Live at the ICA GreenRise

“Intentional community” is an inclusive term for any project where people strive together with a common vision, including ecovillages, cohousing communities, residential land trusts, communes, student co-ops, urban housing cooperatives, intentional living, alternative communities, and cooperative living. We are living in the GreenRise Intentional Community to promote environmental, economic, cultural, and communal sustainability.

Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood is known for its rich and vibrant diversity, as well as formally being Chicago’s entertainment district. Uptown is currently home to numerous music venues, nightclubs, restaurants and shops. Uptown Square, at the center of the Uptown Entertainment District, was designated as a National Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. For more information on Uptown, you can visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uptown,_Chicago.

YES! ICA is located just two blocks from the CTA Red Line, and the 151 Sheridan and 81 Lawrence buses run right outside the front doors of the building. The building is just 5 blocks from the Wilson El station which also has a Purple Line stop. It’s just 3 blocks to Broadway, where the 36 Broadway bus stops. In addition to excellent access to public transport, Lake Shore Drive is just two blocks away, as is a Lakefront Trail bike and running path that spans almost 20 miles across the city. There is a DIVVY bike share station across the street.

You must 19 years of age to rent a unit in the building. Children are welcomed with their parent(s) or guardian(s).​

A security deposit equal to one month's rent required. Security Deposit cannot be used as the last month's rent. There is an additional non-refundable fee of $100 to cover credit check fees.

We are looking for long-term community members; some of us have lived here for going on 4 decades. The lease term is minimum 1 year.

We email rent invoices every month, the link in the invoice allows one to pay the rent electronically, however, rents can also be paid by check or money orders. Rent is due on the 1st of every month.

All rooms are cable ready, but residents have to contact the Internet Service Provider of their choice and purchase connectivity for their unit. Unsecured Wi-Fi is available in common areas.

One of the charms of the GreenRise building is that no two things are exactly the same, including the rooms! There are different room sizes ranging from 150 square feet to 700 square feet. Rent is based on the size of the room and number of occupants.

Parking is available in our lot across the street, depending on availability.

Residents share a kitchen on the 6th floor of the building, and they can also subscribe to a paid meal plan, where a cook comes in and cooks food for the subscribers of the food plan subscribers. Each resident is assigned a cabinet, refrigerator, and freezer space, and is welcome to use the equipment in the kitchen to prepare their meals. We, the community, take responsibility for keeping the communal kitchen in good condition by working with a team of folks one day each week.

One of the items shared with others within this community will be bathroom space. These are separated by gender binary with facilities of five stalls and sinks in each bathroom. Separate showers are in other rooms. There are ADA-compliant bathroom spaces. We've had a number of transgender residents in the community who had no complaints with the set up.

Yes, there are coin-operated washers and dryers on the residential floor

The ICA GreenRise building values a secure space for its tenants, residents, visitors and employees. There is someone at the front desk 24 hours a day. The front doors of the building are locked at approximately 9:00 pm, and residents and tenants must be buzzed in through the front door. There are special elevator codes for the residential floors.

For guests of residents, we offer a guest bedroom that can be rented as needed. The resident is responsible for their guests while they are in the building. One of the key foundations of making an intentional community work is respect for others you share the space with; it is of utmost importance that this respect be reflected in those who are invited into the community living space.

Yes, ICA is already home to furry friends with some capacity limits. If caps is not reached, your pet may be approved after a pet interview and an additional non-refundable $100 pet fee is paid.