In the September issue of Chicago Tribune’s Ultimate Address, Mario Greco and Lindsey Stewart of Prudential Rubloff’s Halsted office discuss two Chicago buildings historically preferred by A-listers.  One is the only residential building East of Lake Shore Drive and the other was immortalized in North by Northwest and for hosting Queen Elizabeth II.

Find out what makes these two Chicago landmarks so appealing to celebrities from Cary Grant and Frank Sinatra to Tom Cruise and Sammy Sosa by clicking the article below.

4-star addresses

Please click on the links below to read coverage of the Prudential Preferred Properties and Rubloff Residential Properties merger:

Inman News

RIS Media

Chicago Agent Magazine

EvanstonNow.com

Unique Homes

Multi-Housing News

Chris Eigel, CEO and co-owner of Prudential Rubloff Properties, mixes old (Chicago Tribune) and new (XM Public Radio-133) media for his news information in the mornings and shares his favorite books and magazines.

Click here to read the full article.

I was one of those nerds that subscribed to Granta and Fashion Theory in college instead of Glamour and Seventeen Magazine. I remember the joy of getting the little fat books in the mail. I’d tear them open and pore over each Granta issue as it it were a box of chocolates. I devoured them.

In this economy, subscriptions are one of the first things I thought I could do without. Until now. The latest issue of Granta is one that may renew my subscription to this literary publication. After all, it’s about us and our city.  And this sort of attention needs to be rewarded.

My love of all things Chicago is a narcissistic one. I see movies shot here to get a glimpse of our town through another’s gaze; to see the beauty I may take for granted, or a dark truth I have long ago buried. What do they say about us? How do they see us?

Previous issues focused on Russia, Africa, India and London. Now it’s Chicago’s turn to inspire this esteemed British literary journal. Inside readers will find fiction, poetry, non-fiction and photography by recognized local authors such as Nelson Algren, Alex Kotlowitz, Richard Powers, Sandra Cisneros, Stuart Dybek and Roger Ebert (with a great essay contribution on granta.com that is not to be missed). All these goodies are wrapped in a beautiful cover by Chicago graphic artist Chris Ware.

Nelson Algren called Chicago the “city on the make”. A town made of hustlers, gangsters, corrupt politicians, and intrepid men of industry.  Not much has changed. But, we are also a city of incredible art, architecture, theatre, and gastronomy. Whether or not we host the 2016 Olympics, we are ready for our close-up.

cover art by Chris Ware

Granta will be holding events around the city. Click here for more information and join in the fun.

For over 79 years, Rubloff has been the resonating name in Chicago area real estate. Now, united with the 134 year global legacy of Prudential, Prudential Rubloff Properties reflects the pinnacle of luxury in the Chicago real estate market. Our agents represent more luxury Chicago homes for sales and average higher sales per agent than any other firm in our market. As innovation and staying ahead of the curve have always been keys to our success, we are pleased to announce the arrival of the first edition of Prudential Rubloff Presents:

http://www.RubloffPresents.com

Prudential Rubloff Presents is an online gallery of Chicagoland’s finest luxury homes, represented by the finest agents in Chicagoland — our very own! In the tradition of our printed magazine, Rubloff Presents, this exclusive website features:

• Gallery pages for some of the most exquisite and sought-after Chicago homes for sale, sorted by location and also featured by Rubloff Elite status if applicable.

• A Market Snapshot by Chicago real estate authority Gail Lissner of Appraisal Research Counselors, focusing on recent trends in the downtown Chicago condominium market.

• Featured agent profiles, where you can discover why Prudential Rubloff agents are the most productive agents in the city of Chicago.

• Custom agent pages — illustrating the breadth and height of success our agents, developments and teams represent.

Prudential Rubloff Presents is being distributed directly to over 600,000 affluent Chicago area subscribers to the Wall Street Journal and New York Times; as well as being advertised on rubloff.com, nytimes.com, wallstreetjournal.com and barrons.com; and through the Chicago Tribune, Wall Street Journal, and Chicago Social Magazine. We are also distributing directly to Prudential Rubloff’s vast network of Home Club subscribers.

Frequent searchers of anything on the internet — be it collectibles on eBay, the latest automobile innovation, or Chicago homes for sale — know one thing: information is king. The more details a website can provide in order to make your experience both productive and entertaining, the more likely that website will see you return again and again. And Rubloff.com strives to be (and some say, succeeds in being) the premier online source for Chicago real estate.

Always innovators, today we launch our new property details page layout, certain to close the gap between the myriad of information available on every property and the real needs of the serious and casual viewer alike.

With its new lightbox photo viewing option (just click on any full size photo of a home), you can take an unobstructed tour of your potential new digs. And with larger sized preview images, available in a convenient scrolling bar, you are sure to find exactly what you want to see as quickly as possible.

