Chicago Real Estate News & Neighborhood Notes

Chicago Green River

Chicago’s Annual River Dye is on Saturday, March 16th starting at 10 AM. For those of you who have never seen this happen, it is a must-see Chicago. The boats slowly bleed their dye into the river while passing each other in between bridges making St. Paddy’s Day a spectacle year after year. People travel from all around the country to see the river turn a bright neon green and we know the best buildings to do so.

  1. The Swissotel - 323 E Wacker St
    Located on the corner of Columbus and Wacker, the Swissotel is right at the center of the river dye. If you are visiting from out of town, we cannot stress enough that this is the place you should stay for this event. Be sure to ask for a North/River facing room, preferably a corner unit on the southwest

129 Views, 0 Comments.


Signing a lease on an apartment in Chicago can be daunting. There is a plethora of paperwork, legal ease, and decisions you have to make on the fly.  So here are 3 things you need to know before you sign on the line that is dotted!


1. Lease Renewal Option
Let’s say you love the place and before you know it you're coming up on your renewal period. You reach out to your friendly landlord to extend for another year and he tells you he would love for you to stay, however, the rent will go up $200.00+ a month!  So now what do you do?  It's expensive to move and you love the place so you pay it.  


Let’s go back to the beginning, if you had written a clause into the lease that gave you an “Option” to renew and included in that option was a specific “Rent Bump” which
831 Views, 0 Comments.


Located at the corner of State and Elm this 29-story mixed-use tower is close to final approval.  Designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz and developed by seasoned builder Newcastle Limited who was also the developer for mega apartment complex NEMA in the Southloop is closer to breaking ground after a long drawn-out battle with Alderman and surrounding neighbors regarding the height and density of the project.  Located on the corner of State and Elm, currently where the vacant Barnes and Noble resides the building will offer larger one and two-bedroom units catering to young professionals and couples. Consisting of 304 upscale residences, 10,000 ft of retail located street level, and 105 parking spaces it will be only 1 of 3 new apartment buildings to be built

396 Views, 0 Comments.

You will always find a Burger King across the street from McDonald's so it appears Rivian is following suit as it opens its first showroom one block south of Tesla on Rush Street at the base of the 50 E. Chestnut condo tower.  The retail space has been vacant since the building was completed back in 2008 so it is nice to see something go in there.  I stopped in to take a look around and from what I could see they did a nice job.  High ceilings and polished concrete floors give it that cool trendy look. On display are 2 Rivian trucks and some accessories.  The sales guys are friendly and offer to take me for a test ride.  If you happen to be an EV fan or just be passing by I would say it's worth stopping in and checking out.

345 Views, 0 Comments.

If you just moved to Chicago and live in one of the more popular neighborhoods for nightlife such as River North, Gold Coast, or Old Town you may wonder where you go for some good grub after a late night of Expresso Martinis and shots of Tequila.  You would think that would be an easy question to answer, however, most of the restaurants (like 95%) close their kitchens at 10 pm.  Well low and behold we have not 1 but 5 places that not only are open late, but the food is pretty dam good!

 #1 - Dublins - Gold Coast
Dublins is located in the Gold Coast, 1035 N. State St. to be exact.  It serves food until 3 am, 365 days a year, that's correct 365 days a year!  Although the name infers it's an Irish Pub, it's more the likes of your local watering hole. 

300 Views, 0 Comments.

If you're looking for a homier feel and think a Boutique Condo Building is right for you then we have 3 must-see condo buildings located in the best neighborhood in Chicago i.e “The Gold Coast”


4 E. Elm
 
Located on the Corner of State and Elm, the condos at 4 E. Elm Condo were built in 2017, constructed of Steel and Glass, and stands 24 Floors high with street-level retail and a 3-level parking structure.   Current tenants include a popular coffee shop and a cosmetic store.  The building has only two units per (total of 35 units) floor that range in size from 3,100 to 3,500 square feet, each served by their own private elevator.  Units are outfitted with top-of-the-line appliances and cabinets.  The south city views are some of the best as you have 11

1,048 Views, 0 Comments.

Built in 2006 The Waldorf Astoria Chicago, located at 11 E. Walton St. is an eye-catching 60-story building.  Designed by one of Chicago’s most sought-after Architects, Lucien Lagrange. Lucien is most famous for his classical style in designing high-end, luxury residential buildings.  His portfolio includes 65 East Goethe, Park Tower, Park Hyatt, 2550 N Lakeview, 30 W. Oak, and The Ritz-Carlton Residences of Chicago to name a few.

The Waldorf Astoria (formerly the Elysian) was built in 2006 by David Physor and has two components, a 188-room 5-star hotel and 55 luxury condo units. It's currently operating under the Marriott Flag. 

Looking at the building from a distance the first thing that catches your eye is the bronze crown that sits above the

605 Views, 0 Comments.

If you're looking for the best value, coupled with the best location, Newberry Plaza in the Gold Coast doesn’t get any better 

Located at 1030 N. State St. in the Viagra Triangle, famous for restaurants like Gibson’s, Hugos, Carmines (Under Construction), LuxBar, Dublin's Pub (Open Till 3 am), and Maple And Ash, it's a foodie and bar lovers paradise.  The building was built in 1972 and stands 60 Stories tall, taking up ¾ of the block (including the townhomes).  As you enter, you will notice a grand lobby with a large sitting area, fireplace, and a wall of windows overlooking Mariano Park, a favorite among residents who like to relax, sip a cup of coffee from Whispers cafe, and people-watch. There are 6 elevator banks to handle the 560 Condo units. 

779 Views, 0 Comments.

Among all the supertall, super thin highrise condo towers there is a smattering of townhomes in Chicago’s River North, Streeterville, and Gold Coast neighborhoods.  If you are looking for that treelined suburban sanctuary and a place that feels more like a home than a concrete jungle then you have to stay tuned as we are showcasing 1 of the best townhome communities in the Gold Coast!

The Oak Club is located across from the majestic Newberry Library and Washington Square Park (one of our top dog-friendly parks) The Oak Club was built in 1995 and consists of 52 townhomes ranging in size from 1200 to 3000+ sq. ft.  The Smaller units are stacked so you have one on the ground floor and one above.  The larger units have 3 private floors so you don't have…
980 Views, 0 Comments.

Before we get into the rental details let's take a look at a little history of the Iconic Trump Tower.  To begin with, It is situated along the Chicago River on the former site of the Chicago Sun Times.  It was built in 2009, and designed by Adrian Smith of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM).  It stands at 1,362 feet tall and has 96 floors.  It’s Constructed of steel, concrete, and glass and is one of the tallest buildings in the world.

Now let's explore renting a 1 bedroom 1.5 bath apartment at Trump.  The best views are South and East, so good in fact that I would rate this building as one of the top 5 for views in Chicago.  The one beds are large by Chicago standards averaging 1000 square feet.  Each unit has floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood floors,

1,170 Views, 0 Comments.