I've Grown Up

I think I’m in danger of finally growing up. I’m doing something I never thought I’d ever do.

I’m buying a condo. 

That’s right. My own place to live; my own pad; actual real estate. 

Sure, it’s only a 550 sq. ft. studio, but I really like the idea of having something that I can pay off in ten years. Honestly, the real estate market here in Chicago became quite the buyers’ market. When I ran the numbers and realized I could actually buy something so easily, I couldn’t pass it up. 

So, yes, I’m growing up. I met with my realtor to go over the contract and I heard myself saying grown-up words like “association fees” and “discount points” and “sewer”. It all seemed pretty surreal. 

I’ve retained a real estate attorney all by myself just like a big boy. I’ve a lender who’s approved me to pay them money for the next fifteen years. Most importantly, I’ve enlisted the help of professional movers who have promised to disassemble and reassemble my computer desk – a horrible, foreboding task that I was dreading. 

My mortgage, condo fees, and taxes result in a monthly payment that’s considerably less than I’m paying in rent right now. Sure, I’ll miss living in my wonderful, goofy Marina Towers, but I just can’t pass up a deal like this. It’s a prudent move to make and one that employed mature foresight. . . . I’m growing up.

Compared to Marina Towers downtown, this place is pretty nondescript:

But that's okay.  With all those trees, I now refer to this place as "the country." Compared to downtown, it sort of feels that way.

This condo has lots of other pluses. It’s in the nice Edgewater neighborhood, it’s two blocks from the EL station, three blocks from a large grocery store and . . . are you ready for this . . . it comes with a washer and dryer. Holy-Mother-of-God -- no more traipsing down to the laundry room and fighting over washing machines. I can now wash my underpants with complete insouciance; with careless ease. 

Oh, and it gets even better. It’s one block from the beach on the lake. Not that I would ever actually go outside and walk on the beach (a repellant activity if there ever was one) but it’s there if I’m so inclined. 

Here is the nearby Repellant Beach: 

Here’s the biggest perk. Do you remember the apartment building that Bob and Emily lived in on The Bob Newhart Show? (I blogged about it a few years ago and someone posted a link to my blog on Wikipedia.) 

Here is their apartment building that was featured on the series:

Well, Bob and Emily will be my neighbors, just one block away. Isn’t that the coolest thing ever?

I remember growing up in my Little Bitty Home Town in Texas and watching Bob Newhart ride the EL from downtown, walk to his apartment building, and wishing I could live in such a cos-mo-politan environment. I didn’t think I’d ever get to.

Now, whenever I disembark from the train like Bob did, I can look up at his apartment building, think of that thirteen year old boy who never thought he'd get to live in a big city, and realize that he finally got to grow up.

The Quest for Bob Newhart's Apartment

A couple of weeks ago, I was standing across the street from my apartment building waiting for the light to change. While standing there, I saw this guy pointing out my building to his two kids while telling them that this building was where Bob Newhart lived in The Bob Newhart Show.

I wanted to shout at him, "No! You uninformed cretin! Bob Newhart did NOT live in Marina Towers. Stop filling your kids' heads with lies!"
It's a common mistake, but the characters, Bob Newhart and his wife, Emily, did not live in Marina Towers.

I remember the series very well and enjoyed it as a teenager. I loved the opening sequence to the series where it showed Bob Newhart leaving work in downtown Chicago, walking past Marina Towers, hopping on the EL and then walking up to his high-rise apartment building (which was NOT Marina Towers).

I thought that all looked SO incredibly cosmopolitan and I really wanted to live like that someday.

I remember that his high-rise where he lived was just some sort of nondescript apartment building. I really wanted to find it. But how?

I'd like to say that it was quite a challenge to locate it; that I managed to do so after contacting an archivist at CBS who gave me the address to Bob's apartment building.

But I didn't.

I used Wikipedia.

So, today, after it snowed all morning, I decided to go on a pilgrimage to the building that was in the opening sequence of The Bob Newhart Show.

It was an easy train ride on the Red Line EL to the north side of Chicago. (The opening sequence to the Bob Newhart Show shows him riding the Brown Line from downtown - - hrumph!)

As I walked from the train, there it was.

I smiled.

I have to say that this quest began simply as something fun to do on a Sunday afternoon. But as I walked up to that building that I'd seen over and over back in the early 70s, I instantly connected to the 13-year-old back in South Texas who longed, someday, to live in Bob Newhart's city.

I'll have to admit, it was pretty special.

Anyway, here is the opening sequence to The Bob Newhart Show. And yes, you'll see Marina Towers in a couple of shots, but you'll also notice Bob walking up to his apartment building later on.

Click here.

And here's a photo of that building that I took today. Isn't that cool?
I hope this might clear up some of the confusion. Maybe the tourist who told his kids that Bob Newhart lived in Marina Towers will see this and stop filling his childrens' head with such horrible untruths.

Oh, and if any of you want to visit this site when you're in Chicago, it's located at 5901 N. Sheridan Rd. Just take the Red Line north to the Thorndale station and walk three blocks east.

Just like Bob Newhart did every day after work.