Chicago Condos on the Tracks

[CNWRacine]

So I saw some photos of some condos that over look the tracks that must lead to Global I in Chicago, and I must say these condos must be a railfans dream, grant it I'm sure that its an expensive dream, but how cool would it be to sit out on your patio and grill out and watch trains go buy, and I'm guessing this is not some sleepy track that see one train a month  I was wondering does anybody live in condos like this or houses like this where you pratically over look the tracks and how many trains on average go buy your house/condo/apartment?  If I could afford a condo in Chicago I would so be living there, well I think the wife would have different ideas to that

[eolafan]

Yep, I've seen such condo buildings right along the BNSF main line on the near west side of Chicago as well as along the tracks as they exit the north side of CUS.  I also thought as you do about owning one of those properties and watching trains 24/7 but then reality set in and I thought to myself (sacralidge alert!)..."I love watching trains, but not while I am trying to get a good nights sleep, not THAT close!".

[blownout cylinder]

We have an apartment complex, Cherryhill, that has a number of buildings right by the CP main running through London. Platt's Lane, right across the road from Cheeryhill also is right by the tracks. I used to live there WWAAAYY back in the 1970's and had my balcony overlooking those things---now if only I could find all those pix I took back then---

[samfp1943]

WWWWWWWWEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLL! 

     How about a nice house about a 1/4 mi east of the BNSF Transcon in a double tracked area (approx 126 MP), between Mulvane and Wellington,Ks?    Across the road from the Bartlett Arboretum (opern air concerts).

 Train frequency varies from about a minimum of one or two per hour, to several per hour .  Of course, sometimes between midnight and dawn it can get a little noisy, as passing engineers 'talk' to each orher while passing, but you get used to it.    

Wonder if Warren would want to move to Kansas to keep up with his investment?          

 

[schlimm]

There are some new townhouses (pretty good bargain -marked down to under $200K) in Winfield, IL overlooking the 3-track Metra - UP West mainline.  Lots of commuter trains and freight.

[CNWRacine]

Now this building rocks literally  Could you imagen looking out your window and seeing this!!!  I'm pretty sure these are now condos/apartments.  Talk about a room with a view.

http://www.bing.com/maps/explore/#5003/o=&a=&s=w/5872/style=be&lat=qz936h&lon=7pvhnc&alt=148.894394&z=18&h=180&pid=5874

 

I would not mind a nice house with a big backyard and having a mainline running through in the back yard.  Grill out watch trains, I'd set up a live web cam and share it with the world.  I could also handle having Metra scoots tooling along with a mix of freights!!!!  A friend of mine lived on the C&M and he got use trains going through at all times of the day and night, he got use to it and the trains did not bother him, but his girl friend hated it so they moved.

[tree68]

Daughter called a little while ago.   She and her hubby are looking for a new house.  She wanted to know about a bridge she saw over a river not far from where they just looked at one house.  It's not a busy branch, though, and I'd be more worried about that wastewater treatment plant nearby.  Normally it would be downwind, but....

[CShaveRR]

Umm....

If they're along the UP tracks that go to Global I, they probably aren't condos...unless that area has improved a whole lot in recent years! Used to be you didn't take a train through there without some sort of security escort. And if you had to stop, you stayed inside and locked the doors!

Not too far away from there, though, I saw some pictures of some new condos with a decent view of the Brighton Park crossing. That wouldn't be too shabby.

[route_rock]

  By the BN Western Ave yard they have some kinda loft apartments there. Building I think was a factory or warehouse of some sort.Its one of those places where you walk a block and look out your in the wrong part of town.

 

  It was nice cause one lady on the second floor must have assumed us rails were NOT looking into those super huge windows while she walked about topless or less  Oh I do so miss that lol. Now along the racetrack there were a lot of apartments and condos along the line.

  Where I live ( and run through) there are quite a few houses and apartments along the line. granted most want the river view,but a railfan could move right in and get both.

[RRKen]

I live 2 miles from the tracks, thank God!

