Remodeled Corner 2/2 in Aqua with Views: 225 N. Columbus in Lakeshore East
This 2-bedroom in Aqua at 225 N. Columbus in Lakeshore East came on the market in June 2022.
Built in 2009, Aqua is an award-winning high rise with 264 units and attached garage parking.
It has both indoor and outdoor pools, a fitness center, sundeck, 2-acre private park, running and walking tracks and 24-hour door staff.
The listing says this split bedroom corner unit has been “remodeled.
It has Southeast views of the city and Lake Michigan from the 77th floor with a wraparound balcony.
The unit has a “custom kitchen” with white Snaidero cabinets, Subzero and Miele appliances and stone countertops.
It has a custom banquette dining space, with built-in storage.
The listing says the primary suite can fit a king and has motorized window shades and a spa-like primary bath with a walk-in-shower and separate tub.
The second bedroom has a custom murphy bed and couch.
This unit has the features that buyers look for including central air, washer/dryer in the unit and 2 parking spaces which are $62,000 extra.
Lakeshore East has a Mariano’s, coffee shops and several restaurants and is a short stroll to the Mag Mile and the Riverwalk.
Originally listed in June 2022 for $1,088,000, it has been reduced to $998,500 plus the $62,000 for parking.
With the custom finishes pay off for this 2-bedroom?
Vickie Liu and Erick Schwab at Corcoran Urban Real Estate have the listing. See the pictures here (sorry, no floor plan).
Unit #7706: 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1250 square feet
- Sold in July 2011 for $728,000
- Originally listed in June 2022 for $1,088,000
- Reduced in October 2022
- Withdrawn
- Re-listed in February 2023 for $998,500
- Assessments of $1377 a month (includes heat, a/c, gas, doorman, cable, exercise room, indoor and outdoor pools, exterior maintenance, lawn care, scavenger, snow removal, Internet)
- Taxes of $16,854
- Central Air
- Washer/dryer in the unit
- 2-car parking available for $62,000
- Bedroom #1: 12×15
- Bedroom #2: 11×13
- Living/dining room: 15×20
- Kitchen: 11×11
- Balcony: 5×63
7606 has a floor plan – https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/225-N-Columbus-Dr-60601/unit-7606/home/52638118
Its frigging tiny, 1116sf Vs 1250sf listed. Works well as a 1Br or a PAT, but would hate needing 2Br and living here full time.
Finishes look very dated (dark paneling soffits, etc). Bedroom has a def hotel vibe going on
Building amenities look good
I’d go with 6102 for the same price
“I’d go with 6102 for the same price”
It’s less, bc it includes one parking space.
Not a lot of 6 units have traded–last one appears to be this one:
https://www.redfin.com/IL/Chicago/225-N-Columbus-Dr-60601/unit-7606/home/52638118
Parking ended up being sold spearately for the full $70k.
Realtors need to stop using “award winning” without telling what award the building won. After all, do buyers care if Aqua won the Academy Award for Best Film Editing?
Southeast wouldn’t be my choice corner in this tower. It sucks to be on 77 and still have blocked views. Also, they should have taken view photos on a less hazy day. Can’t even see Lake Michigan.
I’m no judge on appliances, floors, etc. but it all looks suitable upscale.
Not sure I’d want to go out on a balcony this high…
Suitably upscale.
Wish this site had an edit function.
That bathtub! looks like a round wash basin.
“That bathtub! looks like a round wash basin.”
Cold plunge?
“That bathtub! looks like a round wash basin.”
It’s a Japanese soaking tub. Never seen one in a high rise.
https://www.signaturehardware.com/41-siglo-round-japanese-soaking-tub.html?pids=268716&gclsrc=aw.ds&&utm_content=autoag0000x18346349231&gclid=CjwKCAiAioifBhAXEiwApzCztnUe0EjviBqUrLShe9JYcjJWxC6DOFBq_tFf8o66I1qQlGULbKfO1RoCcwEQAvD_BwE
“Realtors need to stop using “award winning” without telling what award the building won.”
