Your 8000 Square Foot Palace Awaits: 2216 W Grace in North Center
This custom built 8000 square foot mansion at 2216 W. Grace in the St. Ben’s neighborhood of North Center just came on the market.
It has 4 bedrooms, 9 baths, and 3 half baths on a 125×30 lot.
It appears that the 2.5-car garage is still being built.
There also doesn’t appear to be any outdoor space but the buyer can breathe in summertime air on the rooftop terrace which, according to the listing, boosts a kitchen, a fireplace, and a hot tub.
In case you were wondering, the listing makes clear this home is in the Bell School District.
Check out the pictures of the curved stair atrium and detailed millwork.
There is also a custom kitchen with white cabinets, stainless steel appliances including a SubZero refrigerator, and what looks to be marble counter tops.
In addition to the 4 bedrooms, the house also has an exercise room, an office, a theater room, a sitting room and a maid’s room.
There is also an elevator.
This home is amongst the top three most expensive houses for sale in North Center (interestingly, the realtor actually listed this house as being in Lakeview, which it is not.)
We have chattered about the other two expensive homes:
- 3540 N. Ravenswood, the mansion with the indoor pool and backyard basketball court, at $3.475 million– listed for 333 days- see the prior chatter here.
- 3909 N. Claremont, the contemporary new construction, at $2.6 million– listed for 252 days- see the prior chatter here.
What’s the market for this home in this neighborhood?
Charles Schnuda at Coldwell Banker has the listing. See the pictures and a virtual tour here.
2216 W. Grace: 4 bedrooms, 9 baths, 3 half baths, 2.5 car garage, 8000 square feet
- Sold as a multi-unit building in January 1999 for $550,000
- Sold as a multi-unit building in May 2007 for $1.02 million
- Currently listed for $2.995 million
- Taxes of $14,717
- Central Air
- Elevator
- 3 fireplaces
- Rooftop terrace with hot tub and kitchen
- Bedroom #1: 22×15 (fourth floor)
- Bedroom #2: 22×13 (third floor)
- Bedroom #3: 15×11 (third floor)
- Bedroom #4: 15×13 (third floor)
- Kitchen: 29×15 (second floor)
- Living room: 22×17 (second floor)
- Second kitchen: 8×5
- Office: 17×15 (fourth floor)
- Sitting room: 14×11 (fourth floor)
- Exercise room: 19×9 (main floor)
- Theater room: 25×11 (main floor)
- Maid’s room: 9×7 (main floor)
“New construction”
Isn’t this a conversion of a 6 unit apt bldg into a sfh?
Yeah, G — I’m pretty sure I saw this on one of the other RE sites, complete with before and after photos. Definitely not my taste — and can’t quite imagine who this is for.
how can something this size only have 4 bedrooms?
“former 6-flat”
If so, you have to wonder if it wouldn’t have been easier just to build from scratch. But it DID save demolition and site-restoration costs and perhaps the shell was really solid.
Seems way out of proportion in size, cost, and luxury to surrounding houses, which will be a drag on the place. Houses that are massively more expensive than their neighbors tend not to hold their value as well as if they were situated with comparable houses. This is one of Chicago’s numerous solid old blue collar neighborhoods full of Honest Toiler-type cottages of no beauty or distinction. 20 years ago you could think that a house like this would start a trend, but in these challenged times, it’s not likely that droves of people are going to be buying property around here to build mansions on.
Sticks out like a “sore thumb” in that neighborhood. I would be embarrassed to live in it there. Details look quite good however: just locate it to the GC.
Oh yes: the price is pretty good but 2.2 may be closer (what’s with all the baths?)
Drove by last week and was in awe. Beautiful. However it’s surrounded by a neighborhood full of 3-flats. Seems out of place to me.
Always heard and always agreed with never want the biggest place on the block (unless of course it is really the right block)
I need more than 1 of my 12 bathrooms to have a urinal.
“Drove by last week and was in awe. Beautiful. However it’s surrounded by a neighborhood full of 3-flats. Seems out of place to me.”
but joe most of those *2flats* have been converted to single family homes.
but yes this beast of a home sticks out and is just odd. it would be at home on Howe in LP but here well its beast of a building.
