Kerry Wood's Lincoln Park Home Returns With $345K Price Cut
Retired Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood is taking another swing at selling his five bedroom, five bathroom Lincoln Park home. The two-time All-Star played with the Cubs for eleven seasons and remains a part of the organization, acting as a special assistant to Theo Epstein and general manager Jed Hoyer. Back in February, the Woods listed their home for $3.595 million but it has returned to the market this week for $3.25 million—a $345,000 price drop. The limestone-clad house is still relatively new, having only been built in 2005, and features an interior filled with high-end finishes. There's a finished basement, a detached garage and a rooftop deck, but no World Series plaques. Yet.
Landmarks OKs Effort to Protect Carl Street Studios Building
A Rad Renovation Turns Chicago Church Into a Family Home
Chicago firms Linc Thelen Design and Scrafano Architects are responsible for this pretty stellar renovation of a local house of worship into a light-filled residence for a young family of five. The 7-bedroom, 6-bath pad—with its double-height, open-plan living area—is whitewashed, with muscular timber beams and steel cross bracesadding a rugged, utilitarian note to the remodeled interiors. The contemporary and the classic seem to play quite well together here—in the kitchen, sleek new finishes butt up against gothic arches and gorgeous, colorful stained-glass windows pretty effortlessly. More photos after the jump!
Large One Bedroom at Lake Point Tower Boasts Awesome Views, Asks $389K
Ok, so this place clearly needs some updating, but just check out those views. Located in the famous Lake Point Tower, this one bedroom, one bathroom unit offers some of the best downtown and Lake Michigan views you can get for the money. Of course, you're going to have to drop a few more bucks on erasing the late '70s/early '80s kitchen and the early '90s wallpaper from this condo, but the views really can't be beat. There's an additional $725 per month in assessments, but considering the age of the building, the amenities and the location, it doesn't seem totally unreasonable. For a one bedroom, it's quite large at 1,100 square feet and has just entered the market asking $389,000.
This Bridgeport Rental Could Be a Really Cool Recording Studio or Art Gallery
Maybe you've always had this idea in the back of your mind that one day you might try to own and operate your own recording studio,film/photo editing space or art gallery, but just never found the proper venue for it. Here's a 1,800-square-foot rental in the heart of Bridgeport, which the landlord suggests the renter utilize as a live/work space. There's definitely tons of potential and considering the size and the possibility of making some scratch, $1,800 per monthisn't the worst deal in the world. The actual studio apartment area is only 600 square feet, but that's plenty livable and there'd be no commute if you're working out of your own apartment.
West Loopers Still Don't Like LG's Plan, Suggest Community Center Instead
West Loop residents are gearing up for yet another community meeting regarding LG Development's plan to build new residences at 111 S. Peoria Street. Initially unveiled as a rental project, West Loop residents came out in big numbers last winter to stop the plan from moving forward. LG returned to the drawing board to redesign the look and dropped the idea of building apartments in favor of condos. Even with the changes, West Loopers still don't like the plan, and one organization is even pitching the idea of building a privately fundedcommunity center at the site.
Renovated Ravenswood Craftsman Can Be Had for $950K
While Chicago Tonight host Phil Ponce may have already found a buyerfor his home, there are still plenty of other nicely renovated 19th century houses in the Ravenswood neighborhood. This four bedroom, three and a half bathroom home on Leland Avenue has beenbeautifully restored on the outside and its interior has been updated to feel like a new house. It may not feature totally custom finishes, but it's also not asking a gajillion dollars either. There's a really lovely front porch, a quaint backyard and a matching detached two-car garage that has also received some love. This one is looking for $950,000.
