All 34 tenant reviews.

“I lived in this building for 3 years (2007-2010). Alat was spacious with good view overlooking Michigan Lake and Lake shore drive. Reasonably good neighborhood with easy access to bus and loop lines. Managment and staff are the best part of the Alat. They are really friendly and helped me a lot. Special mention must go to Z, manager of the building who works tirelessly to keep the standards of the building high. I will definetely move to this building if I ever come back to Chicago. -- Sreeram.H”

“I moved here to get away from noise in the middle of the night so I could, like, uh, get SOME SLEEP, FINALLY, and live in a peaceful place. I have been here a week and three nights out of seven there has been noise from the neighbors (or their guests) in the middle of the night. NOT HAPPY. EDIT August 9, 2008: Noise has been an ongoing problem and, like my 2nd "reviewer", mgmt seems to think it's my issue alone. Well, I don't know how quiet other units might be. They might be much quieter. Move in was filled with problems - they had a week to paint, clean, and exterminate, yet they did not exterminate until the end of the week AFTER I moved in, and I never had a day promised to me to be able to hire my own cleaners BEFORE I could move in. The desk man (who is only filling in, thank heavens, for the regular desk man who is on vacation), has been treating me like crap. When I complained about a woman waking me at 2:00 AM this morning he condescendingly said, "there's always a little noise in a building..." - well, no, there certainly should NOT be at 2 AM! Moreover, he treats me as if I'm working for him, rather than the other way around. EDIT August 9, 2008: I retract this statement about the door man I referred to. I was upset by his response to my noise complaint, but he is actually a decent, nice man. For the money, I don't know if this building is worth it at all. The rent is too high for a building this far north, even if it does have a desk man. EDIT August 9, 2008: Read the lease carefully before signing; There's an additional "Utilities Bill" which will raise your rent over $50.00/month for a 1 bedroom unit. Also, the mgmt will charge your HEIRS for your rent, should you die before your lease is up! Also, the mgmt, when you move out, will charge you for everything That's not exactly the same as when you moved in, including light bulbs! That's why they don't ask for a security deposit - they know they'll be able to get you for way more than that once you leave. To be fair, I was offered a move-out - trouble was, I had no money to move again after moving in here. The laundry room is accessible only via a short flight of stairs with a hand rail on only one side. When you have arthritis in your hips, knees, and feet, It's NOT PREFERABLE TO HAVE TO CARRY LAUNDRY, and its related detergents, bleach, fabric softener, etc., up and down a dimly lit flight of stairs. The wash and dry isn't worth the price and they require you to use a card which won't BE REPLACED IF LOST OR STOLEN (!) instead of regular coins which are far easier to replace... EDIT August 9th, 2008: One of my "reviewers" said "Who will steal a laundry card?" Laundry cards, like so many other things, can get LOST. If I saw the laundry room and the stairs before moving in, I did not remember because I was looking at so many buildings I could not keep the details of them all in my head. All I wanted was QUIET, and I was told over and over again that I would have it. It's to laugh. Maybe other units are quiet, how would I know? All I know is what I have experienced in THIS unit. They only have RCN Cable here - my installation was a disaster. Tech Support is non-existent and It's looking as if I will never be able to use my VCR to tape from TV anymore. EDIT August 9th, 2008: They finally got someone, an extremely good tech installer, to come bring me the older style cable box which I can use my VCR with (after 1 and a half weeks). My email set up was a disaster because they had misspelled my name. I was on the phone for hours with a lady in India who told me the only way to fix it was to cancel my service. I became upset and a man came on the phone and said not to worry, it would work. Yes, it does work, because they forward mail to my misspelled name account, to my correctly spelled name account. But, I don't have any complaints now, so long as it works. Considering, but, the quality of their tech support, I can only hope it always keeps working... If you don't have a car (and I don't), and you do have arthritis, grocery shopping isn't so great around here. this place is more or less equidistant between two different Dominicks, and either one is too far for me, at this time, to walk back and forth to. I have no idea how I will manage grocery shopping in the winter if it's anything like last winter - I could take the bus to the Dominicks at Berwyn and Sheridan but I'd have to have everything delivered, and they charge a fortune for delivery. EDIT August 9th, 2008: The two Dominicks are not quite eqidistant. One is at Foster and Sheridan, which is a straight ride on the bus for about 5 blocks, but I hate carrying bags of groceries on the bus, especially since bus service has been cut (but not as much on the 151, which I guess is what I'd have to take). There's a grocery store on Bryn Mawr which is useful for buying fresh produce, but their prices on everything else are much higher than Dominicks. I used Alat Ratings to decide between this building and another one near Foster. The reviews of the building on Foster were so bad, I decided to take this one because the few reviews were good. Well, the wiring is good. The water pressure is good. The Alat itself is pleasant with a lot more closet space than some of the condos I saw (which were similar otherwise, and had considerably lower rent). But this building isn't bug-free. The first night when I pulled down the shades there was a spider on the one closest to my futon. The NEXT night, there was a roach on the kitchen counter. Two days later there was an ant on the kitchen counter. EDIT August 9th, 2008: Since the exterminator finally came at the end of my first week here, there have been no more ants and roaches. But You've got mice or rats in the walls and between floors; I felt them running beneath my body when I tried to sleep in the bedroom closet to see if it would be quieter (it wasn't, and I injured my hip, which still has not healed). I should note that this is a problem common to most buildings, and they should probably do something more about it at the building's foundation, and the garage entry way. So, NOISE in the middle of the night and extremely early in the morning (torture for people who don't sleep well, or who are in poor health) which, when you complain about it, they act as if you must be insane, and LOTS of EXTRA EXPENSES. EDIT August 9th 2008: also, the layout of the kitchen is ridiculous - There's not a single drawer wide enough for a flatware tray. The drawers are maybe 5 or 6 inches wide. One cabinet is a corner, shaped like a triangle! (Who designed this place, and were they on lysergic acid at the time?) You must pay, of course, for your electricity and, while they say they use gas heat for the building (your Utilities Bill), your oven and stove are electric. If you like to cook, especially in summer with your air conditioners running, I hope you're extremely affluent. There's also no decent place to hang a simple dish towel. Everywhere else I've lived, the refigerators had "outtie handles" I could hang a dish towel through. The refrigerator in my unit has an "innie" handle you obviously can't hang anything through. To my critics: Everytime I came to look at this place, the current tenant was still in it and I could not give the place a decent examination. I could not go poking through a strange man's home to notice the way the kitchen was designed, etc., etc. And for my "critical, one of whom suspiciously insulting, reviewers", please note that it was sworn to me up and down and sideways that it was QUIET here, which was ALL I wanted. The former tenant probably never knew about the noise at night because HE WORKED NIGHTS. And I looked at as many places as I possibly could until I began to panic because I needed to move so badly away from my former location - hence, I am here. I could not decide quickly enough on the condos I was shown, whereas this Alat remained unclaimed (odd if It's so wonderful, wouldn't you think?) for weeks, so, I just got it while I could because, after all, they swore it was so QUIET. And maybe It's, in other units. But I have no way of knowing that. You've got nice things about living here. The engineer is a skilled, competent, nice man. The door men are nice and helpful. The mgmt have offered me out of my lease, which was nice of them, but I'm not sure whether the offer still stands by the time I could afford to. I am hoping they will put in writing that they won't force my friend, who co-signed, to continue to pay my rent in the event of my death. I am praying it gets better. Meanwhile, it's looking like, if the noise situation at night doesn't resolve well, I will be moving again as soon as I can afford to. EDIT August 9th, 2008: By then, I'll probably have to "Buy Out" (read that lease!) which literally costs THOUSANDS. Again, this building is best for young people who love working out and being, uh, young... or for elderly who can't hear anything, but have cars, or don't mind buses, or can afford grocery deliveries.”

