Meet Karen and Jim, the proud owner of a 45th floor condo unit at 235 Van Buren, and hear what they have to say about the building and the neighborhood.
After close to three decades of living in the suburbs, Karen and Jim longed for that urban experience and wanted a place of their own for those nights after late dinners or a show in downtown Chicago.
They found theirs in 235 Van Buren, at the edge of the Loop. They liked the vibrancy of River North but saw 235 Van Buren as a quieter location with great access to the sports venues they visited frequently.
Karen and Jim spend most weekends at their second home in the city. They’re looking forward to becoming empty nesters, selling their suburban home, and splitting their time between 235 Van Buren and New Mexico or Arizona.
Tentatively named Wacker Gateway Park, the Loop’s long-awaited park located immediately adjacent to 235 Van Buren appears to be nearing the final stages of construction. Benches and antique street lamps have been installed, and walkways partially paved. Along the perimeter, trees have been planted, with various other plantings in place or on-site as well. Another section of the park, identical in size to the one pictured above, is on the south side of Congress Parkway.
Also nearing completion is the surprisingly large new dog park southwest of 235 Van Buren. In the interim, the building’s dog owners have been frequenting the main park.
Designed by Ralph Johnson, 235 Van Buren is a new award-winning high-rise condo building. One-bedroom units in the building start at $198,900, 2-bedroom units at $275,900, and penthouses at $339,900.
Located at the edge of Chicago’s Loop, it’s hard to imagine a location with more convenient transportation options than the new Ralph Johnson-designed condo, 235 Van Buren .
All of the Loop is within walking or biking distance, and the El and subway lines are around the corner, just a few short blocks away, as are Union Station and the Ogilvie Transportation Center for suburban rail connections.
The reconstruction of the Congress / Wacker interchange is great for those who are car-oriented, which has afforded incredibly easy access to Chicago’s expressway grid from 235 Van Buren.
A new full-amenity condo high-rise in Chicago’s South Loop, Astoria Tower hosts a series of events for its residents throughout the year.
When asked what they like best about Astoria Tower, the most common resident response was the convenience of the location.
Meet some of the residents at a party and barbecue on Astoria Tower’s sprawling terraces, and hear what else they love about living in the building and South Loop neighborhood.
Take a tour of some Gold Coast history in the above video with Marla Nyberg of Koenig & Strey’s Gold Coast office. Once part of the Patterson McCormick Mansion, this full-floor 3,700 square foot residence at 1500 N Astor Place offers 12-foot ceilings, 4 fireplaces, a gorgeous library, designer kitchen and more. Marla represents the listing, which is the only unit with access to the massive south-facing front porch.
Designed by Stanford White and built in 1893, the historic Patterson McCormick Mansion was a wedding gift for the daughter of the Chicago Tribune’s Joseph Medill. In 1927 David Adler expanded this mansion and in 1978 it was converted to condominiums.
For buyers looking to hedge their bets on condo ownership and assure themselves that they’ve chosen the right building and location, the recently-launched rent-to-own program at 235 Van Buren has proved popular.
Renters can become buyers at any point during their 12-month lease and receive 30% of the rent they’ve paid as a credit toward closing costs, up to 3% of the purchase price of their unit. You can meet some of the buyers, and hear them discuss their decision to purchase, at the video page for 235 Van Buren.
In this sponsored video, January Sambell of CMK Realty discusses the program and the wide array of dining options in the area.
Recent months have seen solid sales activity at Superior 110. The high-rise at 110 W Superior has only 3 units still available - a high-floor full floor and two half-floor units.
“These are desirable units,” said Greg Eldridge, who is in charge of sales at Superior 110. “They’re available only because of contract fall-throughs, a situation that’s been the story in many new developments in recent years.”
The striking Hartshorne Plunkard-designed River North high-rise is also known informally as “the blue building”.
One-bedrooms are to start at just over $1,500 per month, while 2-bedroom, 2-bath units will start at around $2,000 a month. Heat, air-conditioning and gas are all included in the rent.
Renters who execute an option to buy by the end of their 12-month lease will have up to 30% of their rent – not to exceed 3% of their purchase price – credited toward closing costs.
“It’s a great opportunity for people who just need a little more time to save, or fix their credit, or just see if they like living in the Loop,” noted January Sambell of CMK Realty.
235 Van Buren is positioned as a low-amenity building to keep costs low for owners and renters who don’t desire the common-area amenities, or would just prefer to join one of the nearby full-service health clubs. That strategy allows renters to move into a 2-bedroom, 2-bath unit for less than renting a 1-bedroom in some amenity-rich Loop buildings.
235 Van Buren doesn’t skimp, however, on building services or in-unit amenities. Residents enjoy 24-hour door staff, on-site management, multiple bicycle storage rooms, I-GO car service, secured-entry parking and a new convenience store, the second location of the popular South Loop Market. The new Wacker Gateway Park adjacent to the building is nearing completion.
The units have high-style finishes, in-unit washers and dryers, office nooks, private balconies, 10-foot ceilings and expansive views.
235 Van Buren provides residents a walk-to-work location, and extremely convenient access to Chicago’s public transit and expressway grids.
Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood is one of several on the North Side seeing a flurry of build-and-buy new home and condo construction. The above video tours one of these hot properties in its infancy.
Marketed by Sergio & Banks, the featured 3-flat and two 5-flats in a prime location at 2115-23 W Wabansia St will range in price from the high $300s to the mid-$600s. Three of the 13 have already been reserved, even though occupancy isn’t slated until April and May. A model opening is scheduled for March. If past practice is any guide, the units won’t be listed in the MLS until that time.
“It’s going to be very urban classic in nature,” says Melissa Govedarica in the video.
The loop location, the incredible views, the space – what’s not to like about the penthouse at the new condominium tower in the loop at 235 Van Buren?
Well, that’s what a couple of business guys decided when they took their home search to HGTV earlier this year. The video takes the partners through a search for a home base for their Chicago visits.
OK, so they had a sizable budget, but see video clips of what your more average home buyer has to say about their condo purchase at 235 Van Buren.
