Address: 8452 S. Cottage Grove Ave.
Size: One bedroom; about 600 square feet.
Rent: $465 a month.
Security deposit: One month`s rent.
Floor: First.
Age of building: About 30 years old.
Utilities: Heat included in rent.
Parking: Outdoor lot for residents.
If you really like green, you`ll love this apartment, because you step onto vibrant, lawn-colored green carpeting in the living room as soon as you come in the door.
But don`t turn around just yet. Landlady Sharon Adams has a plan.
”Yes, the green rug has got to go,” said Adams. ”Older people will probably go along with the green color scheme, but I can`t think of too many young people who will.”
If a resident wants to replace the wall-to-wall carpeting in the living room, hall and bedroom, Adams will reimburse him or her through a rent rebate or other plan.
”It would be a help to the apartment, and I`m willing to talk about it,” said Adams.
Condo conversion
The one-bedroom unit she`s offering for rent is in Chicago`s Chatham community in a building called Chatham Groves, which recently went condo. Adams, who purchased the unit to rent out in April, also lives in her own condo in the building.
”There are some drawbacks here,” said Adams, who pointed out the apartment`s shortcomings as swiftly as she pointed out its positives. ”The closets are small and there are only a few of them.”
The dearth of closet space might indeed be a problem for pack rats, ”but you learn to be creative when you have a small amount of space,” Adams said. Though the living room is small, it is large enough for a regular-sized sofa, a cocktail table and a small entertainment center. And two large windows in this room and the one mirrored wall help give the illusion of space.
A small hall just off the living room houses two of the apartment`s three closets. The one closest to the living room would normally be used as a guest closet, but given the limited closet space, it would probably work best for a tenant to use the space for storage and just toss any guests` coats across the bed. The other closet can be used for linens and other items.
The bathroom, also in this area, has a cocoa-colored toilet, bathtub with shower and sink with Hollywood-style makeup lights. It has brown and white wallpaper and light-brown carpeting.
The bedroom, which is painted off-white, is across the hall from the bathroom. Anything more than a double bed and a nightstand would be a tight squeeze in this compact space-but there is a clothes closet.
While there may not be much shortage elsewhere, the kitchen has an abundance of cabinets.
This is a back-to-basics kitchen-no microwave or dishwasher-but its major appliances are all new.
And, like the bathroom, the kitchen has light-brown carpeting; tile floors would be preferable in both rooms.
The apartment`s location on Cottage Grove Avenue puts it at the curb of public transportation and also within a short walk of such places as Doll`s Hair Salon, the Chatham Business Association and the Johnson School of Charm. The apartment`s compact size would be a drawback for many, but it probably would be sufficient for someone moving out on his or her own for the first time or for a retired person. But it`s definitely made for one, not two. For rental information, call Adams at 483-1988.
