10 Years Later and Now $38,100 Under 2001 Purchase Price: 1525 W. George in Lakeview
We’ve chattered about this 2-bedroom at 1525 W. George in Lakeview several times over the past few months.
See our May 2011 chatter here.
We originally chattered about the property to see what happens to a seller who has owned for 10 years.
The list price is now $38,100 under the 2001 purchase price.
In the original chatter, HD thought the seller should lower the price $5,000 every 10 days to drum up interest until it sold.
But since the original list, it HAS been reduced $70,100.
If you recall, it has 1200 square feet on one level with a south facing deck off the master bedroom or from the unit.
It has diagonal hardwood floors in the main living areas.
The unit has a wood burning fireplace and a master suite with shower/tub combo.
The kitchen has black appliances and stone counter tops.
The unit has the amenities buyer look for with central air, in-unit washer/dryer and deeded parking.
The listing still asks: “Bargain Hunters? Huge $45,000 price reduction!”
How low will this go?
Bob Kinsloe at Portola Real Estate still has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #2: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1200 square feet
- Sold in November 1995 for $200,000
- Sold in September 1999 (no price listed)
- Sold in June 2001 for $338,000
- Originally listed in January 2011 for $370,000
- Reduced
- Was listed in May 2011 for $325,000
- Reduced
- Was listed in July 2011 for $300,000
- Reduced $100
- Currently listed for $299,900 (parking included)
- Assessments of $88 a month
- Taxes of $5343
- Central Air
- In-unit Washer/Dryer
- Bedroom #1: 12×12
- Bedroom #2: 12×10
The owners are idiots – everyone knows that the market is awful right now. The only people lowering their prices or trying to sell right now are people who absolutely HAVE to sell, people who don’t care about losing money, or psychologically weak people. These people are few and far between. The MAJORITY of people who want to sell are holding on or renting their places out.
Ohhhhh! Diagonal wood floors!
Has to be one of the stupidest trendy things I’ve heard of to date. Are they “brazilian hardwood cherry” or some other such nonsense as well?
I don’t feel bad for these owners at all – they absolutely have a great opportunity here to make money. They can:
1. Rent out their place
2. Offer owner financing
Both of these options would allow them to not only curb their losses but also may actually result in them making money in the end.
$88 per month assessment is WAAAAAAAAAAAAY too low if they are going to adequately maintain what appears to be the split face block
“clio on August 9th, 2011 at 5:31 am
The owners are idiots – everyone knows that the market is awful right now. The only people lowering their prices or trying to sell right now are people who absolutely HAVE to sell, people who don’t care about losing money, or psychologically weak people”
clio,
you have now officially moved from asshat skipped a level and are now at full-on assclown.
“$88 per month assessment is WAAAAAAAAAAAAY too low if they are going to adequately maintain what appears to be the split face block”
im with chichow, at 88 per month there has to be no reserves and even replacing a common entry door will require a special assessment.
look at the HOA, or lack of HOA, before you jump on this land mine.
groove 77 – you can’t say that kind of stuff and not back it up – why am I an “ass-clown” or and “ass-hat”? Oh, is it because I suggested a viable and better alternative. Perhaps your own situation is getting the best of you. How old are the kids now?
“you can’t say that kind of stuff and not back it up”
clio just post today like you normally do, thats all the back up i need.
“Oh, is it because I suggested a viable and better alternative.”
“viable” is subjective. and how is rent it out viable when coming out of your mouth. arent you the biggest whiner about tenants?
“Perhaps your own situation is getting the best of you”
and what situation is that, or better what situation do YOU think is that?
“How old are the kids now?”
old enough to know your funny math is wrong
“clio on August 9th, 2011 at 5:31 am
The owners are idiots – everyone knows that the market is awful right now. The only people lowering their prices or trying to sell right now are people who absolutely HAVE to sell, people who don’t care about losing money, or psychologically weak people”
Gee, I suppose when the market is great, people say, “Oooo, I think I’ll go through all the trouble and time of selling my house, pack up all my shit and move to some other more expensive place. Chase that American dream!”
Clio, that is a moronic statement. People buy houses and sell houses for so many more reasons than you list. Yes, the market is down, so listings are down because it’s such a freaking hassle to list, sell, and move. If you’re not making a killing, why bother?
It just says serious sellers are out there.
“you have now officially moved from asshat skipped a level and are now at full-on assclown.”
What’s between asshat and assclown?
I hate these cinder block flats, but the price is right and this seems like alot of space, with parking.
As for their motivations to sell: maybe it’s a divorce, job loss, death in the family. Who knows. Whatever the reason, I’m sure this process isn’t fun for them, since they’re losing money after 10 years.
“1. Rent out their place”
-Many can’t qualify for 2 mortgages.
-Accidental landlords are typically not up to the task.
-The shift from o/o to rental will increase supply.
-Vacant shadow inventory will eventually diminish and increase supply.
“2. Offer owner financing”
-Due on sale clause in nearly every mortgage.
-Would lead to a higher price due only to unqualified buyer and/or property. At least there’s recent data available to use in properly pricing that risk, lol.
-1st lenders can’t be too keen on allowing 2nd lenders these days seeing how they can gunk up short sale negotiations.
“you have now officially moved from asshat skipped a level and are now at full-on assclown.”
What S&P was actually trying to say to congress…
“What S&P was actually trying to say to congress”
ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!
LOL!
chi_dad: “What’s between asshat and assclown?”
an asshole
It is funny how the Senate is now investigating S&P….
BTW… I love my diagonal floors!
Back when my name was “River North Lurker” I predicted $299k on this.
I am embarrassed to have been so bullish on a generic 2/2 dump such as this.
$240k.
I think $260K for this one. It’s really too bad they lost so much on this one. What’s the point of owning a cinderblock 2/2 again?
“Southport Corridor”. LOL
This condo doesn’t seem to fit in with the neighborhood. It is on a street full of enormous SFH’s on double lots with side yards, pergolas and basketball courts. There seem to be more double lots on this street than anywhere else in Lakeview. One house on this block (not a double lot) rented for $7,300 which is an enormous price for Lakeview. Public (one of the B’s) and parochial school options are good (Alphonsus is 500 feet away). This is family central and I am not even sure some of the two flats belong though many of them are converted or unconverted but occupied by one family.
The $88 assessment is suspect but some associations run everything as specials, that is just the preference. That is more common with 3 unit buildings than larger, obviously.
On the bright side, this offers a fairly short walk to your “window to weight gain,” Art of Pizza’s pizza-by-the-slice offerings.
I swear I almost immediately lost 8 lb. when we moved and weren’t a short jaunt there.
I hate these buildings with a passion, they are just not a good fit for real neighborhood living – you’ll notice that Roscoe Village proper’s residential streets were largely spared this kind of junk building, and it’s no coincidence IMO that area has held it’s value far better than here.
Nice crosspost, JMM.
“This condo doesn’t seem to fit in with the neighborhood.”
What is a cross post?
“You’ll notice that Roscoe Village proper’s residential streets were largely spared this kind of junk building”
that was the old 0.9 FAR R-3 zoning in RV on its side streets, which kept out the 3-story condo buildings that needed R-4 and 1.2 FAR
um JMM i used to live on wellington in this area and there are more rental 2/3 flats than SFH’s, but it is very much a family neighborhood and an affordable alternative for say a couple that wants just one kid in a good school district
For SFH, RT-3.5 (this neighborhood) allows for a third level at 35 feet building height. It is a trade off but unless you are in North Center with 30′ lots, the RT-3.5 gives you flexibility on a 25×125.
Sonies, I understand but this particular stretch is very different than Wellington plus many 2 flats are actually SFHs, either converted or unconverted. There are more double lots here than anywhere else in Lakeview, many of them recent demos.
“The $88 assessment is suspect but some associations run everything as specials, that is just the preference. That is more common with 3 unit buildings than larger, obviously.”
I understand the preference part. From a personal perspective, I think its not prudent to put aside money for say a new roof over time. I think its very silly not to put aside money for the tuck-pointing and the every 4 years (I think 4 years is decent timeline for sealing although I have seen products that are spec’ed for a longer life) with that split block. Its thousands of dollars for each wall so that’s a heck of a special every couple of years.
This is bigger than my current place and has an additional bathroom. I paid 30K more for mine.
However, I would have NEVER considered this area to live in due to the far walk to the L. It doesn’t seem too bad in June, but the August heat and winter cold makes this a bad walk.
At least with the reduced price, it would give teh buyer extra cash around for all the cabs you would need to take to get here after a night out on the town or a Cubs game.
This is basically a 4 block walk to the L but then again if you don’t like Chicago weather, don’t take public transportation. Plenty of parking garages downtown.
“This is basically a 4 block walk to the L”
I’m usually the first to mock someone for the “too far to walk” attitude, but this place is a fair bit further than 4 blocks from the el. Still only a 15 minute walk, and not too far in any normal sense, but it’s darn close to a mile.
Do people who own condos and houses really take the ‘El’? I thought it was mainly kids, young adults, and renters.
also you’re like crawling distance from Side Street Saloon, which is a huge bonus in my book 🙂
the walk to the EL is a bit of a hike from here and kind of inconveinent during those walking dead monday morning hours and brutally cold days below 20 degrees. from this property it will take you at least 10 minutes if you’re hustling
as for the double lots, I know off hand of one house on the east side of greenview and wellington are you thinking of paulina & george?
“Do people who own condos and houses really take the ‘El’? I thought it was mainly kids, young adults, and renters.”
I assume this is snark.
and actually according to google, its a 16 minute walk to the wellington EL station and a 17 minute walk to the Paulina station
who knows if google accounts for traffic lights, but that sounds very accurate and slightly on the low side.
when I lived in this area, i’d hop on the 11 lincoln bus going south and get off at the fullerton el station to hop on the el to get to the loop. or i’d just cruise it downtown with a seat on a relatively pleasant bus ride (except for the fact that it talkes like 45 minutes to get to work) its a good time to read the red eye or wsj
vlajos – actually it’s not. I seriously thought the demographic of El uses was almost entirely made up of people who rent (students, young adults, and a few select older adults). This is what builders/developers in the past thought as well (most apartmentes were built close to the el while condos/houses were built a bit farther). Have things changed? Again, I am not trying to belittle people who take public transportation – in New York I know that even the richest take the subway – but I thought chicago was a bit different.
clio – Nope, not at all. Owners and renters alike take the El. Why do you comment so much on City life if you don’t have a clue?
Just curious?
“clio – Nope, not at all. Owners and renters alike take the El. Why do you comment so much on City life if you don’t have a clue?
Just curious?”
Really? I don’t think this is true at all. The red line is a total dump & the blue line is hipster haven..The Brown line is okay. sometimes.
