Observers of the Chicago apartment market will be following the action closely, as historically low vacancy rates and steadily rising rents will soon be met by an onslaught of new construction inventory -- more than 3,600 apartment units slated for delivery in just over a year and another 332 for which ground has just been broken.  Will an increase in demand preserve what’s currently a landlord’s market, or will tenants reclaim some ground?  Since we are not economists here at domu, we’ll take a pass on soothsaying.  But just to help the...

Here at domu, we pity the poor fools who fail to inspect a new apartment thoroughly before signing on the dotted line.  These jokesters can be easily recognized by their flatter foreheads, a by-product of smacking themselves upside the head after realizing that the problems in their new apartment could have been discovered and rectified before they signed a lease.  So, this being the heart of the rental season, we figured it would be high time to promote nice round foreheads by revisiting ten of the essential checks...

Loosen your collar if you and your four-legged friend are hunting for the perfect new pad.  We're throwing you a bone with this list of pup-friendly places in Lakeview, Lincoln Park, and Old Town.

1225 Old Town, Old Town

In this day and age of global warming, the weather forecasts more frequently call for stifling, oppressive heat.  Meterologists are forecasting the mercury will hit 100 degrees later this week.  So if you’re on the market for an apartment right now, buildings with private pools are probably bubbling up to the top of your wish list.  Here at ...

Now that the dog days of summer have arrived, we figured it would be a good time to help the dog-owning members of the Chicago apartment community find a doggone place that’s perfect for canines.  So, in our dogged pursuit of good tips for Chicago renters, we’ve assembled a list of dog-friendly parks and beaches.  Trying to find a suitable recreation spot to unleash your four-legged friend in this dog-eat-dog world of ours can be a bit like chasing your tail, which is why we’ve decided to throw you a bone.  We at ...

To help find the perfect pad for Chicago renters and their four-legged friends, we’ve assembled a list of dog-friendly buildings in River North, Gold Coast, and Streeterville.  Not your neighborhood of choice?  Sit back, wipe your paws, and stay tuned for a list of pup-friendly places near you.

River North Park Apartments
320 West Illinois

420 East Ohio Apartments
420 East Ohio

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After a thoroughly unexpected though highly enjoyable false start, summertime is finally reaching Chicago.  And we all know what that means: Droves of Chicagoans heading to the lakefront trail in search of recreation, entertainment, culture, and that exhilarating combination of sun, sea, and sand.  From Hollywood Avenue to South Shore Country Club, the lakefront path extends more than 18 miles along the shores of Lake Michigan, at times shady and secluded and at times congested and frenetic.

For more than fifty years, thousands of stately kings have been checkmated at Chicago’s famed “Chess Pavilion,” just west of the lakefront pedestrian path between the North Avenue and Oak Street beaches.  The pavilion was built in 1957 thanks to a $90,000 donation from Laurens Hammond, whose famed electric organ became a key ingredient in an anthology of classic rhythm-and-blues recordings during the 1960’s.  Fabricated primarily from limestone, the pavilion includes three rows of bleacher seats embedded with chessboards and shielded from...