Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/385207
"This is a bachelor's paradise when you consider the caliber and pricing of the real estate stock here." Exhibit A: two remarkable Chicago bachelor pads currently for sale, one marketed by McAuley at The Montgomery (500 West Superior Street) and the other by @properties broker Doug Smith (773-531-0794; dougsmith@atproperties.com) at 132 East Delaware Place. Both score high "pad" points for their chic yet man-pleasing décor, cachet-heavy locations, and stun- ning city views—plus "a perfect storm of acclaimed design and incredible amenities," notes Smith. So why are they for sale? Both sellers—who regret the need to let their lovingly wrought bachelor pads go—have recently married and moved on to abodes that also ref lect their wives' desires. For bachelors looking to buy, each offers an opportunity to snag an architecturally significant and masculine home in move-in condition, at a fair, "Second City" price. Ex-bachelor number one, Tom Steffanci, went to great lengths to customize the aerie he bought at The Montgomery in 2007 when the building was under construction, transporting building materials up to the 28th-story roof via an extra-large freight eleva- tor, then down into his 27th-f loor apartment. "It could only be executed because the building was in construction," explains Sacco. As a wine executive who is now president of Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits, he needed an enter- taining area that packed a huge "wow" factor plus wine storage for his understandably enormous col- lection. With the help of Joseph Sacco of JS Interiors Group (312-404-4665; jsinteriorsgroup.com) and the kitchen company Arclinea, Steffanci realized his goal with custom rift-sawn oak cabinetry; an island topped with a monumental slab of honed Pietra Cardosa soapstone; and a 2,200-bottle wine cellar in the sky worthy of a Rothschild. Views were also maximized with custom-made, 14-foot, frosted-glass pocket doors that slide into space dividers and echo the unit's f loor-to-ceiling windows. Hidden, they allow the entire 65-foot win- dow wall to stand alone, facilitating panoramic views. Pulled out, they break off the ends of the space into bedroom suites. Other big bachelor design ideas include plank limestone floors, a chisel quartz living room wall, and a spa-quality bathroom, in the 2,640-square-foot, two-bedroom-plus-den, two-and- a-half-bathroom place. It's on the market for about $2 million with one parking space—or $754 per square foot (a second parking space is available for $55,000). Ex-bachelor number two (who wishes to remain anonymous) fell so hard for the 4,400-square-foot, 63rd-story duplex that "he immediately grabbed my hand when he walked into the place and excitedly said, 'This is the one,'" recalls Smith. A snazzy spiral staircase beyond the front door, backed by a soaring, two-story, glass-edged atrium, prompted the bache- lor's love at first sight, while the already dramatic style prompted him to hire Richar Interiors (312- 455-0924; richarinteriors.com), the Chicago designer who did the décor for the sellers, to "man it up." "I've done homes for dozens of bachelors over the years, and they all want the same thing: a place that's sensu- ous, sophisticated, and ref lects their success," explains the one-name wonder Richar. What didn't change in the two-bedroom, three- bath property were the sleek architectural elements of the home, evident in the rich chocolate wood built-ins and gloriously muscular Gaggenau kitchen. And the amenities on call from the Four Seasons Hotel in the building—including unlimited valet parking—proved an incomparable asset to the bachelor (and likely to any future buyer who falls for this place). At $5.5 mil- lion, the cost per square foot is $1,250. Given the abundant assets and masculine aesthet- ics of these two bachelor pads—and the bang for the buck they offer—it's likely that neither will be on the market for very long. MA Best Bachelor Bets There are plenty of fish in the sea—but only a few truly exceptional bachelor pads in Chicago. Here are two more that any single man of means would be happy to score. Trump Tower: This glassy tower is good enough for D-Rose and Patrick Kane, plus the Trump International Hotel serves up every imaginable service to residents. For the bachelor who can afford anything, it also boasts the ultimate home with its 14,260-square-foot full-foor penthouse on the 89th foor, which has never been occupied since the building went up in 2008 and is still raw. 401 N. Wabash Ave., 312-644-0900; trumpchicago.com waldorf asToria (formerly known as The elysian): With its neoclassical architecture and fve-star amenities thanks to the Waldorf on the lower foors, this is a more intimate and traditional take on the high-drama Trump. Unit 3002—a three-bed, four-bath, 3,436-square-foot pad—is currently on the market for $3,699,000. 11 E. Walton St., 312-646-1389; dkcondo. com/managed-associations/11-east-walton "I've Done Homes FoR Dozens oF bacHeloRs, anD THey all WanT THe same THIng: a Place THaT's sensUoUs, soPHIsTIcaTeD, anD ReFlecTs THeIR sUccess." —richar This condo at 132 East Delaware Place was redesigned by Richar Interiors to add a luxe, masculine edge to the décor. This kitchen at The Montgomery features custom cabinetry and a monumental Petra Cardoso soapstone island. 126 michiganavemag.com haute property News, Stars, and trends in real estate