Chicago Lifestyle 2 of 9,632

The hip, charming and exciting Southport Corridor. Full of Moms with designer strollers, and young urban professionals, or yuppies, working their way up in the world. I like to think of it as the grown up version of Wrigleyville. They’ve upgraded from Red Stripe Beer to Cabernet Sauvignon, from bacon cheddar burgers at Goose Island to the Hamburgesa Gordo at Cooba.

This area has something to offer to the young and old, single or married, rich or poor. If you’re like me and like to shop then you too will be impressed! With a range of neighborhood boutiques greater than my shoe collection everyone, even Rover, will be happy. To name a few: Dogaholics, Baby Dolls Boutique, Benefit Cosmetics, City Soles and Anthropologie. After you finish your shopping, and before you dine, make sure you stop in Canydyality to get in touch with your inner candy-loving child!

Plus, the brown line, which stops right at Southport and Cornelia, can get you to the loop in less than 15 minutes. Currently, a new Jewel and condo development are being built giving the area yet another strong selling point. Lucky for me, my best friend just moved to the area, so even more of an excuse to visit! We recently went to Southport Lanes, where you get great food, bowling, pool and a sleek looking crowd. What more could I ask for?

Neighborhood Building Styles: New construction condos, charming single family homes and great historical brownstones.

Average Price per Square Foot: $153

Highlight	What?	Where?	Why?
Restaurant	Bullehdia Tapas Bar	3651 N Southport Ave	Yummy, yummy tapas. My favorite way to eat. Not sure what you have a taste for tonight? Bullehdia is the perfect place for the indecisive, hungry Southport diner. Go ahead, order one of each. But, please be sure to order Patatas Bravas…mmm.
Hot Spot	Music Box Theatre	3733 N Southport Ave	Check out the weekend matinee for Hollywood classics such as Rebel Without A Cause or even The Phantom of the Opera. For something a little more edgy look for midnight screenings on Friday and Saturday for films such as The Big Lebowski and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
My Favorite Property		3631 North Pine Grove Avenue	A spacious 2-level floor plan penthouse, fit for a queen…or king. A fireplace, high-end appliances and rooftop with a striking view of Chicago are sure to impress. Lots of trees and semi-quiet, yet only two blocks from the heart of Southport Corridor. http://rubloff.com/property/4678656

Visit our Facebook page to vote for the next Chicago “Lifestyle” I should highlight:

• Chinatown
• Logan Square
• St. Ben’s
• Streeterville

It’s in your hands!

Posted By: Sarah, the Fabulous Prudential Rubloff Marketing Intern

As the hub of the Midwest, Chicago boasts an impressive array of lifestyles we can choose from. From the trendsetting, art loving, club hopping River North resident to the bar loving, beer drinking Cubs fan in Wrigleyville. We have it all. If you get sick of your lifestyle no need to leave town, just pick a new area! This blog is all about the many lifestyles of Chicago, what they have to offer and a few insider tips.

A little about me: Sarah the Prudential Rubloff marketing intern. I have lived in Chicago for about seven years. I was born in the burbs of Chicago, but was raised in St. Louis. I moved to NYC for two years before coming to Chicago. I absolutely love New York City, but to be honest… Chicago’s better. I am currently completing my Master’s of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications at Roosevelt University.

I am writing this blog because one of my favorite things about Chicago is how many unique areas we have. I love to explore different neighborhoods, and want to bring my experiences to you! Each entry I will highlight a new “lifestyle” of Chicago! If you are looking for a new home then you have come to the right place! Buying a home is not only about what’s inside, but so much about what is surrounding you on the outside.

Chicago Lifestyle 1 of 9,632

Mine. I’m the North Lakeview almost Buena Park late twenties girl. I live near a currency exchange and a transient hotel, but I also live near Whole Foods, Starbucks and many great restaurants. Oh, did I mention that I am two blocks from the lake? I like to call my neighborhood sedgy or safe with an edge.

Lakeview as a whole is defined as north of Diversey, south of Irving Park road and east of Ashland. A very large area!Within this area alone there are at least thirty different sub-areas or as I call them: lifestyles. For now, I will focus on what I call North Lakeview—my area.

