December is the month of the neighborhood at Curbed. To help contextualize the quarterfinalist neighborhoods for this week's current and pending face-offs, we offer this snapshot of stellar property listings in each 'hood. Since there's just the one representative, it better darn well count. Thusly, the chosen listings are mainly top-o-the-market for their area, and/or deserving in a more subjective manner. Put it in your pocket for voting time!
·Curbed Cup 2012
West Loop: 1017 W Washington St. PH 7B. This classy find is worthy of the listing's lengthy run of superlatives. Hitting the market in August, the 4,200-square-foot timber loft penthouse is the second-priciest West Loop listing at the moment, even though its ask has reduced a bit— to $1.499M. Check out the old freight elevator entry!
Logan Square: 2605 W Armitage Avenue. This factory loft conversion needs no introduction— it received one last week. It's probably the zaniest space on the market anywhere right now, and certainly belongs to the 'blank canvas' department.
The Loop: 910 S Michigan Ave #1904. An art hoarder's paradise at the Loop's southern edge, this 4-bed condo has been on and off the market for exactly two years. In that time it has incurred $350K in price cuts, bringing the ask down to $1.15M. Catch all the hysterical decor (hallucinogenic wallpaper, Marilyn Monroe shrine) in our March 2011 write-up.
Rogers Park: 1135 W Morse Avenue. No foolery here, this is merely a fine testament to four-square architecture. The four-bed vintage rehab has been on the market since June at an ask of $789K. It has to its name gorgeous woodwork, an enclosed porch, fireplace, and garage-top deck.
Andersonville: 5313 N Lakewood Avenue. A-Ville's most expensive listing looks like an ordinary frame home until you register the contempo rear addition and full-on retrofit. The modernization offends in many ways but some cool new spaces are gained. And then there's the three decks, sauna, custom bookcases, and outdoor fireplace. The ask? $1.625M.
Hyde Park: 5132 S Woodlawn Avenue. Well this was a no-brainer. Frank Lloyd Wright's Heller House, listed in January, is still out for $2.5M. An early big-budget work, the 7/4 home is one of Wright's most ornate and sculptural. It also bears resemblance to the residences of Louis Sullivan, his mentor. Who's up to the task of owning a Wright?
Albany Park: Here we have your classic bungalow. Classic but pricey. That's because this 4/3 belongs to historic Ravenswood Manor, a sub-neighborhood of Albany Park. And also because it has been well cared for. The ask? $669K.
Avondale: 3124 N Sacramento Avenue. Here's the model Smart Tech home coming to a vacant lot near you! In this case, it's going up at Fletcher & Sacramento. The "ultra-modern" on-spec construction boasts "endless LEED appointments" and other green bait. It manages a bright and breezy atmosphere and a strange metallic-roofed basement (otherwise known as a cell phone-free zone). The ask, $449K, is in the upper range for Avondale but isn't bad for the product.