Near everyone on my street or in my building in the gold coast parks in a garage and drives everywhere, the same goes for when i lived in museum park in the south loop, and my newer place in river north. I feel that many rich people don’t mind proximity to public transport, but will rarely be caught on a bus or train, If not driving, they take a cab.
Students , some people that commute a few stops to the loop, and the younger LP crowd that works downtown is usually what I see on the redline. Rarely will you see doctors, lawyers, bankers, etc riding the Train, which is the norm in NYC.
* As a side note, totally not being a snob here. I take the red line or bus often, I just don’t see that trend in older professionals at all.
“when I lived in this area, i’d hop on the 11 lincoln bus going south and get off at the fullerton el station to hop on the el to get to the loop. or i’d just cruise it downtown with a seat on a relatively pleasant bus ride (except for the fact that it talkes like 45 minutes to get to work) its a good time to read the red eye or wsj”
That approach is pretty popular, some people also take the the 76 to the Brown/Purple, or the 9 to the Blue Line. With the Blue Line, you can get lucky on the timing and be there in 35 minutes, but it’s usually more like 45, so it’s pretty much the same however you go.
“This is basically a 4 block walk to the L.”
It’s more than a half mile, so even if you’re talking about blocks which are the full eighth of a mile apart, which is really only for certain N/S streets, you’re still more than “4 blocks.”
“I assume this is snark.”
Just ignore him – even during his most lucid moments, he let’s all sorts of wild-ass assumptions, misunderstandings and misconceptions color his “logic.”
“Just ignore him – even during his most lucid moments, he let’s all sorts of wild-ass assumptions, misunderstandings and misconceptions color his “logic.”
JJJ – sorry, I didn’t mean to offen the kind/queen of chicago. Thank you for gracing us with your presence. U R an obnoxious know-it-all who really doesn’t know anything. Stick to commenting on the property at hand – u r not smart enough to venture outside of these boundaries.
The CTA does not allow owners to ride the EL. Once you buy, you are REQUIRED to rent a parking spot in the Loop for $300/month. An ALTERNATIVE is cabbing it. $10-15 each way from LP/LV to the Loop at around ~$400/month. The commute especially sucks now that Wacker is closed. When it rains, and the cabs are impossible to come by, owners have to WALK home.
If CTA changed their policy and allowed owners to ride, this would really help the Chicago housing market.
my friend, an old CBOE trader was telling me last week about bumping into Blair Hull on the el recently.
“Just ignore him – even during his most lucid moments, he let’s all sorts of wild-ass assumptions, misunderstandings and misconceptions color his “logic.””
Sounds like a fun night out. Why so upset, Clio?
btw.. let’s say you are building a wall to make a TV flat to the wall. Would you just leave it in its cove, or recess it back a bit more and put glass in front of the screen. Place is very contemporary modern but is this too office lobbyish?
Is a kind/queen a chick with a lot of sweet bud? How do you offen her? This Oakbrook slang all the doctors use is so hard to decipher, sorry, LOL, I mean Sew hrd 2 dipsy4!
put it behind chicken wire Ze, then you can throw beer bottles at it like that scene in the Blues Bros when they played the redneck bar.
“as for the double lots, I know off hand of one house on the east side of greenview and wellington are you thinking of paulina & george?”
There are at least 5 double lots on the 1500 block of West George Street, perhaps more. There are at least 4 more on the 1400 block. This stretch is very different than others and has kept one of our businesses quite busy recently.
“put it behind chicken wire Ze, then you can throw beer bottles at it like that scene in the Blues Bros when they played the redneck bar.”
ROFLMAO!! Whip and all!!! Truly one of the all time greats. Every time someone complains about livin next to the El the boarding house scene crosses my mind.
Four blocks might be aggressive but it isn’t that far at all. Not to mention I’d say a simple majority of folks living in the area do not work proximate to an El stop. Not everyone works smack in the loop and many who do travel to multiple locations. For example, many professional services types just expense parking based on client visits or working late.
Not to mention living close to the El is a liability in the “pre yuppified” Chicago from what I recall. I recall a CPD statistic where B&Es are 2x-3x more likely for properties on adjacent blocks to the El due to noise coverage when smashing glass, kicking doors in, etc.
“If CTA changed their policy and allowed owners to ride, this would really help the Chicago housing market.”
This is not true – how would they know?
“The CTA does not allow owners to ride the EL. Once you buy, you are REQUIRED to rent a parking spot in the Loop for $300/month. An ALTERNATIVE is cabbing it. $10-15 each way from LP/LV to the Loop at around ~$400/month. The commute especially sucks now that Wacker is closed. When it rains, and the cabs are impossible to come by, owners have to WALK home.
If CTA changed their policy and allowed owners to ride, this would really help the Chicago housing market.”
LMAO! Post of the DAY!
Does anyone on this site actually own any property or actually have a job? Everyone sounds like such authorities – but, honestly, the really successful people are the ones who are buys working….
“I recall a CPD statistic where B&Es are 2x-3x more likely for properties on adjacent blocks to the El due to noise coverage when smashing glass, kicking doors in, etc.”
See that takes planning, which just goes to prove anons point. A CPS education does not have to be a seen as a liability in cognitive development.
Riz – open your eyes than. You’ll lots of commuters on the Red line every morning. Professionals included ; )
Riz – open your eyes than. You’ll see lots of commuters on the Red line every morning. Professionals included ; )
“CH on August 9th, 2011 at 1:39 pm
my friend, an old CBOE trader was telling me last week about bumping into Blair Hull on the el recently.”
yep
“Fed to Hold Rates Near Zero Through Mid-2013”
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/10/business/economy/fed-to-hold-rates-exceptionally-low-through-mid-2013.html?_r=1&hp
As our man in Rio says, renters are making a bet too, stay short i-rates! Give us 2 more years’ price discovery, then take out your big loan in spring ’13.
Most Chicago professionals don’t take public transit all that much. Chicago isn’t NYC. That’s why almost all Chciago ownership units come with parking.
Yes, some folks use it for Loop-based commutes, but not for grocery shopping, restaurants, weekend travel, etc.
In NYC, few buildings have parking, and you will see investment bankers hauling the Whole Foods grocery bags on the F train.
And no one in NYC drives for nights out. Most folks I know drive when they leave their neighborhood. If you live in Lincoln Park and go out in Wicker Park you drive and valet. NYC doesn’t even have valet.
“A CPS education does not have to be a seen as a liability in cognitive development.”
Now that gang / flash bangers can use facebook and twitter, we’re all screwed. Here and I thought facebook was just for dumb big 10 chicks to post embarassing drunk pictures of themselves.
“And no one in NYC drives for nights out. Most folks I know drive when they leave their neighborhood. If you live in Lincoln Park and go out in Wicker Park you drive and valet. NYC doesn’t even have valet.”
Really? Most people I know take cabs.
Agreed with Osito82
will there be exceptions? obviously. A friend of mine ran into Dwayne Wade on the red line last year, I sat next to a partner at a hedge fund from evanston a few days back… Is that the norm? absolutely not. Most ‘wealthy’ professionals and families living in the city utilize their designer SUV’s – not the EL.
“Most Chicago professionals don’t take public transit all that much.”
Really? That’s news to me and all the commuters on trains and buses every morning.
“Really? That’s news to me and all the commuters on trains and buses every morning.”
I thought they were headed to the Gary Works and I was one of the few who was actually going to an office?
Oh and I ran into (literally) Jennifer Beals on the Brown line one day… hubba hubba!
LOL. No doubt… I never would have guessed all of the people on the Blue Line with suits, briefcases, iPads, etc. weren’t professional. 7:30 seems awful early to head downtown to beat the crowds for the touristy stuff.
“Really? That’s news to me and all the commuters on trains and buses every morning.”
“You have no clue”
Yeah, I Do. I grew up in this city and on public transport. I’ve lived all over downtown for the past 7 years and know this city in and out. If you think on average a professional living in LP, river north, Wicker, Streeterville, or GC takes public transport you’re fooling yourself. Again, rules are different for the younger crowd and students.
All of my Attendings and administrators live in the city. We are 5 blocks from a red line stop. how many of them take it? 0.
I really like how empty the CTA is during rush hour. Mostly it’s ridden by poor people who don’t have jobs, so there is no correlation with normal office job start times. It’s also funny that the CTA has gone out of their way to add extra trains and buses during rush hour, even though there aren’t any professionals riding it at that time. It works out great for me, the only professional who rides trains and buses.
“Does anyone on this site actually own any property or actually have a job? Everyone sounds like such authorities – but, honestly, the really successful people are the ones who are buys working….”
Serious question: just how fucked up are you right now, and what is your drug of choice? You seem kind of like an Aderall guy, but maybe it’s just alcohol and coke like everyone else in Oakbrook?
“Yeah, I Do. I grew up in this city and on public transport. I’ve lived all over downtown for the past 7 years and know this city in and out.”
ummmm really, and i do like you riz, but inside out the whole city? Even The Groove (third person is awesome) wont say he knows the city inside out.
and remember i did a lot of graff back in the day and have all train line and stops memorized and all tunnel entrances with ease of breaking into listed. i still have most bus routes memorized and which depot the come out of.
and i still wont make your statment
“Oh and I ran into (literally) Jennifer Beals on the Brown line one day… hubba hubba!”
Don’t tell CH that. He won’t be able to get any work done, he’s going to be riding the brown line all day.
“Yeah, I Do. I grew up in this city and on public transport. I’ve lived all over downtown for the past 7 years and know this city in and out. If you think on average a professional living in LP, river north, Wicker, Streeterville, or GC takes public transport you’re fooling yourself. Again, rules are different for the younger crowd and students.”
Depends on where you live and where you work, but from where I am in Logan (v convenient to blue line), everyone on my block who I know works in the loop (actually not that many people), all of them take the el on a regular basis. Now this is more middle class and upper middle, so that cost of car and parking would be a deterrent, but I would still take el in my current position even if there were no cost differential.
“If you think on average a professional living in LP, river north, Wicker, Streeterville, or GC takes public transport you’re fooling yourself.”
If you live in River North or Streeterville you wouldn’t take a train. So people in WP don’t take the Blue line to work? You’re dumber with each post. And I mean that in the best possible way ; )
“All of my Attendings and administrators live in the city. We are 5 blocks from a red line stop. how many of them take it? 0.”
I work for a large financial institution and everyone in my office that lives in the City take the train or bus to work. : o )
“I really like how empty the CTA is during rush hour. Mostly it’s ridden by poor people who don’t have jobs, so there is no correlation with normal office job start times. It’s also funny that the CTA has gone out of their way to add extra trains and buses during rush hour, even though there aren’t any professionals riding it at that time. It works out great for me, the only professional who rides trains and buses.”
