Apartment Searching

What you can rent in the South Loop for $1,500/month

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Ah, the joys of apartment hunting! Planning your (potential) commute to work, looking for your new go-to coffee shop, fantasizing about being liberated from your shoebox apartment; the hunt for a new apartment can be both a chore and a hobby. With the housing market as it stands, however, choices for a new pad are more limited than ever — and finding a place in your perfect neighborhood and price range can lean more toward chore than pastime.  

That’s where we come in. Common has been making the hunt for new housing easy (and fun) since 2015, and we don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. This time, we’re helping aspiring South Loop residents find the best housing in this bustling Chicago neighborhood — for under $1,500 a month. Take a break from doom-scrolling apartment listing sites, and read on for some of our picks! 

2024 S Wabash 

If you’re looking for a challenging exercise in interior design, this unit is it. Limited to 403 sq ft, filling the space won’t be difficult — but fully utilizing it likely will be! $1,395/month gets you new appliances and oodles of natural light, though it’s tough to tell whether the views through the unit’s many windows are picturesque or not. All-in-all, this South Loop studio will make a great minimalist abode. You’ll just have more of a reason to spend time enjoying the neighborhood rather than staying in. 

345 E Eastgate

At $1,300/month, this 600 sq ft 1-bedroom reminds us of a John Hughes movie — its over stretched windows mimic Cameron’s garage/Ferrari showroom in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the building’s fascia akin to the Art Institute of Chicago, and the apartment’s outdated kitchen a distinct remnant of the 80’s. Jokes aside: the full kitchen will be the crown jewel of any aspiring home cook, and the dishwasher is a real treat for anyone who is currently hand-washing. Plus, the apartment comes with parking (prized Ferrari not included!) 

740 S Federal

The largest unit we’ve sound so far, we’d imagine this 660 sq ft studio feels even larger in person — largely due to the half-partition wall separating the kitchen from the living space. The added home office/powder room space will be especially appealing to the work-from-home/aspiring Carrie Bradshaw crowd, but the off-yellow countertops in the kitchen are far from fabulous. With that said: natural light, a dishwasher, a bathtub, and a $1,325/month price tag might just make up for it. 

1312 Wabash

Scraping our price ceiling at $1,500 a month, 1312 Wabash is 850 sq ft put to good use. The apartment’s U-shape features a wall of windows at its center with the kitchen and bedroom flanking its sides — making for a labyrinth-like layout perfect for long, pensive strolls from the kitchen to the bedroom while you sip your morning coffee. The kitchen and bathroom aren’t what you’d expect at this price point, but the high ceilings (and view of Wabash Avenue) help to soften the blow. 

Common McCormick

Many of the apartments we found had things we loved — like abundant natural light, open floor plans, and prime locations — but there were also a fair amount of detractors. Rather than wishing we could combine our favorite bits into one South-Loop-apartment-search-collage, we’ve got something even better: Common McCormick. With private rooms in fully-furnished apartments starting at $950/month and unparalleled amenities (like a rooftop deck, a fitness center, bike storage, and a lounge,) Common McCormick should be your first stop on your apartment hunt.

Common McCormick is now open — so skip the never-ending apartment search and go straight for the “Best in Show.” 

 

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