For those looking to purchase a unit in this building, I just moved out and wanted to give my…read moreliving experience to those who are interested. Purchasing a unit is not only expensive, but it is a 5-7 commitment. The building was built in the 1960s. In order for the billing to stand as it does, it has to have air constantly flowing through it. You will hear while you're waiting to get onto the elevators the air from the outside, sounding almost like a hurricane, while waiting for an elevator. I had air in my unit all the time. The unit that I purchased was not level and there were lots of times when I felt the building was leaning. My guests would come into my building and state that they felt it too. On very windy days, you may get stuck in the elevator. Another resident with myself got stuck in the elevator together. We were told to bang on the door to try to get it to move so that the elevator would move. This was a very scary experience. Processes are dated as well. There are lots of units in this building and the mail room only has one person taking care of all the packages for the entire building. This created problems with residents getting other residents packages. And getting your packages in a timely manner. Carts, that were provided for the residents to use were all broken. You will hear screams from the Ferris wheel and bands playing at the pier since the building is right next to it. You will also hear fog horns from the boats. If you like the lake, the Lakeview was very nice. At least during the day because at night it was pitch black unless your unit faced the pier. If you purchase a parking spot, which I did, there was a problem with entry into the parking garage as they placed valet directly in front of the door to get in to the garage. Those that are trying to get in and park were asked to wait until the parking attendant valeted the cars that wanted to be valeted. When asked to address this, their remedy was to enter the exit door of the garage if a car was blocking the door to the entrance. There are a lot of buildings in Chicago that are old, but they are constantly kept up and their processes are constantly updated. This is not one of those places. Something that you would not know unless you lived there personally. Buyer beware.

Well, I had a tour to rent an apartment there. The lobby, people and amenities are great. However,…read moreinside the apartment the furniture and appliances are old. Great gym and garden, perfect view to the lake. Location is good, but away from CTA. Overpriced

I lived at Imperial Towers for four years…read more If you are renting, studios are over $1,600 a month. If you are buying, the units people consider desirable, high floor units with balcony views, are often in the $500,000 range and higher depending on layout and exposure. Years before I moved in, a close friend lived in a South Tower 29th floor unit. That unit had two bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a balcony, and a garbage chute located directly in the kitchen. Seeing how that unit lived was the incentive that made me want to rent in the building roughly three years later. What I eventually learned is that individual unit appeal does not reflect the condition or operation of the building as a whole. The infrastructure and engineering are severely outdated, roughly 50 years old, and the building is heavily affected by the lake. These issues surface constantly, from heating problems to long term maintenance deferrals. There is also an entire floor that used to house a business center and commercial offices. That floor has been effectively abandoned since 2019 after the board chose not to bring it into code compliance. Internet service is included through Astound Broadband, but residents are capped at roughly 35 Mbps up and down unless they pay out of pocket for higher tiers. To exceed those speeds, residents must also purchase or rent their own modem or router capable of handling DOCSIS 3. Even with the building infrastructure in place, modern speeds are not included and require additional monthly cost plus hardware investment by the resident. The most serious issue occurred in April 2022, when three separate fires were intentionally set in the North Tower east stairwell on the 6th, 12th, and 21st floors. This was later reported publicly by CWB Chicago: https://cwbchicago.com/2022/04/arsonist-set-3-fires-in-an-uptown-condo-building-stairwell-friday-police-say.html I lived on the 6th floor, and my unit shared a wall with the stairwell where one of the fires occurred. At approximately 4 a.m., police instructed residents on my floor to remain inside our units. No building wide alert or warning was issued at the time. Two full days later, management finally emailed residents acknowledging the incident. That email confirmed that the fires were intentionally set and stated that the building's high rise alert system does not automatically issue general warnings in order to avoid panic, leaving announcements to first responders once they arrive. While going downstairs to speak with administration, I was in the elevator with a resident from the 21st floor. She told me that when she called management, she was told they would have been able to notify her immediately if she had been enrolled in the building email system. I told her that I had only just found out myself from the email that had gone out moments earlier, despite being enrolled. That made it clear the issue was not enrollment. The notification itself was delayed for everyone. Heating was a recurring problem every winter. Indoor temperatures in my unit dropped as low as 47 degrees due to the pre 1970s two pipe heating system. Every year around lease renewal season, management announced a project to address the heating issues. Every year by October, those projects were canceled. This happened all four years I lived there. Package theft was constant. Any package not placed in the Amazon Hub lockers, either because it was not from Amazon or because the lockers were full, was frequently stolen. I lost at least two dozen items. When I raised the issue, staff responses often felt defensive rather than focused on addressing the systemic problem. After I moved out, I spoke with a former building employee who resigned shortly after the 2022 fire. What he shared with me was his understanding based on internal discussions following briefings with Chicago Fire and the Arson Division. According to him, the intent and risk were far more serious than what residents were told at the time. None of that context was ever disclosed to residents. After a FOIA request on the matter to the FBI being denied, I can only tell you that if the Fire Department arrived just a minute late, I would not be alive to write this My experience was defined by deferred maintenance, unreliable heating, outdated services, persistent theft, and poor transparency around a serious safety incident. I would strongly encourage anyone considering renting or buying here to do careful due diligence and speak directly with current residents before committing. I have been doing a lot of more research on the building because here in my new apartment away from that health risk, I have made moves attempting to seek damages as a renter. Breach of Contract. RTLO heating violations. Because only when you make it out of the coldsnap hell that is Imperial Towers, and realize basic needs like not 47 degrees indoor temperatures exists, those who don't provide it should be forced to by whatever means.

