With five children ages 11 to 22, Jack and JoAnn Porter enjoy getting away for the occasional night by themselves. And downtown Chicago, with its variety of theater venues and restaurants, is a favorite destination for the Elmhurst couple.

However, the Porters often found the logistics of a night in the city more of a headache than a treat.

"The parking, the traffic ... sometimes it was more trouble than it was worth driving into the city from the suburbs," JoAnn Porter said.

But with their recent purchase of a one-bedroom condominium at Printers Corner, a new boutique mid-rise in Chicago's Printers Row, the couple looks forward to enjoying a weekend in the city without the inconveniences.

Located on the northeast corner of Polk and Wells streets, Printers Corner includes 88 condominiums. Floor plans include one-, two- and three-plus bedrooms with one to three baths, which provide from 743 to 2,290 square feet of space. Base prices range from the $270,000s to the $800,000s. Parking spaces are available from $36,000.

The Porters discovered Printers Corner while searching for a condominium for their 19-year-old son Michael while he attends nearby Columbia College.

"We saw a lot of newspaper ads for condos in the Printers Row area, and decided to focus our search there," Porter said. "When we visited the sales center at Printers Corner, we were really impressed with the building. We thought it was far too nice for a college student, so we decided to buy a condominium and use it as a weekend retreat for ourselves. The location is just perfect - it's close to the theater district, museums, and of course all sorts of restaurants."

The Porters chose a one-bedroom, one-bath condominium on the 14th floor that faces east with views of Chicago's skyline.

"We also liked that this is new construction in a not- exceptionally-large building. A lot of features that we wanted were offered as standard: crown molding, granite counters, 10-foot ceilings and a balcony," Porter said.

"What really sold us on the home was that we wouldn't have to upgrade anything - there's literally nothing I would change. We looked at other buildings in the area, and there was no comparison."

The condominium comes with a number of upscale finishes, including a 42-inch plasma television, 1 1/4-inch granite kitchen countertops, imported Italian kitchen cabinetry, stainless-steel appliances, hardwood flooring, floor-to-ceiling corner windows, crown molding, a washer and dryer, a tech center and a balcony.

The Porters also bought a parking spot with their condominium.

"Since we'll be coming in from the city on weekends when street parking can be difficult, it was important to us to have our own parking spot," Porter said. "We also like that the assessments in the building are so low. We're not putting a lot of money toward building amenities we would only use on the weekends."

Monthly assessments range from $200 to $270 for one-bedroom units; $300 to $370 for two-bedroom units and about $700 for three- bedroom units. These cover gas, water, heat and air conditioning.

The Porters will move into their new condominium in fall 2007 and are already planning how they will spend time in their city retreat.

"With the kids getting older and heading off to school, we'll have a lot more free time," Porter said. "We're looking forward to using the condo as our home base when we go out to the theater or try out a new restaurant. We have several friends who also have second homes in the city, so it will be fun to meet up with them."

Porter said the condominium will be a convenient place for visiting friends and family.

Michael, now a sophomore at Columbia, is living on campus.

"We'll probably let the kids use the condo, too," she said. "But of course, Jack and I will always get first dibs."

Printers Corner is within walking distance of the city's financial district, historic Dearborn Station, Millennium Park and Harold Washington Library with access to expressways and the CTA's Blue Line.

The Printers Corner sales center is located at 47 W. Polk St. in Suite G15 in the south end of Dearborn Station. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday to Wednesday. Call (312) 880-1800 or visit www.printerscorner.com.