West Town Is A Hub Of Contemporary Architecture: A 3-Bedroom Penthouse At 1555 W. Pearson
This 3-bedroom duplex penthouse at 1555 W. Pearson in West Town has been on the market since February 2012.
The building was built in the contemporary style in 2007.
It has 6 units along with an elevator and a garage.
The building is located just east of Ashland.
The unit has cherry floors throughout and 14 foot ceilings.
The kitchen has cherry cabinets and a huge island that seats 5. It also has luxury appliances by SubZero, Wolf and Bosch.
Outdoor space is not a problem as the unit boasts 2 decks totaling 1000 square feet.
It has central air, washer/dryer in the unit and parking is included.
Since February, this listing has been reduced $24,900.
It is listed $34,000 under the 2007 price at $665,000.
What price will it take to move this property?
(And yes, I took this picture of the side of the building so there will be maintenance costs in dealing with this graffiti clean-up. There is also other graffiti pictured in the listing pictures. Is this a turn-off for buyers or is it just city-living?)
Rusty Schluchter at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #E: 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 2500 square feet, duplex
- Sold in June 2007 for $699,000
- Originally listed in February 2012 for $689,900
- Reduced
- Currently listed at $665,000 (includes the garage parking)
- Assessments of $450 a month
- Taxes of $9566
- Central Air
- Washer/Dryer in the unit
- Bedroom #1: 19×15 (second floor)
- Bedroom #2: 16×12 (main floor)
- Bedroom #3: 13×10 (main floor)
- Den: 12×11 (second floor)
location….location….location….when are people going to learn?
I got a Rusty Schluchter last night
I saw grafitti on the $10 million Wrigley Mansion on Lakeview the other day…
I saw graffiti on the $10 million Wrigley Mansion on Lakeview the other day…
The facade looks like cinder block….very depressing exterior.
“And yes, I took this picture of the side of the building so there will be maintenance costs in dealing with this graffiti clean-up.”
Not necessarily. I have called 311 for graffiti clean up many times and they have always responded. I have only seen them paint over with white or brown, never power washed brick. Also I’m not sure if this service has been reduced since Rahm took the throne.
http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/streets/provdrs/graffiti_blasters.html
God realtors are so fricking stupid, advertising the “1000 sqft of outdoor space” then posting one picture of about 5sqft of said space…. fucking fail!
Nice place, but if you want to drop $600k on a condo you don’t want to live in this immediate area.
The price for this duplex does seem like a tough sell for the area. You can spend around as much and get a SFH, such as 1516 W Erie or 1614 W Erie.
I used to live 4 houses away from this building and have some good friends the next street down on Fry. Looks are nice, but the quality is lacking. Also, the hood is decent, but nothing close to desirable. I can’t see a 3BR/3BA with similar finishes and size commanding more than $400k… if so, I have someone who will happily sell you something half a block away.
I live in this neighborhood unfortunately, and it’s riddled with gang activity, drive-by shootings, muggings, and graffiti. The graffiti on this property is NO SURPRISE! The hub of gang activity is just west of Ashland between Chicago and Grand, but close enough to this place to hear (and experience) all the gunshots. Here’s the local neighborhood watch Facebook page. Sad. https://www.facebook.com/groups/22335449744/
I toured this building when it was new and the units (each one with its own unique floorplan) are outstanding. I’ve since returned to the bldg to see another unit that was previously for sale and know that the building has been well maintained with a very active HOA (graffiti happens everywhere so get over it). It is def not the type of property for everyone but for someone who wants something urban and unique in a central location (close to downtown and walking distance to action on both Chicago and Division), it is a great find.
“graffiti happens everywhere so get over it”
awesome realtor quote.
Looks like the building has been tagged in two places, with signs of power washing. I suppose the white/light brick is irresistible. Interiors look interesting, but agree with others that price seems high and better deals are available.
Exterior is fugly. Looks like a bad architecture school student project. Inside is pretty decent though.
Area is decent but I’d never want to live on Ashland. It’s a very convenient location, however.
I love the city, of course
But why do we allow criminals to run the city
And , no, I just dont mean our government
Think of how much happier we would be ( not withstanding another Cubs season 🙂
Think how much more are properties would be worth if criminals were kept locked up
Better yet, plenty of stories out there that talk about the police not even pursuing the criminals
Its time for the good people to stage a protest about this
cause its not working come election day
“graffiti happens everywhere so get over it”
and if it doesnt let me know i will take care of it
“The hub of gang activity is just west of Ashland between Chicago and Grand, but close enough to this place to hear (and experience) all the gunshots”
Farah, I live in this area– closer to Chicago Ave. than Grand, but still a block west of Ashland– and it’s been pretty peacefull for at least the last five years.