There isn’t a need to be sarcastic. No one’s saying professionals don’t use public transport at all – i’m saying that MOST of them don’t. the MAJORITY of people using public transport are still students, young adults, non professionals, and riffraff. These are facts friend, coming from someone who rides the red line / blue line nearly every other day.
I have nothing against public transport; i love that in nyc you see millionaires sitting next to bums going uptown..this is NOT the case in chicago, we can argue forever but facts are facts. Maybe this has to do with the lack of parking / insane $$ for costs of living and parking spaces in nyc, but in chicago many, many people prefer to drive. I never have, and never will take my car to the hospital – why would I? i have a parking spot at both places and my commute time is 1/2 as much. Why not take my car to whole foods? Or the gym? I have free parking at all these places. NYC doesn’t have that luxury.
“No one’s saying professionals don’t use public transport at all – i’m saying that MOST of them don’t. the MAJORITY of people using public transport are still students, young adults, non professionals, and riffraff.”
You understand it can be true that the majority of el riders be non-professionals, while at the same time true that the majority of professionals who are within convenient el rides of work take the el.
“Yeah, I Do. I grew up in this city and on public transport. I’ve lived all over downtown for the past 7 years and know this city in and out. If you think on average a professional living in LP, river north, Wicker, Streeterville, or GC takes public transport you’re fooling yourself. Again, rules are different for the younger crowd and students.
All of my Attendings and administrators live in the city. We are 5 blocks from a red line stop. how many of them take it? 0.”
“Five blocks” might mean almost 3/4 of a mile, which is a long way, and it’s a little different for doctors and other medical staff, who often have access to free or cheap parking and have to come and go at all hours, when transit might not be running or be as safe for those who live in cheaper neighborhoods. I also don’t think that this is really about people “all over downtown” if you mean actual downtown and not downtown like my Mom uses it, to mean anything east of the tri-state. Are you really arguing that the average professional living in Wicker Park or Lincoln Park and working downtown drives or takes cabs every day? I really think that’s inaccurate.
“All of my Attendings and administrators live in the city. We are 5 blocks from a red line stop. how many of them take it? 0.”
thats a great sample to extrapolate!!!!!
I’m surprised we’re not hearing from the “you don’t need a car” contingent that will then bring up “zip cars”.
regarding flash/gang mobbers and twitter, etc. If Chicago has London style riots, what areas/fringes of the GZ would see damage? I predict State St. and West Loop areas around Madison & Racine, and Bucktown for sure. SoPo remains unscathed, which shows that Sucktown is still inferior to LakeView.
““Yeah, I Do. I grew up in this city and on public transport. I’ve lived all over downtown for the past 7 years and know this city in and out.”
ummmm really, and i do like you riz, but inside out the whole city? Even The Groove (third person is awesome) wont say he knows the city inside out.
and remember i did a lot of graff back in the day and have all train line and stops memorized and all tunnel entrances with ease of breaking into listed. i still have most bus routes memorized and which depot the come out of.
and i still wont make your statment”
oh yeah and really Riz did you even know that there is a bowemanville?
I had no clue that was the name, new that area, but never went through it.
i had to learn about it on cribchatter, and i still am shocked
Marcus,
I think SOME people can get along just fine without a car…but in chicago it’s definitely a lot nicer and more affordable to have one than in other places.
I think State ST. goes out first if we have riots. The loop is already a dump.
“And remember i did a lot of graff back in the day and have all train line and stops memorized and all tunnel entrances with ease of breaking into listed. i still have most bus routes memorized and which depot the come out of.
and i still won’t make your statment”
Really? I would think with your history you’d claim more than that Fair enough sir. I could google and lie..but i have never heard of Bowemanville. haha, wtf is that.
“All of my Attendings and administrators live in the city. We are 5 blocks from a red line stop. how many of them take it? 0.”
How many of them live within a true door to door commute of less than 30 minutes by red line?
Groove, it’s just north of Ravenswood, right? So weird that i missed it…It’s right next to swedish covenant hospital and I did a month of peds. anesthesia there…very very diverse zip code.
Many people pay for monthly parking spots in garages (ever notice all the advertisements?), they’re expensive, but not really.
If you commute via CTA 22 days @ $4.50 per day = $100 per month. Someone could probably get a monthly garage spot for $250? (what’s the going rate these days?).
“So am I. I read the red line every day. I’m also one of those “professional” people.’
Cool. Well you type like a 9 year old girl texts. Now I know why the financial market is F*cked. You work there. KEWL DOOD. :-D!!
“: ()’
TOO EASY.
Good grief folks, take a deep breath. Are the trains and buses full of “professionals” (i.e., people who work in offices in jobs that required, at a minimum, a college degree to land) at rush hours? Obviously. I know that’s who’s on the old One-Five-Six with me every morning. But, as someone above noted, it’s mostly younger folks. My sense is that a lot of partners, managing directors, various senior executives, doctors, etc. – if they live in the city, and espeically if they live in $1+ million SFHs – drive to work. (My unscientific survey of my own workplace indicates that, with rare exception, only suburban-dwelling partners take the train, and it’s the Metra). If and when my income doubles, and if and when we move to a home with two garage spaces instead of one, I would be highly inclinded to (i) buy or lease a pretty nice car, (ii) rent a space at my office, and (iii) no longer take the bus to work/cab home.
“Someone could probably get a monthly garage spot for $250? (what’s the going rate these days?).”
More like $350 in the Loop, at least.
the best is if you use one of those free spots in the downtown.
Riz, nu docs all drive bc they get free parking and it’s right off lsd. also, docs think they are better than public trans. they want to live the goodlife after all those years of schooling.
go stand on an el platform in the loop at 5pm, it’s like a kenilworth country club except with some dude rapping (badly) over music in the background and a couple of “performers” spray painted silver. (well not quite, but a lot of people who started their careers taking public trans never stop even when they are making a big paycheck, bc riding the train beats sitting in traffic for them)
the best is if you use one of those free spots downtown.
“But, as someone above noted, it’s mostly younger folks. My sense is that a lot of partners, managing directors, various senior executives, doctors, etc. – if they live in the city, and espeically if they live in $1+ million SFHs – drive to work”
Thank you. So So Much. This is what i’ve been trying to say all along. The ‘wealthy’ professional family/worker doesn’t use public transport as much. you see many more young professionals/students riding.
“Riz, nu docs all drive bc they get free parking and it’s right off lsd. also, docs think they are better than public trans. they want to live the goodlife after all those years of schooling.”
We do park for free. I don’t think i’m better though; driving is just easier than the red line. then again, i’m
less than 30 and most older docs don’t know how to use public transport at all. *
“SoPo remains unscathed, which shows that Sucktown is still inferior to LakeView.”
Agreed 100%.
“I never would have guessed all of the people on the Blue Line with suits, briefcases, iPads, etc. weren’t professional.”
Seeing a professional in a suit (let alone with an iPod) in the summer in Chicago is about as rare as seeing a black man at Wrigley Field. Yeah it happens, but its not the first thing you think of. Not to offend, just making light of Chicago’s intractably segregated ways.
“If you commute via CTA 22 days @ $4.50 per day = $100 per month.”
You’re an idiot if you pay more than $86 no matter how much you ride.
“Not to offend, just making light of Chicago’s intractably segregated ways.”
No offense..still a very very segregated city. I walked into a ‘local’ style pub in the Lincoln Park neighborhood with a white girl and got quite a few stares. Felt like the south.
““If you commute via CTA 22 days @ $4.50 per day = $100 per month.”
You’re an idiot if you pay more than $86 no matter how much you ride.”
Exactly, but Riz probably doesn’t know this.
the parking rates border on absurd(esp in the GZ). the parking fiasco has at least lowered the occupancy so you can find parking but the rates to achieve that end are lower than the current rates.
hopefully there will be some investment into CTA that will bring new riders; the city part of the RTA needs upgrades.
I thought vlajos was a realtor?
“I thought vlajos was a realtor?”
DZ,
Realtors don’t take the red line, haha , they drive. It’s the internet though. He’s a financial professional , realtor , internet slang/smiley – expert.
I should stop Riz, because I stated a fact that professionals ride the CTA? Give it up.
“I thought vlajos was a realtor?”
Nope, not sure why you think that.
“I thought vlajos was a realtor?”
“Nope, not sure why you think that.”
My apologies, one of those coincidence/confusion things no doubt.
“I should stop Riz, because I stated a fact that professionals ride the CTA? Give it up.”
No, you should stop because you were a condescending prick about our differing opinions, and are not smart enough to spar with me without looking dumb.
Well. My break is over. it’s been real everyone, will catch up with you soon. The barrage of idiots with alcohol poisoning and injuries from Lolla is finally starting to hustle out.
-riz
that’s what Sabrina needs to add. emoticons. I want a bong smiley!!
“My apologies, one of those coincidence/confusion things no doubt.”
No problem.
There are approximately 670,000 worker in the central buisness district.
My quick calculation of downtown parking is
Grant Park 6,150
Downtown/West Loop/River North 42 Garages x 250 Cars = 10,500
Total Parking 16,650 cars
1.5 people per car x 16,650 = 24,975 people
So how are the other 645,025 getting to work 🙂
wow – I’m almost sorry I started this discussion regarding public transportation. All I was trying to do was to make you guys understand that proximity to the El, while important to renters, younger people, and you guys, is NOT that important to many many home owners (especially anyone living in a place worth 750 or more). It’s just a fact.
Nobody wears suits on the blue line. Very, very rare to see.
“wow – I’m almost sorry I started this discussion regarding public transportation. All I was trying to do was to make you guys understand that proximity to the El, while important to renters, younger people, and you guys, is NOT that important to many many home owners (especially anyone living in a place worth 750 or more). It’s just a fact.”
Clio, it’s important to my family and we fit into your category. It’s not really a fact. $86/month for CTA or $300/month for car and traffic? Easy decision for someone with a brain.
Riz must be excluded from this statement of course.
“given the name marcus i thought he was black”
I thought he played a doctor on TV, and was really trying to advertise hemorrhoid cream.
Riz – don’t worry about it – some people get a kick out of insulting others. Bottom line – we both know that, while a very few professionals use the El, the vast majority don’t (also remember that a “professional” to me and you is very different from a “professional” in many of the other people’s eyes). This is wellknown to all builders and rehabbers – which is why you see rentals near the El and nice places farther away.
“I thought he played a doctor on TV, and was really trying to advertise hemorrhoid cream.”
LOL.
“also remember that a “professional” to me and you is very different from a “professional” in many of the other people’s eyes”
Agreed Clio. This is probably a key factor in much of the disagreements, a executive/managing partner isn’t taking the red line. An analyst is. Case in point – if you’re worrying about saving 220 dollars a month comparing the EL to driving, you’re not really who I was talking about in my statements anyways.
