`I’m spoiled for corners,” said the young woman when asked why she was shopping at Skybridge, a 237-unit highrise condominium next to the Kennedy Expressway at Washingston Street just west of the Loop. “This building has a lot of corners.”
Corner units are prized by urban home seekers, especially in high-rises and multifamily buildings, because inhabitants can get double the light and have a chance to double their views.
The reason Skybridge has so many corners is that the 39-story complex is two towers linked by glass-sided walkways and capped by what looks like a horizontal ladder of steel and concrete.
This highrise has more of those corner units for home buyers than most buildings. And its distinctive design has won prizes and praise for architect Ralph Johnson of the Chicago firm Perkins & Will that worked with Moran Associates and Dearborn Development.
Because I live with an architect, I like to think I favor good–and, let’s be honest, modern– architecture. I also know, however, that even great architecture is no guarantee of comfortable living. Think Frank Lloyd Wright, whose buildings include some leaky roofs.
So I wondered how the condos at Skybridge would feel and live. The answer is a definite mix, but with so many different floor plans–22 including a two-story duplex–buyers have a lot of options from which to choose.
There is no mistaking this is urban living because units and balconies on the east side of the building overlook the Kennedy Expressway.
A couple of general observations from the seven models I visited.
There was no skimping on private spaces. The bedroom, master bath and master closet are almost as big as the public living and dining room in the smaller units.
This makes sense for an urban market close to the Loop where the owner may be younger or a workholic who puts in many hours each day.
The bedroom is the spot where the occupant spends most at-home time. Still, I must confess a bias toward shrinking the bedroom and definitely shrinking the master bath, if it will shift more space for living and dining.
Judging from recent models I’ve visited, both in the suburbs and in the city, I seem to be in the minority in this preference.
These are floor plans that assume a lot of dining out and small quantity food and home supplies. Given the urban orientation, perhaps this is understandable, but, in at least one model, it appeared the washer-dryer had been stuck into what had been planned as a pantry–which would be useful.
Also, balcony sizes vary; so a potential buyer who plans to use that outdoor space is wise to step outside to judge balcony width and personal comfort level.
The balconies I visited were wide enough only for a small cafe table and chairs.
My favorite of the smaller models is the F unit with 1,040 square feet and one bedroom with master bath and a powder room. A corner unit with a wrap-around balcony, the F has plenty of natural light and views in both the open kitchen/living/dining space and in the bedroom.
Step into the unit and the open kitchen with a cooktop island is to the left and the door to the powder room to the right.
Walk past the island to enter the dining/living area with windows and a balcony on two walls for views of the Loop. The bedroom to the right of the living/dining room also has a corner window that overlooks the balcony and east toward the Loop.
The bedroom at 20-by-15-feet is comfortably sized as is the adjoining bathroom. In this suite, there is a sizable walk-in closet plus a smaller closet which could be used for linens and utility items.
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But the model, as decorated, makes no allowance for dining except at the kitchen island, an omission potential buyers might want to to consider.
The attention to bedroom and bath sizes works well in the two three-bedroom models. Both floor plans are big enough to work for some households, certainly for empty-nesters anticipating visits from relatives, and both are impressively decorated.
Model A at the north end of the building with 2,429 square feet is the biggest unit on display and the priciest at $829,300 including the upgrades. The front door opens onto a choice of two hallways, one long and straight ahead to the dining room, kitchen and living room which has a jaw-dropping view of the Chicago skyline.
Turn left at the entry, past a closet, to a wing of bedrooms including a master bedroom with its own balcony looking northwest and west over the city. The floor plan’s right angle hallway allows for division and distance between public and private spaces, a benefit or a flaw depending upon one’s point of view.
Model H, at 1,931 square feet, is at the southwest corner of the complex. Though smaller than the A model, this floor plan feels as spacious as the A and is $593,800 with upgrades.
The entry is a foyer near the middle of the unit. A closet is on the left and full-size laundry room on right of the foyer. A few steps into the foyer and a visitor can turn left, past a bedroom and bath, to the main living area or right to the master bedroom suite.
The open concept kitchen/living/dining room looks south and west over the city.
A third bedroom, which would work well as a TV room, home office or library is to the left of the main living area.
While the summer heat and intensity of the sun are a consideration for those looking at this unit, the sun could be a benefit during gray winter months. In addition, the balcony is over the neighborhood and not the expressway.
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Skybridge
Address: 737 W. Washington St.
Developer: Moran Associates and Dearborn Development
Phone: 312-787-0500 or www.skybridgechicago.com
Description: A 39-story condominium with 237-units in Chicago’s West Loop. One-bedroom one-bath to three-bedroom 2 1/2-baths units ranging from 929 square to 2,535 square feet. Combinations up to 4,000 square feet possible.
Base prices: From $255,000 to $829,300 as of Dec. 1. Monthly assessments, according to square footage, range from $244 to $888. Indoor parking, $30,000 a space.
Amenities: 24-hour doorman; fitness center and sundeck, dog run, washer and dryer in each unit
Neighborhood: West Loop near Greek Town, Randolph Street restaurants and clubs, next to Kennedy Expressway with easy access to all expressways.
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