After a bumpy start, this was overall a good place to stay. I think I would stay here again, though I would probably pay a bit more to get somewhere that is better cared for. It was slightly better than what I expected, but definitely fell short of what I hoped for.
The Good:
Location. It truly was perfect - right near an L stop, a couple of good restaurants in the area, it's a nice neighborhood, and close to a wonderful park on the lake.
Size. This is a good-sized unit for Chicago, or any big city really.
Price. The price was what drew me to it (at least for when I booked), and did help offset some of the negatives.
The Bad:
The smoke detector was missing. It doesn't have a carbon monoxide detector, which I'm generally not worried about, but the interesting sounds coming from the water heater, and the faint smell of natural gas made me a little more worried than normal.
The comforter and blanket on the bed looked like they hadn't been washed in a very long time. They weren't disgusting or anything, but they definitely seemed like they aren't often washed.
The blinds were all in terrible shape, and did almost nothing to stop light from coming in, though they did definitely hinder opening the windows for some fresh air.
The bed was pretty uncomfortable. I woke up each night feeling the pain from the springs.
The Whatever:
I was told that our unit wasn't available for us the day we left for Chicago, but they had another unit in the same building that was supposed to be better that they would put us in. The whole thing felt off to me, but I agreed to it. I got a message a bit later saying she was confused on which unit had the problem, and we ended up in the one original unit. She also referred to me as Cuyler, which is the name of the street (not my name). The point is that communication wasn't the clearest, and it seems like too many rental properties may be getting managed by one overwhelmed person.
The water heater (see above) and air conditioning are very loud. This didn't bother me, but I'm sure there are some out there that would be bothered by it.
There was an overpowering smell of some kind of herbs (basil?) that I couldn't find and get rid of. I like the smell of basil, but this wasn't real pleasant.
We weren't given a dish towel, and other towels were very limited.
As I said, I would stay here again, but it wouldn't be my first choice. I just think it would be worth a bit more to stay somewhere that is being cared for better.