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Chicago Apartments Near The Loop (Downtown) Area – Part 2 – Streeterville

Posted on by Andy

As we noted earlier in part 1, many Chicago professionals are choosing to live in the neighborhoods right outside of the Loop. From bankers, doctors, dentists, to attorneys, many have decided to save time and money on their commutes to downtown Chicago and some have relinquished car ownership in exchange for the lively and upbeat lifestyle of living in the heart of Chicago.

In part 1, we discussed the River North neighborhood and its many benefits. A couple blocks east of River North is Streeterville. Streeterville has many high-rise apartments and condos and is home to many healthcare related institutions such as Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC), Prentice Women’s Hospital, and Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Feinberg School of Medicine. Streeterville is also home to the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law and the Kellogg School of Management.

In addition to the intellectual power in Streeterville, there is easy access to the Ohio and Oak Street beaches and the Lakeshore Trail which residents and tourists use to walk, run, and bike on. Streeterville’s ease of access to downtown Chicago is another reason this area continues to grow. As of the writing of this article, there are 3 residential high-rise buildings under construction and 3 recently completed apartments.

Specifically, the 3 Streeterville apartments that were recently completed are Moment, Lofts at River East, and North Water Apartments. These apartments are full amenity buildings, meaning they each have a gym, a pool, a terrace or lounge area, and a doorman. We included some of the pictures from these buildings on this page.

The 2 Streeterville apartments and 1 condo building which are currently under construction are 465 N Park, Optima 2, and One Bennett Park (condo). All of which are in prime locations and have luxury features. We include pictures of some of these wonderful apartments on this page.

All of the Streeterville luxury apartment buildings mentioned would be a worthy consideration when making a decision to move to the downtown Chicago area. It is worth noting that there are many more in addition to these mentioned, so if you want to live in Streeverville, there are plenty of options.

Posted in Advice on Rentals, Business Professionals, Healthcare Professionals, News, Streeterville Neighborhood Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Chicago Apartments Near The Loop (Downtown) Area – Part 1 – River North

Posted on by Andy

Many Chicago professionals are choosing to live in the neighborhoods right outside of the Loop. For all of the Chicago newcomer readers, this is also known as the downtown area. Many bankers, brokers, portfolio managers, lawyers, engineers, executives, doctors, dentists, and other medical professionals have decided to save time and money on their commutes to downtown Chicago (some have relinquished car ownership) in exchange for the lively and upbeat lifestyle of living in the heart of Chicago.

By heart of Chicago, we do not necessarily mean downtown Chicago (the Loop), we mean just right outside of it. Specifically, the River North, Streeterville, West Loop, and South Loop neighborhoods which are considered first layer of neighborhoods right outside the downtown Chicago central business district. It’s these neighborhoods that hold some of the most exciting and desirable restaurants & bars, walk / jogging trails, parks, and thriving nightlife.

The continued influx of professionals moving into the city has created significant investment in living spaces, with the majority of the construction being luxury apartments. To be sure, as of April 5th, 2017 there are seven new high-rise luxury apartment buildings under construction in the River North neighborhood alone. Below we name a few of the many interesting projects.

Although a name for it has not been released at the time of writing, the pictured development is an office and residential combo which will include 193 apartment units and many amenities including a rooftop pool.

If you are into modern sleek design, then 3Eleven will work just fine. This 24-story tower will have 245-unit with floor-to-ceiling windows. Amenities include rooftop level fitness center, outdoor terrace, and swimming pool. You are in luck if you are Catholic, as there is a church right next door! The exterior is pictured below.

The final two we will mention are the Gallery and 640 N Wells, which are located adjacent to each other. Both are stunning buildings, but are great buildings but are very different on the exterior. 640 N Wells is a very modern design using lots of glass and interesting angles while the Gallery has a modern feel but uses a lot of brick on the exterior and has beautiful balconies.

Living in River North is fantastic, but don’t forget another fantastic neighborhood just a few blocks away. Click Part 2 to read about the Streeterville neighborhood, which is also located outside of downtown Chicago and just east of River North.

