Renovated 1920s Beauties in Uptown: 4529 N. Malden
This 2-unit 1920 vintage building at 4529 N. Malden in Uptown was recently renovated and its vintage beauty restored.
They just don’t build them like this anymore.
Both units are over 2000 square feet and have 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths on a 54×144 lot.
They have central air, in-unit washer/dryers and 2-car parking each.
The vintage detailing includes 6 inch wainscoting and plaster moldings, french doors, original wood inlay floors and built in book shelves.
The fireplace is, alas, only decorative.
The units have 2 sunrooms and renovated kitchens with stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops.
Andrew Gersten at Prudential Rubloff has the listings. See more pictures here (Unit #1) and here (Unit #2).
Unit #1: 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2 car parking, 2115 square feet
- Looks like the building sold in March 1990 for $186,000
- Currently listed for $489,000
- Assessments of $300 a month
- Taxes are “new”
- Central Air
- Washer/Dryer in the unit
- Bedroom #1: 16×12
- Bedroom #2: 14×12
- Bedroom #3: 13×8
- Office: 11×9
- Sunroom: 15×9
Unit #2: 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2 car parking, 2305 square feet
- Looks like the building sold in March 1990 for $186,000
- Currently listed for $525,000
- Assessments of $324 a month
- Taxes are “new”
- Central Air
- Washer/Dryer in the unit
The kitchens look horribly out of place in the units–altho making a kitchen fir in well with the period details is v. expensive. And what’s with the oval mirror in the bathroom located aprtly over the tub? Seems weird.
anon’s comments are well-taken but that unit (aside from the kitchen) is fantastic. My problem is that the realtor used the same photos for both Units 1 and 2.
Gorgeous, aside from the out of place Kitchen and Bathroom. Other than that, a dream of a home (to me). Neighborhood could be better, but I don’t think the exact location of this house is nearly as bad as a lot of the rest of Uptown to the East.
Too bad that’s not a SFR.
…and not in Uptown.
This area of Uptown definitely doesn’t feel like uptown ….until you go grocery shopping. I wonder why you wouldn’t make this a single family?
Love, love, love. (Except for the kitchen cabinets)
Don’t love the location.
Is there another unit above unit 2?
Goregous unit. Bad location. I know it isn’t the worst part of Uptown, but it certainly isn’t the best. The Wilson red line stop is horrible.
This area is known as Sheridan Park and is a landmark historic district. This is a pretty nice block. There is a cul-de-sac on the south end of the street. I would buy it if I had the money, and I think the oval mirror could easily be removed.
There are some rough pockets around here but the beauty of the neighborhood definitely makes up for it. Hopefully the new alderman can help clean up some of the problem buildings.
I think this is a deal. Great post Sabrina!
“Bluestreak on August 17th, 2010 at 10:46 am
Hopefully the new alderman can help clean up some of the problem buildings.”
Wait…………what?
Is Schiller out?
“I think the oval mirror could easily be removed”
Sure, and even replacing the two (or 4) tiles with holes in them isn’t a big deal, but then you’re left with two oddly located lights and the question–which was mine in the first place–of “why did they do that”?
“Wait…………what?
Is Schiller out?”
Announced she is not running for reelection.
“The Wilson red line stop is horrible.”
I couldn’t agree more, but the CTA 148 and 145 both run down Wilson and are LSD express buses. It is only about a mile to the Metra Ravenswood station, and the Montrose Brown Line.
1 mile, give or take a few blocks, to Andersonville, Wrigley Field, Lincoln Square, the lake path and 3 blocks to Target.
georgeous, in terms of the kitchen and bathrooms I would consider refinishing them to at least come *close* to the color of the other trim, of course I could sink a ton of money I’d never see again into another idea. I would also find a nice piece of art to replace the mirror in the bathroom and a different vanity for the other bathroom. voila – less jarring contrast.
For me the problem would be the Wilson stop.
“Announced she is not running for reelection.”