On a side note , I wasn’t going to sleep with my co-resident but I think i may have to just to spite Marcus.
at least he didnt say “go back to devon street” riz. 😉
or was it go back to lincoln park…..maybe marcus is dan reincarnated. I’m kind of getting that vibe
“at least he didnt say “go back to devon street” riz.
or was it go back to lincoln park…..maybe marcus is dan reincarnated. I’m kind of getting that vibe”
Haha, i’ve spent enough time on devon street growing up, i’d say =D
I very much get the Dan vibe from Marcus…
“Don’t tell CH that. He won’t be able to get any work done, he’s going to be riding the brown line all day.”
funny stuff, good memory too. I luv that little flashdancer
It depends on how high up you are and if you get parking included. I know of no one under 35 who drives to the office downtown unless it’s a once in a while type of thing. There aren’t enough spaces for all the professionals to park. Perhaps Riz and Clio think professionals are only those who make $500K+. Even then, many of them take the metra because they live in Lake Forest and hate traffic and want to work on the train.
Dave M – the metra and the El are two completely different entities.
“Dave M – the metra and the El are two completely different entities.”
I second that. I was talking commuting ‘in – city’, ie, red/blue/brown/green/pink line. not commuters from the burbs. I would hate driving in from lake forest/naperville/hinsdale.
My director boss takes the El in from Oak Park every day. Several other directors in my office live in LP and often take the expresss bus to work. They aren’t making $500K, so you probably wouldn’t think they are professionals.
Ok people enough chatter about the professional ridership rates on the CTA. Additionally I think I have a solution on how to end many of these pointless debates that occur on CC.
My recommendation is that we institute the clio rule. When clio makes a general comment on anything it should be assumed that he is only talking about 1/2 of 1%
of the population. I think this will help to minimize debates that clutter the CC message board 🙂
Riz, you are a nice and smart guy. You don’t need to do anything out of spite especially because of a bigot. BTW, I personally think Indian men can be very handsome.
i would rather it be open
and IT started a lot earlier and with somebody other than Dan
“#
Riz on August 9th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
“Riz, you are wrong, give it up. Professionals take the CTA.
How stupid can you really be?”
Okay. you win. Honestly the open aired racism above bugs me way more than our spat.
“
“My director boss takes the El in from Oak Park every day. Several other directors in my office live in LP and often take the expresss bus to work. They aren’t making $500K, so you probably wouldn’t think they are professionals.”
Haha. well, i make 52k. guess i’m not a professional either.
“Riz, you are a nice and smart guy. You don’t need to do anything out of spite especially because of a bigot. BTW, I personally think Indian men can be very handsome.”
Thanks miumiu, nice to hear from you. I was just joking, my co-worker is married, that would be extra-scanadlous, haha.
I like to think that most of us brownies are okay. =D
Racism is just surprising sometimes. A good family friend of mine is in the hollywood scene..he’s indian. during a recent stand up show/ movie Q and A session, an audience member asked him ‘where’s the dot on your head’ ? And this was in LA. We have a long way to go still.
Ps, he replied with , ‘where does it say ‘c**t on your head’, haha. vulgar, i know, but a good comeback.
Riz –
Bowmanville is Rosehill Cemetary to the north, Damen to the east and Foster to the south.
valasko,
the debate/discussion is very pertinent to the thread and to crib chatter. Basically, people are putting a value on being close to the El. My position is that it is important if you are renting or selling something less than 400k. Above that, it becomes less and less important. In fact, it becomes a negative factor BECAUSE of the types (and volume) of people that ride the El. Builders and others understand this.
“Haha. well, i make 52k. guess i’m not a professional either.”
I have a theory on here, don’t have it down to an exact equation yet but…
people who claim they make 500k+ on cribchatter likely make far less than that.
and people who claim they make 0-70k here on cribchatter likely make more than that.
“In fact, it becomes a negative factor BECAUSE of the types (and volume) of people that ride the El. Builders and others understand this.”
Depends on the el line. Lines like the brown line don’t allow a swift direct escape to bad neighborhoods at 4am. And certain characters would stand out.
Lines like the Red & Blue: absolutely. They run 24 hours and cover a very wide area.
But I’m not worried about getting my 80s makeup all in a mess like Barb is and willing to “tough it out” to walk 4 blocks or so..or take the bus (GASP!) as others on here have alluded to. I guess Barb couldn’t let her friends back home in Iowa that she sometimes takes the bus..I mean what was the entire point of leaving Des Moine if one is taking the bus here as the folk back home are doing that too?
Bob, from Ohio, is making fun of Barb, from Iowa. How stupid can the discussion get?
This place is a steal. I’m honestly suprised it didn’t sell a long time ago. I bet there’s something in the disclosure or something else readily obvious. Like a neighbor who chain smokes or something.
“people who claim they make 500k+ on cribchatter likely make far less than that.
and people who claim they make 0-70k here on cribchatter likely make more than that.”
???? wtf??? – riz is a resident – that is why he makes the amount he stated. as for people that make 500k+, why would you say that?
HD I already played you like a marble in a rolling ball sculpture yesterday–you aren’t as sophisticated as you think you are either but your angry response did provide me many chuckles today when I went to re-read.
I spent time in Ohio as well as many other states. I guess that makes me more “worldly” than you in so far as the flyover states are concerned.
I find it very comical you associate the northwest side of Chicago with your ancestral homeland, however and look forward to your entertainment in the future.
ok – now wait for it….wait for it……
This is a cinder-block sided McCrapBox showing its age as they all do after a few years. These things age like a jersey shore girl with an unlimited tanning pass. No way is this a “steal”.
You can get a 2/1 ground floor unit nearby for 145k last I checked and that place didn’t appear to be trashed. Similar construction and era built as this one.
god what a stupid discussion today…
so anyway, about Jennifer Beals… man she’s a stunner in person
also the only d-bag that drives in my office is the top producer, (parking is 400 a month in our building) pretty much every other person takes the metra or EL
“Racism is just surprising sometimes. A good family friend of mine is in the hollywood scene..he’s indian. during a recent stand up show/ movie Q and A session, an audience member asked him ‘where’s the dot on your head’ ? And this was in LA. We have a long way to go still.
Ps, he replied with , ‘where does it say ‘c**t on your head’, haha. vulgar, i know, but a good comeback.”
Riz- why don’t you just say Aziz Ansari instead of “a good family friend” when this story has been all over the news the last few days? It’s not like we all haven’t been reading about it anyway.
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/08/aziz_ansari_forehead_dot.html
“It’s not like we all haven’t been reading about it anyway. ”
um there’s a lot of dudes here who probably don’t read trash entertainment mags
I have to side with Riz that doctors generally don’t take public transportation. (At least none that I know.) It never even crosses their minds. And you know why? The wacky hours they work! Is a female doctor going to take the El or the bus home after working who knows how long of a shift at 11 pm or 1 am or whatever? None that I know.
And the docs I know are also on “call” a lot. They just hop in their cars and drive to the hospital.
So if you are a doctor and all you know are doctors who live in River North and Streeterville- then “yes” in your world no one takes public transportation.
Many moons ago I lived in River North (and am not a doctor.) I never once took public transportation to work. I cabbed or walked because it was easy to do so.
Professionals living in Southport or Lincoln Square ride the brown line. Those along the lakefront ride the express buses. My lawyer cousin in Ukranian Village rides the bus AND the blue line to her loop job (even when she was pregnant.)
But I do agree that if you’re the CEO or the partner at Kirkland (again- because of your work schedule)- you’re simply hoping in your car and driving to the office building.
“um there’s a lot of dudes here who probably don’t read trash entertainment mags”
It’s been on every “news” website the last 24 hours. So you don’t need to read “trash” to know what he was referring to.
“so anyway, about Jennifer Beals… man she’s a stunner in person”
she is good looking – but a lot of that is built up in your mind. I knew her very well when she was younger (her stepdad was partners with my dad). She actually was very ordinary looking. Acting, expensive clothes, a trainer, good make up can do wonders for someone. Everyone could learn a thing or two from her.
Groove:
I would estimate that most Chicagoans only “know” about 10% of the city (max.) They haven’t been to most neighborhoods so they have no idea.
I don’t hold it against them. Before Crib Chatter, I hadn’t been to most neighborhoods either. And even now, I would estimate I’ve only visited maybe 75% of them (and am STILL learning about new neighborhoods.)
To be honest, when I recently went up to Margate Park I didn’t know what to expect as I had never been to that part of Uptown. Boy, was I surprised! It was lovely.
How many on here have been to, say, historic Pullman? Or even Beverly? People could learn a lot. Maybe I should offer some tours or something. ha! ha!
Boy, this one really went haywire, eh? Stupidest comments I’ve seen in years, seriously.
I’ve taking the brown, blue and red lines for 30 years and smart people who don’t like sitting in traffic on a nasty, fume-ridden scorching roadway have always taken the train. It has NOTHING to do with money, except that wealthier people inreasingly are taking over the areas closest to the loop and yes, cin close proximity to the train.
What kind of idiot would even begin to suggest otherwise? Where some of you dolts think Chicago’s gentrification started? On the pitiful “millionaire’s row” just west of this address, or in the brownstones and other brilliant buildings located coincidentally by the armitage, Fullerton, etc stops?
Good grief. More proof that having money is not necessarily correlated with having any common sense.
…and suits may be less common in the summer, but anyone who thinks there aren’t loads of professionals getting on the blue line needs to stop smoking crack before work in the morning. Actually, I take that back- no, you all are right, the blue line is really, really scary during rush hours! My gosh, there are hordes of people of indiscriminate non-European origin out there, some of them even eyeing the white women- run, run, run!!!
And curse this iPad. Ok, I give up and will refrain until I have a normal keyboard, good grief.
I will definitely concur doctors work odd hours and are more likely to drive- but in what altnate universe are doctors the “typical” professionals?
I’ve been to Pullman. On the east side–the “Bishop Ford Freeway” part of it.
I’ve been to pullman and beverly.
Bob, there is one thing everyone knows you are except for you. II need not say what that is bc deep down you know its true.
“I very much get the Dan vibe from Marcus…”
Hmmm…me too…
……and there it is (HD response)
as a native north sider, I will gladly admit I know very little about the intricacies of the south side. for starters, it’s just friggin huge. secondly, I have little reason to go there – I have always said that a north sider is more likely to marry someone from any other city, state or continent on earth before they end up with a true south sider, it’s just two sets of circles in a Venn diagram that rarely meet.
back to this place – for $88 monthly assessments they almost certainly are not keeping this in good shape in terms of basic maintenance and the cinder block. this *is* going to be somebody’s side yard/double lot score in about 10 or 15 years if they don’t change that.