The area is a little less gentrified than south of Addison, and rent is cheaper. Of course I am biased with this neighborhood, but I consider it to have the best of all worlds. The transportation is impeccable. The train is 3 blocks away and the express buses go from my front door all the way downtown… stopping conveniently right here at Prudential Rubloff! The lake, golf course, tennis courts and bike path are all within a few blocks. Whole Foods, Jewel and Treasure Island are right down the street. There are a handful of independent theatres, small neighborhood bars, a variety of restaurants, coffee shops and the list goes on. Best of all? I have an affordable view of the entire Chicago skyline from my window!

Neighborhood Building Styles:

Great high-rises, brownstones and courtyard buildings

Average Price per Square Foot: $177

Highlight	What?	Where?	Why?
Restaurant	Tac Quick	3930 North Sheridan	Great hidden spot! My favorite dish is Pad Woon Sen, which is glass noodles and veggies. They also have a secret menu that you have to ask for!
Hot Spot	Profiles Theatre	4147 North Broadway	Store front, bare bones theatre. Theatre is very small leaving you up close and personal with the actors. Currently playing two acclaimed productions through November.
My Favorite Property		3631 North Pine Grove Avenue	Only in North Lakeview can you live in your very own private 2700 sq ft townhome 1 block from the lake for less than a two-bedroom downtown! http://rubloff.com/property/5282906

Take Your Doggie To Dinner in Chicago!

It seems like it’s getting harder to find pet-friendly restaurants and bars in Chicago. A lot of pet owners enjoy bringing their doggies with them just about everywhere. There were plenty of dog-friendly outdoor cafes all over the Chicago area. But the city of Chicago and the Health Department cracked down, or should I say added fees, for those establishments that would like to have you and your dog to dine. In 2008 the city of Chicago officially set rules for allowing dogs on patios. The rules state that dogs are allowed as long as the bar or restaurant has a Dog Friendly Area License. Here are just some of the doggie dining rules:

You must keep your pooch on a leash at all times. Your dog must have proof of rabies vaccine; like a city license tag. The restaurant is not to give the dogs anything but water and the restaurant employee (servers) should not have contact with the dog. (I’ve seen exceptions to this one) The restaurant must have outdoor seating accessible from the street. No walking Fido into the restaurant.

I have compiled a list of restaurants that are pet friendly. Some come from information that I found back in 2008  so check it out before you go.

Moonshine 1824 – W Division Street

Brasserie Jo – 59 W Hubbard Street

Scoozi – 410 W Huron Street

Smoke Daddy – 1804 W Division Street (ask for the smoked pig ear for your pooch!)

Innjoy – 2051 W Division Street

Joe’s Bar – 940 W Weeds (beer garden for puppies!)

Dunlays on Clark – 2600 N Clark Street

Donlays on the Square – 3137 N Logan Blvd

Bistrot Margot – 1437 N Wells Street

National 27 – 325 W Huron Street

Via Carducci La Sorella – 1928 W Division Street

Natalino’s – 1523 W Chicago Avenue

Deleece – 4004 N Southport Avenue

Small Bar – 2049 W Division Street

The Boundary – 1832 W Division Street

Uncommon Ground on Clark – 3800 N Clark Street,

Daily Bar and Grill  4560 N Lincoln Ave

Chief O’Neil’s Pub – 3471 N Elston Ave

Jake Melnick’s Corner Tap – 41 E Superior

Phil and Lou’s – 1124 W Madison Street

Hope you and your best friend enjoy the rest of the Chicago summer!

Posted By: Randee Simborg.

You know that you want to buy a home/condo in the next few months. Where should you begin? The first step is to know what you can afford. You will need a home mortgage and that means you need to get pre-qualified. Why? Because you will know what buying power you have. Also, it will save you a lot of time, energy and disappointments by getting yourself pre-qualified. But don’t stop there. Move on to the next step; get pre-approved for the mortgage. This will give you the confidence you need in determining price range.

What does pre-qualified mean? Getting pre-qualified tells you approximately how much you can afford to buy based on your credit, income and assets. It’s a surface review. This is the first step. The information you get will give you a ballpark estimate to your comfort zone in price point determination. You can do this yourself with mortgage calculators on line. I say, start by speaking to at least 3 loan officers. This is a very important purchase. You need to interview loan officers in order to choose the one you feel you can trust. The loan officer takes you through a question and answer phone session in order to give you a good sales price range.

Once that is set you will know: How much of a down payment you will need. What your approximate monthly payment will be. Price range of home you can purchase. What your approximate closing costs should be. That you can now go out, search for homes and put in an offer if you like. What kind of loan program might be good for your wants, needs and desires. What you can expect to happen once your home purchase offer has been accepted. Your time frame to move. Also, your short and long term financial goals.

