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 history of your Halloween treats.

Speaking of Halloween, living at Lakeshore East puts you right around the corner from Daley Plaza, which is transformed into Franken Plaza for three days, including a Monster Bash for trick-or-treaters, hayrides, and a costume contest. Just to the south, brave souls can visit Shadows on the Street: Haunted Tours of Historic Prairie Avenue during Halloween weekend and discover some of Chicago’s spookiest history.

Of course, there is nothing scary about the Chicago condos available in Lakeshore East. Current listings include several beautiful Parkhomes on extra-wide lots, rooftop terraces, private elevators, high end appliances, and spa bathrooms. Homeowners also have access to the fabulous amenity deck next door at Aqua. Speaking of Aqua, there is also a variety of units on the market in Chicago’s most amazing new skyscraper, including a penthouse with thirteen foot ceilings and several fabulous two and three bedroom condo with Aqua’s signature floor-to-ceiling windows and uniquely shaped balconies.

Autumn in the heart of Chicago is truly a special experience, and no where puts you in a better location than living in the center of it all at Lakeshore East.

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 your best bet for snagging a table quickly.

Bistronomic

Chicago Magazine – “Best New Restaurant 2011”

Located on the Gold Coast, Bistronomic is a French restaurant led by Chef Martial Noguier. You’ll find a nice selection of small plates for sharing as well as full-size entrees. Brunch, lunch, and dinner are served daily. For dinner, try Bistronomic’s renowned charcuterie or flights of cheese to start. Entree highlights include the tartine of the day, oxtail ravioli, and pan roasted duck magret. Reservations accepted.

Lillie’s Q

Food & Wine – one of the “Best New Barbecue Restaurants”

Chef Charlie McKenna opened Lillie’s Q in July of last year. Since then, this restaurant has become a top destination for barbecue in Chicago. Chef McKenna has won acclaim on the competitive BBQ circuit, and his Bucktown eatery offers a solid selection of classics such as the tri-tip sandwich, baby back ribs, and shrimp & grits. Reservations are not accepted, but if your large party provides a couple of days’ notice, Lillie’s Q will prepare a whole hog for your dinner.

Chicago Cut

CBS Chicago – “Best of Chicago”

Chicago Cut is making a big splash in the high-end steakhouse scene. Its North LaSalle Street location is prime downtown Chicago real estate, and has become an instant hit for power lunches. Chicago Prime also distinguishes itself by offering breakfast, which is uncommon for a steakhouse. Diners love the open indoor atmosphere and the two levels of outdoor seating. Also drawing praise is the service, quality of food, and iPad-based wine menu. For dinner, most eyes will wander to the selection of dry-aged, USDA Prime steaks, which includes a bone-in filet, Delmonico, and Chateaubriand.

prasino

prasino opened its third area location last month in Wicker Park. With a name derived from the Greek word for “green”, prasino emphasizes locally-sourced ingredients, organic produce, and eco-friendly architecture. This establishment is open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. Features include a selection of kombuchas, sodas, juices, and smoothies, as well as items such as lobster stuffed avocado and grilled fish tacos. Reservations are accepted.

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 portions are well-kept.

Chicago Botanic Garden

The North Branch Trail terminates at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Lake County, another great place to take in the autumn atmosphere. The garden is open year-round and fall is a wonderful time to take in the nearly 400 acres of natural landscapes. There are 24 display gardens to explore, many of which will be awash in fall color during October. From September 30^th to October 2^nd, the garden will host its annual Fall Bulb Festival. At the festival, local vendors offer a variety of seasonal food and drink. There are plenty of fall family activities, such as live music and a straw bale maze. There will be 242 types of bulbs for sale this year.

Morton Arboretum

For viewing the Chicago area’s fall colors, there may be no better place than Morton Arboretum in Lisle. This outdoor museum has 16 miles of hiking trails winding through 1,700 acres of gardens and nature preserves. This is truly a place where you can surround yourself in autumn’s display for hours. The arboretum’s two-month-long AutumnFest has already started. AutumnFest features theater hikes, bird walks, gourd art demonstrations, and a glass pumpkin patch. In October, there will also be taffy apples, kettle corn, and wine to enjoy.

Kettle Moraine State Forest

Located in southeastern Wisconsin, Kettle Moraine State Forest is named after its most prominent feature: a large moraine (accumulation of glacial debris) that is dotted with kettles (shallow bodies of water) of varying sizes and shapes. The forest is divided into five units and stretches out over 100 miles. There are many opportunities to enjoy the fresh fall air at Kettle Moraine—hiking, boating, fishing, and biking are just some ideas. You might also enjoy embarking upon all or part of the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive, which traverses all five units over its 115-mile course. From downtown Chicago, Kettle Moraine State Forest is about a two-hour drive.

