Airy, Updated Brick Bungalow Steps From Logan Boulevard Asks $529K
It's not a complete rehab or renovation job, but this house's transformation has begun and it's now looking for a new owner who will complete the project. Located on Talman Avenue, this old brick bungalow is just steps from the grassy boulevard system that runs through the Logan Square neighborhood. While it's nice to be close to Logan Boulevard and the new Logan Square dog park, it's also right next to 90/94, so there's going to be an ever-present white noise in the background from the thousands of vehicles passing through at any given moment. The basement is partially finished, but could generate some Airbnb or garden rental income if completed. It's just hit the market asking $529,000.
Rent This Really Neat Furnished Pilsen Loft for $1,750
If you're relocating to Chicago or just need a place to live for a few months, this loft space in Pilsen may be worth a look. The 2,000-square-foot loft comes furnished and according to the listing, the landlord is looking for someone who is seeking a short term lease. It's located on the southwest edge of the neighborhood, just a 10 minute walk from the Western Pink Line station. It does also come with some nice extras, including a jacuzzi tub and a rooftop deck space. The ceilings on loft's second level look to hang pretty low, so this may not be the best spot for really tall folks. You'll also have to find a place for Fido and Whiskers to crash, as dogs and cats aren't allowed.
Which Restaurant Decor Trends Are Now Total Clichés?
Is it time to retire Edison bulbs, reclaimed wood, communal tables, stools as seating, and other restaurant decor trends seen here? Photo © W Dallas via Flickr.
We need to talk about contemporary restaurant interiors. In cities from New York to Austin to Los Angeles, trends in food—especially the farm-to-table movement and other locavore, organic, and artisanal menu offerings—have encouraged an ironically bland sameness in restaurant interior design (think long, "communal" tables and benches, and reclaimed wood galore). To add insult to injury, as this fantastic piece by Eater critic Robert Sietsema charting the decline of restaurant comfortability points out, restaurants just aren't as hospitable as they once were. The goal of many restaurants—especially ones in the mid to lower end of the spectrum—seems to just be getting diners in and out. Certain decor choices serve as effective means to that end.
Raw, Minimalist Two Bed at the Contemporaine Seeks $815K
Looking for a raw concrete and glass two bedroom condo in the heart of River North? Here's a two bedroom, two and a half bathroom unit on the eighth floor of the Contemporaine that has hit the market asking $815,000. The listing agent says that the unit has been "highly upgraded" and indeed, it does have a kitchen that has been filled with some newer high-end appliances. There's also a huge walk-in closet with plenty of room for your shoe collection. While the "raw" aesthetic is intentional, the walls may feel a little too bare for some. It doesn't technically count as a loft, even though it's going for that industrial loft aesthetic. The unit last sold in 2013 for $770,000 and the current owner is looking to recoup some of their investment in updated the place.
A Look at the New Luxury Condo Tower Planned for River North
[HPA]
River North's latest development proposal was unveiled last night to a packed house at the Godfrey Hotel. The property located at 300 West Huron Street, adjacent to Franklin Street and the elevated tracks of the Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) Brown and Purple Lines, is currently being used as a surface parking lot.
The proposal comes from JFJ Development and features 71 luxury condominiums and 71 parking stalls in a modern 24-story tower drawn up by Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture. HPA has been quite busy with local work in the latest round of development proposals including a 54 story apartment tower next to the Essex Inn at 800 South Michigan Avenue the nearby soon to be underway 22 story tower that will replace the Ed Debevic's restaurant. JFJ and HPA have previously partnered on four other developments, including three nearby buildings on Superior Street located at 101, 110 and 150 West Superior as well as the Harper Court project in Hyde Park.
What if Frank Lloyd Wright Designed the CTA's Transit Map?
Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie flair is reflected in everything he did. From his architectural drawings to the way he signed his name, Wright's style is certainly unique and identifiable. And while the famous architect wasn't a cartographer, it wouldn't have been too surprising to see Wright dabble in the art of map making. Author, map enthusiast and transit design historian Mark Ovenden was recently in Chicago to discuss the Chicago transit, CTA design and the latest edition of his Transit Maps of The World book. Another item he presented was this map of the CTA rail system in the style of Frank Lloyd Wright. Designed by British cartographer Maxwell Roberts, the map is of the same CTA system we're all familiar with, but reimagined in the style of Wright's Prairie School. The map is bordered with a design that harkens to Wright's art glass designs, while the font is composed of letters that may have been found on a building designed by Wright. Roberts is no stranger to Chicago's transit system, and has designed other CTA maps that try to make the system easier to navigate. This particular design does make things a little more complicated, but it's sure nice to look at.
The Five Most Expensive Listings in the South Loop Right Now
The South Loop neighborhood is on track to gain several thousand new rental units and hundreds of new hotel rooms if the plethora of new projects proposed this year make it off the ground. Few neighborhoods can compete with the number of notable projects that South Loop has gained just this year alone. Two very tall towers from noted architects have been proposed for the neighborhood, as well as some other major attractions like the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and the under-construction McCormick Place Entertainment District. Much of the neighborhood's current high-end housing stock was built during the last boom which ended abruptly in 2008. And perhaps unsurprisingly, four of the neighborhood's priciest units are at One Museum Park. Here's a quick snapshot at what's available in the South Loop's high-end housing inventory.
