One of the joys of writing this column is finding new neighborhoods, discovering little clusters of homes and businesses on streets I’ve never even heard of–all in the city I’ve called home since the early ’60s, Chicago, the city I thought I knew quite well.
A week or so ago, heading west on Chicago Avenue, I crossed the Chicago River then turned north on Ogden Avenue, in search of Fry Street. You all know where Fry is, right? Sure. It’s 840 north, and runs east and west from 928 west to 1556 west.
And, there it was. A tiny block with assorted frame homes on the south side and one nearly complete building composed of 13 town homes on the north side.
That building is the south border of a new development called St. John’s Park, which eventually will have eight buildings with a total of 82 three- and almost-four-story red brick town homes.
With coincidental though perfect timing, the church bells of St. John Cantius started tolling the noon hour. “The bells give a nice neighborhood feel to this area, don’t they?” suggested sales manager Maggie Storto. With the green-domed St. John’s right across the street fronting Ogden Avenue, those bells also help explain the town home community’s name.
Appealing to people who are determined to stay in or get back to the city before every available living space is spoken for, St. John’s Park is bound to transform this little pocket neighborhood into a place with restaurants buying up the corner funeral homes.
But, no matter. With fourth-story deck views taking in a sweep of the city skyline from north of the John Hancock to just short of the Sears Tower (blocked by St. John’s very own tower), this little enclave west of Halsted Street is made for city folks.
And, so are the town homes.
With two or three bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, a balcony, a smidge of a front yard, a roof deck and a two-car garage (becoming as essential as the three- and four-car monsters in the suburbs), the town homes are base-priced from $376,900 to $519,900 (for those with a fourth-level penthouse).
So, we’re not talking entry-level town homes set in a 500-unit development here. But, even nearing the half-million mark, they’re moving faster than a prospective buyer might expect.
The area, for one, is really pretty close in to the city, yet it’s just off-beat enough to be a little edgy. Who ever thought that having Metra tracks and the river in your back yard would add cachet? (Not those of us who were around in the ’60s or, let’s face it, not even way back in 1990.)
Then there are the amenities. Among them: Exteriors are stone/masonry and standard items include a fireplace, solid core doors, hardwood floors on the living level, granite kitchen counters and all five kitchen appliances.
Finally, there’s the space, which ranges from 2,193 to 2,800 square feet, which includes the garage.
Am I trying to sell you one of these places? No. But, knowing what’s standard and what’s an upgrade has become an increasingly important factor as I check out new properties. These town homes range from about $172 to $186 per square foot–pretty good for a place that includes appliances, hardwood and granite.
The floor plans are fairly typical of town homes with ground-level two-car garages.
The 2,543-square-foot Asbury model I checked out, for example, has the front door opening to an entryway with a family room whose windows look out to the front yard, and a room for the mechanicals and laundry appliances. (The appliances also could be installed in what is designed as a kitchen pantry.)
Up the stairs on the second level there’s a very open living area (14 by 19 feet) that flows into dining space (15 feet by 9 feet). Bonus: The wall facing the street has floor-to-ceiling windows and a door opens to one of those Juliette decorative balconies–not deep enough to step on to but nice for fresh air or for sticking your head out to watch churchgoers pass by.
The Asbury’s kitchen has a long peninsula (island attached to a wall), with the side closest to the appliances designated a working counter with sink, the other side deep enough for eating or using as a buffet. There’s also a powder room back here and a balcony off the kitchen, giving homeowners views of their neighbors’ balconies and garages. (These back-to-back town home set-ups are not unusual, but when I see them I can’t help thinking of this neighborly intimacy as sort of a “Rear Window” thing without even needing binoculars. I’d really prefer more privacy, but, who knows? Such cheek-by-jowl neighborliness may lead to citified versions of block parties)
The third level, again, has no surprises: There’s the master bedroom with walk-in closet and bath; two small (about 10 by 10) bedrooms (or a bedroom and loft); one bath; and stairs to the deck for the view of Chicago in general–and St. John’s in particular.
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Contact Genevieve Buck at gbuck@tribune.com, or at Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611.
