I would highly recommend Mark's place! We stayed there about 6 weeks while we were between apartments, and it was the perfect balance of convenience, affordability, and comfort. I think it would be a quintessentially Chicago place to stay for out-of-towners as well - a beautiful old two-flat style building on a typically Chicago lot, in a fun and safe neighborhood, with easy access to CTA and Northside attractions like Lincoln Park and Wrigley Field.