Not pursuing 345 N LaSalle / What @ 600 / 645 N Kingsbury / Other options? (Chicago: real estate, foreclosure)

[lost_angeles]

Hello All,

To recap -- I started another thread to enquire about 345 N LaSalle building.

I deemed 345 N LaSalle is too risky at this point in time. I am looking for other nearby options in River North / Streeterville area. What do you guys thinks about 600 N Kingsbury or 645 N Kingsbury? Any other nearby buildings you can suggest that I can look into?

I drove around Kingsbury / Larabee corridor and the streets seemed kinda empty after dusk. The vibe I got was of a little bit isolated area, I may be wrong though.

I also walked around Wells / Grand / Franklin area @ night time and some of the people I saw there made me nervous. Is it just me being apprehensive?

As always, I truly appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks.

[OhAcid]

Originally Posted by lost_angeles

Hello All,

To recap -- I started another thread to enquire about 345 N LaSalle building.

I deemed 345 N LaSalle is too risky at this point in time. I am looking for other nearby options in River North / Streeterville area. What do you guys thinks about 600 N Kingsbury or 645 N Kingsbury? Any other nearby buildings you can suggest that I can look into?

I drove around Kingsbury / Larabee corridor and the streets seemed kinda empty after dusk. The vibe I got was of a little bit isolated area, I may be wrong though.

I also walked around Wells / Grand / Franklin area @ night time and some of the people I saw there made me nervous. Is it just me being apprehensive?

As always, I truly appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks.

What were the people doing around Wells and Franklin that made you nervous? The Loop in general after 8:00 pm is pretty dead for the most part; but I've never had any issues with anyone or felt unsafe by myself. If you're worried about "isolation" - don't look to live in or around the loop. Most businesses close early and like I said - there isn't a lot of activity going on. River North is better; but also very touristy (like the loop) in my opinion. I avoid both areas like the plague during peak hours of the day and definitely on the weekends for this very reason.

[gomexico]

Originally Posted by lost_angeles

Hello All,

To recap -- I started another thread to enquire about 345 N LaSalle building.

I deemed 345 N LaSalle is too risky at this point in time. I am looking for other nearby options in River North / Streeterville area. What do you guys thinks about 600 N Kingsbury or 645 N Kingsbury? Any other nearby buildings you can suggest that I can look into?

I drove around Kingsbury / Larabee corridor and the streets seemed kinda empty after dusk. The vibe I got was of a little bit isolated area, I may be wrong though.

I also walked around Wells / Grand / Franklin area @ night time and some of the people I saw there made me nervous. Is it just me being apprehensive?

As always, I truly appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks.

Is there a a reason you're not utilizing the services offered by a real estate agent/broker? The types of questions you've been asking are typically answered quickly by an agent.

[lost_angeles]

I am using a realtor but I am also trying to gauge thoughts from you all to hopefully give me 'behind the scenes' opinion. I do not know much about Chicago; I moved here few months back. Buying a condo / property is a big decision for me and want to cover all bases before I commit to one.

As for the earlier question, I was near Wells / Franklin and was not comfortable with the way a couple of guys (who looked down on their luck) were observing me from the other side while crossing the road.

Thanks.

[OhAcid]

Originally Posted by lost_angeles

As for the earlier question, I was near Wells / Franklin and was not comfortable with the way a couple of guys (who looked down on their luck) were observing me from the other side while crossing the road.

Thanks.

You probably don't want to buy property anywhere in Chicago then if just being observed by potential weirdos makes you uncomfortable. It's unlikely that anything dangerous would happen to you, but what you're describing is not.

I'd look further north as well if you're uncomfortable with being out late at night by yourself; because as I said the loop and surrounding area are also fairly dead. Lakeview is much cheaper than the loop and much more active at night as well. It also features a large selection when it comes to lakefront, high rise living as well, with excellent public transportation options too. Numerous express buses as well as the red and brown line would be less than a half mile walk. The further north you go the more bang for your buck you're going to get. I suppose it all depends on how close you want to be to the loop though; and unless you work there many other locations throughout the city have much more to offer in terms of investing in a neighborhood in my opinion; very rarely do I find myself in the loop for anything other than passing through. Keep your wits about you and you won't have any problems with people or safety though.

If you're open to exploring further north since you're not exactly new to Chicago, Edgewater is a fantastic neighborhood that has beautiful beaches right out your front door, beautiful high rises, good shopping and also great public transit with the red line and express buses serving downtown. It's also amazingly affordable compared to other areas of Chicago. It's an amazing location, especially in the spring and summer months. The nice mix of high rises, beautiful park access; the lake, walk-able districts and mixed in historic architecture make it seem more like a vacation destination than home.

[paytonc]

There's some small remnants of River North's seedier past (liquor stores, peep shows) around Grand & Wells. If you want someplace that "feels" safer than River North but is in the same general location, you might want to focus your search on Streeterville (east of Michigan Ave) -- and ask a real estate agent who knows about each of the buildings. The buildings there are older, and prices will be higher, but it sounds like it's a better fit for your comfort level.

Someone who "was not comfortable with the way a couple of guys (who looked down on their luck) were observing me" would not like Edgewater, since that would involve traveling through Uptown on a regular basis.

[OhAcid]

Originally Posted by paytonc

Someone who "was not comfortable with the way a couple of guys (who looked down on their luck) were observing me" would not like Edgewater, since that would involve traveling through Uptown on a regular basis.

Traveling through uptown as in literally passing through on public transit should be the least of anybodies concerns as far as safety in Chicago.

[ToriaT]

Personally I would not give you two cents for any of the areas you mention. Not that they are bad but they are really not neighborhoody. Wells and Franklin should not be bad it was not far from my office.. but to me not a great place to live. Why not look at Lincoln Park, Lakeview, or other places in Streeterville if you want something safer. Maybe you should rent first to see what you might feel comfortable with.

[Organized Mess]

I want to preface this by saying that I'm an agent but I'm also a lifelong Chicagoan so I'll be as unbiased as I possibly can:

I rented to a lovely couple at 600 N. Kingsbury and the units are gorgeous. They're also a bit newer than 345 N. LaSalle (which was a good call as I believe that building has one of the highest foreclosure rates of any condo building in the neighborhood) My clients loved the fact that there was a park across the street for their young son and my client was walking distance from his job on Chicago Ave. I've never seen 645 N. Kingsbury but it's in roughly the same location. If you're dead set on being in River North, anything along Kingsbury is going to feel isolated as it runs along the river and is the neighborhood's western boundry in certain parts. If you want to feel more in the heart of things, I'd have your agent look for things along Wells (if you're high enough - you won't hear the train), LaSalle or Clark. I'd encourage you to look at a few places in the West Loop if it's location and brand new(er) that you're looking for. The West Loop along Canal or Clinton especially, between Grand and Kinzie since it's right across the river from River North.

Happy Hunting!

[gomexico]

Originally Posted by lost_angeles

I am using a realtor but I am also trying to gauge thoughts from you all to hopefully give me 'behind the scenes' opinion. I do not know much about Chicago; I moved here few months back. Buying a condo / property is a big decision for me and want to cover all bases before I commit to one.

As for the earlier question, I was near Wells / Franklin and was not comfortable with the way a couple of guys (who looked down on their luck) were observing me from the other side while crossing the road.

Thanks.

What has your agent told you about these properties/areas?