cool place

rent restaurateur jerry kleiner's house for $16,000/month

Friday, June 03, 2011  |  john

jerry kleiner, owner of carnivale, park 52, gioco and other upscale chicago restaurants, owns this 9,400-square-foot mansion in west town (noble square, specifically), as first reported by mark boyer of curbed chicago.  for the low, low price of $16,000 a month, you can rent the four-bedroom two-and-a-half bathroom home.

here's a rundown of what makes this colorful home, which was built in 1923 and used to be an industrial garage, one of a kind.

• private, landscaped grounds
• a putting green
• an in-ground hot tub
• a dining room with seating for 12 complete with a massive skylight
• a stunning gourmet kitchen
• not one room looks "remotely redundant or even similar," according to a 2009 time out piece about the home
• a two-car heated garage

nbc chicago has a video tour of the home.  

for more photos and details, see the full listing: 1424 w. ohio street.  

roomy three-bedroom apartment in lakeview

Tuesday, May 10, 2011  |  john

who's looking for a three-bedroom in west lakeview?  the upstairs unit in this duplex at ashland and barry may be just the thing for you and two roommates.

complete with a fire red-painted living room and a spiral staircase (pictured above), this 1900-square-foot apartment features hardwood floors, central air and heat, as well as walk-in closets.  two bedrooms are on the main level, and the third bedroom plus the family room are on the upper level.  kick back this summer on the two decks out back.  there's also a yard fit for a wicked barbeque.  the master bathroom includes a tub and a separate shower.  it appears there are skylights on the third floor, giving the space plenty of natural light.

water, one garage parking spot, and an in-unit washer and dryer are included in the $2,300 rent.  there is no move-in or application fee, but there is a security deposit of $2,300.  pets will be considered "on a case by case basis," according to the listing.

walk score gives this location a 92. boom! a walker's paradise.  there's no time like the present to see this place.  it's available may 15.

for more photos, information, and landlord contact information, see the full listing: 1623 w. barry ave. #2.

want to live three blocks from wrigley field?

Thursday, April 28, 2011  |  john

with baseball season in full swing, thousands of cubs fans swarm wrigleyville on gameday.  if you want to live near the heart of the north side baseball action, grab two friends and check out this three-bedroom, two-bathroom condo at broadway and waveland.

after undergoing a complete rehab in 2007, this place now features hardwood floors, central air, in-unit washer and dryer, stainless-steel appliances, marble floors and granite countertops in the master bathroom, and large walk-in closets.  with 1800 square feet, it is two blocks from the lake.  ceiling fans complement the sizeable bedrooms.  dogs and cats are welcome, but parking is not available.

there's a large deck with a gas grill hookup, so you could be a bbq master this summer.  like most lakeview and wrigleyville locations, this one is very walkable.  walk score gives it an 88.

judging by the photos, the current tenants must love their wine.  and with all of that cabinet space to display their bottle collection, who can blame them?

this place is available june 1.  rent is $2,500.  for more information, photos, and landlord contact information, see the full listing: 743 w. waveland ave. #3.

great two-bedroom condo in the south loop

Monday, April 18, 2011  |  john

living in the south loop is a hoot.  you're close to so many of the city's great features: the lakefront, museum campus, grant park, the loop (obviously), and soldier field.  so, if you're looking for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo, check out this corner loft in the michigan avenue garden terraces.

name a feature, and this place has it.  you get in-unit laundry, central heat, hardwood floors, and a gourmet kitchen that recently underwent $15,000 in renovations.  the fifth-floor unit has floor-to-ceiling windows, storage space, and about 1,050 square feet.  on top of all that, garage parking, water, internet, and basic cable are included in the $1,995 rent.  with parking included, that's a sweet deal for a two-bedroom in the south loop.

like most buildings in the south loop, this one is really new.  it was built in 2001 and features on-site maintenance, secured entry, a courtyard, a sundeck, and storage space.

the red, orange, and green lines are two blocks away at the roosevelt stop, and several bus routes zip north and south on michigan. walk score gives this place a strong score of 94.

for more details, more photos, and landlord contact information, see the full listing: 1430 s. michigan #504.

great two-bedroom apartment near loyola

Friday, March 11, 2011  |  john

any loyola students looking for a two-bedroom just north of campus?  even if you're not a loyola student, this place is still a pretty good deal.

just one block from the lake, this two-bedroom, two-bathroom place was built in 1911, but it contains all of the cool stuff you would expect for an apartment 100 years later.  you get two decks, a living room with a bay window, and a "huge" kitchen with "amazing" counter space, according to the listing.  after looking at the photos, it does look like a sizeable kitchen.

both bathrooms have been recently remodeled, and the den works well as an office or a workout room.  the french doors (which you can see in the additional photos) are a nice touch.  There's ample closet space, and a washer/dryer, though it's unclear whether that is in-unit or on-site.

walk score gives this spot an 86, which is "very walkable."  rent is $1599 a month and includes secure parking.

for more photos, information, and landlord contact information, see the full listing: 6932 north sheridan road #2.

for more apartments near loyola's lake shore campus, visit the loyola lake shore campus page.

printer's row penthouse fit for mtv cribs

Friday, March 04, 2011  |  john

this might be the most jam-packed cool place featured on the domu blog to date.  and for $5,000 a month, it better be.