“I’ve taking the brown, blue and red lines for 30 years and smart people who don’t like sitting in traffic on a nasty, fume-ridden scorching roadway have always taken the train. What kind of idiot would even begin to suggest otherwise?”
Uhhhh the kind of idiot that doesn’t want to get killed:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-cops-warn-of-west-side-l-street-robberies-20110809,0,1828759.story?track=rss
valasko,
the debate/discussion is very pertinent to the thread and to crib chatter. Basically, people are putting a value on being close to the El. My position is that it is important if you are renting or selling something less than 400k. Above that, it becomes less and less important. In fact, it becomes a negative factor BECAUSE of the types (and volume) of people that ride the El. Builders and others understand this.
Clio, all fine with above commentary, but see your initial comment but see below.
clio on August 9th, 2011 at 11:36 am
Do people who own condos and houses really take the ‘El’? I thought it was mainly kids, young adults, and renters.
This has to be one of the most moronic comments I have ever read. And this is what started this ridiculous debate.
I’ve never lived more than 6 blocks from the el in all my 16 years in Chicago. That being said, however, I’ve also rented all those years. I’ll eventually probably move closer to the metra. The experience of riding the metra is far superior to the train, and I find the o’hare blue line to be the best experience of all the CTA.
valasko,
put down your purse and untwist your panties!! Geez, take it easy – you get the overall idea of the point I was trying to get across. Bottom line is that living spaces close to the El are rentals and cheaper condos (under 400-500k). The El isn’t that important to people that live in places more expensive than that – hence, the conclusion that most professionals (ie those that make enough to afford to buy a place that costs over 500k – therefore they make 150k and above) don’t take the El. I actually DON’T think this is a stupid discussion because SO MANY people on this site think proximity to the EL is such great selling point. Well, I’m afraid to tell you guys that IT ISN’T once you get over 500k.
“Riz- why don’t you just say Aziz Ansari instead of “a good family friend” when this story has been all over the news the last few days? It’s not like we all haven’t been reading about it anyways”
Oh, i didnt realize that..I usually only read chicagobreakingnews.com and cnn on my iphone. I also didn’t realize that Aziz was someone who would be instantly recognizable. I don’t think many people are familiar with the story Sabrina, I told it at work today and nobody had heard it ( or had heard of Aziz, aside from a younger RN )
Then again, my world is a bit different than everyone elses, i’m not often in tune with social media. :-/
PS, again, I was at big star with him and a few other people a few weeks back and nobody really recognized or bugged him too much.
I know who he is but hadn’t heard the story. It is NOT all over the news as some here allude to. Far from it it took me more than one google to find an article on the incident.
“native north sider, I will gladly admit I know very little about the intricacies of the south side.”
It’s not even a north side/south side thing. How many people know and have been to Schorsch Village? What about Ravenswood Manor? We’ve covered Bowmanville. I doubt many even knew where that was. What about Peterson Woods? Ask anyone walking around Lakeview if they know where Edison Park is. I bet it’s only 5% (or less).
I’m not saying this is wrong. It’s just that people say they “know” the city of Chicago but they “know” just one or two neighborhoods and that is it. Myself included (until I started running Crib Chatter and now have been exposed to all the wonderfulness that is Chicago.)
I’m proud of the fact that I’ve opened up some people’s minds about neighborhoods outside of the GreenZone. Because many are great places to live with lovely homes.
I’m just scratching my head trying to understand how anyone can stare at Chicago’s “green zone” (I die a little every time I write that) development pattern and not notice the obvious – that L stops are where it happens first. What do nay-sayers here think they knw that everybody else doesn’t?
Hell, I got a city map and drew a 3 block radius around a half dozen L stops and wouldn’t even look past the address if it wasn’t in that zone. Neighborhoods change, you can improve a house, but no way was I gonna waste (for me) 30 minutes a day in extra travel time every week, every month, every year for the rest of my life.
“I also didn’t realize that Aziz was someone who would be instantly recognizable. I don’t think many people are familiar with the story Sabrina, I told it at work today and nobody had heard it.”
Maybe I AM the only one who reads trashy entertainment news. ha! ha!
I can’t wait for his new movie to come out. I think he is an up and coming comedic star.
“PS, again, I was at big star with him and a few other people a few weeks back and nobody really recognized or bugged him too much.”
He should enjoy it while he can (the anonymity.) Because you can never get that back.
I’ll go you one beyond that, as a guy who grew up in LV and LP I didn’t know a danged thing about Avondale until I started looking, and it’s dead west of where I grew up, literally.
I bring up the north/south thing as I think most north siders won’t even consider moving south of the Loop for any building, no matter how glorious or how much of a deal. It’s a definite snob/bias thing.
“It’s not even a north side/south side thing. How many people know and have been to Schorsch Village? What about Ravenswood Manor? We’ve covered Bowmanville. I doubt many even knew where that was. What about Peterson Woods? Ask anyone walking around Lakeview if they know where Edison Park is. I bet it’s only 5% (or less).:”
“I can’t wait for his new movie to come out. I think he is an up and coming comedic star.”
Haha , yeah he’s a really nice guy too. The movie will be good, it was filmed mostly in michigan if i remember correctly, a lot of our friends from chicago were extras, haha, but my crap schedule didn’t permit me a set visit.
…but I’m quite familiar with most of the north side. advantage of going to Iggy, where kids are there from across the whole city, plus burbs, even a few from NW Indiana when I was there.
ok asshats to asswipes. No one doesnt take the train cause it is beneath them. If thar were true it would apply universally. It does not. Take the LIRR to Great Neck, or hit Grand Central up to CT. Or the subways in NYC. Paris, London. Who the hell do you think use the subways. Reason not to use metro in Chicago is simply cause it sucks and driving is no worse to better.
Parks & Recreation is the missus and I’s latest guilty pleasure. That dude is a trip, but the guy who plays Ron IMO steals the show.
“I can’t wait for his new movie to come out. I think he is an up and coming comedic star.”
“I actually DON’T think this is a stupid discussion because SO MANY people on this site think proximity to the EL is such great selling point. Well, I’m afraid to tell you guys that IT ISN’T once you get over 500k.”
“The experience of riding the metra is far superior to the train, and I find the o’hare blue line to be the best experience of all the CTA.”
0.25 to 0.3 miles from el and under 30 min door to door is perfect. Would never drive if I could get that. Metra is ok, although not really that nice, and you’re on a schedule.
“I know who he is but hadn’t heard the story. It is NOT all over the news as some here allude to. Far from it it took me more than one google to find an article on the incident.”
Do you have no idea how to use the google? Seriously?
reading this thread is like listening to the voices in my head – everyone is coming from different directions and nothing makes sense!!!
valasko,
put down your purse and untwist your panties!! Geez, take it easy – you get the overall idea of the point I was trying to get across. Bottom line is that living spaces close to the El are rentals and cheaper condos (under 400-500k). The El isn’t that important to people that live in places more expensive than that – hence, the conclusion that most professionals (ie those that make enough to afford to buy a place that costs over 500k – therefore they make 150k and above) don’t take the El. I actually DON’T think this is a stupid discussion because SO MANY people on this site think proximity to the EL is such great selling point. Well, I’m afraid to tell you guys that IT ISN’T once you get over 500k.
Clio,
Just got the new purse and no I won’t put it down. Boy this purse sure does go will with these shoes! Can’t wait to ride the EL tomorrow morning, I look so gooooood, snap, snap.
DZ and skeptic, you aren’t the typical buyers of a 500+ house/condo – that is who we are talking about. So we are on the same page: people who rent, younger people, students, and those who buy up to 500k places are the types to take the train. No more needs to be said.
“Maybe I AM the only one who reads trashy entertainment news. ha! ha!”
well it certainly wasn’t big news in our office today… and really, heckling a comic and him firing back is “news” these days? eesh, glad I don’t waste my time with that! (i’m sure you’re glad too hah)
The only reason I know who he is, is because my wife watches his show and I saw his standup bit on TV. He’s pretty funny, but I don’t like comics that talk about all these celebrities they know, he spent like 20 minutes talking about how he hangs out with Kanye West, who cares!
Most of the people I know who make $150K still ride the El, bus, or metra to work. It’s the big dogs who make $400K who drive, and have to leave their homes at 5am just to avoid the traffic from their suburban abode to get to the office. Walking is another option if you live close enough. Still, the CTA and metra is frequented by a wide range of professionals from the newbies all the way up to the C-suite.
ok , I’ll join in the idiotic discussion about Ansis anzari. Does anyone else find his voice irritating and annoying? His voice seriously makes me want to punch him in the face. He is a pencil-necked geek and really not that funny at all…. and that voice, good GOD!!
Here is something you don’t see often – a house that sold OVER list price:
http://www.redfin.com/IL/Oak-Brook/1001-Midwest-Club-Pkwy-60523/home/18082918
” but anyone who thinks there aren’t loads of professionals getting on the blue line needs to stop smoking crack before work in the morning.”
I challenge you to sit at Clark/Lake one morning and count the % of people wearing suits, or any barely decent professional dress. It’s under 25% without question.
“My gosh, there are hordes of people of indiscriminate non-European origin out there”
That’s actually accurate. They make up the majority (>50%) of people on the blue line, the other 25% are the Logan Square hipsters. So I agree with Riz, at least regarding the Blue Line, that it’s not “professionals” riding it. Go stand on the subway platform and Clark/Lake and observe for yourself, professionals are not ubiquitous. What stops on the blue line would be a magnet for suit-wearing people??? I can’t think of one, except maybe Rosemont commuters?
Can we drop the transit debate….. Pleeeeese
Clio, is that you house? If so congrats.
“Clio, is that you house? If so congrats.”
No – I live in “old money” Oak Brook!! (see other thread for explanation)
What thread would that be?
“Here is something you don’t see often – a house that sold OVER list price:”
I love it when Clio brings up these houses that he is using as a “good example” of the housing market when it is really a “bad” example of it.
That Oak Brook house has been on and off the market since 2007 for goodness sakes.
I can’t find the complete listing but in April of 2008 it was listed for $4.499 million.
It just sold for $3.1 million.
Talk about a markdown.
“ok , I’ll join in the idiotic discussion about Ansis anzari. Does anyone else find his voice irritating and annoying? His voice seriously makes me want to punch him in the face. He is a pencil-necked geek and really not that funny at all…. and that voice, good GOD!!”
Yeah.
1. His name is Aziz ansari, not ansis anzari .
2. His voice isn’t annoying to most. that’s why he’s on a hit sitcom and sold 3 scripts to judd apatow starring himself.
3. He’s not a pencil necked geek. He was at the top of his class both in high school and NYU, but he also had a hit MTV show while a sophomore in college and was doing standup at the same time. He’s a brilliant and caring person, and widely liked by audiences.
