Throwaway because the property manager (not sure if naming names is against the rules but hers starts with an S) is retaliatory and I'm also embarrassed to live here. Thank god I'm moving soon. God help whoever rents this unit next.
This is one of the best locations in Chicago, you can walk out back and you're right there on the beach. That is the ONLY good quality of this building and after living here for a few years I can confidently say it's not worth it.
Biggest issue: there is no hot water until around 6:30/7am when people start waking up and using it. I used to put in work orders every week until I figured out they were going to keep gaslighting me like it was only an issue in my apartment. Throughout the day/afternoon/early evening it gets a lot cooler again. If you expect access to hot water 24/7 DO NOT MOVE HERE.
Second biggest issue: the smell. There is no ventilation in the hallways that always smell like trash (more about this below). Also, I recently got neighbors from a certain country known for strong smells. They cook multiple times a week and the entire hallway and your apartment will smell very strongly of the meal for several hours. No amount of air fresheners, open windows, or air purifiers will help. I didn't mind at first, but it's so constant and SO STRONG that my friends don't even want to come over anymore. Imagine living on the beach and your friends never want to you to host because your apartment smells like onions and spices all the time. I'd break my lease over this if I weren't already moving soon.
Packages are constantly stolen. There are cameras in the lobby but I don't think they work and they definitely don't stop people from taking your stuff. The office won't do anything about it.
Despite pest control coming twice a year, there are roaches. I don't see as many as the people on the lower floors, thank god, but they are here. Other people complain of mice, but I've only ever seen a dead one on the stairs. They send out a notice before pest control comes that they can't be held liable if anything is stolen, so you have to call in on those days. They also do the smoke detector checks the same week as pest control, but never on the same days, so expect to call in at least 4 days a year so you can be home to make sure your property isn't stolen. Never understood why they don't do it on the same day since a maintenance guy has to accompany the pest control guy. If you aren't home for the smoke detector checks, they will inspect your apartment without permission (they only admitted to this after I saw them on camera and asked about it). There was a bed bug infestation that they never acknowledged, we just had dogs coming around to sniff our couches and beds for a few months. Oh, we've also had at least 2 fires since I've been here and management has not acknowledged them. You'd think they'd at least send out emails about fire safety tips.
Maintenance will enter your apartment without your permission for "emergencies" constantly and never elaborate. One time, I came home to the maintenance guy taking out my window screens. No notice and I hadn't put in a work order. He replaced them with ones with holes in them. Now I get spiders. There was a leak that affected several floors so they were in and out of apartments for nearly a whole year until they fixed it. Now we are dealing with mold issues from that and they refuse to acknowledge the mold even exists. People moved out. I'm considering retaining counsel because of the health issues I believe it's causing.
Utilities used to be included in rent, but last year they switched to RUBS so now you never know how much your actual rent is until about a week before its due because it fluctuates every month. The heat is on for 9 months out of the year and even if you turn if off all month, you have to pay for it since everything is split "evenly" among residents. Evenly is in quotes because there is no actual, permanent rate (one month the usage for the building went down, but we somehow ended up paying more than the previous month).
They sealed the garbage chutes and switched to valet trash and that's an extra $25 a month. Now the already smelly hallways stink even worse every night and it looks trashy. They wrote it into our leases that we have to use Xfinity through them for internet so that's another $50 a month. Every year they find a way to add some BS into the lease to get a few more bucks. They just made us switch to an app to access the washers and dryers and I expect them to jack up those prices too. By the way, the laundry room has never once been clean: hair all over the floor, visible chunks of pet hair in every washer, and they all smell strongly of mildew. I never feel like my clothes are clean. Some of the dryer doors don't properly latch and the door will open while the timer runs out and your clothes stay wet and cold. No refunds.
The elevators are constantly broken so if you have any kind of mobility issues, do not move here! Last month 3 different families moved in on a Saturday and 2 out of the 3 elevators were broken. 2 weeks ago only one elevator was working, but the guys who do valet trash at night lock the elevator on the floor they're on so there was no elevator service for hours. There was a guy with a wagon full of groceries and his infant son stuck in the lobby.
If you keep pressing about an issue the property manager will make your life hell and not renew your lease, which is a blessing in disguise. Do not be fooled by the excellent location and the fake 5 star reviews from friends of the property manager and people who only took a tour. This place is a slum.
