If you’re looking to rent in a prime near-the-park location in Lincoln Park or Lakeview East, the worst mistake you can make is to work with one of Chicago’s rental services, a/k/a apartment locators a/k/a apartment finders.
Even if you’re lucky enough to avoid the know-nothing rookies, the convicted felons, the bait-and-switch sharks, the take-your-deposit and hold onto it sleazes and the habitual liars, it’s a near-certainty that you’ll miss out on many of the best deals on Lincoln Park and Lakeview East apartments.
Some of the largest and most professional management companies in these neighborhoods don’t cooperate with rental services and won’t allow them to show apartments. If they do cooperate with rental services, they may not allow them to show occupied apartments and typically unwilling to negotiate any deals with a renter who’s working with one of the them. Professional management companies that do cooperate with rental services often work with only a limited number of firms and even then don’t allow them to show all of their apartments.
Your best bet is to work directly with the properties listed in our Lincoln Park and Lakeview apartment guides. You’ll find accurate rent and availability info at the linked property websites. You can preview many apartments in YoChicago’s Lincoln Park and Lakeview narrated video tours.