You’ll Never Have to Shovel Snow Again: A 3-Bedroom at 500 W. Superior in River North
This 3-bedroom at 500 W. Superior in River North came on the market in May 2013.
We’ve been chattering about “family” sized condo units and whether or not you could have single family home amenities in a downtown high rise.
This unit fits many of the unicorn criteria.
The north facing unit has 3056 square feet and has a family room, a small office (urban mommy- you could store your stroller in there) and a 11×8 laundry room with its own sink.
The kitchen has luxury finishes including Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances and a wine fridge along with a massive stone-topped center island.
The unit also has 15 foot ceilings, extensive crown moldings and 4 1/2 bathrooms.
The building is a full service building but doesn’t have a swimming pool. Instead, you’ll have to settle for an exercise room, bike room and party room.
2-car parking is included with the unit.
Is this a good single family home substitute?
Sophia Klopas at Koenig & Strey Real Living has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #2706: 3 bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths, 3056 square feet
- Sold in April 2007 for $1,608,000
- Sold in September 2009 for $1,706,500
- Originally listed in May 2013 for $1,995,000
- Reduced
- Currently listed at $1,895,000
- Assessments of $1890 a month (includes a/c, gas, cable, doorman, exercise room)
- Taxes of $16,657
- Central Air
- Washer/dryer in the unit
- 2 car garage parking included
- Bedroom #1: 18×16
- Bedroom #2: 14×13
- Bedroom #3: 14×13
- Family room: 18×15
- Living room: 11×8
- Office: 15×9
If your decorating bible is Better Homes and Gardens, you probably shouldn’t buy in an architectural landmark.
^^ yeah… blech
Are you sure the office is not the third bedroom? It’s my understanding that it is. You can call it a bedroom if you put in those windows at the top and add a closet.
Also, the “family room,” which could serve as a playroom, is just an extension of the kitchen so there is no way for toys to not be seen while entertaining adults. You can see the family room from the kitchen, dining room, and main living room. I don’t want to have to pick up toys (princess house etc…) everytime I want to entertain. Also, I’ve heard from other families who have moved from the building that there is not enough bike storage/storage to accommodate bikes/trycicle/push car for a family. I’m bummed b/c I otherwise love this area as it downtown but quiet and less traffic.
The decor is a serious mismatch for the building, but we could slowly redo the tacky tile and overdone colors and wall paper…seriously what was the owner thinking? Minoru Yamasaki is rolling over in his grave.
Once you get into 3+ bedrooms, it’s really helpful to have a floorplan. I know we’re not supposed to knock décor, but if I bought this place I’d demand the seller remove some of those light fixtures before closing.
Back in the 1990s I knew a few people who grew up in buildings on LSD between the Carlisle and North Avenue. Can’t remember which ones specifically, but I wonder how many of those buildings have 3 – 4 bedroom units.
‘I don’t want to have to pick up toys (princess house etc…) everytime I want to entertain.’
‘princess house’…. omg, I could run with that one alone for a week. Does it mean A: a plastic play toy, or B: what mommy wants. I’m just *kidding* with you um, take no offense.
I wonder if G has any stroller parking data. I am hearing like a 10% premium for 2+ stroller/buggy parking (is tandem ok?) in the 3500 sqft >$1.5 million downtown condo market.
I am not seeing why a combination is so bad. Sure, the assessments are huge, but can’t you get the units for less than $1.5 million and then spend like $500k to get it how you want it? Don’t most people do that and then keep them?
Recently my daughter has 6 friends whose families sold their SFH’s here in the city and moved to high-rises. They are so happy to be living on one floor instead of vertically, and love the amenities their buildings offer. I think it so interesting…our plan has always been to sell our home in Old Town and move to a high rise as soon as our daughter goes to college, but I can easily see why, with the right floor plan, living like this would be fabulous. But not here. 🙂
G doesn’t come around anymore.
It looks to me like there are three rooms pictured with beds with an additional picture of the office, so I believe this is a true 3 bedroom+office+family room place. Also, if you don’t like the living room/dining room/kitchen/family room to be all together would it really be so hard to put a wall with a doorway between the kitchen and family room? If you have the money to buy this place or the earlier one posted today and have such stringent requirements, I think the only way to be realistic is to be willing to pay some money on top of the price of the unit to make it exactly what you want. The market at this price range is small enough that I don’t think there are gobs of people in it that seek the same things or layout or decorating and each buyer will end up having to make the place fit them, which if you can afford these places, you should be able to afford to do.
Also, if you don’t like the living room/dining room/kitchen/family room to be all together would it really be so hard to put a wall with a doorway between the kitchen and family room?
Then the family room has no natural light. The family room is in the limestone corner of the building. Also, I think the bath is of of it so your guests have to walk through to use the powder room…..
“The family room is in the limestone corner of the building.”
Looks to be true, although I don’t know how much natural light it gets at the moment as it has to come all the way through the kitchen to get to the family room AND in the picture every light is on in the family room and I counted at least 4 lamps.
Perhaps this isn’t the perfect family unit, but then that may be why it is $300k cheaper than the last one.
There are two photos of the same bedroom from different angles. I have no idea whether there are 2 or 3 beds as currently configured, but I only see pix of two.
Your right the den is separate and kind of open. It could hold the stroller. The second bedroom is the one off of the main entertaining area. If you look at the photo you can see the interior transom on the upper right side. This means that your kid will hear you entertaining at night. This would make it hard to raise a family here.
I wish I could design these. Put the family room off the kids bedrooms (for a play area) on a separate wing…away from the main entertaining space and master. Have the back door (you have to have 2 entrances if over 3000 square foot) that has a stroller closet and locker area for backpacks and kids junk so that it does not get left in the main foyer.
