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500 West Belmont is a 10-story, 72-unit apartment building at 500 W Belmont St in Chicago’s Lakeview East neighborhood.
The building was completed in 1967. It has a distinctive façade of glazed white brick and blue brick verticals. White brick was little used in Chicago after it had a brief heyday in the years leading up to World War I. The blue brick color is unusual in Chicago where white brick was typically accented by olive green brick.
The apartments
500 West Belmont has a mix of studio and 1-bedroom apartments. Floor plans and near real-time availability are online.
The apartments have updated kitchens and baths, and relatively spacious living / dining areas. Kitchens have gas ranges and built-in microwaves.
All of the apartments have much better than average closet space. One-bedroom apartments have unusually large bedrooms.
Views. Views from the building are limited by its location and the height of surrounding buildings.
Amenities, services, policies
500 West Belmont has a bike room and a laundry room. Reserved covered parking, which is scarce in the area, is available on-site.
Maintenance staff is on-site 24/7.
Cats are welcome; dogs aren’t.
The location
500 West Belmont is in a part of Lakeview East that’s often referred to as Belmont Harbor. The building’s location affords it quick access to the park and Lake Shore Drive.
Shopping. The nearest full-service grocery stores are about a half-mile from 500 West Belmont, but there are several convenience stores closer to the building.
Jewel-Osco and Treasure Island are north on Broadway and Trader Joe’s and Walmart Neighborhood Market locations are about the same distance south. The Walmart has a pharmacy and there’s also a Walgreens at Belmont and Broadway.
There are Marshalls and Bed Bath and Beyond locations in the neighborhood for residents setting up housekeeping. National retail chains, however, are a minor presence in the neighborhood, which draws its dominant character from a variety of locally-owned and quirky smaller shops.
Dining, nightlife, entertainment. In brief – whatever you have a taste for you’ll find in the neighborhood in hyper-abundance.
Walk a block west from 500 West Belmont and head north or south along Broadway and you’re in the center of a lively scene with too many venues to list.
Finding a regular weekend breakfast spot is the first order of dining business for many, and 500 West Belmont residents can head two blocks northwest to Melrose or southwest to Stella’s Diner, a long-time local favorite.
The dense bar and restaurant scene in Wrigleyville is within walking distance.
Neighborhood street festivals and fairs are a great source of entertainment in the summer. Events near 500 West Belmont include – to name a few – Northalsted Market Days, the Lakeview East Festival of the Arts, Wrigleyville Summerfest, SausageFest, the Chicago Marathon and, of course, Pride Week. The websites for the Lakeview Citizens Council and the Lakeview and Lakeview East Chambers of Commerce are a good source to learn about upcoming events.
Parks, recreation. 500 West Belmont residents have convenient access to public parks and recreational activities.
The 1200-acre Lincoln Park, one of the great public spaces in America, is just east of 500 West Belmont.
Lincoln Park has almost every recreational amenity imaginable, from an archery range to a 9-hole golf course to a great free zoo.
Transportation. 500 West Belmont has good access to public transportation.
A variety of CTA bus routes traverse the area, steps from the property.
500 West Belmont residents have a block walk east to the #146 CTA bus (pdf) which runs express to the 900 Shops, anchored by Bloomingdale’s, on Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile, and then on to the Loop. The #156 and #151 buses also stop at the corner east of the building on their way to the Loop. The #77 connects to the CTA Red, Brown and Purple lines and the Blue Line to O’Hare Airport. The #36 bus, a block west of the building, traverses Lincoln Park, the Gold Coast and River North on its way to the Loop.
Lake Shore Drive is a short distance away. Crosstown access to I-90/94 and the city’s expressway grid is inconvenient from this location, and can be especially time-consuming before and after Cubs’ games.
Zipcar car sharing locations and DIVVY bike stations are nearby.
The competition
You’ll find additional options at YoChicago’s Lakeview apartment guide.
Rentals are also typically available in a number of nearby condo buildings, sometimes at lower rents than in the managed apartment buildings.
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