*and i second G is this really new construction or a rehab with a new facade?
If I had the money I would take that Ravenswood place anyday. The style and the stealthy quality of it make it more desirable to me.
This place is just a giant out of place box.
“Isn’t this a conversion of a 6 unit apt bldg into a sfh?”
Yes- there was a multi-unit building on this property (you can see it in the old google pictures or on the cook county assessor page.) Not sure if they tore down the shell or just put the new facade over the shell or what.
What I think is interesting with these expensive North Center listings is that they mainly emphasize that they are in the Bell School District as if that is the reason you’d spend that kind of money in the neighborhood.
Laura- I agree about the housing stock in the neighborhood. It is NOT elegant, ritzy vintage aka east Lakeview or east Lincoln Park.
Looks like they kept the shell and added the new facade. Here’s the Curbed story from Friday:
http://chicago.curbed.com/archives/2011/02/11/sixflatturnedmansion-hits-the-market-in-north-center.php
“but joe most of those *2flats* have been converted to single family homes.”
Exactly, groove, and relatively fancy ones at that. And there’s bell school of course (relevant certainly for the other houses there, if not necessarily this one, although not out of question). So it’s not like plopping down a $3MM place in a $300K neighborhood. I’d bet there are people living in bell who could afford this place, don’t know that they want to have the crazy ass most expensive house on the block though, and definitely still super pricey for the neighborhood. And I know anon will say there just aren’t that many lots in the neighborhood (prob especially ones on which you could build this) but wow that’s a big home on a more or less regular lot.
Not my personal taste although don’t hate it.
If you can afford this house, you can afford, and will likely choose, private school. Bell school district is irrelevant for this kind of purchase.
The finishes are actually not that great. 12×12 limestone is really entry quality luxury…for this kind of place I expect Artistic tile, Ann Sacks and more distinctive design.
What this place really needs is some more bathrooms. I mean, seriously … also, I’m somewhat surprised an 8000 sq ft place wouldn’t have at least 6 bedrooms.
This unit is stupid stupid stupid There is very little if any market for this place. This boxy ugly unit belongs on an estate on the north shore, or on a few acres in Barrington, not in north center. Maybe if they had tried to do this slightly modern it would be cool but it’s not even modern, it’s just ugly. This should have never been built but for a ridiculous real estate bubble.
Executed Recorded Document Type Amount
05/01/2007 05/07/2007 WARRANTY DEED 1,020,000.00
“And exactly as the developers of the tropical wonderlands of Florida had learned that there were more land- speculators able and willing to gamble in houses intended for the polo- playing class than there were members of this class, so also those who carved out playgrounds for the rich in North Carolina or elsewhere learned to their ultimate sorrow that the rich could not play everywhere at once. And once more the downfall of their bright hopes had financial repercussions, as bankrupt developments led to the closing of bank after bank.”
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/allen/ch11.html
I live in the ‘hood, and have noticed that work seemed to stop for months. The materials were stacked outside on the curb for literally months, completely untouched.
Might we see this one listed as “bank owned” in 6 months?
“If you can afford this house, you can afford, and will likely choose, private school. Bell school district is irrelevant for this kind of purchase”
i disagree a local,
i see your thought process, but what makes this area now, from what it used to be back in the day is *Bell and St Bens.
if the school was really irrelevant and private school is the “only true option” then there are so many other locations to build a monster like this. why choose this spot to build here?
‘What this place really needs is some more bathrooms. I mean, seriously … ”
Pretty sure there’s a bathroom (or at least half bath) inside one of the bathrooms.
“If you can afford this house, you can afford, and will likely choose, private school. Bell school district is irrelevant for this kind of purchase.”
I dunno. I’m sure there are kids at bell with parents who could comfortably send them to private. I don’t know if they have $3MM house kinda money although suspect some do (which as I said above doesn’t mean they’d be interested in this place). And I don’t know if the calculus about private v bell changes that much if you’re going from a family that could afford a $1.5MM place to one that could afford a $3MM place.
