CheekyChicago

Last Sunday I got so carried away with the Blue Angels’ performance during the Chicago Air and Water Show that I started to scream, “That was totally awesome!” (vis a vis the tricycle-kid from The Incredibles…)  Once I’d finished the pink bubbles in my glass and my husband’s (too good to waste!), I asked myself why would anyone want to live anywhere but here in Lincoln Park?  But, before I could even pour myself another glass of Champagne, I had my answer.  Given the fact that the show only happens once a year (and for me, its success is completely dependent upon good weather…I’m a fair weather golfer, too!), I find it hard to believe that I love Lincoln Park for just the one weekend a year it’s Party Central!  Obviously, there must be more to it than that.  And there is.  Lincoln Park just suits me!  Just as someone else can love Wicker Park or the Gold Coast for what gives them their thrills and chills!

The truth is there are lots of reasons why I like where I live, but they all center around how I live there.  What I mean by this is that I picked my neighborhood based on what I wanted the home for and how I wanted to live in it.  I wanted a home that I could live in year round; situated in a community where I felt comfortable and where I could make friends with people who live in my building.  I wanted the most that my money could buy in terms of space, luxury and location.  And it’s true that, although I did have to make trade-offs when it came to what I wanted, what was available and what I could afford, I was able to prioritize those things by what would have been nice to have and what would have been a real deal breaker.  I call that set of prioritized wants and needs a Buying Profile or my Buyer’s Profile (my words, by the way, anyone else who uses it is copying!).

When my husband and I bought our home, our Buying Profile looked like this: two bedrooms, two bathrooms, two parking spaces, washer and dryer in unit, easy access to expressways, walking neighborhood with walking access to Lincoln Park, running paths, Lake Michigan, outdoor space, 24-hour doorman, lots of restaurants and bars, a spectacular view, fully rehabbed…

Here’s what we actually got:  two bedroom, two bathroom, one parking space, no washer and dryer allowed, perfect central location close to the park with walking access to the lake, north and south to the Gold Coast, multiple private balconies, plus common outdoor spaces, 24-hour doorman, not so many restaurants or bars, lower floor so not a spectacular view, oh and it was almost totally original condition…

Ours is a long story of love-and-rehabbing that I prefer to tell over – you guessed it – a glass of pink bubbles!  Hopefully you get the idea.  We picked our neighborhood – our location, and then we made trade-offs.  And, we expected to make those trade-offs because our Buying Profile was long and specific, and had a lot to do with my husband’s commute to the suburbs and our love of this beautiful city!

Read Part 2 of Decisions! Decisions! next week.  Until then, thanks for reading and as always feel free to contact me at phyllis@cheekychicago.com.