520 S. State St, Ste 709 Chicago
Community News:
Chicago Tribune Article
Loop's cultural abundance, colleges beckon
by: Patrick T. Reardon, Tribune Reporter
I'm a Chicago guy, neighborhood born. From my youngest days, I've known the Loop as the city's core-the cultural mecca, the financial heart, the on-off switch of the machinery of political clout.
But a place to live? That's something my 18-year-old self, walking along Washington Street and coming by accident upon a beaming Richard Nixon in a campaign ticker-tape parade down Lasalle Street, wouldn't have been able to envision.
Time, though, and the Loop, have changed.
So it was with a mixture of curiosity and excitement that I enlisted Realtor MaryEllen Shannon of Coldwell Banker Lincoln Park Plaza to help me get a sense of what sort of living quarters could be found downtown. I figured that, if my wife and I sold our three-flat home in Edgewater- hightly unlikely, I admit, given our love of that neighborhood- we'd have something like $300,000-$350,000 to work with.
Not exactly big money downtown, but the experiment still turned out to be a heady experience.
I found the idea of living amid the bustle of the city's shakers and movers, exhilirating, akin to residing in Manhattan, especially when I stood on the 19th floor of one west-facing condo at State and Randolph and looked down on much of the Chicago's skyline.
There was the curved-glass, layered exterior of the Thompson Center, formerly the State of Illinois Building. And the City Hall County Building with the Mayor Richard M. Daley- installed lawn on the roof of the city's side. And far down there, Chicago's artistic emblem, the rusty, trusty Picasso statue.
But despite the great view, I didn't give in to the temptation of high places.
What I found something more alluring instead, was a condo much closer to earth and several blocks to the south, a sixth floor unit in Library Tower, a new 184-condo structure at 520 S. State Street, directly across fromt he Harold Washington Library Center.
Part of what sold me was the elbow room, In the price range I'd set, the only affordable high-vantage views were from tiny one-bedroom units about 850 square feet, The Library Tower unit had 50 percent more space and a second bedroom.
Much more important was the location in the center of what's been described as the largest college town in Illinois.
This is the home of Roosevelt University, Columbia College, Robert Morris College and the Loop Campus of DePaul University. Tens of thousands students attend classes here and thousands live here.
Consider all of the culture that comes with a college campus: the art exhibits, the poetry readings, the dance recitals, the guest lecturers. Then, multiply it by four. Consider the freshness and zest of all those young people- and the diversity. Add to that the regular flow of foreign visitors through the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Hostel of 24 E. Congress Pkwy.
All just a few steps from Grant Park, the Auditorium Theatre and the city's main library. An easy stroll fromt he theater district and the Picasso. A home in the beating pulse of Chicago's heart.
Loop Fan Starts New Chapter at Library Tower
Like many homebuyers preparing to make their first move-up purchase, current Loop resident Lucia Joson knew she needed more space, but she didn’t want to leave her downtown neighborhood. After one visit to Library Tower, a 17-story development of 184 loft-style condominiums at 520 South State St., Joson knew she was ready to start the next chapter of her life.
Located across from the Harold Washington Library, Library Tower includes one- to three-bedroom homes with 1 to 2½ baths, ranging in size from 865 to 2,130 square feet. Homes are priced from the mid $200,000s to the low $900,000s.
While indoor parking is available for $40,000 per space, a few early-delivery homes include parking for only $20,000 per space. “The size of the building and its location are perfect for my lifestyle,” Joson said. “It’s a midrise – so it’s not overwhelming in size, and it has more of a loft feel, which I prefer to the atmosphere of a typical high-rise condo building.” “Also, its proximity to my job in the Loop could not be better.
I love being able to walk to work, and my new home at Library Tower will allow me to continue to do so,” she added. “In fact, everything I need is right here.” While the building’s location was an easy sell for Joson, a new-construction building was an added incentive. For the past eight years, Joson has lived in the first condo she purchased, which is a condo conversion unit in the Loop. “New construction was extremely appealing to me. I like knowing I’m the first person to live in my condo,” she said. “It was exciting to choose all the finishes and select which upgrades I wanted.
Although it took a few changes, the staff at Library Tower’s sales center was really helpful.” Joson chose a south-facing three-bedroom, two-bath corner home on the Library Tower’s15th floor. Boasting 1,805 square feet, the home features floor-to-ceiling windows in every room, except for the bathrooms. According to Joson, it provides all the space she will need for years to come. “The great view was an extra bonus,” she said. -More- Joson Profile
And when Joson isn’t enjoying the views from her new home at Library Tower once she moves in later this fall, she’ll be taking advantage of all the extra space in her condo. “I’m definitely turning the second bedroom into a home office,” she said. “As for the third, it will be a guest room for visitors, mainly my nieces and nephew.” According to Joson, she first noticed Library Tower in the newspaper, and was continually hearing good things about the developer from friends and acquaintances.
“When I went to Library Tower for the first time, I instantly understood why I kept hearing praises for the project and the company behind it. Lennar’s sales staff was so friendly and helpful. They made my decision to buy and the whole process pleasant and easy,” she said. In fact, buying at Library Tower was such a good investment venture and an enjoyable experience for Joson that her younger brother decided to purchase at Library Tower, too.
And while her new home at Library Tower offers an easy commute to her accounting job in the Loop, Joson said the commute for her brother is even better. “He’s going to be managing the pharmacy at the CVS, which recently opened on the first floor of Library Tower, so the convenience for my brother is incredible,” Joson said. “He’ll be able to go to work right downstairs. It couldn’t have worked out better.”
Besides having access to CVS, residents of Library Tower will also enjoy building amenities such as a 24-hour doorman, fitness facility, business center, indoor dog walk, resident theatre, hospitality room and a common roof deck with a kitchenette and two gas grills. Developed by Lennar, all homes at Library Tower combine the aesthetic appeal of Printers Row’s trademark loft conversions with a high level of finishes. For example, homes include not only exposed ductwork, partial-height walls (per plan) and 10-foot concrete ceilings, but also GE Profile stainless steel appliances and hardwood floors in the foyer, living area and kitchen.
Library Tower’s Welcome Home Center is located at 520 S. State St. Suite 709 on the corner of State Street and Congress. Sales hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon.-Sat. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. For more information, or to view a selection of early-delivery homes, call 312-386-9427 or visit www.librarytower.com. Lennar is currently building approximately 14 new-home communities throughout Chicago and its suburbs, including single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums