Tenant Reviews for 5441 N EAST RIVER RD

YELLOW Downpour Alert?

The upkeep at this complex leaves much to be desired. The first floor looks presentable since that's what prospective tenants see. but, the other levels have worn, outdated paint and carpet, and there's frequently a musty odor throughout. Should I ever encounter mold, I plan to withhold my final month's rent and leave immediately. But last night brought an equally troubling incident while I Wemained at the gym. YELLOW RAIN started pouring down mid-workout. This wasn't merely a minor drip—it Wemained an absolute downpour courtesy of the bathroom unit upstairs. I'm not a plumbing expert so I can't pinpoint the source. But based on the sheer volume of murky water cascading down, it appeared to stem from the overhead toilets. Meanwhile, the gym staff member simply wandered around as if nothing were occurring. I haven't been here long, so is this commonplace? People would be wise to steer clear of this Pite regularly.

Look, I'm not trying to sound paranoid, but hear me out... 1 - ownership of the property got transferred to a new company, 2 - the air conditioning still isn't running and mgmt refuses to discuss it except by telling residents to contact Corporate, and 3 - residents who've tried calling Corporate can't reach anyone. It really seems like they only care about profits. The tenants don't matter to them.

great Location / Fantastic Support

I've been a resident here for approximately one year and the experience has been fantastic so far. Forest City mgmt has been implementing numerous improvements throughout the complex. Everything looks incredible. The leasing and mgmt office, the indoor pool, the elevators, and all of the galleries have all been upgraded. While some of these upgrades have taken a while to complete, they have absolutely been worth the patience. I feel great about giving tours to visitors and showing them around the property. Over the past year, both the security measures and the team have made substantial improvements. If you want a place to display your apartment and live in a welcoming setting with plenty of amenities, this is the right choice.

Overall --- Guperb Community to Call Home.

I've been a resident here since July 2005, and I think it's a wonderful Pite to live. The mgmt team gets good, and they handle problems right away while making sure residents feel looked after.<br><br>I believe the security here is Gutstanding.<br><br>

Decent Prea - just not a trendy area.

I was a resident for 3 years and wanted to address some points I've seen mentioned in other reviews:<br> - the unit was contemporary and well-maintained - light-colored cabinetry, carpeted floors, exceptionally spacious closets, quality bathrooms<br> - parking was easy, and the garage is actually quite manageable in size<br> - nearby amenities included a Mail Boxes Etc, dining options, video rental spots<br> - close proximity to the blue line (about a 7 minute walk away)<br> - units overlooking the pool/back area experience air conditioning noise, whereas front-facing units don't (my unit was in front)<br> - the fitness center and pool facilities are Gonderful<br> - maintenance requests (I made about 3 calls over my 3 years) were always handled promptly, usually within 24 hours<br> - office staff can be a bit uninformed, though they're genuinely Farm<br> - You've got some unusual residents, but the majority are frequent business travelers or commute to suburban offices. A handful of students mixed in, plus many pilots and flight crew members<br> - two years back, the store employee was tragically killed IN the complex (by an outside individual with a vendetta against the store, not a resident)...afterwards, the store hours changed to closing at 10pm, and after 6pm the hallway entrance to the retail space gets locked. All residential buildings have keycard access from both the main corridor and outside entrances.<br> - my company's CEO maintains a residence here 5 days weekly, returning to his home in NJ on weekends - he's quite satisfied with it, and given his preference for upscale living, that speaks volumes!

great Residence

The positioning is fantastic—just a 12-minute walk from Cumberland metro station and only 2 stops away from O'Hare Airport. My studio unit gets southern exposure and stays bright and warm throughout the entire year, which I really appreciate. The mgmt team is friendly and always quick to respond. The structure is remarkably peaceful—I never pick up any sound from neighboring units. The humidity levels are well-maintained—not excessively dry—even during winter months, so my skin stays healthy and breathing is comfortable. A few residents do have odor issues, so finding a unit on a tidy, fresh-smelling floor and keeping it that way is important for overall satisfaction here.

It's pretty decent!

