Tenant Reviews for 655 W IRVING PARK RD

I have really enjoyed living in Park Place Tower. The views are fantastic, the staff is friendly and helpful, and the amenities are unbeatable. The pool is gorgeous, and the gym is larger than most in-building gyms in the area. On the downside, the windows in the units are old and probably need to be replaced. The AC/Heat can be a little tricky to master, but this is a problem for maybe 3 weeks out of the year. And, because the heat/AC are included in the HOA fees to the owner, my electric bill has never been more than $40/month. Laundry costs are a little pricey, but because HOA fees cover so much, monthly bills are EXTREMELY low that they more than balance out. There are multiple bus lines right outside the door, and the red line is less than a half mile away. Parking is expensive in building, and hard to find on the street, but that's no different than anywhere else in the city. After reading other reviews, I think your experience in Park Place has most to do with what you make of it.

Since you'll likely be renting from a condo owner, your experience with your apartment will probably vary greatly depending on the particular unit. I'll try to keep to the building itself. The units are pretty spacious -- plenty of room for anything you'd probably want in a one-bedroom apartment. The windows are cheaply made and old, so they aren't great for keeping out the heat/cold. The units are air conditioned, but I've found the heater/ac to be far too powerful even on the lowest setting, especially in the smaller bedroom. Even in the middle of winter, the heat becomes unbearable after a while (and similarly for summer and the a/c). I haven't had any problem with noise from any of my neighbors. They've had a lot of difficulty with the elevators and water in the past year. It feels like an elevator goes out every other week. The service elevators haven't given me any problem, though they are incredibly expensive to rent when you need to move in/out. Several times over the past year they've shut down the water to the building for maintenence, which has been a pain. The laundry room downstairs seems to be the most expensive around (and often experiences broken machines and flooding), but there are laundrymats around where you can save a few pennies. Parking isn't too bad, about what you'd expect for Wrigleyville and on the lake. There is a lot on the other side of lakeshore which usually has empty spots. The Sheridan red line el stop is right down the street, and if you drive, a lake shore onramp is right there. The 136 bus line stops right outside and immediately gets on lakeshore to the loop, which is great if you work down there. The immediate area leaves a lot to be desired. There are a lack of good restaurants but plenty of cheap and quick mexican, thai, and burger places and a couple average diners. There are a few good bars nearby, and Wrigleyville is walkable. I do feel pretty safe in the area. Overall, if the place were cheaper, I might be more inclined to stay here another year or two, but I feel I pay way too much for the place as is. I haven't been too impressed the two years I've been here, and I'll be looking for something a little nicer and/or cheaper when my current lease ends.

You might want to do your research before buying or renting a place in this building. I rented in this building and found many problems once I moved in. Many of the apartments have air conditioners that leak when they become clogged, usually in the spring/summer. Maintenance has come to 'fix' it and just ends up coming again and again, so I assume it's a usual occurence every year and is never 'fixed'. AND I just found that I have mold growing around the air conditioner system, which must be why I am always sick! Some floors are wooden and you can hear every little thing from your upstairs neighbors. It gets very hot in some apartments and the building does not turn on the air conditioner until about May/June. The blinds do not do a good job of keeping the sun out either, so you will need to cover the windows up with something unless you want to live in a sauna and sleep with the sun in your eyes. You might have spiders living with you esp if you live on a very high floor. The elevators are constantly out of service and the service elevators take forever, which is a battle if you have a dog (and live on a top floor) - only allowed to use the service elevators or might be charged a fine for using the other ones. You also might not be greeted very nicely if you have a dog even though this is a dog building! If you don't like dogs, then don't choose a dog building. The laundry room is another story. It is crowded a lot of the time and many of the washers/dryers are always out of service. They just raised their prices too. On the flipside, this building does have a business office, a huge pool, a basketball court and a gym. Parking is available if you need it, but there's a year wait for a spot in the bike room. There is storage available on the top floor. The views are amazing! Overall, that's my experience living here, but you might find otherwise. Happy apartment hunting!

I bought a condo in March of 2005 and I'm so happy to call Park Place my home. I feel very safe, which is very important to me since I'm a female and live alone. The staff is friendly and best of all it's pretty sound proof. It's pet friendly as well. The one bedrooms are pretty spacious, too. The I also have a dining room which I love. Also, if you need to have something repaired, the repairs are fixed quickly and done well. I've only had to call on them once to fix my heater and they fixed it within 24 hours. Oh, and the A/C and heaters work very well. I have heard that the windows have given some tenants problems, so be sure to really inspect the unit's windows well, but I have not had any problems. The amenities are fantastic as well - we have a convenient store, movie kiosk, pool, and the list goes on. I would definitely recommend Park Place to anyone who is looking.

i just moved in sept. of 06 and i love my apartment...it is big and i have a huge bedroom the staff in the office is soooo nice.....and if you tell your friends about renting you get $200.00 its great!!!

I am most likely the longest occupant of this building having moved in back in the mid 70's.<br><br>I've lived thru every management and the conversion from rental to condo in my 30 years here and the building operation of today is the best it has ever been.<br><br>I wish the parking lot still cost what it did when I moved in (25.00) but those days are gone. At least we have the world's greatest garage manager.<br><br>I'm constantly asked if we can see into other buildings from our lofty height. I was doing ok until I broke my telescope.<br><br>Seriously......best home I've ever had.

I've been in Park Place since 10/05--I rent from a unit owner--and I just wanted to say that the doorpeople are very pleasant and helpful. They really help me with what I need.

As the building goes all condo, the quality of the facility is improving. I am sure the unit prices will edge all renters out.<br><br>As to the union demonstrations, I would rather pay people to be lazy than a union surcharge for the same work.

I moved from san antonio tx to chicago IL a year and a half ago. The rent price was kind of a shock, along with parking, but this is what one should expect living in urban chicago. The doormen are great, the parking attendents are nice and the amenities are very nice. I've never had any real problems living here. There have been sporadic noise complaints, hot days (a/c)...but these were very minor and should be expected anywhere. All complaints and problems were resolved quickly. The only complaint would probably be cost, but comparitively speaking you get what you pay for. <br><br>Place is a block away from the lake and park, great views, safe neighborhood, convinience.....<br><br>Overall this place is great.

I have lived here for a year and this building is the best in the area. Beautiful, gorgeous views! The building has been renovated and common areas are luxurious. My friends always have comments about how beautiful the building is. You have everything you need here!Business center, gym, parking, convenience store, dry cleaning, video rental and beauty saloon. What else can you ask for? The apartments are also beautiful and mine was renovated with hardwood floors, new marpet, bathrooms and kitchen!