Rose was not the name of the wife of the tailor who commissioned construction of this six-flat in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood in 1909.
It would have been fitting, however, because nearly any place you turn in this building, there are roses. Red and pink ones glint in the stained glass windows on the building’s facade. Stylized gold and green flowers made of tiles are set in some of the original oak woodwork. The foyer has a white tile floor and walls with patterns of green leaves and roses.
The name of the tailor’s wife, however, was Anna. Perhaps her favorite flower was a rose or it may have been the idea of the building’s designer, Chicago architect Frederick Schock, to delight residents and visitors alike by incorporating the flowers in spots throughout the building.
The building’s flower power is complemented by an Art Deco influence, most obvious in the face of a woman with flowing locks over the front door of this brick building with limestone accents.
At the beginning of the 20th Century, Logan Square was a bustling neighborhood with streets lined with spacious three- and six-flats. Newly successful immigrant business people built the largest houses on Logan Boulevard itself. Now, Mexican and Puerto Rican restaurants give the area a Latin flair. A Starbucks on Logan Boulevard is another sign of the times.
New combines with old in this neighborhood that also features the 27-foot-tall Illinois Centennial Monumentin Logan Square. Newer attractions include the a Target store on Elston Avenue and The Windy City Fieldhouse, a sports and entertainment complex, on West Logan Boulevard.
This two-bedroom, two-bath apartment is also a few minutes away from large grocery stores. The neighborhood is near the Kennedy Expressway and is served by the CTA Blue Line, which goes to the Loop and O’Hare International Airport.
The obelisk, which was built in 1918, is visible from the balcony of this spacious apartment.
The front door opens into a large entry foyer. A wooden hall tree, which has a full-length mirror, is built into the wall next to the front door. It has green and gold tiles that form stylized roses set into the wood, part of the rose motif in the building.
The opposite end of this foyer has a cozy nook with two bookcases that have leaded glass cabinet doors. It also has a bench where the tailor’s wife may have read a book. The nook is brightened by sun shining through a stained glass window featuring a gold and green book.
An open doorway with wooden pillarsl eads into the 18-by-20 foot living room.
The living room’s best features are a bay window with a view of Logan Boulevard and a fireplace with a green tile hearth. Like most of the flooring in this unit, the floors in this room are oak.
A door with a stained glass repeating the rose motif opens on to a large balcony overlooking Logan Boulevard. A large tree in the front yard will provide shade and a leafy view from the balcony in summer.
A pocket door from the entry foyer opens into the 12-by-14 master bedroom. The room has two windows, one of which is set on a curve in the building to allow sun to flow through it from the front of the building. The other window faces the building next door.
The master bedroom also has a large walk-in closet with a built-in dresser. Another door in this room leads to the unit’s other rooms.
The second bedroom, which is 12 by 12, has a walk-in closet and one window.
A spacious bathroom with a white and blue tile floor is the next room along this hall. The updated elements in this bathroom include a white pedestal sink and a large mirror. A vintage feature, however, remains: a claw-foot bathtub.
A hall closet next to the bathroom provides space for coats and has a built-in bureau. The building’s common laundry room is in the basement.
A pocket door at the end of the hallway can be closed to separate the front of the apartment from the dining room and kitchen. In the olden days, the door might have been closed to separate the space used for entertaining guests from the rooms where work would have been done.
This 14-by-20 dining room is certainly not a space that you would want to hide, however. It has a built-in wooden hutch with leaded glass doors, large windows and a 9-foot-high beamed ceiling.
A door from the dining room opens into a butler’s pantry with built-in cabinets for storing canned goods or utensils.
A door near the pantry leads into an 8-by-12 room that has a walk-in closet and a window. Although it could be used as a bedroom, it might serve better as an office or cozy television room.
The final room is the spacious kitchen with maple floors and white counters. The kitchen has two windows, a dishwasher and an almond-colored refrigerator. A second butler’s pantry offers additional storage.
A second bathroom with white and gray tile floor is off the kitchen.
A door from the kitchen leads outside to a balcony.
For rental information, call 773-227-8020.
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The vital stats
Address: 2934 W. Logan Blvd., Chicago
Size: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths
Rent: $1,850
Security deposit: 1 1/2 month’s rent
Utilities: Resident pays heat and electricity
Parking: Outdoor space is $40 a month
