Address: 2715 W. Logan Blvd., Chicago.
Size: 1 large bedroom, 2 small ones, 1 bath; 1,800 square feet.
Rent: $1,400 a month.
Security deposit: One month’s rent.
Utilities: Tenant pays electricity; landlord provides hot water, heat. There’s a cable hookup.
The building: Two floors plus basement; unit occupies second floor; in designated National Historic District; built in 1902.
Parking: Garage space, off-street driveway has sensory unit for lighting.
Extra amenities: Free laundry in basement; enclosed back porch, electronically coded security system. CTA’s Blue Line (O’Hare-Downtown) subway stop nearby.
The car engine hummed almost in delight at the sight of the parking space-no, two parking spaces, almost directly in front of the well-kept graystone on Logan Boulevard.
No need for bumper guards or racking the brain for instant measurements here, as cars seemed to rest happily along the curb all the way down the street.
The term “street” is stretching the point, as Logan Boulevard is, well, a real boulevard, with a four-lane thoroughfare separated from quiet parallel side drives by nearly 60 feet of lawn and trees.
Renovation seems to be an ongoing project at the stately homes in the area, especially since its rediscovery during the 1980s as a quiet, less expensive respite from the congested lakefront neighborhoods. With an active neighborhood association that has planted trees in the median areas, greenery seems almost an obsession of the street’s inhabitants.
This house is characteristic of many along these blocks, a two-flat graystone with 18-inch-thick walls and leaded and stained glass windows adding an air of relaxed elegance to the structure. A large bay area, almost big enough to house a room of its own, rises to the turn-of-the-century tower roof above the two-story house.
Options trader Dean Dedes is only the third owner of the house. He lives on the first floor and takes an active interest in keeping the surroundings neat and trim.
A comfortable front porch envelopes the visitor after climbing the first few steps past the peony bushes to the building. Inside the door, the original tile floor graces the entryway. To the right, a security door opens to a slightly steep staircase with a sharp left turn at the top, leading to the landing before the entrance to the second-floor apartment, which is for rent.
This unit features a double living room covering the front third of the floor, with wide, oak entryways separating the two. With 7-foot windows (blinds are furnished), the front room opens in the corner into the rounded bay area, large enough to house a large windowseat or even a grand piano. A large, built-in mirror graces the east side of the room, reaching about two thirds of the way from the oak wood floors to the 10-foot ceilings.
The first, small bedroom, is located just off this front living area. Probably most suitable as an office, this 9-by-10 room is just right for a large desk, file cabinets and the array of electrical cords needed for today’s high-tech homework. A wide window provides plenty of diversion from any bill-paying grind here, with access to a small balcony area over the front porch and a nice view of a catalpa tree.
A second living area, though seeming a bit narrow, is cheered by a working gas fireplace and functions as an easy extension of the front room. Lighting is supplemented with hanging fixtures in all the major rooms; in one living area, a wedding cake chandelier adds enough brightness to extend into the second room. Another oak archway, with pocket doors for privacy, separates the living areas from the dining room. The two living rooms together measure about 27 by 12 feet.
For the master
To the west of this area lies a surprisingly large master bedroom, measuring 18 by 11 feet and easily capable of holding a queen- or king-size bed and accessory furniture. A floor-to-ceiling, built-in closet highlights the room along a portion of the east wall, with four doors and a healthy number of drawers.
Back in the main part of the flat, a well-proportioned dining room features an east wall that extends slightly outward with two large windows facing to the northeast and southeast. These windows are bound to bring in plenty of light even on a gloomy day, and are placed so dinner can be eaten without much notice from the next-door neighbors.
A built-in china cabinet dominates the room, with oddly angled drawers and a deep buffet separating the four glass doors on the top. There’s a chandelier here, too.
Just south of the dining area, off the hallway leading to the kitchen, is a deep, walk-in closet.
Across the way is the solitary bathroom, a medium-sized room that charms with its pedestal sink, attached glass and soap dishes and mirrored medicine cabinet. Walls in this room are painted the typical sanitary white, but accompanying white brick ceramic tile with blue trim help add some color. Flooring is the occasional blue hexagon pattern over white.
Of particular interest is the six-foot bathtub, with shower attachment. This tub is at least two full feet in depth, with a stained glass window at the foot providing light and privacy.
At the end of the hallway is a modern kitchen, with ceiling fan and room for a nice-sized dinette table. A self-cleaning gas stove, refrigerator, sink unit and cabinets are dispersed in a practical sense around the west wall. Light falls easily into the room through a white, barred, double-wide window facing out to the enclosed back porch. There’s a pantry room adjacent to the row of cabinets and appliances.
Off the east end of the kitchen is the third bedroom. Although small (it measures about 8 feet square), it appears functional enough to provide space for the minimum furniture needed for an occupant.
One of the surprising attractions is the enclosed back porch, reached a few step to the south of the kitchen. Sliding thermopane windows line the front and side walls of the room, providing a commanding view of the neighborhood for nearly a block.
For more information, call Dean Dedes at 312-489-2365.
