Selling a 3-Bedroom Modern Penthouse 4 Years Later in West Town: 2154 W. Division
This 3-bedroom modern penthouse at 2154 W. Division in West Town recently came on the market.
The building was built in 2007 and is one of two nearly identical buildings on either side of Division that book end the street right before the hospital complex.
With northwest exposures, it has modern features such as floor to ceiling windows and ceiling heights of 10.5′.
The kitchen has mocha Archlinea cabinets and stainless steel appliances by SubZero and Miele.
There is also Ann Saks tile in the master bathroom.
The unit has several outdoor spaces including a second level private deck measuring 24×23 and a landscaped terrace off the living room.
The unit is currently listed under the 2007 purchase price.
Is this a good townhouse or single family home alternative in this neighborhood?
Robert John Anderson at Baird & Warner has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #402: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1750 square feet
- Sold in August 2007 for $751,000 (included the parking space)
- Currently listed for $699,000 (parking is extra but the public listing doesn’t say how much)
- Assessments of $320 a month
- Taxes of $11011
- Centra Air
- Washer/Dryer in the unit
- Bedroom #1: 14×11 (main level)
- Bedroom #2: 11×11 (main level)
- Bedroom #3: 11×10 (main level)
- Deck: 24×23 (second level)
nice place. right on division is a negative, as is price and crazy? taxes.
“nice place. right on division is a negative”
would this fit anywhere else except division ave?
nice looking place,but ouch those taxes and right on division. love the kitchen. Maybe 625?
Right in the heart of the capital of the D-Bag Republic.
It would be fun to live here. Tough to sell in 4 years when you were done having fun.
Hah! Good luck selling this joint… $1300 a month before mortgage? Yikes.
“would this fit anywhere else except division ave?”
anywhere there are rubiks cubers
I think the place is pimp. Drive by them a couple of times per week. I don’t think being on Division is a big deal on this stretch. Kind of quiet and a lot of shopping and amenities. However, these are right across the street from a hospital. The views kind of suck as they face out over the hospital parking lot which is why most of the unit owners have those little midget trees on the decks.
Nice space, but I do think they are goign to have a hard time getting more than $625k.
Nobody going to mention that the NW view from here is of a giant hospital parking lot and then Western? This place is on the very edge of where you’d really want to be if you are in to the Division Street thing.
Compare to http://www.urbanrealestate.com/property/2001-W-Wabansia-Unit-302-CHICAGO-IL-60647-YEPEKUXIWXO6U.html, which is huge by comparison, as the SW (city) view and hits the middle of the yuppie Damen bullseye (and is walkable to the train). Fixtures are nicer/more modern on Division, but I can’t imagine that compensates for the location/view/sq ft difference.
Awesome place
The location isn’t that bad for the nightlife inclined
Guess the link is broken, but the address is 2001 W Wabansia, #302.
This is one great looking place. Really like the look and hope that the unit will sell to that special buyer that appreciates the look. For $100K more that buyer can go to the West Loop and spy on Oprah for another week or two.
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/1200-W-Hubbard-St-60642/home/14102804
Given the Division Ave listing this WL listing sure seems to be overpriced.
“There is also Ann Saks tile”
I would think that Kohler would object to Saks marketing tile using the name “Ann”, but what do I know.
Why would Kohler object? I object to people misspelling ‘Sacks’
I’ve seen Ann Sachs and Ann Saks in realtors’ remarks.
No parking. 575k. The outside of this building makes me angry.
Dahlia: “Why would Kohler object? I object to people misspelling ‘Sacks’”
Little joke. Kohler owns Ann Sacks.
And the author was (prolly) thinking of Saks 5th Ave.
Phil: “The outside of this building makes me angry.”
Bob-level angry? Angry enough to *smash!*? Buyer beware of Phil!
I will wear “true Religion” Jeans on my ass that is too fat,
I will have pointy clown shoes and greasy long hair when I go see this place.
great interior pictures. makes such a difference!
Oh
and I will call everyone “Bro”
its “brah”
and no wonder they put those bookshelves up in the windows, who wants to look at all those sick poor people in the hospital across the way
I think this place is going to go for less than $500k. The best comp is 1919 W Crystal, which are also Studio Dwell designed and look to have comparable finishes. Two 3/2 units sold in that building for $515k and $534k, and those units are bigger by about 400 square feet, have garage parking, and have a better location. Granted, those two units were bank owned and this unit is not, but no way is this place getting anything close to $700k.
As an FYI, they are asking $30K for the parking.
Perhaps another comp…
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/919-N-Wolcott-Ave-60622/unit-302/home/12574971
As I recall from several evenings outdoors in this area, the wailing of emergency vehicle sirens was a constant companion. I wouldn’t want to live next to a fire station, nor a hospital with an emergency room. To me, this is an incurable defect, and fatal for this otherwise attractive property.