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 3^rd against Beloit. Last year, Wildcats finished the season 7-6 and the Maroons went 8-2.

Women’s Volleyball

The UIC Flames won their season opener and are coming home to host the Chicagoland Challenge during the first weekend of September, where they will face DePaul. The Blue Demons just won their first match of the season after an initial loss. Also attending the Chicagoland Challenge will be Northwestern and Loyola, who will meet in the first round. The Wildcats won their first match of the season with a three-game sweep of Cal State Northridge. The Ramblers dropped their first match of the year against Ball State in Muncie on the 26^th. The winners of the first matches will face one another in the Chicagoland Challenge championship match on September 3^rd. The University of Chicago women’s team was ranked 25^th in a preseason coaches poll. After a stretch of away matches to start the season, the Maroons open their home schedule against Carthage on September 21^st.

Soccer

Men’s and women’s soccer is underway in Chicago. There will be plenty of opportunities to watch the Chicago area’s men’s soccer teams play out local rivalries. DePaul’s Blue Demons begin September with a game at home against the UIC flames. Later in the season (9/14), the Blue Demons will make the short trip to Loyola to square off against the Ramblers. On September 28^th, DePaul will welcome the Northwestern Wildcats to Wish Field. Loyola travels to Northwestern in October. The Wildcats, Ramblers, and Blue Demons women’s soccer teams have also started their seasons.

Cross Country

Women’s and men’s cross country seasons are gearing up around Chicago. University of Chicago, Northwestern, Loyola, DePaul, and UIC all have women’s teams, and all but Northwestern has a men’s squad.

Tennis

College tennis is also ramping up for the fall. Northwestern is hosting a women’s invitational at the end of September and a men’s invitational toward the end of October. UIC’s women’s team will host their own event after attending the Wildcats’ invitational. DePaul hasn’t yet published its 2011 tennis schedule online.

Binary Code

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

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Hello My Name Is Mat

Here’s a self-introducing “Mat”.

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Home

A home plate mat for a clever baseball fan.

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Enter

A geeky mat all guests will understand.

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Nice Underwear

This mat looks right back at you.

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Come In, Go Away

When your level of hospitality frequently changes, this mat is your answer.

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Welcome, Goodbye

Another dual-purpose mat. This one greets your guests when they arrive, then sends them off when they leave.

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Finish

Makes your guests feel like they are winners before they even step foot inside.

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Nobody Here By That Name

Hiding from someone? This mat makes for a brilliant disguise.

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You Are Here

A mat that is the master of the obvious.

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Photo©Flicker/creativecommons/ Lisa Andres

1. The tradition of serving tableside—flambéed saganaki cheese seems to have originated at The Parthenon restaurant in Greektown.
2. The John Hancock Observatory is home to the world’s highest ice skating rink and America’s highest indoor swimming pool.
3. At the Field Museum, visitors encounter Sue, the world’s most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton.
4. The Chicago Park District operates the nation’s largest municipal harbor system.
5. Chicago firsts: The Ferris Wheel, television remote control, mail—order business, blood bank, steel railroad, and drive—through bank.
6. The Chicago River flows backwards. It was reversed to empty into the Mississippi instead of Lake Michigan because of pollution problems.
7. Chicago is home to 552 parks.
8. 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).
9. Lincoln Park is one of the world’s few remaining free zoos.
10. Speaking of free, the world’s largest free outdoor food festival is the annual Taste of Chicago.
11. Only the Louvre in Paris holds more Impressionist paintings than the Art Institute of Chicago.
12. Western Avenue is Chicago’s longest street (23.5 miles).
13. McCormick Place is the largest convention center in the country.
14. More Poles live in Chicago than anywhere outside of Warsaw.
15. Harold Washington Library is the world’s largest public library. The Chicago Public Library System’s collection numbers nearly 11 million books.
16. The Jardine Water Purification Plant is the world’s largest. It is located just north of Navy Pier.
17. The Shedd Aquarium is the second largest aquarium in the world. Over 32,500 aquatic animals live within its walls.
18. The 12— story Home Insurance Building was the first building to be fully supported by a fireproof metal frame. Because of that, it is widely considered to be the world’s first skyscraper. It stood from 1884 until its demolition in 1931. Modern downtown Chicago condos approach 100 stories.
19. Under the football field at the University of Chicago, a team led by Enrico Fermi conducted the first sustained atomic fission reaction.
20. Lake Michigan is fourth largest freshwater lake in the world; if its connection with Lake Huron is considered, it is the largest in the world.
21. Chicago’s official flower: chrysanthemum
22. Chicago’s motto: Urbs in Horto, meaning “City in a Garden”
23. Hugh Hefner founded “Playboy” at 6052 South Harper Street in 1953.
24. The Tribune Tower has exterior walls that are embedded with pieces of famous buildings, such as the Arc de Triomphe, Taj Mahal, the Alamo, Westminster Abbey, and the Great Pyramid.
25. The name “Chicago” originates from the Miami—Illinois (Native American) word “shikaakwa”—meaning “stinking onion”. Such plants were common along the Chicago River at the time of settlement.
26. Wrigley Field was originally named Weeghman Park after fast—food magnate Charles Weeghman. It was renamed Cubs Park in 1920, and received its current name in 1926.

