This is the way to do Chicago! Staying at Suzanne's place made our vacation perfect. The apartment is situated in a beautiful neighborhood just outside of the downtown- it was safe and quiet. There was a beautiful little family owned grocery store that had everything we needed and the kitchen made it easy to cook food that we bought there. The apartment was located near a whole bunch of nice Italian restaurants also- so we never had to go far to look for something to eat. Further the apartment was located near the Western Ave "L" station, so getting in and out of the city was a breeze.
The apartment was perfect for me and my friend. I took the bedroom with the comfy bed and my friend took the comfy pullout couch in the next room. It was enough space for the two of us. The decor was modern and comfortable... it felt like being "home" every time we walked in. I loved the automatic door locks too... I never took keys with me the whole time and it felt great! The furnishings seemed new (mostly Ikea furniture so it was stylish, sturdy, and comfortable.) and the floor ( ca 1890) was perfectly cared for and polished. There was very stylish tile in the kitchen. All the appliances were new as well. It was a great place to cook food in- or store leftovers in the big fridge!
Finally, our host, Suzanne, was great. She left music in the record player for when we got there, chocolates on the counter to greet us and clear instructions about how to leave the house and what to do in the neighborhood. Suzanne was extremely responsive via the AirBNB app. Leading up to the trip we had good exchanges online and once we go there we only needed one thing from her and she was quick to get back to us with what we needed. She was so nice and personable during the whole process.
I have been to Chicago before... stayed in hotels in the suburbs and downtown (The Hyatt) and this is just so much better- staying in Suzanne's place was so much better than any hotel I have ever stayed in- and it made this the best trip to Chicago I have ever had!
It felt like I lived in Chicago. It was so easy and wonderful. If you are going by yourself or with another person, I can't recommend Suzanne's place enough!!! Thanks Suzanne!