The Curbed post doesn’t say they kept the shell. But that’s what I’m assuming since it looks the same as the prior building looks (just with a new facade.) And, I suppose, if they “only” spent $450k on renovations then they clearly kept the shell.
Do people really expect to pay $1.5 million to $2 million for homes in this neighborhood just for the school? The prices just seem so out of place compared with the housing stock there.
HD- I think it’s interesting that this property was bought in 2007- just after the peak.
this is not a 3mm home. Just because the final product was destined to be appraised for 3,000,000 when the loan was made in 2007 does not make this a 3,000,000 home.
“I live in the ‘hood, and have noticed that work seemed to stop for months.”
Like I said in the post- the garage is not yet built.
The reason that they used the shell of a 6 flat was because it allowed the builder to build greater than the current zoning. If the existing building’s floor area ratio (FAR) already exceeds the current zoning, it’s grandfathered in and you can “rehab” the property to keep the shell of the building the same.
With an SF that large I wouldn’t want to enter right onto the sidewalk and have only a rooftop deck with no yard.
as over the top and nice this place is…..
…why would one chose it over the modern on claremont or the ravenswood place with A FULL COURT BASKETBALL on the roof?
This place is a joke…
MattW, that makes sense about the zoning, altho I would also prefer a better entry and a yard (but then I’m not anywhere close to this market).
Kitchen and baths seem pretty mundane for a $3M listing. At least the foyer and staircase make some kind of statement.
Market conditions:
Are there a lot of people taking this position?
“I have more than enough for a down payment. I’m preapproved for a loan. But I have to have confidence it’s not going to lose another 20 percent.” He plans to wait until he sees prices rising before making any offers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/14/business/economy/14dip.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp
A 19×7 walk-in closet makes me drool. Hey at least taxes are reasonable…..until it sells!
I have to admit it is not my taste, but the inside does look extremely well done. It doesn’t look like they cut any corners when it comes to finish. I just cannot imagine why they thought this neighborhood was the place to build/convert this type of home.
for once I agree with homedelete…
this place is a fugly, obnoxious, eyesore and completely out of touch with the neighborhood
And I too, would take the place in ravenswood over this place 10 out of 10 times (mostly because i’m a modern and basketball fan and enjoy the stealthyness of that place)
This place is for someone like clio
tons of money, and always craving attention
I would be living here already if I were a homeless person. do they have 24hr security to chase keep them out?
haha this place has a urinal in it
I’m sorry — maybe I’m just a rube, but a urinal? Is that really the thing now? Gross.
even if it’s classy like this, aob?
http://media.ebaumsworld.com/mediaFiles/picture/1241941/81002766.jpg
The Ravenswood place rocks though. So glad to see pictures. I pass by frequently and have wondered what’s behind the door.
Holy crap — I’m LMAO right now. Funniest thing I’ve seen since the “gator deck” definition a few days ago . . .
“even if it’s classy like this, aob?
http://media.ebaumsworld.com/mediaFiles/picture/1241941/81002766.jpg“
The facade is beautiful.
Can we talk facades?
1) If the old brick was structural how was it replaced? or was the new limestone exterior placed on the old brick?
2) If you look at the picture of the bath with the urinal, then focus on how wide the window sill is, does this mean that the sill covers the old brick plus the new exterior stone, so the wall is double?
How was this facade done?
I’ve noted that on the “beautiful greystones” (i.e. on Fullerton, Cedar St. etc.) that everyone loves and pays a premium for, only the facade is limestone, the other 3 sides are standard Chicago brick. Therefore, I’ve always wondered why more people don’t buy a brick building and just replace the front facade with some cool limestone like on this property.
My husband wanted a urinal when we re-did our bathroom. He lost that battle.
That said, my gay uncle and his partner put one in their place before they did any other remodeling.
I don’t get it.
Dan,
Usually there are 3 or more courses of brick about 18″ thick with this age of building. They scaffolded the building and removed the outer layer of brick and added new cast concrete panels. These panels are concrete and not limestone.
