After renting an apartment in another Lakeview condo (bad experience) we decided to buy something instead. After an unsuccessful bid on another unit in this building, I literally stalked the realty listings until we found the unit we purchased. The units are good-sized and although the building is older, our unit has been well-maintained and it was easy to upgrade the kitchen and to get management approval for it. We've had no problems with the water or heat. The building is safe and well-maintained. People who visit us have remarked on how nicely kept/clean the public areas are. The front desk staff are very helpful, as is the maintenance staff. The building manager runs a tight ship in a good way--with 200+ units, that's hard. I've seen complaints about restrictions on use of the pool and noise and general complaints about too many HOA rules--but as a result of these rules, this is just a nice, clean, safe place to live. read more

Maintaining the pool area with loud, gas-powered equipment disturbs the neighborhood peace throughout spring, summer and fall.

Great location in East Lakeview. Nice spacious units with plenty of storage space. The building and staff did a wonderful job keeping the building clean and safe during events of 2020. Residents were also really helpful to any resident that was unable to go out and run errands during that time. I have lived here for multiple years now and have never had a problem. Staff is friendly and helpful. Can't beat the sundeck and pool area during the spring - fall seasons. read more

My husband and I have owned since 2018 and the ONLY reason we're leaving is because our family is growing and we need more space. If that wasn't the case, I'm not sure we'd ever go. Prime Lakeview location (steps away from the lake), we have an incredible view (odd apt numbers) and the amenities (pool, gym) and building staff are all top notch. Management navigated COVID really well and made us feel safe and informed. I will genuinely miss living here, our beautiful unit and the community of staff and residents. read more

I have 5 words to say: Be ready to get FINED. This is honestly how this apartment functions and makes money. Even the security personnel agree and I am happy to know that other (ex)-tenants who feel the same way. While yes this is a condo and there are rules, does this building not know the concept of WARNINGS? Petty things such as 'noise violation' will result a $200 fine. I am a respectful tenant and when someone complains, I always turn down the volume, but for this building warning do not exist and an instant fine will be imposed. Some of the other fines that were imposed on my unit were COMPLETELY unjustified. We told Nancy (current building manager) that we were going to have an in-bound delivery as we were buying our friend's furniture and belongings and apparently she considered this as a 'move-in' and tacked on a $500 fine. We made it clear and even quoted off the bylaws that that a 15 minute delivery is allowed AS LONG as management is notified, which we did... Let's see, my unit was also blamed for letting in a trespasser come in the building when I thought he was just another tenant BECAUSE I obviously know each person's face in this 300 units building. My unit also was falsely threatened by a lawsuit, that I believe is actually one of the board members. OVERALL: Cons: +Be ready to cough up some $$ for fines. I do not recommend living here if you are in your early 20s (and even mid-upper 20s) and still like to have fun. Management is not understanding at all and will just mercilessly fine you for the smallest things. Pros: +There are NONE! Stayed here for a year and am fed-up of it read more

I can only echo Francesca's positive comments about this building. My wife and I have lived here for over 2 years and it's an excellent building, with great tenants, and outstanding management. Yes, the building has strict rules (as does almost any nice condo building), but that's because most of the owners are couples, families, and people in their 30s or older. And, the rules are set by and therefore cater to that crowd. The owners want a quiet, clean, and orderly place to live - it's just that simple. Although the building is by no means "out to get you" or "scam you", I would just say that if you're in your early-mid 20s, single, only plan on living here a short time, and/or plan on having lots of friends over for parties (or anything along those lines), then 525 is just not a good fit. If you had a bad experience renting, it's also highly possible that you rented from a certain party who owns a large block of units in the building that were acquired in a somewhat dubious manner. These are not regular condo units, and it has created a long-standing problem where there are far more renters (particularly young renters) in the building than there should be. In addition, this party (unlike individual owners) does not cover move-in fees and other costs which are normally covered by the owner. So, it creates a bad situation for owners and renters alike, and it forces the building to create and enforce stricter rules as a way of managing this problem. All the more reason why I would suggest renting elsewhere. read more