Hasn’t she done this before? My new place is in the far SE corner of Ward 46. I’ll definitely register and vote in the next Aldermanic election.
How much to heat these bad boys?
Beautiful, classic Chicago building but the kitchen could be improved some/ looks not just a little “cheap”. Hate the corner whirlpool tub/ bad choice and feels odd with the badly placed mirror. Someone committed to the neighborhood and home could live there long term and gradually improve the builder’s be-fuddling. They may move at this price but 50K less seems more plausible.
Gorgeous units but they probably will have a hard time fetching that price. Half a mil is hard to sell even in lakeview these days. I don’t live far from there and this is also a pretty nice block. The neighborhood is over the moon the Shiller is not running again!
Stunning. Be still my heart. I’d like a little history. Who would have built a house like that, and what kind of neighborhood was it when the house was built? Was this for the uber-rich or merely well-off? Would there have been servants?
Cool units, but I think an extra $20K in order to finish the kitchens and baths in a more similar style to the rest of the unit would have done some good… the inconsistent wood floors and trim reminds me of poorly rehabbed apartments in Lincoln Park. I dont like the exposed brick in the sunroom either.
Such a shame this place
1) has been condo converted
2) is in a terrible part of town
everyone complaining about the Wilson stop and uptown in general.
perhaps you forgot that
YOU LIVE IN A CITY!
IF YOU DONT LIKE WHAT CITIES ARE LIKE
MOVE TO THE SUBURBS!
I don’t think the complaints about the Wilson stop are totally unwarranted…
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/07/1-of-2-uptown-shooting-victims-dies.html
http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/06/2-shot-on-uptown-street.html
James if you consider Uptown a good neighborhood to throw down 525k on a condo… please go right ahead, I don’t think anyone here will stop you.
But nobody here will feel sorry for you when you get mugged, stabbed, robbed, or shot by a random lunatic.
I’d love to know where you live if you think the area surrounding the Wilson red line stop is good ol’ “city livin”
The CTA needs to do a gut rehab of the the Wilson Station and the tracks, including demolition of the “mall” structure underneath the tracks.
The new Howard station is decent and clean. The condition of the remaining redline stations is appalling.
“Such a shame this place
1) has been condo converted”
You think it would have been better had it remained apartments? Assessor has it as “2 to 6 apartments”.
This is *not* a converted SFH.
“The new Howard station is decent and clean. The condition of the remaining redline stations is appalling.”
Fullerton and Belmont are really nice. So is Roosevelt.
Im certain at one point in its 90 year history it was a SFH
James,
“Not liking the Wilson El stop” DOES NOT EQUAL “not liking city life”–WTF!!??
This place is nice, but no way am I dropping half a mil to live in a condo on this block. No bueno.
Barry: “Fullerton and Belmont are really nice. So is Roosevelt.”
True. And also the newer stations at Chicago and Grand too. In times of recession like these, we should be spending like FDR and Eisenhower on public works. Everyone one of those piss infused redline stops should be rebuilt the same.
With the passing of Dan Rostenkowski, I really appreciate how valuable he was for capital projects in this City. Despite his faults (criminal… I know), he delivered for Chicago. I think about him whenever I’m on the blue line to O’hare.
You’d think with Obama, Rahm, and Durbin so close to the purse strings that we’d get some capital projects going here.
I also love most everything about these places, and detest the kitchens. At least one bathroom, though not period-authentic, doesn’t clash to me.
Although I happen to like Uptown (I even defended the Wilson L stop here for it’s crazy mix of people), it does seem that Sheridan Park is one of the most rapidly depreciating areas of the city. Shot up during the bubble, is tanking now. Don’t know if Gary’s neighborhood data would corroborate this. I’m guessing that due to the recent spate of violence, there a are of lot of conversations among the yuppie couples who bought condos here that feature lines like:
Wife: “Honey, I don’t want to hear ‘let’s wait till the market gets better’. I heard gunshots again yesterday. We’re getting out of here NOW!”
disclosure: I actually know two couples–one with kids, one without–whom I’ve overheard having this “conversation.”