So, what does Pre-Approved do for you that pre-qualified does not? Getting pre-approved is great and very important. You may think you’re ready to go looking for your new home now.

But wait! That’s a bit premature. To be absolutely sure the price point is right for you, you ought to get pre-approved.  By getting pre-approved you take getting pre-qualified a lot further. In this step you will actually give your loan officer your pay stubs, W-2s, bank and assets statements or retirement account statements. The loan officer will pull your credit during this step. You may have to sign a loan application and there may be a fee.

Your loan officer will verify all the information you have given from the start. The information will be used to determine if you qualify or not, most likely by an underwriter. The underwriter will give the loan officer a thumbs up or down. If it’s a thumbs down your loan officer should tell you what you need to do to qualify.

Let’s say you get that thumbs up. Here’s the key. Once you’re pre-approved your loan officer will give you a written commitment or pre-approval letter. With this letter in hand you can attach it to your offer on the home you want to buy. Pre-approval gives you negotiating power because you come to the table with money to back your offer. That is powerful! It makes perfect sense! Get pre-approved before you shop and then go buy your ideal home. You know what else, NOW you’re the buyer I want to represent!

Posted By: Randee Simborg.

East Ravenswood is a jewel of a neighborhood. It’s located between Ashland and Ravenswood, north of Irving Park but south of Lawrence Ave (4000-4800 N; 1600-1800 W).

It’s known for turn of the century vintage homes on oversized lots. And, I mean OVERSIZED! The neighborhood has become very hot since it was named an historic district ; homeowners have been renovating and restoring these beauties to save on property taxes.

The Metra line at Ravenswood and Lawrence gets commuters to the Loop in minutes. Restaurants and shops have flocked to the area.

Please contact me for a list of currently available properties. AnneRossley.com

Posted By: Anne Rossley.

With so many French bistros in the city, it is often difficult to find one that truly emulates the concept and cuisine of a true Parisian Bistro. An exception to this is the Gold Coast’s own (www.bistrotzinc.com) Bistro Zinc. Tucked away on North State Street, the restaurant remains true to its origins with an interior graced by mustard colored walls and a checkerboard floor. The menu is quintessentially French and although both the lunch and weekend brunch are excellent, dinner is the best way to truly experience this gem. As it turns out, a night in Paris may not be as far off as it seems.

Posted By: Kate Santo.

You know the great real estate adage “location, location, location?” Well, today an old client of mind wanted me to head to the West Loop neighborhood and check out her investment property. She’s thinking of selling her loft at 1040 W Adams.  The unit is occupied by a wonderful tenant whose lease ends soon. So, she wants to know what I think I can sell it for today.

The whole complex was converted from the ground up in 2005. I believe it was originally a warehouse like so much of the West Loop loft condos were. It’s such a cool area with its urban lofts, new cafes and restaurants that are mixed right into the existing old manufacturing and warehouse district. What I also love about this neighborhood is history. It started out as a warehouse district in the 1800’s. That means that many of the buildings standing today are hip urban environments with huge open spaces that are just perfect for art galleries and true loft spaces.

Like the unit I am about to list, the lofts have very cool exposed brick walls, really high wood-beam ceilings, exposed ductwork and wood floors and lots of open space. Really fine is the location. You are close enough to the loop for a short commute or walk to work. Yet, you are not surrounded by the towering high-rises. It’s perfect for those who want to be close to the loop, but still feel a bit edgy, young and urban. That works for lots of us, even those of us who are still young at heart.

Another sign that this area is now truly a neighborhood (no longer only a working warehouse district), is the presence in Union Park. Green space! What a great family entertainment area! Here the city has developed a community park with a seasonal swimming pool, baseball, basketball and volleyball areas, as well as green space for picnics or just hanging out. Recently the park played host to the annual Pitchfork Music Festival which brings bands and fans in from all over the world for three days of live performances by popular musical artists. It’s a draw for the entire city, but especially the local residents.

Notable also are the fine dining establishments located along West Randolph Street. There’s a great variety of cuisine to be found and it is all delicious! My favorite Sushi restaurant, Sushi Wabi should not be missed. Not far from there is Greektown with its fabulous Greek restaurants and bakeries. My favorite is still The Greek Islands Restaurant, the best traditional Greek food in town, if you ask me.

