OLD TOWN — Sandwiched between two much larger buildings on a historic Old Town street is Chicago's version of the home from the animated Pixar film "Up."
And it could be yours for $795,000.
Now on the market, the tiny, historic cottage at 216 W. Menomonee St. even has its own white picket fence. But unlike in the film, the Old Town home isn't currently under threat of a wrecking ball.
"I knew there would be a lot of interest by developers to tear it down. But that part of Old Town is landmarked. There's no way to add a second story or tear it down," said Greg Desmond with @properties, the home's listing agent.
"This house in particular has strong historical significance. I don't think anyone is going to be able to do anything to it. Someone's buying it to keep it [the way] it is."
The Old Town home was one of thousands of "fire cottages" built after the 1871 Chicago Fire, which were meant to provide shelter for people who simply needed a home. Last August, it was featured in the New York Times.
The city designated the Old Town Triangle, the area where the home is located, a landmark district in the late 1970s. That means developers or potential homeowners can't do anything that would change the look of the property from the street, Desmond explained.
The 994-square-foot home offers one bedroom, one bathroom and a one-car garage. Inside, there are hardwood floors, skylights and craftsman-style cabinets, among other amenities.
Desmond said while the current owner, a former executive director at Steppenwolf Theater, lived there for about eight years, he made some interior upgrades, like installing French doors in the bedroom out to the yard.
"That made the garden a part of the place," he said.
Over the years, people have expressed interest in making exterior changes to the house, Desmond said, but "they just never got very far."
[All photos Courtesy/@properties]
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