There comes a time in every young relationship’s life when cramming two independent individuals into a one-bedroom Chicago apartment is just no longer going to cut it. While the closet space alone could drive a girl mad, having only the bedroom as an outlet from evening-long DVR-ed Oprah marathons can make any boyfriend feel trapped.

In a city like Chicago, where hibernation is common at least six months a year and friends with cars are few and far between, even the most active city dwellers are found spending more time in their apartments than desired. This is what led my boyfriend and I to move – to a new apartment and a new side of town. Our in-apartment priorities: two bedrooms, two closets, one dishwasher and enough space for two independent laundry baskets. We found what we were looking for with an additional toilet and a nearby Whole Foods to boot.