In choosing an apartment, consider the building. When the For Rent ad says, ”. . . in South Side two-flat” or ”. . . above storefront” or
”. . . in 4+1” or ”. . . courtyard setting,” exactly what does that tell you?
These references could provide clues to the age of the building, the floor plan, closet space, yard space, community space, the neighborhood, access to parking and safety precautions.
So, before deciding on how many bedrooms and how many baths-even before selecting a location-consider the building. Are your lifestyle expectations better suited to the elegant old world character of a vintage three-flat, or to a towering high-rise?
Six basic styles
There are six basic styles of apartment buildings in Chicago, according to Tim Wiley, of Chicago Apartments and Condos, an apartment finding service: two- and three-flats; high-rises; four-plus-ones; courtyards; lofts; and corridor buildings. The latter Wiley describes as ”taller buildings with studio and one-bedroom apartments in upscale neighborhoods.”
Two other rental options are apartments above storefronts and single-family homes.
There were no apartment buildings in Chicago before 1871, the year of the fire, but by 1880 they were all over the city (which didn`t extend far beyond the Loop).
Early high-rise buildings, under six stories, provided a ”hotel style”
of living. Kitchens and bedrooms were small. Refrigerators were still iceboxes. A parlor off the entrance to the building was a common meeting place for residents and often a diner was located in the building.
”It took awhile to get people to get used to living on top of each other, so the hotel style, which was first introduced in Europe, made the idea more appealing,” explains Wim de Wit, curator of the Charles F. Murphy Architectural Study Center of the Chicago Historical Society.
The design accents of these buildings are often lavish by today`s standards, but they also can cause inconveniences for modern-day living. For example, the old metal-grated elevators may be a quaint amenity in a vintage building, but they can also be slow, and if they also double as freight elevators they may prove to be painfully small. Many a full-sized sofa or king-size bed have never made it past the front desk at some of these buildings.
Today, these buildings are desirable because of their location. In some buildings, parlors have been converted to health clubs and rooftop decks have been built to provide more common space.
Birth of the flats
From 1910 to 1930, two- and three-flats were built in outlying neighborhoods. They offered more space for a growing family, but again, they accommodated a different style of life than most current renters are looking for.
Back then, having three or four feet between buildings was considered a luxury. Now, looking out the living room window into a neighbor`s bedroom may be seen as an invasion of privacy. Walking, even up three tall flights of stairs, was expected. Safety meant closing the door. Cars were a luxury, so street noise was limited to kids playing and an occasional buggy clacking over the cobblestones. Small back yards were not made smaller by the now obligatory two-car garage. Today, those yards are referred to as ”urban gardens.”
”The flat utilized the floor plan of the bungalow, so it is like bungalows stacked on top of each other,” says de Wit. ”The design provided a way for two related families to live in one building with separate residences. Or, the extra unit provided additional income.”
The flat still offers many quaint amenities, including accessibility to neighborhood living: corner stores, local shops and public transportation. But those buildings that haven`t been renovated may seem old fashioned. Kitchens may not accommodate large refrigerators, dishwashers, microwave ovens or even a double sink.
”In a flat, you often get uneven heat and water pressure. And, the condition of the building can vary a lot. Many have been renovated so they offer some modern conveniences along with old world charm,” says Sandra Moore, vice president of RELCON, an apartment finding service. ”Because the buildings are small, they usually do not have a full-time manager or maintenance person, so you don`t know what to expect with maintenance problems,” says Moore. On the other hand, a flat can mean a more casual landlord-tenant relationship because the owner may live in the building or is a landlord to only two or three apartments.
Apartments over a storefront are like a flat, except your downstairs neighbor is a grocer, a laundromat, a hair salon or other small business.
”The courtyard buildings are similar to a three-story walkup,” says Wiley. ”Each entrance only leads to a few apartments, so there is a sense of privacy within a larger community.”
According to de Wit, ”Courtyard buildings were designed to utilize the lot as efficiently as possible while still getting enough light to each apartment.”
4 + 1
The four-plus-one came into prominence in the 1950s and 60s, after zoning ordinances were changed to relieve a housing shortage.
The basic four-plus-one has four stories of apartments and a parking level underneath. ”The parking is part above ground and part below ground, like a garden level apartment,” Wiley says. ”The buildings are mostly studio and one-bedroom apartments, with 15 to 20 units a floor.”
Built primarily in North Side lakefront communities, the four-plus-one provided floor plans that were more in touch with modern life than the two-flat or the early apartment buildings. Features include more closet space, larger bedrooms and shower stalls.
”These are usually nice apartments at a reasonable price,” says Wiley. ”The four-plus-ones are also more likely to have parking available because building codes during that period required a one parking place for every apartment.”
But the four-plus-one shares one shortcoming with the flat and courtyard building: None is as secure as a high-rise, Moore says. ”If safety is a primary issue, then people prefer a high-rise because they`re secured-entry buildings.”
High and secure
The high-rise not only offers more security but also may have attractive amenities, such as health clubs, pools, a doorman and a concierge. While both Moore and Wiley have found these amenities to be good marketing points, tenants tend not to take advantage of all the extras.
”High-rise living can be very convenient,” says Moore. ”There is usually access to a neighborhood, a full-time maintenance staff and people to accept packages or assist with various needs.” Moore also notes that high-rises offer a range of apartment sizes and prices, providing renters with a lot of flexibility in meeting space and budget requirements.
High-rise without frills
The corridor building offers renters a newer studio or one-bedroom with the location and convenience of a high-rise but without some of the frills.
”These are very popular with people who want to be close to the city but are on a limited budget,” says Wiley. ”I wish I had more of these in my inventory. The only problem is that, after living in one of these buildings for a few months, some people call back and want a place with more space, somewhere they can put their feet on some grass.”
According to Wiley, there is one very simple way to segment the apartment market. Old buildings and new buildings. Old refers to buildings built before World War I. New means after World War II.
Within Chicago, most of the available apartment stock was built before 1950, when the city`s population was at its peak. So, city renters today are most often adapting older designs to their current lifestyle expectations, while suburban renters will find more modern conveniences but without the old world charm.
Lofts
Loft living is a relatively recent phenomenon, dating back only 15 to 20 years, when industrial areas in the city began to decline and developers began converting old warehouses and commercial buildings for residential use.
”Lofts are an attempt to go back and use all the city space we can find,” says de Wit. Some are small, narrow buildings that line city streets. Others are larger stand-alone buildings in commercial areas. Most of the current loft developments are concentrated within a few miles of downtown in areas such as Printers Row, River West, River North and the Clybourn Corridor. However, lofts can be found throughout the city.
Loft buildings were originally designed for commercial use and may be up to a century old, so they can vary widely in features and amenities. ”The quality of the apartment depends on the quality of the renovation,” says a local developer. Where lofts often mean large open spaces with rustic features, they also can be found as small as a studio and with all the amenities of a new building, including sleek kitchens, track lighting, full baths, security system, a doorman, shops and restaurants.
What`s your style?
So, how do you go about finding the building style that suits your lifestyle? Moore suggests making a list of priorities and seeing how many can be met within the budget you have set.
”Many people have a specific building style in mind but that style will not match up to the amenities they want,” says Moore. For example, if you`re looking for a one-bedroom apartment in a vintage two-flat building, that`s a tough one. Almost all flats are two- and three-bedroom units. On the other hand, because the bedrooms tend to be small, you might want to consider a two- bedroom.
Other difficult requests are hardwood floors in a high-rise; a doorman in a courtyard building; a master bedroom/bath in a courtyard building-or an apartment in Elmhurst, where less then 5 percent of the housing stock is rental.
