Downtown Chicago's Best Candy StoresIf you’re looking to satisfy your sweet tooth this Halloween, you’re in luck because Chicago is loaded with fun and unique candy stores.  We went in search of some of the city’s best and found plenty to choose from, with

Windy City Sweets - 3308 N. Broadway St.

Windy City Sweets is famous for its big selection of tasty treats, including things like chocolate covered raisins, homemade fudge, hard candies and specialty gifts.  Top it all off with a scoop of their delicious ice cream

Dylan’s Candy Bar - 445 N. Michigan Ave.

Our next stop is Dylan’s Candy Bar on the city’s Near North Side.  This candy store includes free samples at the fudge counter upstairs, plus unique lollipops, gummies and gift baskets.  Be sure to get there early to beat the…

2908 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

Cash Sales in Chicago The City of Chicago is continuing to see cash sales decline in terms of real estate.  In fact, just released cash sales data from the month of June shows the trend could continue, and predicts what that means if it continues its downward trend for the next couple of years.  

The data comes from CoreLogic, a leading analytics, global property information and data solutions provider that helps give some insight into the nation’s real estate economy.  The company points to national statistics, showing that cash sales made up about 31.3 percent of all home sales for the month of June.  That’s down from the same period of time last year, which saw cash sales at about 33.9 percent.

The latest numbers reflect a similar story that’s been going on for more than four…

1657 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

Rivaling some of the tallest towers in Chicago, a new tower is planned for the city’s South Loop.  Helmut Jahn is the architect designing the 86-story tower, planned to go in at 1000 S. Michigan Avenue.  When constructed, it will be one of the tallest towers in all of Chicago.

According to drawings, this tower will be 1030’ tall, making it either the fifth or sixth tallest tower in Chicago, depending on when the Wanda Vista, planned to be 93-stories tall, is completed.  The new proposed tower is expected to be 200-feet taller than a 76-story tower going in at 113 E. Roosevelt Road.  It is expected to consist of retail stores, plus around 500 residential units and nearly 600 parking spaces.

While complete details on the Jahn-designed tower have not been…

3722 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

A brand new tower proposed for the South Loop neighborhood could literally re-shape the city’s skyline.  Designed by architect Rafael Vinoly, the tower planned for 113 E. Roosevelt Road is expected to be a whopping 76-stories tall.  Even more remarkable, though, is that the building could actually turn out to be twin skyscrapers going in on the southern edge of Grant Park, with the second tower possibly consisting mostly of condominium units.

If built, the new proposal could become one of the city’s tallest buildings.  It could also become the first new construction project for Crescent Heights, the developer behind the proposal.  

The modular construction is expected to be built in phases.  When finished, it could mean the addition of almost 800 new…

3655 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

A major development could be coming to the South Loop’s riverfront location.  Unveiled in mid-September before the Chicago Plan Commission, the proposal could include transforming what’s now a vacant riverfront property into a major new development.

The property involved is just south of River City.  As part of a joint venture between CMK of Chicago and Lend Lease of Australia, CMK Properties has already purchased most of the vacant land between Roosevelt Road and Harrison Street along the South Branch of the Chicago River.  This happened with three transactions last winter, and the proposal is for a mega-development called River South.

At the time of the land purchase, Perkins+Will, a Chicago architecture firm, was hired on to lead the project’s planning…

2972 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

In case you haven’t heard, Wicker Park, Bucktown, and the Ukrainian Village neighborhoods are red hot right now and listings here are selling faster than anywhere else in the city. If you're looking for new construction development, there's plenty of high-end single-family options, but condos here are also extraordinarily popular.

If perhaps your budget only allows for an attached living space, you'll find a pretty nice variety of both lofts, vintage condos and even newly developed condo residences all throughout the area. But if you've already scanned the west side inventory and only want to browse what's brand new to the market, here's a look at all the newest listings that just came to market!

NEW CONDO LISTINGS IN BUCKTOWN, WICKER PARK,…

1720 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

Already the home of a number of new projects, Chicago’s famed Millennium Mile may be slated to receive at least one more.  The stretch of Michigan Avenue between Millennium Park and the Chicago River is gaining new ground with a proposal from an established developer.

BJB Partners of Park Ridge is interested in building a new mixed-use tower along this popular stretch of Downtown Chicago.  The proposed 41-story tower is slated to go in just to the south of the Millennium Park Plaza tower and across the street from Millennium Park.  

While that tower already includes apartments, BJB Partners wants to construct a new tower blending hotel rooms and residences.  At this point, it’s not clear whether those residences will include rental apartments or…

2002 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

If you’re looking for a quick synopsis of how Chicago’s real estate market is faring, we can probably sum it accordingly: home and condo prices are up, selling times are down, and inventory is still low in many of the city’s hottest neighborhoods.

As for current home prices in Chicago, the median sales price of For Sale properties jumped 9% from June 2014 to June 2015 and is currently at $238,900, while new construction properties had a much more significant jump, increasing by 20% from $429,000 to $495,000 over that same time period.

The luxury market is also holding strong in Chicago, which is classified as homes over $1 million. In 2014, 983 luxury homes were sold over the first and second quarters, while this year, 1,162 luxury homes have sold over…

2230 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post

According to a recent report from Crain’s, a new 41-story residential/hotel tower could soon be coming to a prominent location along North Michigan Avenue, just across the street from Millennium Park. Being proposed by Park Ridge-based BJB Partners, the high-rise would occupy a small parcel just south of the Millennium Park Plaza apartment building at Michigan Avenue and Randolph.

As of now, specific details about the project haven’t exactly been made clear, other than the tower would include both a hotel and 74 residential units. Initially, the developer proposed a full fledge rental tower for the building site, which is located at 151 N. Michigan Avenue, but with Millennium Park and the now-completed Maggie Daley Park continuing to draw an abundance…

3373 Views, 0 Comments

Read Full Post