Tenant Reviews for 14 W ELM ST

There is not much to say about this place that is good. I guess for the location the price is what makes up for it. Other than that, I seriously urge you to reconsider moving here. From the constant maintenance issues that are completed halfway (yes this is very true) to not running the heat in the winter.....this place is a nightmare. Always dirty, elevators never working, you can't get them to run the heat during the winter properly. They charge you an arm an a leg for electric costs in the summer and won't keep up their end of the bargain to properly heat the building with the boiler. Fitness room is so outdated and most of the cable machines are broken. Laundry room is horrendous as most of the times the machines don't work. The building has two elevators and one has been out for going on 4 months right now..... The thing that really petrified me was the leasing agents offering a "short term" 3 month extension lease due to Covid. I was a week late on getting that request in and they no longer stood by that statement. I ended up having to resign at this nightmare place for a year. Meanwhile, I am paying full priced rent for another 6 months and cannot wait until this lease is up to get out of this building a move somewhere down the street! SERIOUSLY RECONSIDER SIGNING HERE, THE $100/MONTH RENT YOU ARE SAVING BY LIVING IN THE CRAP HOLE IS NOT WORTH IT!!!

My boyfriend and I lived here from Nov 2010 - April 2012. We loved living here. -Yes you can hear the bar downstairs at first, but after a while honestly it just fades into the background and you don't even notice. This building is ON division st. If you want peace and quiet you are looking in the wrong area of downtown Chicago to live and this place wouldn't be for you. -loved the hardwood floors -I never could hear any of my neighbors unless they were in the actual hallway. -Crystal the building manager was awesome, super nice. Any maintenance problems were handled pretty quickly. She even got the building management to install all brand new washer and dryers and new gym equipment which was really awesome. -While we lived there, there were a few doormen that were all nice but the last one that was there was pretty cool. He was on point with making sure the line to the bar next door didn't block the front entrance to the building and whenever he saw me coming inside, halls empty or loaded with groceries, he jumped up so fast to open the door for me every time. -Yes the elevators broke down quite a bit but we lived on the 3rd floor so we took the stairs usually but the elevators usually were fixed pretty quickly. -NO PAYING FOR HEAT. best thing ever. yes radiators are loud but get over it bc you aren't paying extra for your heating bill and living in chicago it gets mighty cold. sometimes if it got too hot we would open the window for a bit and it would feel better but again, no complaints bc WE WEREN'T PAYING FOR OUR HEAT. -management signs for all packages and keeps them locked in a closet which i really liked and they make you sign for them when you pick them up. -when it was time to renew our lease, rent only increased by $50. we had a one bedroom and got a steal bc of the market at the time of move in and it was in the winter so our rent was ridiculously low for downtown chicago (i'm talking less than $1100 at the time). If we weren't moving out of state we would still be living there! Cons: -the building is old (built in the 1920s) so do not try to run a few appliances at the same time. if we were making dinner and had the stove and oven going with the tv on and tried to use our microwave our power would go out and we would have to run down the hall to the fuse box and reset them. no big deal since everything would turn right back on but just an FYI. it didn't bother us really. -if you have a car you are kind of beat - you can either pay for parking across the street or try to find parking on the street. All in all, my boyfriend and I really enjoyed this place. We talk a lot about moving back to Chicago and how much we miss our small but cozy apartment. If you can afford the rent it is definitely worth it. You are so close to everything - red line stop around the corner, jewel osco around the corner, 2 24 hour cvs' one block behind you on division street, one walgreens around the corner, chinese food, jimmy johns around the corner, RA's sushi on the corner, etc. Highly recommend living here. -Natalie & Joe

My son just moved in to our apartment on 14 Elm and staff has been very responsive. Wayne provided guidance on moving large furniture and was very cooperative and helpful. Chystal helped make sure the loose ends and details were taken care of. The apartment was clean and ready to move in. The location is ideal in the Gold Coast and there is lots to do.

