Well, it happened.
My time in Chicago came to an end.
I’ve left so many people, places and things behind — my newsroom, Cheesie’s, my yoga studio, Hopleaf, Tweet, the Lake Shore Trail, Doughnut Vault, the patio at Homeslice, Myopic, the Billy Goat…
…and my apartment.
I’ve lived in the same little Uptown one-bedroom apartment since I first moved to Chicago in the spring of 2015. I wasn’t expecting to spend my entire city tenure in the same apartment, but I turned this little rental unit into my own abode and ended up feeling completely at home here.
Plus? Three-figure rent and a 25-minute commute. MAJOR PERKS.
This little Chicago apartment is the longest I’ve lived in one place since I lived with my parents in high school.
When I first found out I got my job at the Tribune, I had about three weeks to find an apartment and move into it… while I was still living and working in another state! Plus, I was moving right at the start of spring, which is one of the worst seasons to move in because rent increases and apartments start flying off the market left and right.
I worked with Elan Realty to find my apartment and honestly could not recommend them enough.
I was on a very strict timeline and an even stricter budget when it came to finding an apartment, so it was a serious challenge. I knew I needed to live in a safe neighborhood with easy access to both a 24-hour train line and a grocery store since I wouldn’t have a car, and I knew I wanted to live alone in a one-bedroom. There were a ton of things I wanted in an apartment, but I knew well enough to sacrifice wants for needs — especially because right before I moved to Chicago, I’d been living on a $23,000 annual salary and a practically non-existent savings account — yikes. I barely had enough money to cover all my move-in costs up front, so anything extravagant was not going to happen.
I ended up getting really lucky! My apartment is small, but it has a bedroom. It was also recently renovated and has hardwood floors. It’s less than a block from the nearest L stop, and is in a fairly safe part of town. And, it has a huge closet!
It took me a little bit to settle into my apartment, and throughout the years, small swaps were made: A new rug, a new TV stand, some new art in my gallery wall, etc.
But now, as I prepare to sell/ donate/ pack most of my worldly possessions and whittle my belongings down to two checked bags and a carry-on (!!!), this is where I’ll leave my quaint Uptown apartment.
It’s the first home I’ve ever truly made for myself, and despite all its quirks — including a leaky bathroom ceiling, noisy neighbors and the L that rushes by the window at all hours — I will truly miss it. I mostly took these photos for myself to remember this space by, but I’m sharing them as well.
MAIN ROOM
My main room is a combination of my living room, dining room and kitchen. I tried to create “rooms” by using my couch to separate the spaces. My dining room table folds down and my bar cart is on wheels, so when I have guests, the chairs fold away, the table flips down and my bar cart rolls into the kitchen area to make room for a full-size air mattress.
The couch, gold shelves, bar stool and coffee table came with me from my last apartment, but everything else was purchased to fit the space here.
I laid out the gallery wall myself, and filled it up with a combination of things I designed and things I found online. I made the Harry Potter print, ticket stub shadow box and alumni banner. The marquee “R” was found at JoAnn Fabrics, and everything else was an online find. The large Chicago neighborhoods poster actually hides my fuse box, and is from Ork. My framed Cubs World Series Tribune press plate is from work, my floating bookshelves were purchased on Amazon and my friend Jake installed my custom plant shelf for me.
couch (old, similar) · rug · tv stand · ottoman · dining room table · shelves · table tray
BEDROOM
My bedroom is honestly kind of meh. It’s really, really small, so my bed takes up most of the space. My headboard is handmade. My desk is one of my favorite furniture purchases ever. It’s from West Elm, and it’s the perfect size for the limited space I have in my home. Between the Tribune, freelancing, studying Spanish and blogging, I spend a lot of time working — so it’s really nice to do that in a space that I love! I installed a cork board wall that I never really got around to making full use of, and I have a super cheap little cart from Ikea next to my desk. I’ve been meaning to upgrade it… but just never got around to doing so.
My apartment doesn’t have bicycle storage, so mine got mounted in the only available space in my apartment. That’s the little silver-and-black hook on the wall, reflected in the mirror.
My suitcases and a bar stool both double as bedside tables, and while I cleared it out for the photos… there’s usually a stack of yoga mats in the corner by my closet.
I’m really big on keeping greenery and fresh flowers around as much as possible — especially living in an urban area! — so I made room for my fake tree.
BATHROOM
Saved the most boring for last! There’s really nothing too special about my bathroom. It’s pretty small (like the rest of my apartment), so I had to make every inch of it work. I did the shoe-pockets-behind-the-door trick, and put a small white cabinet in for extra storage. I use two tension rods in my shower so I have room to hang towels, and my nail polish found a home in the only place I could think to put it.
…I know, the nail polish collection is out of control. I know.
So, yeah! That’s it! My little Chicago apartment. Leaving is so bittersweet, but I’m really glad I have these photos to remember my very first home by.
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This post was originally published August 30, 2019.
