We want to be sure to clarify all previous reviews, so we’ll start with the obvious qualms.
The neighborhood is shady, that’s for sure. Between the bangs that could have been gunshots to the booms that were definitely cleared up to be only fireworks from the local kids, the sounds were somewhat intimidating (but the insulation is phenomenal, we really only heard the bangs when we were standing outside). Along with that, the folks in the neighborhood ranged from the loners talking to themselves loud and aggressively, to the friendliest folks we have ever met.
However, let none of this dissuade you. We were so wrong about everyone. The neighborhood was such a positive experience. We had much more friendly, positive experiences than negative ones. Some of our conversations with the locals were just downright pleasant and wonderful.
The apartment itself was beautiful. The owner has done such a fantastic job converting it to a very green and eco-friendly environment- he had put so much work and effort into it (which was so obvious), that we felt bad not knowing which ways we could best support his efforts. We struggled with sorting out what needs to be recycled, and that all stems from the owner’s great care for his temporary tenants and for the environment around him.
The owner is fantastic. His wonderful smart/green home tracked humidity and ventilation, and since we are from such a drier climate than Chicago, he was thoughtful enough to message us saying something along the lines of “hey, I see you’re running the ventilation on high, that’s fine but it may lead to a dump of humidity into the apartment and less comfort,” which highlighted his concern for his guests. Him and his wife sat outside and chatted with us, letting us pet their dogs and talk about ourselves and them, and it was great. One of us is a combat veteran, and one night, the fireworks were much more intense than normal. The owner made sure to come down and check on us, to be sure we were okay.
The location is excellent. Ten minutes’ walk to the closest train station, which legitimately gets you anywhere you need to go. CTA is the best public transport we’ve ever seen.
We can’t say how much we appreciated them. The apartment was clean and wonderful. We highly recommend this place to anyone considering it.