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Sweet Chicago Rental: 1-Bedroom in Time for Opening Day, $995

Nathaniel Swift — 2010-03-17T15:00:00 00:00

Move into this Sweet Rental by April, and you can unpack in time to welcome your new neighbors, the Chicago Cubs, when they arrive at Wrigley Field to open the season against the Brewers on April 12th.

This one-bedroom rental is a great deal at $995 a month (including heat), in a beautiful brick building on Cornelia Avenue a short block south of the historic and beautiful ballpark. For four or five months each year, it's a quiet, family-friendly neighborhood near Lake Michigan surrounded by restaurants, bars and boutique shops. But for 81 days a year (and hopefully a few weeks longer in October), this neighborhood belongs to Cubs fans.
If you're one of those fans, or if you're ready to begin the life-long journey of hope and heartbreak, this might be your dream rental -- it's a quick walk to the bleachers, you'll be able to sing along with the celebrities from your balcony during the seventh inning stretch, and you might just run into Ryan Dempster walking home after a game.

There are drawbacks, of course, to being so close to the action -- the Cubs set new attendance records almost every season, and the crowds can be overwhelming when you're trying to bring home groceries. The tree-lined street gives you some shelter from the storm, but you'll want to keep a Cubs schedule handy and plan your errands accordingly.

The floor plan includes a large bedroom, living room with bay windows, a modern island kitchen, hardwood floors and a balcony. The pet-friendly building has a bike room, laundry and much-needed rental parking available.

Next year is here!

Read about more Sweet Chicago Rentals or find your own in our listings.

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Sweet Chicago Rental: Life's a Beach at $1,400

Nathaniel Swift — 2010-03-16T08:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Lifestyle,Renting

Love the Midwest but miss the ocean? The views and beaches in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood will make fans of either coast feel at home, especially from the 24th-floor balcony of this Sweet Rental overlooking Hollywood Beach. The unobstructed southeast views include sandy beaches and green parks along the shore of Lake Michigan, Lake Shore Drive and the Chicago skyline in the background.

This newly rehabbed one-bedroom rental condo in Edgewater's Hollywood Towers is priced at $1,400 a month including utilities, cable and Internet. It's available May 1, just in time to watch the bike path and beaches wake up from the long Chicago winter. Better yet, pull the roller blades out of hibernation and join the annual celebration as the city shakes off the snow and stretches its legs.

This North Side Chicago building features a fantastic outdoor pool and deck, exercise room, bike storage and 24-hour door staff, plus valet parking available for $155 a month.

Read about more Sweet Chicago Rentals or find your own in our listings.

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I Want This House! The Heart of Lincoln Park for $2.3M

Nathaniel Swift — 2010-03-03T11:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Lifestyle

Lincoln Park has been on the list of "hot" Chicago neighborhoods since the Great Fire warmed its southern boundaries. Today the heat is provided by a young, energetic demographic (fueled by DePaul University and a staggering number of restaurants, bars and clubs) and rows of luxury single-family townhomes. It's been a frequent destination of mine for work and play over the last 10 years, and it's one of my top locations for a dream Chicago home.

And I may have found it.

1220 West Wrightwood, a 4,400 square foot 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath home listed just under $2.3M, sits right in the heart of the neighborhood, along tree-lined Wrightwood Avenue within walking distance to campus, shops, nightlife and the lake. Of course, all the homes in the area share the "location, location, location" perk, and most of the newer homes offer similar amenities to the brick-and-limestone facade, premium oak floors and wood-burning fireplace featured here.

The detail that grabbed me here is the back yard - I've always had a soft spot for a good deck, especially in a city environment; there's nothing like a soul-cleansing cup of coffee on a crisp fall morning surrounded by wood and nature. This back yard is designed for cleansing souls - a small private deck sits above a stone patio, and a huge brick, wood-burning fireplace rises from the patio to deck level, creating an intimate outdoor refuge from the excitement of Lincoln Park.

The interior blends wood and stone as well, with flowing rooms and a high-coffered ceiling. A 2-car attached garage with a front entrance makes the tricky street parking irrelevant, and the open kitchen / dining room makes me glad there's room in the garage for guests. And after dinner, we're all heading to the back yard to chat by the fire.

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Sweet Chicago Rental: Buena Park Studios for $700

Nathaniel Swift — 2010-01-28T12:27:00 00:00

The Times Square Apartments at 869 W. Buena Avenue in Chicago pick up on a subtle theme in the neighborhood - the building's outdoor light fixtures brighten Broadway, two theaters perform in its first floor storefront, and Manhattan Liquors sits across the street.

But it doesn't need all those tricks. In the last few years Buena Park, a north side neighborhood on Lake Michigan, has become a hot neighborhood. Recent developments (including a massive Borders that opened in 2004, a row of intimate restaurants just south of the Sheridan stop on the Red Line, and balcony-laden condos throughout the neighborhood) mingle comfortably with some of Chicago's most beautiful historic homes.

But why this building?

The Times Square Apartments were renovated in the mid-2000s, with a small but handy fitness center (complete with wallpaper that really makes you want to run while on the treadmill), a roof deck with skyline views, and a 7-11 on the ground floor. You do need to walk outside for a Big Bite, but just barely, which can be a lifesaver on some winter nights in Chicago. And no matter how cold it gets, it's always worth bundling up for the walk across the street to sample the impressive beer list at the Bar on Buena.

This is one of the few rental buildings in the area that welcomes cats and dogs (small ones - they do have a 40-pound limit), so expect to see some furry friends in the lobby on their way to the nearby dog park. Parking can be tricky on the side streets and pricey in neighborhood lots, but with the proximity of the Red Line and lots of convenient buses, it might be time to go green and give that CTA card some exercise.

The units, all renovated along with the building, start at $700 a month for a studio. With six floors of studios, plus, 1-bedroom and 2-bedroom floor plans, there's usually a lot of activity at Times Square. Just like you've always heard.

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