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Spoke consists of 14- and 15-story towers with a total of 363 apartments and ground-floor retail space. Spoke welcomed its first residents in the fall of 2017.
Bond Companies was the developer and FitzGerald Associates was the architecture firm.
The apartments
Spoke offers studio, convertible, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, 2-bath apartments, and 3-bedroom townhomes with attached garages. Floor plans and near real-time rent and availability info are online.
The apartments have plank flooring throughout, high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and in-unit washer / dryers. Some of the units have balconies.
Kitchens and baths have upscale finishes. Kitchens have quartz counters, tile backsplashes, and a stainless-steel appliance package includes a gas range, dishwasher and built-in microwave.
Views. Spoke has dramatic panoramic views of the skyline to the south and east.
All residents and their guests can enjoy the views from the rooftop deck of the south tower, which has an adjacent lounge and kitchen.
Amenities, services, policies
Spoke has an unusually extensive suite of amenities for a community its size.
There’s a sprawling landscaped deck that spans the two towers. The deck has a pool, grilling areas, a whirlpool with a skyline view to the east, multipe lounging areas and a bocce ball court.
Fitness facilities include a wide variety of fitness and strength-training equipment, a separate yoga studio, and a lobby-level “cycling studio” with Peloton bikes.
The “family room” has a 12-seat farmhouse table, a double-sided fireplace, and direct access to the outdoor decks.
“The Venue” features a performance stage with professional lighting, a custom sound system, a bar and four flat-screen TVs.
There are additional lounging areas in the south and north tower lobbies.
Spoke has a pet spa adjacent to a sheltered dog run. There’s also an interactive game room, a sound recording studio, and a business center with a conference room.
There are Pressbox dry cleaning and LuxerOne package delivery lockers adjacent to the lobby.
Spoke has on-site management, maintenance and leasing staff, and 24/7 door staff.
The location
River West is a predominantly residential neighborhood.
Spoke is in a largely commercial pocket and has good access to public transit and nearby restaurants and nightlife.
Shopping. The nearest full-service grocery stores are a Jewel-Osco nearly three-quarters of a mile southeast of Spoke, and a Target nearly a mile northeast on Division St.
A CVS Pharmacy is steps away on Chicago Ave. Retail shopping is virtually non-existent near the building. Clybourn Corridor, Michigan Avenue and Wicker Park / Bucktown shops can be reached fairly quickly by buses along Halsted St, Chicago Ave, and Milwaukee Ave, respectively. The CTA Blue Line affords rapid access to State Street shops.
Dining, nightlife. There’s a good selection of bars and restaurants with a distinctive character within a short walk of Spoke.
The Matchbox on Milwaukee Ave speculates that it might be “the smallest tavern in Chicago.” The adjacent Silver Palm diner is open seasonally in an original railroad dining car.
A few blocks southeast of Spoke there’s a fun cluster of bars and restaurants near the intersection of Grand Ave and Halsted St, including Duran, Iguana, Emmit’s, Richard’s Bar, La Scarola, The Dawson and Piccolo Sogno.
The numberless dining and nightlife venues in River North and the West Loop are a short bike, cab, Uber or bus ride from Spoke.
Parks, recreation. Spoke has limited access to public parks and outdoor recreation opportunities.
Eckhardt Park, the nearest public park of any size, is half a mile west of Spoke.
Transportation. Spoke has excellent access to public transportation.
Spoke is a short block from the Chicago Ave Blue Line station, which also has multiple CTA bus route connections.
The Blue Line provides direct access to the Loop, O’Hare Airport and west-suburban Oak Park and Forest Park.
Spoke has quick access onto I-90/94 for north and westbound travelers, but less convenient access south and eastbound.
Bike lanes along Milwaukee Ave, the “hipster highway,” provide quick access to River North, the Loop, Wicker Park and Bucktown.
Zipcar locations and ride-sharing services are readily available.
The competition
You’ll find additional options at YoChicago’s comprehensive Fulton River District / River West apartment guide.
Note: Spoke is a YoChicago advertiser.