The names of Chicago residential buildings (vertical subdivisions) are as funky as their suburban counterparts are frumpy.
“While suburban names tend to say ’serenity,’ urban names say ‘vibrancy,’ ” said Mark Pullinger, vice president of Rubloff Residential Properties in Chicago.
But these, too, evolve with the times.
The 1990s kicked off an adaptive-reuse craze, with building names reflecting origins, such as The Montgomery (a former Montgomery Ward warehouse) and Motor Row Condominiums (a car showroom in its former life).
Now, “edgy” is the rule, although many of these need translations. The X/O Condominiums name was derived from “eXtraOrdinary,” said its builder. .
Many downtown buildings announce their eco-friendliness, such as eco18 in the South Loop and The Emerald in the West Loop.