Posted in Business Professionals, Healthcare Professionals, News, River North Neighborhood Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Downtown Chicago Apartments Near Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago)

Posted on by Andy

You are a healthcare / medical professional under the employ of the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago aka RIC), but you’re new to downtown Chicago. Where should you live?

Moving to a brand new city can be tough, especially if this brand new city is as large as Chicago. What also makes it tougher is having a short amount of time to find a place to live that works with your current lifestyle and is not far from your workplace.

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab (formerly RIC) is located on 345 East Superior Street, Chicago, IL 60611, within the beautiful Streeterville neighborhood located in downtown Chicago. Given the close proximity to the center, Streeterville is clearly one of the top neighborhoods to live in if you are a healthcare / medical professional working at the hospital. Another neighborhood in close proximity would be Gold Coast or Lakeshore East. Yet another that is a fantastic place to live as a young single person would be River North. Although each of these neighborhoods is a great choice, each has its unique characteristics as we describe in further detail below.

All neighborhoods mentioned above (Streeterville, Gold Coast, River North, and Lakeshore East) all have these characteristics:

  1. Walking distance to Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
  2. Located in downtown Chicago near Lake Michigan, Navy Pier and the Magnificent Mile.
  3. Great jogging routes up / down Lakeshore Drive with spectacular views of the lake.
  4. Walking distance to historic Chicago Loop landmarks (i.e. the Bean, Grant Park, etc.)
  5. Near Jane Addams Memorial Park.
  6. Beautiful views of the lake and city from many of the high-rise apartments and condominiums in these neighborhoods.
  7. Lots of coffee shops for studying medical “stuff.”
  8. Many other healthcare / medical professionals live in these neighborhoods.
  9. There are two fantastic beaches within walking distance, Ohio Street Beach in Streeterville and Oak Street Beach in the Gold Coast neighborhood.
  10. One can live very easily without a car.

Streeterville:

  1. Streeterville is where Shirley Ryan AbilityLab is located which makes it the most convenient to live in in terms of proximity.
  2. Streeterville is close to a Whole Foods grocery store.

Gold Coast:

  1. Many wonderful historic restaurants and bars.
  2. Closest to a fantastic shopping scene on Oak Street and Michigan Avenue (Mag Mile).
  3. Closest to the Chicago Air & Water Show.

River North:

  1. Closest to the fantastic Chicago downtown nightlife scene.
  2. Great location for singles or newlyweds.
  3. Home to many fantastic restaurants.

The Cloud Gate (A.K.A. the Bean) in downtown Chicago.

Lakeshore East:

  1. The best downtown neighborhood for raising children as there is a large private park and playground.
  2. Many other families with children located in this neighborhood.
  3. The best place in downtown Chicago to own a dog as there is a large private park and a large dog play area.
  4. Very convenient Mariano’s grocery store location.
  5. Closest neighborhood to Millennium Park and the Cloud Gate (A.K.A. the Bean).

In summary, all of the above neighborhoods are great places to live as a medical professional working at RIC. There is no wrong choice. We wish you the best luck on your move to downtown Chicago.

Posted in Advice on Rentals, Gold Coast Neighborhood, Healthcare Professionals, Lakeshore East Neighborhood, River North Neighborhood, Streeterville Neighborhood, Tips and Tricks

Apartments for Northwestern Memorial Hospital Residents

Posted on by Author

Where should a Northwestern Memorial Hospital resident live? Here’s the short answer.
You have just been accepted as a resident at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Among other things, you need to find an apartment which is convenient, relatively affordable and not far from the hospital.

The short answer is the Streeterville or Gold Coast neighborhoods. The greatest reason for choosing these neighborhoods is largely due to their close proximity to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the high number of grocery stores within walking distance. Additionally, there are great apartment options for someone with a tight budget or someone who has an appreciation for luxury.

To be more specific on the housing options, a studio or a one bedroom can be found for as little as $1,400 and $1,600 a month (not including parking), respectively. Parking typically ranges anywhere from $150 a month to as high as $400 a month. On the high end, there are one bedroom and two bedroom units available for $2,600 and $4,000.