I love living here. please note that many things have changed since some of the reviews and with the new management. HOA includes internet heat a/c cable tv! Pool and gym are great and the units are beautiful. Yes the rules and regulations might seem a bit excessive, but it is a big building and most of them are necessary. Staff is wonderful (Mike was tired yes!). You will never be worried about a clogged sink or other problems - the engineers will come and fix them immediately, no charge ! I do think the first policy is a bit extreme . Not even my family can use the pool if I am not around. I have no intention to Airbnb but it would be great to let a friend housesit when I am away . Overall, I doubt you will find a high rise as well managed as 525 in lake view read more

I moved to Chicago from out of state for a year, and had the pleasure of spending my 12 months in the Windy City at 525 W Hawthorne. Since leaving, I felt compelled to write about my extremely positive experience, and was surprised to read the negative reviews you may see below. I attribute these reviews primarily to the doorman Mike whom I fortunately had the pleasure of overlapping with for just a month or two before he was replaced by Marcus. The new staff, led by Marcus, is fantastic. They are friendly, reliable, and professional. The maintenance staff is terrific as well. Anytime I had an issue, they were prompt and efficient. Don in particular deserves a special shout-out. Beyond the great staff on hand, the building itself has a lot to offer. Outdoor pool, grilling area, gym, laundry room, underground parking... not to mention an awesome view of downtown from my south-facing 20th floor window! I found that everyone I dealt with in the building was extremely friendly. From my landlord, who was a godsend and one of the nicest men I have ever met, to my fellow tenants/condo owners, to the staff (including the property manager Nancy) - everyone was kind, courteous, and friendly. In short, IGNORE the negative old reviews. They seem to be outdated, and the building has obviously done a great job of listening to feedback and criticism and adjusting its stance on many issues. I have nothing but great memories from 525, and would absolutely recommend it to anyone. read more

That's my first Yelp review and the only reason I started using Yelp is to help others with their decision in moving here or not. I have been living here for two months now and I wish I'd have paid more attention to the other Yelp reviews already on this building. Reading other people's reviews, describing the place like a prison, I simply thought they were exaggerating. Frankly, they weren't. Let me write down the pros and cons I personally think the building has, which hopefully will help you for your decision of moving here or not. * Move-ins/outs are only allowed during the week (yes, you probably have to take a day off) * Make sure you have enough money; there's a $500 move-in fee plus a $500 move-out fee. In addition, there's another $500 refundable move-in deposit. Maybe also a move-out deposit? Not sure since I just moved here. * The building manager is rude and not capable of getting things done. Just check out her Linkedin profile and you'll see that she switched companies like every two years. * The front desk guy Mike has already been mentioned by other people, so I'm gonna keep it short: Definitely not his dream job, that's for sure! * So, you just read about the building manager and the front desk guy Mike and you will notice a trend that also extends to the maintenance staff. For example, one day the maintenance guy knocked on my door for a problem that has been already fixed by his colleague a day ago. * You love to order food? Well, the delivery guy is not allowed to come up to your apartment. You need to go down to the front desk in order to pick up your order. * Here is a shocking story: My landlord already warned me at the beginning that his door was unlocked a couple of times because of some maintenance that needed to be done in her apartment. It seems that whoever worked in the apartment, they did not care about locking the door once done with work. And indeed, a similar story happened to me too. * In case you own a bicycle, you better store it in the garage but here it comes: you have to walk it in and out of the garage. * Talking about bikes and rules in general. A couple of weeks ago everyone received an e-mail reminder about the bike rules. Seems that not a lot of people like to walk their bike in and out, eh? Just to be clear on that, expect an e-mail from the building manager at least once a week about the silliest things. I think the best one was when I got informed about a third-party company that was supposed to polish the tile floors on each floor in front of the elevator. * Did I already mention that one of the elevators broke down? I think it happened after my first month. And they only have two elevators plus the freight elevator. * In case you intend to take care of a friend's dog for a couple of days, make sure you sign him in since he is only a "guest pet". You better follow the rules, prison 525 here. Rules will be strictly enforced! * Laundry is in the building but did you know that you can not leave any baskets or carts in the laundry room when you are doing laundry? I received an e-mail last week about it (even though I never left my basket in there). * Yes, the building has a pool but did you know that you are not allowed to eat nor drink anything while getting a nice tan? Only water is allowed and of course I received an e-mail about it, stating "clear bottles of purchased water is allowed". Nice, thank you so much, at least I'm not gonna die of thirst. A few more things you should know are the following. I hear the water running when my neighbors are in the shower. I also hear when they flush their toilet. Furthermore, it is pretty loud when you flush your own toilet. When you are in the kitchen or in the bathroom, remember that the water pressure is not the best; it's not very steady and please do not believe that they are using any water filters. The water is pretty blurry when it comes out. What else? Hm, the height of the bathroom sink is ridiculous; I have to do squats when brushing my teeth and I'm not Shaquille O'Neal. I have two more stories that are actually quite unbelievable, thinking about how the building manager handled both situations. Since the building manager will remember the situations, I do not want to share those stories to the public because I have a feeling that might have an impact of my remaining days living here. However, please feel free to send me a message and I am more than willing to share both stories with you directly! Both stories are pretty shocking and I will definitely update my review and share my experience with everyone, once I live somewhere else! With that said, please think twice before you decide where and how you want to live. Do I regret my decision? Yes I do. Good luck finding a great place in Chicago (which 525 is NOT!) read more

