Pinnacle of Luxury: A Fully Renovated 3-Bedroom in 1040 N. Lake Shore Drive in the Gold Coast
This 3-bedroom in The Carlyle at 1040 N. Lake Shore Drive in the Gold Coast came on the market in August 2024.
The Carlyle was built in 1964 and has 128 units. There are just 2 units per floor.
It’s a full service building overlooking the Lake with doormen, an exercise room, a top floor shared terrace and an indoor rooftop pool.
It has valet garage parking and parking for guests. The building does not allow rentals or pets.
We’ve chattered about this building in the past.
It has a luxury pedigree with famous homeowners.
The following is information from one of the chatterati in our 2017 chatter:
This building has:
1. Huge reserves
2. Protected amazing city and lake views
3. Three doorman on duty
4. Elegant Large Lobby
5. Valet Parking and a private driveway
6. A proper ballroom and professional kitchen (Both are finished being remodeled now)
7. No renters
8. Full gym
9. A package receiving room (packages are brought into your unit at your convenience)
10. Separate entrances and elevators for Tradesman
The listing calls this unit the “pinnacle of luxury.”
It faces the lake and has been fully renovated with over “$1 million in renovations” which spared no details.
It has an entry foyer which leads to an open living room with a fireplace, a dining room and kitchen.
There are engineered European white oak floors throughout.
The gourmet kitchen is a “chef’s dream” with what looks like modern wood cabinets, ceramic countertops and backsplash, with Subzero and Miele cooktop and ovens.
There is no island but instead a dining nook which leads out to the balcony which has views of the Lake from Oak Street Beach all the way to Lincoln Park.
The unit also has a wall of glass doors off the living room that encloses a family room with a built-in desk which the listing says could also be used for a home office or library.
There is a powder room.
The three bedrooms are en suite and the bathrooms have heated Terrazzo bathroom floors.
The primary suite has a walk-in-closet and an en suite bath with a soaking stub and separate shower.
It has the features that buyers look for including central air, a side-by-side washer/dryer in the unit and one valet garage parking spot is included.
This building is near Oak Street Beach and the shops and restaurants of the Mag Mile and Rush/State. It is also on several bus lines.
In recent years, we have mostly been chattering about older, unrenovated units in this building. Buyers love “new.”
Listed at $2.595 million, will this sell fast?
Millie Rosenbloom at Baird & Warner has the listing. See the pictures and floor plan here.
Unit #26D: 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, 3020 square feet
- Sold in August 2014 for $1.5 million
- Currently listed at $2.595 million
- Assessments of $4103 a month (includes parking, doorman, cable, exercise room, indoor pool, exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger, snow removal, Internet)
- Taxes of $29,702
- Central Air
- Washer/dryer in the unit
- Valet garage space included
- Guest parking available
- No pets
- No rentals
- Fireplace
- Bedroom #1: 18×22
- Bedroom #2: 14×12
- Bedroom #3: 22×13
- Living room: 25×18
- Kitchen: 19×9
- Dining room: 17×19
- Family room: 17×19
- Sitting room: 16×9
- Laundry: 8×8
- Walk-in-closet: 14×8
- Foyer: 8×10
- Pantry: 6×9
- Balcony: 8×20
Nice building and lovely remodel. While I don’t know if it will sell fast or not, the price doesn’t seem so out of line compared to similar sized remodeled units in other older buildings, water tower, etc.
Why not take the exterior pix when there are leaves on the trees? Looks bad because a) not as pretty and b) looks like it’s been sitting on the market since winter/spring.
I’m sure the reno was expensive and done with top of the line materials, but it leaves me a bit cold.
Agree with M – Very cold
Views are killer
Putting a home office in the FR is something the poors do.
“it leaves me a bit cold”
Are you someone who can park $2.5m and $7500 per month for a part-time residence? Neither am I–we aren’t the target market for the building, nevermind this unit.
This is no better than the 3d most valuable residence the sellers own.
Those might be the cushiest dining chairs I’ve ever seen.
Is there a retracting door for the laundry area that’s not shown? Or is that intended to be seen all the time?