Never mind Uptown being a bad neighborhood — to install that kitchen in this vintage beauty is the real crime.
“Im certain at one point in its 90 year history it was a SFH”
It does appear that it was in 1920 (census info, my grandparents lived down the street), but if it was thoroughly apartmentized 50+ years ago, it hardly matters–how many $1mm+ SFHs do you think Uptown can support?
“You’d think with Obama, Rahm, and Durbin so close to the purse strings that we’d get some capital projects going here.”
We’re getting the rest of Wacker replaced, starting about 2 months ago. O’Hare construction continues. The UP-North line is having its bridges rebuilt. There’s a lot going on, just not on the Redline, at least yet.
hey Sonies
Sorry that you live in fear f the bad guys and their guns.
I live in pilsen and the little gangbangers shoot each other all the time.
I pray that they hit each other and not an innocent. When one gang banger kills another
that is natural selection at its finest.
if your scarred just carry a pistol.
something small like a colt revolver
just make sure you don’t miss
Or I could not pay 500k to live in an area where I need to dodge bullets and live somewhere nice where morons like you don’t carry guns around because you know… its against the law?
well i suggest you move back to the small town in Iowa
or to the big 10 campus where-fore you came.
James,
Uptown never really gentrified to the extent that other hoods have and yet you see no problem thinking RE valuations should mirror those other, nicer, neighborhoods? hahaha
James,
I suggest you move to Garfield Park, to let “natural selection” take its course.
By the way I really like living and owning a chunk of property in the densest neighborhood in the 2nd densest major city in the US…. Dumbass
PS. Pilsen is for dumb hipsters so please take your uneducated comments elsewhere and get back to work at the tattoo shop, and PPS… you aren’t gangster… just poor
Actually Sonies
you are an idiot of the most utterly fatal kind.
By utterly fatal I mean the kind of idiot who is cognitively incapable of realizing the depth
at which your retardation travels within your tiny eggshell mind.
your head is so full of preconceived ideas that it will take you the rest of this and the next to wake up.
“full of preconceived ideas”
So, you’re saying that one is just as likely to get accidentally shot in a neighborhood were there are very few guns being fired on a regular basis as in a neighborhood were gunfire is just part of the nightly background noise?
Some of you folks here are hilarious. Yeah, Uptown has it share of drooling crazies and flop houses, but people act like it is the same as say living in the heart of the West Side or far south side. No, it ain’t Lincoln Park, but it isn’t like you need a bullet proof vest when you walk outside either.
“people act like it is the same as say living in the heart of the West Side or far south side.”
No, but what would something like this be priced at in the heart of the west side or the far south side right now? 70% less? And what would it be priced at in A’ville or West Graceland? *maybe* 20% more? It’s about the price:overall qaulity:neighborhood ratios. If this were 6 blocks north or 8 blocks south, no one* would say boo about the price. In this exact location, with the not-perfect kitchen/bath thing, they seem a bit pricey.
*outside the permabears
I only have my experience to draw from.
shooters in this town are generally
a) gangmembers shooting other gangmembers
sometimes they mistake the target
you hear about these cases all the time
b) white people who snap and shoot there spouse or there co-workers.
dont hear about these that often
c) robbers
who are looking for targets, i.e naive people with no streetsmarts
stupid big 10 grads who move here from campus and think this is like college.
you dont hear too much about these cases because they go unreported and usually happen in nicer hoods
i dont worry about any of these scenarios
because i dont fit any of these profiles
and because
a) I own weapons
b) I am licensed to own weapons
c) trained in how to use weapons
James–
How does your training help you if the gangsters roll up in front of your house (by mistake or b/c their target is walking by) when you’re trimming your shrubs and let lead fly? Isn’t that much more likely to happen in some ‘hoods than in others?
