Address: 440 N. Wabash Ave.
Size: Two bedrooms; 1,324 square feet.
Rent: $1,705 a month.
Age of building: New; opened in November.
Security deposit: One month`s rent.
Floors in building: 50.
Utilities: Heat, gas and air-conditioning included in rent.
Parking: $130 a month in six-floor indoor garage.
Special features: Washer and dryer in two-bedroom apartments only;
concierge; dry cleaner`s; grocery store; optional maid service.
If you want to pare down commuting time to an absolute minimum, the Plaza 440 apartments might be for you.
The 440 N. Wabash Ave. address puts you within a short walk of many downtown offices as well as restaurants, stores and several major bus lines.
The 50-story building has studio, convertible, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments.
We visited the largest of the two-bedroom units, called a split or
”roommate” plan, with a bedroom at each end.
In this northward-facing unit, the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living/dining room and bedrooms give a panoramic view of the city and a between-building peek at the lake to the east.
But tenants will also take pride in showing off the interior view.
Artful entry
The apartment door is made of mahogany and its trim is brass. The foyer provides a showplace for your favorite artwork and there`s even space to accommodate a decorative table or coatstand.
The walls throughout the apartment are painted off-white and there`s light gray wall-to-wall carpeting in every room except the kitchen and two bathrooms.
Just off the foyer is the 7-by-12 kitchen, where a pass-through counter adds an open feeling.
The dishwasher, refrigerator and stove with built-in microwave are white, and so are the countertops, tile floor and cabinets, which include adjustable shelving and a lazy susan corner cupboard. For additional storage, there`s a pantry near the kitchen`s entrance.
Not only does the pass-through connect you to the living area, it also provides room for a couple of bar stools where you could enjoy your morning coffee.
In the living/dining room, which measures 19 by 21 feet, there`s enough space for a sectional sofa, a chair, a formal dining table, a small china cabinet and an entertainment center. Floor-to-ceiling windows extend the width of the room.
The bedrooms are just around a corner and down small hallways at opposite sides of the living room.
One bedroom, dubbed the ”master” because it`s slightly larger than its mate, measures about 11 by 18 feet. The other bedroom is about 11 by 15 feet. Each has a walk-in closet and a wall-length closet.
Home laundry
Each bedroom also has its own full bathroom. A washer and dryer are hidden behind a closet door outside the master bedroom.
The building`s location might make you think it`s occupied only by single professionals, but that`s not the whole story.
”We also have couples who are expecting their first child, empty nesters and working professionals who want to share an apartment with a roommate,”
said Kathy Huckabay, leasing director.
Work on the building is still in progress and is scheduled to be completed by May on apartments on the 29th to 50th floors.
When the work is done, one of the tenants will be La Petite Academy, a day-care center for children. (The center will not be run by the building.)
Other building amenities will include an indoor swimming pool, an exercise facility, a grocery store and a dry cleaner`s. All in all, it has a lot going for it.
For rental information, call 312-670-0440.
