Vintage Grandeur Comes Alive in the Gap: 3309 S. Calumet
This 4-bedroom rowhouse at 3309 S. Calumet has been restored to its vintage elegance.
Built in 1883, the limestone house sits in “The Gap,” a landmark district on the south side whose boundaries are 3100 to 3500 on Prairie, Calumet and Giles.
Most people commonly label this area as Bronzeville as well.
The rowhouse has 12’6 inch ceiling heights and 6 fireplaces (!).
The vintage woodwork has been preserved from the staircase to the pocket doors. It also has stained glass.
The kitchen has been renovated to fit with the period of the home with 60 inch custom white cabinets and stainless steel appliances.
There is central air and the listing says parking for 3 to 4 cars.
There also appears to be a full lower level apartment which the listing says can be used for in-town guests, inlaws or as a rental.
Michelle Browne at Prudential Rubloff has the listing. See more pictures and a virtual tour here.
3309 S. Calumet: 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 3486 square feet, 3-4 car parking
- Sold in November 2003 for $330,000
- Originally listed in September 2009
- Listed in January 2010 for $485,000
- Lis pendens filed in January 2010
- Reduced
- Currently listed as a “short sale” for $425,000
- Taxes of $3542
- Central Air
- Bedroom #1: 20×12 (second level)
- Bedroom #2: 11×10 (second level)
- Bedroom #3: 11×11 (second level)
- Bedroom #4: 11×15 (lower level)
- Second kitchen: 7×15 (lower level)
Gorgeous! It’s a gift at this price even considering the neighborhood.
Too bad about the neighborhood, but this is a stunningly good deal even considering that. This is a beautiful restoration.
Looks like a beautiful restoration. Quite amazing that so much was preserved in this area. Hope for continued improvement as the sale price is such that those who look to buy may not know the cost to keep up.
Here you go bob, here’s a deal 🙂
Groove just got a woody (Oh my too much info).
Vintage, restored awesomely, and added CENTRAL AIR.
I am speechless
It is gorgeous. The Green Line is about a 5 block walk and only 2 stops to the Loop (1 to Roosevelt).
Stunning. A perfect restoration.
I’ll take it if they throw in the suits of armor in the living room.
Wow, what a beautiful home. The restoration is amazing.
I went to school at IIT and this immediate area actually isn’t that bad. It’s safe during the day, for sure. There is absolutely NOTHING there, but that would just keep you from wandering around too much late at night.
Wow! There has to be a catch. I need to drive by.
I have a thing for pocket doors. esp ones that work.
I think I caught myself panting, and this isn’t even my preferred aesthetic (suits of armor notwithstanding — don’t they go with everything?).
Beautifully done. LJ and Bluestreak, thanks for the info on the area. Let’s hear more…
6 woodburning fireplaces?!?!!? Wow!
“Wow! There has to be a catch. I need to drive by.”
FOUND THE CATCH!
“The rowhouse has 12?6 inch ceiling heights and 6 fireplaces (!).”
The cost of flat screens to go with all those fireplaces might be prohibitive.
Anyone know if the rest of the houses in the row are restored?
“I have a thing for pocket doors. esp ones that work.”
I love many, many things about my condo, but if I’m honest with myself, the place was sold the minute I saw the pocket doors.
Whats up with the back yard? DOes this house back up to an empty lot next to those highrises? If so, the first thing i’d do is install a 10′ fence
Love it. What’s the catch?
Catch is that it is in Bronzeville…
Beautiful home, but not the “greenzone” for the chad/trixie types. OMG, there are black people in the neighborhood (although a large number of very high income black professionals live in the Gap).
I agree with Russ. This place is beautiful. I think I’m going to follow it to see where it closes at.
Yes event though Bronzeville this place is a deal. The only thing I don’t like about it (location aside) are those white cabinets.
To show the stark difference in true vintage RE (not those crappy highrises that don’t appeal to me) I saw a coach house listing recently in Lincoln Park (MLS 07470510 ) thats at 2011 N Kenmore. Its a 1/1.5 unique place with no mention of parking and they’re asking 350k.
I LOVE this! Please tell me more about the area. Also, I love white cabinets!
Questions,
Lets say the short sale doesnt get approved and goes into foreclosure
1.) how long does a place “like this” take to show back up on the market?
2.) any RE agents know what the the forclosure price might be?
You can walk to Sox games from here and at this price you can afford to buy season tickets. I love it. Too bad my wife falls into the category of people who would never consider living south of Madison …
“Whats up with the back yard? DOes this house back up to an empty lot next to those highrises? If so, the first thing i’d do is install a 10? fence”
That’s King Drive and it looks like the driveway goes right out into the southbound lanes.
