Karen is awesome and her place is wonderful! She is a great host, very accommodating and genuinely cared about our stay in Chicago. This was my first experience renting outside of a hotel and she made it a fabulous one. I appreciated her artsy style and taste in decor. Her spacious, historic condo is conveniently located to several beaches, museums, and @ 20 minutes from downtown. The views from her place are breathaking. I can't count the number of times I stared out of her windows amazed at the skyline and lake views. My kids were so intrigued with the "cool, old fashioned" elevator too! Oh and we loved being able to cook in her home for our family. She had everything we needed. For anyone wondering about staying in the South Shore area, it's fine. Granted, it's not the most upscale neighborhood and parts of it can seem questionable, but this is Chicago and her place is in the very best part of the South Shore area. I would be honored to stay here the next time I'm in Chicago. I'm sure you will love it just as much as we did. Highly doubt we will stay in another hotel again!