What It's Like to Live in a Frank Lloyd Wright Home
Kim Bixler (right) and a childhood friend outside the Wright-designed Edward E. Boynton home in Rochester, New York. Image via Kim Bixler.
"Some people restore classic cars, I happened to restore an old home."
Frank Lloyd Wright designed more than 500 completed buildings, forming a canon of architecture that few can match. Even if one judged his legacy solely on his private residences and commissions in Oak Park and Chicago, Illinois, it would still be a one worth elevating. But there's a lot more to Wright's architecture than touring the homes turned museums that have become icons and tourist draws. Literally hundreds of Wright's designs are still in private hands, and the current owners experience aspects of these unique buildings that docent-led tours can't showcase: repair, renovation, upkeep, and even the occasional die-hard architecture fan knocking on the front door all make the experience of living in a Wright home different than the norm. Curbed spoke with owners of a half-dozen Wright homes to learn what it's like to live inside one of the architect's designs.
The Tallest New Building in Oak Park Tops Out at 20 Stories
[Photos: Harry Carmichael]
At Lake Street and Forest Avenue in suburban Oak Park, the village's newest high-rise has topped out at its final height of 20 stories. Known as Vantage, the new tower has acquired the title of the tallest building in town by floor count, taking the crown from Mills Park Tower, a brutalist 19-story building to the south of downtown which has held the title since 1975. The new tower is one more piece of the puzzle being put together over the last decade and a half that is reshaping and reinvigorating downtown Oak Park. Just two blocks to the southwest, another 20 story tower will soon rise on a surface parking lot adjacent to the combined CTA and Metra station, and across the tracks. Meanwhile, another building that is expected to stand at 12 stories is planned for Chicago's next door neighbor.
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Oprah Finally Ditches Her Massive Water Tower Place Condo
After nearly two years on the market, Oprah Winfrey's massive 9,600-square-foot condo along the Magnificent Mile has finally found a new owner. According to Crain's, the Water Tower Place condo sold on November 13 for $4.65 million—about 40% below the original asking price of $7.75 million. The large condo located on the building's 56th and 57th floors grew over the years as Oprah acquired and then combined four separate units throughout the mid-'80s through early-'90s. It's no shocked that Oprah has ditched this particular property, as the media mogul has been cutting ties with her Chicago propertiesover the last few years.
Chicago Collections Consortium Compiles Moments of the Auditorium Building
[images Chicago Collections]
The Chicago Collections is a testament to the power of working together, especially when you're a consortium of 21 libraries, museums, and other grand cultural institutions with archives that can tell the history and culture of Chicago powerfully in a way that no single organization can. Their site of
In the holiday season, it's a time of togetherness, reflection, community, and celebration. And that's just what the photos within the site do. For the moment, we'll look at that through the lens of the Chicago Auditorium.
Go Ice Skating Around Maggie Daley Park With This Video
There are now a handful of places to go ice skating across the city, but perhaps none can top the skating ribbon at Maggie Daley Park. The park had its inaugural opening last winter, and skating officially reopened at the park a couple of weeks ago. Photographer and Youtuber Ian W. Arsenault returned to the skating ribbon at Maggie Daley Park to film yet another pleasant video of the season's first skate. Note the people wearing t-shirts — it was actually quite warm for a weekend in November. For those looking to participate, admission is free and skate rentals are $12.
Jeanne Gang Talks Police Stations at Architecture Biennial
[image by Iwan Baan via CAB]
The inaugural Chicago Architecture Biennial (CAB), as North America's largest international survey, aims to show the most interesting happenings in contemporary architecture and place making. And the people who make it happen, like Jeanne Gang.
"Architecture is such a great reflection of what culture is doing," says Gang, founding Principal of world-renowned architecture firm Studio Gang. Most people would know the work she's been responsible for, including the Wanda Vista Tower, the billion dollar statuesque structure that will stand 1100 feet and about 95 stories tall. Its three towers of47, 71 and 93 stories, with undulating waves of glass in six shades of blue-green Solarban, and one shade of gray Solarcool. When its built in 2020, it will be the third tallest building in Chicago, and the tallest structure in the world designed by a woman.
Curbed Gift Guide: 193 Ideas for Everyone On Your List
For Curbed's very first holiday gift guide, the editors sought to round up interesting gifts for all the interesting characters in your life. Architecture-loving child? Check! Dog-obsessed neighbor? Check! Sister with a burgeoning green thumb? Check, check, check. With nearly 200 ideas spanning tech, toys, textiles, books, and more, these gift guides should provide endless inspiration for everyone you might be shopping for this holiday season.
Rehabbed Brick Two-Flat in Albany Park Seeks $460,000
[Photos: VHT Studios]
How much would you pay for a rehabbed condo in a vintage building? Would it be in the $300,000 range? Maybe the $400,000 range? Here's an old brick two-flat in Albany Park that has been completely rehabbed and has hit the market asking $460,000. The renovation job is nothing mind-blowing, but the place is clean and non offensive. Everything is pretty much on-trend as far as finishes go: cool colors, colored tile backsplash, dark stained hardwood floors, quartz countertops, and so forth. One of the biggest drawbacks is that the building doesn't have a backyard space. However, there is a park just a couple doors down. What would you pay for a place like this? Do you think it's priced right?
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