Real estate news & trends
Architecture
The odd structure on the roof of Chestnut Place was, for a period of time, even more odd. From the Art Institute’s oral history of architect Ben Weese: Richard Haas, our second connection with him was to do the lobby of 850 N State, the Chestnut Place apartments. We asked him to paint the penthouse, ...
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Posted by Joe Zekas on June 26, 2014
The 4-bedroom, 3 ½ bath ranch-style home at 2876 Fredric Ct in Glenview is architecturally interesting from end to end, but you’re more likely to be impressed by its comfortable, livable, open and sunny vibe. The home was recently listed for sale at $1,185,000. The home sits on a half-acre on a quiet cul-de-sac. Mature ...
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Posted by sponsored post on June 20, 2014
We have well over 300,000 images on our servers. While I was searching for an image of Vetro, 611 S Wells, I came across the above photo, which was shot from a high floor at the building seven years ago. If you were looking at the same view today you’d notice a very striking addition ...
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Posted by Joe Zekas on June 20, 2014
Since the time of our last visit to 1345 Wabash in the South Loop work has been completed on the concrete pad that will anchor the tower crane that will hoist materials for the 15-story building. 1345 Wabash is the first new condo high-rise to be built in Chicago’s South Loop in nearly 6 years. ...
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Posted by sponsored post on June 17, 2014
If you’ve been paying attention to the market for new condos in the city you’ve doubtless noted that quality infill projects from established developers have been selling out prior to their completion. Ranquist Development’s Flexhouse2, for example, has only three rowhomes still available at 2640 N Ridgeway in Logan Square. One of those units is ...
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Posted by Joe Zekas on June 11, 2014
The Algonquin, 1606 E Hyde Park Blvd in Hyde Park / Kenwood, consists of six 14-story apartment towers with a total of 414 units. The Algonquin was built in 1951 on part of the site of the former Chicago Beach Hotel. Pace Associates designed the Algonquin with the peripheral involvement of Mies van der Rohe. ...
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Posted by Joe Zekas on June 4, 2014
Last August I spent nearly two hours shooting photos and video at what, in deference to the listing agent’s wishes, we referred to in the above video as “the Ben Rose house,” after the name of its original owner. The home, built in 1953, together with an outlying pavilion built in 1974, has been described ...
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Posted by Joe Zekas on May 30, 2014
Rents in top-tier downtown Chicago apartment buildings surged in the first quarter of the year, up 7.6% over the previous quarter, according to a recent Crain’s Chicago Real Estate Daily report. “The market was on fire,” according to a local analyst quoted by Crain’s. There’s a simple way to protect yourself against soaring rents: stop ...
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Posted by sponsored post on May 30, 2014
The forecast is for comfortably warm and sunny weather this weekend, perfect conditions for an early alfresco dinner before Saturday night’s Blackhawks playoff game. Head for the 1300 block of Wabash in the South Loop, where you’ll find four great restaurants with outdoor seating: Gioco, Zapatista, Asian Outpost and Flo & Santos. Whichever restaurant you ...
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Posted by sponsored post on May 23, 2014
Flexhouse2 is edging closer to occupancy for its Phase I rowhomes at 2650 N Ridgeway in Logan Square, and Phase II units are making rapid progress. Ranquist Development and Sedgwick Investments teamed with award-winning ISA Architects to develop the project, which has 15 innovative rowhomes in its first two phases. A furnished model recently opened ...
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Posted by Joe Zekas on May 21, 2014
The pilings that will support the new 15-story condo building at 1345 Wabash are in the ground and the pile-driving crane is being disassembled and readied for removal from the site. The Komatsu excavator toward the right of the photo is working on the base of the tower crane, which is slated to begin rising ...
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Posted by sponsored post on May 20, 2014
Unit 6B at 222 E Chestnut is a 2,400 square foot, 3-bedroom, 2 ½ bath architecturally-interesting condo that has the feel of a single-family home. The public living and private bedroom spaces are entered from a gallery hall with Moorish vaulted ceilings and herringbone parquet floors. Spacious living and dining rooms open from either end ...
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Posted by sponsored post on May 15, 2014
Crain’s Chicago Real Estate Daily is reporting that Related Midwest has selected “renowned New York architect Robert A.M. Stern” to design a high-rise on a site at the southwest corner of Peshtigo Ct and Grand Ave. Crain’s notes that “Mr. Stern’s firm has never designed a high-rise built in Chicago.” The writer makes no mention ...
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Posted by Joe Zekas on May 8, 2014
The South Loop is one of Chicago’s more bike-friendly neighborhoods and Wabash Ave, one of its bike-friendliest streets, is slated to become more so. The bike lanes along Wabash between Cermak Rd (2200 S) and Harrison St (600 S) are “buffer protected.” If you don’t understand that term, click on the aerial view above to ...
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Posted by sponsored post on May 7, 2014
Modernist master Mies van der Rohe designed the Algonquin Apartments, 1606 E Hyde Park Blvd, in the early 1950s. Several years ago the apartments were completely and stylishly renovated. Studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments have wall-to-wall windows, very functional layouts, kitchens with ample cabinet and counter space, granite counters, dishwashers and under-mount sinks. The location ...
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Posted by sponsored post on May 6, 2014
The rapidly-developing retail and restaurant scene along 53rd Street in Hyde Park has North Siders taking a look at a neighborhood they’d never previously considered. Hyde Park’s advantages are well-known: excellent proximity to the lake and parks, a rich mix of architecture, and the cosmopolitan vibe that comes with being home to the University of ...
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Posted by Joe Zekas on May 2, 2014
CMK has a history of creating architecturally distinctive high-rises that are, according to NewCity Design, “a relief from the so-so-ness of neighboring condo buildings.” At 1345 Wabash in the South Loop CMK has once again teamed up with Brininstool + Lynch, an architecture firm “credited with breathing new life into Chicago’s modernist tradition.” A sales ...
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Posted by Joe Zekas on April 29, 2014
Ranquist Development and Sedgwick Investments have teamed with award-winning ISA Architects to develop Flexhouse2. Flexhouse2 rowhomes are modest, efficient, urban, and cool — appealing to sustainable lifestyle choices. Rather than rigidly defined rooms and hallways, the Flexhouse flows, is more open and allows easy adaptation to a variety of uses and lifestyles. The Flexhouse offers ...
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Posted by sponsored post on April 8, 2014
Halsted Flats, the first new full-amenity apartment tower in Lakeview in nearly 30 years, has been renting up rapidly. Higher floors will be available for occupancy shortly, and south-facing 2-bedroom, 2-bath apartments have spectacular panoramic views from Wrigley Field to the downtown skyline. Join us for a brief look at the scene that’s seen from ...
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Posted by sponsored post on April 7, 2014
The just-listed 2-bedroom, 2-bath home at Commonwealth Plaza, 340 W Diversey, is billed as a “Mies masterpiece.” Shall we shorten that to Miesterpiece? The home has undergone a renovation that respects Mies van der Rohe’s spare and timeless architecture. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer north views of the park and lake. A built-in office is a major ...
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Posted by Joe Zekas on April 3, 2014
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