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 and water to pass through. Light-reflecting pavement is also being utilized to promote lower ground temperatures.

Trash Receptacles
Dotting the pavement and parks of downtown Chicago are hundreds of trash receptacles. While most of these are the familiar metal cylinders you are used to seeing, 400 of them are something new: BigBelly Solar Compactors. These “cans” are really two receptacles—one for garbage, one for recycling—that are solar-powered and connected to a wireless network. When one of these receptacles is getting full, an internal mechanism automatically compresses the contents to make additional room. Once full of compacted material—BigBellys can hold up to five times the amount of trash as a traditional receptacle—the unit sends a message to the city indicating it is ready to be emptied.

Biodiesel
The cooking oil used for this year’s Taste of Chicago is being repurposed as biodiesel fuel for some city vehicles and power equipment. City trucks transport the used oil from Grant Park to a refinery, where it is filtered to produce a yellow grease that will be mixed with regular diesel fuel in order to create biodiesel. Most normal diesel engines can accept biodiesel without modification. About 40 Park District machines are running on biodiesel, and more are slated for the future.

Green Roofs
The green roof phenomenon is not new to Chicago; in 2001, the roof of City Hall was remade into a garden in order to combat the urban heat island effect and cut down on the building’s energy bills. A monumental step at the time, City Hall’s green rooftop concept has been replicated in other structures since (in some restaurants and in Chicago luxury condos). The Willis Tower will soon receive a $350 million eco-makeover that includes rooftop gardens. Also in the plans are more efficient replacements for all of the skyscraper’s 16,000 windows, and new onsite power sources such as wind turbines, solar hot water heating, and photovoltaics.

Photo©Flicker/creativecommons/Marcin Wichary

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 as an elevated view of Pier Park. Also in Pier Park, you’ll find an 18-hole miniature golf course and remote control boats.

Kids will enjoy the Chicago Children’s Museum, which contains three floors of things to explore. Through September, the museum is featuring a “Forts” exhibit, where kids can use materials to build, tear down, and rebuild their own forts. Children will also enjoy the Amazing Chicago funhouse maze.

Families can rent bikes and skates for touring the pier and Chicago. Guided bike tours are available. Navy Pier is also the place to find Chicago’s only Segway-authorized tour organization. Segway tours take you on a lakefront journey that begins at the pier. Once back at the pier, grown-ups can enjoy the Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows. There are 150 beautiful windows portraying various themes.

There is a selection of boat tours and cruises departing from Navy Pier. The Tall Ship Windy is a four-masted schooner that provides a relaxing view of the Chicago skyline. The Seadog speedboats also offer lakefront tours, but at a much faster pace. Seadog hosts Chicago River architectural tours as well. Shoreline Sightseeing is another company that provides Skyline and architectural tours. For a change of pace, check out one of the pier’s dinner cruises. The Spirit of Chicago, The Odyssey, and Mystic Blue Cruises all offer climate-controlled excursions featuring great views, food, and entertainment. Private charters are available.

There is no shortage of food options on the pier. For a quick bite to eat, there is a food court with hot dogs, hamburgers, deli sandwiches, juice, coffee, and snacks. Navy Pier also offers a diverse group of restaurants, where you can find casual, family dining or quiet, romantic ambiance. During the summer, you’ll also find food vendors outside on Dock Street—plus, the Navy Pier Beer Garden is open.

Navy Pier shops offer toys, games, gifts, apparel, accessories, and souvenirs. Spend some time wandering amongst the dozens of interesting stores. Debating which day to visit? On Wednesdays and Saturdays during the summer, you can catch the free fireworks show at night. It’s a great end to a full day at the pier before heading back to the suburbs or across Lake Shore Drive to your Chicago luxury condo.