[Sawtooth500]

The condos being referred to aren't actually at Global 1 - the are about 1.5 miles east of Global 1 on 16th street right by the junction of BNSF and Amtrak. Still, lots of great action here as you get plenty of Amtrak, Metra, BNSF, and most UP trains going to St. Louis via the old C&EI Main.

[ButchKnouse]

RRKen

I live 2 miles from the tracks, thank God!

RRKen

I live 2 miles from the tracks, thank God!

I live 100 yards from the track thank God!

[Jack_S]

Just across from the Fullerton, CA Amtrak station they recently built a bunch of condos to test the market for "transit oriented housing".  This is, as you may remember, right on the BNSF Transcon.  One part of the development overlooks a power substation, a quite ugly view IMO. 

The big problem is that they came on the market just as the SoCal real estate took a nose drive in late 2007.  Based on how many windows show lights or TV flicker I would say that occupancy is nowhere what the builders hoped for.

Several similar projects have been built in Orange and nearby LA counties.

The newish Gold Line light rail line to Pasadena and points east has a station at the old Santa Fe Pasadena station (now a restaurant).  Just before the station the line tunnels UNDER an apartment building.  Along this line there has been lots of new construction of housing and shopping.  One LA Times food columnist has done a review of new restaurants near the rails.

Jack

[Bob-Fryml]

A few years ago the Marshall Field's Department store building located in downtown Evanston, Ill. underwent a partial condominium conversion.  One of those residential units faced the 'L and a little beyond that is the Union Pacific Kenosha Subdivision.  With the Davis St. station being just a short walk away, that might have been a nice place to live.

Within the last two years, I was surprised to see a brand new residential building sited immediately west of a near southside junction point between two or three Chicago Transit Authority lines.  The structure was sited near the Roosevelt Rd. station directly next to where the seldom-used State St. subway tunnel ties into the elevated structure.  The porch of the second story apartment was practically within touching distance of the trains that past it.  Orange Line trains pass this building for sure, and maybe Lake/Jackson Park and Lake/Englewood 'L-sets do as well.

Immediately east of the East Troy Trolley Museum's East Troy, Wisc. station is a residential development that butts-up against the railroad right-of-way.  Watching the summertime "traction action" from one's backyard has to be a very pleasant pastime indeed!   

[CNWRacine]

If I could only convince the wife we need to move  I would love sitting in my hot tub with a cold beverage and watch the trains go by, especially if I lived on a really busy mainline.  I know a lot of people landscape and put up large fences so that it blocks the view, but I would be de-landscaping so I can see the action.  Only thing I would be worried about and I know it happens is having a train derail and come crashing into my backyard.  I'm sure new houses built close to the tracks are insulated pretty well so that sound is at a minium? 

[CNWRacine]

Check out this view, now this is what I'm talking about  http://www.mikeyuhas.org/albums/2009/20095172.php  Mike Yuhas photo taken in Chicago

 

 

[CShaveRR]

Ah-HA!

East out of Global 1 isn't really UP trackage. It's the start of the St. Charles Air Line, if I remember correctly. But the condos there ought to see a lot of freight action on UP and BNSF, and probably others, Metra and Amtrak action on BNSF, and they're probably not too far from the Halsted Street station on the BNSF Metra line.

[Sawtooth500]

CShaveRR

Ah-HA!

East out of Global 1 isn't really UP trackage. It's the start of the St. Charles Air Line, if I remember correctly. But the condos there ought to see a lot of freight action on UP and BNSF, and probably others, Metra and Amtrak action on BNSF, and they're probably not too far from the Halsted Street station on the BNSF Metra line.

True, east out of Global 1 is not UP track, (BNSF track actually), but that's the primary route that most UP trains take to get to the former C&EI UP main that goes to St. Louis. The St. Charles Air Line is CN territory, however I'm not sure if any freight trains even use it now since CN bought the EJ&E, really haven't seen any lately. It's primarily used by Amtrak to access the CN former IC Main to southern IL. Plus, the City of Chicago wants the Air Line closed (turn it into a park probably), problem is that nobody wants to put up the money to build a connector so that Amtrak can access the IC main without the air line.