3933 N. Clarendon

Units in this building are cheap - under $900 for a one bedroom in East Lakeview is ridiculous, but they come at the cost of any hint of luxury. Appliances are small and old, pipes are leaky, faucets drip, floors are covered in cheap linoleum tiles and that chip and crack with age. Bedrooms are barely big enough for a double bed, sliding mirrored closet doors are poorly aligned and easily crack. Windows are not well sealed and let in a draft - they are simply too small for the frames and cannot be sealed well without replacement. Management only has office hours 9a-5p Monday through Friday which makes picking up packages virtually impossible unless you take time off of work. Elevator is regularly out of service, which is fine for people on 2nd floor but a pain for people on the 6th or those with disabilities/pregnant/the elderly who cannot do lots of stairs. Radiator heat is free but applied randomly - sometimes outdoor temperatures will be a balmy 60 and the heat will be on, sometimes it will be below freezing outside with no heat turned on. Super/maintenance lacks interest in fixing things to the point that we've stopped asking - our stove doesn't work but when two burners went out he said they were fine and left without fixing them so we simply don't use our stove any longer.

For all the complaints, it's still hundreds of dollars less than the next clean, bug free, safe, locked entry mid-rise in the neighborhood. The neighbors are polite, if not friendly, and you hear very little noise from adjacent units except for the occasional water in pipes when someone showers. It is free of any significant infestations (cockroaches, bed bugs, spiders, rodents), just the typical Chicago house centipede once in a while. It isn't pretty but it is affordable, private, safe, quiet, and management is pretty laid back. If all you're looking for is the absolute basics and an absolutely basic price, it's a great option.