I’m always fair with you Clio, but I think it’s safe to say most everybody that knows Aziz likes him.
PS , clio, just to burn your britches a bit…he cleared over 10 mil in the last 12 months. not bad for a pencil necked geek.
Valasko , ‘old money’ oakbrook is typically on the other side of 83…although there are a few exceptions. To be honest, best not to get into the oakbrook – old money/new money debate as that is a can of worms.
” He’s pretty funny, but I don’t like comics that talk about all these celebrities they know, he spent like 20 minutes talking about how he hangs out with Kanye West, who cares!”
I get that Sonies, but the Kanye shtick is very very exaggerated. He barely knows Kanye, but uses him as audiences respond very well to the kanye bit. Kanye is super full of himself anyways, not the nicest dude i’ve met.
“Do you have no idea how to use the google? Seriously?”
I know how to use google enough to know that when it’s a hot topic it displays news headlines in the first page that it considers newsworthy. Obviously google doesn’t consider this as newsworthy as showbiz watchers here do. That’s the key takeaway.
I overheard some Hinsdale colleagues talking about the catty people in Oak Brook, and who was new money/old money there. They came to the conclusion that unless your last name is Butler or Fuller, you are not old money there. I think Paul Butler would not approve of what has happened to his town if he were alive today.
dave m.. Were they talking in general or just about women, like clio?
Let’s recap what we learned yesterday
1. Only Loser renters take public transportation
2. Bob and HD had a cat fight, about what I am not sure
3. Riz Hangs with celebs
4. valasko got a new purse
5. Real Estate in Oak Brook sits on the market for at least 4 years and only sells after a 30% price reduction.
6. There is old money in Oak Brook ( I think this one still need verification)
7. Bob knows how to use google
8. Marcus is a racist and might really be Dan
Dave M – what is so “good” about old money from Hinsdale/Oak Brook? What if you are old money from Europe/Asia/South America and then move here? What about old money from New York and then move here? Believe me, the fullers and butlers may be “old money” but they are old money from the midwest – and even more embarrassing, old money from the suburbs!!!
valasko, #6 verified
“Really? I would think with your history you’d claim more than that Fair enough sir. I could google and lie..but i have never heard of Bowemanville. haha, wtf is that.”
we could all google and lie, but is it even worth the time to do so for a RE Blog?
i have a friend who lived by bryn mawr and western way back when the icecream shop was there. even he said “bowmanville, never heard of it”, so that at least made my street cred feel better.
that said riz,
i no longer take public transit, when money gets tight and i cant valet or pay outrageous prices for parking then maybe i may hop a bus or train but even then i have a bunch of crap in the garage i can craigslist to cover that expense
curious.. Is there an old money vs new money swap trading on the CME? Is old money trading a few cents per dollar over???
Thats the value of old money, answered for you right there, boys and girls.
“Groove:
I would estimate that most Chicagoans only “know” about 10% of the city (max.) They haven’t been to most neighborhoods so they have no idea.
I don’t hold it against them. Before Crib Chatter, I hadn’t been to most neighborhoods either. And even now, I would estimate I’ve only visited maybe 75% of them (and am STILL learning about new neighborhoods.)
To be honest, when I recently went up to Margate Park I didn’t know what to expect as I had never been to that part of Uptown. Boy, was I surprised! It was lovely.
How many on here have been to, say, historic Pullman? Or even Beverly? People could learn a lot. Maybe I should offer some tours or something. ha! ha!”
i will say i have actually been in only 60% of chicago. 80% if you consider driving through.
I dont hold it against anyone either unless they make random statements like “i know chicago like the back of my hand” then i have to face palm myself when reading or hearing that.
and of the 60% there is 30% i wont go back to anytime soon 😉
“How many people know and have been to Schorsch Village?”
I am there many times a week, thats where my parents live now
“What about Ravenswood Manor?”
was there two weeks ago
“We’ve covered Bowmanville”
Still havent ventured into the boundries, if i remember i will.
“I doubt many even knew where that was. What about Peterson Woods?”
did a morning run with a buddy a couple weeks back. wife and i like the nature trail peterson park/north park and go for a walk and watch the tai chi folks move extra slow ad hang by the mini waterfall then head over to Tre Kronor for som good eats.
“Ask anyone walking around Lakeview if they know where Edison Park is.”
just ate at Zia’s last week and was at tony’s to pick up sausage to grill this week.
“My sense is that a lot of partners, managing directors, various senior executives, doctors, etc. – if they live in the city, and espeically if they live in $1+ million SFHs – drive to work. (My unscientific survey of my own workplace indicates that, with rare exception, only suburban-dwelling partners take the train, and it’s the Metra).”
I was going to drop this but happened to ride in today with the one neighbor who I know definitely meets these criteria. He said he takes the el unless he has drive somewhere after work. He was the only person in our car in a suit.
“I know how to use google enough to know that when it’s a hot topic it displays news headlines in the first page that it considers newsworthy. Obviously google doesn’t consider this as newsworthy as showbiz watchers here do. That’s the key takeaway.”
You said you were trying to find info about it using google and it took you more than one search to find it. If you’d put the slightest effort in your search, you would have found it on the first search. (If you want to use whether google sticks something up as a news headline for the guy’s name alone as a test of something, that’s a whole other matter.)
Clio, perhaps you should reacquaint yourself with the listing – this property is for sale for $299K, not $500K.
And my house/double lot may not be worth $500K, but it’s not far off. That actually does NOT thrill me to death, as I know it’s just going to result in my paying more property taxes over the next few decades.
“DZ and skeptic, you aren’t the typical buyers of a 500+ house/condo – that is who we are talking about.”
LOL. You first. Would love to hear what you think is “professional dress.” At my job people making $75 – $150K wear everything from suits to jeans and sandals. Could be we’re just less uptight than your “professional” acquatinances.
“I challenge you to sit at Clark/Lake one morning and count the % of people wearing suits, or any barely decent professional dress. It’s under 25% without question.”
btw, I will concede that there aren’t many people in suits in August. I & my peers regularly use the word “suits” to describe corporate/executive/top-level administrative folk in general. ie: “Ugh, got raked over the coals by the Suits this morning.”
“I was going to drop this but happened to ride in today with the one neighbor who I know definitely meets these criteria. He said he takes the el unless he has drive somewhere after work. He was the only person in our car in a suit. “
I was in Bridgeport for the first time last week (not including sox games). Sisters car got towed there. once west of racine it started to remind me of a Johnny Cougar video. Southside is really unknown to me, outside of Hyde Park and Hegewisch.
“Most of the people I know who make $150K still ride the El, bus, or metra to work. It’s the big dogs who make $400K who drive, and have to leave their homes at 5am just to avoid the traffic from their suburban abode to get to the office. Walking is another option if you live close enough. Still, the CTA and metra is frequented by a wide range of professionals from the newbies all the way up to the C-suite.”
Bingo, we have a winner! So everyone but doctors (because of strange hours and free parking) and CEO’s drivee. Most normal professionals take public transportation. Anyone who thinks otherwise has their head in the sand.
I hate to keep this up, but my far-less-than-$150K self drove in this morning. In South Loop, so I get to cruise past the serious cluster**** using the express lane on 94 and then taking Roosevelt.
Oh, and my parking is $40 a month, but only about $26 in real dollars due to the pre-tax withdrawal.
There’s working hard, and then there’s working smart (and of course, there’s both). Same applies for City living.
There are not that many people in suits in Chicago period. It is just a low key kind of town. I love formal wear and I wish more people would wear them but hey what ever makes them happy.
and Valasko, that was a neat recap of the conversation : )
10-20 years ago everyone would be wearing suits, but most realize that unless you’re face to face with clients in meetings or something, there is really no point because let me tell you they are damn uncomfortable after a while even if you have a nicely tailored suit.
the kind of crap women wear in the business workplace these days is pretty pathetic
The only professionals that still wear suits are attorneys; and even then, it’s primarily litigators and trial lawyers who go to court. Business casual took over like 20 years ago and suit are not coming back.
And if you think this is going to change for attorneys, think again:
http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202430875593&slreturn=1&hbxlogin=1
Federal Judges Grouse About Lawyers’ Courtroom Attire
The National Law Journal
May 21, 2009
When U.S. District Court Judge Joan Lefkow mentioned during a judges’ panel discussion at the Seventh Circuit Bar Association meeting this week that she thought some women attorneys should pay more attention to dressing appropriately for court, she probably didn’t know the floodgates she would open.
Lefkow, who sits in the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago, had an issue with one woman who had shown up for a court hearing in attire that looked as though she had stopped in “on her way home from the gym,” the judge told a conference room full of judges and lawyers gathered for a general discussion with federal judges from Illinois. Noting that there weren’t many women in the audience to hear her message, Lefkow suggested that lawyers address the “delicate issue” with female colleagues at their firms.
As it turned out, one of the male judges on the dais with her, and the male lawyers in the audience at the Indianapolis meeting, had plenty to say right away about the issue. It had been bothering them, too, perhaps in a slightly different way.
Women come into court wearing “skirts so short that there’s no way they can sit down and blouses so short there’s no way the judges wouldn’t look,” said Judge Michael McCuskey, chief judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois and a panel member.
Murmuring in the audience quickly rose into loud comments and laughter, with one female voice calling for someone to help save McCuskey from himself. Bankruptcy Judge Benjamin Goldgar, who presides in the Northern District of Illinois, came to his rescue from the audience, saying that McCuskey shouldn’t be made to keep quiet about the matter because he too considers the issue “a huge problem.” Sometimes it’s so difficult that Goldgar said he wishes he could tell the female lawyer standing before him: “I’d really like to pay attention to your argument.”
“You don’t dress in court as if it’s Saturday night and you’re going out to a party,” said Goldgar from the audience. “Dress as a serious person who takes the court seriously.”
Goldgar said that male attorneys who come before him with wacky ties, like those with lots of smiley faces, also cross the line of appropriateness. That led another judge in the audience to lament that many lawyers don’t wear ties anymore unless they’re going to court. Hedlund & Hanley partner Reuben Hedlund recalled how jurors in one of his cases were fixated on a trial lawyer’s “argyle socks.”
Most lawyers in the hotel conference room, where the average age appeared to be in the 50s, pinned the problem on younger lawyers and said it was a “cultural” issue. As moderator Jeffrey Stone, incoming chairman at McDermott Will & Emery, turned the conversation to what could be done about the dress debacle, some of the attorneys and judges blamed law firms for not giving lawyers enough guidance, while others said law schools needed to do a better job of educating young lawyers on appropriate dress.
Judge Virginia Kendall of the Northern District of Illinois chimed in from the floor that it might not be such a problem if there were more female partners at firms, triggering another round of laughter. Another lawyer noted that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit had a dress code that should speak to women’s attire.