I lived here my sophomore year of college. The place is an older building that has been remodeled so it is pretty nice, however the "board of directors" are terrible. They are pretty much old bitter folks who hate young people and renters. They will find the smallest reasons to fine you and drive you out if you are either under young or renting. $200 fine for having the tv too high at 7pm during the playoffs! $100 fine for bringing glass olive oil bottle to the patio when grilling! They use the revenue from the fines from renters to pay for upgrades to the building to keep owners association fees down. 2 stars only because I have great memories here. read more

I absolutely love living here! The staff are efficient, warm and very attuned to the residents' needs. The manager, Nancy, keeps everything in order day in and day out by establishing structure for getting improvement projects and tasks prioritized and completed. The maintenance and front desk staff are quick to address issues and requests. Don and Tricia are extremely kind, helpful and pleasant no matter what time and circumstances I see them. I get the sense that they like working/spending time here too. My sincerest thanks to all for keeping my home enjoyable, safe and sound! read more

Todd K, Brian F & Felix are spot on. Overall, we were really looking forward to living in this building. The apartment layouts are nice and spacious, the location is pretty cool (although, a bit further north than we really realized), the gym is adequate, and the pool seemed like a huge plus for the summer. However, to be honest, this building has a huge stick up its ass. The board, management and door people (Mike, specifically) seem to be on some sort of a power trip -- they ALL care more about making inconvenient rules than the actual well-being of the residents. Simply, they're just plain rude. Since the units are all privately owned, renters rent from a private tenant rather than the building. There are definitely some perks to this and overall, our experience with our landlord was pretty positive. However, this building absolutely HATES renters, so that's definitely not a perk and unfortunately, it's pretty apparent. For starters, there is a $500 non-refundable move-in fee, as well as a $500 non-refundable move-out fee. Pretty hefty. There is ONLY ONE move-in OR move-out allowed to be scheduled per day (Monday-Friday only), so make sure you schedule as far in advance as possible. We tried to schedule a move-out almost 2 months prior to our desired move-out date of June 30th, and because there were other moves scheduled already, we ended up stuck here, paying rent, until July 7th. As you can imagine, this caused a big issue not only for us, but for the next set of people moving into our unit as well. We were literally trapped there for an extra week, paying rent, and Nancy, the property manager, refused to make any exceptions for anyone. Do I need to remind you that July 1 is one of the busiest moving dates of the year in Chicago? Since we received the keys to our new places on 7/1, we thought it would be smart to take a Friday to take some stuff over to our new places -- 2 carts of items. Next thing we know, we're being threatened with $1000 in fines and screamed at by Mike. Nobody, other than our landlord, was understanding, and we had to write up a personal letter describing the situation for the board to review. THEY EVEN LOOKED AT SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE TO PROVE A POINT. RIDICULOUS. Luckily (I guess) they only ended up hitting us with a $100 fine for "trying to move out without a scheduled move out" The pipes are old and we had several months of water issues. Ridiculous ones. Halfway through a shower, the water would just shut off or trickle out. There was even a point when we had to use the public bathroom on the 2nd floor because our toilet simply wouldn't flush. You can hear the pipes working behind the walls and it can be pretty loud. Tons of very large spiders. Honestly, if you're a renter and you're looking for a reasonably priced high-rise, I would NOT look here unless you're wanting extremely rude door people (Mike is literally a miserable human being), to be hit with tons and tons of fines, treated poorly, pay a lot of useless money, and abide by ridiculous and inconvenient rules. We are so happy to NOT live here anymore. read more

