Sam Zell: Real Estate Magician

You've got to admire guys like Sam Zell, whose entrepreneurial humble beginnings helped him to eventually amass a fortune in real estate.

He's a Chicagoan, after all. Born in 1941 to Polish refugees and raised in a neighborhood not far from where my husband's family hails.

I had been to Chicago on business trips but never for pleasure before I met my husband. When we lived in Minneapolis, we regularly hopped an hour flight to Chicago to spend the weekend. I like to see cities through the eyes of the people who live there, which is why, except for Wrigley's Field, I don't visit most tourist places. As a result, I know where to buy really cheap meat ends, how to spot a true Chicago hot dog and the best places to get authentic Dim Sum. I have also peeked inside the newsroom at the Chicago Tribune.

Now, I read that Sam Zell might sell the Times Mirror Square in Los Angeles, including the Chicago Tribune building, which is a 1925 Chicago landmark on Magnificent Mile. He wants to "maximize the value," he says . . . read more about Sam Zell.

More Articles by Elizabeth Weintraub:

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• Retire Rich From Real Estate

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