Vintage Lincoln Park 3-Bedroom with Garage Parking for $730,000: 2034 N. Seminary
This 3-bedroom at 2034 N. Seminary in Lincoln Park came on the market in June 2023.
Built in 1891, 2034 N. Seminary has 3 units and 3 car garage parking. There is a shared back yard but no other amenities.
My picture above is now 13 years old. In the current picture of the building, the tree on the right is so much bigger.
The listing describes this unit as “modern living with designer finishes.”
The unit has some of its original vintage features, however, including 11 foot ceilings, crown molding and stained glass windows.
However it now has an open floor plan with the kitchen overlooking the living room, which has a fireplace.
There are dark hardwood floors throughout.
The kitchen has white custom cabinets, an island with a wine fridge, top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances and open shelves.
The primary bedroom has an en suite bathroom with a double vanity. There are two additional bedrooms, including one with stained glass windows.
The unit has a laundry room, with a stackable washer/dryer with green cabinets and a farmhouse sink.
It has the features buyers look for including space pac cooling and one garage parking space.
There’s also a large deck.
This building is near the shops and restaurants of Armitage Avenue and is just a few blocks to the Armitage Brown Line stop.
Listed at $730,000, that’s $52,000 above the 2020 purchase price of $678,000.
For vintage lovers, is this property the Chicago dream?
Ginny Leamy and Ganapati Raman at Compass have the listing. See the pictures here. Sorry, no floor plan.
Or see it in person at the Open House on Saturday, June 10, from 11 am to 2 pm.
Unit #2: 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, no square footage listed
- Sold in September 1988 for $205,000
- Sold in August 1994 for $230,000
- Sold in February 1998 for $260,000
- Sold in January 2002 for $352,500
- Sold in August 2004 for $408,000
- Sold in April 2014 for $426,000
- Sold in November 2016 for $610,000
- Sold in July 2020 for $678,000
- Currently listed at $730,000
- Assessments of $224 a month (includes exterior maintenance, scavenger, snow removal)
- Taxes of $12,997
- Space Pac cooling
- Washer/dryer in the unit
- Garage parking included
- Fireplace
- Bedroom #1: 11×15
- Bedroom #2: 9×14
- Bedroom #3: 9×10
- Living room: 14×23
- Kitchen: 14×18
- Laundry room: 4×8
- Deck: 9×13
LR is gorgeous. Almost a crime to have the tv lurking in there. Dining area looks small, but maybe it’s just the photo angle (though the lonely 4-top does seem to fill it up). A floorplan would indicate whether the TV problem can be solved, how the deck is accessed, whether a larger dining table could work, etc. But sometimes I wonder if not having a floorplan isn’t just broker laziness – might be a way to get more serious prospective buyers through the door (who’ll be reluctant to get their measuring tape out during an open house). With just two other units and low assessments, would take a careful look at the governing docs and reserves (doubtful they keep detailed minutes) and would ascertain who occupies the other units (not that they’re permanent).
If it’s a nice day and the upstairs neighbors aren’t stomping around during the open house, I could see a lot of people having a strong emotional reaction and making offers (especially those who try to hit at least one Cornhuskers game a season). Can almost hear the young couples viewing the listing together today and building their Saturday around it (places they’ve seen with comparably nice LRs might have lacked a garage and the yard to access the garage is nicer than the ones that have had garages; between the yard and the currently furnished baby’s room, they’ll get the mental cue that this place would work perfectly for their near term plans; etc.).
The new owner we’ll have the pleasure of paying about $1500 more a month than the current
Sunroom is killer & A real Laundryroom is huge
Misses
– No closet as you walk in, maybe you can have coat/shoe storage outside the unit
– Lack of cabinets. Yeah shelves are “in” but uppers would have been a lot more useful
– Painting all the trim and going with Dark stain on the HW
I think the turnover rate is somewhat indicative of the realities of living here with kids
Other two units both sold in ’21:
#3, $625k, Apr-21:
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/2034-N-Seminary-Ave-60614/unit-3/home/13351637
Listing has a floorplan, for comparison.
#1, $975k (duplex down), Apr-21:
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/2034-N-Seminary-Ave-60614/unit-1/home/13351923
Also with foorplan, but less useful comparison.
Both of them have traded almost as often as this one.
“not having a floorplan”
It’s not ideal, but it’s baked into the 3d tour.
“the lonely 4-top”
That’s basically all that can fit in that space, but if you wanted a bigger table, putting it in the front window could work.
Looking at the previous listing pics from Unit 3 (the one above this one) makes me sad because they painted over all the natural wood trim. If Coffeeman was Supreme Overlord, that would be a capital crime.
Laundry room doubles as a wetbar right off the deck (easier to see in the 3D tour), and there’s enough counter space for a drink tub. Very nice feature.
The only person who stayed more than three years was the 2004 buyer because they got stuck as many folks did. I am guessing no sound attenuation between units I am guessing you can hear your neighbor’s farts. in my old condo which was a rehabbed 1920s structure, if I was in my bathroom I could hear when either upstairs or downstairs was using the bathroom. Still makes me cringe. I could also hear the upstairs neighbor talking even they were talking in a normal decibel level.
Visible in the 3D tour: I am utterly fascinated by the fact that they are the middle unit and are able to block access to the back porch – so upstairs neighbor comes home at night via garage and might walk up two flights of steps and realize the don’t have access to their home because these folks have a bolt latch!!! Seems like an obvious fire code violation as well since it is an impediment to unit 3’s second mode of egress. I am guessing it exists for a reason which could be another clue to steer clear of this place and the frequent-enough-to-warrant-a-door-with-a-latch-unwanted visitors they are attempting to prevent gaining access via the back porch. That and I think folks invented cupboards for a reason, one in which folks doing the open shelving thing invariably discover at some point. Unless everything on those shelves is constantly being used, they get pretty gross pretty quick. The cribs and children’s beds seem to fully occupy the tiny bedrooms too…so once you start a family here you pretty much have to move out when they start growing up and needing closer to adult sized stuff.
2016 sale (first after reno) was listed at $599, sold for $610, contract in 5 days.
$610k, Nov-16 +CPI = $766k; +C-S-condo = $739k
Obv there is some wear&tear on the reno after 7 years, too.
Not half bad, though the rooms all seem small. Love the stained glass. Don’t love the dining room being made into the living room and opened to the kitchen. And the third bedroom barely qualifies at 9X10. Maybe Ok for an infant or as an office. The back porch is very nice. Garage parking included is definitely a plus, and I do like the location a lot.
Price seems a bit much, but someone thought it was worth almost this much a few years ago so I’m guessing it goes for close to ask.
Is it split face block on the sides or brick? my guess is brick
I even tried google maps and there is literally a moving van in the way
“Is it split face block on the sides or brick?”
Brick. Building is well over 100 years old.
“Is it split face block on the sides or brick? my guess is brick”
Split face block did not exist when this building was built.
This unit is contingent.
Sold for $720,000 on July 10, 2023. Did get the premium over the 2020 purchase. Prices are up in Lincoln Park the last 3 years.
“Sold for $720,000 on July 10, 2023”
Sold in July 2020 for $678,000 + CPI = $798k
So only 10% behind inflation.
+ C-S Condo = $763k
Will also be a drag on C-S Index.
“So only 10% behind inflation.”
Thank goodness salaries have gone up, right? It’s a bargain to buy in Chicago. It’s not even keeping up with rental inflation.