We define Chicago’s “near west” neighborhoods to include the West Loop, Fulton River District and River West. You’ll find all of your major apartment options in these neighborhoods 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, so we’re spotlighting the best choices on 18 different criteria.
Our first posts in this series focused on location. We spotlighted the buildings with the best views, most convenient grocery shopping, and the best access to public transit, parks, the expressway grid, the Loop, dining and nightlife and retail shopping.
We turned our attention to aspects of the buildings, starting with affordability, building amenities, boutique ambiance and pet-friendliness.
Our final group of selections focuses on the apartments, starting with finishes and features, private outdoor space, studio / convertible , one-bedroom and two-bedroom floor plans.
Our final topic in this series is the best three-bedroom floor plan.
Only six of the buildings in the near west neighborhoods offer three-bedroom floor plans and, as of this writing, only one of those buildings has three-bedrooms available for rent.
We’re not selecting a winner in this category because it would be an academic exercise. By the time you read this there may be no 3-bedrooms available for rent in managed apartment buildings in the near west neighborhoods. At any given time the selection is exceedingly thin.
Our recommendation: search at a reputable broker site for condos and townhomes listed for rent in the Multiple Listing Service. You’ll get the best selection, and they’ll often be priced lower than units in the managed apartment buildings.
Chime in with a comment if you disagree with our selection.
You’ll find links to our objective, visually-rich apartment reviews of near west 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 near west neighborhoods.
We’ve also spotlighted the best apartments in River North, Streeterville and the South Loop.