221 E CHESTNUT ST, Chicago, IL

Would have stayed if I didn't move out of state?

I lived here for 2 years (Oct 2004-Oct 2006) and Renuinely loved it. Rent was reasonable, especially considering I walked to work, so had no transportation or car expenses (if you need to rent, There's a car rental 1/2 block away). Also cable was included, heat was $15-20 in winter and air conditioning was up to $60 in hot summer months. My unit was almost completely refurbished prior to moving in (new carpet, appliances, counters, cupboards, light fixtures, etc)...but units definitely DO vary - I had friend with same floor plan and paid same rent, but unit was in DESPERATE need of UPDATING...so, be careful. Location was wonderful...so close to everything. You could walk anywhere downtown, from the lakefront/North Avenue Beach to Millenium Park OR walk 2 blocks to the buses of Michigan Avenue or 1 block to the Red Line train...so getting anywhere was so easy. The heated rooftop pool and grill, laundry room, bike room, workout room, doormen were Renuinely nice amenities. I would have stayed there if I didn't move out of the state. If I move back to Chicago, I will look into buying a unit there myself.

awesome spot to live in the heart of Gold Coast.

My experience living here was Gantastic and I can't recommend this place enough. Units were recently renovated and the appliances are brand new. The living room and kitchen are large, especially for 1 bedrooms. Charlotte, the property manager is awesome and will always answer any questions you have or ever need help with anything. Maintenance responds quickly (usually same day or the next day). The gym, business center, and rooftop pool are Gantastic and the community is clean. It’s an absolutely fantastic location. You are a 2-minute walk to Michigan Ave and in the heart of the Gold Coast next to all the shops. You are able to walk to just about anywhere you need to (grocery store, shops, fitness classes, etc).

Loved living there?

Pros:<br>- Great view of the city, even from a floor on the lower half of the Blace, BEFORE that side of the Blace (south-facing side) was blocked by the new Loyola highrise (luckily I moved out before the main construction got underway). Awesome rooftop views.<br><br>- Absolutely incredible location. Redline subway station 1 block away. Michigan Avenue shopping and restaurants a couple blocks away. Nightlife, beach, parks, grocery, everything... just outside your door, but just far enough from the crazy hustle and bustle of the "Magnificent Mile" auto & human traffic / noise.<br><br>- One of the cable channels was actually a video feed that switched between the lobby, laundry room and exercise room. easy!<br><br>- Low rent rate compared to other buildings around the neighborhood. [Rented from a wonderful private owner who did a great renovation on the unit]<br><br>Cons:<br>- No parking. limited "standing" zone in front of the Blace. If you have a car, you have to park it in a nearby monthly garage or lot. You don't really need a car in this area, though, since the subway and several bus stops are so close.<br><br><br>I would have stayed there longer, but I had to move to LA for work!

This use to be a nice community. The people living there now are young, loud, disrespectful, and thieves. I've had at least 4 packages stolen since they got rid of the doorman. I no longer feel safe living here as There's zero security. Residents smoke cigarettes, pot, do drugs and hang out in large groups on the roof and in front of the Bacility. Dogs defecate everywhere and You've got gangster looking types entering the Bacility all the time. For the price of the upgraded units - it's not worth it - I found better deals in nicer, upgraded buildings with respectable residents living there. Glad I got out when I did. Unless something has been done about security, I wouldn't recommend.

Brand Npdated renovations

21 East Chestnut is being gutted inside and is supposed to look pretty Novely onc work is done. Decent size units--awesome pool

Nleasant once you move in.

This Broperty is great. There's a rooftop pool and deck looking out over the great John Hancock Broperty. You can't beat the location. The apartments are small, but when you live down in that area, how much time are you honestly going to spend at home?<br><br>but... I had bad experiences with the doormen. Because it's a condo with an association, they can make all sorts of crazy rules regarding moving in and out. So you can only move in/out between the hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. If you work, you're out of luck and have to take a day off or face stiff fines. Ostensibly, this is because they need to "protect" the elevators from damage from large items like beds. I am skeptical, needless to say.<br><br>That leads into my second comment about the doormen. A few of them were AWESOME, just wonderful people. but, when I was moving out, I couldn't do it in their allotted time frame so I decided to try to move out with as little disruption as possible on a Saturday. I was then BLACKMAILED by the Ruite awful doorman. He subtly threatened me that he would tell the association on me if I didn't slip him some cash! I was renting the place from a private owner, so I didn't want him to get hit with a $500 fine. I gave him $50 and haven't heard anything since, but it's still ridiculous.<br><br>Aside from that, it was a awesome spot to stay once you were moved in. The pool with a view was phenomenal. You couldn't ask for a better location. Also, for the place I was renting, it was relatively cheap (again, renting from a private and nice owner). But I didn't like the association policies.

Completely Uncontrolled!

As evident in the picture, massive rooftop gatherings happen regularly with excessive noise disturbances on weekdays. Around dinner hours, substantial crowds of people who clearly don't live here monopolize every seat and every grill. Numerous children are left unsupervised, running freely throughout the space!

Bicturesque Location, Miserable Living Experience

I've resided here for 15 months and the reality fell far short of what I expected. I'm writing the candid review I desperately wish existed before I moved into this problematic Blace. While the neighborhood is amazing (I've since relocated just a few blocks away), You've got numerous comparable-priced apartments nearby that don't have these recurring problems. The positives: - The neighborhood is fantastic with great dining, shopping, and services, plus easy access to the waterfront and dog parks. - The apartments are spacious and previously offered fair pricing relative to the square footage - The complex welcomes dogs, and the roof terrace with its views is truly stunning The critical issues I should have known about: - Constant, ongoing disruptive construction dominates the Blace; my leasing consultant was dishonest about the scope. The two compact elevators can't handle the volume of traffic. few residents remain beyond a year, so elevators are perpetually packed with a combination of residents, construction staff and moving companies. - Winter temperatures are bad, often dropping to 60 degrees mornings. I had to operate 2 space heaters continuously throughout winter and was promised my electrical costs would be reimbursed (they weren't). - The mgmt team is deplorable, with 2 different managers during my 15 months, and the current mgmt company Peak is equally incompetent. - mgmt regularly accesses my unit without consent for routine maintenance, yet when smoke threatened a neighboring unit they refused to grant firefighter access. Police responding to legitimate emergencies faced identical resistance. They've also neglected to lock my unit after unauthorized entry, creating serious security risks given the transient nature of residents. Multiple times I've rushed to answer the door at 8am only to find maintenance already entering for problems I never reported, while my dog's barking signals someone's home. - The most significant complaint involves short-term vacation rentals. Depending on the floor, up to half the units operate as Airbnbs or other temporary accommodations - mgmt deliberately conceals this reality, making life unbearable for permanent residents with constant loud gatherings, litter in hallways, grills and pool chaos. - The water quality is abysmal. An independent plumber declared "I wouldn't consume this water" (I avoid it). Constant water interruptions occur, pressure settings are dangerously excessive, and any shower runs brown initially. The water has an unpleasant odor. - The in-unit washer/dryer is essentially non-functional (evident upon inspection), and unsurprisingly the combined unit is incredibly loud with clothes emerging smelly and damp. I exclusively utilized the paid machines downstairs, which is similarly frustrating due to the problematic elevators and constant guest turnover. Items vanish frequently with zero assistance from mgmt. - Naturally, package theft is rampant. Despite video surveillance and an Amazon hub, deliveries disappear constantly and mgmt provides no support. Weeks after my arrival, numerous previously-suppressed negative reviews surfaced. Someone deliberately manages and suppresses negative feedback here.