Chicago · Cook County · IL
Homes for sale in
University Commons.
- Active listings
- 4
- Median list
- $338K
- Avg time on market
- 24 days
- Sold · last year
- 25
Active listings
4 homes on the market
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About the community
Gated timber lofts in the old South Water Market, minutes from the Loop.
University Commons is a gated loft-condominium community on Chicago's Near West Side in ZIP 60608, just south of the University of Illinois Chicago campus and next to University Village and Pilsen. It occupies the restored buildings of the former South Water Market, Chicago's historic wholesale produce marketplace, converted to residences in the mid-2000s. The community is known for its campus-style layout of six four-story buildings connected by nearly three acres of landscaped courtyards, with authentic timber-and-masonry lofts inside and amenities most vintage lofts lack: a pool, a fitness center, community rooms, and secured garage parking.
At a glance
Historic warehouse conversion
Six restored four-story buildings from the former South Water Market produce warehouses, converted to condos in the mid-2000s.
Gated landscaped courtyards
Nearly three acres of private, campus-style courtyards with patios, walking paths, and grilling areas connect the buildings.
Pool and fitness center
Shared amenities include an outdoor pool, a fitness center, a screening room, and party and community rooms.
Authentic timber lofts
Exposed brick and heavy-timber beams, tall industrial windows, and open plans, plus newer top-floor penthouse and duplex units.
Pink and Blue Line access
Served by the CTA Pink and Blue Line corridors on the Near West Side, minutes from the Loop and UIC.
CPS confirm by address
Chicago Public Schools assigns by attendance boundary with choice options. Confirm the assigned schools by address.
What’s close
University Commons sits on Chicago's Near West Side in University Village near 14th Place and Racine, just south of UIC and next to Pilsen and Little Italy.
- Community
- A gated, secured campus of six buildings with on-site management and nearly three acres of landscaped courtyards.
- Transit
- The CTA Pink Line and Blue Line corridors serve the Near West Side, with Pink Line stops in nearby Pilsen and the UIC-Halsted Blue Line close by.
- Highway
- Immediate access to I-90/94 (Dan Ryan) and I-290 (Eisenhower), with I-55 a short drive south.
- Jobs and campus
- Steps from the UIC campus and minutes to the Illinois Medical District, the Loop, the West Loop, and River North.
- Schools
- Chicago Public Schools, with Smyth and Jungman elementary cited nearby. Confirm the attendance boundary by address with CPS.
- Neighborhood
- Close to Maxwell Street Market, Taylor Street's Little Italy, Pilsen dining and galleries, and University Village retail.
What it’s actually like to live here
University Commons offers something rare in Chicago: authentic timber loft living inside a private, gated, park-like campus only minutes from the Loop. The landscaped courtyards give the community a quiet, green center that feels removed from the city even though the Dan Ryan and UIC are right outside the gates. Residents get the character buyers want from a warehouse conversion, exposed brick and timber, big industrial windows, and soaring ceilings, plus amenities most vintage lofts lack, including a pool, a fitness center, a screening room, party rooms, secured underground parking, and full-time on-site management. It draws a mix of young professionals, UIC and medical-district staff, downsizers, and investors.
Location is the other big draw. Few Chicago communities combine this many transit and highway options, the Pink Line, the Blue Line, and three expressways, with walkable access to Taylor Street's Little Italy, Pilsen's dining and galleries, Maxwell Street Market, and the Illinois Medical District. For anyone who works downtown, at UIC, or in the medical district, the commute is short by car, rail, or bike.
The honest tradeoffs are those of dense urban living rather than a suburban single-family setting. Parking is a real consideration in the surrounding streets, so a deeded or rented garage space is worth prioritizing, and buyers should budget for that cost and for monthly assessments that fund the extensive amenities. Proximity to a major university means more renters and student-adjacent turnover in parts of the community, and buyers should weigh school assignment carefully by address. As with any adaptive-reuse conversion of century-old buildings, it is worth reviewing the association's reserves, special-assessment history, and any facade or mechanical projects before buying.
