 square feet, triplex

• Sold in July 1998 for $145,000
• Currently listed for $310,000
• Assessments of $436 a month (includes heat, cable, exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger, snow removal)
• Taxes of $5394
• No central air- window unit
• No parking
• Fireplace
• Bedroom: 14×10 (second floor)
• Living room: 10×12 (main floor)
• Den/study: 6×10 (main floor)
• Kitchen: 6×14 (lower level)

This 5-bedroom former dairy farm turned into a single family home at 321 W. Menomonee in the historic Old Town Triangle just closed.

Normally I don’t crib on closed properties but it went under contract with days of being listed in late June.

Built in 1918, the listing says its a former dairy farm which is now on an irregular lot measuring 48 x 104.

It has a two car garage and a walled in back yard with turf grass and a brick patio.

We chattered about it in 2017, when it was last on the market.

You can see that chatter here.

Here’s a comment from Riz back in 2017:

“This could be a really cool place with some serious changes in paint/ flooring / furniture / lighting. Again, I’d have to say it needs a few 100k in updates to be up to date..

With that being said – who is buying 3.5 million dollar houses in old town that need updating? I understand this is a big house but 3.5 goes a long way in Lincoln park or even Gold Coast, no?”

The listing says it underwent a 2-year rebuild by LG Development.

It has a custom kitchen with a large island, two refrigerators and 3 ovens.

The house has the preferred layout with 4 of the 5 bedrooms on the second floor and all four of those are en suite.

The fifth bedroom is on the main floor.

It has 2 powder rooms and a partial basement.

Listed at $4.5 million in June 2020, it just closed in August 2020 at $4.337 million.

Was this a new record high sales price for Old Town?

Emily Sachs Wong at @Properties had the listing. You can still see the pictures here.

321 W. Menomonee: 5 bedrooms, 5 baths, 2 half baths, 6,739 square feet, 2 car garage

• Sold in September 1988 for $400,000
• Sold in January 1989 for $550,000
• Was listed in June 2017 for $3.45 million
• Sold in October 2017 for $2.8 million
• Originally listed in June 2020 for $4.5 million
• Went under contract in a week
• Sold in August 2020 for $4.337 million
• Taxes of $60,422 (they were $67,417 in 2017)
• Central Air
• Fireplace
• Double Lot

This 3-bedroom in 3534 N. Hermitage in Lakeview just came on the market.

This building was constructed in 2008 and has 8 units. It’s an elevator building with attached garage parking.

This unit has some unique features for recent construction.

It has a wall of exposed brick in the living room and on the kitchen breakfast bar.

There’s exposed wood beams in the living and dining room and arched doorways.

The listing calls it a “Chef’s kitchen” with wood cabinets, high end appliances, granite countertops, heated floors and a large breakfast bar.

The master suite has a spa-like bath and a whirlpool tub with a separate steam shower and heated floors.

It looks like one of the bedrooms doesn’t have any windows, however.

But the big selling point of the property is the private terrace.

Doors from the living room and the master bedroom both lead out to a 1200 square foot landscaped terrace with brick accents, lighting and a natural gas line.

The unit has side-by-side washer/dryer and extra storage.

It comes with a coveted 2 attached heated garage parking spaces and central air.

This is only the third time this unit has been on the market since it was built in 2008.

It’s located near shops and restaurants as well as the Brown line el stop at Addison.

Listed at $650,000, is this condo the tonic for those looking for more “space.”

Ashley Leavitt at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures and floor plan here.

Unit #201: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1675 square feet

• Sold in November 2008 for $522,000 (included the 2-car parking)
• Sold in November 2011 for $525,000 (included the 2-car parking)
• Currently listed at $650,000 (includes 2-car parking)
• Assessments of $443 a month (includes exterior maintenance, scavenger, snow removal)
• Taxes of $11,119
• Central Air
• Washer/dryer in the unit
• Bedroom #1: 16×12
• Bedroom #2: 12×10
• Bedroom #3: 12×10
• Living/dining room: 17×16
• Kitchen: 11×10
• Terrace: 43×28