Just to get this out of the way--I did not take this lovely tree-house apartment.
And I'll tell you why. See this condo building across the alley in back? Come summertime, I hear the people on their porches and smell the grilling.
People like to grill in Chicago. I know this because every single apartment I looked at was assessed by the broker according to whether it had a place to grill or not.
Ha! Hilarious, because here it's *against the law* to grill on porches, even if there is tons of clearance overhead and you're using a tiny gas grill that couldn't set anything on fire if you tried. Not that we pay attention to things like that.
Posted by: Kate F. | January 27, 2009 at 08:35 AM
Ha. Well, they like their meat in the Midwest.
Posted by: challey | January 27, 2009 at 08:54 AM
Hey, where is that place located? I'm looking for an apartment and I wouldn't mind the grilling . . .
Posted by: Tara | January 28, 2009 at 11:06 AM
It's in Edgewater.
Posted by: maison d'etre | January 28, 2009 at 02:22 PM
Thank you!
Posted by: Tara | January 28, 2009 at 06:07 PM
Cathy that cat is a menace, and now she's an old cranky menace...
Posted by: renee | February 02, 2009 at 01:35 PM
I love the smell of barbecue!
But then again, I'm a Midwesterner.
What I notice about the rejected apartment: hardwood floors, large windows, gas stove.
Friendly neighbors would be a bonus, IMO.
Posted by: Photogirl | February 02, 2009 at 03:40 PM
Hi Cathy,
Welcome to Chicago. My husband and I have hated the condo balconies for years and say that these balconies and the granite/stainless/maple trend are largely responsible for the runup in home prices, the creative mortgage financing and thus the entire collapse of the economy which has even slayed my beloved Domino. You know what is the worst? People don't even use these balconies/grills. They *have* to have them but the majority don't get used. Even condos that back up to the El (jaw-rattling) or the Dan Ryan (fumes) have these balconies tacked up to their brick exteriors. Ah, well.
I have an actual question for you, though. I noticed you stripped your radiator in NYC. We're looking for our first house and want to restore a bungalow many of which have lots of wood trim. I haven't really found a source online to answer my question about DIY paint stripping on old homes, almost all of which are sure to contain some lead paint. (For example, on a banister, door frame, window casings, etc.) I know that lead abatement is $20K plus. Is this always necessary? Do you have to live with numerous crusty, bumpy layers of paint? Did you even give this a thought when you stripped your radiator? Are these lead abatement contractors trying to make a buck? I don't doubt that ingestion of heavy metals is very bad, and that it would be next to impossible to get rid of all dust, flakes, etc. once you disturb these layers. But hiring it out to some low-end-of-the-payscale lead abatement subcontractor who may or may not be aware of the risks or is so desperate as not to care) seems terrible. If I can't do it myself safely, I will live with bumpy woodwork for the sake of my future children.
Bottom line: When looking at houses, should I look at these vintage windows and doorframes and mouldings and say "My heart says yes but my mind says no?" If you have friends, online resources, or find anything in your travels on this, that would be great to know. I need the straight, Scrappy dope.
Posted by: Anna Griffin | February 03, 2009 at 09:49 PM
Hello everyone...looking forward to using this site!
Posted by: Amber Kelps | October 26, 2010 at 07:28 PM