Want Unique? Try This 1970s-Era Estate in Uptown: 830 W. Buena
This 5-bedroom single family home at 830 W. Buena in Uptown is listed as a “contemporary estate.”
It is on nearly 3 lots which measure 92x126x59x120.
The house, designed in 1978 by architect Marcel Friedes is described as having “fortress-like construction.”
The listing admits it needs updating, but the home has a unique 2-story central atrium (that you can see in the pictures.)
Brad Lippitz at Prudential Rubloff has the listing. See the pictures, virtual tour and floor plans here.
See the property website here.
830 W. Buena: 5 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, no square footage listed, 2 car garage
- Sold in December 1992 for $630,000
- Currently listed for $2.199 million
- Taxes of $18,627
- Central Air
I’m unclear on one thing, looking at the floorplans and the pics–the exterior pic makes it look like the atrium is a notch in the house on teh 2d floor (ie, all extwerior space), but the floorplan sez it is open to below with a skylight above. So I’m curious.
Also, too much for the space; the negs for me are the location, the bedroom sizes (the 3d and 4th are only 9′ wide–I expect more for $2mm), 3 BRs for 1 Bath (outside master) and the original (apparently) kitchen. Great space, but $2mm is a very competitive market now.
a “contemporary estate”?
Yes. In 1970.
This place would need A LOT of work to make it anything that would not elicit the laughter of your friends.
Yeah, I’m not normally in the “everything’s overpriced” camp, but this is REALLY overpriced.
It’s tough to justify $2.2 million for something that still needs a total overhaul. It has TONS of camp value as it is, but, as Jon said, $2.2 million to amuse your friends is one expensive joke.
Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahhahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!
LOL!!!!! This I think is the winner, even better than that persian thing in Chinatown! LOLOLOL!!!!
Oh wait, I get it, you use 1970’s inflation to base the rate of return to get this 2 million dollar number?
“Oh wait, I get it, you use 1970’s inflation to base the rate of return to get this 2 million dollar number?”
It’s “only” about 7.5% per year from the 92 price. Use 4%, it’s $1.227mm, which I think would be reasonable.
I think this could be really cool. With about 100K put into it. If the place needs updating, as they admit, then the price should reflect that. Right now all it reflects is the seller’s absurdity.
dont know why you guys are laughing?
this is a pretty huge place on a huge lot right by mexican beach, oops sorry montrose beach/harbor.
it near boystown which has some great restuarants and shops
some updating (no pics of bathrooms) and its easy to change those three small bedrooms into two large bedrooms. the place is spacious!
did you see the awesome yard. two car garage! This place is huge!
oh and that 2.1mil list is just a typo its 1.1mil and most likely be fixed by tomorrow
Ok well if its 1.1 million that’s way more reasonable. 2.1 million was loL funny
Buena right there is full of enormous houses on big lots, really wierd 3 streets (Gordon, Buena & Hutchinson) and is generally the nicest part of uptown by far.
“fortress-like construction” This is exactly the way I want to describe my home for $2.2M. If I was the owner, I might shoot the agent for having that comment listed on the website…
“fortress-like construction” = harder to tear this thing down, a bad thing in this case.
“fortress-like construction”= good thing to have in uptown!
Please tell me this is not the actual price but some kind of typo.
“I’m unclear on one thing, looking at the floorplans and the pics–the exterior pic makes it look like the atrium is a notch in the house on teh 2d floor (ie, all extwerior space), but the floorplan sez it is open to below with a skylight above. So I’m curious.”
If it’s like the other Friedes houses I’ve seen, it is as described in the text. Are you referring to the part of the house that is one level? Is that the garage?
I like the Friedes houses I’ve seen a lot. Very nice and usable space on the inside and with an attached garage (often through covered walkway) which I like. I don’t love the outsides of them that much and some of his more recent houses make too much use of big metal tubes across windows. But overall like them.
“Are you referring to the part of the house that is one level?”
No. If you look at the exterior pic, in the middle right portion of the second level, there is a notch–maybe it’s a small notch, but that’s what I can’t figure out from the pic.
“Is that the garage?”
No, it’s the living room and dining room. The garage is to the left, around the corner, taking up street frontage, which I understand, but don’t approve of, design-wise (altho, in the city, I’d like it myself, design be damned)
“No. If you look at the exterior pic, in the middle right portion of the second level, there is a notch–maybe it’s a small notch, but that’s what I can’t figure out from the pic.”
