More Incentive To Buy...

As part of the housing bill that just passed, first time buyers have an additional incentive to buy. Here's the dealio - if you have not owned a home in the last three years—or are considering buying your first home—and you can close before July 2009, you may be eligible for up to a $7,500 credit against your federal taxes for 2008 or 2009 ($3,750 for single filers)

You can learn more about the details of the tax credit here.

From gritty roots to urban chic

This was the weekend headline from the Chicago Tribune regarding the River North neighborhood.

"25,000 new residents" ...have moved into... "some of the 10,000 new housing units built in the neighborhood since 2000. Along with them have come offices, hotels, eateries, clubs, art galleries and shops. The central location makes whatever isn't there an easy walk or cab ride away. Meanwhile, the Chicago River that borders it on two sides offers a respite from the frantic city pace."

You can read the entire article here.

7th Annual River North Summerfest

River North Summerfest is coming right up - mark your calendars for Sunday, June 22, from 11 am - 7 pm. This year there will be food, drinks, a farmers' market and tons of activites for adults, kids and dogs! Summerfest is held in and around Erie Park.
* Suggested donation is just $5.00 per guest
* Proceeds support the RNRA & RNA
* Tickets for food, beverages & attractions are just $1.00 each
* Winners of hourly “Door” prize drawings will be posted at the info booth (Winners need not be present).
* Grand prize winners will be drawn at 6:00 pm
* Grand prizes include:
* A new adult’s & a new kid’s Kozy bike!
* 2 nights-on-the town!

See you tomorrow!

Summertime

Now that it's starting to feel like SUMMER has finally arrived in Chicago, everyone wants to be outside. Myself included. I've heard it said that in many other parts of the country, people enjoy spending time outdoors in the summer but in Chicago, people revel in it. So true.

I've been thinking lately about how to turn an outdoor space into an outdoor room, to take full advantage of the warm weather. Domino magazine is one of my favorite resources for ideas; they have a great gallery of photos online to inspire.

Summer also means it's time to plant the wire baskets that line my porch. Last year I got some beautiful flowers at Grand Street Gardens over in West Town. They have their own organic potting soil and tons of plants, flowers and grasses to choose from, not to mention some cool garden containers and knicknacks. Much bigger and more exciting selection than plain old Lowe's or Home Depot.

the Palmolive

My real estate obsession began when I first saw a unit under construction at the Palmolive Building at 919 N. Michigan Ave. This art deco masterpiece was built in 1929 as headquarters and office space for, you guessed it, the Palmolive soap company. Later on it became the home to Playboy (!); today, it's a much desired residential address, close to Mag Mile shopping (Louis Vuitton anchors the building) and only a few blocks from Oak Street Beach.

One of the units that I orignially saw when it was unfinished is now up for resale, and it's absolutely gorgeous - you can view a narrated tour here. If you'd like to buy it, it'll cost you a mere $2,495,000. If you'd like even more detail on this over-the-top pied-a-terre, Chicago magazine featured it in the latest edition of their Deal Estate blog.

Brown Line River North Construction Update

The Brown Line reconstruction of the River North Franklin stop at the Chicago/Franklin intersection is scheduled for completion late June/ early July. Improvements to the stop include adding elevators, new stairwells, improved sidewalks, painting on the street, and a new store/vending area. The new entrance to the stop is on Superior Street.

Another new CTA feature can be found online - Google Transit, which lets CTA riders access public transit data through Google. Riders can type in their starting and destination points, and step-by-step written directions will appear with fare information included. A map of the route represented by icons pops up; clicking the icon will display an estimated schedule for the departure of the next train or bus. Chicago is one of 39 U.S. cities to be featured on Google Transit and the second largest public transportation system represented. It's also available for some cities in Canada, Asia, Australia, and Europe, so keep it in mind next time your travels take you abroad!

TomKat loves River North

River North celebrity sighting! TomKat alert...

These photos are from Lake Point Tower by Navy Pier, which apparently hosted Tom Cruise, Katie, Suri and Oprah last night. They were all in town to film the second half of Oprah's interview with Tom. Wonder what other hot spots they hit?