Pretty sure the price for the limestone today would be prohibitive
“I’ve noted that on the “beautiful greystones” (i.e. on Fullerton, Cedar St. etc.) that everyone loves and pays a premium for, only the facade is limestone, the other 3 sides are standard Chicago brick. Therefore, I’ve always wondered why more people don’t buy a brick building and just replace the front facade”
“Yes- there was a multi-unit building on this property (you can see it in the old google pictures or on the cook county assessor page.) Not sure if they tore down the shell or just put the new facade over the shell or what.”
They stripped off the face brick on all four sides and put on new (common-funny!!) face brick on the north side and the “limestone” on the other 3 side.
The garage has been in its current state of construction since just before christmas (pretty sure–not keeping a diary). They were mainly doing interior work for most of the past 6 weeks. Think the exterior work stopped more due to cold/wet rather than cash, but who knows.
Dan: “I’ve always wondered why more people don’t buy a brick building and just replace the front facade with some cool limestone like on this property.”
There’s a place on Claremont (36xx?) that did just that. Seen a few others around. The reason it isn’t done more is that it’s v. expensive and totally unnecessary until you have a major problem with your facebrick. I agree that, if one needs to place everything anyway, it seems like a reasonable alternative, but the incremental price of the limestone/concrete over brick is still a big deal.
If you would like to see more information on this house go to curbed chicago bottom of the page.
“And, I suppose, if they “only” spent $450k on renovations then they clearly kept the shell.”
The $450k is *clearly* incorrect. Was clearly incorrect from the moment they started stripping off the face brick. Clearly incorrect with the 3 years it has been since they started work.
“Do people really expect to pay $1.5 million to $2 million for homes in this neighborhood just for the school? The prices just seem so out of place compared with the housing stock there.”
What about the housing stock make you say that? Laura is *clearly* incorrect about the “worker cottage” thing, as there have never been many cottages in the immediate neighborhood (ie IPR/Addison/Damen/Western)–most of the teardowns have been frame two-flats, not cottages of any sort.
And, no, no one “expects” to pay $1.5-2 mm. $1.5 is pretty close to the top of the range. Anything over that draws comment.
I would totally buy this place if I had incontinence issues. You’re clearly never more than a couple of feet from a bathroom…
Would love to see a floorplan. How big are those 4 bedrooms?
Just how much does Bedford limestone run these days anyway?
How much is the cost to replace face-brick with a new facade on a structure that’s 20′ wide by 2-3 stories? It can’t cost that much….
I’m maintaining that a new facade like the one on the subject property here, placed on a humdrum Chicago ugly brown brick building would pay off.
What is the cost? Do all humdrum Chicago brick buildings have “3 or more courses of brick about 18? thick” so it can easily be done? Thanks….
“There’s a place on Claremont (36xx?) that did just that. Seen a few others around. The reason it isn’t done more is that it’s v. expensive and totally unnecessary until you have a major problem with your facebrick. I agree that, if one needs to place everything anyway, it seems like a reasonable alternative, but the incremental price of the limestone/concrete over brick is still a big deal.”
“Usually there are 3 or more courses of brick about 18? thick with this age of building. They scaffolded the building and removed the outer layer of brick and added new cast concrete panels. These panels are concrete and not limestone.”
DZ: “I dunno. I’m sure there are kids at bell with parents who could comfortably send them to private. I don’t know if they have $3MM house kinda money although suspect some do (which as I said above doesn’t mean they’d be interested in this place). And I don’t know if the calculus about private v bell changes that much if you’re going from a family that could afford a $1.5MM place to one that could afford a $3MM place.”
Someone with kid(s) at Bell donated the field turf field last summer. I rather expect that there are more than a few someones who can afford a $3mm house with kids at Bell.
And there are *certainly* many people with kids at Bell who could “comfortably” (whatever that means to whoever reads this) afford to send their kids to any private school in the city. Same with Lincoln.
“Do all humdrum Chicago brick buildings have “3 or more courses of brick about 18? thick” so it can easily be done? Thanks….”
Just the old ones. The new ones are brick over block or brick over frame.
And it’s more like 12″ thick, as the bricks all run the same direction and are about 4″ wide.
ok few questions.
1. who would be a buyer of this and why?