Only drawback I can see is that the house backs up to MLK Blvd – you’ll get a fair amount of noise from such a high traffic street.
bad things about the location
House backs onto MLK Drive
2 churches directly south
Funeral home directly north
Elementary school directly northwest
tons of vacant lots straight west
huge park to the east
Now you’d think that all that park space would be a positive but I can tell you there are a lot of people around here that like to wander around and do nothing but cause trouble all day, and with the other mentioned high traffic (in addition to actual nice homes) areas I can see this block being medium to high crime area. I’d certainly want a fence in the back yard and a better security system so my coats of armor don’t wind up in some bum’s shopping cart for sale 🙂
Talk about perks! There is a Popeyes AND KFC located right next to each other just down the street. Think of the crazy combos you could get.
Such a nice home. If this neighborhood could be cleaned up with regards to crime it would be a great neighborhood for any sox fan to live in. Taxes are a steal.
The problem is the taxes won’t be a steal as soon as it’s safe to walk to (and ride) the green line. In the mean time, you do get the convenience of a KFC, a Popeye’s, and a White Castle within a block. You know, Russ, the “greenzone” isn’t just for chads and trixies. There are a whole lot of people who like living on the north side because for the most part it’s statistically safer than el-accessible neighborhoods on the South Side, it has way more great restaurants and entertainment, and it’s not overflowing with empty lots and litter and loitering teenage boys who always seem to be looking for someone to harass. Why do people like to act like anyone who refuses to live on the south side is some kind of vapid sorority girl who is afraid of black people?
That park across the street is, as I’ve always understood, private property – part of Lake Meadows.
I just did a quick crime comparison to Edgewater, which had a much higher incidence of crime, particularly violent crime (though not really a fair comparison, since this area is fairly low density).
Sweet. I dig the coat of arms and the round dinning room table.
And for those freaking about the neighborhood, take one your 3 or 4 cars and drive to whatever dining or convenience you need. The Robert Taylor homes are history, and you can ride your bike to Sox games.
Get a security system and a big, loud dog.
Would you want to park 3 of your cars on MLK drive and leave them there overnight every night? because thats pretty much how it works with this property.
Just yesterday, I was commenting on how row houses bug me, since there is no airflow between the units. Sort of like standing shoulder to shoulder with no fresh air getting to your arm pits.
But this place and price has me drooling.
Good point about MLK drive. It’s pretty damn loud boulevard.
“Would you want to park 3 of your cars on MLK drive and leave them there overnight every night? because thats pretty much how it works with this property.”
I love Chris Rock’s take on MLK street in any city–
“If a friend calls you on the telephone and says they’re lost on Martin Luther King Boulevard and they want to know what they should do, the best response is ‘Run!'”
Danny, I don’t disagree with your perspective, but just keeping it real about the area. It is a beautiful home, but unless you want to trade amenities for a large beautiful home at a decent price, most CC readers aren’t going to be living it up in this area.
By the way, I wouldn’t live there either.
I’m very familiar with this area as I used to live nearby and park by the Green line. The area north of 35th st. is not as bad as some people are making it out to be. There are quite a few nice rowhomes and houses, IIT and the optometry college nearby. On King drive are high rise apts where a lot of IIT students and older people live. There are bums continually hanging out on 35th street, but I’ve walked to my car parked along 35th after dark many times and no one ever bothered me. Also, I don’t live in the area so don’t know but it seems like the bums pretty much stay along 35th and don’t travel north. Just depends on your comfort level I guess, but from the pictures this house looks like a steal. The only valid concern to me would be lack of retail, but you aren’t that far from the Roosevelt shopping district in the South Loop, and eating at home instead of eating out all the time saves $$ and keeps you healthier.
“Good point about MLK drive. It’s pretty damn loud boulevard.”
yeah it seems there are no muffler repair shops on the south side, what’s up with that 8)
Sheridan B, can you elaborate on what areas you were comparing? Are you comparing all of Edgewater to some partial section of Bonzeville with a third of the population?
I guess if you don’t mind driving everywhere, this area is ok, but I don’t think we should pretend that this area is safer than Edgewater. Perhaps I shouldn’t even try to win an argument about this based on statistics. I could build a gated compound in Baghdad and keep 10,00 of my closest friends there and never let them go outside and claim it’s statistically safer than Edgewater, too. Plus, your chances of being a victim of a crime do have something to do with how much you look out of place somewhere. I’m pretty sure that a well-dressed skinny gay guy is going to attract more negative attention in Bronzeville than Boystown.
That Kenmore place is beautiful and quite unique.
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/2011-N-Kenmore-Ave-60614/home/12801047
Tough to figure the market for it, though, with only 1 BR.
i’ll take it! i was think if it was up for 350K there would be a bidding war.
This area reminds me of Richard Wright’s book Native Son. Wasn’t this the area in the book? It’s been awhile since I read it.
Reminds you how nice the southside was at one time. Back then (1883) I imagine the nobody wanted to live on the northside or it was farmland.
