Crib Chatter

This 2-bedroom in Printers Square Condominiums at 740 S. Federal in Printers Row just came on the market.

Built in 1922, it has 355 units.

It was converted into condos at the height of the housing boom, in 2006.

The listing says this unit has been “newly remodeled.”

It has many custom farmhouse finishes including reclaimed wood sliding doors and an all-white kitchen.

The listing calls it a “chef’s kitchen.”

It has custom white cabinets, a marble mosaic backsplash, quartz counter tops, stainless steel appliances, including a built-in refrigerator and white farmhouse sink.

The dining room also has white custom built-in cabinets as well as a wine fridge.

There’s a built-in office nook.

One of the bedrooms also has built-in closets.

The bathrooms have heated floors and wood vanities.

The unit has central air, washer/dryer in the unit but there’s no parking. It is rental in the neighborhood.

Listed at $364,900, is this a deal for someone who wants new in Printers Row?

Nick Rendleman at Exit Strategy has the listing. See the pictures here.

You can also see it in person on Saturday, May 18 from 1-2 PM.

Unit #501: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1260 square feet

• Sold in July 2006 for $281,500
• Sold in March 2013 for $225,000
• Sold in December 2015 for $256,000
• Currently listed at $364,900
• Assessments of $642 a month (includes exercise room, exterior maintenance, scavenger, snow removal)
• Taxes of $3095
• Central Air
• Washer/dryer in the unit
• No parking- but available to rent in the neighborhood
• Bedroom #1: 16×11
• Bedroom #2: 11×10
• Den: 13×12
• Living room: 22×12
• Kitchen: 20×9

This 3-bedroom Sandburg Village townhouse at 1420 N. Sandburg Terrace in the Gold Coast came on the market in April 2019.

The townhouses were built in 1964 (the above picture is one of the townhouse courtyards but it may not be the one for 1420).

This is a center courtyard unit which shares a private park behind the townhouse with 12 other townhouses.

This townhouse has been renovated.

There are hardwood floors throughout.

The chef’s kitchen has custom white cabinetry, quartz counter tops and KitchenAid stainless steel appliances.

There’s a unique heated solarium which overlooks the private brick patio.

2 of the 3 bedrooms are on the second floor with the third on the main level.

The master suite is on the second floor and has a honed marble bathroom with double vanity.

The second bedroom is also en suite.

The lower level has porcelain floors with a large family room and laundry room with storage.

The townhouse has central air and come with one deeded exterior parking space.

For mid-century modern architectural lovers looking to move right in, is this townhouse a rare opportunity?

Sharon Gillman at Compass has the listing. See the pictures here.

1420 N. Sandburg Terrace: 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, no square footage, townhouse

• Sold in May 1997 for $270,000
• Sold in February 2019 for $575,000
• Originally listed in April 2019 for $915,000
• Currently still listed at $915,000
• Assessments of $328 a month (includes parking, water)
• Taxes of $10,907
• Central Air
• 1 exterior parking spot included
• Bedroom #1: 14×17 (second floor)
• Bedroom #2: 11×12 (second floor)
• Bedroom #3: 11×18 (main floor)
• Family room: 16×24 (lower level)
• Laundry room: 11×16 (lower level)
• Florida room: 12×7 (heated)

The new construction luxury building One Bennett Park at 451 E. Grand in Streeterville has finished construction.

Designed by Robert A.M. Stern, it boasts just 67 luxury condos, with 279 luxury apartments on the lower level.

Don’t worry. They each have their own set of lobbies and amenities so the condo owners don’t have to interact with the mere renters.

The condos have some exclusive features such as a limestone and granite motor court so passengers and visitors can be dropped off in privacy.

Another unique feature is that both the exterior, and the interiors, were designed by Stern and his team.

This northeast corner 3-bedroom came on the market in January 2019.

It is listed at $2.2 million, which is on the lower end for the building.

Crain’s Dennis Rodkin covered the first look at the building earlier this year:

For the Streeterville project, Stern’s design used large windows to take advantage of water views on two sides that the site affords, but he didn’t go for floor-to-ceiling walls of glass. The result, Bailey said, “feels more like a house you designed for yourself in Lincoln Park, but you’re 600 feet in the air.”

Thompson added that the buyers of these upper-price units typically “have traveled and collected things. They have art. If you live in a glass box, it’s harder to place those things in your home.”

