Chicago Real Estate News & Neighborhood Notes

With more than 3,800 new construction rentals expected to be delivered over the course of 2015, it’s safe to say Chicago’s luxury apartment market is as healthy as ever. Last year, super luxury rental buildings like 111 W. Wacker and 73 E. Lake were welcomed to the Loop market alone, while just one year prior, Streeterville added one of the most impressive lakefront buildings we’ve seen in years at 500 N. Lake Shore Drive.

Regardless of all the new construction however, downtown Chicago is still loaded with an array of lavish apartment units in buildings that, while may not be the newest to hit the market, are still as luxurious as anything you’ll find in the city.

Trump Tower will almost always have a condo for rent that’s in the five-figure range,

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Despite 111 W. Wacker just opening last year, one of Chicago’s newest and most luxurious rental buildings already has a new owner. According to recent reports from the Wall Street Journal, Heitman, a Chicago-based global real estate investment firm, has purchased the 59-story, 504-unit building at 111 West Wacker from its original developer, Related Midwest, for a mind-blowing $328.2 million—or more than $650,000 per unit.

To date, the reported transaction is the highest price ever paid per unit for an apartment building in Chicago that houses over 50 individual units, and it’s a clear-cut sign to many that the luxury market is alive and well here in the heart of downtown Chicago.

Apartments for rent inside 111 W. Wacker typically range from $1,700 to

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In case you haven’t noticed, it seems the second we welcomed in 2015, winter, at least as Chicagoans know it, also settled in around the area—which for most of us, certainly isn't an ideal way to kick off what’s sure to be an exciting year ahead (we're already dreaming of living in a Florida condo)!

Moving during any time of the year isn’t exactly fun, but moving during the cold season is about as unpleasant as it gets here in the Windy City. If you were lucky enough to get your move out of the way last month, you definitely lucked out, as it seemed to be one of the most mild Decembers any of us can remember.

On the other hand, if you're still facing a move sometime in the coming weeks, you’re likely in for  a much tougher experience. But like

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Whether you’re just visiting Chicago for all the New Year’s Eve festivities or happen to live here full time, what better way to kick off your 2015 than with a delicious brunch after a long, fun, and eventful night of partying?

There are few things Chicagoans like more than a solid brunch on a Saturday or Sunday morning, or in this case Thursday, and if you’re going to be in or around the downtown area looking for a great spot to satisfy that mid-morning appetite, here are a few places that top our list for the best brunch in town:

Howells & Hood | Streeterville

Happening from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. is the Howells & Hood New Year’s Day Hangover Brunch. $29 per person will get you unlimited access to a limited edition menu, an omelet bar, charcuterie, and

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Believe it or not, it's been nearly 6 months since we first heard about a possible new development coming to Chicago's New Eastside neighborhood, but this past week, chatter about what could very well change Chicago's skyline has started to pick back up, and what's being said is rather excitng on a number of different levels.

Back in July, details were still a little hazy about what could become the Windy City's 3rd tallest building, but as the Chicago Triune reported yesterday, plans for this massive new downtown high-rise, now being called Wanda Vista, are starting to become a bit more focused.

The developers behind the project, The Wanda Group and Chicago-based Magellan Development Group, certainly have an ambitious plan for the New Eastside site,

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Exciting news reported from Crain’s Chicago today about sales finally getting under way next month at an impressive 41-unit condo conversion over at a River North industrial building.  

The property, located at 678 N. Kingsbury, is part of a project that will involve developing six brand new penthouse condos, wrapping the existing structure in a chic glass facade, and constructing brand new units in both the existing building and also in a brand new structure that will be located on an adjacent parking lot that's currently there now.

Got all that?

We know, it might sound confusing, but the rendering above should help answer what questions you may have.

Being called The Ronsley, this trendy new condo development will command prices that are reportedly

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When thinking about premier condo buildings in Chicago's New Eastside neighborhood, many would put The Chandler, located at 450 E. Waterside, somewhere near the top of the list. Standing 36 stories high and situated right at the mouth of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan, water views here are about as spectacular as any building in all of downtown Chicago. But along with that, interior finishes inside most condos for sale at The Chandler are quite impressive in their own right, and none are more representative of that than unit number #1206.

Striking Brazillian cherry hardwood flooring, granite counters, a custom backsplash, and a spacious marble bath highlight what's features inside 450 E. Waterside #1206, but above all, its being able to call The

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It's that time of year again when shopping dominates much of our free time, and for many of us, the holiday season is all about spending time with friends and family, and enjoying the many holiday customs that coincide with this special time of year, which certainly includes joyous act of gift-giving!  

Because we happen to live in a city that's renowned for its premier shopping districts and destinations, finding the right gift for that special someone is rarely a problem. However, with so many different options to choose from, navigating Chicago's shopping scene can be quite overwhelming, especially during this time of year. So to help plan for all your holiday shopping this year, here's a look at which Gold Coast shopping destinations are worth a

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If you think Chicago's recent hotel and development boom might have reached its peak, don't tell that to developer Joseph Mizrachi, who is planning a pretty spectacular high-rise project in the West Loop that will stretch 41 stories high and house both a hotel and 600,000 square feet of office space. The tower, which is being designed by Goettsch Partners and will replace a parking lot at 590 W. Madison, has a pretty sleek design that somewhat coincides with other new hotel developments around Chicago, most notably the Loews Hotel over in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood.  

If approved, Crain's Chicago Business reports construction for the new hotel-office tower could be completed in less two years, which seems to be a pretty lofty goal given its

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Chicago's rapid transit system, most commonly referred to as the "L" (short for "elevated train"), serves around 650,000 passengers on an average weekday, making it the 3rd busiest rapid transit system in the U.S., behind only the New York subway and the Washington D.C. Metro.

Currently, the Chicago "L" system encompasses 145 different stations, and runs over eight individual lines (Red, Blue, Orange, Green, Brown, Yellow, Purple, and Pink), of which none are more frequently used than the lakefront Red Line. But despite the Red Line being the city's most frequently used railway however, it's the Clark/Lake station in the Loop, which isn't a part of the CTA's Red Line, that routinely sees the most traffic, with an average of 20,765 passengers passing

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