No realtor used “award winning” in this listing. I did. Because it is. Aqua has won numerous architecture awards since being built.
I never knew it had a 2 acre park however. That’s a cool feature you don’t see in a downtown high rise every day. Lots of places to sit, nice outdoor pool with cabanas.
“No realtor used “award winning” in this listing.”
Sabrina, the first line of the MLS comments is: “Beautifully remodeled 2 bed/2 bath unit at the award-winning Aqua!”
Very good call out by Matt the Coffeman. Looks like Sabrina hit the bottle of wine early tonight.
I always thought of Aqua as very top tier, but having spent time in their common spaces it all seems builder grade+ at best. Assessemnts per sq ft are much higher than I thought they’d be.
“I never knew it had a 2 acre park”
Really? It’s the whole roof of the hotel lobby/meeting room areas.
It’s also available to the apartment renters: https://www.rentaqua.com/amenities
Not sure if it is still the case, but there was always a financing penalty for Aqua condos due to hotel / apartments; made it ineligible for traditional financing. We had to use specialty outlets which obviously had higher rates and larger down payment requirements.
“I always thought of Aqua as very top tier, but having spent time in their common spaces it all seems builder grade+ at best. Assessemnts per sq ft are much higher than I thought they’d be.”
Agreed. The exterior design is superb and “top tier,” but if I’m living in a unit, I don’t care so much about how it looks from the outside. The inside is super “meh” and seems crazy overpriced to me (admittedly, I only went in rentals, but I couldn’t believe what people were paying for the sq footage).
Everything in this unit seems heavy and out of scale, especially the pendants in the kitchen area. I love the Japanese soaking tub though.
I had a friend who rented a small one bedroom here years ago and it was shocking how bad the unit felt. It had textured ceilings and it felt very claustrophobic. It reminded me of a large dorm room.
“I always thought of Aqua as very top tier”
most, if not all, of what Magellan is part of is definitely not “very top tier.”
“what Magellan is part of is definitely not “very top tier.””
They’re right up there for value engineering, tho, right?
“They’re right up there for value engineering, tho, right?”
they’ve mastered value engineering.
VE isnt the worst thing (sone properly)
Architects are notoriously very bad at trying to maintain a budget
“VE isnt the worst thing (sone properly)”
Well, yes, for example, the change in the St Regis from custom glass for virtually every pane in the entire building to the end result was *necessary*, as it simply couldn’t have been built like that.
But Magellan is known for not having a light–or even merely heavy–hand when stripping things down.
I stayed at the Radisson blue for a couple nights a couple years back. Really disgusting hotel on par with low grade mariott hotels like springhill.
“Really? It’s the whole roof of the hotel lobby/meeting room areas.”
Nope. I never knew they had all that extra space.
“Nope. I never knew they had all that extra space.”
Huh. Never looked at an aerial to see where the outdoor pool is?
Weird to me!
“Huh. Never looked at an aerial to see where the outdoor pool is?”
No, anon(tfo). I don’t sit around in my spare time looking at aerial photos or videos of Lakeshore East. I have better things to do.
Aren’t you afraid to walk the streets at night?
“I don’t sit around in my spare time looking at aerial photos or videos of Lakeshore East.”
It takes literally 5 seconds. You’re already on the internet and linking to the redfin listing.
But I guess that helps explain why you had no idea that the Salesforce building would block the views from 333 N Canal.
Yep, be a jerk as usual anon(tfo). Par for the course on this blog. I don’t know why I would expect anything to change. Can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
Most of us have lives. We don’t sit around looking at aerial shots of buildings. Sorry.
“Aren’t you afraid to walk the streets at night?”
Never said this. But it makes sense to take precautions given the random muggings and crime that is occurring after dark, or sometimes even in the day.