Fall Into a Chicago Condo at Lakeshore East

Fall is one of the best times to live in Chicago, and living in a condo or Parkhome at Lakeshore East situates you and your family right in the heart of it all.

While there are the expected haunted houses and pumpkin patch visits, there are a number of activities unique to the downtown area, including the Chicago Theater District 2011-2012 season, featuring plays and shows by award-winning artists and producers. In addition, the Bears play right around the corner at Soldier Field – pro football games are happening practically in your backyard if you live in Lakeshore East.

Also nearby is the Betrand Goldberg retrospective at the Art Institute of Chicago (a fitting cultural companion to the beautiful architecture of Aqua and the rest of Lakeshore East), and the Field Museum’s exhibition Chicago: Around the World, a tasty way to learn more about the …

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Girl and the Goat

Saveur – “America’s best new restaurant”

Girl and the Goat has occupied a spot on Randolph Street in the West Loop for just over a year. Executive Chef Stephanie Izard gained national fame with her first place finish during the fourth season of Top Chef. Running with the momentum generated by her win, she opened small-plates restaurant Girl and the Goat, where many ingredients are sourced from local farms. The restaurant is open daily for dinner and features fresh-baked bread, seafood dishes such as sautéed Hawaiian sunfish, meat entrees such as wood oven roasted pig face, and vegetarian options such as squash blossom rangoons. As you’d expect, there is also a selection of goat dishes available, like goat carpaccio and goat legs. If you don’t have reservations, expect a long wait. Arriving when the doors open (4:30) is …

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Photo©Flicker/creativecommons/John-Morgan

Chicago’s fall foliage typically is at its most vibrant in mid-October. Just outside your Chicago luxury condo, public parks provide a calming and colorful respite against the backdrop of the city. Chicagoans are also within striking distance of some spectacular autumn landscapes that lie outside the city. Here are your best bets for enjoying the transition from summer to fall:

North Branch Trail

The North Branch Trail is a Class I bicycle trail that begins at Devon and Caldwell Avenues in northwestern Cook County. The trail traces the north branch of the Chicago River for 20 miles, through wildlife-filled forests, golf courses, and open fields, remaining mostly isolated from suburbia’s traffic and noise. Fall colors are everywhere thanks to the variety and abundance of vegetation. Most of the trail is paved, and the unpaved …

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Photo©Flicker/creativecommons/TerryJohnston
Fall is the time to step out of your Chicago luxury condo and make your way onto the campus of your favorite Chicago university for a game. Autumn in Chicago has a lot to offer a college sports fan, and we have the rundown of the main events:

Football

Football is the most popular fall sport to watch, and Chicago’s universities have a lot to offer. The Wildcats of Northwestern kick things off the first weekend of September with an away game against Boston College. The following weekend, you can catch the Wildcats at home in Evanston as they take on the Panthers of Eastern Illinois. The Maroons of the University of Chicago start the season at home on September 3rd against Beloit. Last year, Wildcats finished the season 7-6 and the Maroons went 8-2.

Women’s Volleyball

The UIC …

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Downtown Chicago condos and their residents have a lot of personality, and a great way to display your individuality is with a cool welcome mat. We’ve searched beyond the standard mats with simple greetings or plain patterns and found some funny and creative ways to greet guests at the door:
 
Binary Code

This mat appears to have a basic, contemporary pattern, but those symbols are actually binary code for “Welcome”.

At ThinkGeek.com for $39.99 http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/gear/69e3/?i=front
 
Hello My Name Is Mat

Here’s a self-introducing “Mat”.

At Cocomatsnmore.com for $19.99 http://www.cocomatsnmore.com/FUNNY-DOORMAT-HELLO-MY-NAME-IS-MAT
 
Home

A home plate mat for a clever baseball fan.

At Uncommongoods.com for …

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Photo©Flicker/creativecommons/ Lisa Andres

The tradition of serving tableside—flambéed saganaki cheese seems to have originated at The Parthenon restaurant in Greektown.
The John Hancock Observatory is home to the world’s highest ice skating rink and America’s highest indoor swimming pool.
At the Field Museum, visitors encounter Sue, the world’s most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton.
The Chicago Park District operates the nation’s largest municipal harbor system.
Chicago firsts: The Ferris Wheel, television remote control, mail—order business, blood bank, steel railroad, and drive—through bank.
The Chicago River flows backwards. It was reversed to empty into the Mississippi instead of Lake Michigan because of pollution problems.
Chicago is home to 552 parks.
Lincoln Park is the largest Chicago park; it contains the Lincoln Park Zoo. Lincoln Park is the second most—visited American part (behind Central Park).
Lincoln Park is one of the world’s few remaining free zoos.
Speaking of free, the world’s largest free …

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Recently, Leslie Kaufman of The New York Times wrote, “Chicago is often called the Second City, but it is way out in front of most in terms of adaptation [to global warming].” She was referring to our city’s initiatives over the past five years to make itself more environmentally friendly. Here are some of the projects going on right now:

Pavement
A prominent challenge is pavement. The alleys and streets of downtown account for about 25% of ground cover; parking lots included, the figure is closer to 40%. Paved surfaces trap heat, contributing to the “urban heat island” effect. Pavement also repels water; when heavy storms hit, water quickly accumulates in areas with poor drainage, resulting in flooded roadways and basements. Work has already begun on supplementing drainage systems by adding pipes and installing permeable pavers—pavement that allows a high amount of air …

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Navy Pier is Chicago’s top tourist attraction. The 3,300-foot structure is a prominent aspect of the Chicago waterfront, offering food and entertainment options galore. If it has been a while since you last visited Navy Pier (or have never visited), this summer is a great time to take a day and explore.

Pier Park is located on the upper deck and features the pier’s most prominent attraction: the 150-foot Ferris wheel. The Ferris wheel offers great views of the Chicago skyline during its relaxing ride to the top. During the summer, you’ll likely catch a cool breeze from the lake as you ascend. Near the Ferris wheel is a whimsical musical carousel and an old-fashioned swing called the “wave swinger”. The wave swinger swiftly flies its 48 riders through the air, providing a thrill as well …

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The 2011 edition of the Taste of Chicago takes place June 24 through July 3. As usual, the festival will be held in Grant Park, the front yard of downtown Chicago real estate. Admission is free and there are nearly 60 establishments offering food. Each vendor will present six items, two of which will be small, tasting portions priced at or under $2. The food will be diverse and delicious, so deciding what to fill up on will be the hardest decision of the day. Here are some highlights:

Food

Banana Leaf Restaurant

The Banana Leaf is a south side Caribbean restaurant that features jerk chicken. At the Taste of Chicago, they will be offering four jerk wings with rice, blackened tilapia with rice, jerk lamb chop with rice, and curry vegetable stir fry. The …

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Remember when spring-cleaning could take weeks of stress, pain and physical exhaustion?  Well today we say “out with the old, in with the new!”  In a world inundated with advanced technology, you no longer need to drag that bulky, heavy-duty vacuum cleaner around your home to get the job done.  In fact, it seems lately that better things come in smaller packages.  Embrace your cleaning and indulge a little in some high-tech gadgets to make your Chicago luxury condo sparkle like never before!

Here is a list of some of the best gadgets for keeping your condo clean:

Robotic Vacuum Cleaner: You’re simply not cleaning in the 21st century if you’re not using robotics.  These intelligent, cordless cleaners navigate through your condo, picking up all the dirt and debris along the way.  Most robotic vacuums are equipped with a 3 …

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