I live at 32nd and Prairie since 2006,built new construction here because at the time I could build here new for what lots were selling for in Lincoln Park.I catch the bus everyday to a downtown office and come home late most nights.Not once during the building process(approx 1 yr) did I have anything stolen from the job site and have never been hassled walking the streets.Yes,35th street is rough,but that traffic does not filter back into the neighborhood.Yes,there are no restaurants in the neighborhood,but for someone that wants a lower density area with good access to the highways and LSD,and can come home and find a place to park on the street,it is not a bad place to live. It is an involved community and most of the people own their homes,and believe it or not,watch out for one another.My 2 cents.
According to the MLS the median income in the “neighborhood” is $10K.
That’s pretty low.
Hi Gary,
On my block alone I count 3 lawyers,1 doctor,and 2 guys I know that work for major companies downtown that I have to believe are at 6 figures plus.But,we also have alot of seniors who I am assuming are on fixed income,and have been in their homes many years.
I’ve have said to alot of people,if I blindfolded you and dropped you in the middle of the gap(the area where this home is located) you would think you are on a street in Lincoln Park.) There are just as many greystones,brownstones,and row homes here as there is anywhere else.
The empty lots that were mentioned above are a planned development for single family homes as well as row houses, that are stalled just like everything else.The school is the new Chi Arts school which is the only one of its kind in Chicago.
I have said this before about the neighborhood,it is not for everyone,but if you want a SFH and can’t afford the north side prices(or do not want to pay the north side prices) it is not a bad alternative.
Meet developer Bill Lavicka, one of Chicago’s great characters, and see his “Celestial House” at 3350 S. Calumet, on the same block as this property.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RIUfhQrnr0
At the time of my visit (Bill’s birthday party), he had the home listed for $899k. Google Celestial House Lavicka to read more about the home at YoChicago.
TomB,
Thanks. That’s a valuable perspective. If people made decisions only on the way things are then they would never change.
Very familiar w/IIT and Gap neighborhood. Problem here is that much of the housing stock was demolished from 70s onward, so it’s literally “gap toothed” blocks of old, new, and vacant lots. No retail except for Lake Meadows shopping center, requiring drive into Bridgeport’s 35th/Halsted limited retail, or Roosevelt Road big box strip, or Hyde Park’s limited retail. Not really suited for white-collar families with little kids, unless you treat house like a high-rise doorman apartment and everyone stays inside or gets into the car to go elsewhere.
It’s a beautful rowhouse nonetheless. Most of the other older rowhouses here don’t have many elements of their original interiors, and many had relatively cheap gut rehabs with Home Depot finishes. Look at Oakland gated rowhouses directly east of Lake Meadows for comparison.
In terms of level of safety, what area on the north side would be comparable to this?
my questions went unanswered 🙁 i usually dont mind but if i can get this place at a comfortable price that i feel out weighs the bad then i will go see it.
help anyone?
“Questions,
Lets say the short sale doesnt get approved and goes into foreclosure
1.) how long does a place “like this” take to show back up on the market?
2.) any RE agents know what the the forclosure price might be?”
http://www.housingwire.com/2010/03/25/altisource-svp-powers-sees-five-years-of-shadow-inventory-in-worst-case-scenario/
Five years of shadow inventory, at worst.
Groove – this article will very general answer your question how asset managers price REOs. They make it sound all complex like some crazy algorithm which really means they’re throwing a dart at a wall to price ’em.
“Questions,
Lets say the short sale doesnt get approved and goes into foreclosure
1.) how long does a place “like this” take to show back up on the market?
2.) any RE agents know what the the forclosure price might be?”
HD,
so in short your saying “nothing to see here move along, move along”
BTW anyone see the star of david on the front door glass?
“BTW anyone see the star of david on the front door glass?”
I had some old stained glass in a rental in Rogers Park way back when. It had stars in both of the windows. Never really noticed them until somebody pointed it out.
TomB, thanks for the info on the area and how the pedestrian traffic flows (or doesn’t) from 35th. I would love to discover some underappreciated ‘hood where I can build my dream house on the cheap, but the south side is pretty much out for me because my partner’s commute would be unbearable. It sounds like you’ve got a nice little secret nook there, but I didn’t move to Chicago to drive everywhere. I need a good walk score and easy access to friends and food and such on the north side.
Danny,
I am pretty familiar with the city and the neighborhoods.If walk score is the main priority,I doubt any of the neighborhoods south will work for you.I think even Beverly would limit you.I agree with Architect on many of his(her) points,and if I had kids(out of the house)I probably would not have selected this area.
I am not sure how far out you would have to go on the northside to get thsi kind of place for this price range,but my gut tells me it is not going to be Mayberry.
Good luck with your search.
I drove by the house this morning. The neighborhood seemed nice enough and you can’t beat that price. I think the biggest issue is that there is really no back yard to speak of and of course there is no garage. You really do have to park on a driveway off of MLK. There might be room for a car inside the gate but I couldn’t tell.
But this is a beautiful house – especially for the money.