River North’s best apartments – pet-friendliness

Earlier posts in our series on the best apartment towers in River North concentrated on their location. We spotlighted the buildings with the best views, the most convenient grocery shopping, the best access to retail shops, public transit, parks and beaches , the expressway grid, the most nearby dining and nightlife, and the shortest walking distance to the Loop.

We then shifted focus to the buildings themselves, beginning with affordability, the topic that’s top-of-mind with many renters, and moving on to the best building amenities and boutique ambiance.

Pet-friendliness is the first category in which we’re taking a pass on singling out winners.

Two River North buildings disqualify themselves by allowing only cats: Asbury Plaza and The Chicagoan. The remaining buildings impose a variety of limits on dogs based on their number, size and breed.

Simply accepting dogs isn’t enough to make a building “pet-friendly.” Dogs may not be allowed on every floor of a building, and substantial pet fees / rent charges are common. Some buildings have private dog runs on-site, and some don’t. Only one River North building, Parc Huron, has ready access to a public park.

A major reason for our reluctance to single out pet-friendly buildings is that many dog owners have a very different perception of whether a building is pet-friendly after they’ve lived in it for a while. Hostile neighbors, poorly maintained pet areas and the individual experiences of an owner’s pet(s) can turn a “pet-friendly” building into one you want to leave.

Chime in with a comment if you disagree with our approach on this topic, or want to nominate a winner.

You’ll find links to our objective, visually-rich apartment reviews of River North buildings and links to near real-time availability checks for most of them, at our at-a-glance list, and some tips and advice at our Guide to renting in River North.

In the above video I adopt a pet-friendly approach to a friendly pet at One Superior Place.

Next topic: Best apartment finishes and features.

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