Farcroft By The Lake in Chicago, Illinois

I lived here a year ago and It's hard to dislike the apartment itself. Easy to dislike the management and the way the facilities are maintained. Took weeks to get things fixed and nothing in the common areas was maintained. 2 grills quit working the second year and weren't fixed by the third, they promised a doorman to counteract the packages constantly being stolen but that never happened, they didn't clean the trash room frequently enough so the hall nearby smelled, the gym equipment typically had a thick layer of dust, and if someone spilled something in the lobby it would dry and sit there for a few days or weeks. The maintenance company had a few residents in the building that worked for them and they allowed them to park in loading areas and behind the building but threatened to tow anyone that parked in a spot longer than 10 minutes. There was an air conditioning vent in the shower right next to a drafty window in my 01 unit. All of the windows were drafty and my electrical bill in winter was commonly $150 for 2 people. Glad I moved but sad that the beautiful building is not maintained properly by the management. I hope they have changed or do change the management soon.

This is the best apartment I have ever lived in. This is the 7th apartment I've lived in and I cannot say enough good things about this place. I have absolutely no complaints. I loved living near the lake. The residence are friendly. The building is always clean. Even if your maintenance request isn't an emergency they come out that day and fix it that day unless they need to order a part, but even that happens quickly. The staff really cares about you and the building. They get to know you. They host residence parties which are really fun. My husband and I used the patio and grills all the time. They are very pet friendly. I cannot rave enough about how nice the apartments are. My kitchen was better than some kitchens in peoples new homes. This building is sound proof. On a quiet day I could sometimes hear the people across the hall, but that's it. Never the people above or below. I liked the extra storage and bike storage downstairs. The gym is nice. I loved having a mail room for packages so I never worried about someone taking my packages. It's great that there is a loading area if you have a lot of stuff to put in your car. They have recycling and a dog waste container. The commons area is great for parties or hanging out. If you live on the right floor you have amazing lake views and 2 blocks away is a great parking garage. There is a 147 bus stop on the block and about 2-3 blocks from the Jarvis Red Line stop and 1 block away from Jarvis Beach. If I hadn't moved to Seattle I would still live here.