I moved into my condo 13 years ago this August and initially there was the occasional gun-fire/gang activity but it’s been a while. We’ve got more yuppies with their jogging strollers running by and hipsters on their way to the bars that have been popping up on Chicago Ave. than anything else lately.
Accordio – Criminals are a net drain on the state economy. Not only are they not paying income or sales tax since they are incarcerated, they are being housed, guarded, babysat, fed all on state money. Unless you are willing to take a tax increase, the current trend of decriminalizing certain activities (eg pot) and shorter incarceration time will continue. If you vote Republican, you are guaranteeing this trend continues.
Cribs Chatter: Thanks for taking the twenty or thirty seconds to list my property on this budget site. You clowns really knocked yourself out doing due diligence. I can not thank you enough for the amazing photographic work you put into this journalistic piece. Your Iphone 3 must have put in a long day.
First, to the collective group of challenged individuals that posted here, everything about our listing is accurate. (Sonies…our real-estate agent accurately listed the deck space…it is more than likely larger than that.)
Second, Graffiti….Since most of you posting here are more than likely from Schaumburg. Living in a Metro areas comes with some lovely plus’s…Graffiti is one of them. As I write this, the HOA has already had the graffiti removed (Three business days after it was applied). For those of you in the cheap seats, if you took your collective rent check’s, it is more than likely you would have spent less cash than what we have spent removing this type of “artwork.”
On the thoughts that you can find something like my property for $400k.(Sorry I had to stop laughing before I could get to the next few “thoughtful” comments.) No you can not. Online or in person, I have seen a significant number of homes within and around this area. You will not find a 3 bedroom two 1/2 baths with brick construction, heated floors, a chef’s kitchen, steam showers, a few thousand SF of outdoor space anywhere in Chicago for 400k. What will you find? A cookie cutter, shit box, with 2 bedrooms, two baths, and 200 SF of deck.( PS PDubbs: Your 2bedroom/2Bath you hope to get 400k for is now being assessed by almost every bank for about 200 grand. Best of luck….)
Save me the “this dude is a d-ck” comments and instead post pictures of your home, so that I can comment on the tremendous aesthetic value you bring to a this city. Do me another favor…take those pictures on your Iphone 3 hours after your property has been damaged so we can compare apples to apples.
Crib Chatter….do a little better job next time. I did not ask to be posted here. You could have taken 100 other pictures of my place, at 100 other times. Instead you “hacked” away like a high school year book editor, and brought zero value to the internet, conversation, or community.
“I can not thank you enough for the amazing photographic work you put into this journalistic piece. Your Iphone 3 must have put in a long day.”
TheOwner: Thanks for checking in.
I don’t have an iPhone and even if I did I wouldn’t ever take housing pictures with it. This was a “real” camera. Part of the reason the pics didn’t turn out so great was that it was overcast on the day I took them and the building is gray/white. Pictures taken with a blue sky really DO make the property look so much better (ANY property.) But that’s the way it goes sometimes. I can’t control the weather.
About the graffiti: this is the first time in 5 years of running this site that I have actually seen graffiti in such a prominent location on a building (i.e., right by the front door of the building.) Sure, I’ve seen it around the back, on the garage etc. But the listing photo of the building also shows graffiti, different from the graffiti I took a picture of, actually right next to the door so what’s the story on that? Why are the graffiti artists hitting the building so often?
Finally, why are you complaining about being posted here? I just did you a HUGE favor. Your property has been on the market for 7 months. Thousands of people just saw it and talked about it. You know what they say: all publicity is good publicity.
Oh- and one other thing: I definitely was a high school year book editor.
BUSTED!
Well, no one’s feeling sorry for this dickbag when this place languishes for another year or so and he sells it for something that starts with a 5.
“Sonies…our real-estate agent accurately listed the deck space…it is more than likely larger than that.”
If you actually read Sonies comment, he wasn’t arguing it was inaccurately listed. Also, your statement seems like one of those internal conundrum thingys.
“Since most of you posting here are more than likely from Schaumburg.”
The *only* thing that unites all (save juliana) is dislike of Schaumburg.
“For those of you in the cheap seats, if you took your collective rent check’s, it is more than likely you would have spent less cash than what we have spent removing this type of “artwork.””
