West Loop Lofts For Sale

West Loop Loft Styles

When we think of living in the West Loop, loft living often comes to mind. Due to its industrial past, the West Loop has more vintage lofts for sale than most other Chicago neighborhoods and thus one of the best neighborhoods to find lofts for sale.

Here you’ll find dozens of really interesting vintage West Loop lofts for sale – artist lofts, converted warehouse spaces and one-of-kind loft conversions.

Let’s take a closer look at the three basic types of lofts you’ll find in the neighborhood.

Brick And Timber Lofts

West Loop brick and timber lofts are what most people think of when they think of buying an authentic loft.

You know, the classic loft with exposed brick and massive timber beams. And super high ceilings and huge old windows. Perfect light for a photographer’s or artist’s loft but also just right for every-day living.

If you’re thinking of buying a West Loop brick and timber loft there are some important considerations.

For example, old wood floors are not all created equally. Some don’t have much sound proofing in between. So if you have low tolerance for noise think twice.

And old loft buildings can be subject to massive special assessments so buyer beware.

If you want to buy a West Loop loft and love Chicago brick and timber lofts No. Ten Lofts just might be for you.

Concrete Lofts

Many West Loop concrete lofts have a storied history. Many housed manufacturing facilities where the machinery required stable flooring.

Like Singer Lofts where they made Singer sewing machines. And Haberdasher Square Lofts where Hart, Schaffner Marx made fine quality suits. Both examples of authentic lofts.

And many were built to house printing presses. Most of those are located in Chicago’s Printers Row neighborhood.

West Loop concrete lofts have some features that some buyers prefer over brick and timber lofts. For example, they tend to be less noisy. And they tend to be brighter given their higher ceilings and larger windows.

Soft Lofts

Ok, so what exactly is a West Loop soft loft? They are basically a cross between a condo and a loft. The best (or sometimes the worst) of both worlds.

On the plus side, a soft loft is typically newer than a timber or concrete loft but with some of the same features. And they have higher ceilings than typical West Loop apartments for sale. They typically offer features like 10-11 ft. exposed concrete ceilings. And floor to ceiling windows to bring in the light. The idea being to provide the loft vibe but with lower maintenance.

On the minus side, they are similar to some West Loop apartments for sale but with bedroom walls that don’t extend up to the ceiling. Some buyers don’t like soft lofts for this reason. It’s of course a bummer for privacy. Plus many don’t even have bedroom doors. Yikes, even more privacy and noise issues.

West Loop developers were building a lot of soft loft buildings from 1999 to 2006. So there are many soft lofts in the West Loop and some are constructed better than others.

To conclude, living in the West Loop often means living in an amazing loft!

Learn more about the West Loop or see all Chicago lofts for sale.