West Ridge sits on Chicago's far North Side, bounded roughly by Devon Avenue to the south and Howard Street to the north. Devon Avenue alone tells you a lot about this neighborhood. It's one of the most culturally layered commercial strips in the whole city, lined with South Asian grocers, Middle Eastern restaurants, and longtime family businesses. The housing stock here is a mix of brick bungalows, two-flats, and vintage courtyard buildings. Many of those homes are 60 to 80 years old, which means original bathrooms that haven't been touched since the Eisenhower administration.
Chicago winters hit West Ridge hard. The neighborhood sits inland enough that lake-effect snow from Lake Michigan still reaches it, and the freeze-thaw cycles every spring do real damage to older tile, grout, and caulking. Homes that haven't had bathroom updates in decades often show it in cracked floors, failing shower surrounds, and outdated ventilation that can't keep up with humidity. Homeowners here tend to stay put for a long time, which means they invest in their properties. When they finally decide to renovate, they want it done right.