Our Chicago Neighborhood

It's the real estate agents' mantra: Location, location, location. You've probably heard the phrase often and may wonder what inspires agents to say the word three times. In a nutshell, location, location, location means homes can experience large increases or decreases in value due to nothing other than their location. The saying's repeated three times for emphasis, and it is the number one rule in real estate, while also often the most overlooked.

100 E Huron Street

We chose the One Hundred East Huron Street building on the Magnificent Mile in the heart of downtown for our Chicago condo. The Magnificent Mile contains a mixture of upscale department stores, restaurants, luxury retailers, residential and commercial buildings, financial services companies, and hotels, catering primarily to tourists and the affluent. The area also has a high concentration of the city's major media firms, including advertising agencies and, until recently, the Chicago Tribune newspaper,. The Magnificent Mile includes 3,100,000 square feet of retail space, 460 stores, 275 restaurants, 51 hotels, and a host of sightseeing and entertainment attractions to more than 22 million visitors annually.

Chicago Water Tower - Two blocks to the north

Our goal was to have a unit where we would have easy walking access to everything in downtown Chicago and access via public transportation to the greater metropolitan area. It is no exaggeration that from this location you can access the entire world by walking two blocks to the Chicago "L" stop at the corner of Chicago Avenue and State Street. In addition we have immediate access to the 18.5 mile Lakefront Trail that runs approximately 9 miles north and 9 miles south from our location.

Our Neighborhood

Four blocks to the north of our building is the Gold Coast, which runs roughly from Oak Street (1000 North) at the north end of the Magnificent Mile to Chicago Avenue (1600 North). The Gold Coast is a high end mostly residential neighborhood defined by its stately homes and high-rise apartment buildings. Upscale shopping and dining options can be found along tree-lined North Rush, North Clark and East Oak streets. Meanwhile, if we want to go swimming in Lake Michigan we can head for Oak Street Beach (again 4 blocks north).

A few blocks to the south is the Chicago River Walk. The River Walk, which runs east and west, contains restaurants, park-seating, boat docks, boat rentals, and other activities. It represents the southern boundary of the Magnificent Mile and the neighborhood known as the Near North Side (see photo below) and the northern boarder of the Chicago Loop.

Chicago River Walk

Just south of the Chicago River is the Loop. The loop, one of Chicago's 77 designated community areas, is the central business district in the downtown area of the city. It is home to Chicago's commercial core, City Hall, and the seat of Cook County. Bounded on the north and west by the Chicago River, on the east by Lake Michigan, and on the south by Roosevelt Road, it is the second largest commercial business district in the United States after Midtown Manhattan and contains the headquarters of many locally and globally important businesses as well as many of Chicago's most famous attractions. The entire Loop is entirely within walking distance of our condo.

Field Museumm Shedd Aquarium and Soldier Field

Just to east of the Loop is Grant Park.  This a large urban park (319 acres). The park's most notable features are Millennium Park, Buckingham Fountain, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Museum Campus. The Museum Campus is the home the Field Museum of Natural History, The Shedd Aquarium and the Addler Planetarium. The walk to the Museum Campus from our condo is 2 miles.

Museum Campus and Burnham Harbor looking northeast

Just south of the Museum Campus is Burnham Harbor, Soldier Field (home of the Chicago Bears) and Printers Row. Again all within walking distance.

This is an amazing place to live.

Written by Les.