When the philosopher Plato designed his ideal, fictional city, Utopia, he forgot one ingredient: a pizza bar. There was no such omission by the developers of Regents Park, a luxury apartment complex in Hyde Park.
The two-building complex is like a self-contained city. It has all of the essentials for living comfortably without ever going outside: a grocery store, garage and fully equipped fitness center, plus a few innovative extras, like a video rental machine and the make-it-yourself pizza bar (housed in the grocery store).
Face it, life will never be completely hassle-free. But residents of such apartment ”cities” believe they can keep the aggravations of daily life to a minimum by having everything under one roof-from a dry cleaner to a concierge who can water plants while they`re out of town or make dinner or theater reservations for them.
The tenants attracted to this lifestyle are ”very busy people. Many have high-pressure jobs and they cannot be bothered with chores and errands,” says John D`Ambrogio, director of marketing for The Apartment People, an apartment- finding service in Chicago.
Not just the fax
These self-contained cities are responding more and more to this clientele with amenities such as business centers that boast everything from fax machines to secretarial services; beauty salons; restaurants; fitness centers with personal trainers; indoor and outdoor swimming pools; basketball, racquetball and tennis courts; and indoor parking with car washing.
The popularity of these buildings is growing. This year, the final touches on two new ones, Plaza 440, 440 N. Wabash Ave., and the ParkShore, 195 N. Harbor Dr., will be completed. And older ones, such as Regents Park, 5050 S. Lake Shore Dr., and McClurg Court Center, 333 E. Ontario St., boast high renewal rates on their leases. The renewal rate at Regents Park is 75 to 80 percent, says Tim Allwardt, director of operations.
A hectic work life prompted Steven Racz to decide to live at Plaza 440, he says.
When the recently opened building is completed in the spring, it will feature the hot new amenity: a business center-this one with a nicely furnished conference room, a copying machine, a fax machine and a computer.
”The business center was the main reason I moved here,” says Racz.
”I`m just starting my own executive search and consulting business. My offices are in Evanston. But if I want to work at night, I can just bring my disk home and work on the computer.”
Plus, Racz says, ”If I need to have a meeting downtown, then I can reserve the conference room. There is even a concierge who will greet my guests.”
Inside track
Frank Nemcic, a McClurg Court resident, also enjoys living in a building with many conveniences on the premises.
”I`m self-employed. I don`t have to go to the office every day,” he says. ”So there have been a couple of subzero days when I don`t even have to go out of the building. It has a White Hen Pantry and the sports center, so I don`t miss going outside.”
Conceivably, Racz and Nemcic would not need to leave their buildings to conduct business, eat, sleep or work out.
But the notion that one could, or would, want to live his or her entire life inside a luxury apartment building without venturing into the outside world is dimissed by Sandra Moore, vice president of RELCON Apartment Finders, with offices throughout the Chicago area.
”They would have to be hermits,” says Moore with a laugh.
The concept of self-contained luxury apartment buildings is ”a good one,” Moore says. And it`s market-driven. People want, and even demand, on-site amenities.
”If you`re going to be competitive in this business (apartment rentals), then you need to add in the lifestyle component. The amenities become all-encompassing,” says Allwardt.
Beyond the basics
”We`ve gone beyond providing basic housing,” says Keith Deal, marketing director for the ParkShore. ”It`s more than just putting a roof over residents` heads. We`re offering a broad range of services to enhance a way of life.
”Many years ago, it was unique for a building to have a valet and dry cleaner on site. And there was no such thing as a concierge,” says Deal, who started working in the apartment rental business 14 years ago.
Now such services are commonplace. And the renters seeking such conveniences are more knowledgeable about the marketplace.
”We`re dealing with a very sophisticated clientele,” says Kathy Huckabay, leasing director at Plaza 440. ”Many times when people come to see Plaza 440 they`ve been to three or four other new buildings as well. They`re shopping and comparing.”
Some residents attracted to these luxury buildings are empty nesters. They have owned homes, mowed lawns, fixed leaky faucets-and they want to get away from all of that.
Patricia Maddin, whose children are grown and who works downtown, recently moved to Plaza 440. ”Now that I am alone, I want freedom of movement,” she says. ”I like being able to walk to the office, to church, the doctor, dentist, theater and cultural events.”
Maddin lives in a small unit, so ”I`ve had to give up my exercise bike, but I`m looking forward to using the fitness center (which is under construction).”
Paying for pleasures
Monthly rents at these luxury buildings can have a wide range. At Plaza 440, a studio rents for $730 a month, a deluxe two-bedroom with washer and dryer goes for $1,810. At the ParkShore, a one-bedroom starts at $990; the 2,714-square-foot penthouse unit rents for $5,700.
Comparing the buildings is not simply a matter of looking at rents, square footages and panoramas. Potential renters will also want to review the additional charges, if any, for the amenities.
At Regents Park, for example, residents pay $565 a year to use the fitness center, which has saunas and personal trainers. At Plaza 440, the fitness center is smaller, but residents will be able to use it free of charge.
But residents such as Tom Luparello of Regents Park aren`t put off by the extra charge. ”I couldn`t do the training that I do if the fitness center was not in the building,” he says, pausing in mid-jog on a treadmill.
”It`s great in the wintertime. It`s nice to have the convenience of exercising inside,” he says.
Luparello relocated to Chicago from Santa Fe, and the move to a large high-rise took some adjustment, he says. ”It`s a little big. That might be a little daunting to some people. But it`s comfortable and safe.”
Most of these luxury buildings have 400 to 500 units. Regents Park, which has two buildings, has 1,038 apartments.
Wonderful as they sound, these self-contained luxury buildings are not for everyone.
”There are people who don`t want a large building,” says Moore. ”They want to live in a flat above a store, or want to live on a tree-lined street in a neighborhood.”
A short walk away
And then there are those who choose to live in the suburbs, where large buildings` amenities and conveniences generally don`t match the scope of those offered by city complexes.
Instead, the suburban renter looking for conveniences might choose to live near a community`s downtown.
”They may not be able to get the amenities within their building. But they can have them within walking distance,” Moore says. ”They don`t necessarily have to get into their cars and drive to find them.”
For example, Elmhurst Place in downtown Elmhurst is within walking distance of ”a movie theater, shopping, a hospital and the train station,”
says property manager Elaine Popp. It also has an exercise room, a hospitality suite and dry cleaning service on site.
Finding a ”luxury apartment building” that lives up to its name can be truly confusing.
”All too often, people look in the paper and they see listings for
`luxury apartments.` Often, the apartment and amenities do not live up to the label,” says Deal.
The way to find one? You may just have to compare the executive business centers and fitness clubs and, perhaps, sample the pizza bars.