Please do not make the same mistake I did!!!! I recently moved out of this building after spending 2 terrible years here...I'm not sure where to even begin....The elevators constantly break down in this building...the front glass door had been shattered more than a few times in the 2 years I lived there...there is a bar directly outside the front door so you get to fight their line every weekend when returning home....After recently moving out I received a call from a very unfriendly lady named Cathy in the corporate offices of B&A associates telling me I owed $200 for painting the wall in my living room ( which I had permission to do from their office manager who they conveniently fired before I moved out) since I didn't have my authorization in writing from the office manager I was told I would have to pay the $200 for them to repaint...even tho every apartment is repainted before a new tenant moves in...the sad thing is this happened to a hand full of others I knew who lived in the building as well...save yourself the hassle and the headaches....STAY FAR FAR AWAY!!!

The last person to post is wrong! I have had no problem with the office staff and everyone has been so helpful and quick. Granted, the office is open mostly when most people are working, but if a note is left OR the night doorman is told, they generally take care of problems within a day. Taking into consideration that the apartment building is located right "on" Division St, do expect some noise from the bars (although I was on the 16th floor, so noise wasn't too much of a problem!) I've never had any problem with neighbors and noise carrying over from apartments. Yes, the building is old; the elevators do go in and out of service. For the most part, they get fixed rather quickly. All in all, I've had an enjoyable 3 years in the building and will miss the location and staff. I highly recommend this building to prospective tenants if they enjoy the good things in life (great location, friendly staff, respectful neighbors).

------, ------------ that runs this building only got her job because -------------------------------------. Since she took over this place it has been terrible to live in. She is terribly rude, will do nothing to help your maintenance issues, and will talk down to you and lie about anything related to money. Anyone in the building will agree on how much of a ----- she is. Oh, and did I mentioned the worthless door man? He will stare at you balancing your keys and groceries and refuse to open the door for you while he sits on his fat a$$. There are some great places to live in River North, but certainly not 14 W Elm. I bet ------ writes all the good reviews on here by herself. Also, the elevators break down weekly, and don't bring any decently sized furniture because it certainly wont fit in the elevator. Furthermore, don't plan on ever being able to solve a problem with them Management staff because even though they say they are open 8-5, they are not here at least until 9 and leave way before 4. So if you have a full time job don't plan on ever getting your needs met. When you do see them you have to battle the --------------------------------------. Finally, if the bar on the first floor doesn't keep you up, the bars around the building will, or the trash collectors and the men the power wash the dumpsters everyday at 5am. If that wont do it then the clogged and smelly trash chutes will.

I trully enjoyed living in 14 West Elm. The staff was always helpful and if you had any maintance problems it was fixed right away. The night security man Mike was always friendly and made you feel at home in the building. The building has a nice roof top where you can enjoy a BBQ, taning and view of Lake Michigan. The 2 bedroom apartment I lived in was large and with windows on 3 sides which made it very light and nice. Beautiful view over John Hancock and the city skyline from the windows facing south.

Just writing this to say that things have changed here. They have recently changed the entire management, and things are really good here now. I have had a few minor issues with my apartment, and it has been fixed within 24 hours. The girls in the building office is also really nice and understanding. I had to sublet out my apartment, and they helped me a lot. I can really recommend this place. Dont worry about the old bad reviews - things have changed.

Maitanance staff are the best in the area, all problems are taken care of within hours. 99% of time are taken care of within first 12 hours. I been in the building over a year, love the area, the building is keept very clean, the manegment and staff are committed to provide the best and fast service to renters needs.

I have to admit that I was hesitant a couple months ago when I saw a few negative reviews - however, I am very happy to say that I love living at 14 W Elm! If you are coming here looking for ultra-luxurious living in the Gold Coast, go elsewhere. If you are a reasonable person looking for an actual fair price in this amazing neighborhood, your search should end here! 14 Elm might not have a huge gym or a pool, but you do get to save literally hundreds of dollars (plus they do have a few nice amenities). SO convenient, and everyone I have met has been friendly and great. No complaints!