Magellan News
Posted by admin | June 30, 2010 | No Comments » |
Streeterville real estate offers the lifestyle that most people envision when they think about moving into luxury Chicago condos. The great shopping, dining and nightlife of the location coupled with the luxurious real estate of Streeterville and the nearby areas make it a desirable and distinctly Chicago place to live. The famous neighborhood has an interesting history along with its current cachet. Here are some of our favorite quirky facts about the famous Chicago neighborhood.
Until you take an architectural tour of the city, you might never know the story behind the name Streeterville– but it’s one you don’t want to miss. The lakefront Near North Side neighborhood started as nothing but a sandbar and a landfill, and yet now it is some of the most sought after real estate in the country.
In the late 1880s, George “Cap” Streeter and his wife parked their houseboat on the sandbar, which had formed naturally from silt accumulation but hadn’t yet been put to use. Formerly, Streeter had been a lumberjack, a Civil War soldier and a circus performer, but along with his second wife, he decided to try to find his fortune in gunrunning. So he bought a boat and planned to take it Honduras to sell guns illegally. However, when taking a test-drive on the waters of Lake Michigan, Streeter and his wife stopped on the sandbar on the coastline of Chicago.
The couple claimed they had been shipwrecked there during a storm. They lived in the “marooned” boat and proclaimed the entire sandbar as their own land, creating what technically could be called the first Streeterville real estate!
Until this point in time, the Lake Michigan coastline was as far west as current day Michigan Avenue and was where many of Chicago’s elite had their lakeside mansions. The “shipwrecked” couple, upon establishing themselves on the sandbar east of the Gold Coast, started allowing construction companies to use the island as a place to dump construction materials.
By underselling legal dumps, Streeter quickly became prosperous, and his island began to grow. Garbage and leftover construction materials from the new skyscrapers being built in the city were dumped on the shoreline and built up the area where Lake Shore Drive now runs. Suddenly, Streeter had real estate that he could actually sell. He began selling lots on the island, and soon enough, an entire community of squatters lived in the area.
Streeter, of course, knew exactly what he was doing and was a criminal of the highest degree. He claimed the valuable lakefront land as his own and dubbed himself the mayor of the newly created District of Lake Michigan. He harbored criminals, sold prohibited liquor and ran brothels from that claimed tract of land. It wasn’t long before the wealthy Gold Coast dwellers became furious with these squatters obscuring their view of the Lake and sullying the cachet of their neighborhood. Plus, they realized a thoroughfare on the new tract of land would be beneficial for the city. They enlisted the police of Chicago to evict the squatters and Streeter.
When the city tried to evict Streeter, he waged epic gun battles against them. His second wife poured boiling water over cops to keep her husband from being arrested, and his third wife went after cops with a meat cleaver. For years, Streeter would be arrested and then released — the mayor of Chicago even pardoned him after he was convicted of murder, saying that he had been framed.
Finally, Streeter was arrested in 1918 for selling alcohol without a license and assaulting an officer. The squatters were ousted from his shantytown, and the land was returned to the city to be developed into Lakeshore Drive and the surrounding neighborhood. As the years passed, this lakefront land became some of the most valuable property in Chicago. Despite its literally and figuratively trashy origins, Streeterville real estate is now the height of luxury in Chicago– and George Streeter at least maintains his legacy in the name of the neighborhood.
Posted by admin | June 29, 2010 | No Comments » |
Chicago high rise condos offer a unique take on the urban lifestyle. Like small communities within themselves, high rise condo buildings unite urban dwellers through shared amenities and resident events. Magellan Development’s high rise residential developments feature luxury Chicago condos with shared outdoor spaces that allow residents to meet and mingle, while our events give our residents access to some of the most entertaining and exclusive restaurants, bars and activities in the city.
On Aqua’s amenity deck, you’ll find two floors of indoor and outdoor features that residents are happy to share. From a fitness center with engaging group classes to a outdoor space equipped with features diverse enough to include a zen garden, there are various means for residents of Aqua to interact.
Throughout the year, our Community Relations Director and team plan exciting events to introduce our residents to each other and the city of Chicago. Here are a few of the successful events that have happened in the past year, many of which are scheduled again for this year!
You can read more about the events planned for Lakeshore East on our Community Corner blog.
Posted by admin | June 24, 2010 | No Comments » |
Join Magellan Development and Fifth Third Bank tonight, June 24th for a complimentary showing of Star Trek! Bring chairs and stop by Fifth Third Bank prior to the movie for complimentary snacks! The moive will begin at sundown!
Posted by admin | June 24, 2010 | No Comments » |
Posted by admin | June 23, 2010 | No Comments » |
Join Magellan Development on the Aqua Deck from 12:00pm - 2:00pm for a complimentary hot dog lunch! Lunch is in support of the Cross-town Classic, Cubs vs. Sox!
Posted by admin | June 17, 2010 | No Comments » |
Despite Market Pressure Magellan
Maintains Lofty Industry Position
In its latest issue, industry leader Builder magazine observes that economic circumstances have had a strong and negative impact on the housing industry.
While it’s well known that housing is hurting, an article titled Vanishing Giants reports that “the industry’s longtime major players didn’t make the 2010 rankings.”
Happily Magellan Development Group is an exception to that trend.
Not only did Magellan hold a position in the prestigious Builder 100 ranking of leading multifamily builders, it moved up. Not only are we still in the 2009 Top 50 Multifamily Builders, we are #35. And happy to be there.
Posted by admin | June 16, 2010 | No Comments » |
For residents of our dog-friendly Chicago developments or dog lovers in the downtown Chicago area, join us for the 3rd Annual Lakeshore East Dog Parade! The event will be sponsored by Cafe RoM, and prizes will be provided by West Loop Veterinary.
Bring your dog and we’ll provide the treats! We encourage owners to dress up their pups, or just bring them out to play this weekend. The parade will begin at 11am in The Park near Cafe RoM on the lower field.
Continuing Reading…
Posted by admin | June 15, 2010 | No Comments » |
Posted by tricia | June 15, 2010 | No Comments » |
Posted by tricia | June 15, 2010 | No Comments » |
More at Stake than Hamburger Pride…
Magellan Development Group teamed up with Underwriters Laboratories, local TV weather personalities and a group of leading chefs to kick off a summer safety program with grilling safety tips and a burger grilling competition.
Lining up for the “heated” battle on the amenities roof deck of Aqua to kick off the Memorial Day weekend May 29 were ABC Food Reporter Steve Dolinsky, CBS Meteorologist Don Schwenneker, Fox Meteorologist Mark Strehl and NBC Meteorologist Andy Avalos.
The panel of judges to see which reporter would grill Chicago’s Best Burger, Safely included Rick Gresh executive chef of David Burke’s Primehouse; Aaron Deal, executive chef of Custom House; Audry Triplett, executive chef of Gibson’s Steazkhouse; Bernie Laskowski, executive chef of Park Grill; and John Drengenberg, director of Consumer Safety for Underwriters Laboratories.
