600 N. Lake Shore Drive, built by Belgravia Group in 2008, is the newest building built on Lake Shore Drive (at least until the rental building at 500 North is finished). 600 N. Lake Shore is split into two towers featuring 401 condos. 600 Lake Shore Drive is located just south of the W Hotel in Streeterville and is at the corner of Ohio and Lake Shore Drive.

The Condos at 600 N. Lake Shore Drive

Hardwood Floors, Open Floor Plans, Granite, Stainless Steel appliances are all standard at 600 N. Lake Shore Drive. The largest upgrade differences you’ll notice between some units are the appliance packages. Some of the higher end units have the “Professional” appliances installed. Outside of that most of the units have very similar finishes throughout which are tasteful and current.

Some of the 1 Bedrooms in the South Tower have rather unfortunate views as they are staring directly at the North tower. If you are in the market for a 1 Bedroom, your best bet is the larger 1 Bedroom plan in the South Tower that faces South.

What do Condos Sell for in 600 N. Lake Shore Drive?

One Bedrooms: One Bedrooms will typically sell for the low to mid $400’s; some a bit higher depending on size and view. The smallest is the 10′ tier at 1000sf. Still it is a great size for a 1 Bedroom!

Two Bedrooms: Two Bedrooms will typically start in the low $600’s and move up from there depending on view. I have seen some sell in the $500’s. Most Two Bedrooms are around 1300 to 1400sf. The higher priced two bedrooms are over 1600sf. These will sell for around 775 to 825 but can sell higher depending on the view.

Three Bedrooms: Three Bedrooms will sell for around 1.2mil and will move up from there to almost $2 million depending on floor plan and view. The 12 and the 05 tiers are the most impressive of the 3 Bedrooms. Currently two are on the market in the $1,750,000 range.

600 N. Lake Shore Drive Building Information

Belgravia Group was the developer of the building and they still own some units in 600 LSD. Belgravia always wants to keep assessments low and their buildings stable. They survived the real estate crash by doing this and 600 LSD actually weathered the storm (financial crisis) better than any building in the city, at least in my opinion. With this being said they are strict on renters and strict on the amenities they put into their building.

Lets start with renting. If you want to rent out your condo in 600 Lake Shore you can, don’t worry, but you have to live there for a year first. Secondly there is a $1,000 move in fee and a $1,000 move out fee as well as a complete background check required. What this does is keep people from moving in for a year and then moving out. It also keeps people out who can barely afford the rent.

Amenities in 600 N. Lake Shore Drive

Since Belgravia wanted to keep the assessments low there is no pool. There is however, a stunning lobby and great doorstaff (always two on duty it seems). In addition there is a building engineer that lives in the building. The building features a nice business center, fitness center and a great sundeck perfect for viewing fireworks or the air and water show.

My thoughts on 600 N. Lake Shore Drive

Nice, clean and modern! The lobby has a wow factor and the floor plans are functional. It doesn’t have the wow factor in the units that a building like Trump might have but the price points are definitely lower and some of the views definitely compete as well. The biggest complaint I’ve heard about the building, from my clients, is the location. While you are on Lake Shore Drive you are slightly removed from the heart of Streeterville. It is only a block and to most people it won’t make a difference but to those who want very short walks to the train for instance or to visit clubs and restaurants in River North it is a bit of a walk and you’ll probably end up taking a cab on a cold winter day.

Paul Blackburn is an Illinois Licsened Realtor and Broker with @ Properties in Chicago’s Streeterville Neighborhood. For further information about 600 N. Lake Shore Drive or other buildings in the area please do not hesitate to contact Paul Blackburn via e-mail at Paul@PKBlackburn.com  For basic information about buying condos in Chicago (such as what is standard practice in the city) visit Paul’s informational website at www.BuyingInChicago.com