apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Hey all, my husband and I have moved to Chicago! Thanks to everyone for their advice. We are house hunting aggressively in Lincoln Park and Lakeview. In the meantime, we're staying downtown in a furnished apartment. So far loving the city and just driving around to get my bearings.

I can't believe the city doesn't recycle! Although, NYC doesn't either, they just collect recyclables and dump them in Jersey to be figured out later.

The eternal question: Where is the best Target? I mean biggest, well-stocked Greatland Target? I have checked out two and I was just wondering if anyone can shed some light. Next stop is IKEA for a temporary desk.

Also, which IKEA is better? They seem to be a similar distance from me.

jennie, welcome to chicago! so glad you are enjoying it. i really like the target on addison between california and kedzie (2939 W Addison St). it is a lot less crazy compared to the target on elston and it is 2 levels. there is a brand new one up in edgewater on peterson, but that might be hike for you.

between the two ikea stores, i prefer schaumberg. i think that the new one in bolingbrook is laid out sort of weird. i like that the store in schaumberg is centered around the middle, and if you are wondering where a certain area is, you can likely find it just by being close to the middle. the bolingbrook one just seems like a maze to me, and it's really frustrating how little of their items they have interspersed with the displays. i think it's a total pain to have to get EVERYTHING from the downstairs section there.

I have to say this one quietly... the best Target is the one on Roosevelt Rd, just west of State. You can get there by LSD, Halstead and 90/94. Lots of parking and it's still relatively sane...shhh

As for Ikea... just make a big pot of coffee and grin 'n' bear it... Do NOT try and make it out to Schaumburg on a Saturday or Sunday morning- though you'll have plenty of time to listen to the entire NPR morning lineup you'll spend half the day in your car cursing Omlauts!

Haha Julian... thanks for the tip. I would never venture into an IKEA on a weekend unless I absolutely had to!

Thanks SO MUCH for all your advice, guys. I'm planning a serious google maps session and may have to check out the Schaumburg IKEA later today.

May be of interest: Netmagazines.com has subscription to "Decorating Spaces" for $3.60/yr, using coupon code DCMPS70P. Never heard of the mag but I ordered it. I've ordered from Netmags couple of times before and have always gotten my sub...
"Decorating Spaces
Decorating Spaces is the fabulous new magazine for women with a passion for design. Every issue is packed with the latest design trends and home accessories, tips to achieve a particular look in your home, advice from celebrity design experts and much more! Decorating Spaces brings you all this:Living Spaces -- See amazing remodeling projects and get the inside scoop on how they were completed. Know the latest kitchen and bath trends and what you can do to incorporate the same look in your own rooms.Outer Spaces -- Get gardening tips, ideas and advice to keep your outdoor garden and entertaining areas lush and beautiful.Homemade Design -- Create beautiful home furnishings. Sew your own slipcovers, pillows and more.Quick Tips -- Choose the paint colors that are right for you. Know the best ways to arrange flowers. Make all your projects better than ever with these quick and handy tips.Storage Solutions -- Get organized with the ideas and products that work in every room in your house, no matter how big or small.Party Planner -- Tempt your palate with recipes that include everything from elaborate gourmet meals to simple picnic lunches.Ask the Expert -- Solve all your design dilemmas. Get answers from a celebrity design expert about everyday decorating challenges.And much more! -- Go inside some of the most creative and most fabulously designed homes. Learn how to replicate the styles you love in your own home with.Only Decorating Spaces features design ideas for every style!
(As described by Blue Dolphin)"

link: http://www.magazinepricesearch.com/detail/europeanhomesgardens.html

HTH,
Stylin

heather,

i found out about the cork drive at true nature foods. they are donating the corks to the lincoln park conservatory to be used as planting medium for orchids and to fill the bottoms of very large pots.

sorry it took me so long to find out the details.

funny timing, katie. i just got an email today from LPC about accepting our donations. look for a detialed post about our cork plan tomorrow. thanks so much for the info and for checking in!

Welcome...

The best Target is on 33rd and Damen. It's cheaper than the Target on Roosevelt.....and it's never crowded.

The Ikea in Schaumburg is the better of the two hands down.

"I can't believe the city doesn't recycle! Although, NYC doesn't either, they just collect recyclables and dump them in Jersey to be figured out later."

