“Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet . . . .” wrote Rudyard Kipling in 1889. But, what did he know way back then about housing developers and the liberties they’d take with the compass and directions in this 21st Century of ours?
Builders and developers have been playing games with neighborhood boundaries and nomenclature for a while now in their efforts to entice potential home buyers into trendy or wannabe-trendy areas.
So now we have “East River West” given as the location for a six-story condo under construction at “950 W. Huron in East River West.”
Which is where? The developer’s map zeros in on the area bordered by Chicago Avenue, Randolph Street, Halsted Street and Racine Avenue and pinpoints the condo at Milwaukee Avenue and Huron Street. That’s West River West/River North to me, but then I’m not in the business of enticing.
The 40-unit building is going up in what was strictly an industrial area that a trendy would never consider living in — make that investing in — even five years ago. Now, the lower-priced and lower-story one- and two-bedroom units are all sold and other units as well as some of the three-bedroom duplexes in the $450,000-plus category are also under contract.
There’s one furnished model for 950 W. Huron, which is under construction, so the model open to prospective buyers is located at Fulton Station, 560 W. Fulton St. Both properties are developments of Belgravia Group Ltd.
The model, a corner Number 05 unit, is, however, 1,386 square feet while the similar corner Number 05 at Huron will be 1,595 square feet. It would be wise for serious lookers to have both floor plans in hand and note just where those extra feet and inches have been added or changed.
The model’s living/dining room is approximately 24 by 14 feet and its kitchen is almost 17 by 8 feet while the 950 floor plan’s living area is 27 by nearly 18 feet and the kitchen, 20 1/2 by about 8 feet. In addition to more counter space and a larger island for the kitchen, the extra living space allows more possibilities for furniture arrangements and at least three side chairs rather than the single one shown in the model.
The master bedrooms are nearly the same in footage but the shapes are reconfigured; the 950’s second bedroom picks up just inches more than the model’s second bedroom but — and a big but — the 950 gets a walk-in closet rather than the model’s small wall closet.
Belgravia Group’s selections consultant, Donna Plotzker, says the 950 building has benefited from experience gained with developing and selling Fulton Station. For example, based on the fast sold-out performance of one-bedroom units at Fulton, more one-bedrooms were added at 950. And, even more amenities, previously upgrades, are standard at 950.
The end units at both buildings, including the model and its 950 counterpart, have entries that are not my favorite design: Open the front door to an “entry gallery,” walk in and turn the corner and walk down a longer hallway to reach the living room. (Units in between end ones have more compact entryways but, then, they don’t have windows at the side of the building. I’ll take the extra windows.)
That long hall — with doors to the closet, second bath and master bedroom — leads to the fireplace end of the living room (nice), which flows into the dining area where a door opens to the balcony (very nice). Separated only by a large island, the kitchen is perpendicular or at a right angle to the dining/living space, more appealing to me than the long and narrow, all-in-one living/dining/kitchen layouts. The model is especially handsome with its deep maple cabinetry, a standard, not upgrade.
I like the model and imagine I’d like the 950’s similar unit more because of that extra 209 square feet. Though I don’t love those long entry hallways, there are little niceties that benefit both the halls and other parts of the units.
Each entry has a wall-mounted, curved metal key ledge that adds a functional and arty detail. There are transom windows above the second bedroom and master bath doors, allowing daylight in areas that normally couldn’t get it. Each balcony has a gas line; vanity countertops are higher than standard; closets have light switches rather than pulls; and, an unnecessary but delightful personal favorite in the master bath’s steeping tub — a Kohler waterfall or “sheetflow bath spout,” meaning a faucet that sends out a wide, rather than vertical, flow of water. What a way to wash.
There are other pluses: Every one-bedroom unit has a bathroom and powder room (a boon for guests who needn’t enter the owner’s private domain); two-car owners have the option of having a vertical lift installed in their parking space so that one vehicle can be parked above the other. Neat. And, since Plotzker says that most sales have been to “two-income professional couples and lots of high-end singles,” a double car space or some other slightly off-beat extra might add to the appeal of being in an off-beat neighborhood.
Huron will be 1,595 square feet. It would be wise for serious lookers to have both floor plans in hand and note just where those extra feet and inches have been added or changed.
The model’s living/dining room is approximately 24 by 14 feet and its kitchen is almost 17 by 8 feet while the 950 floor plan’s living area is 27 by nearly 18 feet and the kitchen, 20 1/2 by about 8 feet. In addition to more counter space and a larger island for the kitchen, the extra living space allows more possibilities for furniture arrangements and at least three side chairs rather than the single one shown in the model.
More Top Picks Receiver
The master bedrooms are nearly the same in footage but the shapes are reconfigured; the 950’s second bedroom picks up just inches more than the model’s second bedroom but — and a big but — the 950 gets a walk-in closet rather than the model’s small wall closet.
Belgravia Group’s selections consultant, Donna Plotzker, says the 950 building has benefited from experience gained with developing and selling Fulton Station. For example, based on the fast sold-out performance of one-bedroom units at Fulton, more one-bedrooms were added at 950. And, even more amenities, previously upgrades, are standard at 950.
The end units at both buildings, including the model and its 950 counterpart, have entries that are not my favorite design: Open the front door to an “entry gallery,” walk in and turn the corner and walk down a longer hallway to reach the living room. (Units in between end ones have more compact entryways but, then, they don’t have windows at the side of the building. I’ll take the extra windows.)
That long hall — with doors to the closet, second bath and master bedroom — leads to the fireplace end of the living room (nice), which flows into the dining area where a door opens to the balcony (very nice). Separated only by a large island, the kitchen is perpendicular or at a right angle to the dining/living space, more appealing to me than the long and narrow, all-in-one living/dining/kitchen layouts. The model is especially handsome with its deep maple cabinetry, a standard, not upgrade.
I like the model and imagine I’d like the 950’s similar unit more because of that extra 209 square feet. Though I don’t love those long entry hallways, there are little niceties that benefit both the halls and other parts of the units.
Each entry has a wall-mounted, curved metal key ledge that adds a functional and arty detail. There are transom windows above the second bedroom and master bath doors, allowing daylight in areas that normally couldn’t get it. Each balcony has a gas line; vanity countertops are higher than standard; closets have light switches rather than pulls; and, an unnecessary but delightful personal favorite in the master bath’s steeping tub — a Kohler waterfall or “sheetflow bath spout,” meaning a faucet that sends out a wide, rather than vertical, flow of water. What a way to wash.
There are other pluses: Every one-bedroom unit has a bathroom and powder room (a boon for guests who needn’t enter the owner’s private domain); two-car owners have the option of having a vertical lift installed in their parking space so that one vehicle can be parked above the other. Neat. And, since Plotzker says that most sales have been to “two-income professional couples and lots of high-end singles,” a double car space or some other slightly off-beat extra might add to the appeal of being in an off-beat neighborhood.