Your Vintage Home in the Sky: A Full Floor at 1325 N. Astor in the Gold Coast
This 3-bedroom in 1325 N. Astor in the Gold Coast originally came on the market in August 2019.
According to Chicago Apartments, 1325 N. Astor was built to be lavish.
Designed by Rebori, Dewey and Wentworth and built by Dahl-Stedman in 1928-29 it is only 14 stories with 12 units but has full-time doormen and a live-in engineer.
It also has some attached parking.
The lavishness extended to the size of the units.
The listing says its 4270 square feet. In the original floor plan, there were 2 servants bedrooms and a servants hall with its own elevator and staircase entrance, in each unit.
There’s also a vault listed on the original floor plan.
The living room is 30 feet long and has one of two wood burning fireplaces, with the other in the library.
The listing says there’s a “brand new kitchen by Neff” with stainless steel appliances.
The listing says there is “plenty of room for a breakfast table” as there is no seating at the kitchen island.
The primary suite has a “brand new” bath with a dual sink.
The apartment has the features buyers look for including central air, washer/dryer in the unit and it has 1 car parking included.
It also has a unique feature of a 200 square foot “bonus room” on the first floor of the building which the listing says has a new bath and wood floors. (the square footage is not listed in the square footage on the listing)
It faces Astor and has 2 windows.
The listing says it could be used for an exercise room or an office.
But there are no pictures of it in the listing. Why not?
It also has 2 large storage rooms.
This is an exclusive building where Nate Berkus lived when he was in Chicago.
We chattered about the sale of his unit here.
Originally listed at $2.2 million in August 2019, it has been reduced $301,000 to $1.899 million.
With so many new luxury buildings in other neighborhoods of the city, can the Gold Coast even compete anymore?
Janet Owen at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices has the listing. See the pictures here (no floor plan).
Unit #4: 3 bedrooms, 3 baths, 4270 square feet, condo
- Sold in November 1983 for $462,500 (per Redfin)
- Sold in December 2013 for $1.82 million
- Originally listed in August 2019 for $2.2 million
- Reduced
- Currently listed at $1.899 million
- Assessments of $3810 a month (includes heat, doorman, cable, lawn care, scavenger, snow removal and Internet)
- Taxes of $32,649
- Central Air
- Washer/dryer in the unit
- 1-car parking included
- 2 fireplaces
- Bedroom #1: 18×15
- Bedroom #2: 18×15
- Bedroom #3: 16×11
- Living room: 30×18
- Dining room: 22×16
- Family room: 22×14
- Kitchen: 23×15
- Gallery: 19×10
- Library: 19×17
- Laundry room: 8×6
Wow Nate Burkus, talk about a heavy hitter /s
Stopped looking after I saw the TV over the fireplace. Unacceptable at this price point
How does anyone justify paying such a high assessment? $7k in monthly costs, if purchased in CASH.
While not at the level of 1500 N. LSD, the PH in this unit is currently available and pretty amazing. I think I’d drop the money for the PH instead of unit #4.
Assessments reflect there are only 12 units with a full time doorman. If you want a small private building with unique, high end units and full service doorman on Astor… it cost to play in that league.
Nice looking unit imho.
“I think I’d drop the money for the PH instead of unit #4.”
It *is* 4x as much.
I get that the PH is 4x as much. Just dreaming that if the day came and I could afford some of these units I would go for the PH. Nice unit regardless.
Got to thinking. I’ve noticed some of these beautiful vintage buildings have a live-in engineer. Any idea what type of accommodations the engineer has in a building such as this? Is he/she getting something reasonably nice considering how beautiful the units are in this building? Just curious…
I would guess the engineer is in a smaller unit cut out of the first floor, which also needs to accommodate the lobby, storage, etc. Unit is probably built out like the others in term of millwork, etc, just smaller, no view and likely infrequent updating.
At least that’s what’re observed in similar buildings.
How does a full-time building engineer spend his week in a building of only 12 units?
I’m neutral on the unit. Neither in love nor hate it.
My question is (seriously) about the “imaginary” staging of homes virtually. This is but one of many we’ve seen recently. If I go shopping for a used car, do they show me pictures of what it looked like new? Would that be considered deceptive?
“How does a full-time building engineer spend his week in a building of only 12 units?”
I’m sure 12 Karens will keep him plenty busy
I can see most of the owners being a copy of Judge Smails – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcA8YDlRIoM
“How does anyone justify paying such a high assessment? $7k in monthly costs, if purchased in CASH.”
Because they are rich and don’t want the upkeep of a single family home at this same price point which would also require thousands of dollars a year in maintenance costs, a gardener etc.
Some like smaller buildings. Less things going on and to fight about.
But others will move into a large building where hundreds of owners can split the costs of paying for the staff. Full time doormen aren’t cheap. You are paying for their health insurance etc. There are just 12 owners paying for that.
Also, consider that having a full time 24/7 doorman on duty really amounts about 4.5 full time positions to fill that single roll. So that’s a lot of benefits, etc.
In a small building like this, engineer and door staff are providing a lot of personal services for residents almost at there beck and call. Everyone know they are paying for staff and staff is only there to serve them. Staff have a pretty easy and rewarding jobs, serving few and likely receive overweight holiday tips for the white glove service and really going above and beyond.
“Some like smaller buildings. Less things going on and to fight about.”
But the fights get more personal and urgent in small buildings.
AC is right about staff in small buildings – plus the engineer is there to fix things as soon as they become an issue – or before they become an issue. I’ve heard from the spouse of one building engineer in a Gold Coast building that they get a lot of substantial tips if they do a good job in buildings with money.
“having a full time 24/7 doorman on duty really amounts about 4.5 full time positions to fill that”
Bake in the vacations, it’s really 5 FTE. Plus the engineer.
That’s probably half of the total assessments for the building. If all are about the same as this one, it’s about $550k/year.