Another quiet Thursday at the Medill News Service.

Apologies for the belated post. But I still really want to share the crazy events of Thursday afternoon with our readers!

The day began very slowly. As one of my story ideas fell-through that morning, I found myself unable to file–and soon resulted to taking candids of Dev and I in the newsroom. Blame it on spring fever, but the weather outside was an absolute delight and I couldn’t stop thinking about long walks in the warm breeze.

Lurking.

Where my brilliant story ideas originate.

Paparazzi shot of Devin hard at work.

The best part of Thursday was my mistaken excitement over meeting with the Chicago Apartment Finders in Belmont to begin my apartment hunt. (Read: sarcasm.) If our readers gather anything from this post, please let it be that everyone knows NEVER to visit this organization for leasing assistance.

Knowing my time in Evanston is quickly coming to a close, I am looking to move on to bigger and better apartment prospects. I began my search with a search…how to go about finding a deal on a decent apartment, while not paying an exorbitant amount in rent. Google is a tricky beast.  The first suggestion that popped up was to visit the Chicago Apartment Finders. So excited to move ahead with the process, I ignored my better judgement and made an appointment without looking up reviews of the agency online.

That afternoon was my time of reckoning. I should have known it was a mistake mere minutes after walking in the door. Our pesky broker sat me down and explained to me, with the intensity of an annoyed babysitter scolding a child, that she “works very hard,” and was not interested in helping me if the fruits of her labor would not be rewarded with commission. I retorted that, contrary to popular belief, I actually understand how commission works, but would not be pressured to sign a lease on an apartment just to make her happy.

That didn’t make her too happy either.

Ignoring all my online research and requests to see apartments that I had picked out, she explained that she knew best what would work for me and would wow me with her choices. What did I know,  I went along.

Our first stop–and the resulting following stops– were in Andersonville/Edgewater. A very nice area, but not at all the areas where I wanted to live. The first place she took me to was a seemingly abandoned house. Ignoring signs saying “Beware of the dog,” my glorious broker kicked in, literally, kicked in the front door exposing a dark, dusty room. The wall looked as if it had blood stains, the bathtub with mold so fierce it was crawling out of the tub at me. The back window was cracked.

The day continued along similar lines. However it truly pinnacled when Ms. Angry Apartment Finder blamed my “glamorous taste” on the fact that I would never be satisfied with any listing. I wish I could say I laughed it off, instead I demanded that she take me back to Belmont–that I’d had enough.

She then had to audacity to kindly ask me not to write a bad review about her on yelp, all while she was texting on the blackberry and running through stop signs.

So essentially, the search is still on. Any suggestions (aside from Craigslist) for how I should go about continuing my hunt? I’m at a bit of a dead-end.

Hope everyone has been enjoying their weekend!

-Ileana