It’s been 30 years since I began the gut rehab of the Kensington, a 36-unit condo project that spans the block between Kenmore and Seminary along Armitage. And it’s been just over 22 years since I sold the 24 units that I retained and rented when the real estate market and economy plummeted in 1979 and 1980 to levels that I hope we never see again.
Earlier today I was shooting video in the 2000 block of Kenmore, then stopped by the Kensington for a brief walk down memory lane. When I liquidated my last units I sold 1,700 square foot 2 bedroom plus loft, bath-and-a-half duplexes in the $110s and 3 bedroom, 2 ½ bath 1,900 square foot units in the $140s. All of the units had 2-story living rooms, woodburning fireplaces, central air, Eurostyle kitchens, etc.
The DePaul area has been totally transformed since that time a time when I often listened to the phone go dead when I answered a broker’s question about whether the property was west of the El.