“I have lived here for a year and just re-signed my lease. Considering that I moved after selling my swanky yet expensive condo in the loop, I find Sheridan Tower to be affordable but I will admit that Horizon (the mgmt company) does tend to run on the higher side (I lived in another of their buildings prior to the condo purchase) but by no means the highest. THE PLACE: I have an amazing view of the lake and surrounding area, and a beautifully spacious 1 bedroom Apace. My water pressure is great in the shower and I have never seen any ants, roaches or rodents of any sort inside this building (even near the garbage chute). I notice a few spiders outside my windows from time to time, but have yet to find them inside. I have three powerful air conditioners built in under my 5 foot tall windows to keep the place cool when the sun pours in. I have never heard my neighbors except for once when they were in the hallway saying goodbye to visitors. I personally enjoy loud music and have been reassured from my neighbors that they have never heard it. There's noise from the street, but we're located at a busy intersection and that's to be expected. THE STAFF: Yes, all of that would have been enough for many people to choose to re-sign a lease, but, I really missed my condo and did consider moving. What keeps me here is the culture that the staff has fostered within this building. All of the doormen go far beyond their duties to us and they know us by name. It's not uncommon to see them helping older ladies into cabs or to see them carrying groceries up for tenants of all ages. Our building manager is full of life and is never found without an exuberant smile to pass on. She also knows us all by name and knows what's going on in our lives (unless we we don't share it with her-she's not a busy-body). She's often has tenants just come to say hi to her and you can't get in or out of this building without one of the staff saying greeting you by name and asking how you're doing! In fact, if you come in the front door, you'd better be pretty fast with your keys or you will be buzzed in before you get the chance to use them. Even the manager has a buzzer and keeps an eye on that door! THE COMMUNITY: Basically, our manager has decided to make this a friendly building in which we feel protected and appreciated. In short, she's created a community. Between special tenant parties which are highly attended and the overall spirit of kindness that prevails here I have discovered that I know more of my neighbors by name here than anywhere else I've ever lived, even my beloved condo. That's why I signed my lease again. I'd invite anyone to come and move in...it's a lot of fun and a lot of good people live and work here.”

“I lived in Sheridan Tower for about two years and had a mostly positive experience; but, I must say that I was quite disappointed with the way some of the doormen treated my roommate. They were constantly hitting on her to the point that I felt they were sexually harrassing her. I think they didn't treat me the same way because I wasn't as friendly as she was to them, but still. Also, not all of the doormen were unprofessional like that, just some. <br><br>For the two years I was there, it seemed like there was always a problem with at least one of the elevators, but luckily, that problem seemed to have improved just around the time I was leaving.<br><br>This Alat had many good things about it that I worth checking out--friendly mgmt (not including the couple of somewhat too friendly doormen), timely maintenance service, quite spacious floorplan, and mostly friendly neighbors.”

“Yes, it's owned by Horizon Realty, which accepts rent checks to "Horizon Realty Group", which is an entity that doesn't have any license or registration, so the thugs are apparently getting millions of tax-free dollars put into banks whose countries have, errr... different laws... Yes, they are a bunch of thugs and scum. Yes, the building manager, Zehra Vulic, is a freaking psychopath, which is why her thug bosses love her so much. Cheap 5 foot wall-to-wall windows aren't so great when it's below freezing outside, and they don't provide okay heat. It also has bugs of all kinds, and yes, there's some kind of funk in the bathroom you just don't want to deal with. When you're looking to move out, ignore any ads that say, "call Erin" (or "call Zehra", of course), because you'll be dealing with Horrorizon. If you see a lease with the names, Jeff, or Danny, Michael (Michael is the surname of little Jeffy and Danny, who never learned to stop playing bullying thugs) on it, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE.”

