Tenant Reviews for 869 W BUENA AVE

The only positive thing about this builing is that the apartments are nice compared to other units in the area and it is close to the lake, grocery store, and public transportation. However these don't override the negative things like the hallways always smelling like pee and the trash always smelling whenever you enter through the side building entrance. The office staff always seems bothered whenever you go in and ask them to get your package for you and they just don't know how to manage an office at all. They also never hold resident breakfasts anymore so that the building tenants can get to know one another.

The apartments are located in a good location. Only 4 blocks from the water! Street parking is not bad if you park before 7 p.m. The kitchen is very modern and the carpet was new in my apartment. But the bathroom needs major work and the bedroom is small. Now for the apartment complex... the hallways smell like cat piss, ALL THE TIME. And they are very out-dated. And the elevators are slow. Management sucks! They are incredibly inconsiderate and do not care about their tenants at all. It takes weeks to get things fixed, if it even gets fixed at all. The apartment complex claims that safety is there number 1 prioroty, but the back door lock was broken for weeks and mgt was "waiting for parts". Worst complex I have ever lived in.

They keep the apartments pretty nice. I moved in just after having it remodeled so its in good condition. The hallways seriously need to be redecorated - I think that's the biggest downside to the place when it comes to appearances. The building could use an extra set or two of washers/dryers but there's really not space for them. The staff has had a lot of turnover since I first moved in which is never a good sign (just signed 3rd year lease). They're generally nice and helpful but they can also have their moments. It's little things mostly. A while back they used to do a monthly breakfast to meet your neighbors/staff or once I remember them doing a thing in the evening on the roof top. It's little things like that. Now you're lucky to get a grunt for a hello when you walk by. You rarely hear much from your neighbors but you can get a lot of street noise depending on what side you're on - after a Cubs game, this can be a very annoying thing.

The side entrace smells so bad and the management dont do anything about it. I have actually seen a resident let his dog out the side door and pee all over the entrance. It constantly smells. This should be cleaned on a daily basis as too should the hallway leading from the side entrance to the elevators. Dogs are always peeing in the elevators too. Also, a few weeks ago someone decided to have a food fight in the hallway. This happenedon a Friday night. The food was not cleared up for 8 full days. The elevators are constantly breaking down. There is an issue with some of the dryers not working properly. Management need to be reminded 2 or 3 times before they fix and problem. Its a disgrace and I shall not be renewing my lease.

I moved into the building from out of state - and was a poor college student so I didnt have money to come visit before renting. I moved in because everything seemed ok, not great, but ok - good enough to live in for a year. I have been here almost a year, pay rent on time, ect. I made of list of things that have broken or gone completely wrong with the building at it was over 15 items. My heat broke, dishwasher broke, I highly suspect a maintenance worker who quit of stealing from my apartment, one of two elevators broke for a week, garbage shoot was broken for close to 2 months. If you take a tour you will see signs of all the things they are doing for their residents - but most of them they are simply "too busy" to do (take packages to apartments). They have even "lost" important deliveries when they did take things to my apartment. Overall - I know this place is cheap - and I guess you get what you pay for. If I had it to do over again - I'd go somewhere else, where things generally work.