I see. Just looked at bird’s eye view on MS maps. It’s notched in and slopes up away from the side you can see in the photo back up to the full level of the second floor.
“The garage is to the left, around the corner, taking up street frontage, which I understand, but don’t approve of, design-wise (altho, in the city, I’d like it myself, design be damned)”
Got it. Yeah, some of the Friedes places I’ve seen are not particularly thoughtful with respect to the neighborhood, but they have nice indoor spaces, as well as really nice enclosed patios.
In grade school one of my best friends lived here. I had no idea it was an estate! It always seemed kind of like a putsy townhouse to me. The open area in the middle is very nice though, I remember that very well.
Price aside, I like this house.
Love the house. Love Hutchinson & Buena. Would love to buy there. What’s that in land – like $115/ft?… They’re almost giving this place away.
“What’s that in land – like $115/ft?”
If it were, then it would be reasonable, even if you then paid $100/ft for the structure.
Land Area (per assessor–this is usu. right)= 8,575
x $115
= $986,125
Structure (also per assessor, as a starting place) = 3,754 + 600 (garage) + 1000 (basement) = 5350 x 100 = 535,000
= $1,521,125
Which I think would make anyone throw up, like they have at $2.2m.
haterz! I’m with groove, this place is groovy. hang some beads in the doorway and greg brady will rent a room from you.
I really do like it, except the price.
“noted architect Marcel Friedes”
True. Noted for absolutely sucking.
This place is brutal. Give me the barn or the Chinese bordello before this converted mental institution.
I really like this house, but as others have said, not for 2.2m. Huh? Has anyone looked at the comps they list on the website? To start with, the first few properties don’t need 1/4 as much work as this one would – they are move in ready. Where did the owner get this price?
I really do like this house and cannot understand the negative comments about it. There is a ton of potential there especially for a person who is able to make the updating and reconfigurations him/herself or who is able to contribute to the redesign and work. It would be a perfect project for me if I were not so busy now and if I did not plan on returning to NYC in a few months. I have done a few places very similar to this one in the past.
I recall the trashed beyond belief house that was my first project 26 years ago. So many similarities and layout. I picked up that 3400 sf dump for under $100k and it is now appraised at $2.5 mil. The thing with that project is I think over the years around $2 mil has been invested in it.
As far as this price is concerned, for a place designed by a noted architect, the fact that you are getting three lots, the ‘fortress like’ construction and the area, it is a good base price. A strong point about 70’s houses, esp architect designed projects is that they were very well constructed and they do remain solid for years. This being brick I am sure it would last forever without much maintenance…that is after a good renovation was performed.
As I have been ‘reminded’ many times here, this is only an asking price and I am sure they would be willing to negotiate since they did include the fact that it needed to be updated. $1.7 or .8 probably would be a good place to start negotiations without ‘offending’ the seller.
A few things I would do: Combine the two 9′ wide bedrooms for another mastersized suite (add another bath), make the atrium a true atruim by removing the roof and installing a water feature/gardens, expanding the family room by combining the bedroom/work space. Taking that useless wall out that has the door to the garage would really make that space. I can picture a nice pool table there or maybe a very roomy ‘sports’ bar setup.
If you could get the place for $1.7 and have an additional $500k for improvements, you would be the owner of one very cool place.
Looking at the pictures, I wonder where all you Trumps think this house need extensive renovation. It looks pretty damn move in to me, although it does need some simple cosmetic changes (I hate wallpaper).
This is not the house in Washington Park on Calumet.
I will speak for all of us “Trumps” and simply ask you to read the agent’s listing where he states (probably directed by the owner) the house does need to be updated. No one said it needs extensive renovations, but it definately does need updating as the finishes seem to be original 70’s era.
No matter if it is new construction or a hundred year old home, I always look over the floorplans and pictures and imagine what I would do to make the house more functional. My renovations are done so the new owners would be given the opportunity to utilize every square inch of floor space while enjoying a well thought out, well designed and well constructed home.
“It looks pretty damn move in to me”
*maybe the mechanicals and electricals need updating?
*I can say Bathrooms need a redo, there are no pictures of them by the agent and is probably a good reason for it.