I don’t completely follow, but are you saying you spend a lot on graf removal? Is that a selling point?
Also hoping drunk bob will stop by tonight to lend his perspective.
“Sonies…our real-estate agent accurately listed the deck space…it is more than likely larger than that.) ”
yeah so why didn’t he post a picture of it (was the intended message of my post) he showed about 5sqft of the supposed huge space, since it is such an enormous positive with the property why not accentuate that? Oh, right… realtors are morons
Being as close to downtown, I’m surprised Eckart Park hasn’t gentrified. Why is this?
The subject property is in a SUCKY location, clio is 100% right. Go visit the bus stop at the NEC of Chicago and Ashland, it’s an urban photographer’s dream, slobs, bums, fat mexicanas, etc. I miss the Rothschild’s Liquors back tap room.
“You will not find a 3 bedroom two 1/2 baths with brick construction, heated floors, a chef’s kitchen, steam showers, a few thousand SF of outdoor space anywhere in Chicago for 400k.”
Dear Owner: Who cares? Why is this so important, all those things, that you would live where you do?
Do you walk out onto the Ashland/Chicago intersection and feel proud? $1 taco Tuesday? The location sucks big-time. I don’t get why anyone would spend $700K to live anywhere near here. Who cares about “steam showers” when you live in burrito-ville? Oh, and Rose Spa on Ashland, the rub-and-tug joint got shut down by the police. You can’t even walk to La Pasadita….unless you want to pretend you live in South America, along the way.
TheOwner: whether or not the people of CC are dicks and idiots, you aren’t doing yourself any favors with posts like that. I mean, would I catch jerk if I lived in that condo? I’m not sure I’d want to risk it.
Personally, I’d listen to the criticism Sonies leveled at your realtor (NOT your property).
“I don’t completely follow, but are you saying you spend a lot on graf removal?”
Seeing there’s even more graffiti on Google Street View, I’m going to say they do.
I’m going to side with TheOwner on this one. I’m not sure what the point of this post and even this site is other than to ensure the housing market continues to decline even further. I, too, would probably be a little reactionary when I was trying to sell my home and have a peanut gallery of freeloading renters trying to make sure it stays on the market as long as possible. I can’t imagine any owners in the area would want to trash other places and make an attempt to drive down comps and hurt their own resale value. Thankfully there can’t be more than 20 people that visit this site in a given month.
And for those talking about the neighborhood and gang activity, maybe you’re better suited for the northside where you can be raped in an alley in broad daylight on a Tuesday afternoon? Or head over to Wicker Park/Bucktown where you can be mugged and beaten in front of 100 people at one of the busiest intersections in the city?
I have a friend who lives in this same building and I can vouch that the building and the condo itself is very, very nice. Just going off of some of the comments above, I doubt some of you even have the means to own a 1BR in Englewood, much less the place being listed above. As WLRealtor says, this property isn’t for everyone, and obviously most of you…but not by choice.
@helmethofer – what time are you due back to your klan meeting?
I’ll leave you guys to carry on and fight your good fight. Power to the people!!!
Sabrina:
I looked at a number of featured homes across your site. The way you represented my home, which my family lives in, and has worked very hard to purchase, is schlocky. It is also not consistent with how you feature other properties. In the vast majority of other buildings you feature, you did not take the time or effort to show multiple photos. Nearly every other property you feature has been photographed in a significantly different fashion. Not one of those properties, in a city with miles of tagged walls, do you show images depicting damage done to those buildings. That graffiti is on the side the building, painted across a wall that is OWNED by a commercial operator. You have no working knowledge of my relationship to this part of the property, or who covers the cost of removing the graffiti. You have no knowledge of how this part of the building relates to my home.
Let us be clear about one thing…your work here will in no way help me sell my home. My home has been on the market for seven months (which in this market is frankly normal) because I bought this house at the wrong moment in time. Like millions of American’s, I bought my house in 2007, a vintage year. Represented in this fashion, your blog will only damage my home.
Sabrina if you are really helping people, then post some personally identifiable information about yourself. Do you own a home? If so, post pictures of it. Then place a f-cking comment box below that picture so that total and complete strangers get a chance to comment on your home. When something happens to your house, post pictures of that ASAP.
You would never do such a thing….why… because you understand the power of the internet, and how things like this can impact the value of any property. (Or maybe you do not understand this strange a difficult concept as you are in no way part of the real estate industry….I learned these details about you from your prolific “About Me” section.)