2. who woke up one morning and said hey that 6 flat would make a great 8000sqft home
3. and who did the guy run his 8000sqft home idea by and did slap him back to his senses?
Groove77:
Refer to my post above that says “that there were more land- speculators able and willing to gamble in houses intended for the polo- playing class than there were members of this class, ”
Pre-2007 if you built it, someone would buy it ensuring a hefty profit$. AS you can see, the developer is still going full steam ahead according to plan. Buy $1,000,0000 six flat. Convert to home. Sell for $3,000,000. GENIUS!!!!!
“#Groove77 on February 14th, 2011 at 10:57 am
ok few questions.
1. who would be a buyer of this and why?
2. who woke up one morning and said hey that 6 flat would make a great 8000sqft home
3. and who did the guy run his 8000sqft home idea by and did slap him back to his senses?”
HomeDelete,
do you think it was possible it wasnt a build to sell thing it was a build for personal home and it got out of hand and the builder needs to sell now?
Similar to this property, this monstrosity just went up on a block where I used to rent. Yes, it is a double lot and the buyer clearly got to make interior design choices, but this place sticks out like a sort thumb: http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/1722-W-Barry-Ave-60657/home/13359591
It is in Burley. I wonder what it will actually close for. Which location would you rather live in?
“1. who would be a buyer of this and why?”
Yeah, no one, really.
“2. who woke up one morning and said hey that 6 flat would make a great 8000sqft home”
Varney LLC. Owner and GC.
$3.5mm+ construction loan, modified in Jan-09 (to $1.96mm), modified in Feb-10 (same amount).
“do you think it was possible it wasnt a build to sell thing it was a build for personal home and it got out of hand and the builder needs to sell now?”
I think this is genuinely possible. It was quite some time before the GC put their sign in the window.
Groove77: doubtful this was a custom home that got out of hand. It’s somebody who looked around for a project in 2007, saw slim pickings, got the WACKY AND CRAZY idea to turn a six-flat into a SFH rather than convert individual units to condos. This project was going to make him rich rich rich for life you know.
and if this project were completed in 2005-2007, I say there was a better than 50/50 chance it would have sold to somebody, even if that somebody was a straw buyer with no legal permanent residence in the united states and a fake social security number.
“This project was going to make him rich rich rich for life you know.”
Dig a little; there’s plenty out there to make informed speculation, rather than guesses based on analogizing to the Mini-Trumps you represent. Dude wasn’t someone who thought $1mm would make him set for life.
(no, I don’t know him, at least that I am aware of; just informed speculation)
“This project was going to make him rich rich rich for life you know.”
HD,
just throwing this out there but from the info anon posted above about the builder,
could it be the commercial side slowed down and to keep his guys working, used this project?
i really think it was a personal home at the start and something just “came up”. cause really why would you list it now (still not finnished) if it was always going to be sold. Why not list it back when start of project and get someone in early and customize to the buyers needs/wants?
“Why not list it back when start of project and get someone in early and customize to the buyers needs/wants?”
Or last summer, before they did serious interior finish work? Or put in 9* (9!!) full bathrooms?
*ok, 2 full, separate baths for the master, one en suite for each of the 3 other BRs, one en suite for the maids room, one for the gym, that’s *still* only 7. Then main floor half bath, media room half bath, roof deck half bath. That all makes *some* sense. What are the other 2 full baths for?
“What are the other 2 full baths for?”
Sauna, surely? Not sure about the other. Maybe separate m/f baths for the gym? Maybe for the wine room? Mudroom or something? Got to be something that makes good sense.
“Sauna, surely? Not sure about the other. Maybe separate m/f baths for the gym? Maybe for the wine room? Mudroom or something?”
Do you really not put the sauna nest to the gym? But two full baths for the gym also makes some sense, so we’re down to just one unaccounted for full bath.
Maybe there’s a guest suite with two full baths, as well as the master with two full baths…
“Do you really not put the sauna nest to the gym?”
Well, I was thinking you might want one en suite with the privacy benefits that affords. But I do take the point that the gym might be next to it and then would you really have two additional baths for the gym. That would seem like overkill.
