Earlier posts in our series on the best apartment towers in the South Loop concentrated on their location. We spotlighted the South Loop apartment buildings with the best views, the most convenient grocery shopping, the best access to public transit, parks and beaches, retail shoppingthe expressway grid, dining and nightlife, retail shopping, and the shortest walk 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.
All of the major South Loop apartment buildings accept cats and dogs, subject to various limits and fees, and we’re reluctant to single out any of them as more pet-friendly than the others.
Simply accepting dogs isn’t enough to make a building “pet-friendly.” Dogs may not be allowed on every floor of a building. Substantial pet fees / rent charges are common, and a variety of breed and weight limits apply. Some buildings have private dog runs on-site, and some don’t.
A major reason for our not spotlighting the most 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.
The South Loop is a dog-dense neighborhood. The South Loop Dog Park Action Cooperative is a good source of information about local dog-friendly areas.
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 South Loop buildings, and links to near real-time availability checks for most of the buildings, at our at-a-glance list, and some tips and advice at our Guide to renting in the South Loop.
Next topic: Apartment finishes.