The questions buyers actually ask
University Commons FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping University Commons. If yours isn't here, text 224-385-8779, same-day reply.
- What does the HOA actually cover?
- Monthly assessments are billed by the University Commons Condominium Association and scale with unit size, floor, and parking. Reported coverage typically includes water, common-area and exterior maintenance, landscaping, scavenger, building insurance, cable and internet, and access to the shared amenities such as the pool, fitness center, and community rooms. Some units bundle parking while others pay a separate fee. Because figures are unit-specific, confirm the current assessment, reserves, and any special-assessment history per unit with the association.
- What are property taxes like?
- Roughly $4,000 – $8,000 per year, depending on home size and value. Cook County assessor records are the source of truth. Happy to pull a specific bill on any home you're considering.
- When was University Commons built?
- Converted by The Enterprise Companies with Pappageorge Haymes Partners, from the former South Water Market warehouses built the community between 1919 and 2007. Converted by The Enterprise Companies with Pappageorge Haymes Partners, from the former South Water Market warehouses stopped new construction in 2007, so every sale today is a resale.
- What's the typical closing timeline?
- 45 to 90 days from accepted offer to keys. Cash deals can close in two weeks. Conventional financing is usually closer to 90.
- What is University Commons?
- It is a gated loft-condominium community in six restored four-story landmark buildings on Chicago's Near West Side in ZIP 60608, just south of UIC and next to University Village. The buildings were the former South Water Market produce warehouses, converted to condos in the mid-2000s.
- Are these real lofts or new construction?
- Both. Most homes are authentic timber-and-masonry loft conversions with exposed brick, heavy-timber beams, and tall industrial windows. A newer fourth floor was added during conversion, so the top-level penthouse and duplex units are effectively newer construction.
- What do the monthly assessments cover?
- Typically water, exterior and common-area maintenance, landscaping, scavenger, building insurance, cable and internet, and access to the pool, fitness center, and community rooms. Amounts scale with unit size and parking, so confirm the specific unit's assessment, reserves, and special-assessment history before buying.
- Is there parking, and is it secure?
- Yes. The community has heated underground and secured garage parking. Spaces may be deeded or rented depending on the unit and some carry a separate monthly fee, so confirm parking arrangements per listing. Given street-parking pressure in the area, a garage space is worth prioritizing.
- What schools serve University Commons?
- Chicago Public Schools assigns by address and offers choice and magnet options. Listing data links the community to Smyth Elementary, an IB school, and Jungman Elementary, with Smyth often cited as the University Village neighborhood school. High school assignment is less clearly documented, so always confirm current attendance boundaries by exact address using the CPS School Locator.
- What do homes cost here?
- Pricing varies widely by size, floor, and whether the unit is a smaller loft or a large corner, penthouse, or duplex. Rather than quote a number that goes stale, check the live Market snapshot on this page for current listings and recent activity.
- Who is the real estate agent for University Commons?
- Joe Keegan is the local licensed Illinois real estate broker who covers University Commons 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 University Commons 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 University Commons
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
University Commons, 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
$337,500
Typical sale price · last 90 days
$353,950
Homes for sale right now
4
Avg time on market
24 days
Sold in the last year
25
This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by Midwest Real Estate Data, LLC for the period August 10, 2025 through August 10, 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.
Thinking of selling?
What's your home actually worth?
Not a Zestimate. A real CMA from someone who's sold this neighborhood, knows the floor plan premiums, and can tell you which upgrades the buyer pool here actually pays for.
- Pricing range with comp-by-comp logic
- Pre-list improvements that pay back, and the ones that don't
- No obligation, no spam, no auto-dialer
Schools serving University Commons
Where University Commons homes go to school
Homes in University Commons are most often zoned to Wells HS. Open a school to see its area, the district, and every home for sale that feeds it.
School assignment is derived from the school the MRED listing agent entered and is not a guarantee. Always verify current attendance boundaries with the district before writing an offer.
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