A 2-Bedroom in Aqua With Views For Miles: 225 N. Columbus in the New East Side
This 2-bedroom in Aqua at 225 N. Columbus in the New East Side (also known as Lakeshore East) came on the market in May 2019.
Aqua was built in 2009 and has 262 units and a parking garage.
It’s a full service building with doormen, a pool, exercise room, and clubhouse.
It has won architecture awards for its distinctive design.
This unit is on the 76th floor and, according to the listing, has “amazing views” of the Lake, Chicago River and skyline (see the listing pictures).
The kitchen has custom cabinets, stone countertops, stainless steel appliances and a breakfast bar.
The primary bedroom has an en suite bath and walk-in closet.
There is a second bedroom which looks like, from the listing pictures, it doesn’t have a window. It does have French doors which open onto the living/dining room.
Aqua has those famous curved balconies. This unit has one that measures 20×7.
It has the features that buyers look for including central air, washer/dryer in the unit and garage parking (which looks like it is included in the list price. Maybe?)
In the listing pictures, you can see the new St Regis Chicago to the right of the building.
Originally listed in May 2019 at $749,900, it has been reduced to $699,900.
That’s $130,100 under the 2016 price of $830,000.
It’s listed for $595 per square foot.
The St. Regis is selling for $1,000 and up.
With similar views to the St. Regis, but at a lower price point, is this a deal?
Sohail Salahuddin at @Properties has the listing. See the pictures here.
Unit #7603: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1176 square feet
- Sold in May 2011 for $659,500 (included the parking space)
- Sold in October 2016 for $830,000 (included the parking space)
- Originally listed in May 2019 for $749,900
- Reduced
- Currently listed at $699,900 (does this include the parking space? It isn’t clear)
- Assessments of $995 a month (includes heat, a/c, gas, doorman, cable, clubhouse, exercise room, pool, exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger, snow removal, Internet)
- Taxes of $16,343
- Central Air
- Washer/dryer in the unit
- Bedroom #1: 17×12
- Bedroom #2: 11×10
- Living/dining room: 20×18
- Kitchen: 10×9
- Walk-in-closet: 10×5
- Foyer: 9×7
- Balcony: 20×7
4 years and losing $130k+?
Gimme an H
Gimme an A
Gimme a W
Gimme a T
Gimme a ™
What’s that spell?
HAWT ™
Basically zero appreciation in 9 years
The current owners furnishings aren’t doing it any favors. No pictures of a 2nd Br?
This looks like a recent graduate that got laid off from some tech co
According the the agents remarks in the MLS, parking is an additional $60,000.
Other than the view, this looks like a $425,000 condo imho. Finishes and space are really sad for a property at this price point.
Place would show better if it were empty.
I thought this was going to be something nice for the money, but man, interior is really underwhelming compared to exterior, even considering it’s 11 years old. It’s like a world class architect do the exterior and home depot did the interior.
This Aqua floorpan is a 1,176 soft 1 bed + den and 1 and 1/2 bath. It’s not a 2/2 as listed. Also, it seems almost remarkable that this place ever sold for $830,000.
These are the typical Magellan cheap finishes. Since Aqua is 1/3 apartments, they used the same finishes for the condos as the apartments. Even the narrow hallways at Aqua feel very low end and apartment like, with cheap finishes.
Light fixtures are misplaced over dining tables and breakfast bars and the kitchen cabinets and appliances are all builder base. Bathrooms are similar with the cheapest plastic bathtubs and ceramic tile.
Way overpriced at $699,000.
Looks like an overpriced rental unit that’s on the market after the tenants moved out.
“interior is really underwhelming”
At least the closet is fitted out decently.
“No pictures of a 2nd Br?”
Isn’t the glass doored room next to the kitchen the 2d bed?
WAYYYY Overpiced. At this price is it even worth it to rehab the interior? That den is useless, that wall should be taken down to expand the kitchen.
One lonely pendent on a track in the kitchen is a metaphor for this sad place. Wasn’t the market getting a bit tired 2016? No doubt their trusted real estate industry sales professional robustly cautioned them but the buyers “fell in love” with the place and here we are.
It’s like a world class architect do the exterior and home depot did the interior.
I stand by my previous assessment that it’s better to have a view of the aqua than to live in the aqua.
https://cribchatter.com/?p=24906#comment-482547
BTW, is it “Aqua” or “The Aqua”?
“BTW, is it “Aqua” or “The Aqua”?”
The architect sez “Aqua Tower”:
https://studiogang.com/project/aqua-tower
“BTW, is it “Aqua” or “The Aqua”?”
HOA calls it “Aqua at Lakeshore East”:
aquaatlakeshoreeast.buildinglink.com
“I stand by my previous assessment that it’s better to have a view of the aqua than to live in the aqua.”
Thanks, Madeline. I would say the same for the majority of modern downtown condo and apartment towers. I love the skyline of downtown Chicago- it makes my heart beat faster just to look at photos of it. But disappointment and boredom ensue when you enter any of the boxy, ordinary, boring apartments in them- all with the same open or galley kitchens, small rooms, and low-to-medium grade appliances and fixtures.
Could add that the HOA here is a little steep for a newer (less than 25 years old)building, at $o.84 a square foot. You can expect the costs to rise steeply as the building ages.
$500,000 tops.
“the HOA here is a little steep”
There are a lot of amenities to fund, including indoor and outdoor pools. And it includes HVAC. If you wouldn’t use the amenities regularly, def a high monthly.
This one is much closer to being ‘worth’ the ask than the featured unit:
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/225-N-Columbus-Dr-60601/unit-6901/home/52638064
The corner units are so much better.
