If you have tales you’d like to share from your apartment hunt, add them in a comment or email yojoe at yochicago dot com.
Here’s the fifth report from my veteran renter correspondent. Stay tuned for more. And note that we don’t vouch for the accuracy of any of these tales, nor do we try to verify them. We will not publish any that appear to be untrue on their face.
The definition of “studio” varies from 280 square feet to 720 square feet. The “convertible” nomenclature seems to be fading away in favor of terms like “studio plus” or “studio deluxe.”
It looks like some landlords are removing closets in order to make their studios seem bigger. Sometimes floor plans and reality don’t match because of this.
When an ambulance goes up Clark Street at night, it makes the wolves in the zoo howl and you can hear it in Webster House.
Most overlooked building: 175 North Harbor Drive. It’s a surprisingly nice building, and the rents are pretty reasonable because most of the views are obstructed.
Some buildings are starting to offer multiple options for pay television as AT&T U-Verse starts overbuilding RCN and Comcast territories.
Some buildings have also taken to calling convertible studios “junior one-bedrooms.”
You can see an insiders’ take on North Harbor Tower, 175 N Harbor Dr, at 5:50 of the above video, a tour of six New East Side rental towers with Stephanie and Katie from Chicago Rentals Direct.