Address: 330 N. Illinois St., Villa Park.
Size: 2-bedroom; 1,000 square feet.
Rent: $750.
Security Deposit: $750.
Age of Building: 25 years.
Number of Units: 36.
Utilities: Resident pays electricity and cooking gas.
Parking: Off street, no fee.
Two stately evergreen trees offer shade in a grassy courtyard at the center of the Villa Court Apartments in Villa Park.
Some of the units in this 25-year-old community open onto the courtyard, where residents have supplemented the existing greenery with small flower and vegetable gardens outside their apartments.
It is possible to enjoy these gardens by walking along a sidewalk that runs along the permimeter of the courtyard. The private gardens are planted close to the buildings, leaving the center courtyard plain except for the large trees and grass.
The entrance to the apartment we visited is from a street that leads into the complex. While this apartment does not face the courtyard, it does have other attractive assets. One is an updated kitchen, the first room you see as you step through the front door and into the small foyer.
The foyer has a white linoleum floor that extends into the 15-by-20-foot kitchen. White and bright is the decorative theme of this kitchen, which has been completely updated.
Lots of white
Features include white walls, white cabinets with shiny, gold knobs and handles, white counters and a white and gold ceiling fan that creates a refreshing breeze on a hot summer day. (The parents of a toddler might find it a challenge to keep it fingerprint-free, but a dedicated neatnik would enjoy keeping it spick and span.)
Sun streams through the double-size kitchen window, which overlooks the street. Next to the window is space for a four-seat dining table. The kitchen comes equipped with a white refrigerator and matching white oven, but there is no dishwasher.
Street view
Next to the kitchen is the living room, which also has a double window overlooking the street. This 12-by-20-foot space has a blue-gray carpet-a refreshing color change from the beiges and browns that are common to so many apartments. The living room is large enough to easily hold a couch, a couple of chairs, a coffee table and a television set.
For more space to spread out, you could use a basement room as the television room.
The basement is down a flight of four carpeted stairs, from behind a door that opens into the living room.
Office or playroom
The amply sized basement would make a pleasant office or child’s playroom. An above-ground window offers sunlight and fresh breezes. The floor is covered with the same blue-gray carpet as in the living room.
If this room were used as a playroom, then you might want to use the adjoining room as a child’s bedroom. This 12-by-12 room has a walk-in closet.
It also has a locked door at the rear of the closet that leads into a laundry room shared by all the tenants of the building.
To reach the first floor bedroom, walk through the living room and kitchen. This room, about 12 feet square, has a walk-in closet. The bathroom is next door.
Like the kitchen, it is updated and mostly white. It has a light oak vanity with a large mirror and Hollywood lighting. The bathtub/shower is also white.
This apartment complex is next to the Villa Park Metra train station, so this a convenient location for downtown commuters.
However, prospective tenants might want to walk through the apartment as a train passes by to determine the noise level. For rental information, call 708-449-6238.
