Chicago’s Loop includes the area known as the New East Side, which in turn includes the Lakeshore East development. You’ll find all of your major apartment options in the Loop and New East Side on our at-a-glance list of downtown apartments.
Our goal is to help you find the apartment that best fits your needs. Renters simply have so many differing priorities – and budget constraints – that singling out an overall best building would be a pointless exercise. We’ll identify the Loop / New East Side buildings that rank highest on each of eighteen different criteria in three main groups:
Location. Views; Grocery shopping convenience; Public transit access; Close to parks, beaches; Proximity to the expressway grid; Walking distance to Loop; Most dining, nightlife nearby; retail shopping
Building features. Affordability; Building amenities; Boutique ambiance; Pet-friendliness
Apartment features. Apartment finishes; Private outdoor space; Studio / convertible floor plan; One-bedroom floor plan; Two-bedroom floor plan; Three-bedroom floor plan
All of the buildings in the Loop / New East Side bill themselves as pet-friendly. When you start digging into the details, however, you’ll find that some accept only small dogs, some have pet fees of $500 or more, and some charge monthly pet rent in addition to a one-time fee.
It’s almost impossible to consider any building in the Loop proper as dog-friendly, even if the building has a dog run, due to the unavailability of nearby park space.
The park at Lakeshore East has a dog run, making the New East Side your best bet. The Tides and The Shoreham have the best access to the park, but both buildings charge a $650 fee for 1 dog and $750 for 2 dogs.
Chime in with a comment if you disagree with our selections.
You’ll find links to our objective, visually-rich apartment reviews of Loop / New East Side buildings, and links to near real-time availability checks for most of the buildings, at our downtown apartments at-a-glance list, and some tips and advice at our Guide to renting in Chicago’s Loop / New East Side.
We’ve also spotlighted the best apartments in River North, Streeterville, the South Loop and the West Loop / Near West neighborhoods.
Next topic: Apartment finishes and features.