This is one of the best rental situations I've been in. Things are never going to be perfect when you're a renter, nor are they going to be perfect when you share a building with 100's of people who either smoke, have loud pets, parties, etc. But this place is pretty darn good.
PROS:
-The units are SUPER energy efficient. I pay about $30 a month for gas and $30 a month for electricity for 1000 sq ft, and have left the heat set at 72 all winter.
-I like that the parking lot is gated. It's safe here when getting in and out of your car and no one is trying to break into it. Snow plows come though in the winter.
-The people here are a nice mix of working professionals and young families.
-The units, at least mine, have all the modern amenities. Granite counters, stainless steel appliances, dishwasher, wood floors, track lighting, in-unit w/d.
-The building is bordered by a park, a train yard, a pre school, and Western Blvd. I moved here from Pilsen because I was sick of living next to a gang and hearing gunshots. I like being more secluded and not having sketchy neighbors.
-There is a giant park across the street with jogging paths and a lagoon. They have an ice skating rink in the winter, and I believe there is a pool there too. Recreational stuff.
-The orange line is not too far away. It's probably a 15 minute walk.
-McKinley Park has less crime than neighboring communities, such as Pilsen, Little Village, Back of the Yards, and I'd even say less than Bridgeport.
-The units are quiet. I can barely hear my neighbors.
-The units are affordable. They are selling in the low to mid 100's right now.
CONS:
-The parking spots are way too small. My neighbor has put a whole set of dings in the side of my car door and now I have to go through the uncomfortable conversation of asking her to pay for it.
-The outside of the building (at least the south side) is covered in boxelder bugs and shield bugs. So I don't like to hang out on my patio, and sometimes they get around the screen door. Yuk.
-My neighbor is a smoker and it comes in around my door. I put weather strips around my door which has reduced the smell. Management refuses to make a no smoking rule, but they did talk to him about it and he's been smoking inside less.
-Packages are delivered to a room that is only open 9-5. If you work a day job, good luck getting your packages.
-I live across the hall from the trash compactor room. At 7am on M, W, & F I get woken up by this awful super loud sound of the maintenance guy running the trash compactor, and then dragging it down the hallway out to the dumpster.
-The trains....they go by alllllll daaaayy looong. All day. Every couple of minutes. Some have a soothing rumbling noise, others have this high pitched screechy sound. I actually like it, except the screeching one.
Overall, the pros really outweigh the cons because the pros (safety, efficiency, affordability) are big things and the cons (car scratches, noises, bugs) are little things by comparison. read more