Beyond our property descriptions, we also have additional features broken up by easy-to-use tabs. Simply click from General Property Info (displaying room dimensions and pertinent details that set one residence apart from another) to our new Comparables tab, featuring a short list of available properties found to be comparable in size, price, and location to the one which you are viewing. With a quick click of the bottom link, you can retrieve a more extensive list of the same, making searches for the property you truly desire all the more simple.

Our recent addition, the Walk Score remains in another tab, allowing you to spec out what features your brand new neighborhood may contain, from grocery stores to restaurants, city parks to indoor gyms. And lastly, the Mortgage Calculator is now embedded in each property details page, prepopulated with the specific data for your search result and ready to be customized to your particular mortgage requirements and requests.

So, log onto Rubloff.com today to check out the newest addition to our arsenal of web innovations. Whether you have loved us in the past, or are checking us out for the first time, a serious seller or a casual viewer, we welcome you to join in the fun.

For Immediate Release Prudential Rubloff Contact:

Sept. 9, 2009 Liz Dominello

(312) 268-2749

ldominello@PruPref.com

Contact: Kevin Ostler

(949) 794-7980

kevin.ostler@prudential.com

Market Leaders Unite to Form Prudential Rubloff Properties –

Rubloff Merges with Prudential Preferred Properties

CHICAGO, Ill. – Prudential Preferred Properties and Rubloff today announced the merger of Rubloff Residential Properties with Prudential Preferred Properties.

The combined company will operate as Prudential Rubloff Properties, an independently owned and operated firm with 17 offices and nearly 900 sales professionals and staff.

Prudential Rubloff has a formidable presence in Chicago’s high-end markets of Cook and Lake counties, and in Michigan’s exclusive Harbor Country. The two firms closed more than $2 billion in real estate sales in 2008; both outpace any major brokerage in Cook and Lake counties for highest average list and sales price.

The merger bonds two of Chicago’s most respected firms whose distinguished roots trace back nearly 80 years. Principals Chris Eigel and Michael Pierson, longtime veterans of Chicagoland real estate, will lead the new company as chief executive officer and president/chairman. Rubloff principals Howard Weinstein and Tom Horwich complete the Prudential Rubloff leadership team and will continue with the firm focusing on future growth in the metropolitan market.

“Rubloff is a revered Chicagoland company – part of Chicago’s cultural fabric for philanthropy, civic development and distinguished real estate services,” said Pierson. “Of course, Prudential is recognized globally for strength, integrity and innovation since 1875.”

Weinstein, who with Horwich, acquired Rubloff Residential Properties in 1996, said the company’s strong, local ownership will respond quickly to Chicagoland market opportunities and challenges. “Both firms have similar business philosophies, market segments and corporate cultures, making the union an ideal fit,” he explained. “Rubloff’s nearly 80 year history of excellence continues, as the firm expands onto Chicago’s coveted North Shore to fulfill one of founder Arthur Rubloff’s dreams.”

Added Horwich: “Prudential Rubloff changes the landscape of Chicagoland real estate. The company is now a powerhouse of agent and client services that establishes a new level of service throughout Chicagoland.”

As real estate technology leaders, the merging companies bring to the union a full array of online resources and proprietary lead-generation tools. Both companies are known for their technology and marketing innovation. Prudential Rubloff will use the award-winning Rubloff.com website, integrating technology and online tools from both organizations.

“Together the two firms will boast Chicagoland’s finest team of sales professionals and managers,” said Eigel. “When other real estate companies are cutting back, Prudential Rubloff is doubling efforts.”

Earl Lee, president of Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services, added: “Two fine organizations join forces and instantly jump to the forefront of Chicagoland real estate,” he said. “We are ecstatic to broaden our brand in these key markets as Prudential Rubloff.”

Prudential Real Estate and Relocation Services, Inc. is Prudential’s integrated real estate brokerage franchise and relocation services business. Prudential Real Estate franchises are independently owned and operated. Companies are selected based upon outstanding performance records, high levels of customer service and shared business values with those of Prudential. Prudential Real Estate provides franchises with business strategies using Operation Reviews as well as numerous benefits, including access to Prudential Real Estate’s Online Seller AdvantageSM program designed to provide real-time information to sellers with the touch of a keystroke. Prudential Real Estate is one of the largest real estate brokerage franchise networks in North America, with approximately 1,940 franchise offices and 62,000 sales professionals in the franchise Network as of June 30, 2009.

Prudential Financial, Inc. (NYSE: PRU), a financial services leader with approximately $580 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2009, has operations in the United States, Asia, Europe, and Latin America.

Leveraging its heritage of life insurance and asset management expertise, Prudential is focused on helping approximately 50 million individual and institutional customers grow and protect their wealth. The Company’s well-known Rock symbol is an icon of strength, stability, expertise and innovation that has stood the test of time. Prudential’s businesses offer a variety of products and services, including life insurance, annuities, retirement-related services, mutual funds, investment management, and real estate services. For more information, please visit www.news.prudential.com.