This is the Only Two Bedroom Loft in the West Loop for $300K
If you're looking for a two bedroom condo for $300,000 or less in the West Loop at the moment, then here's your lone option. There's a whole slew of one bedroom, one bathroom units, but there's only one listing on the market at the moment for a two bedroom. It's nothing terribly surprising or particularly special, but for the price, you could do worse. It's got all of the usual makings for a West Loop loft: tall ceilings, exposed brick walls, timber ceilings, etc. However, if you're looking for a parking space, that'll cost you extra. More listings will come online in the next couple of months, but if you're looking to buy right now, your options will be limited.
30 Instagram Accounts We Loved in 2015
2015 was the year of Instagram. The social media platform was a favorite of designers, architects, photographers, florists, glassblowers… the list goes on. We especially loved all of the excellent interior design inspiration to be found on Instagram, from the effervescently bohemian rooms snapped by 'grammers like designer Justina Blakeney and photographer Dabito of the blog OldBrandNew, to the spare, Scandinavian cool of Muuto design manager Nina Bruun or ELLE Decoration Sweden editor Katarina Matsson. Here now, 30 Instagram accounts we loved in 2015 and can't wait to see more of in 2016.
Construction Coming Along on Three New South Loop Towers
[Photos: Harry Carmichael]
The South Loop is poised to transform considerably in the coming years if all of the major tower projects proposed this year end up making it into the sky. However, for the time being, the neighborhood has a steady stream of construction projects keeping things interesting. Apartments are still dominating the South Loop (and most of the downtown area), however, there are some new condos in the pipeline. Here's a quick look at three of the South Loop's newest tower projects.
Will These Frank Lloyd Wright Houses Find a Buyer in 2016?
This year was another big one for the world of Frank Lloyd Wright real estate in the Chicago area. A number of Wright houses listed this year, and a handful even sold. Perhaps the most notable sale was of the George Madison Millard House in Highland Park, which spent four years on the market. The house's owners even had a demolition permit in hand, but fortunately, a buyer stepped up to the plate to ensure that the house would not face the wrecking ball. However, many other Frank Lloyd Wright-designed houses in the Chicago area share a similar narrative. While architecture lovers may say that they dream of living in one of FLW's Prairie School gems, they can go months, and often times, even years before finding a buyer. Here are three notable Wright houses that are seeking a buyer. Will they finally find new owners in the new year?
All CTA Buses and Trains Will Be Free for New Year's Eve
Once again, the CTA will offer free rides on all buses and trains for New Year's Eve. To encourage city residents to leave the car at home and use public transit, the CTA will be offering free rides beginning 10 p.m. on New Year's Eve to 4 a.m. on New Year's Day. Trains and buses will run at the normal weekday schedule on Thursday night, but will operate on the Sunday/Holiday schedule on Friday. Don't worry about having to find a bunch of pennies for NYE, just hop on the bus or train at any point after 10 p.m.
·CTA to Provide Free Train and Bus Rides this New Year's Eve [Chicago Transit Authority]
·CTA to Provide Free Train and Bus Rides this New Year's Eve [Chicago Transit Authority]
Curbed Cup 2015 Finals: The Loop (16) vs. Pullman (10)
And now, the time has come to meet your two 2015 Curbed Cup finalists: The Loop and Pullman. The once sleepy Loop has awoken and has blazed a new trail. The downtown area has long been known for its bustling commercial district but in recent years, it has gained a new reputation as a residential area as well. Make no mistake about it, the Loop is a Chicago neighborhood. There's no other neighborhood that can keep up with the number of new residences that are on their way to the Loop. However, the Pullman neighborhood on the city's far south side has had a huge year. Its historic district has become the first national monument in Chicago and there's even growing support for a full blown national park campus. Pullman also welcomed the first new factory to open on Chicago's south side in three decades. The colorful factory is not only generating much needed revenue for the neighborhood, but it has also set a very high bar for other companies when it comes to being environmentally friendly.
It's been quite a year for the City of Chicago and its 77 community areas. It's now time to crown a 2015 Curbed Cup winner. 2015 will be a year that both Loop and Pullman residents will remember for years to come. The poll for this match will close Thursday night, as midnight hits and the new year begins.
Updated Lincoln Park Two Bedroom Near Lake Seeks $375K
If you just happen to be looking for a house in Chicago at the moment, you may have noticed that the flow of new listings has slowed to a trickle. To put it simply, there's just not a lot of new and exciting stuff to look at right now. While it's nothing terribly special or overwhelming, here is a practical two bedroom, one and a half bath unit on Fullerton not far from the lake. The unit has been totally updated with pretty much everything that is fashionable at the moment: dark hardwood floors, colored tile backsplash, etc. It sold earlier this year for $285,000 but has returned to market, this time asking $375,000. It's in a mid-century modernist highrise so prepare to shell out an extra $814 per month for assessments.
Year in Curbed: The 12 Best Longreads of 2015
Bachman Wilson House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Image copyright Tarantino Studio; courtesy Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas.
Once family time is over, that end-of-year holiday quiet period is a perfect time to catch up on some longreads. Curbed publishes longform features about architecture, real estate, design, and urban planning every week. Here, in no particular order, are a dozen of our favorites from 2015.
