Fulton Market Real Estate
Your Guide to Neighborhood Homes for Sale

Our Fulton Market Real Estate Agents Breakdown the Best Places to Live

Riding on the surge of West Loop’s real estate boom, the Fulton Market District is on a high. It touts all the same qualities as its neighbor: a bevy of restaurants, bars and boutiques; proximity to downtown and public transit; urban appeal and skyline views plus that cool cache. On the real estate front, there is a mix of loft conversions and small to medium sized condo buildings. We can guide you through the inventory. Our Fulton Market real estate agents have all the insight to help you sell your home or buy your next home. First, learn more about the Fulton Market neighborhood with our agency’s real estate guide.

Fulton Market District at a Glance: 4 Quick Facts

• Fulton Market real estate includes the 60607 and 60612 zip codes

• Chicago has 77 official community areas and Fulton Market falls within the Near West Side

• The main commercial streets are West Fulton Market and Lake Street

• Ward #27 is among the 50 Chicago wards represented in the Fulton Market District

Where to Find It

The Fulton Market District is located immediately west of downtown. Neighborhood boundaries for the Fulton Market District are generally considered Hubbard Street to the north and Randolph Street to the south. Traditionally the area between Halsted Street and Ogden Avenue is considered Fulton Market proper. The greater West Fulton Market area (historically known as the Kinzie Industrial Corridor) expands further west to Western Avenue and contains more commercial than residential real estate.

The 2 Most Common Housing Types in Chicago’s Fulton Market

1. LOFT CONDOS

Chicago’s Fulton Market District is most known for its massive loft buildings. These sturdy low-rise constructions were primarily two to six stories in height and take up their entire lot. Made of brick masonry and heavy timber, they have a utilitarian past and were originally built as warehouses and factories. Much like in the rest of the West Loop neighborhood, these century-old buildings have since been converted to apartments and residential condos. These are known as hard lofts. As homes, they offer many original elements that add architectural character such as timber beams, oversized windows and exposed brick walls. Modern features like exposed ductwork, plumbing and electrical add to the industrial look.

Another building style, referred to as soft lofts, mimic many qualities of hard lofts. These are newer buildings that have been constructed with a similar aesthetic, but are more finished and have “softer” edges more typical of new condos. Dry wall is more common and often hides the electrical, plumbing and heating systems. There are usually interior walls at a full height to enclose rooms and add privacy, though open floor plans, large windows and high ceilings still give it loft-like characteristics. Around Fulton Market, the housing inventory comes in a mix of price ranges and condos for sale have different sizes and layouts. Amenities can range too: private balconies, shared rooftops, private parking and 24 hour staffed security personnel are some features to look for when buying a condo. Tour the various homes for sale with our Fulton Market real estate agents to see the differences in person and find the style of condo or loft you prefer.

Some Fulton Market loft buildings as examples:

• Blue Moon Lofts (at 215 N Aberdeen St) – converted to residential timber lofts in the early 2000s, this five-story manufacturing building was built for Foote Bros Gear & Machine Co in 1916 and has standard characteristics such as exposed brick, massive windows and 16’ ceilings

• 1152 W Fulton Market – a boutique loft building with five floors and mainly 2-bedroom, 2-bath units with 10’ ceilings and custom kitchens plus a 3,000-square-foot deck and heated garage spaces

• 312 N May St – the Morgan & Wright building, built in the Chicago School style in four stages between 1893 and 1895, is a six-story brick construction originally used for the manufacture of bicycle and automobile tires/parts and now houses loft office space and condos

• 407 N Elizabeth St – built on a quieter low traffic street, this 19-unit brick and timber loft building has unobstructed skyline views, oversized layouts and on-site gated parking

• Drum House Lofts (at 216 N May St) – Wilson Bros Drum Manufacturing Company, makers of drums and musical instruments, were early occupants of this mid-rise building circa 1910

• 1101 W Lake St – a brick six-story building with timber loft condo apartments that feature 14 foot ceilings and has heated garage parking and a common roof deck

2. Simplex and Duplex Low-Rise Condos

A high demand area, real estate in Fulton Market and the greater West Loop neighborhood is more limited when looking for smaller buildings. Low-rise condo buildings can have between two and 20 total units. Simplex (one level units) and duplex (two level units) are the common layouts. In Fulton Market specifically, there are both new construction condos and more commonly, existing condos—typically built in the last 25 years—up for resale on the market.

