In Chicago, koi ponds come in all shapes and sizes. There are the small, tidy ponds of Lincoln Park, Lakeview and the Gold Coast that are lined by handsome flagstones. On the South Side, the ponds get a little bigger, and occasionally you'll find an above-ground pond (a distant relative of above-ground pools). And then there's Bridgeport, where koi ponds are surrounded by a sea of concrete and brick. Are koi ponds considered must-have amenities here in Chicago? Not exactly, considering that our search only yielded about a dozen results (including one rental listing).
1. The Place: 801 W. Castlewood [Koenig & Strey]
The Price: $2.99 million
The Pond: Perhaps the tidiest pond of the lot, this sunken Castlewood Terrace pond has some big fish, some nice lilies, and a big fountain. The pond comes with a newer home on a large corner lot in Uptown.
2. The Place: 1035 W. Wolfram [Southport Sotheby's]
The Price: $824,500
The Pond: The listing doesn't provide much in the way of context, but the koi pond, with thick algae, a few big fish, and a small waterfall, looks rather lovely.
3. The Place: 10819 S. Artesian [Redfin]
The Price: $379,900
The Pond: "Here in lies the perfect oasis featuring the city's 1st place winning garden," claims the listing, and we don't doubt it, because this place looks gorgeous.
4. The Place: 5111 S. Luna [Classic Realty Group]
The Price: $185,000
The Pond: Almost swimming pool-size, this Garfield Ridge koi pond is the largest of the lot, and it looks like it has a creek that feeds into it.
5. The Place: 3438 W. 66th [Century 21]
The Price: $159,900
The Pond: A great example of an 'above-ground' pond, this style of pond would be well suited for a roof deck or terrace.
6. The Place: 4535 N. Beacon [Luxe Marketing]
The Price: $519,000
The Pond: This Uptown listing has one of the lushest backyards in the neighborhood, and hidden beneath those bamboo shoots and a thick layer of lilies is apparently a small pond. As we mentioned in April, the home was built more than a century ago, and it has 5 beds and 2.5 baths.
7. The Place: 905 W. Castlewood [Koenig & Strey]
The Price: $1.3 million
The Pond: What can we say about this place that we haven't already? The waterfall and koi pond are among the best in the city, and the rest of the yard is nothing to sneeze at, either.
8. The Place: 1229 W. Norwood
The Price: $1.5 million
The Pond: Another serious contender, this pond is found in the leafy neighborhood of Edgewater Glen. We'd gladly sip a margarita next to this one.
9. The Place: Winchester & Division
The Price: $1,600/month
The Pond: The lone rental on our list, this Wicker Park backyard features one of the prettier ponds in town, surrounded by big flagstones and shaded by some nice trees.
10. The Place: 430 W. 37th [Goodland Realty]
The Price: $539,000
The Pond: It isn't quite as sad-looking as that nearby swimming pool we looked at earlier this week, but with all that brick, gravel and concrete surrounding it, it bears a certain resemblance to it.
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