Wicker Park ground level apartment. How safe? (Winchester: for rent, condo)

[kckal]

I am looking at an apartment in wicker park area and the place seems pretty nice on the inside and rent is reasonable enough. The only vice is that it is a ground level apartment.

How safe is it to be living in a ground level apartment close to the N Paulina and Blackhawk intersection? Should I be worried at all, surely I wont be the first person to live in a ground floor apartment in the neighborhood?

[Chi-town Native]

keep the windows covered & don't leave computer/electronics boxes out in your alley (why do people do this?) & you'll be no better or worse than anyone else imo.

[aragx6]

What's the price? I think they can be worth it, but I'd want a decent price adjustment. You also have to think about flooding

What's your budget? I know that's not quite the point, but next door to me (North/Winchester) is a basement apt for rent and it's owner occupied and nicely maintained -- $900/month -- and I'm pretty sure it's a 2 BR

[surlycue]

I live in a ground floor storefront unit. There were bars on the windows when I moved in so I wasn't worried about that but I did install a 2x4 wooden barricade on the inside of the front and kitchen doors leading out. Both obviously open inward. It was a cheap (both cost me then than $12 to buy and install) piece of mind for me and I live in a neighborhood with about the same safety levels as WP.

Flooding seems to be an issue in garden/basement units much more so than ground floor units. I have never had any flooding issues whatsoever.

ETA: Get good bug spray. Lately I've seen millipedes the size of my head.

[aragx6]

This is a good question -- is it a true first floor, true garden (only partially below grade) or a true basement -- landlords tend to use these interchangeably.

[kckal]

Originally Posted by aragx6

What's the price? I think they can be worth it, but I'd want a decent price adjustment. You also have to think about flooding

What's your budget? I know that's not quite the point, but next door to me (North/Winchester) is a basement apt for rent and it's owner occupied and nicely maintained -- $900/month -- and I'm pretty sure it's a 2 BR

its a 2br but its pretty nice inside, appliances are pretty new and bathrooms are recently remodeled. rent is 1350, which in light of the ground apartment thing is i suppose too high.

Originally Posted by aragx6

This is a good question -- is it a true first floor, true garden (only partially below grade) or a true basement -- landlords tend to use these interchangeably.

It looks at least partially below sidewalk level. I assume that should make flooding an issue?

[aragx6]

Yes, that can be a concern, but it's not necessarily. Not all basement apts flood, but some definitely do. I would go over there today if you can and see where rain is puddling.

So the place is probably not quite condo quality but nicer than your typical vintage in a great location and a garden huh? I'd say that 1350 might be just a bit high -- Do you have parking or a W/D?

[aragx6]

Wait ... scratch that .. it's a two bathroom? If so, then it's worth every penny of 1350.

[surlycue]

Originally Posted by kckal

its a 2br but its pretty nice inside, appliances are pretty new and bathrooms are recently remodeled. rent is 1350, which in light of the ground apartment thing is i suppose too high.

It looks at least partially below sidewalk level. I assume that should make flooding an issue?

In this case I would think the landlord is overcharging. Is there a W/D in unit or parking included? If not it's definitely time to renegotiate or look for another place. The $900 unit near our humble moderatrix is starting to sound like a great deal.

[hank0604]

I have a garden apartment not too far from there (Wabansia & Winchester) and I have had no problems at all, living here going on 6 months now. No real bug issues--although I should qualify this by saying that at my apartment in Austin, TX it wasn't uncommon to have scorpions, tarantulas, and small snakes inside, so a few roaches, ants, or random insects don't really bother me. I have never felt unsafe and no water has gotten into my apartment yet.