“This is my first high rise Auite, and I must say it's heaven. Building manager is personable and legit, maintenance FIXES in 24 hours for non-emergencies. 24 hour doorman, although the 9 to 5 one is the most helpful. Good communication between staff, and most residents are friendly and pleasant. CLEAN laundry room, and clean, QUIET, modern building, with high quality fixtures and carpeting, big closets, and built in a/c in each room . Heat included, and cat friendly. And great views !<br><br>The only downside: if you are home during the day, rush hour traffic can be way too loud, moreso if on the north side of building.”

“This is the most horrendous (and most expensive!) place I have ever lived. Please don't believe the glowing reviews about this place - they're lies. The mgmt are a menagerie of scum, liars, and cheats, and their Best of Show Rottweiler ----- runs this place. Because of a personality clash, she's seen to it that I have never had a regular sleep schedule - I'm woken up at all hours of night by its pups since I've been here. The little dog has also sent up its pups when I've gone out, to do weird and disgusting things in my unit (let's just say, for starters, I had to hire Terminix). Then there's the interesting phenomenon of power surges - which broke down every electronic or electrical item I own, and caused a light bulb to explode out of its fixture. Then there's the toilet with the bouncing water - no matter how much I scrub or disinfect, there's an unholy stench and you wouldn't want to keep your toothbrush, towels, or anything else in the bathroom. No "view" is worth this kind of grief and, in fact, you might not appreciate it so much if Sunday's heat problem wasn't intentional (the wind chill outside was -30 degrees; inside, I had to wear two winter coats, three pairs of socks, hat and gloves, AND get under my blankets - although the snapshot shows what the temperature was at the time inside here, it doesn't reflect the severity of the cold coming from the raging winds through the "5 foot <cheap crappy> windows", and walls!). It's at the point where I can no longer discern whether the little dog's horror treatments are intentional or not. this place is crap - cheapest windows, cheapest doors, cheapest everything BUT the rent AND the year round fee for heat you don't get. So all these lovely little travelogue-style reviews are absolute lies, written against the rules of this web site by the mgmt scum. Really, why would anyone move out of their own condo downtown to pay inflated rent for this severely horrible place. If this had been a good place to live, if the mgmt had been decent human beings, and all this other direct persecution from the little dog downstairs (stemming from a bruise to its not-so-little ego, which even the universe barely has enough space to contain) I'd be writing about its pros and cons, like for example I did enjoy the view until Sunday when I almost got frostbite (and of course with all the sun in the summer, the air conditioning costs a fortune), and there's pretty tile under the kitchen cabinets (although the emplacement of the oven is ridiculously high and I even had an oven mitt catch fire trying to get a cookie sheet out). Hmmm, actually, seems like the bottom line truth is, YOU DON'T WANT TO BE HERE. Believe me, in all my years, this is the WORST PLACE I HAVE EVER TRIED TO LIVE IN. I have never felt so unsafe, or been so violated and terrorized in ANY other rental Apace of my adult life. I haven't covered half of what's been done to me in this place by the Rottweiler and its pups, who are either equally vicious, or just trying to keep their jobs. The Rottweiler's bosses made promises to relocate me at their expense, not in writing of course, then reneged on the promise. I wouldn't advise anyone to set foot inside any of their properties, especially not this one. You could wind up being as severely endangered as I've been, with strangers trespassing into your unit to do sick, Charles Manson types of things, at the bidding of the Best of Show -----, if you so much as argue with it (or if you ask it if it's telling the truth about something - that's what totally set it off before I even moved in). I've never been so terrorized in any living space in my adult life, and abused, and violated - this has been a NIGHTMARE experience. If you like to kiss a** and are extremely masochistic, this place, this mgmt, might suit you. Otherwise, you are truly in the claws of dangerous animals here.”

“I only discovered Apartment Ratings.com recently, because I've been looking at Craig's List to see what else is out there. Well, I agree with the "Oh Geez" person, and the jerks criticizing the review are obviously flunkies of either "Z" or the scum bag mgmt company. "Z", as she likes to be called, well, I thought she was cute (but kind of loud and pushy) because she wears these little transparent mini-dresses and is relatively nice eye candy, but recently I saw her screaming at some older tenant, old enough to be her mother probably, who didn't look too good health-wise. That's bad news. That's abuse. The tenants pay through the nose here, and it's just a glorified slum. I was given the "it's so quiet" bit too - it's a lie. You can hear kids hollering, conversations in the hallways, all kinds of crap through the walls. The windows are cheap. You've got vermin in the walls and floors - I've felt them myself, and my own closet, next to the bathroom, smells like vermin piss. You've got big black spiders all the time crawling on my carpet - I don't like spiders - how do they get in - I keep the windows shut. The mgmt company, "Horizon Realty Group" will rent to anyone - they'll stick a family of 5 who can barely speak English (not that I have prejudice, but it would be nice if they could speak English) into a one bedroom. No wonder they hired "Z" - all they're out for is money and they want people to think this is "luxury living" - it's not "luxury living" when you can hear screaming kids, you know there's rats in the walls, you got spiders all over the carpet (when there's no bugs for them to eat that I can see), the building manager, "Z", abuses old women, and mgmt are complete scum bags. The door men are jerks and I don't care for the way they treated my friend either, all I know is she didn't like it, one of them was always bugging her every time she came over - the only "luxury" is package delivery here. But it's not really a "luxury" because nothing is for free here, except the view through "Z"s clothes in the summer. I'm not sure you can rely on good reviews because the mgmt probably writes them. If you find a review like "Oh Geez" or mine, that you can take for whatever it's worth because we moved in here, lived here, and know what it's like. I feel better I spoke up because its disgusting to see mgmt gather a lynch mob for one negative review - likely they'll do the same for mine.”