In fact, the court’s dress code sent to lawyers scheduled to appear only says that lawyers’ attire “should be restrained and appropriate to the dignity of a Court of Appeals for the United States.”
Most of the judges said they didn’t feel they could make any effort to straighten out the wardrobe-challenged lawyers, or even mentor young lawyers who come before them, partly because, as Chief Judge James Holderman of the Northern District of Illinois noted, it could be considered ex parte communication. Attorneys said raising the issue at firms is not so easy either. Stone, who is based in Chicago, said he dared not bring up the issue with individual associates.
Lefkow, a smart dresser à la Brooks Brothers, suggested that women lawyers consult Corporette, a fashion Web site one of her clerks had shown her. As for the lawyer who showed up in Lefkow’s court wearing sweats, she won her case, the judge said.
i like the train. I like to look at people. Best is taking a train after a long night drinking, just to let silent farts go after the doors close.
“There are not that many people in suits in Chicago period. It is just a low key kind of town. I love formal wear and I wish more people would wear them but hey what ever makes them happy”
Agreed. It’s not a formal city…and even when i DO see people in suits, it makes me want to shudder. Chicago is an amazing town..but most people really do not know how to dress well here.
“the kind of crap women wear in the business workplace these days is pretty pathetic”
I agree. I get a good laugh seating in a cafe and checking the women in their cheaply made super revealing cocktail dresses walking around down town at lunch time in high heels they cannot walk in. I don’t get the concept of wearing shoes that you’d walk in like a goose. It is not exactly sexy…lol
As for suits being uncomfortable, the way men’s suits are cut here, one can swim in them. Actually I find men in London, Milano, Munich, etc.. so much more attractive in their nicely tailored suits and they seem to be able to work fine in them. I think it is all a matter of habit.
Salesmen also wear suits every day HD, you know those FIRE economy people you always talk about
” the way men’s suits are cut here, one can swim in them. Actually I find men in London, Milano, Munich, etc.. so much more attractive in their nicely tailored suits and they seem to be able to work fine in them. I think it is all a matter of habit”
You don’t know half of it. I feel like 99% of guys here wear a suit that is 1-2 sizes too big for them. The mentality carries over into the department stores, so aside from saks or barney’s, even the sales people don’t understand the concept of a well fitted suit. The only place in this city i’ve been able to find a decent one is at gucci, and the prices their are a bit ridic.
JJJ : I also don’t think that this is really about people “all over downtown” if you mean actual downtown and not downtown like my Mom uses it, to mean anything east of the tri-state.
What is that about? Just yesterday, a former co-worker who lives in the suburbs asked me, “Are you still living downtown?” Um, I’ve never lived south of Armitage. I’d hardly consider that “downtown”.
“As for suits being uncomfortable, the way men’s suits are cut here, one can swim in them.”
as I said even properly tailored suits (aka ones you can’t swim in and fit properly) suck after wearing them for 10+ hours a day. I do chuckle a little when I see these fat chumps in their mens wearhouse $100 specials, I kinda feel bad and remember the days when I first started in the working world and had to wear those god awful pieces of crap
It’s because your average American is now the size of a walrus and shaped the same. Most mainstream clothes manufacturers style their clothes accordingly – if you want something that fits a more lean/muscular figure you need to go designer brands like Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, etc.
I think the Europeans left the baggier/looser styles ages ago. In fact, hey Groove, was the Girbaud and Z-Cav craze before your time?
“I feel like 99% of guys here wear a suit that is 1-2 sizes too big for them. The mentality carries over into the department stores, so aside from saks or barney’s, even the sales people don’t understand the concept of a well fitted suit. “
and Riz – nordstroms will fit you properly at a decent price
“You don’t know half of it. I feel like 99% of guys here wear a suit that is 1-2 sizes too big for them. The mentality carries over into the department stores”
there is no way i can do a department store suit or a mens warehouse suit. they never fit right or look right on me.
I even have to get my shirts tailored, i cant buy of the rack and wear it the next day. i have wide shoulders and a small waist so the correct neck size is to tight in the arms, shoulder, chest area. if i buy a correct chest size the neck is way to big to look decent and the waist area has way to much fabric and looks like i am drowning in my own clothes. and a good tailor is not cheap!
“In fact, hey Groove, was the Girbaud and Z-Cav craze before your time?”
that was my hey day, peaked just when jnco jeans arrived (thank goodness)
miss the tight rolled Z’s with IOU sweater and playby tassled shoes. nothing like white reebok a champion sweater and MFGirbuad jeans!
“The mentality carries over into the department stores, so aside from saks or barney’s, even the sales people don’t understand the concept of a well fitted suit.”
a good suit well tailored should be a silhouette of your frame but have comfort and tailored so you dont show if your a left leaner or right leaner.
Riz, I love Gucci too. In fact my husband who is a bit of a suit snob only buys Gucci suits. BTW, if you have a regular body (not too chubby or weird shaped) try yoox.com. Once you know your size you can order designer cloths at good prices. I bet Hugo Boss has good stuff as skeptic suggest. I love their female line, but my hubby only buys Italian. I guess it is a matter of pride for him. I personally love Dolce e Gabbana and Alexander McQueen the best for women’s suits.
Groove – if you ever go to WI on 94, try the Calvin Klein shop in the Kenosha Outlet Mall, it’s a few exits before Highway 50 to Lake Geneva.
“Riz, I love Gucci too. In fact my husband who is a bit of a suit snob only buys Gucci suits. BTW, if you have a regular body (not too chubby or weird shaped) try yoox.com. Once you know your size you can order designer cloths at good prices. I bet Hugo Boss has good stuff as skeptic suggest. I love their female line, but my hubby only buys Italian. I guess it is a matter of pride for him. I personally love Dolce e Gabbana and Alexander McQueen the best for women’s suits.”
Thanks, I’ll check it out.
Gucci makes the best men’s suits in my honest opinion. I have an older dolce and gabbana suit that is timeless, but a lot of their new stuff hasn’t thrilled me. I don’t have a McQueen suit but I’ve got a few cardigans and shoes that are great. The problem with BOSS is the huge variability; they have 300 dollar crap suits and 1500 dollar nice suits, with a ton in between, i like consistency in design. YSL makes great 2 buttons also , it was one of my firsts but i can’t fit into the 29 waist pants anymore, haha.
uhh HD many salespeople wear suits. you might not consider a retail broker or a recruiter professionals but the good ones paychecks indicate they are. if law school isn’t teaching lawyers the basics for 40k/ye then lol
“Groove – if you ever go to WI on 94, try the Calvin Klein shop in the Kenosha Outlet Mall, it’s a few exits before Highway 50 to Lake Geneva.”
been going there for years back when i was rocking the gap jeans/timberland sweater/timberland boots trend.
we actually make a two day trip with it these past few years. its day one we go to kenosha beach in the day and shop all night then eat at the brat stop.
next day i play 18 at bristol oaks wife shops then we head back home. hotels are a bit expensive for no reason at all but one night stay isnt bad
are you a sales associate Bob?
“#Bob on August 10th, 2011 at 9:13 am
uhh HD many salespeople wear suits. you might not consider a retail broker or a recruiter professionals but the good ones paychecks indicate they are. if law school isn’t teaching lawyers the basics for 40k/ye then lol”
dear god, you too? that Timberland recently shut down, it’s the end of an era. I miss my $8 flannels!
“been going there for years back when i was rocking the gap jeans/timberland sweater/timberland boots trend.”
“How many on here have been to, say, historic Pullman? Or even Beverly?”
Me! Me!
Oh Riz, if you are ever in Italy check out: Serravalle outlet
http://www.mcarthurglen.it/serravalle/
and “The Mall” near Florence. I have been threatened by divorce a few times while shopping there but it is totally worth it and you are even single ; )
“I miss my $8 flannels!”
i have a storage closet full of them, and thermal tops too. the columbia store is still going but not as cheap as timber was. and not as soft either.
HD how did you guess? 🙂
in all seriousness don’t make the mistake that most lawyers make that they could do sales because its not intellectually grueling. most lawyers could not do sales because they lack both the perseverance & emotional IQ/personability. you can ask the partner you work for about that because partners know how to sell. but I’d suggest after work hours for that query as you really should be making him wealthy now HD.
Coffee is for closers HD. you’ll be lucky to get steak knives with your attitude.
“Oh Riz, if you are ever in Italy check out: Serravalle outlet
http://www.mcarthurglen.it/serravalle/
and “The Mall” near Florence. I have been threatened by divorce a few times while shopping there but it is totally worth it and you are even single ; )”
Haha, i haven’t been to that one – Have you visited the castel romano ( spelling? ) outlet outside of Rome? seems very very similar to that one. Since being single i’ve definitely had a lot more spending money..haha, pros and cons i guess. 😉
“just to let silent farts go after the doors close.”
why do you pick that moment?
damn bob, that was one huge cup of ownage
Personally I wear a suit every day, mostly because there is a 50/50 chance of an evening event, benefit, cocktail reception, dinner, etc. where the muckedities are wearing suits anyway. That or meetings with bankers, lawyers, politicos, etc. who are wearing them.
I wear mostly Hickey Freeman. High quality and can be had for $600 – $700 each on sale. I have probably 20 of them, the key is rotating so you dry clean each one maybe 1 per month max.
I find suits are very comfortable in Chicago. Jackets are good until about sub 40 degrees and you just take them off in the summer. Light fabrics help too.
As casual as men can be here, a decent shirt and wool slacks still looks professional. As for sport coats, if you are going to wear a jacket, why not a suit? The suit no tie look is also a good option. But even with a tie, all you need to do is unbutton the top button, which is perfectly acceptable. Women on the other hand, particularly those under 30, dress terribly. We’ve got a no flip flop policy in our office and there is a rumor one of our undergrad hires dumped her circa 75k a year job over it. No HBS recco for her I guess.
I always find it funny how you can tell how stupid some of the people that used to work at a place must’ve been by how specific & detailed an organizations dress code policy is.
riz, thanks for the yoox.com site. most of it is way more than i will spend on clothes but i see some deals too.
“riz, thanks for the yoox.com site. most of it is way more than i will spend on clothes but i see some deals too.”
glad you found some deals – but i just heard of it from miumiu so she’s the one to thank. =)
I wear suits for dinner and as a defendant only.
Same prob as you groove. Can’t buy in a store, you left out if it fits in the chest the jacket goes too long.
CH.. It was my way of saying this convo is coming out of everyones ass.
I, like Joel, like trains. Beats bein in a bad mood cause some asshole can’t understand the every other car merge concept.
“Talk about making yourself an easy target.”
I would be willing to bet that crimes perpetuated against victims wearing suits index far lower than general population. Perhaps by a factor of 10 or 100.