Moved in here in early 2018. So far, this has been the best condo building I've lived in…read more Basics: * Two towers--North and South, separated by a common lobby above the parking garage and a second floor crossover. * Both towers have their own storage lockers (no charge; one per unit). * Each tower has its own bike storage racks (small yearly fee). * Each tower has its own loading dock. * South Tower has a GoGrocer, package receiving room, exercise room, and management office. * The heated, assigned parking garage is below grade and between the two towers. A long time ago, the condo association sold the garage to an outside company, and parking rates have skyrocketed as a result. I think the current charge is around $400/month. There are a few guest parking spots that are around $30/day. * While a few units in each tower have balconies, there are no rooftop decks--a pity because the views would be fantastic. * The sundeck and pool are very nice, but it's an outdoor pool only open three months of the year, and the fee for residents is a little hefty. Outside visitors can buy season passes and daily passes. * There are large commercial-grade gas grills (free), an herb garden (free) and planting beds (small seasonal fee). * The current outside company managing the buildings is excellent--very responsive to residents and great communication. Up until a few years ago, the condo association self-managed the buildings, and I heard that was a disaster. * The condo association is generally responsive to owners' requests during meetings and works well with the management company. Owners may attend association meetings and join committees. * Assessments are comparative to other buildings of similar age, but like a lot of condo buildings, they tend to be much higher than newly-built condo buildings and walk-ups. Residents who've lived here for a long time enjoy the large maintenance and door staff, so economizing doesn't seem to be the first priority when it comes to budgets. * Assessments have gone up an average of 2-4% each year. * The reserve is currently very well funded. * This part of Buena Park in Uptown is generally safe, and it's not uncommon to see people out in the middle of the night walking their dog in the neighborhood. * Before moving in, all residents, including owners and renters, must attend a mandatory phone-in meeting with management who goes over all the basic rules and procedures. * During sunny summer days (and a lot of winter days, too) south-facing units in the South Tower are considerably hotter than the north- and west-facing units. North- and west-facing units get lots of cool breezes year-round. * In 2018, a rental cap was enacted to reduce the overall percentage of units available for rent. As of December 2020, the rental cap has not gone down enough for new investment buyers to rent out their units. Current owners who rent out there units are grandfathered in, so there are usually quite a few units available for rent. * Dogs, cats and aquariums are allowed but no other pets--no snakes, hamsters, lizards, etc. Unlike a lot of other condo buildings, this property doesn't have dog breed or size restrictions, however, only owners are allowed to have pets; renters are not. * Cable is currently RCN, and the charge is a mandatory charge added to the assessment. * The windows were replaced a few years ago with privacy-tinted double-pane glazing. * The overall property is clean, beautifully landscaped, and well maintained. The only noticeable caveats for potential owners might be future maintenance issues like water pipe replacement and elevator overhauls, but those haven't come up yet. * One BIG potential caveat for condo buyers: Units with the original 8" tile flooring still in place probably have tiles and mastic made with asbestos. It's doubtful a home inspector will catch that unless they can see the tiles. Places like Luna, Empire, Olson, and Century will refuse to simply cover-up asbestos tiles during a new installation, and owners will have to have asbestos abatement throughout their unit. Abatement can cost anywhere from $2000-$5000 per unit. * One thing that I found odd when looking at units here: Many units still had old fashioned fuse boxes and not circuit breakers. Condo buyers: Do yourselves a favor and have an electrician convert the fuse box to a circuit breaker. A modern circuit breaker will distribute electrical loads more evenly to areas so you won't cause overloads. * Unlike Lincoln Park or Lake View, this area doesn't have a lot of nice retail. There are no bookstores or nice restaurants. There are a couple of nice bars a few blocks away, and the Target, Jewel, and Aldi are all less than a half-mile away. There are a couple of great coffee shops in the area and a public library close by.

