Welcome to Curbed Comparisons, a column that explores what one can rent for a set dollar amount in various Chicago neighborhoods. Today's price: $4,500/month, with exemplars from the South Loop, Streeterville, Old Town, and Lincoln Park. Dig in, and don't forget to cast a vote for your favorite!
↑ An exceptional space in Streeterville's Onterie Center is available for $4,500/month. Marketed as "loft" spaces with private balconies and sloping window bays, you'll also find "uncommon extras like the gourmet kitchens with state-of-the-art appliances, open living and dining areas with floor-to-ceiling windows, well appointed baths, and generous closet space," per the listing copy. Onterie Center doles out a roof deck, pool, and a spa/health club. The 3/2 unit has been on the rental market for two months which could indicate overpricing or merely that high-priced properties take longer to move.
↑ A 4-bed single-fam in quiet, walkable Old Town is posting a $4,500/month rental ask. Here, the pristine and irregular interior and outdoor spaces almost make the expenditure worthwhile. More specifically it's the lush gardens, patios, trellis, roof deck, skylit marble bathroom, and vaulted ceilings that the landlord might build her case around.
↑ This is a bizarre South Loop/Printers Row find that surfaced a year or two ago in a less savory light. It's back this week as a renovated $4,500/month Burnham Park Plaza rental— a 21-story, 216-unit building that's majority condo and minority rental. By the raw numbers, this is some really good value: 3,100 square feet; 1,000-square-foot wraparound 19th floor balcony; three bedrooms; and two full and two half baths. The duplex also sports a wood-burning fireplace and a gourmet kitchen. Not everyone loves this in-between part of town, but the address is close to transit, groceries, and the business district.
↑ Sure we're repeating ourselves, but this 3/3 Lincoln Park penthouse is that well suited to the task. A selection in our Renters Week penthouse roundup, the large park and lake-bordering 30th floor unit has wraparound windows, hardwood floors, marble baths, and a $4,500/month asking rent. Gone is the $500 rebate for Jan & Feb, but 'tis the spendthrift season.
↑ Finally, direct what's left of your lunch hour to ogling this scarce lower-level duplex townhouse at Streeterville's ParkView condos. The living room enjoys a double-height ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows, cherry hardwoods fill the home, and there are two terraces— one pointing at pool and lake; the other at park. On the market for about a month, the 1,700-square-footer wants $4,400/month.