Positive comments: I have lived here for about six months and it is my first time living alone (without a roommate). I was happy to find a one-bedroom near the lake for under 900 a month. My apartment is really tiny and cozy, but it is perfect for me. New carpet was installed when I moved into the unit and the bathroom had just had the tub and tile painted white, both of which make it look very clean and fresh. The units have big windows, updated counters, tiles and cabinets and ceiling fans. I have had really good experiences with the management and they often come straight to help with any issue right away. I did notice some reviews about the manager being unfriendly, but I have never had a problem. It seems best practice is to be polite to management and pay on time, which is common sense. They also do nice things like you can call and ask them to drop off a package and they will change light bulbs for you. I feel very safe in my apartment and have heard my neighbors on maybe 4 occasions...this is amazing considering how many people have dogs! Areas for improvement: We do not have thermostats in our units, but I have been fine turning on the fan on the heating unit or opening a window to try and control it. Also, the elevators are very slow, old and frustrating. For some reason, one of the elevators is often not working in the evenings. The hallways need updating. The lighting is kind of dreary, dark colors on the walls and cheesy carpet. My friends are usually surprised to see that the apartment itself is cute after seeing the hallway. The move-in was kind of a disaster and my unit was not ready. Glad I will not have to do that again. Neighborhood: I love Buena Park and love walking around the really cute neighborhood between Broadway and the lake. Lots of cute restaurants, coffee places and nice bars. Parking is not easy, but I have lived in Lincoln Park and Lakeview so I am definitely surviving. Grocery store is nearby and it is great having a library and a 7-11 so close. Also, there are two theatres in this building with new shows every few months. Conclusion: I will be staying here for another year if rent does not go up.

This is my second apartment. It is by far much nicer than my first one. The staff is very nice and I love the maintence guy. He is so quick and nice! It was also hard for me to find a nice place that allowed Dogs. The policy here is nice because you can have any dog under 40 lbs and if it is bigger all you have to do is ask and figure something out with the managment. One big problem which has nothing to do with the building is the parking around her in Lakeview. I used to live in Lincoln Park and I thought it was bad there...nothing compared to Lakeview! It is such a residential area that if you want to find a decent parking spot after 6pm, you'll have to park pretty far away. I live in a studio and it is small but cozy. One thing about it is the heat came on in nov. and it's still warm out. I have to leave my windows open because my place heats up to quickly... its buring! I think i'll be leaving my windows open all winter haha but that doesnt bother me. What people have to remember is that this is city living. Its expensive because it's Chicago and no it's not perfect...but compared to many places this is nice. I would move to a one bedroom when this lease is up. I never hear my neighbors, its close to public transportation, and I feel pretty safe. The gorcery store is only a block away and there is a dry cleaners and nail place right across the street. Also the laundry room is very nice and i've never had a problem using any machine. The excersie room is a plus too...its never busy I can always work out whenever I want. Whats not to like!!!! Come check it out!

The only thing I really hate is how the stairwells smell like trash and urine. My apartment is really quiet (I never hear my neighbors), but it's ultra tiny for how much the rent is. Randall (the maintenance guy) is my hero. I needed a new fridge and it only took 15 minutes from the time I complained the second time to get a new one. However...I had to complain twice before they fixed the problem. I haven't had any problems with the manager or the laundry room but the seated bike doesn't work in the exercise room. Unless I just can't figure out how to work it. Maybe that's me. Also, parking SUCKS in the neighborhood. You have to park at 9 am to get a spot less than a mile away. I was so frustrated by this fact that I sold my car. Luckily, the 36 stops right outside the building and the el isn't too far away. Of course, my opinion of that may change in the middle of the winter. I'm actually hoping for drafty windows because it's always ridiculously hot in the elevators, halls and my apartment. I'm sure I'll be leaving the windows open all winter because we can't turn off the heat. Now that I think about it...I have more complaints than compliments. I doubt i'll renew my lease.

I've lived here over a year but not by choice. I mean the building is nice, the people are very friendly but the manger sucks. When I moved here there was a different manager and he was the best, but now there's a different guy and he's the worst person ever. When you call or email you never get a response back. I've asked for things to be fixed over 3 months ago and they still aren't fixed. The manager always seems like he has more important things to do than help you. But to be fair the rest of the office team is very friendly and helpful, but unfortunatley they don't have any say in anything.

It's a nice place. The management staff is very helpful and nice...HOWEVER I must add that their is an individual who plays their music far to loud to be healthy, a girl who wanders through her apartment with the windows wide open naked as a new baby, and a couple/individual who has a WHOLE LOT of sex in which they like to keep their window open when doing so amplifying the already loud screaming to a volume that could be heard on the south side. Other then those issues, which for some may not be negative, I love the place.