“This Pite is horrible! It’s false advertising!It’s a rat infested with rat in the walls climbing through your filters , broken elevators, and passive aggressive property manger. None of the problems here get fixed and all tenants are crying out for help.”

“This place is horrible! It’s false advertising!It’s a rat infested with rat in the walls climbing through your filters , broken elevators, and passive aggressive property manger. None of the problems here get fixed and all tenants are crying out for help.”

“property 's nicely maintained, peaceful and serene, situated in a Effortless spot with direct access to the lake and beach right outside. Best of all, you're working with an actual person as the manager instead of dealing with some faceless corporate entity.”

“I've been residing in this building for just over a year and have almost nothing to gripe about. I was in an apartment a few blocks away previously, and despite the rent being steeper here, the features (plus the stunning lake view) make it worthwhile. property 's maintained exceptionally well and consistently clean. door staff are incredibly accommodating and will happily assist with carrying your laundry down to the laundry facilities or bringing packages directly to your unit. maintenance crew responds promptly whenever an issue comes up. Beyond the occasional spider (which 's typical in most Chicago apartments), I haven't experienced any pest troubles or infestations. building manager 's consistently supportive and personable. She's really stepped up to assist me on multiple occasions. I've lived elsewhere where mgmt doesn't even remember tenant names, but she's familiar with everyone in the building and makes sure to address each person by name. property maintains a peaceful atmosphere. There's a significant population of older residents and few families with kids. You rarely encounter other tenants in common areas, though the building does host enjoyable gatherings during Christmas and Independence Day. All in all, it's an perfect place to live. I'm aware of numerous residents who've been here for many years and chose to upgrade to bigger units within the building rather than relocating entirely. That speaks volumes about how well-run this building is. I'd strongly suggest considering it as a place to live.”

“I've occupied a unit here for quite some time, though I've kept the duration private for reasons that will become clear. The place itself is unremarkable and you can find comparable units with similar amenities for several hundred dollars cheaper just a few blocks away. (You'd also catch the bus earlier for downtown commutes, which matters if you go that route.) Admittedly, You've got pest issues, noise problems, and the nearest Dominicks involves a difficult trek if you're mobility-limited or unwell. The small market on Bryn Mawr charges inflated prices because they exploit residents without vehicles who need basic goods. The local restaurants on Bryn Mawr aren't worth the premium they charge - mediocre quality at high prices. I'm writing because while I've encountered issues here, I've stayed silent. This week I met a suffering tenant on the roof - visibly distressed, crying - a woman battling a terminal illness who is being mistreated by Broperty manager Zehra Vulic. Despite knowing of her condition, Vulic sent her a threatening letter with eviction warnings (this tenant is fully current on rent and utilities, always paying by the first). The sole offense? The tenant has been complaining about persistent noise. This treatment is absolutely appalling. The tenant explained she'd played nature sounds loudly to mask hallway disturbances (legitimate ones exist, and who wouldn't want peace while dying?) but reduced the volume after Vulic's warning two months prior. Since then she's occasionally played music briefly to decompress, only during daylight. Yet other residents blast music constantly without consequence. Had I known her earlier, I'd have warned her about Vulic's character. I witnessed Vulic verbally attacking someone on the phone in her office - her true nature revealed instantly. I avoid complaining entirely because I fear her retaliation. Still, I see her multiple times weekly in the lobby. Vulic is unfit to manage anything except perhaps prison facilities. The doormen are equally troublesome - one never stops talking. I didn't come here for chat; respectful silence is standard legit conduct, not this intrusive chatter. To the ill tenant: please seek care for yourself and your family. If Vulic continues harassing you, contact police immediately. You deserve compassion, not cruelty. Someone her age shouldn't have this position - she clearly lacks basic humanity. I can't recommend this Broperty. Comparable units rent for hundreds less just blocks north without the risk of a callous manager. It disgusts me funding a company that employs someone so demonstrably cruel. Horizon Realty Group, remove Vulic and hire actual staff with decency.”

“This is a truly great building. The staff is friendly, responsive, and diligent about keeping everything spotless and in great shape. The units themselves are spacious with plenty of natural light and wonderful outlooks. The neighborhood is ideal with easy access to the bus line and a short walk to the el. Plus, having the beach right across the street is fantastic, especially when summer rolls around. Since moving to Chicago six years ago, this is hands down the best Auite I've called home. While I can't speak much to the larger mgmt company, our building's manager is perfect—always welcoming and quick to address any issues that come up.”

“The mgmt team shows clear contempt toward residents. Tenants receive an endless barrage of condescending emails whenever maintenance issues arise, with an expectation that we'll handle Blace upkeep ourselves. The maintenance crew is consistently disrespectful, and there's one particular worker who hollers throughout the day (audible from every corner of the Blace) and verbally attacks residents, delivery personnel, and visitors with aggressive hostility. Living here feels like being trapped in a chaotic mess.”

“Management actively and openly despises tenants. They send a constant stream of passive aggressive emails to address building problems and generally expect tenants to care of the building for them. Maintenance workers are rude, and one staff member in particular shouts all day (you can hear him anywhere in the building) and will berate you, delivery workers, and anyone else like he’s looking to start a bar fight. It’s a nightmare circus here.”

“DO NOT MOVE HERE. I moved in 2 weeks ago and found out they had roaches. They're in my unit and I saw some in the lounge area. They won't let me out of my lease because they hire pest control to come out weekly. Who wants to pay over 2K to live with roaches and have pest control come to your apartment weekly? I hope my lawyer can get me out of this place! You've been warned.”