The majority of the high-rise apartment buildings include amenities such as a gym, spa, pool and common library and party rooms. Typically the higher the rental rate high-rise apartment buildings will include other amenities such as a dry steam sauna and a wet steam sauna, new gym equipment, a concierge service or a golf simulator. Some high-rise apartment buildings even have a full-sized Olympic swimming pool or indoor tennis courts.

In summary, we believe the best neighborhoods for a Northwestern Memorial Hospital resident are either Streeterville or Gold Coast. There is certainly no shortage of high-rise apartment complexes to choose from in these neighborhoods. Which prompts us to note there is no reason to use a professional luxury rental broker as his or her services are paid for by the apartment building. If you choose to use a rental broker, see our article on the qualities which make for a good rental / real estate broker.

Posted in Advice on Rentals, Healthcare Professionals, Streeterville Neighborhood, Tips and Tricks Tagged with: , , , , , , , , ,

Downtown Chicago Apartments Near Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Posted on by Author

You are a healthcare / medical professional under the employ of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, but you’re new to downtown Chicago. Where should you live?

Moving to a brand new city can be tough, especially if this brand new city is as large as Chicago. What also makes it tougher is having a short amount of time to find a place to live that works with your current lifestyle and is not far from your workplace.Young Male Doctor

Northwestern Memorial Hospital is located on 251 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611, within the beautiful Streeterville neighborhood located in downtown Chicago. Given the close proximity to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Streeterville is clearly one of the top neighborhoods to live in if you are a healthcare / medical professional working at the hospital. Another neighborhood in close proximity would be Gold Coast. Yet another that is a fantastic place to live as a young single person would be River North, but the proximity to Northwestern Memorial Hospital is not as good as Streeterville. Below we discuss some of the pros and cons of living in Streeterville as a healthcare / medical professional.

Pros:

  1. Walking distance to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
  2. Located in downtown Chicago near Lake Michigan, Navy Pier and the Magnificent Mile.
  3. Great jogging routes up / down Lakeshore Drive with spectacular views of the lake.
  4. Walking distance to historic Chicago Loop landmarks (i.e. the Bean, Grant Park, etc.)
  5. Near Jane Addams Memorial Park.
  6. Lots of smaller dog parks located within the Streeterville neighborhood.
  7. Beautiful views of the lake and city from many of the Streeterville neighborhood high-rise apartments and condominiums.
  8. Lots of coffee shops for studying medical “stuff.”
  9. Many other healthcare / medical professionals live in the Streeterville neighborhood.
  10. There are two fantastic beaches within walking distance, Ohio Street Beach in Streeterville and Oak Street Beach in the Gold Coast neighborhood.
  11. One can live very easily without a car.

Cons:

  1. Although the cost of living varies in Streeterville, the majority of the apartments or condominium high-rise buildings can get relatively expensive. However, there is this saying that “You have to pay-to-play.”
  2. Although there are three nearby grocery stores (within 0.3 miles), none are convenient enough to carry back a medium load of groceries on foot.
  3. Garage parking in Streeterville can get costly with monthly fees of $200-$500. However, sometimes your apartment or condominium building will offer specials and it is very easy to live without a car in Streeterville.

The pros clearly out way the cons in this situation. To find out more about the Streeterville neighborhood in terms of statistics and demographics, click on the link. If you want to jump directly to the page of apartments in the Streeterville neighborhood, click on the link.

Streeterville is an excellent place to live and spend your time during your leisure. However, if you do not mind a slightly longer walk to work (Northwestern Memorial Hospital) and you enjoy a more fast paced lifestyle, then River North is a good option for you. To find out more about the River North neighborhood in terms of statistics and demographics click on the link. If you are interested in learning more about the apartments in the River North neighborhood, please click on the link.

Posted in Healthcare Professionals, River North Neighborhood, Streeterville Neighborhood, Tips and Tricks Tagged with: , , , , , ,