1500-1506 East 53rd Street, Chicago
technical data · neighborhood and transit
Quick answers
- Does 1500-1506 East 53rd Street have open permits or code violations?
- Chicago Department of Buildings lists 48 permits, 24 not closed, and 56 violations, 23 open.
- What is the 2026 conforming loan limit in Cook County?
- $832,750 for a single-unit home, per FHFA. Larger loans are jumbo loans.
- Is radon a problem here?
- EPA radon zone 2, moderate potential.
- What natural disasters is 1500-1506 East 53rd Street at risk for?
- FEMA's National Risk Index rates the area relatively low overall, with elevated cold wave risk.
Permits and code violations
24 permits not closed out. Unfinished permits pass to the next owner. 23 open violations.
- Permit - renovation/alteration Mar 2026Active
Spr 2019 cbrc: revision to permit 101063535 to upgrade the kitchen hood duct system to black iron with a 2-hr fire wrap and address existing structural conditions encountered in the field. (iiia construction) (structural peer review) certified plan corrections.
- Permit – express permit program Sep 2025Complete
Low voltage/communication electrical work. install data/video. install security. specific location: first floor.
- Permit - signs Sep 2025
Chick-fil-a: internally illuminated, double sided face-lit projecting sign (e 53rd st elevation) - 6'-5"h x 3'-9" projection (24 sqft)
- Permit - signs Sep 2025
Chick-fil-a: internally illuminated face-lit wall sign (e 53rd st elevation) - 3'-0"h x 7'-1"w (21 sqft)
- Permit – express permit program Sep 2025Complete
Scope: nonstructural interior alteration to remove one nonload bearing partition and door, replace dyrwall, finishes and millwork, add light fixture and associated electrical. no plumbing or electrical. locations: 0 residential unit(s), 1 non-residential unit(s), commercial rental unit.
- Permit - signs Sep 2025
Chick-fil-a: non-illuminated wall sign (east elevation at entrance visiblt to public way) - 2'-7"h x 3-0"w (8 sqft); welcome friends and neighbors hyde park
- Permit - renovation/alteration Jun 2025Active
Spr 2019: revision to permit 101063535 for necessary structural changes to address existing conditions encountered in the field (occupancy group a2; type iiia construction) with structural peer review
- Permit - renovation/alteration May 2025Active
Spr 2019: interior alterations to existing 1st floor retail space for new restaurant as per plans. (occupancy group a2; type iiia construction).the basement is non-occupiable and will not be used for storage.
- Permit – express permit program Feb 2025Suspended
Scope: nonstructural interior preparatory demolition to remove drywall/non-load bearing partitions and mep. all other work under application/permit # 101063535. locations: 0 residential unit(s), 1 non-residential unit(s), basement and first floor.
- Permit - renovation/alteration Dec 2024Active
Self-cert 2019 cbrc to remove small existing service bar within existing restaurant and replace with new service bar. work includes new sinks, installation of equipment with connections to plumbing and electric per plans. all work to be interior.
- Permit - signs Aug 2024
Awning 12'-4 3/4" x 4' on harper street
- Permit - signs Aug 2024
Awning 22'-8" x 4' no copy on 53rd
Chicago Department of Buildings
Safety and environment
FEMA natural hazard risk
Relatively Low
Highest for this area: cold wave. These drive insurance cost here.
FEMA National Risk Index, census tract
Leaking fuel tanks
12 within 1,650 ft
Nearest: Northeast Illinois Railroad Corp., 49th St. In Day Ryan Expressway (400 ft), open. 2 still open. Ask whether groundwater or soil vapor testing was done.
EPA UST Finder, leaking underground storage tank releases
Radon potential
Moderate
Average indoor levels of 2 to 4 pCi/L. EPA still suggests testing ground-floor and basement units.
EPA and USGS Geologic Radon Potential Map
Nearest public schools
1,100 ft
Murray Elem Language Academy (1,100 ft), Kenwood Academy High School (1,350 ft), Bret Harte Elem School (2,300 ft). Confirm the assigned school with the district.
U.S. Department of Education, NCES
Major airport
8.5 mi
Chicago Midway (MDW). Aircraft may be audible under approach paths.
FAA large-hub airports
Sinkhole-prone ground
Limestone karst
The bedrock here (dolostone (dolomite), Silurian) can dissolve and open sinkholes. Ask for a geotechnical report and check whether sinkhole coverage is in the insurance policy.
USGS Karst in the United States (OFR 2014-1156)
Conforming loan limit 2026
$832,750
Cook County. Mortgages up to this amount qualify for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pricing. Above it, the loan is a jumbo with stricter terms.
FHFA Conforming Loan Limit Values, one-unit
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Who lives and works in Chicago
Trading floors, logistics and the deepest architecture stock in America
Chicago carries a full corporate economy at a price the coasts do not match. Neighborhoods are distinct and walkable, two and three flats are everywhere, and the Loop still sets the commute for finance, law and consulting.
- $71,673
- median household income
- 18.9%
- residents aged 25 to 34
- 45%
- households that own their home
What pays the bills
- Finance and trading
- Logistics and rail
- Law and consulting
- Healthcare
- Manufacturing
Who anchors the economy
CME Group · Boeing suppliers · University of Chicago · Northwestern Medicine · United Airlines
The market is shaped around
- Young professionals
- Families buying space
- Two and three flat owners
More on East 53rd Street
All addressesViewing recommendations
What's worth checking in person before deciding.
- The building has commercial space on the ground floor. Ask about their hours, check where the ventilation or refrigeration units are, and what time deliveries happen in the morning.
- Test water pressure and temperature at the tap, in the bathroom and kitchen, for at least a minute.
- Knock on a neighboring door and ask two things: what bothers them most often, and what work is planned for the building.
- Ask specifically where you'd park: is there paid city parking, who currently holds it, what the permit costs, and how long the waitlist is.
- Schedule a viewing on a weekday too, between 6:00 and 7:30 PM, the window when the building is busiest: neighbors, parking, elevator.
- Look at the stairwell (cleanliness, smell) and the association's notice board: unpaid dues, conflicts, recent decisions.
- Ask for the latest maintenance bill from a winter month, not a summer one: that's where the real cost of living there shows up.
Neighborhood recommendations are derived from public OpenStreetMap data and may be incomplete. Checking in person is still what matters most.