with 3000 square feet of space, this four-bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom condo in printer's row has no shortage of space.  granite countertops, hardwood floors, and stainless-steel appliances are a given.  but a private sauna, private balcony, a private terrace, and not one, but two wet bars?  those things crank up this place to 11.

the building features a pool, a sundeck, a lounge, a party room, a fitness center, and an on-site dry cleaners.  heat, air conditioning, and water are included in the rent.  parking goes for $170/month in the lot or $210/month in the garage.

bonus alert: a bally's health club membership as well as a free shuttle bus are also included in the rent.

walk score gives the location a very strong 91, a walker's paradise, according to the site.

for more photos, details, and landlord contact information, see the full listing: 800 s. wells street #1702.

90-square-foot apartment made with 25,000 ping-pong balls

Wednesday, March 02, 2011  |  john

alright, so this apartment is not listed on our site, and it's not even in chicago.  but an apartment made with 25,000 ping-pong balls is worth blogging home about.  even if we're about a month late.

daniel arsham of snarkitecture owns the pint-sized brooklyn apartment, which is a loft attached to snarkitecture's offices, according to fast co. design.  arsham has just enough room for sleeping and getting dressed.  there's a bed with built-in shelves as well as a dresser.  to enter the shoebox--er, apartment--arsham climbs a ladder in the office's employee bathroom.

the snarkitecture-designed room was built in two months for less than $100 a square foot.  and you thought you had seen everything about apartments.

plenty more photos here, here, and here.

[via: fast co.design]

upscale loft-style condo in lakeview

Tuesday, March 01, 2011  |  john

as far as lakeview intersections go, it's hard to beat where belmont, lincoln, and ashland avenues meet.  many great restaurants, shops, bars, and all of the necessities are within reach of the bustling heart of west lakeview.  this apartment is located just two blocks north, at lincoln and school.

this fourth-floor, 1880-square-foot upscale condo features exposed brick, open-loft style architecture, and an unobstructed view of the downtown skyline from a private deck.  not too shabby, eh?  there's one master bedroom (pictured above) and a second bedroom upstairs, while a third space downstairs can be used as a dining room, an office, a third bedroom, or a place to house all of your bears memorabilia.  this is america. you choose for you.

in addition to the two or potentially three bedrooms, there are two full bathrooms, each with floor-to-ceiling "rosso verona italian marble," which is probably very expensive and very nice looking.  the kitchen and living room receive tons of natural light thanks to the large windows.  and as we're inching closer to nicer weather, using the building's party deck and sun deck sounds like an awesome idea, doesn't it?  there's an in-unit washer and dryer, storage space, and garage parking available for $150.  water and basic cable are included in the rent of $2,850.

walk score gives this location a strong 89.

and, hey, look at that--it's march 1!  this place is available today!

for more photos, details, and landlord contact information, see the full listing: 1645 w. school street #419.

extra cool three-bedroom loft in river north

Friday, February 25, 2011  |  john

there are cool lofts, and then there is this really cool loft.

the listing description suggests that "you have never seen a loft like this."  judging by the photos (there are many more with the listing), i can safely say i haven't.  this 4000-square-foot space in river north features a healthy mix of areas for work and living, a unique curved mezzanine office area, and, get this, tall book cases...with a rolling ladder!  rejoice, literature lovers, this place is for you.

like most lofts, this one features exposed brick, cool staircases, and expansive rooms, stretching more than 30 feet wide.  there are three bedrooms, three full bathrooms, a laundry room, and two garage parking spots.  when the weather gets nicer, you can chill out on the balcony.  hardwood floors and beamed ceilings complete the loft's modern character.

walk score gives the location a 94, and the rent is $5,900 a month.

for more photos, information, and landlord contact information, see the full listing: 420 west grand avenue #2D.

oh, and as for the adorable bulldog in the listing's fifth photo, we already called dibs. sorry.

six-bedroom house in west ridge for under $3,000

Friday, February 18, 2011  |  john

as of this post, there are 24 listings on the site with six bedrooms (none have seven).  this one in west ridge is one of three with rent south of $3,000 per month at $2,950.  let's take a closer look.

first--the location.  this place is not close to downtown, so if you're commuting, it might be more taxing than you may like.  for those who don't have a car (if you're looking this far north, you might already have one), your best bet is the rogers park stop on the metra union pacific/north line.  it's just three stops north of downtown.  lincolnwood and evanston, however, are close, so you can satisfy your retail needs there.  warren park and indian boundary park are nearby, ready to quenching your outdoor thirst.

built in 2007, the brick house sits on an oversized lot and includes a three-car garage.  in addition to the six bedrooms, there are three and a half bathrooms, featuring natural stone tile and a steam shower in the master bath, and two family rooms.  luxurious touches include three fireplaces, hardwood floors, crown molding, and a large deck, which opens to the huge back yard.  the kitchen features custom cherry cabinets, stainless-steel appliances, and granite countertops.  as a bonus, the finished lower level has a wet bar.  

walk score gives the location a 69, which is "somewhat walkable" in their book.

for more photos, information, and landlord contact information, see the full listing: 2547 west farwell avenue.