Closets an amenity at River's Edge

Chances are that if you were to look at the marketing literature presented by most condominium developers, the last item you might find listed -- if at all -- is closets.

After all, compared with such concerns as location, a maintenance-free lifestyle, luxury amenities and investment values, closets would not seem to carry much weight.

"It's true that, compared with all those other concerns and considerations, closets don't have much sex appeal," suggests Helen Weiss, vice president of Weiss Development Corp. "But whether you're talking about baby boomers who want to downsize, or urban professionals who are still building their life together, and accumulating a wardrobe as they go -- two groups that might not seem to have much in common -- generous closet space is probably a universally indispensable item."

One of Weiss Development's current communities is River's Edge, a condominium complex of 80 residences in two five-story buildings on a five-acre site in Vernon Hills, bordering Lincolnshire.

"Of course," adds Weiss, "nobody is going to buy one of these residences just because it has good closet space. … But closets certainly have carried their share of interest in persuading shoppers to make condominiums like those at River's Edge their future home."

Six two-bedroom/two-bath designs, some with additional dens or formal dining rooms, and one three-bedroom/2½-bath plan are available for purchase. The residences range in size from 1,550 to 2,325 square feet with private balconies and are priced from $349,900 to $538,000. (Prices and availability are subject to change without notice).

Only 10 residences remain available in the first phase.

Weiss said young professionals are looking for condominiums -- and closets -- for the space they provide immediately, and for the potential they hold as they start thinking about a family. Empty nesters have raised their families and now have the house to themselves once again, only to find that while the house itself may be too big for just two, the items amassed during a generation need plenty of space in any new home they find.

With its Arts & Crafts architecture blending into the north end of the Half Day Forest Preserve, River's Edge also boasts a private 1.2-acre nature park with the Des Plaines River bike trail to its east.

The sales center is now based at River's Edge, situated on the east side of Milwaukee Avenue, 1½ blocks north of Route 22; enter on Benjamin Drive. Office hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For information, call (847) 821-8080 or visit the company's Web site at www.WeissDevelopment.com.