Chicago Real Estate News & Neighborhood Notes

If you think you’re limited to just downtown Chicago when it comes to ultra-luxury condos, think again.

Just recently, Curbed Chicago highlighted one of the most impressive condos we’ve seen hit the market in quite some time, and that includes downtown and beyond.

Housed inside the 11-unit development that took the place of the old Wonder Bread Factory in Lincoln Park, the unit is a huge four-bedroom, four-bathroom condo that was originally purchased for $1.6 million back in 2014, but has since been modified with $265,000 worth of designed upgrades that are absolutely jaw-dropping.

Inside you’ll find a magazine-worthy kitchen, a dramatic main living room with a huge fireplace and a spectacular gold ceiling, and roomy bedrooms with ample closet

A long-time Chicago drag club is shuttering, according to recent reports. The Baton Show Lounge on Clark Street in Chicago’s lively River North neighborhood will end its 50-year run due to rising rent prices.

The good news for fans of the club, however, is that they’re already planning a new location up on the city’s north side.

As alluded to above, Baton Show Lounge first opened its doors all the way back in 1969 and has been a River North mainstay ever since.

Their new home will soon be at 4707 N. Broadway in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, which will also soon have a totally revamped theatre.

The luxurious new Chestnut Row Homes are now officially move-in ready, wrapping up what was reportedly a four year development process. Designed by Chicago-based Booth Hansen Architects, the impressive collection of seven Italianate-style row homes are located at the southwest corner of Clark and Chestnut, putting eventual residents right in the heart of Chicago’s desirable Gold Coast neighborhood.  

Each residence features a traditional, limestone exterior, allowing the project as a whole to blend in perfectly with all the historic Gold Coast architecture that’s so prominent throughout the neighborhood. 

Inside, each Chestnut Row Home offers spectacular finishes throughout, including rich walnut flooring, ornate fireplaces, spa-quality bathrooms,

It’s hard to deny that 2018 has been somewhat of a strange year for the housing market. In the beginning, home prices were trending upward in a big way, mortgage rates were still at historically low levels, and home sales were quite strong in just about every single housing category.

In recent months, however, home price growth has leveled off a bit for the time being, mortgage rates have now reached their highest level in almost 8 years, and we’ve essentially now shifted towards a buyers’ market.

So what does all this mean for 2019? Well, according to a recent article in Forbes, here’s how things may look for most of next year.

Mortgage Rates Will Still Increase

Although rates are still lower than they were during most of the recession, it still

If you're looking for a lavish and luxurious living space but also tired of browsing the same old listings, here are 3 ultra high-end condo towers that feature a penthouse unit that JUST hit the market. 

The Fordham 

Enjoy sweeping 360-degree views of the city, with a penthouse that just hit the market at The Fordham. This spectacular property offers nearly 6,500 square feet of living space, including a chef’s kitchen, a massive master suite, a private garage and two oversized terraces. 

The Legacy

Just as incredible, spectacular views overlooking Lake Michigan, Michigan Avenue and Millennium Park can be found at The Legacy. A newly listed penthouse unit in the building offers a new buyer the exclusivity of an entire full floor of living

With Amazon not choosing Chicago for its H2Q location, Sterling Bay has made some significant changes to its proposed Lincoln Yards megadevelopment in hopes of easing widespread concerns from the community regarding the mammoth size of the project. 

According to new reports from both Crain’s and the Tribune, the new Lincoln Yards proposal features fewer high-rises and a lot more open green space, which is something many throughout the surrounding community originally wanted when the project was first announced.  

Specifically, the new plan now has two fewer buildings and the max height for any tower in Lincoln Yards has been dropped from 70 stories and nearly 800 feet to right around 50 stories and 650 feet.  

Despite these changes, concerns over

Aside from the freezing temperatures and snow-covered sidewalks, Downtown Chicago is a great place to be during the festive holiday season. Countless bars and restaurants around the city serve up some delicious seasonal drinks and cocktails, the long list of theaters all throughout Chicago all have their holiday shows playing right now, and let’s be honest—who doesn’t love to go ice skating in Millennium Park at least once during this time of the year? 

As most Chicagoans know, there’s hardly a shortage of things to see and do during the holiday season. But with everyone’s schedule also being just a little busier over the next several weeks, we also know it’s hard to squeeze in everything. And with that in mind, here’s a quick look at just a few of our

There are plenty of amenities and attractions throughout Downtown Chicago that apartment hunters would love to be within walking distance from and Millennium Park for many is near the top of that list.

Along with all the year-round events and festivals that happen around Millennium Park, living nearby also means you’ll be just blocks from Chicago’s lively theatre district, the recently re-vamped Riverwalk, and some of the Windy City’s coolest bars and restaurants, like Cindy’s Rooftop, Tavern at the Park, and The Gage just to name a few.

So if you’re planning to be in the market for a new luxury apartment and living near Millennium Park sounds like the right place for you, take a closer look a 3 of the hottest apartment buildings you’ll find nearby.

Just how long will downtown Chicago’s red hot apartment market last? It’s a question many of us continue to wonder, and one that we may have an answer to sooner rather than later.

Although demand for apartments is still strong thanks to downtown’s strong job growth in recent years, another increase in new construction apartment deliveries could result in oversupply in 2019 and beyond.

According to figures recently revealed in Crain’s Chicago Business, 4,400 new apartments are expected to wrap-up construction next year, and another 4,000 new units will also be finished in 2020 as well.

The good news, at least for now, is that with fewer apartments being built in 2018, there was at least some supply relief over the past 12 months, and the Class A apartment

With the Thanksgiving holiday nearly upon us, food, family, and football is obviously on the brain to kick off the short work week. For some, there’s nothing quite like hosting a Thanksgiving feast, especially if you have the kind of kitchen needed to really do things right. And while images of a sprawling kitchen found inside a charming suburban home might first come to mind while dreaming of the perfect Thanksgiving setup, a number of luxury condo buildings right here in the city also feature kitchens perfectly equipped to entertain. We explore several below….

Trump Tower

If you’re wanting to host a Thanksgiving dinner party right in the heart of downtown, providing guests with some of the best views of any condo building in the city will