Is it just me, or is there some sort of suburbinate infection going on here?! My god, these comments, don’t live in the city if you are going to whine that much about the views.
The price is certainly very high, even for a gorgeous, niche product like this. But, keep in mind that there are very few developers who can pull off modern, because you are catering to a very narrow crowd, and that makes it a very high risk business. The execution has to be flawless (which is usually the case for ranquist). But, that is the main reason why it is priced so much higher than the rest of the market. We’re unfortunately operating in a market that values bottom line more than “unique” or quality or aesthetics.
People who will buy this property, they’ll pay higher than some other generic 3/2 in the area, but you know what they’ll be happy.
“Is it just me, or is there some sort of suburbinate infection going on here?! My god, these comments, don’t live in the city if you are going to whine that much about the views. ”
If it had a “city” view, I don’t think anyone would be complaining.
This place has a very suburban “view” of a 1/8 mile wide parking lot. And basically unblocked noise from a reasonably busy emergency room. And *fantastic* proximity to a CPS high school.
Complaining about the *exact* location of this place is not “being suburban”; were it at the other side of the same block–at Division/Hoyne, rather than Division/Leavitt, I’d agree with you. And as it is, those complaining about it being *on* Division, rather than the other stuff, are not, as you note, teh target audience in any case. Still doesn’t make them “suburban” in any fashion.
What are the mortgage data for this ill located modern masterpiece?
Very attractive place, but not easy to live in, as you can see from the bookcase in front of the window because there is no wall for it. No place for bookcases, and weatherizing a place like this is really difficult.
That’s the trouble with so much “cutting edge” architecture and why some architectural fads are so short-lived, and why so many houses and buildings that were really forward when built seem so dated just a decade or two later.
If it had a “city” view, I don’t think anyone would be complaining
Everything has a price.
HD:
Looks developer-owned to me? I don’t see any documents recorded for the alleged 2007 sale – only a release of the construction mortgage (I assume – $2.7M).
That’s the trouble with so much “cutting edge” architecture and why some architectural fads are so short-lived, and why so many houses and buildings that were really forward when built seem so dated just a decade or two later
Well, this is pretty close to early 20th century modernist stuff, so it looks like when it’s well done, it doesn’t feel so dated?
Modernism is not about making a statement, about some sort of misplaced perception of a “cutting edge” design. Very simply put, its primary focus, is not the aesthetics, like many people think, but rather functionality, i.e. improvement of the use of space, light exposure, getting the maximum use out of a given space, with the technological means that allow it to realize it in the most feasible and efficient way.
Read “Architecture of Happiness”. It’s a thoughtful book; or the Fountainhead.
I think the space is pretty functional and not “cutting edge” in a negative sense of it at least. It is spacious and open. I am not sure what the price should be as it is definitely an unusual space. I agree with Spinoza that it deserves a premium for that. The question is how much. Also the sirens are a big nuisance IMHO so no matter how nice the place is, the sound pollution is a negative factor.
BTW, talking about modern. Take a look at this:
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/1439-N-Elk-Grove-Ave-60622/unit-1/home/18953607
Maybe I’m wrong and the pictures are misleading, but the outside of this building looks cheap; cinder block first level, pre-fab on the rest- just like the high-rise on Franklin next to the brown line, blah balcony railings reminiscent of 1970’s construction. However, the inside pictures look like no expense was spared.
miumiu – I love that place; though they do need some street level curtains to block out the fishbowl effect. It’s not all that out of place – two more modern/contemporary places right next door.
Actually I am with you Phil. The outside does not impress me much either.
I know Wicker, I wish I could live here!
“BTW, talking about modern. Take a look at this:
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/1439-N-Elk-Grove-Ave-60622/unit-1/home/18953607”
Interesting story on that one. Whoever the developer is on that one that bought it at $850k made a pretty penny. Definitely the best one of all these modern places!
whatever happened to the place on that block (elk grove) that was a FC with mold issues? beautiful building. maybe right next door or a couple doors down? always curious about that one.
I wish for nothing more than the “Salad Bowl on the Counter” bath sink trend to die in flames. SO hideous.
The hospital isn’t the biggest issue here IMO, it’s the public housing just around the corner. I used to live quite close to here and it was an issue for me (place got broken into, roommate mugged, etc.)
It’s a nice area overall, love the WP restaurants, i just wouldn’t choose to buy this close to that pocket of WP. Go a little bit east and it’s a different story, IMO.
lol…That is funny. I actually like them though.
“I wish for nothing more than the “Salad Bowl on the Counter” bath sink trend to die in flames. SO hideous.”
I read The Fountainehead whilst a teen, and once loved much modern architecture for the aesthetic- the crystalline lines and cleanliness of it, and the incorporation of really old styles, such as the Aztec elements in the “Usonian block” houses of Frank Lloyd Wright and his son- the only Wright houses I could ever love, by the way. As an art student, I of course spent (and still spend) a lot of time studying and contemplating art and architecture, and considering why some things are considered beautiful and others not, and why, once I passed the age of 14 or so, I began to be first bored, and then really put off, by so much modern architecture. I wasn’t always.
