Chicago · Cook County · IL
Homes for sale in
Marina Towers.
- Active listings
- 0
- Median list
- $350K
- Avg time on market
- 59 days
- Sold · last year
- 8
Active listings
0 homes on the market
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About the community
Iconic corncob-tower living on the Chicago River in River North.
Marina City is a landmark residential complex on the north bank of the Chicago River in River North, designed by Chicago architect Bertrand Goldberg in 1959 and built through the 1960s. Its twin 65-story, 587-foot reinforced-concrete cylinders, long compared to rural Illinois corncobs, were the tallest residential towers in the world when they opened, and each residential floor rings 16 pie-shaped units around a central core. Every residence ends in a floor-to-ceiling window wall and its own semicircular balcony over the river and skyline, and the lower floors hold the famous open-air spiral self-park garage. One bridge from the Loop, the complex was conceived as a city within a city and still lives that way.
At a glance
Bertrand Goldberg twin towers
Two 65-story, 587-foot reinforced-concrete cylinders designed in 1959 and built through the 1960s, once the tallest residential towers in the world.
Pie-shaped residences
Each floor rings 16 wedge-shaped units around a central core, so studios, one-, and two-bedrooms have curved walls and almost no interior right angles.
A balcony off every room
Every residence ends in a full window wall and its own semicircular balcony over the river, the Loop, and, on higher floors, the lake.
The famous spiral garage
The lower 19 floors of each tower are the open-air spiral self-park ramp, one of the most recognizable garages in the world. Confirm whether a space conveys per unit.
City within a city
The base holds the House of Blues, a bowling lounge, restaurants, and a hotel, plus 24-hour door staff and a riverfront marina.
All-electric building
There is no central heat, air, or hot water; each unit runs its own systems and pays its own electricity. Factor this into carrying costs.
Chicago Public Schools
Served by CPS, with Ogden International commonly cited nearby. Confirm the exact attendance boundary with the CPS locator by address.
What’s close
Marina City sits in River North on the north bank of the Chicago River at 300 N State Street, one bridge from the Loop.
- Building and base amenities
- 24-hour door staff, the riverfront marina, and the House of Blues, bowling, and restaurants built into the base.
- Dining and nightlife
- In the heart of River North's restaurants, galleries, and nightlife, steps from the Riverwalk.
- The Loop
- Just across the river from the Loop, the theater district, and Millennium Park.
- Schools
- Chicago Public Schools, with Ogden International commonly cited nearby. Confirm the boundary by address with CPS.
- Transit
- A short walk to CTA bus and 'L' service in the Loop, with quick access to Lake Shore Drive and I-90/94.
- Parking
- The landmark open-air spiral self-park ramps on the lower floors. Parking arrangements vary by unit.
What it’s actually like to live here
Living at Marina City means living inside a piece of architectural history. Few addresses in Chicago are as instantly recognizable, and for design-minded buyers the appeal is real: floor-to-ceiling glass, a private curved balcony off essentially every room, and a wraparound relationship to the river and skyline that a conventional rectangular tower cannot offer. The city-within-a-city concept still holds, since a resident can park in the famous spiral, catch a show at the House of Blues, bowl, grab dinner, and never leave the complex, all one bridge from the Loop and steps from the Riverwalk, CTA, and the Magnificent Mile.
The honest tradeoffs come from the same 1960s design that makes the building iconic. The pie-shaped, wedge-based layouts are polarizing: rooms are not rectangular, walls curve, closets can be tight, and furnishing an angled space takes thought. The building is all-electric with no central heat, air, or hot water, so each unit relies on its own systems and pays its own electricity. As with any building of this age, buyers should scrutinize building systems, the spiral garage structure, window walls, and the association's reserves and special-assessment history.
Net, Marina City is a lifestyle and identity buy as much as a real-estate buy. It rewards buyers who love the architecture, want maximum walkable downtown centrality and river views, and are comfortable with unconventional layouts and an older, self-contained high-rise. It is a weaker fit for buyers who want conventional square rooms, central building utilities, or a quiet residential enclave. For current pricing and how the market is moving here, see the live Market snapshot on this page.