The Carnival is Over: How a Transformed Navy Pier Will Change Chicago
Navy Pier wasn't broke, so why dig it up? A phrase from a planning document guides the digging and landscaping and Ferris-wheel-refitting underway. That phrase is: "It is helpful to think of Navy Pier as a park."
Inside of two weeks, Navy Pier begin its Centennial year. After the bulldozers recede, it will boast a lawn near downtown and open views of Lake Michigan at its east end, possibly with a place to take a date or score a hotel room. From the east to the west, if its owners hit their targets, it will feel like a windy, jovial, memorable park.
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Bonkers 20,000ft² Burling Street Mansion Sells for $13.345M
After spending a year and a half on the market, what was once Chicago's priciest listing has officially sold for $13.345 million. The massive mansion at 1955 N. Burling Street in the Lincoln Park neighborhood first entered the market in June 2014, making waves when it officially listed on the MLS with an $18.75 million price tag. As the months went by and properties either sold or unlisted, the mansion held the top for priciest listing in the state for a few months earlier this year. In July, the mansion went under contract and its time at the top appeared to be coming to an end. However, it eventually returned to the market and even took a price chop that brought the ask down to $16.9 million. Even with selling for nearly five and a half million dollars below its initial asking price, this week's sale marks the second most expensive of 2015. Who took the top spot? George Lucas and Melody Hobson's 65th floor Park Tower purchase of $18.75 million.
Quaint Old Irving Park Craftsman Can Be Had for $525,000
This lovely four bedroom, three bathroom house between the Old Irving Park and The Villa with numerous upgrades and can be had for $525,000. The exterior is quite nice, and very representative of the inventory of American Craftsman houses that can be found in the area. The interior isn't as retro though, and features many refinished rooms as well as a finished basement. It's located close to the Disney II Magnet School and is about a 15 minute walk to both the Irving Park and Addison Blue Line stations. There's plenty of room for the family and even a bit of outdoor space to entertain.
Curbed Cup Final Four: Uptown (3) vs Pullman (10)
[Top: photo via the Curbed Chicago Flickr pool/Bill Guerreiro. Bottom: photo via the Curbed Chicago Flickr pool/Josh Koonce.]
Get your clicking fingers ready because we've now approached the second to last round of voting in this year's Curbed Cup. After two rounds of voting, Uptown and Pullman will face off to determine which neighborhood will face The Loop in the finals. Uptown has always had a strong game when it comes to Curbed Cup voting. The neighborhood won the first two Cups and made a strong showing last year making it to the third round of voting. However, the Pullman District isn't going to just roll over. Pullman has defeated the West Loop and last year's second place Bridgeport neighborhood. The far South Side neighborhood has had a very big year and a Curbed Cup win could be the cherry on top. Voting will last for 24 hours at which a winner will be determined. Good luck to both 'hoods and may the best win!
Wireless 4G Service Now Available Throughout Entire 'L' System
Smart phone users who use public transit no longer have to worry about dropping their signal once their train heads underground. According to the Chicago Transit Authority, all underground 'L' lines now get full 4G service, making Chicago the largest city on the continent to have this coverage throughout its entire subway system. Upgrades to the underground cellular network began this year, and now 13 miles of the Blue Line and nine miles of the Red Line which run underground are now connected. According to the CTA, the major carriers, including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint, not only helped in coordinating the effort, but also helped pay for it. Now you can check Google Maps to figure out where you're heading while the 'L' is underground.
·Mayor Emanuel Announces Chicago Transit Authority Now Offers 4G Wireless Service Throughout All Subways [Chicago Transit Authority]
·Train Spotting archives [Curbed Chicago]
·Mayor Emanuel Announces Chicago Transit Authority Now Offers 4G Wireless Service Throughout All Subways [Chicago Transit Authority]
·Train Spotting archives [Curbed Chicago]
12 Outstanding Tiny Homes From 2015
A glamorous tiny dwelling made of two trailers in Austin, Texas—Photo by Molly Wintersvia Lonny)
Another year, another vigorous parade of tiny homes, which have swarmed out from a small movement of people wanting to live more efficiently into a mainstream that, whether out of curiosity or necessity, is simply enamored by small-space design. From the super eco-friendly to the ultra-glam, from customized DIY masterpieces to clever designs manufactured to sell, 2015's best micro homes prove that there are endless, brilliant ways to live small.
Mapping the Biggest Chicago Preservation Battles of 2015
[Bronzeville residents are demanding action be taken on the Pilgrim Baptist Church. Image via Wikimedia Commons.]
2015 was a year of major preservation wins and losses as traditional sides lined up to fight the year's biggest battles. In the preservationist's column, this year saw a slew of major success stories including the opening of the gloriously refurbished Chicago Athletic Association building, the restored Chicago Motor Club (also a hotel), and the old Stony Island Trust & Savings bank building, as well as the sale of Highland Park's George Madison Millard House, the restoration of the 3 Arts Club downtown, and Pullman received new recognition as a National Monument.
On the other hand, demolition claimed a slew of minor landmarks across the city from houses to commercial structures large and small while the battle rages on for others. In a sign of the times, the William Walker Mural "All of Mankind" was whitewashed from the front of Northside Stranger's Home Missionary Baptist Church, part of the continued process of change in the Cabrini-Green neighborhood that developers attempted to rebadge as "NoCA." Today, we take a look back at some of the top preservation battles of 2015.
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