Fletcher Row has already been around for quite a while. Sales manager Jim Nykaza has been working on the project for about eight months, and marketing began at least a year prior to his arrival. (Indeed, looking back through our archives, Yo writers were mentioning the project as early as June 2006.)
Should it come as a surprise then that in that span only two of the 10 units in Phase I have sold and that contracts are being negotiated for two more? Perhaps, but Bluestar Development doesn’t seem to be discouraged by the slow sales. Nykaza says that construction on the 10 units in Phase II will start as soon as he sells a couple more units.
Price points on the remaining three- and four-bedroom townhouses from Phase I are from the $520s to the $890s. The least expensive unit is a 2,179 square-foot three-bedroom / 3.5-bath unit, and the most expensive is a 2,444 square-foot four-bedroom / 3.5-bath unit.
Fletcher Row is really a beautifully designed development, and I believe it’s in a couple of good school districts. However, like many parts of the near-northwest side it suffers from lack of easy access to public transportation. Back when this land was near the Riverview theme park, there were bus and trolley rides along Clybourn Ave. that terminated nearby. But now you have to take either the Western or Belmont bus to an L stop and then transfer to get to downtown. Another glaring example of misguided thinking by the civic powers-that-be some 60 years ago, when they felt that urban areas needed less, not more, rapid transit.
however, assuming you’re going downtown (admittedly a big assumption), you have three separate & decent options in terms of the bus – you could head either way on Belmont to get to the red or blue line stops, or south on Western to the blue line.
I like those odds. I’m betting no more than a 5 minute wait during rush hour before one of those buses comes, although you of course need to be watching pretty attentively to make sure you could cross the street in time if need be.
You could also take Western north to the Brown Line stop at Lawrence. But when I do mention bus/L alternatives for public transportation to prospective home buyers, wow, you should see how their formerly-enthusiastic demeanor changes! You’d think I was asking them to take the scenic route via Timbuktu and the Trans-Siberian Express to get to work!
For way too many home seekers, if they can’t be within a 5-minute walk to a “direct” public trans. stop, the deal’s off. And maybe that’s a factor in the ever-expanding American waistline? 🙂
“You could also take Western north to the Brown Line stop at Lawrence.”
you could, but man, that would double the length of your trip!
“For way too many home seekers, if they can’t be within a 5-minute walk to a “direct” public trans. stop, the deal’s off.”
we said 4 blocks was our limit- it’s not that we don’t mind walking, it’s simply looking at the time savings accumulating over the months & years, combined with a deserved distrust of the bus getting you where you want to go reliably. add to that my desire to not have my wife have to walk too far late at night.
Commuting is actually good..your best bet is belmont bus 2 short blocks away (belmont and western across from police headquartes, how’s that for security?) to Red line .On you way back you could take the purple line to Belmont that has fewer stops. Belmont west to kimball blue is a good alternative if you going to wicker park or even o’hare