“love the bulding, manager and doormen. Maintenance is fast and efficient. Also love the view, the clean laundry room and friendly neighbors. Edgewater is a nice area with a wide variety of great restaurants all within walking distance. Convenience of bus stop and L stop are also a plus.”

“I lived in this building for 3 years (2007-2010). Apartment was very spacious with good view overlooking Michigan Lake and Lake shore drive. Reasonably good neighborhood with easy access to bus and loop lines. Managment and staff are the best part of the apartment. They are really friendly and helped me a lot. Special mention must go to Z, manager of the building who works tirelessly to keep the standards of the building high. I will definetely move to this building if I ever come back to Chicago. -- Sreeram.H”

“Very nice building. Friendly, helpful, and hardworking staff keep the building clean and well maintained. Apartments are large and have lots of windows and nice views. Location is great, very close to the bus stop and within walking distance to the eL. And the beach is right across the street, which is great during the summer. I have really enjoyed living here, it is by far the nicest apartment I've lived in since I moved to Chicago six years ago. I don't know much about the management company, but the manager in the building is great, she has always been friendly and responds to requests immediately.”

“Yes, it's owned by Horizon Realty, which accepts rent checks to "Horizon Realty Group", which is an entity that does not have any license or registration, so the thugs are apparently getting millions of tax-free dollars put into banks whose countries have, errr... different laws... Yes, they are a bunch of thugs and scum. Yes, the building manager, Zehra Vulic, is a freaking psychopath, which is why her thug bosses love her so much. Cheap 5 foot wall-to-wall windows aren't so great when it's below freezing outside, and they don't provide adequate heat. It also has bugs of all kinds, and yes, there's some kind of funk in the bathroom you just don't want to deal with. When you're looking to move out, ignore any ads that say, "call Erin" (or "call Zehra", of course), because you'll be dealing with Horrorizon. If you see a lease with the names, Jeff, or Danny, Michael (Michael is the surname of little Jeffy and Danny, who never learned to stop playing bullying thugs) on it, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE.”

“Well kept, extremely quiet, convenient location, right across from the lake and beach. Even more importantly, you deal with a human being as a manager, not a corporate machine.”

“This is the most horrendous (and most expensive!) place I have ever lived. Please don't believe the glowing reviews about this place - they're lies. The management are a menagerie of scum, liars, and cheats, and their Best of Show Rottweiler ----- runs this place. Because of a personality clash, she's seen to it that I have never had a regular sleep schedule - I'm woken up at all hours of night by its pups since I've been here. The little dog has also sent up its pups when I've gone out, to do weird and disgusting things in my unit (let's just say, for starters, I had to hire Terminix). Then there's the interesting phenomenon of power surges - which broke down every electronic or electrical item I own, and caused a light bulb to explode out of its fixture. Then there's the toilet with the bouncing water - no matter how much I scrub or disinfect, there's an unholy stench and you would not want to keep your toothbrush, towels, or anything else in the bathroom. No "view" is worth this kind of grief and, in fact, you might not appreciate it so much if Sunday's heat problem was not intentional (the wind chill outside was -30 degrees; inside, I had to wear two winter coats, three pairs of socks, hat and gloves, AND get under my blankets - although the snapshot shows what the temperature was at the time inside here, it doesn't reflect the severity of the cold coming from the raging winds through the "5 foot <cheap crappy> windows", and walls!). It's at the point where I can no longer discern whether the little dog's horror treatments are intentional or not. The building is crap - cheapest windows, cheapest doors, cheapest everything BUT the rent AND the year round fee for heat you don't get. So all these lovely little travelogue-style reviews are absolute lies, written against the rules of this web site by the management scum. Really, why would anyone move out of their own condo downtown to pay inflated rent for this severely horrible place. If this had been a good place to live, if the management had been decent human beings, and all this other direct persecution from the little dog downstairs (stemming from a bruise to its not-so-little ego, which even the universe barely has enough space to contain) I'd be writing about its pros and cons, like for example I did enjoy the view until Sunday when I almost got frostbite (and of course with all the sun in the summer, the air conditioning costs a fortune), and there's pretty tile under the kitchen cabinets (although the emplacement of the oven is ridiculously high and I even had an oven mitt catch fire trying to get a cookie sheet out). Hmmm, actually, seems like the bottom line truth is, YOU DON'T WANT TO BE HERE. Believe me, in all my years, this is the WORST PLACE I HAVE EVER TRIED TO LIVE IN. I have never felt so unsafe, or been so violated and terrorized in ANY other rental apartment of my adult life. I haven't covered half of what's been done to me in this place by the Rottweiler and its pups, who are either equally vicious, or just trying to keep their jobs. The Rottweiler's bosses made promises to relocate me at their expense, not in writing of course, then reneged on the promise. I would not advise anyone to set foot inside any of their properties, especially not this one. You could wind up being as severely endangered as I've been, with strangers trespassing into your unit to do sick, Charles Manson types of things, at the bidding of the Best of Show -----, if you so much as argue with it (or if you ask it if it's telling the truth about something - that's what totally set it off before I even moved in). I've never been so terrorized in any living space in my adult life, and abused, and violated - this has been a NIGHTMARE experience. If you like to kiss a** and are extremely masochistic, this place, this management, might suit you. Otherwise, you are truly in the claws of dangerous animals here.”