From pre-owned condos needing some updating to brand new builds with top-of-the-line finishes, explore the Fulton Market District with our real estate team.

In the low-rise category, examples of buildings include:

• 1369 W Hubbard St – an intimate 6-unit condo building built in 2001 that sits on the border of River West and West Town

• 428 N Noble St – like other soft lofts, these four condo units (which were built in 2000) have finished walls with 10’ high ceilings, exposed ductwork and open floor plans

• 1162 W Hubbard St – built in 2009, this four-story elevator building counts 17 contemporary units in total and offers residents a heated garage and common roof deck

• 1216 W Hubbard St – a sleek and modern walkup built in 2014 with two duplex units and one simplex unit

Live & Work: The Top Employers in Fulton Market

Located adjacent the downtown Loop (home to Chicago’s financial district), the West Loop/Fulton Market area is a growing business district in itself. In the last decade, it has become home to creative and tech startups, small businesses, corporate headquarters and satellite offices.

Major employers and office buildings in the Fulton Market District include:

• WeWork Fulton Market (at 220 N Green St) – a 1904 meatpacking building that was originally owned and occupied by Vette & Zuncker Packing Co. is now 65,000 square feet of commercial office space occupied by the creative coworking firm and Ballast Point Tasting Room & Kitchen.

• Google (at 1KFulton, 1000 W Fulton) – the Midwest headquarters took over a century-old 531,000 square foot cold storage building, which was turned into a LEED-certified creative loft office and neighborhood retail building that also houses SRAM

• Dyson and Glassdoor (at Fulton West, 1330 W Fulton) – a newly constructed nine-story building with 290,000 square feet

Location Matters: Fulton Market Schools, Parks & Landmarks

In the West Loop, two streets run parallel to one another—Fulton Market and Randolph Street—but are also interconnected as one official Chicago Landmark. Known as the Fulton-Randolph Market District, it is filled with historic streetscapes and buildings circa 1850.

Noteworthy landmarks include the two Fulton Street Wholesale Market Co. buildings (833-57 W Fulton Market St and 842-56 W Fulton Market St) circa 1887, former meatpacking facilities that are now mixed used properties that house restaurants like The Publican, Duck Duck Goat and Beatrix. Down the way, 945 W Fulton Market St from 1921 is a three-story structure originally occupied by merchants for poultry, butter and eggs; it’s now occupied by famed Alinea-group nightlife and dining destinations Aviary, Roister and Next. Further west, 1139 W Fulton Market St, built in 1925, is another three-story brick commission house that counted Coyne & Nevins Co. (poultry and dairy products) as an early tenant. Mars Gallery, a pioneer in the neighborhood, has been there since 1988. A 1920s building that long ago was home to the Aroma Cheese Company, 311 N Morgan St is now the Ace Hotel Chicago. The historic brick façade was preserved and married with modern design.

Parks and green spaces are very scarce in this former industrial area. Union Park (1501 W Randolph St), with its playing fields and swimming pool, is the main recreational area. Restaurants and nightlife options are abundant, but for groceries and other shopping essentials the Fulton Market is served by the West Loop’s Jewel-Osco (370 N Desplaines St), Mariano’s (40 S Halsted St), Whole Foods Market (1 N Halsted St), H Mart (711 W Jackson Blvd) and Target (1101 W Jackson Blvd).

Schools in the greater West Loop/Fulton Market community area include Montessori Academy of Chicago (1335 W Randolph St), The Gardner School of Chicago (1301 W Madison St #100), Mark T. Skinner West Elementary School (1260 W Adams St) and Whitney M. Young Magnet High School (211 S Laflin St).