When identical twins Sophie and Isabelle Lynch listed their apartment on Facebook Marketplace looking for a subleaser, they worried there wouldn’t be any bites. Their post was coming as winter arrives in on Chicago, and they planned to move in the middle of the month.
That was until posts on X and TikTok of their apartment caught the attention of thousands of Chicagoans — and admirers from afar — who started to gush over the rental’s vintage details.
The three-bedroom, one-bath apartment in Wicker Park was listed for $2,350 a month with the lease starting this month and an option to renew in August.
A post on X with 1.6 million views and 46,000 likes simply reads, “this apartment on marketplace taunts me.”
this apartment on marketplace taunts me pic.twitter.com/WGWPueyRe6
— suz (@suzwhoever) December 6, 2023
One TikTok, which has garnered over 100,000 views and 15,000 likes, described the apartment as “MAGICAL!!!!”
“Oh my god I just saw this listed on marketplace last night and my jaw was on the floor,” one of almost 300 TikTok comments read.
The Queen Anne-style residence was built in 1886 and the sisters’ apartment boasts intricate fretwork — even above the shower — along with stained glass windows, french doors and an inviting outdoor patio.
The bathroom centers around a claw-foot tub nestled among the wood paneling that makes its way through the entire apartment. The sisters complemented its classic style with dried bouquets that hang above the faucet and other vintage knickknacks.
Neither of the pair had seen the apartment in-person when they decided to apply for it as they moved to Chicago in 2018. Like those fawning over it online now, they fell in love with the details of the home and instantly knew, “I want to live there.”
Originally from Ottawa, the 34-year-old sisters are art historians, and pride themselves on their furniture collection — most pieces are over 100 years old, and sourced secondhand.
“I hope that we’re seeing a shift that people are getting sick of living in white boxes and are starting to appreciate the charms of a historical home,” Isabelle Lynch said.
The sisters are moving to Paris this month and — sorry to break it to fans of the apartment — have just found another renter to take over the space.
“We were hoping we would find someone that would appreciate it and loves it and sees how great it is,” Isabelle Lynch said.
Their next journey doing research in Paris means less-breathtaking university housing is in their future, but they’re confident they’ll still make their next place home.
