A Few Views (and Words) from Fountain View, Lincoln Square

The prominent corner units provide excellent sight lines of the attractive surrounding neighborhood.

Fountain View in Lincoln Square has been one of the more high profile and talked about developments in Lincoln Square for some time. I had a chance to stop by the condos on Monday and take a tour with developer and Principal of Terra Firma Co. G. Benjamin Ranney. I'll have my general take on the project as a guest blogger at www.YoChicago.com in the coming days. For now, here are a few photos of the views.

Morning sun on the unfinished top floor two bed, two bath on the southeast corner

I also asked Mr. Ranney to send me a few notes on what's most important to know about the development. Here's what he had to say:

"Lincoln Square is one of the best and most complete neighborhoods anywhere in Chicago. There’s a good reason why home values are holding up better in the heart of Lincoln Square than in other places: it has unparalleled access to transit (including the bus service and the Ravenswood Metra as well as the El’s Brown Line), excellent cultural and entertainment venues (the Old Town School, Sulzer Library and the Davis Theater are the obvious big ones, but there’s also a huge range of less prominent offerings like exhibits at the Chicago Printmaker’s Collaborative and the DankHaus, cooking classes at the Chopping Block, readings at the Book Cellar and the summer concerts in Giddings Plaza), gorgeous parks (Welles Park, Winnemac Park, the running trails along the River), great shopping at the boutiques along Lincoln Avenue, and every kind of retail service you’d ever need – drug stores, dry cleaners, hair salons, optometrists, etc. I’ve lived my whole life in Chicago and know the city pretty well, and I can’t think of another neighborhood where you have access to all of the above, especially in an environment that makes it attractive to get to all these things without your car."

"And then of course there are the things that distinguish the Fountain View even within the neighborhood: heated underground parking, energy efficient design and construction (we’re on track for LEED Silver certification), attractive light-filled 2 & 3BR layouts and a nice array of finish options that include Energy Star rated appliances, locally-made cabinetry, and natural stone counter-tops and tiles. I could go on and on about the environmental features of the building and the upgrades, but I really think it is the quality of construction that sets us apart."

Sounds like a guy who has a horse in this race! It certainly is an awesome location.