We Love Private Roof Top Decks With Showers: 1619 S. Michigan in the South Loop
This 2-bedroom authentic loft at 1619 S. Michigan, in the Studebaker Corner Lofts, in the South Loop has a feature I don’t believe I’ve ever seen before in a Chicago property: a private rooftop deck with a shower.
Unfortunately, there are NO pictures of this shower in the listing (grrrr…) because I’d like to see exactly how that works.
But we’ll take their word for it.
The loft is a massive, 2800 square foot New York-style open layout with 17 foot ceilings, exposed brick walls, and a refurbished tin ceiling.
Since it’s a top floor unit, there are also skylights.
The loft also has another unique feature in the master bedroom: a large walk-in cedar closet.
The kitchen has white cabinets and stainless steel appliances.
There is central air, a washer/dryer in the unit, and deeded parking.
Or, if you’d rather just try it out for size, the loft is also available for rent.
Kathryn Anderson at Sudler Sotheby’s has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #312: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2800 square feet
- Sold in May 1998 for $294,000
- Currently listed for $638,000 (plus $40,000 for parking)
- OR you can rent it for $3800 a month
- Assessments of $330 a month
- Taxes of $5755
- Central Air
- Washer/Dryer in the unit
- Private roof top deck with shower
Appealing to exhibitionists?
This looks like a cool place to throw a party. Maybe a trader will buy it. I still think it will go for a little bit under 600, but who knows.
Loft living seems like it would be totally cool. However, most of my friends who bought lofts move after a few years because it is just not that practical:
1. despite partitions, it is like living in one room – you can hear a lot of what is going on in other rooms (also it is amplified because of the sound dynamics).
2. Heating/cooling costs are moderately higher (given the useful space).
3. It is hard to layout furniture in a useful manner for everyday living. Sure, you can buy furniture that looks cool – but it is almost always uncomfortable and impractical.
In terms of this particular place, it is kind of ugly from the outside (I know, that is the charm of a loft). Also, the roof deck is fairly low.
On the plus side, it seems as though there are not many units (?2-3 w/ commercial on the first floor). If that area ever became “hot” again, the land value (split four or five ways) may make this a great investment. ……
“This looks like a cool place to throw a party”
where are your guests going to park? (w/o being shot, that is)
Clio,
I beleive that this property is in the Motor Row Historic District so you will not be able to tear the building down. No future land value here.
Gahh… Hate. I can’t live in place that doesn’t have windows in the bedroom. You know. With air. That blows on me.
“2. Heating/cooling costs are moderately higher (given the useful space).”
That’s a bit of an understatement. The HVAC is extremely expensive to run in a place like this, from my experience with lofts think at least 4 times higher than a normal residence build with insulation and people in mind.
Cool spot for an office (if zoning allows), don’t know about living…
“despite partitions, it is like living in one room – you can hear a lot of what is going on in other rooms (also it is amplified because of the sound dynamics).”
the same reason i dont belive the typical condo second bedroom does the “borrowed light” so the wall dont go all the way up, shouldnt even be called a bedroom.
i think this should be called a studio not a 2br.
Yes- it is “Live/Work”. I should have put that in the post.
“On the plus side, it seems as though there are not many units (?2-3 w/ commercial on the first floor).”
The listing says that it is a 16 unit building (and you don’t usually have unit #312 in a building with one unit per floor).
A roof top shower in this building doesn’t seem that appealing given the surrounding higher buildings. Sort of like hooking this up to the spigot outside of your house… http://www.frontgate.com/jump.jsp?sort=-1&itemID=16292&AS=1&itemType=PRODUCT&keyword=33303
sorry – my post was full of inaccuracies – i’ll be more careful next time!!!
Is RAB still around and looking to buy or rent SFH? Might have a place.
“where are your guests going to park? (w/o being shot, that is)”
I hope you are just being sarcastic. If not, have you spent any time in the area in the last few years? Then again, where in the city do you not run the risk of being shot with policemen gunned down in uniforms these days.
“I beleive that this property is in the Motor Row Historic District so you will not be able to tear the building down. No future land value here”
Nope, Motor Row is 2200-2500 S Michigan area, this is a bit way north at 1600, quite a bit.
I suspect the outdoor shower is a beach style deal…just a a large showerhead projecting over the deck to rinse off with. They had one at my old apartment building. They’re not meant to be used for actual showering.
I hate the finishes in this place. It’s just plain ugly, and it’s in an ugly building.