Aha! I found a listing for a 4 bed on LSD. Doesn’t have the amenities, I suppose, but I love these old buildings.
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/1130-N-Lake-Shore-Dr-60611/unit-3E/home/40386572
i think we have found the female version of nonny………. stroller closets, lockers etc. ugh…….
we have friends doing the family highrise thing and none have stroller closets, lockers and such. you learn to make due with less….. one friend bought a three bedroom as the children grew they purchased a studio on the same floor as thats the play zone. the units aren’t connected but it works just fine for them. It really limits all the toys and junk to the studio, as they have a no toy policy in the main unit. Also when they have a dinner party, the babysitter and kids stay in the studio, which has its own kitchen.
Really Olic? no toys in the house at all? go down the hall and play. must be loving parents
There are some stuffed animals and such in the bedrooms. its really no different than someone who has the children’s room in the basement of their house. well I guess there is a diff. rather than being stuck in a dark and damp basement they are thirty floors up in the air…….
Kids are little older and love having there own place, now all they do is sleep in the main apartment. The whole studio is wired with cameras and a intercom system to monitor things. if you equate toys to love guess we have differing opinions.
Is urban mommy an older version of jenny with babies and money instead of tortoises and insulated indifference?
Hancock Unit 8206/07. 4bed 4 bath. 3000 sqft. Ask is 999k. Spend savings to update/fix to your liking. Assessments 2200. Not sure if it meets all UM’s demands since I stopped reading her unicorn list midway thru.
Great looking unit and the price seems fair for what you get. Even taxes and assessment are reasonable, especially considering the two garage spaces included and all the amenities. I love the open north views.
Two things I don’t like: Across the street from the Cabrini Green townhomes (there was a murder here last month); and it appears at least one of the bedrooms, if not more, is interior (no window). Perhaps I’m wrong about that, though.
You’re paying a lot if you buy this place, but you get more floor space for your money out in this area than you would in a vintage on the Gold Coast (and the monthly assessments are far less).
Re. William D. and the Hancock unit he mentioned in comparison:
The assessments are much higher in Hancock 8206-07, though of course the price is much lower. Amenities are almost as good in the Hancock and I like the location better. However, you don’t get the 15-foot ceilings and other modern touches. The apartment looks to have a lot of different peoples’ touches added over the years, so some redecorating/renovation is needed. I love the east views over the lake, but on the south views, you’re barely above Water Tower Place. I’d want to be a bit higher up.
Dan, I agree though the Cabrini factor will be mitigated in a few years b/c the plan is to demolish these row homes…this should improve values here. If the third bedroom was not interior and next to the main areas, I would probably bite on this one. It’s a great value in terms of space, cost and assessment (despite the odd decor for a modern building). I could get over the lack of pool and the transitional areal. It almost hits the unicorn criteria….probably as close as you could get with what is currently built. I just don’t think I could get over having to be quite all the time in the living/dining room b/c there is a sleeping toddler right next door. I also don’t want to stare at the toys in the family room from the living/dining area. Yes, I’m like noony with my unicorn criteria but I’m also looking at this like a 20 year purchase. Definately not an older version of Jenny…
Urban mommy,
If you need bedrooms to be farther away from main living area, I’d recommend an older building with a long hallway separating BRs from LR/DR. New buildings don’t seem to have that, but most older ones do.
“as the children grew they purchased a studio on the same floor as thats the play zone. the units aren’t connected but it works just fine for them. It really limits all the toys and junk to the studio, as they have a no toy policy in the main unit. Also when they have a dinner party, the babysitter and kids stay in the studio, which has its own kitchen.”
That could work, as it’s all rage in nyc:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/11/realestate/a-getaway-apartment-in-your-own-building.html?ref=realestate&_r=0&pagewanted=all
“Definately not an older version of Jenny…”
It was a compliment I hope you realize. We all love jenny, some a little too much (you know who you are, ahem hd).
“the Cabrini factor will be mitigated in a few years b/c the plan is to demolish these row homes”
They’ve been ‘planned’ to be torn down ‘soon’ for 20 years. Believe it when it happens. Kinda like the ‘lease expiration’ on the Marshall Field Homes that was supposed to happen in 2004. Still there.
“We all love jenny, some a little too much (you know who you are, ahem hd).”
Everyone’s forgetting Bobbo on this front.
My hubby loves the separate studio concept, he wants to do a man cave version in our building. He sketched up a plan with murphy bed on one wall, 60″ television on the other, movie type seating, poker table and the kitchen/breakfast area has a bar vibe. He likes to invite his friends over to watch a ball game or play poker and its tough for me, even though we have a 3 bedroom there is little privacy. I have given him the green light on this project….. might have to add the video surveillance to keep an eye on him 🙂
The other plus is when we have family stay over they can use the studio. If I had it all over to do we would have purchased a 2-bedroom and a studio which would be more cost effective.
“Everyone’s forgetting Bobbo on this front.”
Indeed. Going to have to add icarus to the top of the list too (jenny and sympathy sex were apparently on his mind while he was out w the missus):
http://www.mysteries-of-life.com/2013/08/well-balanced-weekend-i-thought.html
Seems that there is something about Jenny.
“Seems that there is something about Jenny”
Too bad “Jenny” is probably in real life a fat 60 y/o guy in Morton Grove. Also, no I’m not talking about HD…he is younger and I don’t think MG floods….
“Everyone’s forgetting Bobbo on this front.”
How could anyone forget about Bobbo on any front.. my favorite personality on CC. Never saw someone so completely wrong on so many things, yet insist that he was going to be right. And right was always going to be best for him, and even more importantly, horrific for all others.. Priceless stuff!
Is this in the new Ogden school district,or would you have to spring for private schools?
Its in Ogden for now, but I’ve heard Ogden is getting at/over capacity so you never know…