Tenant Reviews for 123 N DESPLAINES ST

I have never had a more stressful apartment experience. After signing a lease on December 10, 2024, I notified management on December 18 that i would need parking. They claimed a transponder issue and never fixed it by my January 4 move-in. Then, on move-in day, the front desk person was unbelievably rude, acted like I did not belong, and later allowed my legally parked U-Haul to get towed on her watch without so much as an apology. Instead, I received yet more snarky attitude. I had to call 911, thinking the truck was stolen, only to learn it was wrongly towed. The first solution of management was for me to drive over an hour to recover it myself. In the end, my U-Haul was returned at no monetary cost to me, two+ stressful hours later. While my understanding is that the front desk person was terminated, I got zero compensation, and received a middling email apology that did not even reference the fact that the U-Haul truck was wrongly towed. Meanwhile, in this email, management tried to blame the fob issue on me not requesting a parking fob on December 10 instead of December 18, despite the fact that I was told when I applied that I should apply for parking at a later date when my situation was more certain. Bottom line: If you are looking for competent staff or accountability, look elsewhere. This property is disorganized, unhelpful, and entirely unprofessional. Move in at your own risk. UPDATE: In retort to the Google response of the owner asserting that I agreed to having only 1 transponder to share between my wife and myself: The email I received on December 18th, after I had signed the lease, indicated that the staff believed the issue would be resolved by my move-in date. I never agreed to have 1 transponder, as I was never asked whether this was acceptable, and was not given the option to terminate the lease if dissatisfied. Owning a car, I had no alternative but to accept the situation, albeit highly inconvenient. It should be noted that the transponder is used not only for access to the garage, but also to gain access to the elevators, and to obtain discounts at neighborhood establishments. Despite having moved in 3 days ago, my wife and I currently only have 1 transponder between us.

The apartment is great. Once you are a resident though, don't expect to receive the same concessions as new residents. It has been disappointing that management takes a hard line to that. I would recommend one year and move on otherwise you'll just pay too much.

Overall great experience. Any issues were resolved promptly by management. Building is maintained nicely and could use some updating in the near future. (Slight wear and tear on some cabinets and carpeting.)

Building is in a perfect location for working in the loop and for taking advantage of everything West Loop has to offer. The staff cannot do enough for you and neighbors are quiet and respectful. Units are clearly looked after and in great condition.

A beautiful, well kept building with great amenities and staff who are friendly. Located close to the loop, west loop, and river north. Ive been able to walk everywhere. The apartments are well maintained and feel brand new. There is ample storage.

Love the friendly staff, location, cleanliness, amenities, and atmosphere of Catalyst! There is not a better place to live. Steps from West Loop restaurants, grocery stores, and easy access to the loop, I feel like I'm right in the middle of everything.

Catalyst is a wonderful building managed by a thoughtful and hardworking team. The community is quiet and friendly. Everything is always clean and accessible. This is a great apartment for my move to Chicago.

I have loved my time here at Catalyst. Very clean, staff is friendly and it is in a great spot. I would definitely recommend this place to friends. You can walk to anywhere in Greek Town, West Loop and Fulton Market as well as downtown.

The move in process, the staff and the culture of the building is so much better than expected and I had high expectations! Love it so far! The staff goes out of their way to help and make everything easier.

Myself and my husband love living here at catalyst! The staff are all incredibly friendly, everything runs smoothly, the building is great! There is fantastic security services, things are fixed by maintenance promptly and it's always so quiet in the apartment!!!