155 N Harbor Dr, Chicago, IL, 60601

There is a disgruntled resident at Harbor Point who runs a blog and I think most people in the building know who this is. I read his two reviews here, as well as his blog, before signing on the bottom line and was somewhat disturbed by them, but I eventually decided to buy and am glad I did. The facts: -I have spoken to several people in the building and nobody has heard of drainage problems. As someone who has looked at single-celled archea, prokaryotes, and eukaryotes, I can assure everyone that bacteria dies after several years. -The building staff are courteous and helpful. If anything the building might be a little overstaffed, though I'd push to solve this through attrition. -The building's views are amazing. -The association (read: you) charges you (read: itself) a below-market rate for parking. -Swimming in the pool is better than you would think on a quick tour. Sitting in the hot tub watching Lake Michigan around sunset is awesome. -All condos come with free storage space. If a 800 square foot one-bedroom apartment somehow isn't enough room for you, you have a free extra walk-in closet downstairs. (or better yet, on your floor.) -You don't get building heat in the winter, and you don't get natural gas either, so heating is done via (expensive, at least thermally) electricity. So expect to pay an arm and a leg for winter heating bills. If you are the kind of person who likes your apartment to be 78 degrees in the winter, this is not your building. -Ceilings are just a little bit short. I feel like they're exactly 8' tall. If you value tall ceilings, this is not your building. (Conversely, it probably helps keep heating costs down in the winter.) -The building was built between 1930 and 1980, which means galvanized steel pipes. This won't be an issue for five years and probably won't be an issue for ten, but eventually, galvanized steel pipes need to be replaced. Think about that, what it might cost, and whether having your kitchen or bathroom wall ripped out would be a problem. -Some noise from Lakeshore drive. Not a big deal, and probably the same as most buildings, but if you want peace and quiet, you'll be happier in Wilmette or maybe at least in Lincoln Park. -I have lived in two Draper and Kramer buildings and don't have anything positive or negative to say about D&K. They did an adequate job at my prior building (222 N. Columbus) and were fairly entrenched there (they were the original developers.) - I *do* have positive things to say about Thomas Fortier. When I called (during attorney review) to ask about the building's galvanized steel pipes, Fortier had an answer ready- the building had hired an engineering firm to study the problem in 2013 and found that the pipes would be good for at least 7 years, and would cost less than the building's reserves to completely replace. And I recently had a conversation from someone who served on the board five years ago who attributed much of the building's reputation for good management to Fortier, rather than the board. If I were this disgruntled resident, I'd go after the board. These people have the ability to effect change in the building, they're elected by us, and they're our responsibility. And while I think they generally do a decent job, there were some shenanigans revolving around a board election a year ago (specifically, an officer voted the ballots of the association's own units, which she wasn't supposed to do). This would be a much more effective route than attacking the value of your own property. In the corporate world, shareholder lawsuits and attacks on the company you own usually don't effect change for the better, but sometimes proxy wars- or the threat of a proxy war can. I feel like whatever grievances he may have can be solved through dialogue or politics. Harbor Point doesn't need higher property values, but it does need price stability, political stability, and (hopefully) a ready pool of renters interested in the building. Let's see if we can figure out a neighborly way to address the disgruntled resident's original issues- a fine for leaving personal belongings in a hallway.

155 N Harbor Drive Condominium, Kitchen drains erupting ... You may want to get your condo professionally tested for hazardous bacteria ... If you've purchased a unit at 155 North Harbor Condominium in the last decade you may want to get it professionally tested for hazardous bacteria. Several units suffered some damage of sewer water erupting through kitchen pipes, shooting up through as many as 14 floors carrying along with the sludge potentially harmful toxic bacteria. Those units that caught the full impact of these eruptions sustained damage that extended beyond the kitchen floor and into the hallway floor, hallway closets, dining and living areas. Potentially toxic sludge could possibly have seeped its way through adjoining floors and unit walls and even possibly into neighboring units, given the nature of previous floods and extensive water damage in this building. If not professionally treated and eradicated this sewer sludge could very comfortably setup growth colonies beneath floors and unit walls. Many unit owners used a mop, and then put the unit up for sale. Did you buy a unit at 155 North Harbor Condominium in the last decade. Have you checked whether it suffered water damage, or if the units on either side above or below suffered damage.

Draper and Kramer manage Harbor Point Condominium. There are several citations from each of the City of Chicago departments (listed below) against Harbor Point Condominium, spanning several years. Draper and Kramer allowed them to happen. For the long version: http://draperandkramer.blogspot.com/ ;; (and) - http://draperandkramer.blogspot.com/2012/01/draper-and-kram ;;; (and) - http://draperandkramer.blogspot.com/2012/01/draper-and-kram . Otherwise, here is what happened to me in 4000 characters or less. Several citations from each of the City of Chicago departments listed below against Harbor Point Condominium. Dept of Public Health (CDPH), 333 S. State Street, Room 200, Chicago, IL 60604, Ph: 312.747.9884 Dept of Environment, 30 N. LaSalle St., Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60602, Ph: 312.744.7606 Chicago Fire Dept, District 1, 55 West Illinois Street, Chicago, IL 60654-4804, Ph: 312.744.5742 Citations ranging from blocked fire escape doors to inadequate filtration systems for car exhaust fumes emanating from the parking garage. Dangerous public health and safety citations written for violations in the Health Club. Most notably, the entire floor underneath the wooden slats in the sauna was covered with baseball sized dust balls of hair and filth. Contact the departments for a complete list of citations. The information is open and available to the public.

Loved living at Harbor Point for nine years. We were 'empty-nestors,' who no longer wished to shovel snow, rake leaves or plant tomatoes. The Point is surrounded by water and parks. Yet it was only a couple of blocks from the Loop. If I wasn't living here in Central America in a mini-paradise AND if it wasn't so darn cold in the winters, I would have stayed at Harbor Point. Am glad I lived there and am glad I have moved on.