Chicago Real Estate News & Neighborhood Notes

Although the West Loop is easily one of the hottest neighborhoods in Chicago right now, convenience still plays a major role in deciding which home, loft, or condo feels like the right fit. And yes, finding a place that checks off as many boxes on your wish list still applies to even neighborhoods in Chicago that happen to be as popular as the West Loop.  

For home buyers considering a move to the area, it’s safe to say just about anywhere in the West Loop is desirable, walkable, and a great place to call home. But if you’re somebody who also relies heavily on public transportation, finding a condo or loft somewhere near the Morgan CTA station might be a great place to begin your search.

Centrally located in the West Loop, the Morgan CTA station

As widespread development continues all throughout the neighborhood, the West Loop real estate market continues to stay red hot. Once a bustling warehouse district full of industry, the West Loop landscape is much different in 2017 than it even was five or six years ago, let alone long before that.

The emergence of Randolph Street’s Restaurant Row has certainly helped elevate the West Loop into becoming a destination spot from a lifestyle standpoint, and large-scale office conversions like 1K Fulton have now made it one of the top work-live locations in all of Chicago. 

Now commonly referred to as “the Google building,” the conversion of the old Fulton Market cold storage building has certainly helped completely transform Chicago’s trendy Fulton

More jaw-dropping development could be on the way for the New Eastside, and no, we’re not just talking about Vista Tower, which is currently under construction with listings already on the MLS. 

According to a series of reports, a number of mixed-use towers are currently in the works for one of the largest urban development projects in the country, and if built, would bring hundreds of additional residences and hotel rooms to the fast-growing neighborhood.

Two of the new towers, which would be a joint-collaboration between Magellan Development and Australia-based Lendlease, would top out at 80 stories and 50 stories respectively and be situated right alongside Lake Shore Drive just south of the river.

A third tower is also being discussed that

In case you haven’t noticed, single-family homes in Chicago can be expensive, especially in neighborhoods like Roscoe Village, Lakeview, and of course Lincoln Park. In fact, most move-in ready homes or newly built residences in these and other highly sought-after neighborhoods in Chicago start right around $1 million, and in many instances far exceed that price point.

But as you probably already know, today’s Chicago home buyers are savvy and smart, and they’re also comfortable thinking outside the box and perhaps looking in other parts of the city that provide a much better value in terms of space, livability, and affordability.

Just recently, Chicago Magazine specifically noted Edgewater for being one of these new destinations home buyers are

The West Loop is hands down one of the hottest neighborhoods in Chicago right now. From the announcement of numerous large-scale commercial and residential projects like the new McDonald’s headquarters or Landmark West Loop to overall vibrant atmosphere that basically surrounds ‘Restaurant Row,’ Madison Street, the Fulton Market area, and just about every other nook and cranny in the community, it’s hard to argue against West Loop being one of the top places to call home in the city. 

But with the entire West Loop real estate market blowing up in recent months, inventory continues to dwindle, and home, condo, and loft prices also continue to rise. Finding and securing just about anything in the neighborhood is tough right now, and especially on the

By now, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve heard the narrative—new construction rentals and apartments continue to be delivered all throughout downtown Chicago, and just when we think there might be somewhat of a slowdown on the development side of things, another large-scale project is announced. 

If you take a closer look at the downtown Chicago apartment market right now, dozens of highly-attractive options and opportunities are available inside of some of the highest-profile projects to just recently be completed. 

Among some of the more dynamic new construction apartment towers currently renting are Landmark West Loop, Exhibit on Superior, and the fabulous 1333 S. Wabash building down in Chicago’s rapidly changing South Loop neighborhood. 

Earlier today, Crain’s Chicago unveiled a series of spectacular new renderings of what could take over what’s essentially one of the last undeveloped parcels in all of River North. 

Officially located at 443 N. Wabash, the owners of the existing Shops at North Bridge shopping mall appear to be floating around an idea that would essentially involve adding a fairly complex network of elevated pedestrian bridges that would connect the existing shopping mall to a new proposed tower that could possibly include additional retail space, residential space, and maybe even a hotel, according to reports. 

Macerich, a real estate investment trust that currently owns the Shops at North Bridge along with 48 other shopping centers, originally bought the Shops at

The downtown Chicago area has seen a whole lot of new development reshape both the city’s landscape and its distinguished skyline in recent years, and now with 2017 already half over, which almost seems hard to believe, there seems to be no sign of a slowdown coming anytime soon, especially as the Chicago Tribune just reminded us of how many large-scale projects are still currently in the works. 

According to the piece, Chicago has at least 10 developments that will cost $1 billion or more to finish, which are either already under construction or at the very least in the final planning stages before development can officially begin. And while the roster of these mega-projects of course vary in terms of eventual use, here’s a quick look at what to

Chicago tends to get a lot of high praise for its vibe and general summertime atmosphere, and for good reason. The breeze coming off the lakefront feels great in June, July, and August, and the summer season also means it’s patio season here in the Windy City, which most of us take full advantage of whenever possible. 

For dog owners living in Chicago, finding a great outdoor patio that’s also dog-friendly is essential, and lucky for both you and your four-legged buddy, there are plenty to choose from. Just recently, Eater Chicago unveiled a fabulous list of 60 dog-friendly patios in the city, but we’ll highlight several of our favorites below for you to use as sort of a Cliff Notes version:

Patio at Café Brauer

Thanks to the Patio at Café

As of mid-April, 52 high-rise developments were under construction in the city of Chicago, which is up by 8 projects since January alone. Chicago’s latest construction boom is among the strongest in the country right now, and it’s also tops in the U.S. when it comes to residential high-rise construction. And considering that a number of high-profile developments like 150 N. Riverside, The Hudson, and Wolf Point West were just recently completed and aren’t even featured on this list, what’s currently happening right now in Chicago from a new construction standpoint is nothing short of remarkable.

Along with thousands of new apartment residences, luxury hotel rooms and plenty of commercial office space is being added to the downtown landscape