Rare 1-Bedroom Pencil Factory Loft with Private Deck: 1800 W. Roscoe in Roscoe Village
This 1-bedroom loft in the Pencil Factory Lofts at 1800 W. Roscoe in Roscoe Village just came on the market.
The Pencil Factory Lofts were converted into condos in 1993. There are 137 units which have concrete ceilings and industrial windows.
It’s an elevator building.
The building has attached garage parking as well as an outdoor parking lot behind the building, an exercise room, a rooftop sun deck, a party room, coin laundry and a picnic area.
This 1000 square foot loft has large south facing industrial windows and hardwood floors throughout.
The kitchen has maple cabinets and stainless steel appliances, including a new refrigerator and microwave, along with an island that seats two.
There’s a separate dining room as well as a “newly finished” lofted office with built-in desks. The listing says it has newly wired electric and fiber optics for fast internet.
The bedroom is not enclosed but has a window and Closetwork organizers in the closets.
The bathroom has been “renovated” and has Toto, Grohe and a new vanity.
The loft has central air and garage parking is included in the price. It doesn’t appear to have in-unit washer/dryer although it is allowed in this building.
But the biggest selling point of the loft could be the 8×15 private “updated” deck which is a custom commercial quality all-aluminum maintenance free deck.
The deck also has newly added exterior electric.
You can walk to everything in Roscoe Village, the Lincoln Street corridor and even Southport from this location. The brown line at Paulina is nearby.
Listed at $344,900, will a loft lover who wants outdoor space snatch this up quickly?
Charese David and Mary Jo Nathan at Compass have the listing. See the pictures and floor plan here.
Unit #225: 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 1000 square feet, loft
- Sold in March 1993 for $123,000
- Sold in August 1994 for $130,000
- Sold in February 1997 for $145,000
- Sold in July 2001 for $241,000
- Sold in May 2004 for $320,000
- Sold in February 2001 for $295,000
- Sold in June 2009 for $295,000
- Currently listed at $344,900 (includes the garage parking)
- Assessments of $381 a month (includes cable, exercise room, exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger, and snow removal)
- Taxes of $4577
- Central Air
- No washer/dryer in the unit- coin laundry in the building
- Bedroom: 10×15
- Office: 7×7
- Living room: 15×16
- Dining room: 11×10
- Kitchen: 10×10
- Deck: 8×15
This is basically a studio apartment that looks like it was never properly finished.
Is there even 6′ clear for the “office”? Curious as to whats under it.
Not 1000sf
Not my taste but think this will sell at ask
That little office loft setup is nice. Then again, after a 18 months cramped in my youngest’s room working at a child’s desk (and sitting on a child’s wooden chair), I got a relatively large standing desk (though still haven’t stood at it) and office chair and moved my office into the garage, which has been a huge (lavish, even) improvement, so my standards may be a bit odd.
“Curious as to whats under it.”
Prior listing called it “small office/den concrete loft”, so it would seem it is just storage–if it’s more than just closet depth, that would be a nice amount of extra storage.
If its “just storage” I think I’d prefer a coat closet when you walk in and a Mech room w/W/D + Storage
“I’d prefer a coat closet when you walk in and a Mech room w/W/D + Storage”
You eating into the bath, or the ‘loft’ for the coat closet?
I’d guess that with concrete floors, plumbing for w/d over there isn’t practical, even if it might be ‘allowed’ by the dec (it probably isn’t).
Good for 1 person that never has company sleep over for extended periods of time.
“This is basically a studio apartment that looks like it was never properly finished.”
All authentic lofts were originally just massive studios. Only later, were “finished” or “condoized” with real walls for the bedrooms and closets.
If I’m buying a loft, I prefer the original concept of the wide open space. However, I think an iron industrial window wall would look really cool in this space and you could put it to the ceiling. But it would have to be custom made and would probably run you like $20,000- $30,000.
You eating into the bath, or the ‘loft’ for the coat closet?
I’d guess that with concrete floors, plumbing for w/d over there isn’t practical, even if it might be ‘allowed’ by the dec (it probably isn’t).
Remove the loft
Now its not practical, when it was originally designed/build, it could have been
“it could have been”
You would have designed for it to be removed and the developer would have value engineered it into a ‘feature’ that is exactly what it is now. (you can see the quality of some of the original finishes here: https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/1800-W-Roscoe-St-60657/unit-416/home/13385858 )
Also:
Sold in May 2004 for $320,000
Sold in February 2001 for $295,000
the ’04 sale was a different unit, indexed wrong.
And the first $295k sale was in Feb-07, not ’01.
90s prices+CPI ~$240-250k
Jul-01+CPI = $372
Feb-07+CPI = $397
Jun-09+CPI = $375
This would be a fun one to chat about:
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/360-W-Wellington-Ave-60657/unit-2E/home/172075266
That office loft is so odd. Is having such a short height worth it for the extra storage?
Overall meh place in a meh location.