Prior to moving into the Glass House over a year ago, I scoured the web tirelessly looking for a solid review. There were only two on here at the time, and the "rosy" one was from a visitor, not resident. I promised myself that I'd provide a solid, wholly-objective review once I racked up enough living hours. So, here we go.
*** Please keep in mind that, overall, I do love living here, and you can't get a better location downtown IMO. The following is a very honest, "constructive criticism" approach.
1. Value/price = could be (a lot) better. Read on.
2. Dollar/sqft + HOA fees = brutal. The same money will buy you a luxurious condo in Chicago with breathtaking views of the skyline and/or lake. Here, you can choose between train noise or being your own highway traffic reporter (or worse, if you live lower down). I very much agree with "JC C."'s cons here. Trains make horrendous banging/crashing noises, and the noise transfer from the highway is pretty amazing; ambulances and cop cars sound like they're right beneath your window.
3. Quality of construction = poor. The balcony is not level and has multiple large (easily 6"+) dips and variations making deck furniture an interesting experience. Also, hot water heaters are exploding at a rapid clip (mine in the middle of the night, and I was told more than 50 had gone out in the previous weeks), but residents are not warned which would allow them to act proactively, rather than ending up with a loud bang and water gushing. One unit ended up with $100,000 of damage due to this because it occurred while the owner was out of town. Ouch... And to think that could have been prevented.
Appliances and finishes = nice. Some of the cabinetry could be better, but it's decent for the most part.
4. Location: Location, location, location. Heaven. Walk 20ft, and you're in Riverfront Park. Another 500ft, and you're at the river. 10 minutes, and you're in REI or LoHi. Cross one bridge directly behind the building, and you're downtown.
Tell me it gets any better than that. I won't believe you.
5. Amenities = pool, common area, gym (reviewed below), computers and printer, theatre, coffee machine, and breakfast three days a week. Breakfast is a great opportunity to meet your fellow neighbors. People are generally interested in meeting one another and, for it being a "high-rise in the city," it has a remarkable neighborhood feel. This is something money can't buy.
6. 24/7 doorman/front door staff = great. Love these folks. Friendly and helpful 97% of the time.
7. Mail = problem/hassle-free for the most part. They handle all prepaid packages (hallelujah!), and I've never had anything get lost (knock on wood). There are a couple larger mailboxes for packages which save you from having to go to the front desk, but when those are all full, picking up your package is a piece of cake.
8. People = I've really enjoyed meeting my neighbors. As with any place in the world, there's the two or three you would like to wave your magic wand at, but the ratio of lovely folks to bad apples here is great. Easily the best out of any building, city, and state I've lived in.
9. Parking = Ha.. parking. Oh, boy. My first thoughts upon driving through the garage the very first time: "Whoever designed this was having the worst day of their life and/or hates all people and took it out on GH residents." It's comical. Spots are pretty cramped, and a lot of people use that to demonstrate their phenomenal driving skills. Have fun.
10. Fitness center = Here is probably my biggest issue with GH. The fitness center is open for limited hours, not 24/7 like even cheap apartment buildings. I have days where I feel like working out at 9PM. Can I do that? Nope. There are also a few classes, some of which I'd really love to take, but they're mostly held during normal working hours. Humph.
11. Four-legged children with tails = The building is pet-friendly, however, recently several signs went up around the block, on all the grass, saying to keep dogs off. This is prime dog-walking territory where everyone goes... I'm wondering how long that will last before enough people raise hell, but they're there for now.
With all the buildings coming up downtown, it will be interesting to see if GH holds its "premium" pricing. I am still convinced that it's one of the very best places in all of downtown, but I don't agree with the prices they've been selling for, especially once you factor in the massive HOA. read more