pie house
{{Short description|Building in Deerfield, Illinois, United States}}
{{Infobox Historic building
| image = Deerfield,_IL_Pie_house.jpg
| caption = The eastern end of the pie house
| name = The pie house
| address = 970 Chestnut Street{{efn|name=st|The address is listed incorrectly by some sources as "970 Chestnut Drive".{{cite web |last1=Kussin |first1=Zachary |title=$260K 'skinny house' near Chicago stuns TikTok watchers |url=https://nypost.com/2020/08/10/260k-skinny-house-near-chicago-stuns-tiktok-watchers/ |website=New York Post |access-date=January 25, 2022 |date=August 10, 2020 |archive-date=January 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220125204602/https://nypost.com/2020/08/10/260k-skinny-house-near-chicago-stuns-tiktok-watchers/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last1=Knight |first1=Shawn |title=TikTok Goes In A Frenzy Over This 'Skinny House' In Chicago |url=https://1073kissfmtexas.com/tiktok-goes-in-a-frenzy-over-this-skinny-house-in-chicago/ |website=107-3 KISS-FM |access-date=January 25, 2021 |language=en |date=August 13, 2020 |archive-date=September 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925101550/https://1073kissfmtexas.com/tiktok-goes-in-a-frenzy-over-this-skinny-house-in-chicago/ |url-status=live }}}}
| location_town = Deerfield, Illinois
| location_country = United States
| coordinates = {{Coord|42|10|15.0|N|87|51|05.3|W|type:landmark_region:US-IL|display=inline,title}}
}}
The pie house, sometimes referred to as the Deerfield pie house or the Deerfield skinny house, is a two-story house located in Deerfield, Illinois, United States. It is located at 970 Chestnut Street, and is near the Deerfield Metra station. The beige-sided house was built to fit a narrow lot and has attracted attention due to its unusual shape. The house is not rectangular, but rather trapezoidal, and attained its primary nickname due to its resemblance to the shape of a slice of pie.
The house has gained media attention after being featured in a viral video on the social media platform TikTok in August 2020. Since then, it has been featured on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and has been covered by the Chicago Tribune, both of which have further increased its attention.
Description
The home was built in 2003 on a small, irregularly shaped lot at 970 Chestnut Street{{efn|name=st}} in the Chicago suburb of Deerfield. The house is trapezoidal in shape, rather than the traditional rectangular shape, which has inspired its nickname, the "pie house", due to its apparent resemblance to a slice of pie.{{cite web |last1=Callahan |first1=Chrissy |title=This perplexing 'skinny house' is going viral for its weirdly thin shape |url=https://www.today.com/home/skinny-house-illinois-going-viral-its-weirdly-thin-shape-t189067 |website=Today |access-date=January 25, 2022 |language=en |date=August 12, 2020 |archive-date=January 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124065900/https://www.today.com/home/skinny-house-illinois-going-viral-its-weirdly-thin-shape-t189067 |url-status=live }} The triangular lot it sits on measures only {{convert|3,876|sqft|sqm}}, which contributes to the house's unusual shape.{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Colby |title=People Are Losing It Over This 'Skinny House' Near Chicago, And Here's What It Looks Like Inside |url=https://secretchicago.com/skinny-house-sells/ |website=Secret Chicago |access-date=January 24, 2021 |date=August 17, 2020 |archive-date=September 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210918223243/https://secretchicago.com/skinny-house-sells/ |url-status=live }} Despite outcry from neighbors, the village of Deerfield was not able to force any changes to be made to the design of the house as it met all building codes and was not legally required to be changed in any way.{{cite web |title=And Buyers Complain That Old Houses are too Small |url=http://www.sears-homes.com/2015/05/and-buyers-complain-that-old-houses-are.html |website=Sears Homes of Chicagoland |access-date=January 23, 2022 |date=May 5, 2015 |archive-date=October 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020031738/http://www.sears-homes.com/2015/05/and-buyers-complain-that-old-houses-are.html |url-status=live }} The house is two stories tall, and has a finished basement.{{cite web |title=See Inside Deerfield 'Pie House' On Market for $270K |url=https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-real-estate/see-inside-deerfield-pie-house-on-market-for-269k/2288257/?_osource=SocialFlowFB_CHBrand |website=NBC Chicago |access-date=January 24, 2022 |date=June 11, 2020 |archive-date=January 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124055203/https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/chicago-real-estate/see-inside-deerfield-pie-house-on-market-for-269k/2288257/?_osource=SocialFlowFB_CHBrand |url-status=live }} It has more than {{convert|1,600|sqft|sqm}} of floor space, and contains two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, and an additional half bathroom. The ground level of the home follows an open concept plan.