“Maybe there’s a guest suite with two full baths, as well as the master with two full baths…”
Or maybe it’s just that there is one extra non en suite bath in the bedroom area, in case any of the bedroom guests need a separate/extra bathroom. That’s almost not completely ridiculous.
I don’t know, but my 2 baths are starting to seem woefully inadequate.
I still don’t think this was a personal residence. For that kind of money a buyer could have bought so much more, even in 2007.
Don’t forget about a bathroom for your maid, your butler, your personal trainer, your dog groomer, your hair stylist, your car detailer, your maintenance guy, your chef, your valet, your tailor, your personal assistant, your financial advisor, your shopper, your accountant, and finally your parents
“I still don’t think this was a personal residence. For that kind of money a buyer could have bought so much more, even in 2007.”
I still don’t believe you have a friend/client who was mini-Trumping in Pullman. For that kind of investment, he could have had so much better properties, even in 2007.
See how that works?
“That would seem like overkill.”
How droll!
What basis do you have to believe this was a personal residence for the GC?
I’m thinking the GC didn’t want to rip out all of the old bathrooms from when it was a six flat and decided to build around them instead. Gotta save money somewhere ya know.
Maybe it was to lower the price/bath ratio. By that metric, it’s cheaper than this place (and prob many others):
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/3921-N-Hoyne-Ave-60618/home/26829543
“Maybe it was to lower the price/bath ratio. By that metric, it’s cheaper than this place (and prob many others):”
How does one obtain “over top of the line” appliances?
buy them at an extra expensive botique? or the mart?
“How does one obtain “over top of the line” appliances?”
or Lincoln Hawk has his own design for Viking/Wolf?
Dumb house, dumber location. Maybe a mobster or drug dealer.
I don’t know about the location, but I actually like the place at least looking at the photos. Man I must have a really off taste as it seems everyone hates it : )
before anyone buys this place… let me just tell you that I just got my com ed bill for my house (6000 main and 2800 guest house) – it was 2566.98 for 2 months!! With a big house comes VERY VERY big bills!!
“before anyone buys this place”
i dont think you would run into that problem here.
I actually viewed this home not so long ago. My child is in private school, so the only location we need to pick is one that we love. This would not be it. The house is sooo narrow…there were times that I felt like I just couldn’t breathe. The finishes are aesthetically beautiful, but I just wandered through the house with my mouth open….floored that anybody would undertake such an obvious mistake in these times. I think the location, coupled with the truly unlivable ( space-wise for 3mm) floorplan is going to be a big problem. I know that this sounds incredibly boorish, but I believe that I am the person that they had in mind when they renovated this home….secure financially, cash buyer….and let me tell you, In a MILLION years I wouldn’t live here, and I promise that none of my friends would, either…..The neighborhood, the way the home is even situated on the lot, and the way the space was allocated doom it to the eye sore that it truly is. I would love to know the story of who is behind the offering.
lol clio, thats more than my mortgage + assessments
my comed bill is like $50-100 a month
wow what do you do Clio? Are you sure something is not wrong with your meter?
We of course don’t have anything as big as yours but still these numbers sound outrages. You might think about installing solar panels with such costs…lol
it is completely outrageous – but that is one of the hidden costs to live in a big place. I have 4 furnaces, 3 kitchens and a few hundred outdoor landscape lights (60 of which are hard wired – not low voltage), driveway gates/sensors, as well as several space heaters (next to third floor and basement pipes). The more I think about it – it is much much better to live in a smaller place and save your money.
TAKE DOWN YOUR CHRISTMAS LIGHTS CLIO
What was the total Peoples Gas bill?
“before anyone buys this place… let me just tell you that I just got my com ed bill for my house (6000 main and 2800 guest house) – it was 2566.98 for 2 months!! With a big house comes VERY VERY big bills”
CLIO FOR CHRISTS SAKES TAKE DOWN THE DAMN CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
NICOR in the suburbs Dan, NICOR.
“3 kitchens”
LMFAO. As the saying about money goes is that you can’t take it with you. I am going to invent a new saying for multiple kitchen situations: you can’t use them all at once. WHAT is the marginal utility from having more than one kitchen? Seriously its a complete waste.