When kidnappings in Chicago of adults becomes an issue then come talk to me about comparisons to latin america.
Something smells like it came from a bull’s rear end all right, but that would be your inane commentary.
Did you have a point? Or like clio, did you lose sight of the fact that this condo is for sale for $299K?
“I think all this talk about “suits” is a bunch of people bullshitting. The last time people wore suits in Chicago on a regular basis was in the 1980’s, now we have a bunch of dilettantes talking about suits? Very few people wear them downtown, unless you are a lawyer, and most people still wearing suits are usually over 50. When we have a SHTF moment, practically here, look at Argentina in 2001, or London riots, the last thing you want to be doing is walking around with a fancy watch and a D&G or Hugo Boss suits. Talk about making yourself an easy target.”
Who the hell wears suits?
When I got out of college, business casual was just picking up steam in the mid 90s. The consulting firm I worked for was pretty stuffy and when they instituted “casual Fridays” everyone went ape shit. The summer before when I worked at an i-bank, double breast suits and braces (suspenders) were a no no. A friend joked that business casual at his i-bank meant we could wear a blue or stripped dress shirt on Fridays.
Now I can wear shorts/t-shirts to work if I choose.
Only folks I regularly see in suits attorneys and some sales folks. If you know how to dress, you can wear jeans, loafers, and a dress shirt better than some slobs in cheap suits.
Everyone guy should own at least one well tailored suit. There is a difference. Same with dress shirts, ties, and shoes.
ugh WTSHTF the rich leave. lets just say I met some outrageously hot Argentinian women at the end of 2001 in Vegas. no no luck with them as they obviously have better options.
“I think all this talk about “suits” is a bunch of people bullshitting. The last time people wore suits in Chicago on a regular basis was in the 1980’s, now we have a bunch of dilettantes talking about suits?”
If I had to pick one thing to believe on this thread, incl my own statements, it’s that JMM wears a suit to work every day (and he’s really the only person who claimed to regularly). Also, apropos of nothing in particular, especially since I hardly ever wear a suit:
http://www.costco.com/Service/FeaturePage.aspx?ProductNo=11649430&cm_re=1-_-Right_Nav-_-MensSuits
“Who the hell wears suits?”
Silly, all the professionals that don’t ride public transportation.
You guys need to get a grip on reality.
my friend used to always say…. Neckties are to woman as fake breasts are to men. Girls definitely do check ya out more when you’re decked out.. No question about it.
hey, and a necktie feels lumpy as well!
“my friend used to always say…. Neckties are to woman as fake breasts are to men. Girls definitely do check ya out more when you’re decked out.. No question about it.”
in this economy neckties must be Dallas stripper sized implants then
“Silly, all the professionals that don’t ride public transportation.
You guys need to get a grip on reality.”
Oh yeah! Forgot….
Love a man in a suit. My husband is often better dressed than most of the board at meetings. He usually wears Hugo Boss. I always wear a suit although I usually take the jacket off at my desk.
But on the parking/transportation thing – there are 60 floors in my office building, but I doubt there are even 600 parking spaces in the garage – where exactly are all the attorneys and accountants parking if they’re all driving?
F you all I wear hugo boss every wwek day. Yes, every monday through friday.
So getting back to the original point of contention, it is “does access to an L stop matter for properties in this price point,” more or less (clio jumping the shark at some point and redirecting the conversation towards the $500K+ market).
I stand 100% by my assertion, backed by 30+ years of public transit experience CLOSE TO THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION that duh, of course transit to the L matters.
That’s why this block gentrified a solid decade (I’d say more like 15+ years) later than the blocks of George that are within 1/4 of a mile of the Diversey or Wellington L stops.
Clio may very well be right that once people get to a certain income they simply become addicted to driving and won’t take the train – hey, if I had some 100K car instead of an Accord I’d likely drive it more often as well.
But we know for a fact that demand for the Brown and Red line trains downtown got so pressing that they eventually spent some $600,000,000 (or was it more at the end?) just to expand the Brown Line trains and platforms. This demand was driven by rush hour commuters, not pothead slackers or homeless people urinating all over themselves.
So what part of the statement that “access to the L is attractive to home buyers” is really being debated here?
Neither I nor anyone else has said that there aren’t people who don’t care – the question is simply what % of the home-buying public these people are, and if there is a metric that associates income and property price that might display a reasonable correlation.
Clio’s retort that proximity to an L station is a *negative* is the only claim here I’ve heard which I think crosses the line to wingnuttery, the obvious exceptions being where a house is within 50 ft or so of a rail line.
This is because realtors go out of their to advertise and highlight proximity to an L stop (as well as Hot Doug’s apparently), so obviously there is something of value to the association. And think about it – even if one does not personally need/want to take the train, it obviously can help one resell the property down the line.
And suck on this, Marcus, it’s healthier than whatever you’ve been smoking:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0205/feature7/index.html
>But isn’t owning an L-side home, especially with kids, a different sort of commitment from renting an L-side bachelor flat? Greg, an investment banker, shakes his head. We are seated in his tiny backyard, in the shade of the tracks, surrounded by children’s toys, a baby monitor, and a Border collie, Cassie, whose behavior may say less about trackside living than the weirdness of dogs. For the southbound trains, Cassie sulks under the deck. For the north bounders, she spins twice, barks, then bounces, feet first, off the side of the house.
“It’s really not bad here,” Johnson says. In the house the sound might equal the sound of a loud vacuum cleaner. Johnson taught his kids to cover their ears when playing outside. “When I bought this place, I got maybe a 30 percent discount,” he adds. “Someday we might move to the suburbs, but you can’t say enough about what it’s like to have this transportation. It only takes me 25 minutes door-to-door to get to work.”
“and leave that to people who know what they are talking about”
yep and you guys really do make some of the damn nicest textiles. Those wedding outfits are just amazing.
Lol Ze. Thanks. We are a colorful people and it reflects in our cultural garb.
skeptic.. my only take away from that was some asshole would put a Border Collie in a tiny yard. Small dog.. small space.. makes sense… stupid selfish dick!
Can someone please make Marcus/Dan go away…..
“We are a colorful people and it reflects in our cultural garb.”
Btw… have things gotten better there? I always refused to go ever since a friends first words coming back were, “New Delhi was like walking into a giant fart.” I would have to think much of the country should be beautiful. The old palace maharajah stuff.
Haha Ze, depends where you go. If you go to Bombay / Delhi and stick in the ritzy hotel/downtown districts it feels just like the states. Great restaurants and shopping, bars, etc. However , like any 3rd world country, there’s still a lot of poverty. And cattle on the road. Lots of it. Hence the poop smell 🙂
I agree the guy is racist. From my experience, 1st generation kids can run into some cultural clashes. One of my daughter’s Indian friends hasn’t been able to introduce his girlfriends to his parents, who apparently have different ideas about dating.
“Marcus/Dan, Indian people are very accepting of other races marrying Into theirs”
“And cattle on the road”
Here’s one for ya. I have a Zebu. Absolutely stunning animal. Second he sees me all 800kg of him always comes over for pets.
Juliana look no further than me. I see Riz walk into a tavern with a white girl & I say to my table with a smirk “well I guess someones been having computer probs as of late.’
“So getting back to the original point of contention, it is “does access to an L stop matter for properties in this price point,” more or less (clio jumping the shark at some point and redirecting the conversation towards the $500K+ market).
I stand 100% by my assertion, backed by 30+ years of public transit experience CLOSE TO THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION that duh, of course transit to the L matters.
That’s why this block gentrified a solid decade (I’d say more like 15+ years) later than the blocks of George that are within 1/4 of a mile of the Diversey or Wellington L stops.”
100% correct
jokes about indians being programmers i can understand. stay out of the gene pool comments are just bizarre, to me.
“marrying a Pakistani”
Because all Pakistanis are muslims, and all Indians (note–all one “race”, too, in addition to being a single ethnicity, amenable to broad generalizations) are not. Got it.
“What did say that was racist? That I went into a restaurant with a large Hindu clientele with a indian girl, and all the people looked at me to see who I was?”
Hi Dan –
Spicy ethinic food again. You love it!
ethnic
“Out of a total of 2.5 billion people worldwide that defecate openly, 665 million belong to India. ”
Sheesh.. give ’em time. Until 25 years ago The French thought a toilet was only for their hair . Better yet.. you can get on a plane and go manufacture toilets, sounds like ya found a market. You don’t even need to bring one with you as a sample. Just open your mouth and let them shit in it, they’ll get the idea – They’re all engineers.
““Just open your mouth and let them shit in it”
No thanks! You try it.”
Riz, can you get me Freida Pintos phone number?
Ze , I wish . She’s hot.
Can we just call Hitler into this thread and end this piece of shit already?
“Can we just call Hitler into this thread and end this piece of shit already?”
Please no!! If it goes there PLEASE no lectures and no responses to it. Please!
Dan, if you meet a German girl at a bar, a nice thing to say to break the ice is:
“Bitte, scheisse auf mein brust.”
Riz,
Ignore Marcus/Dan, its just not worth it.
Racists are usually very jealous of non-whites who are successful in life.
Once again, I have to delete a gazillion comments that aren’t relevant to anything.
Please try to discuss real estate (even if we do get off track with trashy entertainment discussions every once in awhile.)
And try and respect each other’s opinions. You just might learn something.
What’s with this Marcus Aurelius guy? Why does he keep reappearing?
Thank you for deleting all the non-RE-related, narcissist Riz posts!! Thank you.
By the way, Dan –
Thank you for the recommendation of Ethiopian Diamond. It’s since become our favorite restaurant out of everything in Chicago and NY. We get the “Tour of Ethiopia” and then we have plenty of leftovers for beach snacks.
And I might add…it seems like you like your women like you like your food. Spicy and ethnic!
Sold for $295 in MAR-12.
Wow, the thread about El ridership…
It sold for more than I thought, but took quite a while to sell overall in March 2012.
My favorite quote from this thread – “The CTA does not allow owners to ride the EL. Once you buy, you are REQUIRED to rent a parking spot in the Loop for $300/month. An ALTERNATIVE is cabbing it. $10-15 each way from LP/LV to the Loop at around ~$400/month. The commute especially sucks now that Wacker is closed. When it rains, and the cabs are impossible to come by, owners have to WALK home. If CTA changed their policy and allowed owners to ride, this would really help the Chicago housing market.”
This was my 2nd favorite quote from this thread – “Dave M – what is so “good” about old money from Hinsdale/Oak Brook? What if you are old money from Europe/Asia/South America and then move here? What about old money from New York and then move here? Believe me, the fullers and butlers may be “old money” but they are old money from the midwest – and even more embarrassing, old money from the suburbs!!!”
here’s a good article on Paul Butler – http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1074225/index.htm