I first attributed my growing distaste for it to a reaction against the period in which I grew up, which my family spent in a little modernist ranch with a plate glass wall and vaulted ceilings, all very “open” and clean-lined. I began to react against the sheer sterility of it; it began to feel too much like an office or the school I attended to; a “machine for living” rather than a personal space to express all my personal quirks and indulge a love of density and detail and color. It was also a place where you could have no secrets and where personal things seemed always out of place.
Then I noticed it wasn’t terribly functional, in spite of being specifically designed according to such principles as “form follows function” and that the building should be fitted to the site. I noticed, for starters, that it was hard to fit the normal clutter of a family of 4 into such a place, just like it is in the apartment featured here. Any odd item you introduce to a space like this messes up the aesthetic of it, like your book or CD collection that there is no space to house without jamming a bookcase against the windows, or walling in spaces the architect designed to be open. Most buildings designed according to modernist ideas also turned out to be far less durable and every bit as hard to maintain, and even harder to heat and cool, than traditional architecture, which evolved according to the needs of the people who used it and the climates they lived in. And we can’t help but observe that modern architectural styles, just like traditional, are just as likely to be built on sites and in climates for which they are unsuitable.
holy shit… Laura.. Talk about over analyzing something. I read fountainhead when i was about 30, when i finally had time, and after receiving my umpteenth copy from someone, telling me i must read it. Thank god i only saw the man unwilling to compromise principles and beliefs part.
I had the modern home with the stairwell that looked like tthe picasso statue in daley plaza, it had 30+ ft ceilings and completely absurd curves and angles throughout.
Functional – Who cares! heating bills… Auto pay so you dom’t see them…. It was cool, pleased my eye, loved it! No need for me to study why something should be pretty, it just either is or isn’t and it aint the same for everyone.
Who the hell says whilst.
Wow – I could type a story here but I’m glad for modern / contemporary spaces and place a premium on them over vintage. I like the bookcase in front of the window and actually am thinking of how to copy that for one of my current living spaces.
Only thing I like about vintage is that they tend to have lots of small purpose built rooms.
Seems like a high price as one can get 2-1 vintage apartments for $1400 in the same area.
“Seems like a high price as one can get 2-1 vintage apartments for $1400 in the same area.”
Honest question: what does the rental value of a 2/1 have to do with a 3/2? If you said 2/2 or (maybe) 3/1, there’s some relation, but a crappy 2/1 is just as relevant to this unit as saying “modernist-ish SFHs around here are over $1mm, so this seems like a good deal”.
nice novel laura
Bob – British people often say “whilst” fyi. Well, you asked…
Thoughtful writing Laura. I don’t think it would be fair to compare modern to the solid vintage pre-war buildings we see around occasionnally. In the old days, wealthy families built thse buildings, and were probably not that much concerned about costs and whatnot probably because there was a prestige element in it. But, that type of construction is just not feasible anymore. So, modern has to incorporate the notion of efficiency and feasibility into the building process, and sometimes that creates problems. A good innovation does not necessarily translate into perfection, but it should mean improvement from every stand point.
I think though that the question you are raising about why so many of the homes that were build by the grand modern masters had so many problems, is definitely a valid question/debate.
It’s also impressive that you’ve read Fountainhead in your teen years.
“It’s also impressive that you’ve read Fountainhead in your teen years.”
Um, why? That’s the *ideal* time to read it. Atlas Shrugged is a different beast, as it’s Fountainhead with an extra 600 pages of dreck.
Not everyone is able to undertake what’s ideal. Btw, If Ayn Rand had a decent editor, the impact of Atlas Shrugged would have been much different. All you have to read in AS is few important passages/speeches that are spectacularly written and thoughtful.. The rest is garbage.
“If Ayn Rand had a decent editor, the impact of Atlas Shrugged would have been much different.”
You mean it would have been “Anthem”? A novella is not as “impressive” to carry around as that ponderous tome AS.
Long time reader – first time poster here…
Congratulations Laura Louzader – you made me laugh out loud with that post.
And to everyone who posted after that – funny sh*t.
My real estate agent says this site is worthless, but it’s like crack to someone with an interest in the market.
Rock on – and may the market please go up!
“My real estate agent says this site is worthless,”
oh man the can of worms is open i shall go hide now until the storm is over.
thnaks for posting jo blo, fresh opinions here is needed. gets kind of boring hearing me say over and over that 1br are to rent not to buy.
I’ve actually heard from a real estate agent (north of a year ago) that they get a lot of traffic from CC.
“I’ve actually heard from a real estate agent (north of a year ago) that they get a lot of traffic from CC”
i would rather not repeat what our realtor said last year.