You can see this property in context, including the surrounding streets, in this video drive through the neighborhood with Eric Rojas. The property’s at about 4:30 in the vid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM6d0OBfYlE
The one thing about buying a house that people often forget is the upkeep. You got to furnish the place, keep the yard nice, etc. It isn’t cheap. Even small 2/2 condos require a decent budget for decorating, etc if you don’t want your place to look like a broke bachelor pad.
“You got to … keep the yard nice,”
No yard with this one. Nothing at all.
“WHAT is the marginal utility from having more than one kitchen? Seriously its a complete waste.”
I don’t know – they all come in handy. At my place, there is a kitchen in the guest house (necessary since the guest house is 150 feet away from the main house), a large kitchen in the main house, and a “caterer’s kitchen” also in the main house near the parking pad. I find the caterers kitchen to be EXTREMELY useful. So, all in all, having 3 kitchens is actually very useful…..
My gas bills aren’t that high – about 300-400 in the winter and about 1000/month in the summer (HUGE pool)
A lot of the big homes I have been in where the owners do significant entertaining have two kitchens. A caterer’s kitchen and the real kitchen.
“My gas bills aren’t that high – about 300-400 in the winter and about 1000/month in the summer (HUGE pool).”
My condolences Clio. I’m scared to get my next electric and gas bills. Last month was pretty bad (not as bad as your electric bills though). The furnace was running non-stop all last week.
I can’t wait until later this week when we get some relief!
clio on February 14th, 2011 at 5:14 pm
“WHAT is the marginal utility from having more than one kitchen? Seriously its a complete waste.”
I don’t know – they all come in handy. At my place, there is a kitchen in the guest house (necessary since the guest house is 150 feet away from the main house), a large kitchen in the main house, and a “caterer’s kitchen” also in the main house near the parking pad. I find the caterers kitchen to be EXTREMELY useful. So, all in all, having 3 kitchens is actually very useful…..
My gas bills aren’t that high – about 300-400 in the winter and about 1000/month in the summer (HUGE pool)
So your RICH is what your telling us.
“So your RICH is what your telling us.”
We already knew he had a small we-wee from his Lamborghini so what he is telling us I am not sure.
/joke
Okay honestly clio what is telling us which he already admitted is he messed up his relationships earlier in life and is now trying to overcompensate.
Clio I can see one, even two with “guest house” (which still means one in primary residence) which I would consider to be a different property.
But when you get to two within the same domicile when its not a two-flat that really escalates it to a different level of ostentatiousness.
Seriously can you not afford professional caterers every weekend if entertain and are rich enough for these number of kitchens?
Multiple kitchens in primary residence = extreme need to overcompensate. Guess I’m preaching to the choir here but damn.
Ok i reread the post and cant find a nod to the lead in for the kitchen bragging?
and the obligatory boasting seems even more so when you talk about your ELECTRIC BILL but mention 3 kitchens. unless you have 3 walk in fridges there is no need for the bragging.
did you not get validated enough monday that you needed it from the Cribchatter folks?
Maybe Ray Rayner, cookie the clown, or Bozo could buy this place. It would be a short walk to the WGN studio’s although I think that there is no such thing as a short walk if you wear those Bozo shoes.
I’d absolutely have a second kitchen in my dream house. It would not be loaded up with big time appliances or custom cabinets but we average large parties of 50+ at least three times a year. Since everyone always is in our kitchen it makes it really hard to prepare and serve easily. Also our friends often bring an ap or side that needs to be prepared or heated. This can be a challenge when you only have one double oven and the space is already committed for the main dishes.
Right now we have an awesome setup as our neighbors are amazing friends. We typically use their oven for the meat course leaving one of our ovens free for the other things that just show up and need to be heated. Their kitchen also acts as a great prep/storage/caterers type kitchen.
I think that this is the first listing for the St. Ben’s neighborhood that I have seen on crib chatter. I always wondered if it was a real estate black hole.
clio was probably sad he didn’t have a valentines day date
“I think that this is the first listing for the St. Ben’s neighborhood that I have seen on crib chatter”
You missed 3939 Claremont, then.
re multiple kitchens
1. I live in a nice suburban neighborhood (not super-elite), and many of the homes have a second kitchen in the basements. It comes in very handy for entertaining. Most include sink, microwave, refrigerator, cabinets, etc., and some include full oven/cooktop & diswasher.
