There’s a brutal Chicago blizzard outside and a below-zero windchill; you’re comfortably lounging in your apartment when you suddenly realize you forgot to pick up milk after work. Most people would struggle with the idea of leaving a warm apartment to trudge through the frigid weather to the nearest store.
Not Stephanie Svach, who lives in River City in the South Loop, one of many all-inclusive apartment communities in the Chicago area that feature indoor shops and services, allowing residents the luxury of running daily errands without ever having to leave the building.
“I never think twice about the weather,” says Svach. “It’s great being able to run down to the grocery store without going outside.”
All-inclusive apartment buildings are modern high-rises, mainly situated in Chicago’s downtown area–with a few scattered outside the vicinity–that cater to tenants’ everyday needs by providing conveniences a mere elevator ride away. Typically, these amenities include grocery stores, dry cleaners and fitness centers.
Many Chicago apartment buildings house food marts and dry cleaners, but all-inclusive residences, sometimes advertised as “residential communities,” go a step further by offering customer-oriented perks like concierge, maid and laundry services. When asked to describe his all-inclusive environment, one tenant stated, “It’s like a hotel, but home.”
All-inclusive apartments were developed to draw renters to business districts, explains Peter Lazzari, president of Chicago-based apartment search firm Visual Properties. “Location, proximity to work and price are what draws people to a particular building, but what always sells people are the on-site stores and services that it offers.”
River City, 800 S. Wells St., furnishes Svach and its other residents with a range of amenities, from a shuttle service, market and dry cleaner, to a Bally’s health club and medical clinic. Also on the premises of the 446-unit complex are a private, man-made outdoor park, complete with jogging path, and a marina. “There may be more spacious apartments elsewhere,” says Eliana Smaglinski, leasing director of River City, “but people are hooked once they know what the building holds.”
Bob and Carol Tannenbaum, who recently moved to River City from Philadelphia, had been suburban homeowners and never imagined they’d be living in an urban high-rise.
“It’s a different lifestyle than what we used to have,” confides Carol.
“We never thought we’d like this kind of indoor living ” says Bob, but everything’s here and we love it.”
With a 24-hour concierge and maid service, one might mistake Presidential Towers for a luxury hotel. But this four-tower apartment, on the edge of Chicago’s downtown at 555 W. Madison St., was built in 1985 to provide residents with neighborhood needs while still being close to downtown offices. Its skylit atrium leads to an abundance of features, including five restaurants, a full-size grocery store, health club, newsstand, flower shop, cash machine and car rental.
How about room service? That’s what Columbus Plaza residents are privy to in their all-inclusive abode. Indoor indulgences of this 233 E. Wacker Dr. address include a market, fitness center, dry cleaner and, yes, restaurant room service from the neighboring Hyatt Hotel. In addition, the lower level of the building connects to Chicago’s Pedway, giving residents indoor access to the restaurants, retail shops and businesses dotted along the underground walkway.
The Habitat Co., which manages Columbus Plaza and Presidential Towers, has a niche in the all-inclusive market. The Chicago-based management and development company manages 30 apartment buildings throughout the Chicago area, approximately five that are all-inclusive.
“The mission of all-inclusive buildings is to provide superb customer service and conveniences, making people’s lifestyle as easy and hassle-free as possible,” explains Habitat vice president A.J. Caputo. “People today have busy lives, and the last thing they want to do after a hard day’s work is go to a shopping center or do laundry.”
Caputo says places like The New York at 3660 N. Lake Shore Drive, an all-inclusive Habitat apartment on Chicago’s North Side, are staffed to make residents’ lives worry-free. Besides the on-site market, fitness center, and laundry service, The New York’s concierge will water your plants and feed your cat while you’re out of town.
Another building custom-made for customer service is Pavilion Apartments, five minutes from O’Hare International Airport at 5441 N. East River Rd. in Chicago. In addition to the grocery store, two-story fitness center and hair salon, the 1,114-unit complex has a restaurant, nightclub and a social director to plan group activities for the tenants.
“The challenge of maintaining an all-inclusive building is meeting the needs of everyone in a small community within a community,” says Thomas Morren, district manager of Forest City Residential Management, which manages Pavilion Apartments. “With a broad range of renters, from single professionals to retirees, we continually try to come up with amenities that won’t go unused.”
Is there a common demographic to these “residential community” or “hotel-like” renters? According to Habitat’s research, tenants filling all-inclusive buildings are a mix of single and married professionals, work in downtown Chicago and desire having a variety of conveniences under one roof. Retention rates remain high in these high-rise dwellings; people tend to forgo all-inclusive living when they have a job transfer, buy property or move to the suburbs.
Although you’d be hard-pressed to find many suburban complexes with these amenities all under one roof, 200 Arlington Place in northwest suburban Arlington Heights is one that fits in the category.
“This building is different than other complexes in the suburbs because of its on-site perks,” says Becky Stumpe, regional property manager of Oak Brook-based Lincoln Property Co., which manages 200 Arlington Place. “Those who come to the apartment (building) don’t want the typical suburban complex; they’re looking for something similar to the conveniences found in city buildings.” Conveniences here include an indoor pool, grocery store, hair salon and restaurant.
Surprisingly, all-inclusive doesn’t always mean more expensive.
“You’re not always paying more for living in an all-inclusive apartment building,” says Lazzari. “The apartments have to compete with other modern buildings in the area, so prices are competitive and are usually in the same range.” Presidential Towers and The New York, for instance, have one-bedroom rates in the $900 range, compared with other area buildings, without amenities, that advertise the same prices. River City currently has studios starting in the mid-$800s, comparable with other modern and rehabbed South Loop locations.
“I could have moved to another place in the area for the same price,” says Svach, “but at River City the indoor amenities add value.”
Svach might be moving out of her all-inclusive lifestyle soon, not because she wants to, but because she plans to buy a place. When that day comes, Svach undoubtedly will have to struggle with the question of leaving a warm house to brave a bitter blizzard for that gallon of milk. All she can say now is, “I don’t know what I’ll do.”
