Tenant Reviews for 420 W BELMONT AVE

I live in the building now. It is a little dated and the elevators are slow but the staff is reasonably friendly and it's nice having a restaurant / bar on the ground floor that has been recently renovated. Also have to mention the maintenance manager is the nicest guy and very helpful! My only issue is that there is no rule within the building's association for how long someone could conduct a renovation on their unit. According to management as long as the construction is done between the hours of 8am to 8pm M-Saturday they could make as much noise as they want. I have neighbors operating a table saw and hammering away at their unit just behind my headboard of my bedroom on and off for a year now. It can be a serious problem if you work nights or just want to enjoy a quiet place to live. I spoke with the manager on numerous occasions (I like him so I won't mention his name)and in more words or less told me there really isn't anything he can do. I like the manager and almost admire the way he handels issues but couldn't help to feel like I was being placated with no emidiate solutions and to tell you the truth without any rules pertaining to the duration of a renovation there really isn't anything he could do. I am looking to buy a condo by next summer and even if I love the neighborhood I won't consider buying at this location. Simply because the walls are too thin, the building is old(so there always will be someone repairing and renovating), and there are no rules to prevent inconsiderate neighbors from making as much noise as they want while conducting ecentric and continous DIY repairs on their units.

I had a one bedroom on a lower floor and just moved out in September to a larger space further west. The unit was ok--my rent was around $1K, which is average/slightly below average for the neighborhood. Loved the express buses, the location to fast food & shops. Here's my reasons for moving out: 1. Weird smells. The condo I rented smelled musty all the time unless I sprayed or left a window open. Each elevator always had some weird odor--not kidding. Each one had a different smell, and it wasn't always pleasant. 2. Noisy. Low floor on the Belmont side was ALWAYS noisy. Buses at 5am, motorcycles at night, lots of traffic all the time on Belmont. Every three months, there's some massive construction drama on Belmont. 3. Indifferent neighbors. Not sure if that was the right word...my neighbors on one side would have late night/early morning arguments--shouting, etc. Loud TV next to my bedroom wall. Called down to the doorman a few times. They'd turn it down for half an hour, then crank it back up. Most people sort of stuck to themselves and didn't go out of their way to be friendly. You'll get a hello from them...and that'll be it. Some of the older people are downright weird or mean. 4. Windows. Horrible. The building provides radiator heat, but the windows are old aluminum frames, single pane glass that don't keep the cold out. 5. Condition of the building in general. I'm not too picky, but the lobby and laundry room need remodeling badly. There's no pride here to make anything nicer. The owners don't want to spend any of the reserve or charge a special assessment, so things just get routine maintenance. They made a big deal when they "remodeled" the laundry room--painted the walls gray, got smaller washers and upped the price of the machines. The new TV room on the top floor is nice, but big deal. 6. Water pressure. OK but not the greatest. I tried getting a different showerhead, but the hot water wasn't as good as it could have been. 7. Back to elevators & how no one wants to spend money to fix a big problem: during summer months, humidity causes the old (1960s) buttons to light up all the time. Takes forever to get anywhere because elevators stop on every other floor. While we're on it, what's up with boiling hallways during the summer!? Spend the money and pump in some ventilation and A/C during the hot season. The unit itself was rehabbed in the 80s or early 90s. The owner was nice, and I could call to the manager if anything needed fixing. But no...not happy here and need more space for similar rent.

All of these "anonymous" posts are simply lies. I just purchased a condo in this building last month. I have absolutely no complaints. The building is very clean, quiet, spacious and the location is fantastic. Its definitely not a new building, but wouldn't consider it extremely dated. The exterior has a late 60's art-deco feel. The common areas are basic, but clean and in good condition. In response to some of the negative posts: There are definitely not bugs in this building. Exterminators preventively spray the building twice a year. The building has a full time maintenance staff. They keep the building in very good condition and go out of their way to help out the residents whenever possible. The comments about the building manager are completely fabricated. First of all the property manager is a man not a woman. Secondly, anyone renting in this building would rent from a unit owner, not from the property manager. The manager does not give tours of the building. A prospective buyer would have a Realtor show them around and a prospective renter would have the unit owner show them the building. I am not sure why somebody is trying to destroy the reputation of a condo building. The negative posts are blatant lies. Don't take my word for it. Stop by the bar in the lobby (Bridget McNeill's), have a beer and take a look around. You'll see that its clean and well maintained. I'll be the first to admit - this isn't the Trump Tower. The condos also don't sell for seven figures. If you are looking for a reasonably priced condo in a great location - check out this building. If you're looking for an apartment building - there are several of them directly west of here.

