Thanks for tuning in again renters, owners, and day-trippers! The great Renters Week 2013 shouldn't be allowed to wind down without facilitating a simple rent spread for those in the game or soon to be back in the game. And so, we're laying out a number of above-average to fantastic availabilities that touch on almost every price point; starting at $1,000, creeping up by rough $500 increments for a time, and then skyrocketing into five-digit outlier territory. Without further adieu, behold the spread:
1200 W Sherwin Ave.
Stats: one-bed/one-bath, 800 sf
Price: $1,000
Skinny: A solid deal on the Rogers Park lakefront, this vintage and gut-rehabbed pad comes with a murphy bed, hardwoods, a kitchen w/ island, and a private beach. Yep, that's how they roll in the Rogers.
814 W Sunnyside Ave.
Stats: two-bed/two-bath, 1,414 sf
Rent: $1,500
Skinny: Old courtyard buildings are a dime-a-dozen in Uptown, so how on earth do you choose? It's good to go with your gut, avoid scams, and lock down anything large, clean, and updated. This one oughta work.
925 W Huron St.
Stats: two-bed/one-bath, 1,075 sf
Rent: $2,050
Skinny: This funky little spread unfolds in a desirable loft cluster of River West (b/w Grand and Chicago Blue Line stops). The high-ceilinged space has exposed timber, carpet, a new kitchen, and high-speed internet, and the building throws in a gym and clubhouse. Close to some hot nightlife and dining.
812 S State St. #30
Stats: four-bed/two-bath, 2,300 sf
Rent: $2,500
Skinny: The only townhouse on our price spread, this South Loop spot doesn't razzle or dazzle but it surely meets basic family needs without being priced for glamour. Zero views, zero architectural cache, but still a find. Highlights for some (lowlights for others) include front and back decks, an attached garage, and a gated quasi-suburban lifestyle.
1225 N Wells #801
Stats: two-bed/ two-bath, 1,166 sf
Rent: $2,963
Skinny: It's a cardinal rule that rental developers pile on "lifestyle amenities" and status at the expense of square footage. The more you think of yourself as a trendsetter the more they milk from you. With that intro we bring you 1225 N Wells, trendiest of them all. This nice and sparkly corner unit is cheapest in its class at nearly $3K/month! Seduced? Don't say we didn't warn you.
401 N Wabash Ave. #70B
Stats: one-bed/ 1.5-bath
Price: $3,500
Skinny: Unfortunately you aren't going to find many high-floor Trump condo rentals for less than this 70th floor one-bed. It takes on views to the north and east, so you'll be eye-to-eye with fellow world beaters over at the Hancock Center. The unit isn't at all fussy, with a standard layout and standard 10-foot ceilings. There is, however, access to Trump's five-star hotel hotel amenities.
800 S Clark St. #28
Stats: two-bed/three-bath, 1,627 sf
Price: $3,913
Skinny: Just because this modern high-rise unit is planted in "one of the most creative, literary and historical places," per the listing, doesn't mean any of that will rub off on you-- you have to really work at it. Hey, at the very least you can gaze down on the those toiling 'creatives' from this 28th floor lofted stakeout with private balcony.
201 W Grand Ave.
Stats: three-bed/three-bath, 1,973 sf
Price: $5,900
Skinny: You're pretty lucky to have this on the roster, folks. The exorbitant price spoils the chance for many, but this is Ralph Johnson's Contemporaine at Grand & Wells so there's no escaping the mark-up. The SE corner unit has floor-to-ceilings windows, concrete floors, high-end appliances, skyline views from every room, and a 16 x 6 balcony for "urban entertaining"— their words, not ours.
4750 S Drexel Blvd
Stats: five-bed/4.5-bath, 8,500 sf
Price: $6,900
Skinny: Visit the listing, by all means, but you won't glean anything more visually. We've got that covered in a prior post. You'd think the raw stats and facade are more than enough to stir up broad interest in this Kenwood single-fam, but not with the atrocities committed to 1893 home's interiors. The place has been listed for rent on Zillow for nearly 14 months—an alarming amount of time—and the asking rent has slipped just $600.
1930 N Orchard St.
Stats: five-bed/4.5-bath
Price: $9,000
Skinny: This next spot offers a much needed palate cleanse, even if $9K/month is pretty rich for a Lincoln Park cottage. The owners are probably emboldened by the double lot, detached garage, and very well-kept and architecturally exciting house. The place sports hardwoods throughout, Juliet balconies, and fireplaces. You be the judge.
1352 N LaSalle
Stats: four-bed/3.5-bath, 10,000 sf
Rent: $30,000
Skinny: We had to skip more than $20K in monthly rent to get to this final listing: the "house the margarine built" at 1352 N LaSalle in Old Town. Read more about the home of Margarine's inventor John F. Jelke and the waves of seedy happenings attached to the property. And guess what? It's for sale too for a somehow-more-reasonable $3.5M.