The Classic 4-Bedroom Vintage East Lincoln Park Rowhouse: 345 W. Belden
This 4-bedroom rowhouse at 345 W. Belden in East Lincoln Park came on the market in May 2012.
Built in 1881 on a 16.2×124.5 lot, it has parking for 1-large car or 2-small cars.
The rowhouse has a custom kitchen with stainless steel appliances and a second kitchen in the lower level which could be an au pair or in-law arrangement.
The bedrooms are split with 2 of them on the third floor, one on the main floor and one in the lower level.
The living room and kitchen are on the second floor with a family room on the main floor.
Is the sale of this rowhouse all about the location?
Or will it appeal to those who want that extra space in the lower level?
Jennifer Ames at Coldwell Banker has the listing. See the pictues here.
345 W. Belden: 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, no square footage listed, 1 car parking included
- Sold in March 1997 for $380,000
- Sold in January 1999 for $566,000
- Originally listed in May 2012 for $1.795 million
- Currently still listed at $1.795 million
- Taxes of $12,272
- Central Air
- Bedroom #1: 15×14 (third floor)
- Bedroom #2: 15×9 (third floor)
- Bedroom #3: 10×11 (main floor)
- Bedroom #4: 12×10 (lower level)
- Family room: 15×15 (main level)
that is an impressive price tag. waiting for our resident expert of this hood to say what number gets it sold.
Who’s the resident expert, G?
So, what family living situation does this work for?
I like it, and could totally see living there with my every other weekend kids, and elderly relative, or boomerang college grad, or with frequnet guest grandkids. Don’t see how it works for full time family with multiple, approximately same age kids, except in the case of one set of twins sharing that upstairs bedroom. But, as they say, whatchu talkin’ ’bout?, or something related to that.
Basically, if you have 2+ kids and a semi-traditional family-living situation, and this is in your budget, you have options that don’t require the number of compromises that this would.
“Who’s the resident expert, G?”
nonny. I think he’s v down on belden. I can’t remember if it’s bc he can’t make it down the street bc there’s always passersby, from close and from far, asking him to take photos, or bc he’s uncomfortable with the hobo element.
“I can’t remember if it’s bc he can’t make it down the street bc there’s always passersby, from close and from far, asking him to take photos, or bc he’s uncomfortable with the hobo element.”
It’s those transients living in the Belden-Stratford, isn’t it? Hate to have a rooming house so close.
“The living room and kitchen are on the second floor with a family room on the main floor.”
Piano nobile!
iirc nonny like belden, just not this far west
“Piano nobile!”
Doesn’t make the full brochure, even:
http://www.leapre.com/PDFViewer.asp?Brochure=leap/brochures/b40a4cf1-d766-4a28-b59a-d0b8572e217a.pdf
Also: no garage, and only 12.7 feet of width to build one.
“iirc nonny like belden, just not this far west”
Yes, being in the *third* rowhouse west of the park is understandably unacceptable. May as well move to Des Moines.
Well, this is very walkable to Francis Parker. That’s a big benefit for a LP family who’s kids go there. Other than that, it’s a very desirable area, there’s nothing more to it. The downside is that you are not close to a train, but whoever lives here prob does not care.
“I like it, and could totally see living there with my every other weekend kids, and elderly relative, or boomerang college grad, or with frequnet guest grandkids.”
No interest in neighborhood, but I could actually see the layout working for us, w 1 kid, and some interest in an actual in-law situation in future. In-law space w mix of autonomy and integration into house would be good for us, as long as basement bed actually seemed livable.
Well 445 Belden just sold for under $1.5MM. The interiors hadn’t been touched in years, and I doubt the sq ft it claims to be, so $1.5 for a fixer-upper: http://m.trulia.com/homes/Illinois/Chicago/sold/1404573-445-W-Belden-Ave-Chicago-IL-60614?setDeepLinkSession=true
This is certainly in the ballpark.
The agent does a great job marketing these properties. I have enjoyed looking at a lot of her listings.
“layout working for us, w 1 kid, and some interest in an actual in-law situation in future”
Yeah, for you sensible layout.
