I toured penthouse apartments in Chicago where the wealthy pay $20,000 per month for private greenhouses and sweeping views - take a look inside
Frank Olito
- I toured Wolf Point East and Norweta, two luxury apartment buildings in Chicago.
- Wolf Point East's penthouse costs close to $16,000 a month - it has a pool and breathtaking views.
- Norweta's two-floor, $20,000 penthouse has five bedrooms, a private patio, and a greenhouse.
While exploring Chicago on a recent trip, I toured two apartment buildings where the wealthy can rent luxury penthouses.
Chicago is filled with great neighborhoods and affordable apartments, a few of which I toured on my trip. But on the more expensive end of the rental market are luxurious apartment buildings like Wolf Point East and Norweta.
I toured these buildings with the Luxury Living Chicago Realty group to find out how the other half lives in the Midwestern city.
My first stop was Wolf Point East in the River North neighborhood.
Located on the Chicago River, Wolf Point East has access to some of the most desirable neighborhoods in the city.
Wolf Point East is a 60-floor skyscraper that opened in 2020, changing Chicago's skyline.
The building has a sleek, reflective façade.
I headed to the penthouse suite, which has three bedrooms and costs $15,995 per month to rent.
The massive living room space has floor-to-ceiling windows, offering sweeping views of the city's skyline, the Chicago River, and Lake Michigan.
The kitchen is relatively small but has high-end finishings.
The kitchen has stainless-steel appliances, quartz countertops, and light cabinetry.
The master bedroom in the penthouse has even more breathtaking views of the city.
I couldn't even imagine waking up to this view every day.
The two other bedrooms are much smaller, but they still have views of the city.
The windows in each of the rooms have motorized solar shades with blackout features.
The three bathrooms are all simple but high-end.
The master bathroom has a large tub and two walk-in closets.
Beneath the penthouse at Wolf Point East, there are cheaper apartments.
You can snag a studio apartment for $2,175 or a two-bedroom apartment for $4,995 — all with the same finishings as the penthouse.
I found one of Wolf Point East's biggest perks is the list of amenities, like the pool.
The pool opens out onto a sundeck that overlooks the Chicago River.
The sundeck was filled with people working on their laptops during the day.
Somehow I found the view from this lower level even more captivating than the one from the penthouse.
The building also has a massive fitness center.
The fitness center takes up an entire floor of the building.
There are communal spaces throughout the building that residents can book and use every day.
There are communal lounges, conference rooms, and kitchens.
As I left Wolf Point East, I realized the best part of the building is its views.
I could understand paying top dollar just to see this every day.
After touring Wolf Point East, I headed to Norweta, which is located in Lincoln Park.
Norweta is located north of Wolf Point East in Lincoln Park, another desirable and affluent neighborhood in the city.
When I arrived at the Norweta, I found it to be much quieter and quainter than Wolf Point East.
Unlike Wolf Point East's flashy skyscraper, Norweta is a squat building in the middle of a residential neighborhood.
I first toured the five-bedroom penthouse which could be rented for $20,000 per month.
I was told this apartment was recently rented by an unnamed Hollywood actress.
The kitchen has marble countertops and a stainless-steel oven.
The fridge blends it in with the cabinetry on the back wall.
On the second floor of the penthouse, there is a decent-size master bedroom.
The room also has a large walk-in closet.
The bathroom has marble floors, a shower, and a bathtub.
However, I found it strange that the entire apartment, especially this bathroom, looked directly into the apartment across the way. I was surprised to find privacy was not a big concern for Norweta's potentially high-profile, big-spending clientele.
The penthouse has a private patio space with sweeping views of Lincoln Park.
I realized my favorite thing about these luxury apartments is their views.
Plus, there is a small greenhouse to enjoy the outdoors all year long.
I thought this was a unique touch to the penthouse.
Like Wolf Point East, Norweta offers a list of high-end amenities in the building, like the pool.
The pool is shared by all residents in the building, which also has apartments ranging from $3,500 to $11,000 per month.
The building also has a fitness center.
Although it isn't as big as Wolf Point East's, this fitness center would do the job.
After touring Wolf Point East and Norweta, I was able to imagine what it would be like to live a live of luxury on a limitless budget.
Wolf Point East offers A-listers with big budgets the opportunity to live in a large building with high-end amenities in the center of the city, while Norweta offers those same amenities and finishings in a quieter, more subdued building.
Although very different in atmosphere, they both had one thing in common: They made me envious of the wealthy who get to call these apartment buildings home.
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