Riverside, IL

757 Apartments for Rent

One of the famous architects who designed structures in Riverside was Frank Lloyd Wright. Considered by many to be his best work, the Coonley Estate consists of several buildings, including the main house that was completed in 1912. The property is a private residence that sometimes comes up for sale but not for rent.

How'd you like to live inside the National Register of Historic Places? The entire village of Riverside received that honor in 1970 because it was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the Father of Landscape Architecture. Circular towers, arched windows and walls studded with stones and beams transport you to a Victorian English fantasy but the Craftsman-style punctuations remind you that you're still in the U.S. Appropriately enough, the southern border of this hamlet follows the Des Plaines River.

Where to Live

If you're looking for apartments for rent in Riverside, the closest ones are in neighboring Brookfield and Lyons. The village itself doesn't contain a traditional complex. If your housing commitment goes only month-to-month, you'll need to find a rental house or condo. As implied by village origins, most of the homes are from 1950 or earlier. Vintage hounds will love that over 38 percent of the homes hail from 1920 to 1939. Over a quarter of the spaces range from 1,800 to 2,400 square feet. The average residence was built in 1932 and shows 1,839 square feet.

Amenities and rental policies vary widely because you're renting from individual owners and not commercial entities. Older properties boast charm and individuality but may lack such modern conveniences as multiple electrical outlets and cable TV wiring. If technological convenience is important, stick with properties built from 1980 to the 21st century, although these comprise only about 5 percent of what's available. As with traditional rental apartments, home leases demand that you have good credit coupled with income and expenses to afford the monthly fees

What to Do in Riverside

Riverside is only about a mile at its widest part, so nearly any rental is just a short walk through curved tree-lined streets to any place else -- this means no real neighborhoods, but we won't stop you from making up your own. The Water Tower, designed by William LeBaron Jenney in Swiss Gothic tradition, acts as a convenient marker for the central business district. Because of Riverside's small size, nearly any rental is just a short walk through curvilinear tree-lined streets to this tower. Downtown distractions include restaurants, chain stores and antique shops. The merchants at the Riverside Farmers Market hope you'll spend your dollars on fresh produce during certain Wednesdays.

Coyotes are a common enough sighting that the village government has an official policy for dealing with the creatures. The furry beasts generally avoid human contact so just leaving them alone is the best approach. If you see one, inform village staff and they will have the coyotes removed. Keep pets indoors unless you want them to turn into meals. If you must leave a dog outside, make sure it's protected in a fully enclosed kennel. Dogs are friends, not food! If a coyote approaches you, make a lot of noise and wave your arms to appear as big as possible. If it doesn't leave, look it in the eye and slowly back off.