Now imagine you have a second kid, 9 months from now. What the hell do you do with that layout?
Can we agree that the layout may work for some and not for others?
“Can we agree that the layout may work for some and not for others?”
Still cant find a “common” situation where the layout really works.
price needs to better reflect a new layout build.
also to lazy to google map, but from recollection isnt this directly across from a inlet-outlet to a parking garage?
A one child family. I know a lot people with one kid, they won’t have any more.
“also to lazy to google map, but from recollection isnt this directly across from a inlet-outlet to a parking garage?”
That’s pretty lazy. Not sure about directly, but it is across the street. Solves the parking situation: zipcar would be your second car.
“A one child family. I know a lot people with one kid, they won’t have any more.”
I know one family where this might work but i dont think they are in the 1.75mil market
i also know a guy who drive a saturn
“That’s pretty lazy. Not sure about directly, but it is across the street.”
glad my memory is still good.
not lazy, Instead of google mapping it i watched a video of the swedish handball team. A man needs to have his priorities straight.
“Can we agree that the layout may work for some and not for others?”
A layout with 12 bedrooms, no kitchen and an outhouse works for some, too. And so does a yurt.. Doesn’t mean it should be exempt from the question.
Also, who among those who would spend $1.7mm on a house is going to set up the room directly inside the front door as a bedroom? Even with the piano nobile. So, it’s a 3 bedroom, with one of those in a in-law suite.
I can’t believe im saying this because I have always loved old lincoln park but i think southport is a more desireable neighborhood, and much SAFER. You can’t get a beautiful rowhouse there, but a nice frame in sopo is worth more to me now
groove, have you been awol? i dont recall seeing your name lately. or gringozekaraoke
I agree with all the comments regarding the layout for this price, but I can’t believe no one has commented/noticed that there isn’t even a master bathroom! I cannot imagine paying over $1.5M and having to share a bathroom with my one kid while the grandparents downstairs get their own bathroom. Priorities seem goofy in this house. Also, I wouldn’t be happy having to have my guests walk up all those stairs to my front door, then having to go past a bedroom/den and up more stairs to reach the living room/kitchen. Just seems very odd.
“CH (August 7, 2012, 2:30 pm)
iirc nonny like belden, just not this far west”
LOL!
” I can’t believe no one has commented/noticed that there isn’t even a master bathroom!”
Totally missed it–wouldnt have even thought it possible.
Also, no half bath on the piano nobile, so your dinner guests need to excuse themselves downstairs.
“anon (tfo) (August 7, 2012, 8:08 pm)
” I can’t believe no one has commented/noticed that there isn’t even a master bathroom!”
Totally missed it–wouldnt have even thought it possible.
Also, no half bath on the piano nobile, so your dinner guests need to excuse themselves downstairs.”
Gurlz, this is time for a stop. full.
According to the floorplan, the master bedroom does have a full bath attached. The one pic of the 1/2 bath with the glass door shows there are glass doors there on the master levels with the baths.
It’s a decent appointment, ESPECIALLY for vintage and ESPECIALLY on this block. Do yo research, folks.
Compare it to this LAUGHABLE (plz spotlight, Sabrina) Marlborough listing, then get back to me:
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/2600-N-Lakeview-Ave-60614/unit-8B/home/13366186
This is a nice listing on Belden, and well priced.
“This is a nice listing on Belden, and well priced.”
Advertised as good for a family. What family spends 1.7 to share a shower with the twins?
Not sure if it’s this RH, but in one of these places, on the ground level, I’ve seen a guy sprawled out on the couch watching t.v. It’s an interesting sight (almost performance art-like).
I love this pack of RH’s (and yes, it’s suitably east), and this particular RH looks beautiful (though I might have gone with darker floors). But I agree with anon’s comments w/r/t the layout posing challenges for most families in this range. The bedroom locations are just unfortunate. And there’s no garage? Anyways, as Jay notes, there’s a compelling recent comp, so this one likely isn’t far off. I imagine there are a few one kid families who would pay at least $1.5. And probably a few two-kid families who might have some heated debates about whether they can live with the odd bedroom situation in exchange for a nice RH not far from the park.
boiztwn, I’m sure that Marlborough listing is entirely laughable.
