Best neighborhood to avoid pests (rats, roaches, ants) (Chicago, Lincoln: wood floors, apartments)

[celim]

I'm looking for a studio or 1 bedroom 800 or under, but my #1 criteria besides North side location is to avoid pests as much as possible. From reading here it seems Lincoln Park has it the worst, but where can I rent a place where apartment pests are less of a problem? I know its unrealistic to think I won't have one incident, and I fully plan to ask every landlord upfront if they ever had a pest problem, but where are some places to avoid?

[Avengerfire]

Lincoln Park the worst? No way.

[JBVirtuoso]

Well, pests are less of a problem if you're in a clean building on a higher floor.

[ToriaT]

If you live in an old building in the city you probably will have roaches (at least occasionally) or the possibility of them. Most apt. buildings spray for them. Ants I can't imagine are much of a problem in the city...unless you live in an old wooden house (carpenter ants). Mostly they stay outside. I've lived in the city for years and only had one encounter with a rat at who ran into a grocery store. I know they live in the alleys, sewers, and outside but unless your building/house is a real mess you should not have a problem in an apartment. In summary: almost every building I lived in the city had an occasional roach, none had ants, none had rats. In the suburbs in my own home: had carpenter ants, occasional ant issues, no roaches ever, no rats ever, but had an occasional mouse. That sums it up.

[DoneWithDC]

Some friends of ours have a condo in Ukranian Village and we see rats around their neighborhood every single time we leave their place at night. It's pretty bad. Our friend is on a personal mission to rid his neighborhood of rats, but he seems to be losing that battle.

In the section of Logan Square we live in, I have only seen two rats in the 6 months we have lived here. There are a number of neighborhood cats though, which may be helping to control the problem.

[lenniel]

No landlord is going to admit his building has a pest problem unless he doesn't want you renting from him.

[celim]

Any sites where people post reviews of apartments?

[Aleking]

Bed bugs are what you want to avoid. And like someone else mentioned a landlord will never fess up to a pest issue, you best bet is to track down some current tenants and ask them

[Dis99]

I have browsed this one in the past. Not sure how reliable it is. A lot reviewers claim it's the management companies posting favorable reviews of some buildings so who knows

Apartment Ratings :: The leading source of apartment reviews by renters for renters.

[Lovegun]

I had ants in Edgewater, 2nd level apt. Even though every building is brick in Chicago there is still wood floors, trims, studs ect. Really, its going to be impossible to avoid all pests in dense areas. Maybe you should ask the landlord if they spray for pests... ?