Photo©Flicker/creativecommons/jstuppy

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 tasting portions will be two jerk wings and curry vegetable stir fry.

C’est Si Bon!

C’est Si Bon! is known for catering, but they also operate a breakfast-brunch-lunch restaurant on 47th Street. At the Taste, you can try their sweet potato cheesecake, collard green egg roll, Cajun meatballs, and spicy chicken wingettes with sweet potato biscuit. Their smaller, tasting portions will be the Cajun meatballs and fresh fruit cup.

Pegasus

Stop by Pegasus if you are in the mood for Greek food. This Greektown establishment will be serving up gyros, Greek chicken on pita, loukaneko (Greek sausage), and soutzoukia (Greek meatball). Tasting portions will be of the loukaneko (Greek sausage) and baklava.

Texas De Brazil

This Brazilian steakhouse is the place to go if you are craving meat. They will be serving a combo platter of garlic-marinated Picanha, Brazilian sausage, and chicken breast wrapped in bacon. Their smaller portions will be a quinoa salad and Brazilian sausage (or chicken) wrapped in bacon.

Vee-Vee’s African Restaurant

Vee-Vee’s will be serving up a unique menu of West African fare. You’ll find a fried plantain with sautéed goat meat, red beans and rice with grilled jerk chicken, jollof rice with sautéed goat meat, and red beans and rice with fried plantain. The tasting portions will be red beans and rice with grilled jerk chicken and jollof rice with sautéed goat meat.

For the complete list of restaurants, visit the official Taste of Chicago 2011 site.

Music

As in previous years, the Petrillo Music Shell will be the stage for the headlining musical acts throughout the 10 days. This year, there will be four themed music days: Viva! Chicago Latin Music Day (June 24), Gospel Music Day (June 26), Celtic Music Day (June 29), and Country Music Day (July 1). Additionally, the Illinois Lottery Taste Stage will showcase local artists throughout each day. For a complete list of each day’s musical entertainment, see the Taste of Chicago 2011 site.

Other Details

Family-friendly activities will take place at the Family Village, where there will be a playground, chef’s demonstrations, activities, games, face painting, and crafts. For $2, visitors can also catch Chicago’s Midnight Circus perform high-flying acrobatics several times daily. A full listing of every day’s events can be found here.

The Waldron Deck parking garage at Soldier Field is offering $13 parking during the Taste. Vouchers can be pre-purchased at http://soldierfield.clickandpark.com/. The free McDonald’s Family Trolley will transport visitors from the garage (at north side of 18th Street) to and from the Taste between 10:45 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. (10:45 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on July 3).

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 21^st 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 stage cleaning system: two side brushes are used to pick up dirt from corners and along wall edges, two high-speed, counter-rotating brushes pick up pet hair, food crumbs and other debris, and lastly a powerful vacuum sucks up the debris and deposits it into a large bag-less dust bin.  The robotics’ intelligence can go as far as understanding room size, obstacles, anti-tangle technology to help to robot from getting stuck on cords and rugs and soft-touch bumpers that allow the robot to slow down when it senses an obstacle, gently touching it before changing direction.

Steam Mop: Tired of the bulky mop and bucket act?  Try using a handy gadget known as the steam mop.  This item cleans hard floor surfaces in an easier, quicker, more effective and less watery way.  It is a hand-maneuvered electric mop, which gives your floors a deep cleaning without chemicals, fumes and residues.  It is safe to use on marble, ceramic, stone, vinyl, laminate, linoleum and sealed hardwood floors.  You release the steam on demand utilizing a trigger on the handle while you’re mopping, allowing you to have control over certain areas that might have some tougher dirt.

UV Air Sanitizer: If you kept your condo’s windows closed to fight off that threatening Chicago winter, you might be feeling like that air inside is a little stale, making it difficult to freshen up your home for summer.  Try using a UV air sanitizer – a compact plug-in that uses UV-C technology to destroy airborne micro-organisms such as germs, bacteria and molds.  The gadget works by using a fan to pull room air into its germ-killing chamber, and once inside, the air is radiated with UV-C light, which is proven effective in destroying viruses, bacteria and mold spores.  The sanitizer then circulates the cleaned air back into the room.

Fabric Shaver: This fantastic cleaning gadget is a small, hand-held device that removes lint, pills, fuzz, threads and pet hair from almost any fabric, restoring them to like-new condition.  Fabric shavers are uses to revive sweaters, garments, coats, upholstery, luggage, car seats, knits and woven items.  Running on two AA batteries, this little device uses a vacuum to help with its cleaning operations, collecting lint in a storage chamber that is emptied periodically.