RUDE STAFF, DIRTY BUILDING AND IT SMELLS HERE BADLY. WHAT GIVES.

I stoped by to check out this building and Ohh my, its patheticaly dated and old. Management did not seem interested, would not smile and was taking personal cell phone calls while touring with me and had a chip on her shoulder. What's her problem. Needs a makeover and new staff.

When I looked at this building, I also was disappointed and not very well treated. I also thought it was dated and needed much help and smelled of cat urine in the hallways. I also saw a roach on the wall, disgusting.

I know who posted that awful review of 9/27and she should be ashamed of herself. This building, although, old in nature, is great to be in. I've lived here for over 12 years and had my share of drama, but the management has been great (especially the current office manager!). With as many units in the building as we have (150 ), I can always manage to do my laundry (we don't have a large room, but it seems to work out perfectly). The maintenance staff is always helpful, and can do special projects for you (with fees of course). There is an on-site cleaners that also acts as a receiving room for packages. And last, but not least, the heated indoor pool - a pleasure to be in no matter that time of year! Kept clean and maintained regularly. Assessments can seem a bit high in certain circumstances, but we have to take into consideration the age of the building. DOG POLICY: Seeing-Eye only. Cats OK

BAD AND RUDE MANAGEMENT. BUILDING IS OLD AND NEEDS HELP. OTHER THEN A GOOD LOCATION, I WOULD LOOK ELSEWHERE.

Love the building and convenience to everything, from cabs to shopping to restaurants/bars.

First off, this is an older condo building, so the individual characteristics of the units will depend on how many features the individual owners have invested as well as the general maintenance in the unit. Many units may not have dishwashers or up-to-date appliances. The building has a small laundry facility within the building. Since the building is older, the windows on the lower floors may not offer the best sound proofing. Be aware that the building is on Belmont and near Sheridan, which are two busy bus-filled streets. <br><br>As far as the building goes, it is a decent older building, nothing special. It does have a swimming pool and sundeck on the top floor (free) as well as a small party room (fee). There is no workout room within the building. There is storage available to residents, but once again, the owner may already have stuff in the storage locker, so it would be best to assume there would be no storage available for a renter. <br><br>Bel-Harbor recently remodeled their hallways with new carpeting and lighting, though it still feels like an older building (outdated elevators). The lobby looks like Miami in the 50s--complete with tacky acrylic chandelier, curvy walls, and a doorman desk that looks like it was made by a high school wood shop class. The lobby also has a drycleaners and an entrance to a smoky bar/tavern/restaurant (also within the building) which functions as a neighborhood watering hole. <br><br>The building has great public transportation--the CTA 146, 156, 77, 151, 135 all have stops within a block or two. Taxis are plentiful at most hours along Belmont and Sheridan. The attached parking garage stalls are purchased by the owners; parking may be available monthly by an owner (expect to pay at least $100-200 per month). Free street parking is very difficult to find (you must have additional car stickers to park on the neighborhood streets) or virtually non-existent. If you need to drive, be forewarned that Belmont and Sheridan are frequently jammed on days when the Cubs play (Wrigley Field is only a couple miles away). <br><br>As far as the resident mix, there are a good number of owner-occupied and rental units in the building. Because Bel-Harbor is in Lakeview, there is quite a mix of different people--gays, seniors, students, etc., and the building is generally quiet. Because Bel-Harbor is a condo building, there will be rules and regulations owners and their renters must strictly follow. Be prepared for a small move-in fee for holding an elevator.