How to find the best deal on a Gold Coast apartment

Chicago’s consistently-deceptive rental services would like you to believe that it’s a difficult task to find your best apartment deal in the Gold Coast. Far from it. In fact, working with a rental service may be the best way to ensure that you don’t get your best deal.

The first thing you need to know is that rental services – and some landlords – often play fast and loose with the boundaries of the Gold Coast. Ask to live in the Gold Coast, and you’re likely to be shown apartments in less attractive locations.

The second thing you need to know is that a number of Gold Coast landlords don’t pay commissions to rental services, and rental services won’t show you their properties. Some landlords only cooperate with rental services on their difficult-to-rent apartments. Rental services may tell you that these leftovers are the best you can find. Don’t believe it.

You’ll find more information to aid your Gold Coast apartment search in our Gold Coast rental guide and list of the twenty-five things rental services won’t tell you.

To make your Gold Coast apartment search as easy and productive as possible, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of rental buildings in the area, with a summary of each building’s unit types and amenities, and links to the building websites, almost all of which have photos and floor plans online. We’ve included video tours of a number of the buildings, and a roundup look at eight buildings within a two-minute walk of the intersection of Division and Dearborn.

How do you find your best deal? Use the following list to home in on the buildings you’re most interested in, then visit them all in a brief walk-around. Be sure to print out any coupons for rent discounts – discounts that aren’t available if you work with a rental service.

If you can’t find what you want in a rental building, check in at Koenig & Strey, Prudential Rubloff or one of the other major brokerage sites where you can search MLS-listed single-family homes (rare, pricey) and condos for rent.

North of Division
The part of the Gold Coast north of Division Street has a more residential feel and offers greater proximity to the lakefront and Oak Street Beach.

1350 & 1360 Lake Shore Drive, 1350 N Lake Shore Dr, built in 1951. Studio, 1 and 2 bedroom. Pet friendly. Business center, sun deck, fitness room, convenience store, on-site maintenance and management, 24-hour door staff. Parking.

Astor House, 1340 N Astor St, built in 1965. Convertible, 1 and 2 bedrooms. Rooftop pool and sun deck, private balconies, bike room, fitness room, storage lockers, on-site maintenance and management, 24-hour door staff. Parking.

65 East Scott, 65 E Scott St, built in 1971. Studio, 1 and 2 bedrooms. Pool with sun deck, fitness room, on-site maintenance, 24-hour door staff. Indoor heated parking.

Canterbury Court, 1220 N State Pkwy, built in 1928. Furnished studio & 1 bedroom. Short and long-term stay. Bike storage, on-site management and maintenance, 24-hour door staff.

1355 North Dearborn, 1355 N Dearborn St, 5 stories, built in 1960s. Studio & 1 bedroom. No dogs. Parking.

1330 North Dearborn, 1330 N Dearborn St, built in 1972. Studio & 1 bedroom. Sun deck, bike storage, fitness room, business center.

1260 North Dearborn, 1260 N Dearborn St, built in 1929. Studio & 1 bedroom. No dogs. On-site management, sun deck, fitness room, bike storage, Third Coast Café, beauty salon

South of Division
South of Division Street is where you’ll find the best access to restaurants and nightlife in the Gold Coast, and a broad selection of apartments.

11 West Division, 11 W Division St, built in 1920s. Studio. Fitness center. No pets.

18 East Elm, 18 E Elm St, built in 1920s. Studio & 1 bedroom. Fitness room.

10 West Elm, 10 West Elm“>10 W Elm St, built in 1929. 1 bedroom. No pets. Laundry room on each floor. Non-smoking.

14 West Elm, 14 W Elm St, built in 1928. Studio, 1 & 2 bedroom. Sun deck, fitness room, bike storage, on-site management and maintenance, night door staff.

40 East Oak, 40 E Oak St, built in 1929. Studio & 1 bedroom. Sun deck, fitness room, guest suite, bike storage, 24-hour door staff.

Stanford Apartments, 1164 N Dearborn St, built in 1920s. Studio & 1 bedroom. No pets. On-site maintenance and management.

1133 North Dearborn, 1133 North Dearborn“>1133 N Dearborn St, built in 1988. Studio, 1 & 2 bedroom. No dogs. Sun deck, pool, private balconies, business center, fitness room, on-site management and maintenance, 24-hour door staff. Heated reserved parking.

Elm Street Plaza, 1130 N Dearborn St, built in 1974. Studio, 1 & 2 bedroom. No dogs. Sun deck, pool, storage lockers, on-site management, 24-hour door staff. Reserved, covered parking.

1117 North Dearborn, 1117 N Dearborn St, built in 1920s. Studio & 1 bedroom. No dogs. Fitness room, bike storage, on-site management.

1111 North Dearborn, 1111 N Dearborn St, built in 1981. Studio, 1, 2 & 3 bedroom. No dogs. Sun deck, rooftop pool, fitness room, bike storage, on-site management, 24-hour door staff. Reserved covered parking.

1100 North Dearborn, 1100 N Dearborn St, built in 1930. Studio & 1 bedroom. Sun deck, fitness room, bike storage, guest suite, on-site management and maintenance, 24-hour door staff.

1036 Dearborn, 1036 N Dearborn St, built in 1920s. Studio & 1 bedroom. No dogs. Sun deck, fitness room, convenience store.

Dearborn Plaza, 1030 N Dearborn St, built in 1929. Studio. No dogs. Sun deck, fitness room, bike storage, on-site management.

Gold Coast adjacent
Planned Property Management is one of our sponsors, so we’re alerting you to two buildings a short block west of our Gold Coast boundary. Planned has three additional buildings, listed above, in the Gold Coast. BJB Properties, another of our sponsors with Gold Coast buildings, also has a number of near-Gold Coast properties.

1120 North LaSalle, 1120 N LaSalle St, built in 1981. Studio, 1 & 2 bedroom. No dogs. Sun deck, rooftop pool, private balconies, fitness room, business center, on-site management, 24-hour door staff. Reserved parking.

1000 North LaSalle, 1000 N LaSalle St, built in 1970s. Studio, 1 & 2 bedroom. Pet-friendly, dog park. Sun deck, fitness room, business center, on-site management, 24-hour door staff. Reserved parking.

25 East Delaware, 25 E Delaware Pl, built in 1927. No dogs. Cru Kitchen and Bar and Goddess and Grocer in building.

211East Delaware, 211 E Delaware Pl, built in 1920s. Studio. Sun deck, fitness room.

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