But yeah, where I live, I don’t worry much about a or b, and c *is*, as you say, *mostly* about people who don’t act like there’s anything to worry about, and *is* under reported, at least when there isn’t actual shooting/stabbing involved.
simple
I live on the 4th floor
But
if any shlt went down close enough to my home I may be able to
get a shot off from the window
maybe someday
bottom line is that the place in the post if wonderful
Love, love, love these units. Agree about the kitchens though. Same materials/same config with a darker stain on the cabinets might have been okay. Marble, white subway tile and white cabinets would have been better.
They’re gorgeous and they’re huge, but the nabe is so-so. I think they’ll sell in the $400- $430 range.
hmm interesting, these used to be for rent, when I called out of curiosity he wanted $4000/month for them. I guess that plan didnt work out. the owner actually lives in the very nice SFH next door
Er, back to the property…. There’s enough vintage detailing to make a person drool. But even if the kitchen & bathrooms weren’t so jarringly horrible, the price is too much for the location. A neighborhood doesn’t have to be horrible 100% of the time that you live there to make it a risky/scary place to buy property – it only takes one or two times. I notice that all of you commenting on safety are guys. Imagine if your girlfriends/wives/sisters were walking from the el/to their car in this neighborhood regularly at night? People do it, yes, and many survive without anything bad happening to them. But why pay half a million to take that risk?
“I notice that all of you commenting on safety are guys.”
And at least two of us are saying that this neighborhood is *not* safe enough at this price point.
I welcome the infusion of these people. They add to our great “diversity”, replenish the European stock of the city that usually over time turns gay, hip, or lives soulessly never finding a mate. Also, these Big 10 grads add probably the only incremental addition to the stock of good-looking women in the city.
“well i suggest you move back to the small town in Iowa
or to the big 10 campus where-fore you came.”
@James – Can I hire you and your gun to walk me home from the Wilson stop? I’m sure you’ll make me feel protected from stray bullets, gang fights, random muggers, and general pervs.
Renting for 4K a month? That almost seems crazier than the purchase prices. I rented a place this size in Lakeview with some vintage details left for far, far less. (Unfortunately, it had the same kitchen cabinets.)
I have a listing in Sheridan Park and indeed the neighborhood gets a bad rap. I’d like to understand more about what people mean by “bad neighborhood”. I’ve spent a fair amount of time on the street there waiting for other realtors – my car even died there once. I never really felt threatened. Actually, I concluded it was a fairly nice neighborhood but clearly diverse. You might find this post on neighborhood crime interesting – you may be surprised: http://blog.lucidrealty.com/2010/07/20/which-chicago-neighborhoods-are-safe/
I will tell you that given the reputation 3 bedroom condos can be purchased for a lot less than the green zone – no surprise.
“I’d like to understand more about what people mean by “bad neighborhood”.”
http://www.uptownupdate.com/2010/06/pizza-drug-deals.html
“I thought I would email in to let you know that I have seen constant drug dealing going on at Godfather’s Pizza (corner of Malden and Wilson). For awhile, it was happening everyday (either right in front of Godfather’s or in front of the building it’s connected to: 4555 N. Malden).”
http://www.uptownupdate.com/2010/07/gunpowder-summer-continues.html
907pm: “Just heard about 8 shots about 5+ minutes ago … police cars all over the place, up and down Malden just north of Montrose … presumably at the same spot as before.”
http://www.uptownupdate.com/2010/07/bang-bang-shoot-shoot.html
“Wanted to let you guys know that I heard gunshots last night (this morning) in the Magnolia area between 3.15 and 3.30am. I live on the 4500 block of Magnolia, and they sounded like they came from the Magnolia/ Sunnyside/ Malden area.”
James… why the bone up your ass about Big-10 graduates? If we were from a Pac-10 college instead, would that give us the street cred to purchase in Uptown or Pilsen?
I’ve lived in East Garfield Park for the past ten years, and Uptown scares me more than EGP.
Beautiful wood in the above place. You should see some of the single family mini-mansions over here that will soon be available due to the aging of the owners. You can get 5 or 6 empty lots to build your moat and drawbridge around as well 🙂
Russ, for the time being you DO need a bullet-proof vest if you’re walking around in the vicinity of of the Wilson Red Line Stop. There have been a number of shootings at or near this corner since last year, and innocent bystanders have been hit. Rumor has it that this “turf” is being disputed by three different gangs.
