If you’ve been trolling the blocks south of Belmont and east of Halsted in search of condos for sale, you may have stumbled across 639 W Briar (pictured), marketed by The Halpin Group, and 3156 N Cambridge, marketed by Koenig & Strey GMAC. These developments have a lot in common: both offer new construction in Lake View, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, front and rear decks, in-unit laundry, granite countertops and a parking space.
The condos on Briar are a tad smaller – 1,650 square feet compared to 2,000 square feet on Cambridge. They’re also a bit less expensive, starting in the $620s while the units at Briar start in the $650s. And they’re both on residential streets, although 3156 N Cambridge backs up to commercial buildings that stretch along Broadway Avenue.
If we had more than six hundred grand to burn on a condo in Lake View, we’d lean toward 639 W Briar for the simple reason that its brick-enclosed front decks look big enough for a family gathering or a summer barbecue – a place you’d want to sit on summer nights to feel the breeze coming off the lake.