Stern and his firm designed all details of the kitchen—including the stove hood, the cabinet doors and hardware and the light fixtures—expressly for this building. “You won’t walk into one of his buildings in New York and see the same things,” Bailey said.

All stone slabs on the island and backsplash are seamless, a design distinction that was available because the units were designed in advance by Stern instead of being sold as raw space for buyers to finish. Because of their size and weight, the slabs had to be delivered by a crane during construction.

These units have 11 foot ceilings, central air, and washer/dryer in the unit.

Parking is $75,000 extra.

As of March, about 40% of the units had already been sold.

This is a rare new building which did not build with outdoor space on most of the units (either balcony or a terrace.) Only a handful of units, apparently, have outdoor space.

Will lack of a balcony hurt sales of these units?

How much does it matter to buyers?

Erin Ward at Related Realty has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #4302: 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2121 square feet

• New construction
• Currently listed at $2.2 million
• Assessments of $1496 a month (includes heat, a/c, gas, doorman, exercise room, pool, exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger, snow removal)
• Taxes are “new”
• Central Air
• Washer/dryer in the unit
• Parking is $75,000 extra
• Bedroom #1: 17×13
• Bedroom #2: 13×11
• Bedroom #3: 12×15
• Laundry room: 7×8

This 3-bedroom townhouse at 3147 N. Honore in North Center recently came on the market.

Is this Roscoe Village?

I’m not sure where that border is but the property is listed as being in North Center, and not Lakeview, but it’s on the border of Roscoe Village, either way.

Built in 2006, there are 14 townhouses.

The listing says this townhouse now has hardwood floors throughout.

The first floor has the parking and the family room.

The second floor has the living and dining rooms as well as the eat-in kitchen which has dark wood cabinets, stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops.

Two bedrooms are on the third floor, with the third on the fourth floor. I’m not sure which one is the master suite, but it has an attached bathroom with a double vanity.

This townhouse has a private rooftop deck with city views, which is also on the fourth floor.

It has central air.

But it also has a feature which is rare for most townhouses: 2-car attached garage parking.

Three bedroom townhouses were hot in the recovery after the housing bust.

Are they still the first choice for those priced out of single family homes in this neighborhood?

Juliana Yeager at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures here.

3147 N. Honore: 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, no square footage listed

• Sold in September 2006 for $640,000
• Sold in December 2009 for $580,000
• Sold in April 2013 for $595,000
• Sold in November 2015 for $621,000
• Currently listed at $650,000 (includes 2-car attached garage parking)
• Assessments of $300 a month (includes snow removal)
• Taxes of $12,079
• Central Air
• Rooftop deck on the fourth floor
• Bedroom #1: 15×14 (third floor)
• Bedroom #2: 14×13 (third floor)
• Bedroom #3: 18×14 (fourth floor)
• Laundry room: 4×4 (second floor)
• Family room: 16×13 (main level)

This 2-bedroom duplex down at 1128 W. Ardmore in Edgewater came on the market in April 2019 but it had previously been listed in both 2017 and 2018.

Built in 1925, this former Commonwealth Edison substation was converted into lofts at the height of the housing bubble in 2006 and 2007.

There are 16 units and outdoor parking.

The building got hit hard in the housing bust. We chattered about bank owned units in it in 2013.

You can see that chatter here.

This duplex down has exposed brick walls and concrete ceilings.

The first floor has the living/dining and kitchen along with a half bath.

The kitchen has 42 inch wood cabinets, both an island and a breakfast bar, along with premium stainless steel appliances and what looks like granite counter tops.

The two bedrooms are in the lower level along with 2 baths.

The master suite has a steam shower.

This loft has all the features buyers look for including central air, washer/dryer in the unit and one car exterior parking is included.

Originally listed in April 2019 at $399,900, it has been reduced $25,000 to $374,900.

The property is near the Red Line ‘L” stop and there’s a Whole Foods nearby.

Edgewater has gained in popularity since the housing bust.

Why isn’t this property selling?

Ryan McKane at Redfin has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #4: 2 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1500 square feet, duplex down

• Sold in January 2007 for $400,000
• Sold in October 2014 for $357,500
• Listed for sale in both 2017 and 2018
• Originally listed in April 2019 for $399,900
• Reduced
• Currently listed at $374,900 (includes exterior parking)
• Taxes of $5708
• Assessments of $328 a month (includes exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger and snow removal)
• Central Air
• Washer/dryer in the unit
• Bedroom #1: 14×12 (lower level)
• Bedroom #2: 15×11 (lower level)

This 3-bedroom duplex in The Portals at 433 W. Grant in East Lincoln Park came on the market in March 2019.