I also love the free valet parking available in Greektown. That makes it an easy meeting choice for your suburban friends who don’t understand the whole pay to park and eat thing! It’s pretty easy to get around town from the West Loop neighborhood whether you are in your car or on foot. There are buses that run along most east/west main streets and also on Halsted and Ashland. The Green, Pink and Blue Line trains run right through the neighborhood as well. To get out of the city, two highways (I-90/94 and I-290) run right through and are accessible from various feeder ramps on east/west streets. You can also catch the Metra commuter train line at Union Station. So life in the West Loop is great!

Posted By: Randee Simborg.

The weather is almost cooperating with the Chicago Real Estate Luxury Market. It was cool, then rainy, then hot, then rainy and now it’s cold cold. We all keep reading daily articles that the recovery is here, oops it’s not, then it’s here. Well, we have never been able to predict the Chicago weather, so who is to say the real estate market isn’t in recovery. I will go on record that is has started. I have been negotiating all weekend. Condos that have been on the market for a year are getting offers and yes we are starting to put them together. I do love the customer or new agents who ask the question Why has it been on the market so long? Well maybe you missed the meltdown or all the articles, money and war.

I believe that the buyers who have been paying attention are starting to get nervous. The missed the bottom is upon us. I have seen this before. Remember, never pick a bottom (or top). Twitter and Facebook are bringing so much information to people they are overwhelmed.

Please take one step back and if your credit is good and you have a job then go buy real estate. You will forever thank me when your kids are all grown up! Buy the kids a condo for graduation for God’s sake, what are you going to take it with you?

Posted By: Anton Ursini.

When you think of a posh, luxury or a classic condo building, the one building in the city that has all three attributes in my opinion is 1550 State Street. And once you have seen and been in the building, most people will agree, it is one of the finest pieces of architecture in Chicago.

The building is known by Chicagoans who enjoy architecture as the Benjamin Marshall building. Marshall who was a native of Chicago, had a very limited formal education and interestingly only went to a private prep school known as the Harvard School. After he visited the World’s Columbian Exposition, Marshall was enthralled with architecture and became an apprentice in the firm of Marble and Wilson. He ultimately became a partner in the firm when Marble died.

Three years after Marble’s death, Marshall established a partnership with Charles Fox who had been a specialist in steel construction for the prestigious architectural firm of Holabird and Rohe. It was then in 1912 that 1550 State was built as a luxury high-rise. Each floor, in this stunning building originally was so designed for wealthy individuals who could rent an entire floor apartment and contained approximately 9,000 square feet of space. The building was converted to condos in 1977.

The building, directly across from Lincoln Park, has exceptional, panoramic views facing north and is located directly across the street to the east from the Queen Ann style mansion that is the official residence of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Chicago. Looking upward at the 1550 State building you are sure to notice the beaux arts classic details, especially the balconies and the bowed windows at the corner of the building.

And if you are lucky to be allowed to view the lobby, you surely will agree you are in another world where old world charm and extravagance still exist. There is probably no other Chicago building that matches the elegance and sophistication of this condo building’s lobby with its gold guilding and antique glazed ceilings and walls.

For further information on this building or other Chicago luxury buildings call Sheldon at 312.264.5853. Also, please check out www.SheldonChicago.com for pertinent information about buying luxury new construction.

Posted By: Sheldon Salnick

Real Estate as an Investment!

You bet.

What other thing can you lose money on and then have it come back, plus give you a place to live and income to live on in the future. Never underestimate the beauty of real estate investment and, certainly, don’t in this market. If you have the ability to buy whether first time buyer, investment buyer or buying something for your kids or parents now is the time.

We may never see rates this low again with prices so low at the same time.

Be assured that the American economy will come back and it will come back stronger than ever. It will be different. It will be more directed and more cautious, but it will be back. Prices and interest rates will be going up, as well.

We are already seeing changes in the market and many people, especially foreign investors, are investing in property here and are investing in stocks that are much riskier with high yields. Don’t let this time pass you by and, say, Gee, I wish I had gotten on board.

Banks are doing everything they can do assist you in the lending process.

They want you to buy a home, be successful and have your future business. But, remember, it is up to you to get and keep your credit rating up and to make sure you do not bite off more than you could or should chew. This country was built by hard/smart work and good investment and savings patterns.

The recent years have not been focused on teaching our children these basic principles of saving and investing.

Let’s make sure we do that this time.

It is easy to forget and very difficult to cope with the results when we do forget.

Posted By:  Bette Kahn.