NEMA Chicago

NEMA Chicago is the amenity arms race taken to its logical extreme — and then some. 800 units, 76 floors, and an amenity package that reads like a five-star resort: two outdoor pools, an indoor pool, a fitness center, a bowling alley, a golf simulator, a movie theater, a basketball court, and a full 16th-floor amenity deck with CoWork. It's genuinely unmatched in Chicago's rental market.

But the real story at NEMA is the two-tier structure. The building is divided into the Signature Residences (floors 2–47) and the Skyline Collection (floors 49–76). Understanding which tier you're in — or aspiring to — changes the calculus entirely.

Signature Residences are the main event: studios through three-bedrooms with custom-designed David Rockwell pendant lighting in the kitchens, Caesarstone countertops, and private balconies in many units. Residents have full access to the 16th-floor amenity deck. These are excellent apartments at a premium price.

The Skyline Collection is a building within a building. Two- to four-bedroom residences on floors 49–76, with upgraded custom kitchens, walk-in closets, large balconies, and select units with 20-square-foot private outdoor terraces. Pricing starts at $4,899 for two-bedrooms, $6,013 for three-bedrooms, and $14,900 for four-bedrooms. Skyline residents get a completely separate amenity tier: a private 48th-floor outdoor terrace with park and lake views, The Chicago Room (a glass-enclosed event space with a 98-inch 4K display, full catering kitchen, and immersive sound system), six private executive boardrooms, a private lounge, priority parking, a dedicated porter, complimentary continental breakfast and coffee service, a luxury lifestyle concierge, and exclusive guest suites. It is, in effect, a private club.

Designed by Rafael Viñoly (who also designed 432 Park Avenue in New York), NEMA is sleek, modern, and in excellent condition. The views from the upper floors — Grant Park, the lake, the skyline — are spectacular. The building has a private entrance and dedicated lobby for Skyline residents, with high-speed elevators serving the upper floors.

The trade-offs are real. At 800 units, the building can feel like a small city. The shared amenities get crowded on weekends. The South Loop location is improving but still has rough patches north toward the Loop. And the rent is high at every tier — you're paying for amenities whether you use them or not.

The South Loop has been transforming for 20 years and is still mid-transformation. Grant Park and the Museum Campus are right there — Soldier Field, the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium are all walkable. The lakefront path is excellent. But the neighborhood north of the building toward the Loop can feel sparse, and some blocks still have a rough edge.

The Roosevelt CTA stop is a 5-minute walk, giving you Red, Orange, and Green Line access. Mariano's is close. But you're not in a neighborhood with a lot of street-level energy — it's more of a "live here, go elsewhere" situation.