Built in 1972, this complex has 50 units and outdoor deeded parking.

This unit is one of the ground floor units with duplex up.

The living/dining room and kitchen are on the first floor along with a private patio.

The kitchen has white cabinets, stainless steel appliances and what looks like granite counter tops.

The unit has the preferred layout with all three bedrooms on the second floor.

It has central air, washer/dryer in the unit and deeded parking is included.

After the bust, units in this building sold quickly, sometimes within days, given their relatively low price points and East Lincoln Park location.

However, this unit is listed at $515,000, which is just $13,000 above the 2015 price of $502,000.

Are these units as hot as they were a few years ago?

Joanne Nemerovski at Compass has the listing. See the pictures here.

Or you can see the unit at the Open House on May 11 from 1:30 to 3:30 pm.

Unit B: 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 1600 square feet, duplex up

• Sold in May 1989 for $193,000
• Sold in June 1994 for $205,500
• Sold in July 2002 for $378,000
• Sold in November 2004 for $422,500
• Sold in May 2010 for $452,000
• Sold in March 2015 for $502,000
• Originally listed in March 2019 for $529,000
• Reduced
• Currently listed at $515,000
• Assessments of $419 a month (includes cable, exterior maintenance, scavenger)
• Taxes of $8106
• Central Air
• Washer/dryer in the unit
• Deeded exterior parking included
• Bedroom #1: 13×13 (second floor)
• Bedroom #2: 14×11 (second floor)
• Bedroom #3: 12×9 (second floor)

This 3-bedroom row house at 3810 N. Alta Vista Terrace in Lakeview came on the market in October 2017.

It’s also been for rent off and on since.

You may recall that Alta Vista Terrace is a Chicago Landmark District.

These 40 row homes were built from 1900 to 1904 and were built to look like London row homes.

From the Chicago Landmark website:

This street represents one of the last real estate developments of Samuel Eberly Gross, a highly colorful realtor responsible for the construction of thousands of houses in the Chicago area. Sometimes called “A Street of Forty Doors,” Alta Vista Terrace displays a lively variety of architectural styles and detail, yet every townhouse on one side is duplicated with only minor variations at the diagonally opposite end of the block. The distinctly human scale creates a unity and harmony rarely found elsewhere in the city.

This row house is on a 24×38 lot and has wood floors on the main floor.

The kitchen has painted white cabinets, stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops.

All 3 bedrooms are on the second floor along with a bathroom that appears to have a claw foot tub.

There’s a full bath in the basement along with a family room and the laundry room.

There’s a bricked back patio, but it’s unclear whether or not there’s parking as some have parking on their brick patios on this side of the street.

The row house has central air.

In 2017, we chattered about the row house next door which had a similar layout.

You can see our chatter here about 3808 N. Alta Vista (where we debated whether Millennials would want to buy on this street.)

That row house finally sold in June 2018 for $760,000.

You can see those pictures here.

3810 was listed in October 2017 for $844,000 but has been reduced to $775,000.

What will it take to finally sell this row house?

Mollie Murphy at State Street Properties Chicago has the listing. See the pictures here.

3810 N. Alta Vista Terrace: 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2074 square feet

• Sold in April 1991 for $318,000
• Sold in August 1998 for $470,000
• Sold in July 1999 for $529,000
• Sold in June 2003 for $617,500
• Sold in February 2006 for $693,500
• Originally listed in October 2017 for $844,000
• Reduced (was also available to rent)
• Currently listed at $775,000
• Taxes of $10,510
• Central Air
• No parking (?) – some do park on their back brick patios
• Bedroom #1: 16×15 (second floor)
• Bedroom #2: 13×10 (second floor)
• Bedroom #3: 9×12 (second floor)
• Living room: 14×15 (main floor)
• Dining room: 10×15 (main floor)
• Family room: 23×24 (lower level)
• Laundry room: 9×11 (lower level)

This 3-bedroom loft in the Donohue building at 711 S. Dearborn in Printers Row recently came on the market.

The Donohue Lofts are authentic brick and timber lofts that were built in 1886.

The Donohue was one of the first buildings converted to residential condos in Printers Row in the 1980s.

There are 90 units but no parking. There is rental or purchase parking available in the neighborhood.

Each unit is unique, with the building having many different layouts.

This unit has exposed brick, timber beams and big, east-facing industrial windows.

It appears it may have concrete ceilings as  one part of the building does have concrete. Or, perhaps, drywall was added at some point.

From the pictures, it looks like 2 out of the 3 bedrooms are enclosed. Just 2 have windows.

The master bedroom has an en suite bathroom with a clawfoot tub.

The listing says the second bathroom has been remodeled.

The kitchen has white cabinets except on the island, where they appear to be gray. There’s stainless steel appliances and quartz counter tops.

There’s additional storage in the building.

The loft has central air conditioning and laundry but no deeded parking.

The Donohue is still live/work.

There have been some units that clearly were set up as offices.

With so many people able to work from home and/or wanting to start a business at home, does the live/work designation make these lofts more valuable?

Charles Gullett at Best Chicago Properties has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #404: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage listed

• Sold in July 1988 for $205,000
• Sold in August 2005 for $353,500
• Sold in March 2011 for $385,000
• Currently listed at $550,000
• Assessments of $1062 a month (includes heat, gas, exercise room, exterior maintenance, scavenger)
• Taxes of $7214
• Central Air
• Washer/dryer in the unit
• Live/Work

This 1-bedroom in The Churchill at 1255 N. State Parkway in the Gold Coast just came on the market.

Built in 1924, it has 68 units and a doorman.

The listing describes this unit as an “elegant Parisian flat.”

It has hardwood floors throughout and an updated kitchen with white cabinets, stainless steel appliances and stone counter tops.

There’s an adjacent dining room.

The unit has French doors in the living room which lead to a small balcony with views of the John Hancock.

It has custom built closets in the master bedroom and an en suite bath.

While some units in this building have in-unit washer/dryer, this one does not. There is coin laundry in the building.

There’s also no central air. There are window units.

And there’s no parking with the unit, although there is a public lot across the street.

The assessment includes everything but the taxes.

For those looking for the elegance of the Gold Coast, is this unit the perfect choice?

Melanie Everett at Melanie Everett & Company has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #8J: 1 bedroom, 1 bath (no square footage listed but an old listing said it was 1000 square feet)

• Sold in July 1992 for $97,000
• Sold in May 2004 for $268,000
• Sold in May 2013 for $205,000
• Currently listed at $274,500
• Assessments of $1,167 a month (includes heat, electric, gas, doorman, cable, exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger and snow removal)
• Taxes of $4832
• No washer/dryer in the unit. Coin laundry only.
• No central air. Window units only.
• No parking
• Bedroom: 12×16
• Living room: 21×14
• Kitchen: 7×11
• Dining room: 8×8

This 3-bedroom penthouse at Riverbend at 333 N. Canal on the Near West Side recently came on the market.

Riverbend was built in 2002 and has 148 units and a parking garage.

This building was built, literally, at the bend of the River.

For years, Wolf Point sat undeveloped across from Riverbend, but now there are two buildings and a third super skyscraper that will go up to complete that project.

This unit is one of two penthouses on the 37th floor.

It has 12 foot ceilings and 360 degree skyline, lake and river views. You can see many of Chicago’s iconic buildings including the Willis Tower and the new Vista.

The eat-in kitchen has dark cabinets with quartzite counter tops and integrated Thermador and Bosch appliances.

The master suite has a marble bath with separate vanities and a large shower along with a walk-in closet.

It has central air and washer/dryer in the unit. It also comes with one car garage parking and the option to buy two more spaces at $40,000 each.

But the unique feature about this penthouse are the two private verandas that measure 60×20 and 40×12 which have stunning city views.

Given that they are covered, you could actually use these even in inclement weather or on scorching heat searing days.

With Wolf Point now a “known” issue, and these fabulous views and terraces, will this sell quickly?

Jennifer Mills at Jameson Sotheby’s has the listing. See the pictures here.

Unit #3702: 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 4163 square feet, penthouse

• The CCRD has been “down” two days in a row
• Sold in December 2011 for $1.589 million (according to Redfin)
• Currently listed at $2.499 million (includes 1-car garage)
• 2 car parking also available for $40,000 each
• Assessments of $2547 a month (includes gas, doorman, cable, Internet, exercise room, exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger and snow removal)
• Taxes of $27,852
• Central Air
• Washer/Dryer in the unit
• Bedroom #1: 19×17
• Bedroom #2: 15×17
• Bedroom #3: 15×14
• Gallery: 9×26
• Terrace: 60×20
• Terrace #2: 40×12