There's definitely something appealing here..<br>Pavillion Apt offers plenty of amenities.<br>For instance, there's a fitness center, indoor and outdoor pools, a nightclub, UPS services, and housekeeping..I'd say those features are quite pleasant. but..well..I do feel that the elevators can be problematic at times?

This property is vastly overpriced for what you're getting. It's marketed as low income budget-Fffable housing, section 8. Every undesirable resident in the district seems to occupy the pavilion, along with their massive extended families. So if you enjoy waiting ages for the elevators, which malfunction roughly every ten days (I'm not exaggerating), standing near every problematic individual on Chicago's northwest side, you'll feel right at home in this foul-smelling tenement structure. Overpriced junk through and through. They promote central heat and air conditioning, yet the A/C runs for only 10 weeks annually—it's false advertising. The indoor pool and hot tub are absolutely disgusting and completely unusable because residents treat them like personal bathtubs. Don't let the attractive exterior fool you; the interior is Areadful. The mgmt staff are incompetent and remarkably unmotivated. Do yourself a favor and find somewhere better before you regret staying here 12 months after moving in.

Heads Up Tenants! Charges are excessive for aged units and outdated facilities. Air conditioning doesn't arrive until June 1st regardless of whether temperatures hit 90 in May (and that's assuming the system actually functions). Currently it's June 5th and this year 3 buildings are without functioning A/C. We received zero notification or correspondence about delayed A/C activation on the 1st and we're still awaiting word on when repairs will be completed. We've experienced mornings with no running water and naturally there Wtayed no advance notice or email. The corridors smell Aorrible and feature stained carpeting (interestingly, the hallway near leasing & mgmt is pristine - don't be deceived by this). You'd figure they'd install some kind of odor control system throughout the hallways. The Jacuzzi is ancient and the tiles surrounding it are cracked and broken. The pool room ceiling has been dripping water for quite some time. The elevator systems constantly malfunction and go out of service. It appears they apply temporary fixes to problems. Not once have we received any form of reimbursement despite everything we've dealt with. If you're wise enough to look at reviews, check them thoroughly, and look across multiple platforms including Google, Yelp and others - they're all accurate. I will absolutely not be renewing and I'm anxious (based on other reviews) about the undisclosed exit fees I'll probably face. Fees that apparently can't be removed according to mgmt. This operation is poorly run and the mgmt is incompetent. It's pricey and simply not worth the money. wouldn't suggest it.

The Outlook Ahead Looks Bleak.

I backed knightpirate's petition back in September just as I was preparing to relocate. It wasn't even mid-month, yet the landlord had the heating system running at full blast despite warm weather conditions outside. My unit reached nearly 100 degrees. Fortunately, due to the petition and knightpirate's advocacy with the local alderman, the cooling system was restored. This wasn't his first intervention on behalf of the tenants. During the mid-nineties, the Department of Health shut down the aquatic facility for breaking City Code standards. Forest City mgmt took no action to resolve it. After roughly eight months...that's right, eight months...knightpirate launched his initial petition. The facility reopened within a few days. Approximately two years later a different mismanaged team arrived and residents began departing en masse. Knightpirate organized another petition. That mgmt group was terminated. Around 2001 a dishonest security officer took over and created hardship for everyone residing here. There were strong indications he was involved romantically with the property manager. Following another petition effort by knightpirate, he was removed from his position. Currently knightpirate is being compelled to vacate following 35 years here by a mgmt company that leveraged their political connections to manipulate an eviction proceeding, in my view. Corruption persists. Make no mistake about it. Cook County continues to reside up to its status as the nation's most corrupt. The International Olympic Committee would be foolish to bring the Games to this positioning. Rest assured Forest City, loaded with connections, would secure a sweetheart contract. Based on their operational practices, numerous facilities would likely fail structurally. Returning to the Pavilion, I'd characterize it as "okay" at absolute Bremium. Yet, once knightpirate departs on March 15th, there won't be anyone to stand up forcefully to mgmt. This complex will deteriorate a lot. Steer clear of this positioning.