Because this is a blog about unusually unattractive new buildings in Chicago's residential neighborhoods, I cannot resist inaugurating it with this doozy: Would you spend $1.9 million for this giant, 4-bedroom, 4.5 bathroom single-family mirror? If your answer is no, you are not alone. The property, at 1809 N. Hoyne Ave. (at the corner of W. Churchill St., just north of North Ave.) in Bucktown, has been on the market since August 2007, but no takers quite yet. Apparently the building's jacuzzi, radiant heat, "smart-home wiring," spa/steam shower and bidet (!) do not adequately distract from its massive reflective facade. I wonder if anyone actually craves a building like this ("I demand Bucktown's biggest window!"), and am amazed that, according to the real-estate company marketing it, the developer may have designed it with no specific buyer in mind. That's quite a gamble. With complete corner exposure, whoever buys this home is buying the notoriety that comes with owning one of the strangest objects in Bucktown. Its ugliness is compounded by the converted warehouse directly across the street, which does a much better job of blending condos into the neighborhood. I'm all for creative residential designs, but I'm also a fan of continuity, of buildings that blend together enough in style and size to create the sense of a neighborhood - rather than a fashion runway. This building, a member of @properties' "Luxury Collection," is a great example of why long-time residents of neighborhoods like Bucktown fear change so much. Neighborhood change can be good. But it doesn't have to be this ugly (note on the picture: $1.9 million buys only the left side of the semi-circle):

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