Stealth Black Contempo Condos On Their Way to Bucktown
[Rendering: Jonathan Splitt Architects]
The Bucktown area is no stranger to new construction single family homes and condo projects in the contemporary architectural style, and more are on the way. According to DNAinfo, one developer is looking to plant three large condos in the form of a sleek, stealthy building at the corner of Damen and Webster. Designed by Jonathan Splitt Architects, the new development will be almost uncomfortably close to the Kennedy Expressway, but the project's broker has said that the units will be totally soundproofed. The marketing materials call the units "Mansions in the Sky," and while they're not necessarily sky-high like condos downtown, the price tags on the units are towering. Expect to shell out around $1.4 million to get one of these.
·Million Dollar 'Mansions in the Sky' Rising Near Kennedy Ramp in Bucktown [DNAinfo]
·Previous Bucktown coverage [Curbed Chicago]
·Million Dollar 'Mansions in the Sky' Rising Near Kennedy Ramp in Bucktown [DNAinfo]
·Previous Bucktown coverage [Curbed Chicago]
See Where Chicago's Historic Water Towers Are Being Demo'd
They're as much a part of the Chicago skyline and cityscape as the Loop's famous skyscrapers, but yet, Chicago's old water towers are being demolished at a rapid rate. For some communities—specifically Andersonville—these water towers represent a sense of neighborhood pride and identity, however, many of them have decayed over the decades and have become safety hazards. The construction and demolition permitting and data website Chicago Cityscape has recently mapped out exactly where the city's old water towers are being demolished, and not surprisingly areas that are currently experiencing building booms are also the ones that are tearing down the most water towers. Developers can't build fast enough in the West Loop, South Loop and River North and unfortunately the old water towers become an afterthought and are not spared. The data reflect water tower demolitions and repairs since November 2014. Unfortunately, the water towers are not protected and recent changes have actually made it easier for them to be demolished.
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Helmut Jahn May Be Working On a New South Loop Tower
[Image: Google Street View]
One more vacant lot in the South Loop may soon become history, but it may be replaced by a building designed by star architect Helmut Jahn. According to Crain's, the noted architect is believed to be working on a new tower project for 1000 S. Michigan Avenue. It's still not yet clear whether the tower will feature condos or rentals, but the new residential tower will join a slew of other new projects that are well on their way to the neighborhood. Jahn has left his touch in many areas across Chicago, from the Thompson Center in the heart of the Loop to the new Joe and Rika Mansueto Library at the University of Chicago in Hyde Park, however having a new Jahn-designed tower in the South Loop could be a huge boost the area's architectural profile.
·Helmut Jahn designing tower planned for South Michigan Avenue[Crain's]
·Previous Helmut Jahn coverage [Curbed Chicago]
·Previous South Loop coverage [Curbed Chicago]
·Helmut Jahn designing tower planned for South Michigan Avenue[Crain's]
·Previous Helmut Jahn coverage [Curbed Chicago]
·Previous South Loop coverage [Curbed Chicago]
Dolly Parton's Childhood Home and the Creation of the Dollywood Empire
The entrance to Dollywood. Photo by Susan Harlan.
"Is this the real house?" asks a woman as she shuffles through the cabin, eating barbecue off a red plastic plate.
"I don't know," says her friend. "Is this the whole thing?"
I'm standing in the replica of Dolly Parton's childhood home at the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Visitors enter the cabin on the left, from a front porch hung with old oil lanterns, and exit to the right. A hallway several feet wide runs along the cabin's interior, and a wooden fence and glass wall separate visitors from the two-room home: you are both in the cabin and not in the cabin, surveying a recreation of the space where Dolly lived with her parents and eleven siblings. Several other people walk through the cabin, marveling at its size. One man laughs out loud. "How many people lived here?" he asks no one in particular.
Chicago Tonight Host Phil Ponce Selling Ravenswood Home
WTTW's Phil Ponce is moving on from his beautiful Victorian home in the Ravenswood area and you could become its new owner if you've got just over a million bucks. Located on the same block as Mayor Rahm Emanuel, the four bedroom, three and a half bathroom home listed over a month ago with a $1.05 million ask. There's currently a contract on the home, which features a nice blend of old and new. The house's ornate exterior architectural details have been restored quite nicely, and tucked away out back is a nice patio area and yard. According to the Tribune, Ponce and his wife purchased the home in 1999 for $580,000. Clearly, much updating and restoration work has gone into it over the last 15 years and the house may soon have a new owner occupying it and Mayor Emanuel will have a new neighbor.
