Well, I’m off to a slower-than-expected start on Wicker Park week, but I have a good excuse: I spent all morning in Wicker Park. Besides, it’s only Tuesday. Granted, it’s late, but cut me some slack. To make up for it, here’s a historic house tour on two of the greatest blocks in Chicago – 1400 – 1600 N Hoyne Ave.
Lots of houses on the 1400 – 1600 block of North Hoyne, in the heart of the Wicker Park landmark district, are being renovated, but only one is for sale as far as we can see (more on that later). The Italianate mansion at 1419 N Hoyne Ave (above) is being cleaned up and should be a beauty when complete. Click on “More” below to see the coach house and giant vacant lot next door and to continue the tour. And click on “Comments” if you have the dope on what’s being built on that vacant lot – we’d love to know.
This vacant parcel and coach house (above) sit between two stunning historic mansions, 1419 N Hoyne (top) and 1407 N Hoyne, an 1879 Second Empire with lavish detailing and an unfortunate add-on garage pictured below. We left out most of the garage, ’cause really, it’s just too bad.
The more modest home at at 1421 N Hoyne Ave (below left), next door to 1419 N Hoyne, is being renovated with the help of Kuklinski & Rappe Architects and Lakeshore Renovation, Inc. More modest still is the house being renovated across the street at 1400 N Hoyne Ave (below right), which has great brick showing on the first floor and terrible siding covering the second.
The graystone at left below seems like it should have an address of 1422 N Hoyne, but the stained glass transom says 667 – perhaps not original? There’s a building permit in the window, and it looks like renovation is getting started. There are some rentals left here in beautiful old Victorians that have seen better days. Here’s an apartment for rent (below right) at 1513 N Hoyne Ave. The three-bedroom has 1,500 square feet, hardwood floors, in-unit washer and dryer, A/C and an eat-in kitchen for $1,800 a month (Call Chrissy, 773-610-4811 for details).
It’s easy to have pride when you live in the Henry Grusendorf House, designed in 1886 by Gustav Bloedner at 1520 N Hoyne Ave (below left). The only house we saw for sale in these two blocks was the brick workers cottage at 1566 N Hoyne Ave (below right). It’s a three-bedroom with 2.5 baths and a two-car garage listed by Zoe Carne, of Koenig & Strey, for $820,000. In this case, “worker” means attorney, executive, trustafarian…
And we conclude with some shots of 1558 N Hoyne Ave, which seems a little more patriotic than most of the Victorians on the block – regulation flag pole and the cannon to defend it, should the need arise.
