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Chestnut Place is a 280-unit, 30-story apartment tower in the Gold Coast / River North neighborhood on Chicago’s Near North Side.
Chestnut Place was completed in 1982. The building has a very distinctive look. Two stories of darker brick define its base, and shades of lighter-colored brick alternate on the upper floors along with alternating window placements. The serrated façade results in all of the building’s units being, in effect, corner units.
Eugene Callahan was the developer and Weese, Seegers, Hickey, Weese (which became Weese Langley Weese) was the architecture firm.
The building recently changed ownership and renovation of common areas and apartments is underway.
The apartments
Chestnut Place has a mix of convertible, one- and two-bedroom, bath-and-a-half apartments.
Floor plans and near real-time availability info are accessible online.
Updated kitchens are all-electric and include stainless steel appliance packages with dishwashers and built-in microwaves. Living areas in updated units have wood-look floors.
Two-bedroom units have side-by-side bedrooms rather than the more popular split-bedroom plan.
Closet space compares favorably with what’s available in the newer buildings.
None of the units have balconies or in-unit washer / dryers. Air-conditioning is via through-the-wall units.
Views. The building has good skyline views to the south from almost all of the units.
Amenities, services, policies
Chestnut Place has limited amenities relative to the newest buildings and its rents, as a result, are lower.
The building has a small outdoor patio with grills, a sundeck, a party room with kitchen, a fitness room, a large laundry room and an on-site dry cleaners. Bicycle and resident storage spaces are available.
Covered and uncovered parking is available in an on-site garage.
Chestnut Place is smoke-free. Management, leasing and maintenance staff are on-site, and the building has 24/7 door staff. The building is pet-friendly, subject to limits.
The location
The building has an excellent River North location, a few short blocks from the Gold Coast.
Loyola University’s Water Tower campus is two blocks from the property and Loyola’s new Quinlan School of Business is under construction almost across the street from the building. Northwestern and Lurie Children’s hospitals are a short walk further east.
Shopping. Residents of Chestnut Place enjoy very convenient access to grocery shopping.
There’s a locally-owned Potash Markets across the street. Four short blocks south is what Whole Foods bills as its “Gold Coast store” despite its River North location.
A number of convenience stores are nearby and Jewel, Plum Market and a new Target are not far away, as are a number of Walgreens and CVS pharmacies.
There are five Starbucks within about a two-minute walk of Chestnut Place, two of which are just steps from the building.
The 900 North Michigan shops, anchored by Bloomingdale’s, Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile shops, and Water Tower Place are just to the east. Oak Street boutiques are a few blocks to the north.
Dining, nightlife. A block east of the building you’ll see Connors Park, which hosts a new Argo Tea.
Just beyond Argo is McCormick & Schmick’s on Chestnut.
Head a few short blocks north on State St and you’re in one of the most vibrant restaurant clusters in Chicago – the so-called Viagra Triangle. Locals just call it “the triangle,” after the shape of Mariano Park.
Just past Mariano Park, from whose shape the triangle derives its moniker, is the storied Division Street strip, home to Mothers, the legendary Butch McGuire’s and more than a dozen other establishments.
If you head south from Chestnut Place you’ll pass a pleasant strip along Chicago Ave before encountering the thriving River North restaurant and nightlife scene.
Parks, recreation. Residents of Chestnut Place have good access to parks and recreational opportunities.
Washington Square Park is a tranquil oasis a short block west of Chestnut Place.
Lake Shore Park, which has a running track, softball fields, tennis courts, a playground and a small field house, is a few blocks east of the building.
The popular Oak Street Beach is within walking distance.
Transportation. Public transportation is excellent.
The CTA Red Line stop at Chicago Ave is just over a block south of Chestnut Place.
A variety of CTA bus routes traverse State St, LaSalle St, Michigan Ave and Chicago Ave, steps from the property.
The location has fairly quick access to I-90/94 and the city’s expressway grid via the Ontario St / Ohio St on / off ramps.
Enterprise car rental is on-site and Zipcar locations are nearby. Taxi service is available 24/7.
The competition
You’ll find additional options at YoChicago’s comprehensive River North apartment guide.
Rentals are typically available in a number of nearby condo buildings, sometimes at lower rents than in the managed apartment buildings.
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Note: Chestnut Place is a YoChicago advertiser.