The questions buyers actually ask
Marina Towers FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Marina Towers. If yours isn't here, text 224-385-8779, same-day reply.
- What does the HOA actually cover?
- Monthly condominium assessments fund the operation of a large, amenity-rich landmark tower and typically cover water, common-area maintenance and utilities, door and security staff, on-site management, elevators, trash, insurance for common elements, and reserves. Note the building is all-electric with no central heat, air conditioning, or hot water, so each residence pays its own electricity for its individual systems. Confirm the current assessment, what it includes, reserve levels, and any special assessments from the condo documents for the specific unit.
- When was Marina Towers built?
- Architect Bertrand Goldberg built the community between 1961 and 1968.
- Who designed Marina City and when was it built?
- Architect Bertrand Goldberg designed it in 1959, and construction ran through the 1960s, with the towers opening in 1963. When finished, the twin towers were the tallest residential and tallest reinforced-concrete structures in the world.
- Why are the towers shaped like corncobs, and what does that do to the floor plans?
- The circular form gives 360-degree views and stands up well to Chicago's wind. Each residential floor is a ring of 16 pie-shaped sectors around a central core, so units are wedge-shaped with almost no interior right angles, a floor-to-ceiling window wall, and a private semicircular balcony off every room.
- How many units and floors are there?
- Two 65-story towers of about 587 feet each, with roughly 896 apartments total. Parking occupies the bottom 19 floors, the 20th is laundry and storage, floors 21 through 60 are residential, and the 61st is an open-air roof deck. Verify a specific unit's floor and exposure with the listing.
- Is there really parking inside the towers, and does a unit come with a space?
- Yes. The bottom 19 floors of each tower are the famous open-air spiral self-park ramp. Whether a particular residence includes or can rent a parking space varies, so confirm parking per unit before buying.
- What do the monthly assessments cover, and what about utilities?
- Assessments at a building like this typically cover water, common-area maintenance and utilities, door and security staff, management, elevators, trash, insurance for common elements, and reserves. Note the building is all-electric with no central heat, air, or hot water, so each unit pays its own electricity. Confirm the exact assessment and inclusions from the current condo documents.
- What does it cost to buy here and how is the market?
- Prices vary widely by tower, floor, view, and unit configuration, and the market moves. Rather than rely on a stale number, check the live Market snapshot on this page for current pricing and activity, and confirm property taxes for the specific PIN with the Cook County Treasurer.
- Who is the real estate agent for Marina Towers?
- Joe Keegan is the local licensed Illinois real estate broker who covers Marina Towers in Chicago, IL through Subdiview, a neighborhood-first home search for the Chicago suburbs and collar counties. Joe prices and negotiates from the live MRED sold comps for Marina Towers specifically, not national averages, and can help you buy or sell here. Reach Joe at 224-385-8779 or joe@joekeeganhomes.com.
Your local agent
Joe knows Marina Towers
Most agents will list anything. I focus on the places I actually know, and the things that move value here don't show up in the MLS write-up: which streets and buildings hold demand, what the HOA or assessments really cover, how the comps read once you account for condition and location, and where buyers consistently want to be.
When you're ready to tour or list, you want someone who has read the last 50 closed comps in this specific market, not a national average, and can tell you what they actually mean for your price. That's how I work. Text or call any time, and I'll give you a real take, not a brochure.
- Licensed Illinois broker
- Comp-driven pricing
- Chicago specialist
- Honest local market take
- Brokerocity
Market snapshot
Marina Towers, by the numbers
Live MRED data, refreshed daily. The numbers below tell you what this market is doing today, not what Zillow's algorithm thinks it might be doing six weeks from now.
Typical list price
$350,000
Typical sale price · last 90 days
$249,250
Avg time on market
59 days
Sold in the last year
8
This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by Midwest Real Estate Data, LLC for the period August 5, 2025 through August 5, 2026. Midwest Real Estate Data, LLC does not guarantee nor is it in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by Midwest Real Estate Data LLC may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.
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