New Home Notebook

The two towers of 600 Lake Shore Drive are among Francesca Rose ‘s favorite new buildings. The towers are considered by many to be some of the best work of the prolific architectural firm of Pappageorge / Haymes . In this video from their walk down Lake Shore Drive earlier this summer, Francesca and Joe Zekas talk about what they like [...]

680 Lake Shore Drive was formerly the American Furniture Mart, and had an address of 666 N Lake Shore Dr. After the building’s conversion to a mixed-used condo development, the address was changed at the behest of the Playboy Company as a condition of its moving into the building. In this video, Joe Zekas and Prudential Rubloff agent Francesca [...]

The only rental building Joe Zekas and Realtor Francesca Rose passed during their walk down Lake Shore Drive earlier this summer was the luxury senior-living complex seen in the video above, located in the old Lake Shore Athletic Club building at 850 N Lake Shore Dr . In the segment below, Joe and Francesca discuss the Lucien Lagrange -designed Beaux-Arts tower at 840 N [...]

In this segment from their Lake Shore Drive walk, Joe Zekas and Francesca Rose look at the Mies van der Rohe-designed co-ops at 860-880 N Lake Shore Dr and the Esplanade Apartments condominium towers at 900-910 N Lake Shore Dr . Along with the 5,000 square-foot triple-combo unit Francesca mentions in this video, homes currently listed at 860-880 include three one-bedrooms priced from the [...]

At the eastern end of East Lake Shore Drive, where the road curves back to the south and becomes North Lake Shore Drive once more, is 999 North Lake Shore Drive , a vintage, 12-unit co-op designed by Marshall and Fox . Completed in 1912, 999 was the first building on the landmarked block of East Lake Shore Drive. During their [...]

Today’s segment from Joe Zekas and Francesca Rose ‘s Lake Shore Drive walk showcases 219 East Lake Shore, a vintage co-op designed by Fugard & Knapp . 219 is one of only eight buildings on the landmarked, architecturally cohesive block of East Lake Shore Drive, and is noteworthy for featuring elevators that open directly into its units. I couldn’t find the [...]

The Mayfair, 189 E Lake Shore Dr , is the only condo building on the highly prized, architecturally cohesive stretch of East Lake Shore Drive. The other landmarked buildings are held in cooperative ownership. In this video, Joe Zekas and Francesca Rose stop in front of The Mayfair to discuss its homes, before moving on to look at [...]

The first place Joe Zekas and Francesca Rose profiled on their walk down Lake Shore Drive was the Drake Tower, one of the most sought-after buildings along East Lake Shore Drive’s “Co-op Row.” The tower, located at 179 E Lake Shore Dr , has full access to the services of the adjacent Drake Hotel. It’s instantly recognizable from a [...]

This weekend Joe Zekas and Prudential Rubloff agent Francesca Rose went on a long stroll down Lake Shore Drive, starting from the intersection of Lake Shore and Michigan Avenue and making their way all the way around to the Chicago River. The duo set the scene here with talk of Gucci, Chanel, high tea at the Drake Hotel, Oak [...]

While many thousands of Chicagoans were biking Lake Shore Drive at the annual Bike the Drive event, my son Jordan, Francesca Rose and I were walking Lake Shore Drive, pausing to shoot video and talk about each building along the way. We started at the Drake Hotel, on Michigan Avenue, and walked east and south to the Chicago River. [...]

Last month we took you to the top of 990 Lake Shore Drive — now go inside the tower to get a closer look at one of its homes. Joe Zekas and Prudential Rubloff agent Francesca Rose in April toured a three-bedroom / 2.5-bath home that Francesca has since listed for $849,000. The condo’s position on 990′s southeast corner gives its owner [...]

Last November, our Streeterville expert Francesca Rose went on camera with Kim Baker and Karen Fike of Chicago Home Staging at ParkView condo to talk about the importance of properly preparing a home for touring . This segment from their discussion focuses on the furnishings and accent colors Baker and Fike used to spruce up the condo’s master bedroom. [...]

You can learn a lot about a neighborhood by visiting its restaurants. Francesca Rose , a Streeterville expert and a real estate agent at Prudential Rubloff , talked to Joe Zekas last fall about some of her favorite places to eat in Streeterville, including the best places to fill up before a morning open house . [...]

Posted 2/4/2010 by Joseph Askins Joe Zekas found himself with some time to kill prior to his Streeterville tour with Prudential Rubloff agent Francesca Rose last September, so he trained his camera on the towers, churches, and storefronts near the John Hancock Center. Take a trip back to warmer times with this short walk around Michigan Avenue. [...]

Posted 1/7/2010 by Joseph Askins Each high-rise has its own personality, says Prudential Rubloff agent Francesca Rose . 600 North Fairbanks , for example, is sleek and artsy, she says, whereas the MCL Companies ‘ new ParkView Condominiums tower at 505 N McClurg Ct is a “high-energy” building. Francesca and Joe Zekas talked about ParkView’s personality during a Streeterville tour last fall. [...]

Posted 12/3/2009 by Joseph Askins Early on in their tour of Lake Point Tower, Joe Zekas and Realtors Francesca Rose and Jean Ward looked around the building’s newly renovated lobby. The entry spaces and elevator reception areas feature new travertine walls, waterfalls, furniture, and decorations. Manning the front desk that day were Kevin and Al, two veteran doormen who have [...]

Posted 11/20/2009 by Joseph Askins Several agents in recent weeks have told us that proper staging is vital to selling a home in this market. Several weeks ago, Joe Zekas and Prudential Rubloff agent Francesca Rose shot video of a resale at ParkView Condominiums , 505 N McClurg Ct , prior to its being staged. The transformation, as you can see in the [...]

Posted 11/17/2009 by Joseph Askins Joe Zekas recently joined Jean Ward of Chicago Lakefront Properties and Francesca Rose of Prudential Rubloff for a walk through several homes at Lake Point Tower , 505 N Lake Shore Dr . Weighing in at 4,500 square feet and $1,895,000, unit #4610 is the largest and highest-priced home currently for sale at Lake Point Tower. The basics, however, don’t clue you [...]

Posted 10/8/2009 by Joseph Askins This two-bedroom condo on the southeast corner of 600 North Fairbanks boasts a curved wall of nine 7′ x 10′ windows, giving its owner a sweeping view of Streeterville and Lake Michigan from the Trump International Hotel & Tower to the “new” Playboy building at 680 N Lake Shore Dr . During their walk through this unit, [...]

Posted 10/7/2009 by Joseph Askins A war is raging in Streeterville, one whose trenches are found in the lobbies, fitness rooms, private theaters, and terraces of the neighborhood’s condo high-rises. In this segment from their Streeterville walk-around, Joe Zekas and Prudential Rubloff agent Francesca Rose discuss the “amenities war” that has taken place in recent years. One unusual feature: [...]