Crib Chatter

Chicago may be famous for its lofts, but what about the duplex loft? Altgeld Court, at 1300 W. Altgeld in Lincoln Park, is a loft building that is all about the duplex. These are also a bit more unusual because they are not the usual timber or concrete ceilings. Built in 1991, there are currently three […]

I don’t know where I saw the stat, but a few years ago in one of the local publications, it said that the average length of time a buyer lives in a loft condo is two years. If you look around- you find that to be pretty much the case.  (On average- of course.) Take, […]

There’s something about a spiral staircase and brick. Maybe I’ve seen too many movies. But you don’t find spaces like this one at 913 W. Van Buren in the West Loop everyday. It has a 600 square foot rooftop deck (see below.) It also has authentic features such as no doors on the bedroom on […]

Some people wouldn’t like living on one of the main arteries like Lincoln, Armitage, Fullerton or Damen. Others would love that they can walk out their door and have a handful of restaurants at their fingertips. You can’t get more in the heart of Bucktown than the lofts at 1855 N. Damen. This is a […]

Could you live without any walls? This is the second loft in 720 S. Dearborn in Printers Row in the last six months that has no “real” walls. The first, Unit #703, I chattered about last October. Unit #703: 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, 1700 square feet Was listed in October 2007 for $475,000 Assessments of $841 a month […]

It’s still possible to find lofts that aren’t cookie-cutter. This one bedroom at 411 S. Sangamon in the West Loop appears to have the whole package: a washer/dryer in the unit, parking included and a massive open space that is what people think of when they say they want a “loft.” The building is brick […]

124 W. Polk is on the  fringe of Printer’s Row but is one of the original loft buildings in the area. It was built in 1910 and has 63 units. Eight years ago, it was surrounded by parking lots and now there is development all around it (for good and bad.) The building has authentic […]

  Since we were talking about 540 N. Lake Shore Drive so much the other day, I decided to revisit the units I had last chattered about in September 2007.  At the time, numerous units were on the market including one, Unit #625, where the seller was trying to double his/her money after owning for only about two years. Well, […]

Some of the oldest loft conversions are near Greektown in the West Loop. 400 S. Green is one of those. The brick and timber five story building was converted in the mid-90s before anyone thought of the area as a residential haven. The units are big and have interesting layouts.  There is some parking available with the […]

The Warehouse Lofts at 312 N. May in the West Loop was converted several years ago. It’s a brick and timber warehouse building with 13 foot ceilings near the Fulton Market District with 59 units. Want a true loft? Look no further. Unit #3E: 1 bedroom, 1.5 baths, 1600 square feet Sold in March 2001 […]