Is this R Kelly's former home?

April 11, 2007 9:38 PM

Do I live near R. Kelly's old Chicago home?

I enjoy claiming that my apartment overlooks the former, stately manor of R. Kelly based upon a brief newspaper blurb from a few years back discussing the sale of Mr. Kelly's residence. The description fairly accurately a mysterious building down the street from me, which had always been curious for its eccentric art displays (a smaller-than-life-but-still-large astronaut kinda thing and a Paschke-esque painting of perhaps Malcom X) and equally cryptic architectural design (featuring a large cross of windows on the street side it shares with a neighboring church). After being on the sales block for quite a long time, some friends visited an open house and are convinced after being inside the building (after aforementioned artwork had been cleared from the premises and a considerable time after Kelly would have moved out) that the interior is neither strange nor extravagant enough to be owned at any time by the mogul.

I'm wondering if there's anyway I can prove that the location is or is not Kelly's former residence. (Or if some other notable eccentric might have dwelled there.)

It's on the northwest corner of this intersection (Fletcher and Racine).

posted by pokermonk to home & garden (4 comments total)

heh. i can't believe i remember this, but r. kelly used to live off of george street up on the north side. circa 1996. at least that's what i heard back then. :P
posted by phaedon at 8:15 AM on April 12, 2007

phaedon is right -- "the 1000 block of West George" according to this article on the trial. It's a converted 1895 Baptist church, if that helps.
posted by dhartung at 9:27 AM on April 12, 2007

Yup, phaedom and dhartung have it right. I'm not sure if the "for sale" sign is still up there, but it was definitely the only one I've ever seen in that area advertising a basketball court and full recording studio.
posted by awegz at 11:12 AM on April 12, 2007

i'm disappointed, but the truth prevails.
posted by pokermonk at 11:49 AM on April 12, 2007