2. I recall reading an article a few years back about a wealthy developer with a very large house, who installed a “movable kitchen” that operated by remote control on an electric/magnetic track of some sort. He felt that rather than having multiple kitchens around his very large house & trying to keep refrigerators stocked with things like fresh cream for coffee, etc., it would be easier to have a unit move to wherever it was needed. It included refrigerator, microwave, etc. Not sure how the electric access worked, but this seems like a creative solution!!
I live in the neighborhood and have been watching the transformation for years now. All I can say is: WOW. Gorgeous house. I am a bit surprised there are only 4 bedrooms. I would’ve thought a minimum of five. Or a nanny suite. Is it ostentatious for the neighborhood? You bet. So what.
In addition to all the other issues with it, I’m having a hard time seeing how this property has 8000 sqft of living space above grade. At the very best, it has a crappy layout.
No idea on an ultimate sale price, it’s like asking who would buy Paris Hilton’s pink upholstered Bentley after she’s bored of it – no real market and whatever price it ultimately sells for is not meaningful to anyone else. I guess $2.2MM just to guess something.
“Maybe Ray Rayner, cookie the clown, or Bozo could buy this place. It would be a short walk to the WGN studio’s although I think that there is no such thing as a short walk if you wear those Bozo shoes. ”
funny stuff!
Actually – no, I am very poor because of these expenses related to my houses.!!! That is my point and advice – don’t buy a place bigger than you need – (even if it is cheap) because the associated costs will kill you.
I look at all of the houses that line/border my farm in St. Charles and I cannot believe that these people are paying 15-22k/year in taxes (for a quarter acre lot). Add maint. costs, heating, electric for these 3500-5000 square foot houses and these guys are paying 25-40k/year – NOT INCLUDING MORTGAGE. Even if the costs of these houses have decreased from 700-1mil to 550-800k, they still aren’t worth it. God, even at 300-400k your total monthly costs would be 5500-7000 TO LIVE IN FRICKIN ST. CHARLES NEXT TO A GROSS RUNDOWN FARM!!! but people still do it – WHY?
“I’m having a hard time seeing how this property has 8000 sqft of living space above grade”
It isn’t. The footprint is ~25×80, or 2000 sf per floor, including the basement, which is not especially high.
Also, it’s hard to tell if the kid riding in front of the building on Google Earth is pointing at the Google photo truck, or flipping it off, do to the blur of his face.
Jeez, “do to”? Due to.
Basement is probably a max of 7.5ft given the age of the 2 flat. Im expecting it not to be finished and pimped out.
“Basement is probably a max of 7.5ft given the age of the 2 flat. Im expecting it not to be finished and pimped out.”
Building was 6-units.
Don’t know if they excavated at all, but if they didn’t completely replace the basement floor (and all the underground plumbing), then this place is *really* overpriced.
That said, I’m *certain* it is both finished and pimped out. The exercise room and the maids room, at least, are on the lower level (also described, on RF, as the “main level”). Would be a bit surprised if it wasn’t excavated to at least 8′.
I like what the developer did. I’d like to see more of these crappy apartment buildings in the good neighborhoods converted to single family homes. More tax revenue for the city, quieter neighborhood, shoveled sidewalks, more street parking, etc. Good luck sellers!
When is the open house? LOL
Me and my crew got dibs on robbing the first joker to move into this place.
Dropped to $2.699m.
Dropped to $2.499
Speaking of zillow:
Zestimate®: $689,500
also appears to be off the market right now.
Went back to the Lender on March 31.
“Oh yes: the price is pretty good but 2.2 may be closer (what’s with all the baths?)”
It’s called a joke of a rehab with all the baths. This builder didn’t understand the marginal utility of more and more baths especially as they surpass bedrooms. This builder was an idiot.
Sold two days ago for 1.435 mil.
Wow they took quite a haircut on that one!