6849 Riverside Drive

[LaDrive]

And yes that is a bungalow.

Who is the current owner of this property?

[tony la]

The tax record shows a trust number.  It could be anybody.   

[buzz]

Decades ago, that property was owned by a man named Slezak.  When he died it went to his daughter named Marsella.  She was an artist who lived in Hinsdale but worked somewhere in the loop.  This is all from memory.  I'm pretty sure it's accurate but after 30 years, hey I could be wrong.

[Matryoshka]

Decades ago, that property was owned by a man named Slezak.  When he died it went to his daughter named Marsella.  She was an artist who lived in Hinsdale but worked somewhere in the loop.  This is all from memory.  I'm pretty sure it's accurate but after 30 years, hey I could be wrong.

OMG, I think my mom knew Marcella Slezak...her dad's name was Charlie...a long time Berwynite

[Berwyn Patsy]

If the same Charlie Slezak, he was at one time a republican committee man, and was very instrumental in the activities of the Cicero/Berwyn Council on aging.

[LaDrive]

Has anyone notice the one down the street from this one (6841). Now these folks have really shown true pride of Bungalow ownership. The current owners have turn this home into a real gem. Does anyone know who owns it?

[tony la]

John Kuri one of the best loan officers in town.  One of the most honest and trusted you will find.

[seebee]

  But, then, a real estate agent is describing the house for sale two doors down from me as a "two flat" when it is a raised ranch with a walk-up attic, just like my house is.

To me, to be a "two flat", you should be able to get to the second floor independently without having to go through the first floor unit.  I think there are too many real estate agents in Berwyn describing two story single family houses as "two flats"  or "two units" when they are really single family homes. 

  Ted

Oh, oh, oh - Along these same lines...
Here's a question for Dflynn, and Tony La -
What constitutes a "story?" I was under the impression that a two story house had a basement, a first floor, a second floor, and an attic. I see many homes listed everywhere as two story homes simply because they have a second floor. Would the typical chicago bungalow be a two story home, or a 1.5 story home?

[LaDrive]

Bungalows are 1 1/2 stories.

[tony la]

Traditionally bungalows are considered 1.5 stories.  Georgians are two stories.  Many people get two flat mixed up with 2 story.  Not always the same.  Basement or no basement really does not have an effect on stories unless sometimes you have a situation with a walk out basement in newer construction.

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

The cook county assessors office has confused people further - for example, the house next door to me, which was at one time a two flat and then converted to a single family is considered a 1.5 to 1.9 story although all the rooms upstairs are basically full size (4 bedrooms + tandem) while I am considered a 2 story - I do have an attic above my 2nd floor accessible through a bedroom closet.  The house next door has no attic.

[DFlynn]

Hi Everyone,

There will be an Open House on Saturday, Sept. 15th from 10am-12pm.  It is a B.Y.O.F (Bring Your Own Flashlight) Open House as there is no electric.  You are welcome to attend!  Wear sensible shoes.

It is still the Slezak Family that owns the house. 

[Guy_on_Clinton]

Anyone go? Any pics?

[Nazerac]

I went ... the place was totally destroyed.  It looked more like a camelback home in the lower 9th Ward than a beautiful house in Berwyn.

[Bungalow]

And there is a giant bees' nest in the back yard.  Anyway that is their excuse for the two-story-tall unaddressed overgrowth.  Normal people would call an exterminator, but Halloween is next month and maybe then they will have another open house with Svengoolie as the guest of honor.  There needs to be a substantial drop in the listing price to account for the quarter milllion or so required to make the place fit for human habitation.

[Count DMC]

And there is a giant bees' nest in the back yard.  Anyway that is their excuse for the two-story-tall unaddressed overgrowth.  Normal people would call an exterminator, but Halloween is next month and maybe then they will have another open house with Svengoolie as the guest of honor.  There needs to be a substantial drop in the listing price to account for the quarter milllion or so required to make the place fit for human habitation.

There wont be a drop in price that is what has prevented this place from selling before.

[Bear]

And there is a giant bees' nest in the back yard.  Anyway that is their excuse for the two-story-tall unaddressed overgrowth.  Normal people would call an exterminator, but Halloween is next month and maybe then they will have another open house with Svengoolie as the guest of honor.  There needs to be a substantial drop in the listing price to account for the quarter milllion or so required to make the place fit for human habitation.

Make an offer, maybe they are ready to talk turkey.

[MRS. NORTHSIDER]

I went ... the place was totally destroyed.  It looked more like a camelback home in the lower 9th Ward than a beautiful house in Berwyn.

What a shame.  As someone pointed out before it doesn't take long for an empty house (especially an old one) to go downhill.  From what I've heard it reminds me of the bank building at Cermak and Oak Park - an architectural gem at one point but in very sad shape now.  Hopefully,  the current owners of the Riverside Drive home will come down in price to the point where it will be bought by someone who will bring it back to life.  I'm sure that's what their late family would want.

Just wondering Nazerac, was there anything worth preserving or would it be a total gut rehab?

[renovatorbear]

We haven't been inside it, but our neighbors recently were. They told us that the place is trashed inside.

[Nazerac]

There's still much to be saved. 

All the light fixtures were totally trashed and destroyed, I almost wept as I saw those great sconces that would so perfectly fit in my bungalow.  The curtain rods are still there, and they're very nice.  The fireplace mantle was intact, that's at least 15K right there.  Most of the woodwork on the walls were intact, the kitchen cabinets and built in seating area is also (somewhat) intact, though of course, the kitchen will need a gut rehab anyway.  The second floor hast three good sized bedrooms and a bathroom.  Unfortunately, it is totally trashed, even the ceiling of the master bedroom is gone, so I'd say the second floor needs a total gut rehab for the master bedroom and there's been some water damage on the stairs, so I don't know about the attic but it seems that the roof will also need some significant work.  The tile in the bathrooms is still good, I think that's worth saving.  I was amazed by the ceiling height of the basement, I think that it was about 8 ft, and it's a full basement with a decent supply of home made jams and fruit preserves!  The stairs are in a good shape, but the railings are gone.

Oh, and I also found a similar protectograph in the house:

http://www.officemuseum.com/IMagesWWW/Todd_Protectograph_xx_OM.jpg


Overall, a gut rehab for the kitchen, masterbedroom, and the stairwell is needed.  I don't know if it might be cheaper to just gut rehab the whole thing.