We had an absolutely wonderful stay at David’s place. The apartment is as described but bigger: bright, sunny, spacious, and spotless. The bay window creates a large sunny area in the living room in addition to the sitting area space. There are smart TVs in both bedrooms and the living room. The mattresses on the beds are very comfortable and look new. Because of COVID we wanted a place where we would not feel cooped up and gather with family whom we were visiting nearby. As we had hoped this was a place that allowed us to spread out, hang out and, have family meals, and room for everyone to find their own space if a nap was needed.
The apartment was spotless, with a great shower, and all the comforts of home.
In addition, I taught remotely while staying at David’s, and it worked very well. Lots of natural light for my zoom appearances and good internet.
David was the most gracious host, attentive and responsive to anything we needed (thank you for the kettle!). He has an enormous collection of board games and brought up a few. We are addicted to Codenames now.
West Rogers Park is real Chicago with 2-flats like this one, small apartment buildings, and bungalows. There are ethnic grocery stores and restaurants within a few blocks. On Devon Avenue you see Orthodox Jews walking to synagogue, Russian babushkas and Indian families shopping. This was a Korean neighborhood at one time, and two excellent Korean restaurants are around the corner. On a cold Chicago night the kimchi soup from Yeowoosai was amazing. What isn’t in walking distance is a short drive away. David gave us overnight parking permits that one needs for street parking in Chicago neighborhoods. We brought in or had delivered amazing Indian, Mexican, and Turkish food. All the famous deep dish pizza places are a short drive away: the original Lou Malnati’s location (the best) and various versions of Burt’s (we had Gulliver’s). And Oberweis ice cream, another Chicago favorite. Levinson’s bakery is a short walk away, this is where I used to get fruit filled birthday cakes when we lived in Chicago. I highly recommend City Fresh Market on Devon, a short drive away for inexpensive and extensive produce, fresh Croatian bread and dairy products, and Italian (?) pastries. We went to Old Orchard Mall and a favorite deli in Skokie - about 20 minutes drive.
The apartment was very reasonably priced and I highly recommend it. We had a wonderful time. Thank you David and Sonia.