The city does recycle. At least, that's what they claim. You put your recyclables in "blue bags" and put the blue bags in the dumpster with the rest of your trash. You can buy the blue bags at your local grocery store or ACE Hardware.

Visit egov.cityofchicago.org and search for "blue bags" for more info.

Your picture is such a beautiful centrepiece, do you know what type of flowers those are? I would love to make something similar for my table now that the autumn colours are really start to coming out around us!

jyw, thanks! I checked out the website:

'If you live in a single-family home or a two-, three, or four-flat building, and your garbage is picked up by the Department of Streets and Sanitation, you can participate in the Blue Bag Recycling program.'

I'm in a huge apartment building so I guess that's why I was told "we don't recycle." Well, at least I know that I can when we move to a house.

where do people usually look for apts? in the reader? craigslist? apt agencies? i'm trying to rent out an apt that will be vacant in Oct.

honestly the blue bag recycling system is a HUGE joke. our recycling program is really looked down upon and laughed at in the recycling world. the likelihood that recyclables are sorted out from trash is pretty slim. plus it is very likely that a lot of recyclable materials are contaminated when bags break open and therefore cannot be recycled. whenever i have out of town guests they are always shocked at the system and how poor it is.

you'd think that with daley being known as the environmental mayor and having many wonderful initiatives in place, he'd be all over a good recycling plan.

ak -
craigslist and the reader are your best bets. if you are going higher end then a real estate agency that has rentals can help you. i don't suggest apartment finding places like apartment people or homestead group, they will charge you high credit check fees and pressure you to take overpriced places, the same quality of which you can easily find on your own. apartments are pretty easy to find in chicago, you just have to keep looking until you find the right one. october is a good month to move in so there should be a lot of places available soon.

ak -- re: apartment hunting...

I've looked all over for apartments in the past. The Reader is great if you're looking for something on the northside, but pathetic if you're looking for something south of South Loop. When I was hunting in Hyde Park/Kenwood, I used the Hyde Park Herald and U of C's online classifieds and good, old-fashioned word-of-mouth...

It may be worth noting that the only apartment I've ever rented in Lincoln Park was found in the Trib, not the Reader (ye gods, it was cheap -- there are days I miss that rent!).

re: the better IKEA --

Maybe I'm crazy, but I really like the one in Bollingbrook more. Both are ridiculously far away from me, so distance is moot. But I've visited both on weekdays this summer and Bollingbrook just seemed less crazy and better stocked. Schaumburg does have more selection, and I think more furniture, but it always seems like whatever I want there is "temporarily out of stock."

I took the flower picture. They are just zinnias that I picked up at the Greenmarket on Saturday. I noticed that they seem to last a bit longer if I cut the stems short like that.

On another topic -- I have a massive fruit fly infestation at home. Any tips on how to kills these nasty bugs???

risingsun,
I believe those flowers are zinnias.

As for the apartment hunting/renting, don't forget about the power of a sign on your door or in your yard! My husband and I found our last rental that way, and it was also rented out that way when we left. There's something nice about keeping current residents in the neighborhood. Good luck!

Kathryn, I've heard that if you leave a out a glass or vinegar (wine also works) it will attract the fruit flies and it should take care of those annoying little buggers. Also get rid of anything that could possibly be attracting them.

Thanks Katie,

I already threw out or refrigerated all the fruit and tomatoes last night. I will try the glass of wine when I get home tonight.

Any idea how long the whole process should take to be fruit fly-free?

Happy Hump Day folks! I'm finally ready to begin painting my bedroom and was looking for the discussion where it seemed like 3-4 readers all used the same amazing shade of green/grey(ish) Benjamin Moore(?)paint. It seemed like the paint changed colors according to amount/quality of light, etc.

Can anyone help me or was I just dreaming?

Kathryn, I think it should only take a day or two to get the majority of them. But that's just a guess.

Oh and make sure you use red wine. I did a bit more sleuthing on getting rid of fruit flies and here are a few more tips...

+Leave a wine bottle with some old wine in the bottom. Lay the bottle on its side. The flies go in but they can't find their way out and eventually drown in the wine.

+Put a small amount of red wine into a shallow dish, covered it with plastic wrap, and then poked a hole into it.