“There are a lot of amenities to fund, including indoor and outdoor pool”
I believe the pools and some/most of the other amenities are shared between the condos, the rental part of the building and the Radisson Blu hotel, so a lot lower cost per unit to maintain those (but a lot more people sharing them, which isn’t ideal (476 rental units, 263 condos and 215 hotel rooms!)
The other issue with this building is that financing is somewhat limited so you wind up paying a premium on the mortgage. It’s been a while since I’ve done one here, but a lot of the lenders considered the building non-warrantable for a long time.
Really expensive for a great view and some amenities. Thats all this place has going for it. I heard they had a major problem with spiders on the building exteriors. Like 1000s of them all over the place.
“I heard they had a major problem with spiders on the building exteriors. Like 1000s of them all over the place.”
All over the upper floors of Amoco, too, all summer.
Anyone else as uncomfortable as I am at the idea of a 76th floor balcony?
Just seems a little high for me. Vertigo might set in.
“It’s been a while since I’ve done one here, but a lot of the lenders considered the building non-warrantable for a long time.”
Is that because of the apartment part of the building Russ?
“Anyone else as uncomfortable as I am at the idea of a 76th floor balcony?”
How often do you go out there? That’s the question.
I once had a hanging balcony off the 17th floor and even that freaked me out. If it is recessed, it’s not so bad, however.
But I feel there’s a reason that developers don’t bother with balconies on many of the super high towers. I realize that it’s cheaper for them to build it without, but also, buyers just don’t care when you’re up 60 or 70 stories.
The interior is outdated and cheap and needs to be updated. Out with the furniture. Re-do the floors, new carpet, backsplash and counters, etc.
“ The interior is outdated and cheap and needs to be updated. Out with the furniture. Re-do the floors, new carpet, backsplash and counters, etc.”
Why?
You can only polish a turd so much. Unless you are a true believer in the HAWT Market Theory ™ or plan to live here for 20 years, you’ll never get your money out.
The kitchen is never going to be a “”chefs kitchen” w/o taking sf out an already undersized LR/DR or taking out the BR/Den. The latter makes the most sense but on the flip side you probably have the most expensive 1br by a considerable amount
@Sabrina, Yes. Mortgage lenders don’t particularly care for buildings that have apartments, condos, and hotels all in one.
I’ll never for the life of me understand the lake view feature. Even having worked in many offices with them: nothing happens on the lake for 8 months out of the year and there is little activity in another one of those months and little activity during weekdays. At least with the ocean there is the surf and smell of the saltwater and the tide. With the lake there is nothing…it’s just “there”. Big deal.
Lake views are nice. However, I wouldn’t pay a substantial premium for a lake view. I like city views as well. I actually like being up on a third or fourth floor in the tree canopy as well.
I just never saw the appeal of being 40+ stories up. You are so high up, it feels disconnected imho. I’d prefer to be under 20 stories…
Russ,
“I just never saw the appeal of being 40+ stories up. You are so high up, it feels disconnected imho. I’d prefer to be under 20 stories…”
Back in the day I lived on the 21st floor of a high rise in Wrigley. It was just about perfect. Great views but not too high to be disconnected as you suggested. In that building I looked mainly S and SW toward Wrigley Field. Had an amazing view 24/7/365. Got to know the neighbors and the ones that had lake views really were dull most of the day and created a sliver of lights and mostly black hole in the evenings. They would all come to our place at night and love the views.
As a renter in the Hancock with a north view, I tend to agree that the lake alone isn’t the best view to go with. I wasn’t interested in an east-facing apartment at the Hancock, for that reason. The north view gives you the best combination: Unobstructed lake and city. I love the contrast of the two. And the lake does have a great deal of beauty and contrasting colors and conditions that keep it interesting. Just rather boring at night when it’s simply black.
I cannot get over how absurdly disappointing the interiors of these units are!!! Both the Subject listing and the one Anon TFO posted have a short term rental vibe to them. I know technically the furniture is off limits but c’mon . . Who da fuq actually buys college sport . . . or even professional sport-themed bar stools for their kitchen???? Don’t those belong in a corner of your basement . . . as in you only buy those if you have a basement to put them in? LOL.
” you wind up paying a premium on the mortgage”
$2300 per month RE Taxes and assessments, before the mortgage payment on a $830,000 purchase price. Not sure this is just some random tech worker.
“Other than the view, this looks like a $425,000 condo imho. Finishes and space are really sad for a property at this price point.”
This building is overrated, as is its affirmative-action female architect. The building only looks good on renderings and elevation drawings. In reality, as we see here, it’s a total dud. The balcony railings hardly look strong enough to hold a drunk who crashes into it. It’s terrifying to see such cheap balconies. Wasn’t this the building in Ozark where the old fart Gary Silverberg gets thrown off it?
” As Jason Bateman’s Marty Byrde angrily approaches a Chicago office building, fuming about his wife’s affair with the old smarmy businessman Gary Silverberg, he sees a body smack right against the pavement, hitting the ground so hard a shoe flies off.
The balconies look like Marina City quality. The concrete platforms are far to thin, looks cheap as hell. So, basically the building is a rectangle box with some cheap Marina City type balconies. Again, the real thing is far inferior to the drawings. Can believe it’s already 11 years old too.
“This building is overrated, as is its affirmative-action female architect.”
Oh, so HH is an expert on architecture now? Even though this architect has gone on to design other award-winning buildings in Chicago, St. Louis and other cities?
LMFAO.
You’re so predictable HH. You and your misogyny.