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The 16-story, 250-unit 1225 Old Town at 1225 N Wells St in Old Town, broke ground in April of 2011 and began moving in residents in July of 2012.
The rapid lease-up is easy to understand: 1225 was the first new rental high-rise in the sought-after Old Town neighborhood in decades.
The building includes two levels of parking with space for 235 cars, and more than 30,000 square feet of ground-level retail space occupied by a new Plum Market and Intelligentsia coffee bar.
1225 Old Town restored and retained the ornate terra cotta façade of the original Grossinger Cadillac dealership on the site.
1225’s developer was Hines Interests with JDL Development as a consultant. Lend Lease was the general contractor and Hartshorne Plunkard the architecture firm.
The apartments
The unit mix includes studios, convertibles, 1-, 2- and 3-bedrooms. Most of the units have private balconies. Floor plans, current rents and availability are accessible online.
The apartments have 9-foot ceilings and high-end finishes, including hardwood floors in living areas, quartz kitchen countertops, under-mount sinks, stainless-steel appliances, pendant and track lighting and upgraded fixtures. All of the apartments have in-unit washer / dryers.
The floor plans are efficient. Almost all of the apartments have a generous amount of kitchen cabinet and counter space, and many of them have unexpected touches: well-defined dining areas, linen closets, pantries, oversized stall showers and “tech center” nooks.
Short-term furnished rentals are available through Suite Home Chicago.
Views. Some of the building’s more interesting views are from west-facing apartments overlooking the pedestrian-friendly, architecturally-varied Wells Street scene and looking out over Old Town.
West-facing units also have a decent view toward the southwest and Loop.
Lower-floor units facing east have views that are limited by adjacent buildings, but higher floors have views of the Hancock and Sandburg Village.
Amenities, services, policies
Residents and guests enter a spacious lobby with a comfortable seating area and are greeted by 24/7 door staff. On-site leasing and management staff are adjacent to the lobby.
1225 Old Town has an unusually extensive complement of amenities for a building its size. The building has a rooftop pool and hot tub, a sundeck with stainless steel grills and an ample fitness center.
There’s a resident lounge with a catering kitchen, a business center, a media room and a social lounge.
The building is pet-friendly and has a dog run.
The location
Wells Street north of Division St (1200 N) is one of the most attractive and interesting pedestrian-scale venues in Chicago.
Nearly all of the funky vibe that made the strip a tourist mecca in the 60s and 70s has vanished, but a few traces remain.
Neighborhood festivals, highlighted by the wildly popular Wells Street Art Festival and Old Town Art Fair, add to the location’s area-wide appeal.
Walk Score gives 1225 Old Town’s location a “Walker’s Paradise” score of 98 and an “Excellent Transit” score of 89.
Shopping. Grocery shopping doesn’t get more convenient than having Plum Market, a full-service high-end grocer in your building. Jewel is a few blocks away on Division St, and the original Treasure Island is a few blocks north on Wells St. A new Target is nearing completion several blocks west on Division St. Walgreen’s pharmacies are nearby on Division St and Wells St.
Wells Street is home to an eclectic array of boutiques and other retail establishments. Big-box retailing is available at the nearby Clybourn Corridor, and 1225 Old Town is within walking distance of Oak Street boutiques and Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile shops.
Dining, nightlife. Wells Street is a destination restaurant row, with a wide and growing variety of eating and drinking establishments and outdoor dining along its broad sidewalks. A new Hash Browns Café is opening soon at Division and Wells.
Zanies Comedy Club and The Second City are both a few minutes north on Wells St.
Just east along Division is another strip of bars and restaurants. Head a block south on State St toward Rush St and the dining and nightlife scene intensifies even further.
Parks, recreation.
Oak Street and North Avenue beaches and the best of Chicago’s fabulous Lincoln Park are a short walk from 1225 Old Town.
Ball fields and playgrounds are nearby at Seward Park, at a local elementary school and at Walter Payton College Prep.
Transportation. Public transportation is excellent. The Clark & Division Red Line stop is two short blocks from the building for quick connections to the Loop.
North / south and east / west CTA bus routes are a block from 1225.
Cross-town access to I-90/94 on Division St can be time-consuming, but southbound travelers may save time by heading for the Ontario St on-ramp.
The competition
You might also consider condos for rent in nearby buildings – they’re occasionally available at lower rents than you’ll find in the rental buildings, in part because they don’t offer comparable amenities packages.
You’ll find additional options at YoChicago’s comprehensive Old Town / Near North apartment guide.
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Note: 1225 Old Town is a YoChicago advertiser.