Hope this gets rid of them all, they are so annoying!!!

re: apt rentals
thx for all your inputs. i was bit skeptical about going to rental agencies. i guess they do put alot of fees on both ends. yes, i'm hoping to rent it out for Oct.

Drowning in wine! Now there's a way to go!

Good luck with the "extermination," Kathryn!!

Thanks for the tips, everyone! I will report back tomorrow on how it goes.

sorry to go off topic here, but has anyone ever used one of the in-home services like eddie z's, empire, etc.? i want to do some window treatments (think UV protection, not decoration) but the installation part scares me.

any thoughts on these guys?

I am pretty convinced that there is a mountain of blue bags in Iowa. (That is the state to the west isn't it?)

The processing plant where thye supposedly seperate the recyclables supposedley has a web cam, where you can watch them sort the blue bags, but I think it is just a video tape on a loop.

It's all too bad.

Just my thoughts.... ;-)

Chicago ships blue bags to Shelbyville... ;)

Laura,

I had some Duette blinds installed by Luna Carpet and it was a great experience! I might be a little biased because the owner of the company was one of my neighbors, but I would still recommend Luna Carpet.

Big article on Chicago in the new issue of Dwell.

Of course they claim to find the "real" Chicago. Inevitabally at some point during conversation with every one of my Chicago friends we talk about iconic Chicago versus "real" Chicago. The Michigan Ave Street Wall vs. the (slowly disapearing) lakefront rocks as symbols of the City's gusto, the broad boulevard-flanked neighborhood parks vs. the contrived (alebit quite nice) Millenium Park as city playground etc...

Now I don't mean to start a pissing contest but I'm curious as to what the other design-inclined, space concious folk here on AT believe is a symbol of the real Chicago. Aside from the iconic buildings and punchcard answers, what do you find represents the city... where would you tell a visitor they absoutely must visit...?

(I'm bored at work...hence the posting...)

Apparently, I'm not dreaming, just confused. The thread I was thinking of for grey paint colors was at NY AT, not here. Link in my name if you need paint recommendations, there's lots for green/grey/blue there.

re fruit flies:

put a piece of mashed up banana or other cut fruit in a dish, and place the dish in a ziploc baggie. poke some small holes in the baggie (i.e. with a fork) - the fruit flies fly into the baggie but cannot fly out.

better ikea is schamburg - it has more stuff.

my most recent two apartments i've rented via the reader - cheaper apartments are to be found there.

in addition to the way our recycling program is with the blue bags, news stories i've read over the past year have also stated that only approximately 30% of what's placed in blue bags actually gets recycled.

and kathryn - never put tomatoes in the refrigerator. they get mealy.

Jennie,
Don't limit your housing search to Lincoln Park and Lakeview. I've lived in or near both areas and have found the ideal home in Albany Park. In fact, I've lived in Lincoln Square too, which I loved, but got too expensive. I now live on a block long street and have three parks within a block (one has a dog park and swimming pool). I am across the street from the river and a nature walk. Two Brown Line stops are just a couple of blocks away. I can walk to a great yoga studio (Bloom), the Kedzie resturants, notable for all varieties of Middle Eastern food are just a few minutes walk. Lincoln Square is about a mile away and Andersonville just a short drive. And, for those of you who are accident prone or have kids (my little guy just broke his arm last week) Swedish Covenant Hospital is just lovely and close. Also, close to several of the Targets named above and very close to the Kennedy to get to Ikea. By the way the best time to go to Ikea is on Friday night as a date. Almost no one is there and you can get a bite at their cafe. I cannot say enough about this often overlooked area of the city.
Suzanne

We had a fruit fly infestation a while back and found the wine and beer trick ineffective. What ended the ordeal was our aggressive cleaning of everything in the kitchen and pantry. All surfaces wiped clean, no dishes left in the sink, all spills contained and cleaned up right away. All old grocery plastic bags thrown away, all pantry food sealed in ziplocks, ect. It was a total pain in the ***.
It did end.
Good luck.

We had a fruit fly infestation a while back and found the wine and beer trick ineffective. What ended the ordeal was our aggressive cleaning of everything in the kitchen and pantry. All surfaces wiped clean, no dishes left in the sink, all spills contained and cleaned up right away. All old grocery plastic bags thrown away, all pantry food sealed in ziplocks, ect. It was a total pain.
It did end.
Good luck.