Renter upgrade

Kelly Aase, an assistant office manager at a Loop-based law firm, lives in a two-bedroom, 900-square-foot Lincoln Square pad that’s almost perfect. While she loves the place’s high ceilings and fenced-in backyard, she’d like to lower both her $950 rent and her hour-long commute. With apartment steals available everywhere, there’s no reason for renters like Aase to settle. To prove that point, we tracked down three pads—each with at least one improvement on her current place—and tried to make an apartment love connection.