My wife and I lived here for about three and a half years, and I can't tell you how excited we were when we finally moved out of this place. This building is run by a condo association that is hell-bent on making life as difficult for renters (like ourselves) as possible. Between the ridiculous fines are levied on tenants for such "offenses" as bringing glassware onto the pool deck, and the security cameras installed all throughout the building (which were really just tools the building used to facilitate their ability to fine tenants), we felt like we were living in a prison. Further, the management in the building is completely incompetent, which can be seen in the fact that there were three separate managers during our time here. They bombard you with pointless e-mails patting themselves on the back for all of the effort they are putting into making useless improvements to the building, all while completely ignoring much more obvious problems (bad plumbing, broken elevators, etc). Don't even get me started on the head doorman, Mike. An absolutely miserable human being who made sure that any conversation you had with him would be as unpleasant as possible. The only reason I am giving this building two stars is that we liked the unit itself. It suited our needs and offered a very nice view of Wrigleyville, as well as the lake and the ballpark. Bottom line is this...if you're a renter, avoid this place. There are probably much better places you can find in this neighborhood. read more

I agree with the updated review of Judy B. This has been a much more welcoming building since we have a new group of doormen. Tricia, Marcus and Erica have been always helpful and welcoming. With updated facilities and amenities, this building does has changed significantly during my time living here. read more

I have lived in many different buildings in many different places and this by far THE WORST. The management of this building is absolutely terrible and disrespectful. Sudler needs to seriously re-evaluate it's choices in staffing. Francesca mentioned that this is a condo building and as such tenants have signed contracts with "high standards." If by high standards she means being arbitrarily fined and slandered, than she's right on point. I warn you do not live in this building you will seriously regret it. While the units are acceptable and some tenants welcoming the overall experience of 525 Hawthorne is negative. Management has totalitarian rule over the building and enforces that control at the drop of a hat. Our unit was fined thousands of dollars for an accused violation that was completely inaccurate but because the building manger is an ignorant paper pusher with alternate agendas it was enforced. If you enjoy paying fines and living in a prison that this is the building for you! read more

We absolutely love living here. The front desk staff are fabulous. The pool and sundeck are lovely. We rent (each unit is individually owned) and our unit is really nice. Friendly professional neighbors. read more

I rented for one year and owned for about 4 1/2 years at Hawthorne. If we didn't need a 3rd bedroom for our growing family we definitely would have stayed. The staff is great here, Nancy the building manager does a great job, Marcus and the front desk staff are like family along with the maintenance guys (my daughter was always on the lookout to say hi to Don). The negative reviews here are very old or from those that want to treat the building like a frat house. Great building to live on the lake, on one of the most historic streets in the city, close to everything and a great pool and sun deck. read more

I'm now giving this place 4 stars. I've lived here for over a decade and it's not always been a good experience. I just feel I need to give kudos to Marcus and Tricia, who are part of the doorman group. Most of the reviews referenced Mike who was truly awful as the doorman/first person you encounter up one entering. This new team lead by Marcus has turned this place around! Always welcome with a smile, will buzz you from the parking garage if they see your hands are full. Those small details make 100% the difference in a lobby. They probably don't get enough recognition after he awful 5 year experience that was led by Mike. But they deserve this praise. Thank you for making me like coming through my lobby again. A hello and a smile goes a long way! read more

