WINDY CITY TIMES
August 8, 2018
CARRIE MAXWELL
Nestled on a quiet side street off of Diversey Parkway, The Hampdens of East Lincoln Park (The Hampdens) will soon be home to 45 multi-bedroom residences.
The two boutique-style, six-story buildings, Hampden 53 and Hampden 73, will offer future homeowners a prime viewing and party location for Chicago's Pride Parade. Construction is slated to be finished next spring, just in time for the parade's 50th anniversary.
But the area's connection to the LGBT community extends beyond recent memory. The neighborhood was once home to much of Chicago's gay community during the '60s and '70s; many of them moved there when higher rent rates came to the Loop and the Near North Side. Since the '70s, many in Chicago's LGBT community have subsequently moved north of Diversey and now live along Lake Michigan from Boystown/Lake View to Rogers Park. Of course, LGBT people have always lived all over the region, but there were these pockets where they could live and work more openly, concentrated around a few key bars and restaurants.
Today, this neighborhood is a hotbed for new development. Apartment buildings, hotels and a re-imagined retail hub at Diversey/Clark/Broadway are setting the foundation for growth and walkability. The Hampden's developer Zev Salomon, a Lincoln Park native, wanted to add a missing residential offering to compliment the other changes that are taking place in his neighborhood.
"There is a shortage of new and modern three-to five-bedroom homes in this area that cater to the needs of today's buyers," said Salomon. "The residences at The Hampdens have a thoughtful design, clean-line aesthetics and the latest home amenities that people have come to expect. So much of what is currently available in Lincoln Park and Lake View is old and dated, or in walk-up buildings. There are simply not any new offerings like ours."
"The area is ideal for LGBT people who are looking to move away from Boystown to a quieter locale, but who also want to stay close enough to the action when the weekends come," said Jameson Sotheby's International Realty Director of Corwin Partners Cory Robertson. "The Hampdens is also home to Alcott Elementary School, which is rated one of the top neighborhood Chicago Public Elementary Schools. Alcott is a great place for gay and lesbian parents to send their children to school, and it is only three blocks away."
Residences at Hampden 53 (with 10 of its 15 properties sold) and Hampden 73 (with 19 of 30 properties sold) have private elevator access, indoor parking, floor-to-ceiling windows, large private terraces, between four to five bedrooms with walk-in closets, a family room or office, dining room and an open plan kitchen.
During the development process and early construction phases of these new condos, buyers have been able to pick everything that goes in their new home. Salomon said that, since many of the units have already pre-sold, there is limited time to customize the floor color, cabinet color, tiles and other finishes before the developers standardize them to finish the project.
The Hampdens is a short walk away from the Diversey L trains and downtown bus routes as well as Lake Shore Drive. The Magnificent Mile or Loop are a 10-15-minute Uber/Lyft ride away.
For more information, visit www.thehampdens.com/ or the sales center at 509 W. Diversey Pkwy. It's open every day from noon to 6 p.m. and by appointment. Sales inquiries may be directed to Cory Robertson and Tim Flannery at 773-904-7792.