OAKBROOK CONDOMINIUM COMMUNITY

 

• Prime Location: Quick city access with a sense of Country

• Oakbrook is a community of 54 condos on the south side of Ann Arbor,

• Built by Guenther Building between 1990-1992.  

• Easy access to I-94 and main traffic arteries to U of M and Downtown

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The Community is shielded from heavy traffic and noise on one side by Cranbrook Shopping Center, a secondary road and a tree-lined berm, while the other side it is sheltered by the beautiful sweeping meadows and woods of Cranbrook Park.  

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It is an easy walk to a wide array of shops and services, with a variety of food and dining options, which include REI, Hollywood Pet, and furniture stores, as well as Fueled, Panera's, Whole Foods and Briarwood Mall.  

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For near-by entertainment, the University of Michigan Big House Stadium and U of M sports complex are only 1 mile away, an easy walk to games and live events. 

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Oakbrook Community Amenities

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The In-ground Pool with sundeck and showers, newly refurbished in 2024, is open between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

 

The Clubhouse is used for community meetings and social events, and is rentable for private parties.  A large space with handsome furnishings and full kitchen.  

 

Cranbrook Park gives access to tennis courts, basketball court, as well as a well-equipped children's play area, easy walking paths and picnic tables.

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Snow Removal and Landscaping are covered by the association.  Pets are allowed with some restrictions.

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Oakbrook children attend highly acclaimed Ann Arbor Schools: Bach Elementary, Slauson Middle, and Pioneer High School.   School and City buses stop at the Community.

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exterior

564 Galen Circle Condominium

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564 Galen Circle occupies a prime location in the community, on a large corner lot with tall evergreens and maples.  Because it is free-standing on 3 sides, it has the privacy and appearance of a detached dwelling, while the back side overlooks the lovely custom garden tended by the attached neighbor.  

 

The front door is approached via the wide landings and steps (new 2012) which create a welcoming entry.  The custom landscaping of the private front garden, with Japanese maple, brick work coping, and ground cover, is easy care.   A variety of bulbs fill the ivy and myrtle ground cover in spring. The west sun, which brings light and warmth into the front rooms in winter, is dappled in summer, screened by the mature trees.

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Deck and Lower-Level Patio are south-facing, and overlook the wide Greenway which runs between Oakbrook Condos and Oakbrook Villas providing added privacy and spaciousness.  In summer the maples shade the deck and offer screening.

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interior

 

Built  in 1990, with  1934 sqft*,  564 Galen Is one of the larger units in the complex.  While offering many of the expected advantages of a traditional central-hall design, the rooms and spaces are generous, and allow a flow of activity that is open yet discreet.  The design of spaces, doors and halls makes adaptation of functions and uses especially flexible. This creativity makes this unit uniquely adaptable to a variety of family compositions, ages and special needs.  The traditional design touches such as crown mouldings are balanced with modern openness and vaulted ceilings.   

 

 

main level

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Main Floor features roomy areas excellent for entertaining or family-living, as well as privacy for work or reading.  The wide central entry hall is tiled for easy care in Michigan weather, and features a generous coat closet.  Seasons and weather are moderated by storm doors -- a new (2024) storm door at front door with self-storing panels and screens, and older storm doors for deck and kitchen door to the garage with swappable screens.  

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Foyer and Hall are wide and welcoming, opening through wide entries into the LR area on the right and dining Room/ kitchen to the left.  This expansive, contemporary, open-concept also lends itself to a more traditional sense of gracious rooms for entertaining.

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Floors (2012) in LR and dining room are dark laminate wood which works well with traditional or more modern furnishings, tied together by other lighter wood accents at stairs and fireplace.

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Living Room, which opens from the front hall to the right, is large and airy. with vaulted ceiling, and open stairs to the upper level. There is a gas fireplace with tiled hearth, between large windows to the front, and glass-paned door to the deck  The remote controlled ceiling fan (2015) provides heat and air management for the tall ceiling.

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Dining Room, opening left of the hall and across from the LR for an open-concept, features a vaulted ceiling deep crown molding and chair rail.  A wall of windows provides light and a view of the ornamental Japanese maple and front garden. The room is spacious enough for a large table, sideboard for serving, and extra seating.  The light fixture was custom designed for the room, and works with either modern minimalist or traditional furnishings.  The glass door to kitchen cuts down on intrusive kitchen noise and smells, without closing it off visually, yet still provides smooth access to the butler area of the kitchen for easy serving/entertaining.

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KITCHEN, remodeled in 2023, is a large functional and inviting space, is connected to the dining room by a glass paned door in the butler area side.  On the other side of the room is the door to the garage for convenient unloading.  Opposite the dining room end is a new coffee/breakfast bar, and room for a table, with two large windows overlook a shared, private garden.