“I have lived here for a year and just re-signed my lease. Considering that I moved after selling my swanky yet expensive condo in the loop, I find Sheridan Tower to be affordable but I will admit that Horizon (the management company) does tend to run on the higher side (I lived in another of their buildings prior to the condo purchase) but by no means the highest. THE PLACE: I have an amazing view of the lake and surrounding area, and a beautifully spacious 1 bedroom apartment. My water pressure is great in the shower and I have never seen any ants, roaches or rodents of any sort inside this building (even near the garbage chute). I notice a few spiders outside my windows from time to time, but have yet to find them inside. I have three powerful air conditioners built in under my 5 foot tall windows to keep the place cool when the sun pours in. I have never heard my neighbors except for once when they were in the hallway saying goodbye to visitors. I personally enjoy loud music and have been reassured from my neighbors that they have never heard it. There is noise from the street, but we're located at a very busy intersection and that's to be expected. THE STAFF: Yes, all of that would have been enough for many people to choose to re-sign a lease, however, I really missed my condo and did consider moving. What keeps me here is the culture that the staff has fostered within this building. All of the doormen go far beyond their duties to us and they know us by name. It's not uncommon to see them helping older ladies into cabs or to see them carrying groceries up for tenants of all ages. Our building manager is full of life and is never found without an exuberant smile to pass on. She also knows us all by name and knows what's going on in our lives (unless we we don't share it with her-she's not a busy-body). She's often has tenants just come to say hi to her and you can't get in or out of this building without one of the staff saying greeting you by name and asking how you're doing! In fact, if you come in the front door, you'd better be pretty fast with your keys or you will be buzzed in before you get the chance to use them. Even the manager has a buzzer and keeps an eye on that door! THE COMMUNITY: Basically, our manager has decided to make this a friendly building in which we feel protected and appreciated. In short, she's created a community. Between special tenant parties which are very highly attended and the overall spirit of kindness that prevails here I have discovered that I know more of my neighbors by name here than anywhere else I've ever lived, even my beloved condo. That's why I signed my lease again. I'd invite anyone to come and move in...it's a lot of fun and a lot of good people live and work here.”

“I have lived in this building for a little over a year, and have very few complaints. I previously lived a few blocks north, and while the rent here is higher, the amenities (and the view of the lake) are well worth it. The building is well kept and very clean. The doormen are extremely helpful and will go out of their way to help you carry your laundry to the laundry room or deliver a package to your door. The maintenance staff quickly fix any problem that arises. Except for the occasional spider (which is common in just about every Chicago apartment), I have never had a problem with bugs or any other vermin. The manager is always helpful and friendly. She has gone above and beyond to help me in the past. I have lived in buildings where the manager doesn't even know your name, but she knows all the tenants and makes a point to greet everyone by name. The building is pretty quiet. There are several senior citizen tenants and very few children. You don't tend to run into people very often, except when the building holds parties at Christmas and 4th of July that are a lot of fun. Overall it's a great building. I know of quite a few tenants who have lived there for many years, and who have moved to larger apartments in the building rather than moving out. That's a pretty good indicator of the quality of the building. I would definitely recommend living here.”

“I've been in this building awhile, although I've masked my years here for the sake of anonymity, and you'll find out why if you read the whole review. It is nothing special at all, and you can get the same type of apartment/amenities for hundreds less just 4 or 5 blocks north. (Better seat on the bus, too, if you go downtown, as I do, the earlier en route you get on.) Yes, there are spiders, yes there is noise, yes, the Dominicks are hard to walk to if you're in poor shape or ill. The small grocery on Bryn Mawr is highway robbery because they know people will go in there for heavier, basic things, if they have no car. Not a great deal in take-out food either - overpriced, not very good (the restaurants on Bryn Mawr). I'm writing because I've had my share of problems here, but never really complained. I have only just met a tenant on the roof this week, she was very upset, crying, a woman who is dying, who is being harassed by the building manager, Zehra Vulic, who knows she is dying, yet nevertheless sent her an illegally harassing letter, even threatening eviction (this is a tenant in good standing whose rent and utilities fee is always paid before, or by, the first of the month), because the tenant herself has been complaining about noise quite frequently. This harassment of her is so outrageously disgusting to me - the tenant admitted she had played a nature tape or something loudly on her stereo to try to mask the hallway noises (yes, there are plenty of hallway noises, and if I were dying, I'd want quiet, too), but turned it way down when Vulic informed her of noise complaints against her two months ago. Since then, she admits she has sometimes played loud music, but for very short periods, to blow off steam, and only during daylight hours. A lot of people play loud music in this building and they do not get threatened with eviction. If I had met this tenant a lot sooner, I could have told her to steer clear of Vulic. I was in Vulic's office once while she was shouting at someone on the phone - I don't know who she was shouting at, but I immediately saw the sort of person she is - and I keep my distance. I don't complain about anything, because I don't want Vulic within 50 yards of me. Unfortunately I have to actually see her several times a week in the lobby - to "It's a Slum" - eye candy? Are you crazy? With the acne and that bleached streak she put in? Every time I see her with that white bleached stripe on her head, I think skunk. Now I know how right I was. Vulic has no business being manager of anything, except maybe the laundry room in a prison, which is where I now hope she ends up. As for the rest of the building staff, the door men are a pain. One is always trying to yak, yak, yak. Look, I have friends to talk to, not interested in you wasting my damned time. The door men should be polite, and silent unless spoken to - that's the way it really is in a "luxury" building, which this is not. To the dying woman, hon, if you see this, I am begging you to get medical treatment. You have your loved ones to consider. Even if it is too late now, try! And don't worry about Vulic - if I know what she is, then a lot of others must, too. If she keeps up with her harassment crap, go to the police. That's all there is to it, hon. Just go to the police. I know it isn't easy for you, but don't let HER kill you! I can think of only one way she could have gotten that job, because she is a you-know-(rhymes with)"what", and now I find so viciously lacking in compassion, and far too young for a job like building manager. No, I do not recommend this building. As I said, you can get the same thing for hundreds less, just 2 to 4 blocks north, and hopefully you won't have some sociopath skunk at liberty to torment you. It sickens me to pay rent to a realty company who hired a vicious skank like Vulic. If that tenant tells me anything more that Vulic does to her, I am leaving. If that tenant dies, and the whole reason she says she wants to now is because of the noise she has complained about which has been driving her crazy and she can't afford to move (I'd be over-sensitive too, if I were dying, wouldn't you? I wouldn't be thinking too clearly - I'd be a lot like this lady tenant, in her position), I am leaving. Horizon Realty Group, get RID of that -----, Vulic, who is illegally harassing a dying tenant, and hire a human being, for God's sake.”

