Author: phil berger

Dazzling designs: New towers, mid-rises represent the cream of the architectural crop
By Phil Berger
The new millennium has been a good time for residential architecture in Chicago. After decades of banality, dictated either by devel [...]

Not your average upgrade
Does anybody use the phrase “keeping up with the Joneses” anymore? Even if the expression has become a cliché, the concept is still, at the risk of [...]

Character development: South Loop strives for identity as a new neighborhood evolves
Photographs by Michael Kardas
When Jim and Laura Munro moved into their Central Station townhome in 2002, they knew the South Loop would grow, but [...]

Store for rent
A story in this month's New Homes looks at the retail situation in Lakeview, with a focus on how high rents are displacing Mom and Pops with nationa [...]

Your tax dollars at work
The streetscape improvement projects along Lincoln Avenue and Clark Street that we've been watching over the course of the construction season are ju [...]

Apres la deluge
Here's an unexpectedly positive outcome of last week's microburst, which wrought a whole lotta damage on the city's North Side and suburbs. A very l [...]

The look of "new lofts" not impressive – with some exceptions
Among the many failed publications erstwhile ventures undertaken by Yo’s parent over its long publishing history was a large tabloid format periodical [...]

West Loop watch: is one of the city's trendiest neighborhoods growing fast enough?
A neighborhood on the cusp of "emerging" is by now such a familiar notion in real estate that we hardly pay attention when we hear the story.
You a [...]

Comparables: Edgewater
1021 W Bryn Mawr is one of the most recognizable spots in Edgewater. You can't miss it when you go by. The u-shaped building dates from 1907, was desi [...]

Comparables: Edgewater
A 2 year old second floor unit at 6056 N Hermitage is about as good as it gets for newish construction, if that's what you're looking for. It's got 2 [...]

Comparables: Edgewater
You certainly get a lot of space at 1328 W Elmdale, Unit 2E. The 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit in what you would probably call a craftsman style six-flat, re [...]

Comparables: Edgewater
Edgewater has been "on the cusp" for years now, although certain parts still feel creepy.
The commercial strip near the Bryn Mawr el stop, particularl [...]

Comparables: Lincoln Park for $500K, Pt 3
"Stackable" buildings became ubiquitous on the north side in the mid-1990s the way four-plus-ones did in the 1960s, and although they don't represent [...]

Comparables: Lincoln Park for $500K — Pt 2
Here we go again, subverting acceptable notions of neighborhood boundaries simply to suit our selfish purposes. But this unit in the Picardy Place s [...]

Comparables: Lincoln Park for 500K, Pt 1
In the spirit of upholding its sterling reputation for service journalism, Yo wants to give you an idea of what your real estate dollar is worth. [Les [...]

North Shore health care: a new perspective
If for any reason you find yourself being admitted to Evanston Hospital, here's a tip: make sure you get yourself checked in to a room on 5 North, b [...]
![Reconsidering neo-traditional. Again [and probably not for the last time]. Reconsidering neo-traditional. Again [and probably not for the last time].](https://yochicago.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/YoChicagoDefaultPostThumbnail.jpg)
Reconsidering neo-traditional. Again [and probably not for the last time].
As much as Yo has railed against knee-jerk historically referenced design, we are forced to admit that modernism isn't for everybody who lusts after [...]
Preservation crisis on Stratford: the expanded version
At YoChicago, we take pride in being on top of things, even if we don't necessarily cover every angle of a story. Yo, after all, is a blog, and one of [...]
Marketing genius: a quiz
Many of those who read and contribute here will get a giggle from checking out this test offered last week by Daily Dose of Architecture, which measur [...]

Waiting for the wrecker's ball, or maybe not
As reported here mere moments ago [at Yo, great minds are obviously on the same wavelength], you can find real-life examples of a famous New Yorker [...]