Urban lifestyle a big draw for buyers in the West Loop

It's still a desolate, lonely place. Charm? Sure. Interest? Certainly. But empty. And dangerous.

I went to school at UIC, spending most of my time in classrooms north of the Eisenhower. During this time I was able to see the West Loop transform. While it is still a work in progress, I must admit that it has a certain urban atmosphere that makes it unique among Chicago neighborhoods. As the residential population grows, you'll see new services catering to the community, making it vibrant and exciting.

aghhhhhhhh wrote:

It's still a desolate, lonely place. Charm? Sure. Interest? Certainly. But empty. And dangerous.

I have been living there a long time. It is not desolate or dangerous. Go back to the north side where you belong.

I love the area, but I just wish it were still called what that area was called way back when... "Union Park"

I love the west loop. One thing that I wish could be done is expand the sidewalks along the express way overpasses. Also, no more highrises like the Skybridge building should be allowed. The building is ugly, and it completely obstructs the skyline view for the rest of the neighborhood.

Skybridge is a pretty cool looking building, Im glad it was built. The whole area needs some highrises mixed in here and there to obstruct the views of the selfish people who feel entitled to them. You live in 'the city' dude, stuff gets built, deal with it. You want to see the Sears tower unobstructed from only 6 blocks away? How dumb is that. Move next to the expressway then. Even then eventually offices will obstruct your view, where will you complain then?

Greektown is pretty cool, Randolph and Lake is ok at night, but other than that this west loop area is dead and pretty boring for such a 'city' neighborhood. If the "West Loop Community Organization" and this Sedler guy ever figure out that having large parking requirements while limiting the building heights of new developments reduces the density of the neighborhood, maybe theyd also figure out why businesses and retail there is so weak. Theres not enough people walking around, geez, I wonder why.

Other than that, luckily crime there is pretty low, but most yuppies and nimbys Ive seen dont go around robbing people, selling drugs, or joining gangs anyway. I think the area is very nice, but sterile, and too expensive for an area that doesnt offer much besides being close to the Loop. Pretty bland for what you pay for.

Id give this place a few years though before property values dictate that some real tall buildings are built there and then all these view people will cry and move back to their burbs where they came from.

Anyone who even compared the West Loop to SoHo is a moron. This area is totally underdeveloped because of ignorant minded suburbanites and fringe city dwellers flocking to the central city and central area and bringing that mindset with them. The West Loop is a desolate, boring un-pedestrian friendly area that has a lot of work to do. There are NIMBY's up the wazoo in the area who have absolutely no idea what city living is all about. Most buildings have been limited to an idiotically low height which has totally plateaued the area and 90% of the architecture is crap. The only really good building built in the area is Skybridge by Perkins+Will. This area lacks vitality, vibrancy and a sense of destination.

MSK777 wrote:

I love the west loop. One thing that I wish could be done is expand the sidewalks along the express way overpasses. Also, no more highrises like the Skybridge building should be allowed. The building is ugly, and it completely obstructs the skyline view for the rest of the neighborhood.

You obviously have no taste, because out of all of the buildings built in the area over the past decade, Skybridge is the only worthy one. As for it blocking people’s views: "SO WHAT". No one owns their view. People need to learn to live in an urban environment of get the hell out of the city.

JJJ wrote:

<quoted text>
I have been living there a long time. It is not desolate or dangerous. Go back to the north side where you belong.

Dangerous no,

desolate "YES"

How about you go back to the suburbs...

Butler V Adams wrote:

This area is totally underdeveloped because..... buildings have been limited to an idiotically low height which has totally plateaued the area.

You say it's underdeveloped then you say the development has plateaued. Which one is it? It's reached it's peak yet it has not developed? The West Loop is obviously to gritty and urban for Lincoln Parkers seeking frat bars and Hooters. Sorry, maybe in 5 years they will build a happening sports bar, till then you'll have to deal with the galleries.

Johny Boy wrote:

<quoted text>
You say it's underdeveloped then you say the development has plateaued. Which one is it? It's reached it's peak yet it has not developed? The West Loop is obviously to gritty and urban for Lincoln Parkers seeking frat bars and Hooters. Sorry, maybe in 5 years they will build a happening sports bar, till then you'll have to deal with the galleries.

The height limit has plateaued the streetscape/skyline in the area. There are still plenty of developable plots in the West Loop. And the area really lacks true urbanity. I no problem with the galleries, I have a problem with the lack of any real retail, the fact that parking for the majority of the recently built buildings start on the ground floor which creates a not so nice pedestrain experience. The West Loop has a case of the bad planning blues and the blame for that can be shared by WLCO, the alderman and the city itself.

Absolutely, the height limit is ridiculously stupid. I cant believe people are so small minded that they selfishly want to limit the numbers of neighbors in a new building, thereby decreasing the tax base and possible retail supporters in the area, to preserve their own stinking VIEW!! How lame is that?

And they need all that parking? For what? If you live in the city, or better yet downtown, take the train or bus; or better still, walk.

Butler V Adams wrote:

<quoted text>
You obviously have no taste, because out of all of the buildings built in the area over the past decade, Skybridge is the only worthy one. As for it blocking people’s views: "SO WHAT". No one owns their view. People need to learn to live in an urban environment of get the hell out of the city.