I did not ask for your help in evaluating my home, property value, taste in architecture, or odds of selling this place at the price I am asking.
I would prefer that you remove my home, and all images of it, from your blog. Or come back here and do the work in a way that is consistent with how you have featured other “lucky” properties in Chicago.
Homeboy needs to chill
The butthurt is strong with this one.
Wow. That’s some good entertainment here!!!
The best part is that this price for this place in this location is so laughable. The only thing that is funnier than that is that someone paid $700K for it 5 years ago. The bitter pill has created a bitter man…
Also – your impressions of who it is that is commenting on your overpriced condo (and now your toxic posts) is very misinformed. At least as to this commentator. Best of luck.
FYI I really like this condo, the location is meh but overall its a place I could love to live in but not with children. Schools in this area are terrible and private school would BK me… Probably why Mr. Butthurt here is anxious to get the hell outta here but unfortunately is stuck
my response
“That graffiti is on the side the building, painted across a wall that is OWNED by a commercial operator. ”
In a legal sense, is there a relationship between the tagged wall and your unit? If as you say the HOA is paying for the cost of removal, then it’s relevant to the sale.
FWIW properties that I’ve owned in Old Town have also been tagged and if the HOA doesn’t take care of it, you can also call 311 to have the city take care of it.
my guessed bob response
You #@$($@ *$#$Hfds$#@ the tag was next to your address. You go down a street and locate the property using the address. How can you NOT notice the graffiti?
You’re more likely to get views on your property after this blog entry. Relax.
Random thought: maybe this is another reason why RE agents will never go away? The need to separate the property from the owner?
“Not one of those properties, in a city with miles of tagged walls, do you show images depicting damage done to those buildings.”
Maybe you could ask Rusty Schluchter to let Sabrina use his front view photo instead?
“Maybe you could ask Rusty Schluchter to let Sabrina use his front view photo instead?”
The one that shows the building tagged in a different spot?
Maybe theowner should yell at his agent for using a pic which shows graffiti on the building?
Didnt check google streetview–is that a third tagging, or the same as in the listing photo?
LISTING HALL OF FAME:;
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/3944-W-Dakin-St-60618/home/13456583
Wow. Bitter FB. Time to move to the suburbs Doubtful my home has ever been graffitied in the 50 years since the foundation was poured. Neighbors all around me still the original owners: engineers, accountants lawyers etc. not this sell every couple of years thing. Buying in the city was dumb dumb dumb.
As noted, the first agent photo clearly shows tagging in a different spot. Throwing stones in glass houses.
“The one that shows the building tagged in a different spot?”
“As noted, the first agent photo clearly shows tagging in a different spot.”
Oh, I guess my suggestion won’t work then. In that case, let’s hear more about the HOA’s graffiti removal budget and procedures.
“Doubtful my home has ever been graffitied in the 50 years since the foundation was poured.”
Time for groove to come out of retirement.
I’ve said many times over the years that this housing market is really, really hard for sellers. Many commenters on housing blogs forget that there are owners behind the numbers (that usually don’t add up) in these sales. There is real money being lost and it’s likely many sellers will never recoup the lost wealth in their lifetimes.
This thread is a reminder to all.
“Nearly every other property you feature has been photographed in a significantly different fashion. Not one of those properties, in a city with miles of tagged walls, do you show images depicting damage done to those buildings. That graffiti is on the side the building, painted across a wall that is OWNED by a commercial operator. You have no working knowledge of my relationship to this part of the property, or who covers the cost of removing the graffiti. You have no knowledge of how this part of the building relates to my home.”
The picture in this listing showed graffiti by the front door. I didn’t take that picture. The listing agent took it and posted it for the world to see for SEVEN MONTHS! Don’t blame me for what the agent did. (As of this writing, that picture is STILL the lead picture for the property on all of the public listings on redfin, realtor.com etc.)
When I went to go look at the property, I happened to notice that there was a different set of graffiti on the wall. Given the graffiti in the listing picture and then the totally separate graffiti on the wall when I was walking by- you think it isn’t justified to bring it up when talking about the property?
I have taken multiple pictures of many properties in the past. It depends on the location on the street and what is interesting about the property (i.e. showing a picture of the alley on the side of the property.)
“Sabrina if you are really helping people, then post some personally identifiable information about yourself. Do you own a home? If so, post pictures of it. Then place a f-cking comment box below that picture so that total and complete strangers get a chance to comment on your home. When something happens to your house, post pictures of that ASAP.”
You clearly don’t read the site. Because I’ve done that.
All the regulars here know that I rent. I’ve been a renter for 10 years. I last owned in 2002. Buying just didn’t add up to me during the boom.
I would be buying right now if:
1. I were looking in the suburbs. Great deals out there. You could live for cheap!
2. I knew I was going to stay in the property a minimum of 10 years. Alas, my professional opportunities are such that I don’t know if I’ll be in Chicago that long.
3. It were actually cheaper than my rent. Chuk and I argue about this, but it’s really not cheaper to buy what I already rent (inside the GZ.) It’s getting close with each passing day though (with these rent increases and property prices still falling)! I may change my tune by next year. 🙂
Oh- and I’ve actually featured some properties that friends have sold. In one case, the comments about their furniture were so rough, that after they sold the property, they actually bought some new furniture for their new home. ha!
I don’t read this site often and don’t comment a lot when I do but, because I’ve been inside this bldg and think the units are truly unique, I’ve been following this post and agree with points made on both sides.
To the owner:
1) You really should have reviewed your MLS listing/marketing photos or hired a listing agent who would and reshot the exterior photo when it was free from gang graffiti. You only get one chance to make a first impression and, although graffiti is not uncommon t/o the city, this is a very poor representation of your lovely home. Statistics show that more than 90% of homebuyers start their search online and you are not putting your best foot forward.
2) A property is only worth what it’s worth on the day that it sells and that’s it. Per the MLS, the price you paid when you bought it was in line with the other units in the bldg/area but your listing price now is simply too high for today’s market. I sell a lot in the area and think you have an excellent chance of selling in the $550-575K range but, IMHO, you need to be listed no higher than $600K. (Ask your Realtor to show you the listing sheet for 2154 W Division, Unit 402, 728 N Ada, Unit 3, 1901 W Division, Unit 4S and 622 N Ashland, Unit 4).
To Sabrina and the peanut gallery:
Your opinions (good and bad) are just that…opinions. If (on any property listed on this site) you have actual stats/facts about the quality, construction, neighborhood pricing/sales, HOA, crime in the area, etc., please share them. If not, please try to be balanced in your “reporting” as there is no need to rip these people, their homes and their hard-working Realtors to shreds.
@ WLRealtor
Thank you for your comments.
Basketball court is a tremendous waste of space. Decorations of sports logos in the rooftop deck is a major turnoff for daily buyers. At first I thought the entire building, not just one unit, was for sale for a million bucks.
“Let us be clear about one thing…your work here will in no way help me sell my home.”
Oh snap! The entire time I’ve been reading this blog I’ve thought it was the intent of cribchatter to help underwater owners sell their used homes. It’s all about you isn’t it??
“Cribs Chatter: Thanks for taking the twenty or thirty seconds to list my property on this budget site. ”
Bwahahaha I love this owner! It truly is all about them! I have a Boost Mobile Samsung to get back to, The Owner. After you lose your financial ass on trying to get out this failed boondoggle at being an adult maybe you can check out their no contract plans with shinkage.
You thought you were a lord because you were the property owner and renters must’ve been serfs back then. In reality you’re the serf to the bank and the city (taxes)!
HD — wrong thread.
And what kind of douchebag rips on someone for having an Iphone 3 thats only 2 years old?
Clearly this guy is a financial genius and buys the new ones the second they come out as the new “features” are worth every penny and he MUST HAVE THEM… LOL
And PS my samsung galaxy s3 makes your Iphone 4s look like a PIECE OF SHIT, damn I feel so much cooler than you brah… oh jeez
Graffitti happens in the city even in the supposed bluest of chip nabes. There is stuff you can get at Ace Hardware to get it off surfaces I’ve used on my apt building. But the thing is it worked 100% on that surface (wasn’t brick) & if it F’d up the surface I’d just go back inside. Home debtors are more stuck with the consequences of trying to fix probs like these on the cheap/fly.
Some people can’t get comfortable with the fact that real estate is a unique good with a special relationship to public records and shared resources. I understand this and I think that some empathy is warranted; I’m not sure that I would love to have my house on here if I were trying to sell. But that ship has largely sailed since we have the Internet, and this guy has kind of made his own bed.
311 is really quite quick about graffiti removal, but it has to be on the public way or something like that. That building material looks nice but it’s no surprise that it’s damaged by graffiti and graffiti removal. There may be ways to address that but this place is not unique in needing to deal with graffiti. The ultimate problem, though, is that the real estate agent has that in a picture. That is a laughable display of incompetence.