January 2015

With the Super Bowl now just a couple days away, many are still scrambling to put together last minute plans for either hosting a watch party at home, or at one of the many sports bars, taverns, or local watering holes around Chicago.

If you’re not one who likes to entertain or perhaps just prefer to spend Super Bowl Sunday out and about, there’s of course plenty of great spots to choose from in neighborhoods all over the city. In fact, every year around this time we try to feature some of the best places in Chicago to watch the Super Bowl, but this year, we’re going to try something new.

Instead of featuring some of the same old places year in and year out, we thought it might be fun to list some great spots to catch the big game that are a little

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Going strictly off yesterday's Grand Opening, it’s safe to say Streeterville residents are very happy to about the new Whole Foods location at 255 E. Grand Avenue, which now marks the grocery chain’s 20th location here in the Greater Chicago area.

Leading up to the official debut, locals lined the sidewalks waiting to get a first glimpse of the new store, which includes exclusive new features such as a ramen bar and focaccia pizza stations.

Also a part of the new Streeterville Whole Foods is a full bar that opens at 11 a.m. Monday through Thursday, and at 9 a.m. Friday through Sunday; and for all you wine enthusiasts, there’s even a separate wine bar that opens everyday at noon.

The new Whole Foods store at Grand and Columbus takes over a 50,000 square

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With looser lending standards enacted, lower insurance premiums now available, and a ton of pent-up demand among the Millennial generation, first-time home buyers are expected to play a huge role in how active the real estate market will be in 2015, not only in Chicago, but all over the country as well.

If you’re someone who is looking to make the transition from renting to owning sometime over the next 10-12 months, lots of opportunities are currently available in Chicago, especially in the downtown Loop. A location that can provide a close proximity to your workplace, pubic transportation, and many of the amenities and attractions that help make downtown Chicago great, few will argue there’s no better way to experience living downtown than to find a

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Residential lofts aren’t the only thing coming to Chicago’s River East neighborhood, as Pinstripes, Inc. is set to finally introduce their unique indoor/outdoor dining and entertainment venue later this weekend here in the heart of downtown Chicago.

As reported earlier by a number of different media outlets, Northbrook-based Pinstripes has leased 33,000 square-feet of ground- and lower-level space in the iconic River East Plaza—a 109 year-old loft building that’s undergoing a complete overhaul which will also bring 300 luxury apartments to its upper floors as well.

In a neighborhood that’s known for its entertainment, this new bistro, bowling, and bocce concept will be a welcoming addition to an area that’s only steps from Navy Pier, Michigan Avenue,

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It’s been a little while since we’ve checked in on single-family homes currently for sale in River North so we thought we’d take a quick look to see what’s available. Although you might be more likely to find an expensive loft for sale or a high-end condo in any number of lavish high-rise buildings in the area, single-family homes are still a prominent part of the River North real estate market, especially to those with some seriously deep pockets. Even on the low-end, you’d be hard-pressed to find a detached River North home for under $2 million, and most still sell for well over that price point.

Regardless of when you might be searching for a new home, don’t expect to find a whole lot of available inventory. Among all those high-rises, loft

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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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A new restaurant popping up somewhere in Chicago is certainly nothing out of the ordinary. As one of the great culinary cities in the world, having a vast selection of first-rate restaurants and eateries at our disposal is just one of the many advantages to calling the Windy City home, and like years’ past, 2015 looks to be a bright and exciting year for the dining scene all throughout the Chicago area. Just recently, Eater Chicago released their list of the most anticipated openings of 2015, and of the restaurants on that list, here’s what we’re most excited about:

Armour and Swift - 1000 W. Fulton Market

Neighborhood: Fulton Market/West Loop

True to the surrounding neighborhood and its location inside the new 1K Fulton building, the name of

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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 missed it, news about a chic new loft development coming to 678 N. Kingsbury broke earlier last month—a project that would bring 41 ultra-high-end loft condos to the River North market sometime next year.

Now fast forward just over a month later and two of those spectacular loft listings have officially hit the market, giving those who may be potentially interested in owning here a few more details on what to expect from this exciting new downtown Chicago development.

As noted back in December, three of the six penthouse units at 678 N. Kingsbury, also known as The Ronsley, have already been sold prior to the two latest units to become available publicly, and while interior renderings have still not yet been released, here’s what we do know

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