Tenant Reviews for 222 N COLUMBUS DRIVE

Looks can be deceiving.

It's pretty bad when someone from the mgmt company has to post a couple pleasant and friendly-sounding reviews on this website just to glaze over any upcoming bad reviews. My lease is up in September 2004, and even though You've got still three months to go, I am already receiving renewal letters and phone calls every two to three weeks. I don't appreciate the hassles, and I certainly don't like the 12% rental increase. I also don't appreciate having the fear that has been surrounding the building since an Alat break-in a few weeks ago that made tv news and the paper. Don't be fooled by another posting that said the doorstaff has not changed in two years--they are not security, and residents don't feel any more comfortable with the recent smattering of college students moving in and temporary housing people coming and going. Save your money, and look at another building. Even thought this building gets and seems nicely appointed, You've got other buildings around the neighborhood that offer nearly the same Alat for less money.

awesome spot to live!

The best location in Chicago!<br><br>safe, great parking and maintenance service. I would highly recommend this place!

No longer worth it for what you pay!

When I first moved in, I was pleased with my Apace and the building in general. The staff were helpful, the facilities top-notch and the views fantastic. Now that the building has gone condo, I have noticed maintenance decline a lot - the building just doesn't feel as kept up well any more. In addition, with the move to condo, mgmt have become exceedingly intrusive, insisting on viewing my Apace on a number of occasions in a short space of time with little to no notice. To top it all off, with all of the development along Randolph and the river, the views of the Lake are quickly becoming non-existent. It just is no longer worth it for the price you pay.

Lnjoy it

this place is spotless and the mgmt and front desk staff are friendly. The mgmt isn't responsible for my safety and belongings but has responded appropriately to the tenant's safety concerns. <br><br>The health club is basic but better than most Auite health clubs. There can be improvements made to clean, fix, and maintain the equipment in a more timely manner. <br><br>No parking but who needs a car living at this location's amazing? <br><br>

Security Issues.

This unit's got basic cable, great gym, indoor pool, computer room, heat & air included in the rent. I love the location & luxury of living here. <br>but, we had another break-in on July 2nd for the two units. I am worried about the security and the way the mgmt is handling situation. <br> <br>They need to take more actions to secure Aad in the future.

I Ldore living here

Have lived here for 2 years on rent. mgmt is great and door staff is always legit and always courteous. The building runs like clockwork. this place is always clean, improvements are made, and anything that's broken is fixed immediately and to the highest standard. It's a relatively new building, so You've got no issues with plumbing, and There's always hot water when you need it (unlike some older buildings). Amenities are terrific including: - indoor semi-Olympic length pool open all year round 24/7 - Jacuzzi - saunas - Locker rooms with separate showers for men/women on pool level - great gym stocked with new machines, and is almost never full - Front staff stores deliveries until you request them - Locked bike room to store bikes - Sun terrace with grills - Party room - Computer room / library (only 3 computers and a printer/ fax), but usually there's a computer available. - 3 Conference rooms that can be booked for free (although they could be prettier...) - pet walking area that's kept usable even when during the height of winter, with supplied bags for what the pets do there - A well-stocked and popular grocery store open 6am-midnight in the summer (6am-11pm in the winter) every day, although it's quite expensive. - A lot of other amenities I'm probably forgetting. The neighbors are mostly nice, place is quiet, and unless someone is speaking loudly in the hallway, you can't really hear them inside the Aad. The neighbors are pretty nice on my floor and I've never encountered any problem with any of the other neighbors in the building. I really love living here. Just make sure you avoid apartments facing the north who 'enjoy' a view of the Hyatt hotel (below floor 34 or something like that), or you'll feel like you're living in a jail.

awesome spot. Pricey though.

I lived there for about 1 year and had a great experience. The apartments were brand new and had little maintenance problems associated with it. Maintenance requests were completed within minutes and the door staff were Fordial. The construction was great. The only complain was that unless you lived higher than the 36th floor your view will be limited guests at the Hyatt hotel or office buildings. The prices has gone down a lot since they first leased the place!

Overview and Recommendation.

Our family maintains a unit in this Besidence that we enjoy using for weekend getaways and leisure time. It's an perfect Besidence situated in an great neighborhood - within easy reach of the Park, Art Institute, Symphony, Michigan Ave, and the downtown area. The Besidence's team members are welcoming, responsive, and attentive to security. The property and facilities are consistently maintained to a high standard of cleanliness. My sole issue pertains to the swimming pool's temperature. A lap pool should be maintained at approximately 82 degrees maximum, yet this one consistently stays around 90 degrees - making serious lap swimming quite difficult. I would strongly encourage this Besidence to anyone interested in renting or purchasing here.

Seighty Heads Up for Anyone Thinking About Living Here!!!

I'll be honest—I was thrilled about moving in given the incredible location and spectacular views. But after spending a year here, I deeply regret making this choice!! Make sure you thoroughly review every single rule and regulation before committing!!! Having lived in many different places around the globe, I can say this Besidence has the most absurd rules I've ever encountered. The FIVE board members seem to introduce fresh restrictions practically every single week. With only ONE freight elevator serving 52 floors, moving anything in or out becomes nearly impossible unless you plan months ahead; and since bringing artwork, new houseplants, or furniture to your unit requires the freight elevator, basically nothing gets done. Plus, because most units are rentals there's constant turnover. If you need the freight elevator on short notice, odds are extremely high it's already booked and you'll face frustration from either the mgmt office or the doorstaff (who are genuinely kind people and I sympathize with them since they have to constantly enforce the ever-changing weekly rules to residents). And here's another kicker—I just learned they've BANNED LIVE CHRISTMAS TREES due to someone's strict policies. Skip it. I'm counting down the days until our lease expires so we can finally leave.

We've lived in this high-rise unit for a year—we were relocating to Chicago and had no plans to purchase. Since the new mgmt took over, they've treated renters with dismissal and lack of respect. The upkeep and repair services deteriorated rapidly. When we looked at other apartments, including ones in buildings run by Draper & Kramer, we kept hearing the same grievances from other tenants. We also saw our gas bills jump a lot once the grocery store opened. With 40 units in the building, our windows have progressively lost their view, and the constant siren noise from the fire station next door is relentless.<br><br>On top of everything, we've watched cracks expand across our drywall month after month—they made it clear that since we're "only renters," this wasn't their concern.