I believe they listed it about 3-4 years ago at some sort of bubble price, with the mindset that, if someone wants to pay a bubble price, they’d take it and go, but otherwise they’d just stay put (I believe it was higher than the current price). It’s quite a home, and even with the (i) huge assessments (for which there are few ammenities other than an elevator, quality onsite management/engineer/cleaning staff, night time security, a bike room and big private storage rooms), (ii) lack of outdoor space, and (iii) fact that the parking is next door in 2626 (at about $200/space), there aren’t many comparable properties for the price. (And note that it’s a condo, which gives it a financing edge over some of its co-op competitors on the park.) Having interacted many times with the two-kid family who resides in the unit, I’d say there’s no way they’d live in the RH on Belden.
Why would you have to share a bath with the kids with 3.5 baths? Why can’t this work for 2 child family? What’s the big deal with a guest having to sleep upstairs? I don’t get these criticisms. I will say, as nice as this place appears to me, especially the location, $1.8 million seems pretty steep.
The Inlaw suite gets a subzero fridge? Jack up the price another couple Hundo and some tasteless Lincoln park moron with too much money will buy it!!!!
“I’m *not* sure that Marlborough listing is entirely laughable.”
“Why would you have to share a bath with the kids with 3.5 baths? Why can’t this work for 2 child family? What’s the big deal with a guest having to sleep upstairs?”
Nothing wrong with sending the kids to boarding school, camp all summer, and seeing them only at Christmas, either, but few contemporary americans live that way.
If you have two kids and don’t share a bath with them, one of them is two floors removed, right by the front door and the other is sleeping in the basement apartment. Seems like a pretty good set up if the kids are 16 & 17, and either completely trustworthy or you don’t care at all when they come and go, but it isn’t too great if they are 6 & 7.
And the guests certinaly can sleep upstairs, but for $1.7m, in Chicago, I don’t want to *have to* share my shower with guests, or force them to go two floors away from their room to shower.
I guessing this house was owner occupied until recently? anon?
I can’t imagine an architect, as this doesn’t look like a Polish flipper/contractor’s handiwork alone, would layout a RH in this matter without being guided by the owner. This house screams ‘designed with my small children in mind’: suburban style cathedral ceilinged rec room in the back, bathtub combo in the master (I’m sure dad would have preferred just a big multi-headed shower), architectural kid’s twin bunks in the prime front, master/kid rooms on the same floor and connected by the powder/panic room door, yet another family room, kid friendly finishes/rec room floor.
Prime example of what happens when a house is design specific to just one moment in your life. Nice enough house though, but I’m surprised it doesn’t get more family friendly praise here.
“CH (August 7, 2012, 5:19 pm)
groove, have you been awol? i dont recall seeing your name lately”
still around just one or two posts a day for now.
“I’m surprised it doesn’t get more family friendly praise here”
Few have the combo of family demo that fits the space + anonny-like location pref + desire/capacity to pay $1.5+ compared to alternatives.
I like the individual spaces, but the layout is a total loser for *my* family, and would be for the majority of people I know with kids. I still don’t understand what you do if you have a 10 yo and an 8 yo boy and girl–are they sharing a room?
Bought it!
The demos: two parents, one kid, 6 minutes away from work and school by bus.
“Bought it!”
Congratulations. It’s a beuatiful place.
Would you have still bought it if you had 2 (different sex) kids?
Yes, it’s gorgeous and beautifully maintained by the previous owners. Comiong from a condo, having even a small courtyard and no one living above or below us feels decadent.
We plan on building a garage ASAP, which is the biggest drawback of this place.
If we had a young boy and a girl, we probably would not have bought the place, for obvious reasons.
The first floor apartment has a small bedroom that I’m using as a “back office” (There is a “front office” just as you come in on the second floor.), and the former kid’s play area will be used as our AV room (with an adjoining full kitchen, perfect for parties and get-togethers for movies/sports, etc.).