South Loop Loft Walk
South Loop Neighbors will hold its 11th annual Loft Walk, a tour showcasing a selection of private residences from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
The self-guided tour (with docents in each home) begins at Chicago historic landmark Dearborn Station, 47 W. Polk St., and winds its way through the South Loop, including 100-year-old buildings in the Printing House Row District and Motor Row, as well as new high-rises on Michigan Avenue. Visitors can walk or ride the trolley traveling the tour route.
Anne Ream is chief creative officer of Girl360net, a webzine for tweens, and her home-office loft is part of the tour this year. “For me, loft living is all about the possibilities provided by open space. There is something freeing and creatively compelling about living in a home without boundaries. It’s a metaphor for how to approach life, really,” Ream says.
Helen Kaplow, Loft Walk chair explains: “The tour is really about a lifestyle — Chicago’s urban, loft lifestyle — and how that lifestyle very specifically grew out of this area’s history, first as a railroad hub and the nation’s printing center at the turn of the century, which created the high loft buildings with large windows on the narrow blocks near Dearborn Station. Then there was the abandonment of these buildings and their discovery and re-use as residences and studios by artists and bohemians. And now, all sorts of people love living in these old converted factories and warehouses.”
Loft Walk tickets are $30 and can be purchased at SouthLoopNeighbors.org.
Fall Family Fun Fest
Hawthorn Woods Country Club is hosting a Fall Family Fun Fest from 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 24. Sponsored by Toll Brothers, the free event includes a petting zoo, a hayride tour of the Parade of Haunted Homes, and free pumpkins for the kids.
The event begins at the Carmel model, 4 Turnbury Ct. Visitors can tour four other decorated models and enjoy refreshments.
The builder is offering a special event incentive in the form of premium upgrades for one day only.
Hawthorn Woods Country Club features an 18-hole golf course, 21,000-square-foot clubhouse, a pro shop, swim and fitness center, traditional and heated platform tennis courts, and access to a 30-acre community park.
For event details, call 847-847-7048. A map and additional community information can be found at HawthornWoodsCountryClub.com.
Emerald luncheon
Savvy financing strategies for Emerald homes are on the agenda at an Oct. 24 homebuyers lunch.
Discussion topics include 3.5 percent down payment for those seeking FHA-insured mortgages, zero down payment for veterans mortgages, an up-to-$8,000 federal tax credit for first time homebuyers (expiring Nov. 30) and an overview of the mortgage process.
The event begins at noon at Emerald, 123 S. Green St. Admission is free, though reservations are required.
Buyers who sign an Emerald contract within 48 hours of the event are eligible to choose from an incentive package offering: mortgage rate buy-downs, developer-paid closing costs or one-year of paid monthly assessments.
Prices range from $270,000 for a one-bedroom, one-bath condo to $629,000 for a two-bedroom, two-bath penthouse.
To register for the lunch, call Daniel Delaney at 773-328-7606 by Oct. 22.
For information on Emerald, call 312-226-0555 or visit emeraldchicago.com.
