Timeless Charm Meets City Living: A 1-Bedroom Co-op for $128,000 at 5000 N. Marine Drive in Uptown
This 1 bedroom in the Aquitania at 5000 N. Marine Drive in Uptown was listed in August 2025. Sorry, I thought I had a picture of this building but apparently I don’t.
Built in 1923, the Aquitania was converted to a co-op in 1949. It has only 82 units and is on both the Chicago and National Register of Historic Places.
It’s pet-friendly and has no weight limit on the pets. However, you are limited to two.
The building has a landscaped courtyard, 24/7 door staff, an exercise room, an on-site manager and engineers. There’s no parking with the building.
This unit has “timeless charm meets city living.”
It has all the 1920s classic character including high ceilings, crown molding and wall moldings as well as a separate entrance foyer.
The unit has a large separate dining room.
There are windows in every room, including in the bathroom.
There are hardwood floors throughout with a checkerboard tile floor in the kitchen.
The unit has a hallway of closets and a walk-in-closet.
It has extra large windows that face the lake in the living/dining room.
The kitchen has white cabinets, a Viking stove, a stainless steel dishwasher and a white refrigerator.
The listing says it’s freshly painted but it’s being sold “as-is.”
The unit has none of the features buyers look for. It has no central air but does have installed window units. It does not have washer/dryer in the unit. There is a laundry room in the building. There’s no parking.
This building is near the Lake, the Argyle Red Line, several bus lines including 136, 146, 148, and shops and restaurants of Uptown.
Reminder: the HOAs cover property taxes.
Originally listed in August 2025 for $132,500, it went under contract in September but fell out. It has now reduced to $128,000.
The listing says to “bring your ideas.”
Additionally, if you’re financing, the co-op requires a minimum down of 20%.
Is this a deal for vintage lovers?
Lizanne Pilot at Coldwell Banker has the listing. See the pictures and floor plan here.
Unit #7D: 1 bedroom, 1 bath, 1075 square feet, co-op
- No prior price as it’s a co-op
- Originally listed in August 2025 for $132,500
- Under contract in September 2025
- Returned to the market
- Reduced in November 2025 to $128,000
- Assessments of $2,037 a month (includes heat, water, gas, property taxes, doorman, cable, exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger, snow removal, wi-fi, Internet)
- Taxes are included in the assessments
- No central air but window units
- No washer/dryer in the unit (but there is a laundry room in the building)
- No parking
- Bedroom: 18×11
- Foyer: 10×8
- Living room: 21×14
- Dining room: 17×12
- Kitchen: 15×8
- Walk-in-closet: 6×8 (?)
Potential is there
Viking stove + the cheapest HD fridge is an interesting choice
Looks like some water issues in the bathroom + the tile crack isn’t a good sign. That’s a weird TP dispenser
Being able to see the shitty caulking job on the sink backsplash in the pics doesn’t give a quality vibe
Would like to have seen pics before it was douched in white paint
Kinda guessing this fell out after the inspection
“Viking stove”
Definitely over 25 years old; could easily have gotten it for free just for hauling it away.
The assessment is ‘worth’ about 3.5x the asking price. Will be a building that would be better off either going condo or deconverting.
Building perks offers a range of amenities, including a beautifully landscaped courtyard, 24-hour doorman 7 days a week, exercise room, on-site laundry facilities, engineers and on-site manager.
tell me the amenities are lacking without telling me the amenities are lacking.
On the other hand, if you bought this outright you are paying 24K a year to live here. is it worth it considering all the utilities are bundled in it?
might be good for a college student or an elderly parent as an alternative to assistive care living (assuming they don’t need much assisted care)
A co-op of this vintage with 24/7 door staff effectively has a floor on the HOA because payroll and maintenance are expensive no matter where in the city. These HOAs are in line with what my friend pays for her co-op across from the Lincoln Park zoo. I agree with anon (tfo) – someone who can afford that HOA likely has a bigger budget for the unit itself. The mis-match is odd. Once could upgrade to mini-splits and redo this very sorry excuse of a kitchen…and fix up that bath and see if there is a way to get in unit laundry and likely still be under $300K all in *but* why do that here when you can live closer to downtown for that all in cost? This does seem like someone should deconvert it to rental.
“tell me the amenities are lacking without telling me the amenities are lacking.”
The thing is, today, young buyers want things like co-working space or lounges. They want a nice, big gym. I think many can do without the pool. And these older buildings, especially those from 100 years ago, just don’t have these things.
“ The thing is, today, young buyers want things like co-working space or lounges. They want a nice, big gym.”
The funny thing is they rarely use the common amenities (Excluding gyms and to a lesser extent Roof top decks).
It’s a weird dichotomy where developers can rent/sell without providing something the buyers won’t use.