These are absolutely beautiful apartments and renovating those huge baths would be a fun project.
But there is no way this is ever going to be a good, safe neighborhood as long as there AT LEAST twenty hyper-sleazy flophouse SROs- I know, I did a count, didn’t find them all- in the vicinity, along with many “project Section 8” buildings and a glut of social service agencies serving criminal clients.
Yeah, I’ve seen the Uptown Update stories before. Most of the violent crime and questionable activity is around Broadway. As you move West from there it’s not as bad but I did want to confirm that people are perceiving lower income populations as constituting a “dangerous neighborhood”. I understand why people believe that but it doesn’t always equate.
“would that give us the street cred to purchase in Uptown or Pilsen?”
danny are you seriously considering the RE opinion of an aspiring hip-hop artist such as James?
Basically James bought into Uptown too soon. Luckily for him it has a good shot of being a much better neighborhood by the time his mortgage is paid off due to the witch who likes the drug addicts retiring. But definitely don’t count on it.
Uptown is fine during the day, and most of uptown is fine during the night as well. Also props to db for putting James in his place. Its always refreshing to see someone with REAL STREET CRED put a poseur like James in his place. And yes James you sound like a huge poseur. Sorry buddy but just because your a hip-hop fan from the burbs doesn’t give you any street cred.
Although one thing I won’t dispute with you James is your willingness to pack heat. I’d much rather hear about you killing a random POS then being the victim. Just don’t mix alcohol and guns.
This area is great! I love it. Vote Molly Phelan!
Disclaimer: This is in no way a comment on anyone’s socioeconomic status, whatever it may be, just a comment on the type of neighbors/noise-level one would have to deal with if one chose to buy this condo….
Having lived in Sheridan Park, it’s not ALL bad, as others pointed out, and this block definitely has some charm and some beautiful homes. Having said that, this home is indeed no more than half a block from at least one sketchy Section 8 bldg with VERY LOUD neighbors, the kind that like to party loudly outdoors into the wee hours of the night. Additionally, it shares the alley with many other section 8/CHA bldgs, and the alley behind this condo (if not directly behind, then just a few doors down), transforms into a huge gathering place at night, accompanied by loud music and tons of people who may or may not live there, as well as those who routinely decide to move dumpsters around so as to block off the alley from car traffic. Look at any Chicago Crime sites for recent arrests in Beat 23, and see how many perps’ home address are listed as the 4400-4500 block of North Magnolia.
Did I ever require a bullet-proof vest while living in Sheridan Park? NO
Does the Wilson el stop still suck? YES
Would I buy this condo for $500,000? HELL NO
Anybody who says this isn’t a dangerous neighborhood is just being obtuse.
I have friends who bought a condo here a few years ago. They say it was the worst mistake of their lives. They had no idea how messed up the neighborhood was. I have a coworker that until a few months ago lived in the hood. She said every night she dreaded going home because from the Wilson stop to her place she would always get harrassed.
This happened last week: http://www.uptownupdate.com/2010/08/pizza-delivery-man-badly-hurt-on.html.
I’m not living anywhere I can’t get a pizza delivered.
But this is my favorite recent story. There used to be video of this one online. Spend a few minutes on google trying to find it. It’s worth watching. http://www.uptownupdate.com/2010/03/breaking-news-stabbing-on-magnolia-and.html
Both of these happened on Magnolia. One block away from this property.
1. Great place, overpriced for the neighborhood.
2. I lived in Uptown twice–in 2 different sections. On the one hand, it’s not all bad. On the other hand, it’s bad and can be very bad. I would not live there again. It reminded me of Detroit, where I’m from.
3. What’s up with the personnel attacks on Cribchatter? Easy people. Can’t we exercise discretion in posting and arguing about substantive points, and avoid name calling? Jeeze.