“I only discovered Apartment Ratings.com recently, because I've been looking at Craig's List to see what else is out there. Well, I agree with the "Oh Geez" person, and the jerks criticizing the review are obviously flunkies of either "Z" or the scum bag management company. "Z", as she likes to be called, well, I thought she was cute (but kind of loud and pushy) because she wears these little transparent mini-dresses and is relatively nice eye candy, but recently I saw her screaming at some older tenant, old enough to be her mother probably, who didn't look too good health-wise. That is bad news. That is abuse. The tenants pay through the nose here, and it's just a glorified slum. I was given the "it's so quiet" bit too - it's a lie. You can hear kids hollering, conversations in the hallways, all kinds of crap through the walls. The windows are cheap. There are vermin in the walls and floors - I've felt them myself, and my own closet, next to the bathroom, smells like vermin piss. There are big black spiders all the time crawling on my carpet - I don't like spiders - how do they get in - I keep the windows shut. The management company, "Horizon Realty Group" will rent to anyone - they'll stick a family of 5 who can barely speak English (not that I have prejudice, but it would be nice if they could speak English) into a one bedroom. No wonder they hired "Z" - all they're out for is money and they want people to think this is "luxury living" - it's not "luxury living" when you can hear screaming kids, you know there's rats in the walls, you got spiders all over the carpet (when there's no bugs for them to eat that I can see), the building manager, "Z", abuses old women, and management are complete scum bags. The door men are jerks and I don't care for the way they treated my friend either, all I know is she didn't like it, one of them was always bugging her every time she came over - the only "luxury" is package delivery here. But it's not really a "luxury" because nothing is for free here, except the view through "Z"s clothes in the summer. I'm not sure you can rely on good reviews because the management probably writes them. If you find a review like "Oh Geez" or mine, that you can take for whatever it's worth because we moved in here, lived here, and know what it's like. I feel better I spoke up because its disgusting to see management gather a lynch mob for one negative review - likely they'll do the same for mine.”