The heating/cooling expense for open layout lofts is in no NO way 4 times what it costs to maintain a comfortable temperature level in a conventional home. With the addition of multiple high performance ceiling fans, the air flow provides enough cooling even with outside temps in the high 70’s low 80’s. Add on a few dehumidifiers and you are comfortable. I run my AC only in July and August if the temps require it. I am on a budget plan for both electricity and natural gas and my monthly payments are set at $250 each. At the end of the year I always have credit that is deducted from the next months payment. Several times this credit took care of Jan and Feb bills.
The fact this is a brick loft and it was built in the early years of this century would indicate it was well constructed and insulation would not be a huge problem. Early century brick warehouse construction, in my vast experience, was very solid and pretty air tight.
Furnishing them, esp with large scale furniture is actually easier as there are no space constraints at all. With the size of the main living area, your decorating options are endless. I know personally, when I shopped for furnishings for my place, which is 1000+ sq ft larger, I went for large scale, comfort and appeance and found all these factors in the things I purchased. The largest items in my main living/entertainment area are 3 – 9ft sofas arranged in a U shaped layout….and there is plenty of space for a large dining table that seats 10 easily.
Sound is also not a problem if you use large, thick rugs (with sound absorbing pads) and window or wall coverings that are made to absorb sound. It does take a bit of work to make this work but it is not impossible. I had a friend who specializes in this field so with his company’s help my place is no different than a conventional condo/home. Definately a lot quieter than a new construction unit. Since I have always lived alone (other than my dogs which at one point were 5 large breed companions) sound transfer has not been an issue. I have hosted many large scale parties and even then the sounds of revelers and the music did not disturb my tenants/neighbors.
On interior walls, I double insulated the walls with sound deadening drywall which made a huge difference.
RE the shower on the private rooftop deck. They usually are located in a somewhat hidden area and most have a wall around the ‘neccessary’ areas. While not totally private they do provide enough coverage to not have the police called for exhibitionism.
It is strange though in this unit that there would be a shower when there is no pool or even a hot tub. The places here in NYC and in Miami that I have been to that feature this bonus had either or both. The other reason would be to have an outdoor gym, which would be a possibility if you don’t factor in the winter months.
As far as window light reaching the bedrooms, the height of the ceilings and the fact there are skylights would dimish the need for a dedicated bdrm window.
Did I mention I have lived in my converted warehouse loft now for over 15 years? It is very similar to this place in that it is open with the only walls around the sleeping and bathroom areas. I would not trade it for anything…even the hot, HOT place recently on the market on a high floor in the Time Warner Center. I love the openness of my place and can’t think of even one negative. Different strokes for different folks!
I think the building has more loft character and appeal then the new “loft style” high rises in the neighborhood that are nothing but cement boxes/ loft wanna-bes. I agree the finishes are second-rate for the price and the price per sqare foot needs adjusting to the vinicity of $200.00. High heating/cooling costs are par for this type of space and sure to rise with peak-oil in the not too distant future. As a work/living space it makes more sense.
From the pix and the size of the building, it looks to be the front half of the structure in the first pic. The association *must* be combined with one (or more) of the adjacent buildings, as there isn’t space for 16 units.
Roof deck looks to be 18×36, with a plank walkway from the stairway hut that’s 20+’ further back from the front.
i do not like this place at all. the deck cannot make me see past the interior. just my personal style though.
i dont know what’s with clio trying to make the south loop out to be englewood. there was a prior posting with a south loop place that he also mentioned being dangerous. bizarre. look up crime stats in the south loop, its no different than your typical car break-ins. http://chicago.everyblock.com/locations/zipcodes/60616/?only=crime
the types and quantity of crimes are comparable to other neighborhoods in chicago that are considered safe.
No one is getting shot in the South Loop.
1600 S. Michigan isn’t really that bad anymore. You’re a little bit removed from the restaurants and people on that bustling little strip of Wabash around 1300 S., but it seems fairly safe to me. Now, in the mid 90s…
jc,
Motor Row historic district has building designated as far north as 14th. I did check the zoning ordinance and this building is not listed.
fwiw, Daley lives one block east, three block north of here.
“jc,
Motor Row historic district has building designated as far north as 14th. I did check the zoning ordinance and this building is not listed.”
Good to know, learn something new every day. http://chicago-architecture-jyoti.blogspot.com/2009/09/motor-row-district.html
westlooopelo, you pay $500 a month for utilities and don’t think that’s bad? How big is your place?
