Checking out the crazy scene at new Maggie Daley Park

Bridges, massive slides and sky lines last Sunday at the new Maggie Daley Park in The Loop, 337 East Randolph, Chicago IL 60601.  The 60 degree weather brought out the locals and tourists in mass.

Sometimes you bite the bullet and do something downtown on a Sunday when everyone else will be doing it.  Despite the crowds on a very nice "pre-spring" day there was still plenty of room to play at the insane Maggie Daley Park.  
Here's an early write-up from Red Tricycle.

Fast slide! Photos Eric Rojas, Broker, Kale Realty

My wife and I brought six kids ranging 2 1/2yrs through 10yrs old.  Lots of walking on cool winding paths will tire them (and you) out.  The slides were the unanimous hit. Lots of slides big and small.

Not all play area or exhibits are open yet.  It will be nice to visit when the site is more complete and filled in with landscaping.  Right now it has a little bit of an Apocalyptic Disney/ Lord of the Flies thing going on. Remember no dogs, cartoon, wild or otherwise.

In the Loop: Downtown public art the Thompson Center

Monument with Standing Beast in front of the Thompson Center. One of the joys of walking downtown with the kids are the many public art installations. The kids get a look at art and of course play on it too.

 

Under contract! Cool Loop loft sold in a week

Photo YoChicago.com

Not even the NATO summit could stop us from selling 1020 S Wabash 3E in the Loop... just over a week on the market. You could not even park in front of the unit a few days after we listed due to NATO restrictions.  However, savvy buyers were out and nabbed this unique city home in a fantastic location.  The contract is currently contingent (asking price was $339,000+$25,000 deeded garage parking)... more details after closing.

Check out our video of the condo and the location!


More of our property and neighborhood videos HERE

Can you buy a single family house in the Loop?

Are there many free standing single family home sales downtown in the Loop and Near South Side Community Areas of Chicago? I thought this was a good question from a client, so let's see how many.

Is there a single family home sale down there... somewhere?

A quick look at the MLS (MREDLLC.com) shows about 11 total free standing home sales over the last two years  in the Near South Side (excluding row houses with attached side walls). The homes ranged from $657,000 for a frame house on a 24'x100' lot at 1242 S State (a planned single family home development built in 1995) to about $1.5M for a five bedrooms brick home in Dearborn Park II development (now under contract).

You can get one just to the south of Roosevelt though...see them back there?

All the closed, free standing homes are located south of Roosevelt Road in the Near South Side Community Area (the South Loop neighborhood) located between the 1200 and 1500 blocks of south State (basically). Of the closed homes, all were on smaller Chicago lots in planned developments built in the 1990s and have small association fees. 

Interesting

No free standing single family homes (or even row homes) were found closed or for sale on our MLS in the official Loop area (downtown) bounded on west and north by the Chicago River, east by Lake Michigan and south by Roosevelt Road. Looking back at least 4 years, there are NO detached home sales recorded in the MLS for the Loop Community Area. So, no you cannot buy a single family home in the Loop.

All photos Eric Rojas, Real Estate Broker
For more downtown posts, click HERE

The smelt have arrived!

The smelt are on at Miller's Pub in the Loop

Bob caught this shot a few moments ago in the Loop.  It reminds me of two things: Staying up all night smelt fishing with my uncle at the lakefront harbors as a kid and "happy hours" with clients at Miller's Pub. Both good memories!

Special Views, Real Estate from the Chicago River Tours

I took the role of Recreation Director with guests in town over the Labor Day weekend. My favorite item on the itinerary was the Architectural River Tour by Wendella.


I have dozens of shots from the tour and will post over the next month. I liked this one particularly as the Sears Tower is reflected in this building along the Chicago River. My uncle, the world travelor from Boston, never really got the "Chicago Tour", and was really impressed by the real estate on the river. It's outstanding when you really try to get your head around it.