The narrowest side of the house measures {{convert|3|ft|m}} wide, with the widest side of the house reaching a width of {{convert|18|ft|m}}. An outdoor patio borders the wider end of the house.{{cite web |last1=Mahoney |first1=Melissa |title=You Can Stay In A Delightful Airbnb Shaped Like A Slice Of Pie In Illinois |url=https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/illinois/pie-shaped-airbnb-il/ |website=OnlyInYourState |access-date=January 24, 2022 |date=December 15, 2020 |archive-date=January 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124064144/https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/illinois/pie-shaped-airbnb-il/ |url-status=live }}
Purchases
The home sold on August 6, 2020, with a list price of {{USD|link=yes}}269,000 and an eventual purchase price of $260,000.{{cite web |last1=Reid |first1=Claire |title=The Super-Skinny 'Pie House' Is Back Up For Sale But Will Cost You More Than Last Year |url=https://www.ladbible.com/news/interesting-super-skinny-pie-house-is-back-up-for-sale-20210506 |website=Lad Bible |access-date=January 24, 2022 |language=en |date=May 6, 2021 |archive-date=January 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124064521/https://www.ladbible.com/news/interesting-super-skinny-pie-house-is-back-up-for-sale-20210506 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Deerfield's iconic 'pie house' hits Airbnb, with a pizza incentive for the first guests who book a stay |url=https://www.chicagonow.com/chicagonow-staff-blog/2020/10/deerfield-pie-house-airbnb/#image/2 |website=Chicago Now |access-date=January 24, 2022 |date=October 21, 2020 |archive-date=January 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124063814/https://www.chicagonow.com/chicagonow-staff-blog/2020/10/deerfield-pie-house-airbnb/#image/2 |url-status=live }} It was listed for rental on Airbnb shortly afterwards, in October 2020.{{cite web |title=Deerfield's iconic 'pie house' is now available to rent on Airbnb |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/real-estate/ct-re-pie-house-deerfield-airbnb-gallery-20201014-v2nzzi24avhkhlcjqurvo5qyfa-photogallery.html |website=Chicago Tribune |access-date=January 24, 2022 |date=October 14, 2020 |archive-date=January 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124063801/https://www.chicagotribune.com/real-estate/ct-re-pie-house-deerfield-airbnb-gallery-20201014-v2nzzi24avhkhlcjqurvo5qyfa-photogallery.html |url-status=live }} The house was put up for sale again in May 2021 for $300,000; it sold for $295,000 later that same month.{{cite web |title=970 Chestnut St, Deerfield, IL 60015 |url=https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/970-Chestnut-St-Deerfield-IL-60015/68136345_zpid/ |website=Zillow |access-date=January 24, 2022 |language=en |archive-date=January 24, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124064521/https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/970-Chestnut-St-Deerfield-IL-60015/68136345_zpid/ |url-status=live }}
Media attention
At the time the house was up for sale in August 2020, a user named @eli.korns_ on the short-form video-based social media platform TikTok recorded and posted a video of himself examining the house's exterior and showing amazement at its unusual dimensions. This video ended up going viral, receiving over one million views; attracting significant media attention to the house. Since then, the house has been featured on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and has been covered by numerous media outlets, including the Chicago Tribune.
See also
- Casa Scaccabarozzi, house with a similar shape and name
- Any of various spite houses, some of which are comically narrow, and also earn neighbors' disapproval
Notes
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