2nd everything WestLoopElo said about HVAC and lofts. It’s not really that bad at all. Reversible ceiling fans are key.
I pay between $300-400 a month for utilities in a 4000 square foot loft of brick, glass, concrete, and steel, and I don’t think that’s bad at all.
$40,000 for parking in this neighborhood? That is insane. I’ve seen it for up to $30,000 in the area, but $40,000 is rediculous. Realtor may as well list the property for $100,000 and charge $600,000 for the parking spot.
Ugh. I hate when parking is listed separately. When they try to list the parking separetely, I feel like the seller isn’t motivated to sell and slightly rude.
1) The place is awesome, unique, and truly the definition of a loft.
2) It is over priced. This should be no more than 500k w/parking.
3) This is a designers dream.
People that buy lofts and then move 2 years later probably shouldn’t have bought one in the first place because they obviously lack planning skills… My wife and I would GO TO TOWN pimpin this place out, so much space, amazing rooftop deck I agree with westloopelo if done right lofts are just awesome living spaces
“fwiw, Daley lives one block east, three block north of here.”
I thought he moved to one of the newer highrises that overlooks Millenium Park about 5 years ago.
Regardless (or “irregardless”), I fully agree that Daley moving to the south loop in the 90s absolutely sent a message it was on its way up.
“Regardless (or “irregardless”), I fully agree that Daley moving to the south loop in the 90s absolutely sent a message it was on its way up.”
Didn’t work out quite so well for Cabrini Green back in the Byrne days!
I’m guessing that the outdoor shower has more to do with the “work” aspect than the “live” aspect. There’s probably outdoor workspace on the roof where the current owner does some kind of activity (painting? building motorcycles?) that involves getting pretty dirty, hence the appeal of being able to shower before going inside.
“I thought he moved to one of the newer highrises that overlooks Millenium Park about 5 years ago.”
Never actually happened, despite years of rumors. Believe it was to be the Heritage.
““I thought he moved to one of the newer highrises that overlooks Millenium Park about 5 years ago.”
Never actually happened, despite years of rumors. Believe it was to be the Heritage.”
If you go by Indiana just south of Roosevelt, you’d see a marked/unmarked squad car east side of the Indiana pretty much all the time (assuming he’s home). When he’s not home, you’d see orange cones occupying that spot to reserve it.
Jenny, a lot of times they list the parking separate because it’s a separate deeded spot (you pay property taxes on it and it has it’s own PIN#).
I thought there was a rule that new construction had to include at least one parking spot per unit…can a realtor or someone in the know chime in on that one please?
Westloopelo, Bradford, and I all will agree that lofts are not for everyone but they are amazing places to live.
In response to the posts about how they are expensive to heat and cool you are correct. It is not why you think. Understand that my outer wall that is TWO FEET thick. It may not be like the condos put up in 2005 and there is no fiberglass insulation but I’d put my well caulked and two foot thick double masonry wall up against most new construction any day.
I’ve explained it before. One of the main reasons that it costs more to heat and cool is that there are often 12 to 15 foot ceilings. This means that there is 50% more cubic space in my home than a home with 8 foot ceilings.
Thanks westloopelo for pointing out all the great features of living in one! You nailed my thoughts exactly.
Almoast forgot. $638 seems a bit high for this space. Needs to have a much better kitchen and a few bathrooms to hit the 230+ per sq ft price point.
>“where are your guests going to park? (w/o being shot, that is)”
>I hope you are just being sarcastic.
He sees the “S” and immediately thinks you’ll be shot there.
Also, it’s not much of a party if you have to drive.
Yeah but an even bigger party if you take the bus
Daley lives in a townhouse in the middle of the 1400 block of south Indiana.
Big space but sq ftg stated is exaggerated. Lots of potential but be prepared to remodel!!! UGLY and dark inside. Also a tough layout to create real bedrooms easily as the entrance and kitchen are on the east end, while the only windows are on the west overlooking Mich Ave. Living room without windows anyone? This is a one bed w/partial wall “bedroom” #2, in other words, it’s really an office space. Unless you’re going to gut the place, it’s a one bed. Shower outside is pointless. Just a shower head stuck on the side of the doghouse with the world free to watch. ?? Three adjoining bldgs form the 16 unit association. Solid brick construction. Quiet bldg. Parking is just an outdoor spot behind a gate not a garage so 40k is ridiculous. Street parking is pretty easy in this neighborhood.
Oh, one more thing, The ceilings are not 17′. Try 12′. It’s still good but … maybe the parking price is a typo too?