Crib Chatter

It seems like nearly every 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo in a prime area of the city has gone over the $400,000 price level.  But if you look around and are patient, you can even find an authentic brick loft in River North for under $400,000.

And this one comes with parking included.

300 W. Grand is a 51 unit brick loft building next to the Brown Line tracks at Grand and Franklin.  It is among the older loft conversions, having been originally converted in the 1990s.  Many of the units show their age.  Most have older white kitchens and white bathrooms.

But the units are well laid out.  All of them have at least one bedroom with a window (some have two bedrooms with windows) and the upper floors have spiral staircases leading to rooftop decks and dens.  The brick work is also unusual in many of the units, with interesting nooks and built-ins into some of the walls.  You can tell that this conversion was done in the 1990s, before they started neutralizing a lot of the natural elements during the conversion.

As an example, Unit #608 is available to rent and as you can see from the pictures it has the spiral staircase but also the older white kitchen.  They are asking $2550 a month plus $250 a month for parking.  The unit is a 2/2 with 1400 square feet.

You never know what you’re going to get in 300 W. Grand.

The unit currently on the market looks like one of the more “normal” units, however.

Unit #208: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1200 square feet

• Sold in April 2002 for $299,000
• Sold in February 2006 for $345,000
• Currently listed for $386,500 (parking included)
• Washer/dryer in the unit

This unit faces the south, which is important in 300 W. Grand because the north facing units are now going to be staring into the Silver’s parking garage (the new high rise development going up on the parking lot directly to the north of 300 W. Grand.)

While you might not have much of a view from the south side, at least it’s not the parking garage.

Covenant Realty has the listing.