Wednesday, July 29, 2009

The Trick To Parking In Chicago?






First you find a parking space. Then you get a car small enough to fit into the Chicago parking space. Then you hope the cars at either end cut you some good old Midwestern slack and the meter maid only tags you once a day.

And just for fun...

The showroom sticker on the above Cadillac Fleetwood boasted the following specifications in 1967:

$10,360 (out the door)

156 inch wheelbase (13 feet)

5346 pounds

(notice how no one is parked anywhere near that much chrome and iron)


The 2008 Mercedes Smart Car:

$11,590 (through the window)

73.5 inch wheelbase

1808 pounds

(notice how no one respects your social distance when you pack such a small, well... package)

The top shot of old Methuselah was taken on Pensacola in Lincoln Square, the bottom at OZ Park in Lincoln Park. (also note The Tin Man statue in the background).

What neither picture shows, though, and the original point of this mini-post, is the fact that none of the cars in the frames were parked legally to begin with and all had orange stickers on their windshields. With private Parking Spaces listed in the MLS at upwards of $35,000 near the lake, you take whatever land you can shove between two bumpers in this town. The way I figure, at $50 per ticket, a guy can park wherever he wants to for a year and a half before he really starts losing money in Chicago Real Estate.


I'm just sayin'...


Geno Petro




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Monday, July 20, 2009

A Chicago Housing Crisis? (lol)




I was cruising along Elston Avenue in Chicago this morning when the above 'house' caught the attention of my iPhone. A few hours later, I'm still trying to figure out how bad it would have to get for this male to walk through that door. And who the hell is this Harold, anyway? ....and what can he possibly do to help? (just inquiring in case I need to rent a room for an intervention sometime)





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Thursday, July 16, 2009

Random Chicago iPhone Pix









Architecturally, Chicago is a classic Doric order with a touch of Graham Anderson and a splash of Daniel Burnham; i.e. the Shedd Aquarium, the Chicago skyline to Navy Pier looking north from the Field Museum, and the main lobby of Union Station on Adams Street.





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Monday, July 13, 2009

Chicago Real Estate Market Reports


We're halfway there Windy City buyers, sellers, and short sale shoppers. Below are the Year-to-Date Chicago Real Estate Market Charts hot off the WordPress for June. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...in July.

btw...Dear Santa, I want a Segway (pictured).




CHICAGO SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES



CHICAGO CONDOMINIUMS




NORTH SIDE CHICAGO REAL ESTATE SNAPSHOT







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Friday, July 10, 2009

Chicago Fun Days



I took a break from Chicago Real Estate for a few days and hooked up with the Familia downtown; Segways on the Lakefront, traffic dodging in Chinatown, and finally---the Wiener's Circle in Lincoln Park for a few Chicago Style Red Hots and of course, verbal abuse. (Do Not Ask For Any Kind Of Shake. Period)



CHILLIN' ON THE FRONT PORCH LIKE THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW




FOREST GLEN METRA TEXTING




CHICAGO CHINATOWN CAT CHOW FUN


silhouette by AbbEy V
iPhone shots all by myself


Geno Petro








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Monday, July 06, 2009

Chicago Bleacher Bum

If there was ever a man who could find a way to alienate himself in a crowd of 40,000 it's Chicago Cub, Milton Bradley. I was sitting in the bleachers yesterday when the gravity of the right fielder's contrarian attitude caught my eyePhone. Actually, I kind of like this guy just because he doesn't play nice (or particularly well ) while still finding a way to also get paid $7 million. (I just may start being a smartass to the lady who sells me my Lotto tickets.) 'So sue me...'


Truthfully, I pretty much bat .500 when it comes to our city's baseball teams. I'm equally disappointed in the White Sox half the time, as well. It's the game of baseball that I love---the noblest of all summer pastimes to enjoy at the end of an otherwise routine Chicago real estate Sunday.


Geno Petro



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Friday, July 03, 2009

Small Town Chicago



Third Coast. Midwest. Small Town. Big City. Chicago.


Independence Day Rocks!




from our Forest Glen home to yours,



Geno Petro



follow me on twitter@genopetro

Thursday, July 02, 2009

Chicago's Top Ten Real Estate Deals




Click here to a PRWeb Press Release so kindly posted by Jason Wakefield at TopTenRealEstateDeals.com. My July Top Ten Luxury Real Estate Picks are featured here and here. You can also check out a thumbnail version in bright yellow on my sidebar to the right. >>>>

btw...I try to interject a little humor in these pieces. Example: "Was smoking crack at $969,000. Now clean and sober at $674,000." Stuff like that. And my mother insists I might be too 'irreverent' to be a Realtor.

Come on, Mom!


Geno Petro



follow me on twitter@genopetro