Everybody knows Chicago has a bungalow-belted South Side, a cosmopolitan North Side and a vast, industrialized West Side, all radiating from a commercial center called the Loop.  But does Chicago have an East Side?  And if so, wouldn’t it be underwater?   Well, it used to be.  In fact, it never existed at all till the rest of the town burned down!   The Streeterville neighborhood is a dynamic lakeside community east of Michigan Avenue and north of the Chicago River, a once-derelict landfill that evolved into the one of the most exclusive, upscale parts of town.  Its name honors the memory of “Cap’n” George Streeter, a 19th-century con man who ran his boat aground on a sandbar one day and then decided, what the heck, he’d just stay put and call the place…

 Chicago's West Town neighborhoods include Wicker Park, River West, Ukranian Village and East Village. While each of these neighborhoods is filled with impressive architectural feats from yesteryear, they are also brimming with trendy bars, restaurants and shops that teem with activity. In fact, taken as a whole, West Town is undeniably the trendiest area in all of Chicago. While always glamorous, West Town has not always been so urban-chic.

 

Wicker Park saw its first wave of development in 1871 when the Great Chicago Fire sent the newly homeless population of Chicago westward in search of usable land to rebuild their homes and lives. German and Swedish merchants were the two most predominant groups of people to move into Wicker Park, and remnants of

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Surprising Short Sales and Foreclosures

From Uptown to the Gold Coast, River North, Wicker Park and Ukranian Village to Lincoln Park, West Loop Gate, the Loop, Old Town and Streeterville, one might wonder why these distinct Chicago neighborhoods share a single list. What is the common thread that weaves them together? The answer is simple: they are all ripe with short sales and foreclosures. It is quite significant that no Chicago neighborhood, not even the fanciest and most expensive, has escaped the unfortunate repercussions of the miserable economy. While short sales and foreclosures are certainly an indication of poor economic conditions, they are also the source of virtually unheard of deals for able buyers. 

The extension to April of 2010 of

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West Loop Gate: Characteristics and Current Deals

West Loop Gate, known popularly as the West Loop, is a neighborhood within Chicago’s greater Near West Side community. West Loop has quite a distinct vibe.  Once a manufacturing corridor, West Loop Gate is populated with a number of warehouses and factories that imbue the area with an industrial edge. This edge is what makes West Loop Gate the perfect neighborhood for urban professionals and artists alike that shun the more cookie-cutter, “vanilla” neighborhoods like Wrigleyville and Lincoln Park and seek, instead, a neighborhood with a flare all its own.

 

As far as West Loop real estate goes, the area consists primarily of loft conversions. While some warehouses are still in use, the majority have

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Ukranian Village/Wicker Park

 Located in the heart of Chicago’s ultra-hip Ukranian Village neighborhood, 932 Wood Street is a prime piece of real estate. Not only does this duplex boast a fabulous location in the greater Ukranian Village neighborhood, but its specific location on a charming tree-lined street makes it all the more desirable. While Wood St. itself is a quiet residential street, some of Chicago’s most sought-out destinations are mere minutes away. Just a short stroll North on Wood St. places you amidst all the action of Wicker Park along West Division St., while an even shorter walk south finds you in the heart of West Chicago Ave.’s nightlife and other offerings.

The stretches of both Division and Chicago that are a stone’s throw away

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Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood

 When one thinks of Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood, upscale living and fancy homes usually come to mind. The Gold Coast’s reputation as the city’s wealthiest neighborhood is well-known. Its charming, historic streets are lined with grand mansions and vintage buildings that, by virtue of their high cost, bring to the neighborhood a certain exclusivity. Despite its placement in the heart of one of America’s urban hubs, and not withstanding its grand reputation, the Gold Coast, uniquely, offers many of the perks of small-town living.

Residents of the Gold Coast enjoy a variety of America’s favorite pastimes without ever leaving their historic neighborhood. Indeed, there is a certain small-town wholesomeness attached to

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Gold Coast- Short Sales and Price Reductions

Filled with the sorts of stately homes and prestige that make Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood something akin to Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the high-end properties that dominate Gold Coast real estate tend to be out of the reach of the majority of homebuyers. Indeed, these vintage masterpieces, from condominiums in what was once the Playboy Mansion to single family estates costing upwards of $5,000,000 require not only deep pockets but also a commitment to the neighborhood.

Although these properties still fall squarely in the category of upper end, there may be some good news for homebuyers who have previously found these properties just out of their reach. Unprecedented market conditions that have forced

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