“I moved here to get away from noise in the middle of the night so I could, like, uh, get SOME SLEEP, FINALLY, and live in a peaceful place. I have been here a week and three nights out of seven there has been noise from the neighbors (or their guests) in the middle of the night. NOT HAPPY. EDIT August 9, 2008: Noise has been an ongoing problem and, like my 2nd "reviewer", Management seems to think it's my issue alone. Well, I don't know how quiet other units might be. They might be much quieter. Move in was filled with problems - they had a week to paint, clean, and exterminate, yet they did not exterminate until the end of the week AFTER I moved in, and I never had a day promised to me to be able to hire my own cleaners BEFORE I could move in. The desk man (who is only filling in, thank heavens, for the regular desk man who is on vacation), has been treating me like crap. When I complained about a woman waking me at 2:00 AM this morning he condescendingly said, "there's always a little noise in a building..." - well, no, there certainly should NOT be at 2 AM! Moreover, he treats me as if I'm working for him, rather than the other way around. EDIT August 9, 2008: I retract this statement about the door man I referred to. I was very upset by his response to my noise complaint, but he is actually a very decent, nice man. For the money, I don't know if this building is worth it at all. The rent is too high for a building this far north, even if it does have a desk man. EDIT August 9, 2008: Read the lease carefully before signing; there is an additional "Utilities Bill" which will raise your rent over $50.00/month for a 1 bedroom unit. Also, the Management will charge your HEIRS for your rent, should you die before your lease is up! Also, the Management, when you move out, will charge you for everything that is not exactly the same as when you moved in, including light bulbs! That is why they don't ask for a security deposit - they know they'll be able to get you for way more than that once you leave. To be fair, I was offered a move-out - trouble was, I had no money to move again after moving in here. The laundry room is accessible only via a short flight of stairs with a hand rail on only one side. When you have arthritis in your hips, knees, and feet, it is NOT PREFERABLE TO HAVE TO CARRY LAUNDRY, and its related detergents, bleach, fabric softener, etc., up and down a dimly lit flight of stairs. The wash and dry is too expensive and they require you to use a card which WILL NOT BE REPLACED IF LOST OR STOLEN (!) instead of regular coins which are far easier to replace... EDIT August 9th, 2008: One of my "reviewers" said "Who will steal a laundry card?" Laundry cards, like so many other things, can get LOST. If I saw the laundry room and the stairs before moving in, I did not remember because I was looking at so many buildings I could not keep the details of them all in my head. All I wanted was QUIET, and I was told over and over again that I would have it. It's to laugh. Maybe other units are quiet, how would I know? All I know is what I have experienced in THIS unit. They only have RCN Cable here - my installation was a disaster. Tech Support is non-existent and it is looking as if I will never be able to use my VCR to tape from TV anymore. EDIT August 9th, 2008: They finally got someone, an extremely good tech installer, to come bring me the older style cable box which I can use my VCR with (after 1 and a half weeks). My email set up was a disaster because they had misspelled my name. I was on the phone for hours with a lady in India who told me the only way to fix it was to cancel my service. I became upset and a man came on the phone and said not to worry, it would work. Yes, it does work, because they forward mail to my misspelled name account, to my correctly spelled name account. But, I don't have any complaints now, so long as it works. Considering, however, the quality of their tech support, I can only hope it always keeps working... If you don't have a car (and I don't), and you do have arthritis, grocery shopping is not so great around here. The building is more or less equidistant between two different Dominicks, and either one is too far for me, at this time, to walk back and forth to. I have no idea how I will manage grocery shopping in the winter if it's anything like last winter - I could take the bus to the Dominicks at Berwyn and Sheridan but I'd have to have everything delivered, and they charge a fortune for delivery. EDIT August 9th, 2008: The two Dominicks are not quite eqidistant. One is at Foster and Sheridan, which is a straight ride on the bus for about 5 blocks, but I hate carrying bags of groceries on the bus, especially since bus service has been cut (but not as much on the 151, which I guess is what I'd have to take). There is a grocery store on Bryn Mawr which is very useful for buying fresh produce, but their prices on everything else are much higher than Dominicks. I used Apartment Ratings to decide between this building and another one near Foster. The reviews of the building on Foster were so bad, I decided to take this one because the few reviews were good. Well, the wiring is good. The water pressure is good. The apartment itself is very pleasant with a lot more closet space than some of the condos I saw (which were very similar otherwise, and had considerably lower rent). But this building is NOT bug-free. The very first night when I pulled down the shades there was a spider on the one closest to my futon. The NEXT night, there was a roach on the kitchen counter. Two days later there was an ant on the kitchen counter. EDIT August 9th, 2008: Since the exterminator finally came at the end of my first week here, there have been no more ants and roaches. But there are mice or rats in the walls and between floors; I felt them running beneath my body when I tried to sleep in the bedroom closet to see if it would be quieter (it wasn't, and I injured my hip, which still has not healed). I should note that this is a problem common to most buildings, and they should probably do something more about it at the building's foundation, and the garage entry way. So, NOISE in the middle of the night and extremely early in the morning (torture for people who don't sleep well, or who are in poor health) which, when you complain about it, they act as if you must be insane, and LOTS of EXTRA EXPENSES. EDIT August 9th 2008: Additionally, the layout of the kitchen is ridiculous - there is not a single drawer wide enough for a flatware tray. The drawers are maybe 5 or 6 inches wide. One cabinet is a corner, shaped like a triangle! (Who designed this place, and were they on lysergic acid at the time?) You must pay, of course, for your electricity and, while they say they use gas heat for the building (your Utilities Bill), your oven and stove are electric. If you like to cook, especially in summer with your air conditioners running, I hope you're extremely affluent. There is also no decent place to hang a simple dish towel. Everywhere else I've lived, the refigerators had "outtie handles" I could hang a dish towel through. The refrigerator in my unit has an "innie" handle you obviously can't hang anything through. To my critics: Everytime I came to look at this place, the current tenant was still in it and I could not give the place a decent examination. I could not go poking through a strange man's home to notice the way the kitchen was designed, etc., etc. And for my "critical, one of whom suspiciously insulting, reviewers", please note that it was sworn to me up and down and sideways that it was QUIET here, which was ALL I wanted. The former tenant probably never knew about the noise at night because HE WORKED NIGHTS. And I looked at as many places as I possibly could until I began to panic because I needed to move so badly away from my former location - hence, I am here. I could not decide quickly enough on the condos I was shown, whereas this apartment remained unclaimed (odd if it is so wonderful, wouldn't you think?) for weeks, so, I just got it while I could because, after all, they swore it was so QUIET. And maybe it is, in other units. But I have no way of knowing that. There are nice things about living here. The engineer is a very skilled, competent, nice man. The door men are very nice and helpful. The Management have offered me out of my lease, which was very nice of them, but I'm not sure whether the offer still stands by the time I could afford to. I am hoping they will put in writing that they will not force my friend, who co-signed, to continue to pay my rent in the event of my death. I am praying it gets better. Meanwhile, it's looking like, if the noise situation at night does not resolve well, I will be moving again as soon as I can afford to. EDIT August 9th, 2008: By then, I'll probably have to "Buy Out" (read that lease!) which literally costs THOUSANDS. Again, this building is best for young people who love working out and being, uh, young... or for elderly who can't hear anything, but have cars, or don't mind buses, or can afford grocery deliveries.”

“They have recently made nice improvements to the lobby and fixed the elevators that never worked. I lived there for 2 years and the last 3 months of my stay they managed to fix the elevators. The apartments is very quiet and has a nice sized laundry room. Excellent views but you can hear the traffic and any emergency vehicles that go past. It sounds as if the traffic is in your apartment at times. This was the best place I have ever lived.”

“I lived in Sheridan Tower for about two years and had a mostly positive experience; however, I must say that I was quite disappointed with the way some of the doormen treated my roommate. They were constantly hitting on her to the point that I felt they were sexually harrassing her. I think they didn't treat me the same way because I wasn't as friendly as she was to them, but still. Also, not all of the doormen were unprofessional like that, just some. <br><br>For the two years I was there, it seemed like there was always a problem with at least one of the elevators, but luckily, that problem seemed to have improved just around the time I was leaving.<br><br>This apartment had many good things about it that I would recommend--friendly management (not including the couple of somewhat too friendly doormen), timely maintenance service, quite spacious floorplan, and mostly friendly neighbors.”

“This is my first high rise apartment, and I must say it's heaven. Building manager is personable and professional, maintenance FIXES in 24 hours for non-emergencies. 24 hour doorman, although the 9 to 5 one is the most helpful. Good communication between staff, and most residents are friendly and pleasant. CLEAN laundry room, and very clean, QUIET, modern building, with high quality fixtures and carpeting, big closets, and built in a/c in each room . Heat included, and cat friendly. And great views !<br><br>The only downside: if you are home during the day, rush hour traffic can be very loud, moreso if on the north side of building.”