*the fence with the rotted/warped wood
*the kitchen is dated (but can be fixed without gutting, you know new apliances, faucets, replace the 70’s light over one of the islands)
*the two 9′ bedrooms will be made int one with a in-suite (the new bathroom make take some creative plumbing)
*no pix of the den workshop or the other 4 bedrooms, agent probably left them out for a good reason.
everything else there is easily updated with some paint and decorating
I lived at the corner of Buena and Clarendon in 2005. It might be the best part of Uptown, but that’s not saying much. My car was broken into multiple times in the span of just a few months. This is when I could find parking on the streets, which was a rarity. It doesn’t seem to have much of a driveway for guest parking, but I could be wrong.
Happened to be in the area on Wednesday and drove by out of curiosity. The place does look like a fortress from the outside. I did not find it welcoming but I was surprised by the assortment of large well kept homes in the vicinity. I’m not leaving my crazy west loop hood for that area but it was better than I expected.
As for the home it does have some interesting ammenities. How often do you get a SFH with a driveway and parking pad? It might be a place for a quasi celeb that needs privacy and close access to the city. Think overpaid local TV news person.
I aggree with westloop as this floorplan is flexible. It would be easy to add an additional master bedroom on the 2nd floor. I would convert the small bedrooms into a closet and 2nd master bath. They are located over the kitchen (existing water lines) and it will need to be remodeled anyway. I’d add the new master BR over the dining room area. It would be 17ft by whatever you want. I am confident that the walls were built strong enough to handle the load. This proposed addition would not change the astethic from the street or block the central atrium. It would also allow a wall of windows and a large terrace (over the living room) right off this new master bedroom.
At $2 million no thanks! For the right price it would be a great project and excellent space to live in for a growing family.
No, no and no. This place is, honestly, totally unattractive from the enterior, and I generally like contemporary archietcture. This fortress is surrounded by a cheap, rickety wooden stockade fence, complete with brighter-colored newer replacement planks. Welcome to your multi-million dollar home! It’s right across the street from two relatively shabby rental buildings. There are several truly lovely homes for sale on Hutchinson, the street just to the north, for hundreds of thousands less.
SOLD on April 28th at $1,430,000…….Wow! I would love to see what that buyer will do to this place. Could be amazing (one the inside) when they are done.
just picked up some of the emails and got real kick out of them.
yes it as built as a fortress based on the fact that the neighborhood was just horrible and the tall building across the street(CHA)had renters shooting bullets into the house as the construction was going on. and afterwards also.
one of the rooms was a kennel used to breed doberman pinchers.
do not forget that it was built many years ago for avant guarde clients. many of the new rules did not apply.
Marcel
“the neighborhood was just horrible and the tall building across the street(CHA)had renters shooting bullets into the house as the construction was going on. and afterwards also.”
I think Marcel wins comment of the year for this!
Who knew that one’s bullet resistant, Avant Guard Doberman-rearing fortress could be anothers $1.4m home.
Don’t you ever forget that a Million Dollar Home is only a Million Dollar Home because some FB took out a Million Dollar Mortgage.
1012526361 04/28/2010 05/05/2010 MORTGAGE $1,072,500.00
Knife catchers abound.
HD I know your opinion on this but you’re still incorrect: Most $200k homes are only $200k homes because the purchasers have $160k mortgages. This is the same thing.
I cannot scoff at a 25%, $400k downpayment and say it’s not a real purchase price, or irresponsible per se.
Wow – Sold for just over 1.4 million in May of 2010 and then was back on the market in July 2011. They are currently trying to sell at 1.3 million. Hope that they were relocating and that a company is picking up the loss of equity. Otherwise O.U.C.H that one is going to hurt! Still do like the place although not that interested in the hood.
“If you could get the place for $1.7 and have an additional $500k for improvements, you would be the owner of one very cool place”
Well the first owner paid 1.4 and they could not figure it out. That buyer lost $230K in value plus closing costs in just under two years. Ouch! Wonder if there was also an expensive divorce at the same time. Hope that this owner has improved it since the 2012 purchase. Anyone been by the place lately?
Good to see that that the architect marcel freides is still alive and was commenting on the property.
Some more researching found my answer.
http://www.chicagomag.com/Radar/Deal-Estate/February-2012/A-Second-Chance-for-an-Uptown-Home/
The buyer passed away before completing the renovations. Still a great place to live. Wonder what this looks like today.