 

The Kitchen was fully remodeled in 2023-2024 by KitchentuneUp, Alonzo and Amanda Malone.  This project included refaced cabinets, handsome new hardware (will not grab your apron pockets!) new all new worry-free counter tops in silo quartz countertops with expanded counter space, new wrap-around subway-tiled backsplashes.  A new coffee/breakfast bar with lots of outlets and storage with big drawers for small appliances was built into framed alcove preserving washer/dryer hookups in case a first floor laundry is preferred.  A gas line was added for the new, electric-start, chef's gas stove, and a new hood vented to the outside.  New LVT floors in Charleston Oak, new additional lighting, new deep SS double sink, new Italian-styled faucet with built-in sprayer.  Extras include a sliding-shelf pantry cupboard, a butler service area providing extra counterspace and glass door/cabinets above for ease of dining room entertaining. Added a new worktop/storage island with SS top. Other nice features include soft close doors and drawers, pull-out spice shelves, sponge and scrubber hideaway, pull out broom hideaway, and cookie sheet and stockpot storage above the refrigerator.

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The Primary/ Master Suite, is entered from a short entry hall just past the LR and open stairs to the upper level, which also links to the Study suite by way of the powder room.  The Primary Suite is given a more formal presentation by the double door entry, offering the flexibility of using it as a library or family room if the upstairs suite is used as the Master bedroom.  

Through these double doors the spacious room is made even bigger feeling by the vaulted ceiling, large south-facing windows high over the green, and sliding doors to the deck.  The suite itself has a short hall which sets back the door to the large walk-in closet, a recessed grooming sink and vanity, and door to the master bathroom.  

The large bathroom seems even larger with a wall of mirrors flooding it with light from 2 large south-exposure windows facing the green over the Jacuzzi.  These windows offer privacy as this end of the building is 2 stories.  The large vanity area has wall of mirrors, lots of storage, a single sink, a makeup/ vanity area.  There is also a privacy alcove for the WC,  and a large tiled walk-in shower with grab bar.  There is a heat lamp in the ceiling.

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Studio Den/bedroom Suite - this quiet room features a window overlooking a shared, private garden, light colored hardwood floors and light colored, wooden coffered ceiling.  The main entry to this area is from the front hall, through double glass-paned doors which add formality, while providing privacy from the public LR and DR.  It functions well as an office or a guest room, with attached full bath with shower.  This bath serves as a visitor powder room for the main floor via a second door which opens into the hall opposite the Primary Bedroom suite.  

Should a live-in care-provider be required, the arrangement of bedroom and bath -- with door across from the Primary Suite -- offers additional flexibility by creating quick access to the master suite.   

 

UPPER LEVEL

Guest Bedroom Suite or 2nd Master

Accessed by open stairs from the LR, this very private suite has a large room with large windows which bring in bright light, sunsets and a view of the community.  It also overlooks the shared garden with dwarf crabapple tree. There is a very large walk-in closet with lots of shelving and the attached renovated (2024) bathroom with shower features a new LVT floor and new vanity. 

This upper floor suite offers great flexibility to living arrangements-- as a home office, a comfortable suite for long-term houseguests, or as a more separate Master bedroom.

 

 

LOWER LEVEL

Finished One Bedroom Suite with Bar/Kitchenette 

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Finished lower/basement level features a spacious, full height, one bedroom suite with a wall of large daylight windows overlooking the back patio and large green and facing south for floods of winter sunshine.  Accessed from the central hall, the stairs open into a large room  suitable for a living room or family room, or entertainment or an office.   There is a bar/kitchenette at one end. 

The attached large bedroom features a wide closet with storage shelves.  The bathroom features a large walk-in shower with grab rail.  There is additional finished storage space.

 

UNFINSHED BASEMENT AREA

Laundry/Utility-Services Area,

Workout Space, Workshop, Storage

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Large laundry and Utility room with W/D connections, Laundry Sink, and a wall of shelves convenient for household storage.  Easy, open access to furnace area and utilities for maintenance. Demarcation for cable access to all the rooms.

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• Carrier Infinity High-Efficiency Furnace (2012) with humidifier and new electronic air cleaner-(2021) as part of the Meadowlark energy upgrade, which included insulation of basement, foundation and attic spaces.

• Air Conditioner - new in 2024

• Hot Water Heater -- new in 2022

• Sump Pump -- new in 2016 (Sump pump is responsibility of the HOA)

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Workout workspace and More Storage  Accessed and separated by doorway from the finished area, this is a large, full-height, unfinished basement area for workout space, workshop and/or storage. This well lit area is well wired with numerous outlets and lighting fixtures and has been used as art studio space for projects that are a bit messy and need easy access to the laundry tub.  

 

GARAGE and ATTIC

The attached 2-car Garage has generous width for car doors as well as room for workbench or shelving.  In 2024 a new key-pad garage door opener and fully insulated garage door, as well as the fully insulated ceiling/attic floor were installed.  There is an easy-pull pull-down stair ladder for access to attic storage both over garage and into the insulated attic space of the condo. 

 

Have additional questions or want to arrange a private showing for an Oakbrook Condo?  

See Contact Information below.

 

* sq ft from Zillow listing