Feb 2, 2009

Sale of the Week

Sale of the Week: NBC’s Wojciechowski Moves to Lake Shore Drive

List Price: not available
Sale Price: $954,000
The Property: Charlie Wojciechowski, an anchor and reporter at NBC5 Chicago (WMAQ-TV), and his wife, Kate, a real-estate manager, have purchased a two-bedroom home on the 33rd floor of a new condo tower on Lake Shore Drive. The building is one of a pair of contemporary structures at 600 North Lake Shore Drive; in addition to the Drive, the buildings overlook Ohio Street Beach, Jane Addams and Milton Olive parks, and Navy Pier. The Wojciechowskis, however, bought at the rear of one of the buildings, which looks south and does not face the lake directly. Still, the condo provides some nice views. “Because of the curvature of the lake, from [one side of our] master bedroom all you see is water,” says Charlie Wojciechowski. “And we see great sunrises.”

A Chicago native, Wojciechowski has been at Channel 5 since 1991. In 2002, according to public records, the couple paid $325,000 for a one-bedroom condo  on the 38th floor of an older building just one block west of this one. The couple sold their second home, in Wisconsin, last summer, Wojciechowski says, thus making the step up in price more affordable. “We wanted a second bedroom, and we wanted a balcony,” he told me. “In Streeterville, it’s hard to find a condo with a balcony.”

According to public records, the couple bought the condo at 600 North Lake Shore Drive on December 22, 2008 (records of the sale did not appear until mid-January). Their condo is in the south building, which is 46 stories high and completed; the 40-story building on the north is still under construction. The towers are being developed by Belgravia Group and were designed by Pappageorge Haymes.

Wojciechowski says that he has found the place to be both well built and well situated. “The floors are like a foot and a half thick, as opposed to three or four inches,” he says. “Sound doesn’t travel well in there.” As for the building’s location, Wojciechowski notes that they “have access to the beach from the pedestrian underpass right outside the building.” A dog-owner, Wojciechowski says that he is particularly pleased that getting to the door near that underpass doesn’t entail crossing the lobby—which is typically forbidden with dogs. “We can go straight to that door [from the elevator],” he says, “and they’ve put a little doghouse out there filled with bags for cleaning up after your dog.”

Price Points: Recent sale prices for other units in the south building have ranged from $447,500, for a 1,000-square-foot one-bedroom condo on the 17th floor, to $1,931,855, for a 2,547-square-foot condo with three bedrooms and three-plus bathrooms on the 43rd floor. 

Listing Agent: Belgravia Realty Group, 312-832-0060; 600northlakeshoredrive.com

Posted at 07:14 AM in Sale of the Week | Permalink

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