Brand New Noble Square Three Bed Duplex Seeks $549K
If you're looking for a brand new condo, it doesn't get much newer than this. Located on Chestnut street in Noble Square, this spaciousthree bedroom, two and a half bathroom corner unit sports high end finishes and a long row of windows that allows heaps of natural lighting to enter. It's close to popular West Town bars and restaurants and a garage space is also included. This one hits the market seeking$549,900 and a low monthly assessment of $200.
Get Ready to Go Glamping at Northerly Island Later This Month
Camping at Northerly Island is closer than we thought. In just a couple of weeks, a group of campers will get the chance to camp at the man-made island this summer. The event will begin on the evening ofFriday the 21st and end the next Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. And while the idea of camping at Northerly Island is exciting, it won't come cheap. Tickets for those looking to sleep in a two-person tent will have to fork over $250 for a spot, while people with four-person tents will have to pay $500 and groups of six should expect to drop $750 for the experience. The event is aimed at adults, and activities include a happy hour, a pig roast, a comedy show and an evening hike. Tickets can be purchased through the Chicago Parks Foundation's Eventbrite page.
·Adult camp-in planned for Northerly Island [Tribune]
·Camp Northerly Urban Camp-In [Eventbrite]
·All previous Northerly Island coverage [Curbed Chicago]
·Adult camp-in planned for Northerly Island [Tribune]
·Camp Northerly Urban Camp-In [Eventbrite]
·All previous Northerly Island coverage [Curbed Chicago]
21 First Drafts: Zaha Hadid's Vitra Fire Station
First Drafts is a series exploring the early work of our architectural icons, examining their careers through the lens of their debut projects. Every day in August, we'll profile one architect's first finished building—often surprising, always insightful—as a solo practitioner. Within the vast field of great building design, we aim to uncover the significance of first acts.
A photo of the Vitra Fire Station. Credit: Hélène Binet
Getting the Gig:
It took a fire to give a paper architect the chance to realize her first commission. In the early morning of July 20, 1981, in Weil am Rhein, Germany, a fire sparked by a portentous lightning bolt burned down nearly half the Vitra furniture factory. In response to the blaze, the chairman of the iconic design brand, Rolf Fehlbaum, decided to take advantage of the mishap and commission a cutting-edge new factory and corporate campus, enlisting talents such as Nicholas Grimshaw and Frank Gehry to turn the Vitra facility into a destination, not merely a plant. While new buildings, such as a ribbon-shaped museum, were being constructed, the company's volunteer fire brigade was still operating out of a wooden shed. Commissioning a new, state-of-the-art station seemed like a fitting, phoenix-like gesture. The high-profile job ended up in the hands of a 43-year-old architect who had spent the better part of the last decade lecturing and sketching buildings, but had no completed projects to her name. That someone was Zaha Hadid.
It took a fire to give a paper architect the chance to realize her first commission. In the early morning of July 20, 1981, in Weil am Rhein, Germany, a fire sparked by a portentous lightning bolt burned down nearly half the Vitra furniture factory. In response to the blaze, the chairman of the iconic design brand, Rolf Fehlbaum, decided to take advantage of the mishap and commission a cutting-edge new factory and corporate campus, enlisting talents such as Nicholas Grimshaw and Frank Gehry to turn the Vitra facility into a destination, not merely a plant. While new buildings, such as a ribbon-shaped museum, were being constructed, the company's volunteer fire brigade was still operating out of a wooden shed. Commissioning a new, state-of-the-art station seemed like a fitting, phoenix-like gesture. The high-profile job ended up in the hands of a 43-year-old architect who had spent the better part of the last decade lecturing and sketching buildings, but had no completed projects to her name. That someone was Zaha Hadid.
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