GO ANYWHERE ELSE! Seriously, every review you read about getting fined is true. It doesn't matter if you try to follow their rules or not. I want to say in the past few years we've been fined a few thousand dollars for petty things that didn't even make sense, and no, they won't warn you. Any time you allow any of them into your place, be aware they're looking for any possible violations. Even if the violations aren't real, you'll be written up and investigated which is a stressful timesink, especially if you're trying to work during the day. The staff is mixed. Some of the guards are SO NICE but the head guard is terrible and the management is really snippy. Trying to work with them is impossible. As far as the grounds go, the inside of the building is pretty bad. You would think with as much money as the board collects fining us they could at least make the elevator buttons work. You can hear everything your neighbors are doing. Luckily I live on a cool floor but at one point the maintenance guys were working on a unit near me and the tenants above and below me tried to issue a noise violation on me, and even though it was their maintenance guy, I still got checked out. They will make your life miserable even if you're a good tenant or owner. read more

This building and condo association is a total scam, talk about sleezy! Multiply your total rent by 2 in order to calculate how much you will actually be paying to live in this building. The actual total cost we put down for our 2 bedroom apartment in moving was 5,750!!!!! As a renter expect to pay a $100 application fee, one months rent security deposit, PLUS $500 moving security deposit, PLUS $500 NONREFUNDABLE move-in deposit, AND 1st months rent all when you sign the lease. There will additionally be a $500 NONREFUNDABLE move-OUT deposit (yes half of an entire months rent just in NONREFUNDABLE MOVING FEES). Ridiculous right? THis is not even taking into account that there are no weekends moves allowed, scheduling moving is impossible, and if the 1st of the month falls on the weekend and so you have to move on let's say the Wednesday before since there is no weekend moving allowed (which the chances of that moving time being open are slim to none) you are actually expected to pay the three or four extra days rent (when it is their fault they cannot accomodate you)!!! That is not even taking into account the hundreds of dollars in absurd and excessive fines you will likely receive during your time living in the building. WE WERE CHARGED $650 IN MOVE IN FINES FOR MOVING IN AN HOUR PAST OUR MOVE IN TIME! There are over 70 pages of "building rules" but the bottom line is it really doesn't matter if you are following them or not, they will charge you when they want whatever they want. BEWARE of the lease you sign at this place, which states you must follow all rules and regulations and the rules and regs can change at any time (so literally they can legally decide on day to charge you a million dollars everytime you step out in the hallway and I wouldn't put it past them). The type of business being conducted by both the condo association of this building and the management companies associated with this building (ahem...SUDLER) are just plain skeezy and greedy. Expect little to no response or help with any matters not relevant to collecting your money or picking you up as a renter (concerns in regards to questions about the lease, repairs etc, will all be ignored). Don't support sketchy and greedy management companies and condo associations abusing and using renters to pay for building repairs! Don't live in this building it's so not worth it! The location kind of sucks too. An entire mile from the red line and not that close to grocery shopping. Elevator is very slow, takes 8 to 10 minutes just to get out of the building. Parking is awful, parking in building is $250 a month and not currently available. read more

I would have to agree with Todd K below. The condo association here makes it difficult on purpose for renters. They say they allow dogs but then tenants are constantly bickering about them. I myself have been fined HUNDREDS of dollars for not complying with some of their endless rules. This money then goes into the association's pocket. Like any condo association, this condo association has way too much time on their hands. I honestly feel like all the cameras that have been recently installed all over the building are less for the security of the tenants and more for catching renters "breaking rules." When I was fined, they referenced the video to make their claim. Also, the majority of the tenants are friendly but some are very grumpy. Speaking of grumpy, most of the doormen are super unpleasant. I understand why though. Their "boss" is the property manager who has an office right in the building. I would not want to have her as a boss. So, these doormen are constantly quitting and they are replacing them. The property manager enforces all the association rules and there are constant postings in the elevators and common areas talking about their rules. The building offers a dry cleaning service but this is outrageously over priced. I only lived here for one year because I could not tolerate this building any longer. read more

Loved living here! Nancy was very helpful with any issues that came up. Door greeters were very friendly.

If you're looking for running water in you're apartment look elsewhere. Every morning before work and evening when I get home from the gym I have to wait at least 15 minutes for water to run in my shower. When the water comes on, it's scolding hot. More often than not I cannot shower in the morning and have to shower at my gym. The building management saids it's because of old pipes and about 25% of the apartments are affected. They do nothing and the condo association is aware but because this does not affect them they do not want to spend money to fix the problem. The exterior of the building looks good but the inside plumbling is terrible. If you need to use you're bath in you're apartment, this place is not for you. read more