Exactly. Skybridge won an AIA award for Best new development of year 2003. Most Americans lack any architectural taste or just taste in general, explains why George Bush has served us for 8 years.
Anyway, the West Loop (west of the expressway) has become the dumping ground of cheap, disposable and ugly buildings. The are is far too underdevolped for its location and the idiotic NIMBY group WLCO fights tooth and and nail to enure it stays that way. This neighborhood is 4 blocks from the second largest business district in the nation and is served by three rapid transit. That is something that no other city in this nation can offer, most other cities would kill for this type of a opportunity; and yet we are wasting it. Quite frankly, anyone who opposes height and density increases in this area is an environmental criminal, as this is one of the most transit rich neighborhoods in the entire nation and walking distance to hundreds of thousands of jobs. The CTA new station at Morgan and Lake SHOULD NOT BE BUILT until the WLCO group accepts higher density. This new station is going to cost ~$30 million of limited capitol funds that the CTA needs in many other parts of the system that recive higher ridership.
I also find it funny that the neighborhood is now praising the Sundance theater when they have been fighting the hieght and density of the project for a couple of years.

Couple things:

1. Don't compare Chicago to NY. I have lived in both and they are completely different.

2. Agree on Skybridge - nice building.

3. Tax Revenue - You folks don't understand this neighborhood at all. The West Loop is comprised of two TIF's. Expanding property tax revenue does very little for the neighborhood. Two examples. Departement of Planning and Development entered into an agreement to give Rush Memorial Hospital $75 million of TIF money. Also the new Skinner School has no neighborhood component but is being built entirely from the TIF funds from the West Loop. Before the neighborhood gives the city more TIF funds there should be agreement on how to use those funds. And to "For a Vibrant Chicago" the CTA station is going to be built entirely from TIF money so nothing will come from CTA's budget. Spend a little time doing research.

4. Parking is a disaster in the neighborhood. Every day people from outside the neighborhood park their cars on side streets and then take a bus downtown. The area needs more regulated parking either through permits or meters. I praise WLCO for at least trying to deal with it.

5. You can only build so many tall buildings. Look at the disaster called the south loop. Luckily they have the lake otherwise you wouldn't see any sunlight down there. I think that developers who can commit to architecturally significan buildings should be allowed to build higher.

6. Without the WLCO this area would be a free-for-all for developers.

7. Parking on the ground floor of buildings - This is a city ordinance. Each new building has to have something like 1.3 times the number of parking as it does units. I suppose developers could build parking underground..but wait a minute, that would cut into their profit and we can't have that happen.

8. And finally...I like the fact that there are some areas in my neighborhood you call desolate. Sure is nice to be able to walk around by yourself sometimes and be safe.

The good news for those that don't like the area..if you don't live here, please stay out. If you do live here, put your house up for sale. Looks like it takes only 130 days to sell it, unlike the South Loop and other places where so many condos were built some buildings are half empty.

Butler V Adams wrote:

<quoted text>
Dangerous no,
desolate "YES"
How about you go back to the suburbs...

I have lived in the city my whole life. Go flap your gums some place else.

Butler V Adams wrote:

Anyone who even compared the West Loop to SoHo is a ****. This area is totally underdeveloped because of ignorant minded suburbanites and fringe city dwellers flocking to the central city and central area and bringing that mindset with them. The West Loop is a desolate, boring un-pedestrian friendly area that has a lot of work to do. There are NIMBY's up the wazoo in the area who have absolutely no idea what city living is all about. Most buildings have been limited to an idiotically low height which has totally plateaued the area and 90% of the architecture is crap. The only really good building built in the area is Skybridge by Perkins+Will. This area lacks vitality, vibrancy and a sense of destination.

Exactly!

Eric Sedler and his band of buffoons must go.
The West Loop is completely desolate. I judge this as nothing short of total failure. I hold Sedler and his tyranny responsible to the utter failures of this joke of a neighborhood.
A successful urban neighborhood needs PEOPLE. Does that make any sense to you, Sedler? Live in your mini-Naperville, buddy, but don't go off spouting that you've created SoHo in Chicago, because you're only making a laughing stock of yourself.

JJJ wrote:

<quoted text>
I have been living there a long time. It is not desolate or dangerous. Go back to the north side where you belong.

Yeah, right. My people have been west-siders over 100 years. Another know-it-all.

JJJ wrote:

<quoted text>
I have lived in the city my whole life. Go flap your gums some place else.

You living within the city your whole life has done nothing with your understanding of the place. You obviously know nothing about the city.

Butler V Adams wrote:

<quoted text>
You obviously have no taste, because out of all of the buildings built in the area over the past decade, Skybridge is the only worthy one. As for it blocking people’s views: "SO WHAT". No one owns their view. People need to learn to live in an urban environment of get the hell out of the city.

I do have taste, it is just different than yours. Maybe all of the people who like the skybridge live there, but no one in my building did. Back when I looking to buy there, real estate agents stated as fact that the skyline would remain unobstructed due to an ordinance limiting heights of new construction. This was obviously incorrect.