“Is there a retracting door for the laundry area that’s not shown?”
Is that a rhetorical question?
Don’t see anyplace it could possibly be hiding, which is a little odd, I agree.
too grey for me, but interesting that this building has held its pedigree this long
Are you someone who can park $2.5m and $7500 per month for a part-time residence?
You don’t know me! You don’t know my life! But, point taken. This is definitely out of reach for me.
if you check out the floor plan, there seems to be a lot of wasted square footage — small and awkwardly placed “sitting room”, 2 smaller rooms right next to it, and some lengthy hallways.
I know this is a 1 percenter’s abode, but it’s still an urban apartment with limited space that should be laid out more efficiently.
Remind me of the legal definition for a bedroom….window and a closet, correct? One of the spare bedrooms is lacking a closet altogether and the other has an armoire that looks like an afterthought.
“Why not take the exterior pix when there are leaves on the trees? Looks bad because a) not as pretty and b) looks like it’s been sitting on the market since winter/spring.”
I noticed this too Madeline. I’m not sure. Sometimes the realtor has prior pictures in their collection of the exteriors so they use those even if a different season. But you would, normally, want to show it all lush and inviting or, in the fall, with the leaves changing.
“I’m sure the reno was expensive and done with top of the line materials, but it leaves me a bit cold.”
It is done to their tastes. Another buyer may not like the paint colors and all the wood and paneling. Could hold it back from a sale. We shall see.
“Remind me of the legal definition for a bedroom….window and a closet, correct?”
It is natural light (can be with a 3/4 wall and not a window) and a closet. Without the closet, it’s a den. But a closet can also be a built-in French style kind.
But you are right that one of the smaller bedrooms doesn’t appear to have a closet on the floor plan. That would make it a den.
“too grey for me, but interesting that this building has held its pedigree this long”
People like it. It’s a “known” building with good staff and nice amenities. Good views and a good location if you are interested in the Mag Mile.
But you’re right that there have been a LOT of newer high rises built in the interim, and it still holds its own.
“ But you’re right that there have been a LOT of newer high rises built in the interim, and it still holds its own.”
It’s the giant lakefront balconies, IMO.
Nothing wrong with this building and it’s a great address but I never understood why it’s so much more expensive than other 50-60 year old buildings on this stretch of LSD.
My mom’s uncle and his wife bought a place in the Carlisle in 1964 when it was brand new. They paid well over 100,000, which at the time would have bought a large suburban home. My grandfather, a suburbanite, was astonished they would do this, my mom tells me.
If my grandfather and grand-uncle were still alive – they both died in the 1990s – my grand-uncle would have the last laugh. Condos in the Carlisle are going for over two million, while my grandfather’s large-for-the-time suburban home which he build in 1955 for about 100,000 is now worth about 600,000, per zillow.
Sabrina – thanks for filling me in on why this building is considered special. No renters is actually a big deal to me.
Of course some of the other amenities are ones we had at 2626 Lakeview, a much cheaper building, including full-time doormen on duty, package room, separate entrance for workmen, valet parking, service elevator, etc.
“It’s the giant lakefront balconies, IMO.”
They are really nice. Can actually have a lounger out there. And only 2 units per floor.
“only 2 units per floor.”
Strange then that there are A, B, C and D tiers.
Perhaps only 2 per elevator lobby, tho.
“Condos in the Carlisle are going for over two million”
Also ones that are in perfectly nice shape, but 20-years out of date stylewise, asking only $1.25m (in this case, $300k less than the price in 2000!):
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/1040-N-Lake-Shore-Dr-60611/unit-16A/home/14123778
As we have talked about in the past about this building, it is turning over with the next generation. Silent Generation and Older Baby Boomers are dying and/or moving to the south. Some owners updated. Many do not.
Will be really interesting to see it in about 5 years when most of the turnover is probably finished. Who will be living here? Will there be families?
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/1040-N-Lake-Shore-Dr-60611/unit-16A/home/14123778
looks completely like those prior clio like housing in Oak Brook like Midwest Club on the interior