South Loop Rising

After languishing for decades as a bleak landscape of warehouses and rail yards, Chicago’s South Loop is afire. Condo sales are booming, big-box stores are blossoming, and chic restaurants are laying out the welcome mat. Add the lakefront, the Museum Campus, and a rich history to the mix, and is it any wonder the South Loop is not just the city’s but the country’s hottest neighborhood?

Sale of the Week – East Lake Shore Drive, Chicago

List Price: $4.55 millionSale Price: $4.55 million The Property: About 12 years ago, this ten-room condo comprised half the palatial spread bought by Oprah Winfrey, though, by most accounts, the TV star never moved in. Today, this 4,700-square-foot space on the seventh floor of 219 East Lake Shore Drive-one of only eight buildings along this … Read more

Can it Last?

Despite concerns about a deflating real-estate bubble, local home prices continue their steady rise. Will Midwestern moderation help preserve the gains made in Chicago’s housing market?

New on the Market – St. Charles

List price: $2.195 millionThe Property: This rugged stone and cedar retreat hidden away on nine wooded acres is just minutes from downtown St. Charles. The place has a bulky exterior-a massive pyramidal wood shingle roof and deeply recessed window and door openings-but inside it lightens up, with an open floor plan, soaring ceilings, and an … Read more

Sale of the Week – Clark Street Row House

List Price: $1.095 millionSale Price: $1.06 million The Property: One of seven charming brick-and-stone row houses on a busy block of Clark Street, this three-story, four-bedroom home dates to 1888-and is just 18 feet wide. The sellers, Andrew Wolfe and Yoon Hie Jung, gutted and completely rehabbed the interior after buying the place for $520,000 … Read more

Finally?

At the heart of Chicago’s Loop, Block 37 has stood vacant since 1989. But spurred by a new development team, a flurry of construction is under way at the site, suggesting that at last, this time, the earth will move