This building does not have the right maintenance team. It stays dirty and smelly. They do not have…read moreenough door staff some of the door staff let you walk right past them. The hallways and elevators always smell, dirty and like dogs the management office have changed personnel staff 4 to 5 times in a summertime. The hallways are extremely hot. The systems in the building do not work properly. I highly recommend if you considering this Building just because of the looks, I wouldn't recommend it for a lot of reasons and if you're looking for safety and a clean luxury building, this building is not one. The hallways are dirty, smelly, including elevators. They don't have a regular maintenance team. They don't clean the building regularly. The door staff is not secured enough. You can walk in the building and walk right past them. They won't ask you one thing and the office management is unprofessional and worried about the wrong things instead of upgrading the building the maintenance, the cleanest, the door staff making sure everything is done properly inside the building. You have cracks on the walls, dirty carpet, the biggest mistake of my life beware.

Convenient location. Too many strange people doing strange things with impunity, however. So much…read moreactivity in one unit that the occupants opted simply to prop their front door during nocturnal entertaining hours. It takes an entire community to make a building a success and the fact that these people can do this with reckless abandoned means it doesn't exist here. And the mobility in the building! It's like musical chairs! You have one neighbor on day one, and another on day two! My other new nearby neighbor is only gradually moving things in. Often at night, of course. Hey, new neighbors at the end of the hall, I can hear your conversations! I'm glad the mister of the establishment is upset about the commotion they're caused at 10:30 p.m. on a weekday evening, but that didn't prevent the lower class self-entitled Establishment missus from saying "So what? What is Miss Wrightman going to do!" You should have seen her privileged expression of disdain as she hauled a six-foot-tall tree through the halls. Honey, have professional movers do the lifting if you have so much money rather than grandstand like the Queen of Mean. I should never leave my unit without a camera; she and privileged daughter were quite the noisy sight! How about that incessantly yapping dog belonging to yet ANOTHER owner. And, of course, it has to be walked during the small hours of the morning. Has anyone here ever lived in a condo building before? Bottom line, we don't have a building manager at the moment, and the place is quickly going to hell. And I'm told I have it good, too. Way too many university folk here with no regular employment. Well, back to investigating the people with the "open-door policy" :) You contact me with theories about THAT!

My husband and I just bought a unit this summer, so we didn't have experience with the old…read moremanagement. However, this is a pretty good building to live in in my opinion, especially for the price and the area. You're literally in the heart of everything and all the other trendy neighborhoods are a 15-20 min walk (like Gold Coast) or a short uber drive (like West Loop.) I love that I'm walking distance to 4 grocery stores (like Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Jewels) and other services I need like waxing places and nail places. There's also endless restaurants around the area. The building also has a pool, sauna, steam room, weight room, a cardio room complete with lockers and showers. The upkeep of the hallways is good (even though the hall walls are a hideous yellow) and there's always someone cleaning the hallway carpets weekly. The lobby is nice and well put together. The doormen are really good. Like someone else said, they know a lot of the residents so the automatically open the doors for you whenever you walk in. They've also been super helpful with attending to any guests, deliveries, and package mix ups we've had. I also really like the new system of automated texts when your package arrives. I also like that the management changed the sign in the back of the building when you walk into the lobby. That shows me they're actively working to improve things around the building. That being said, there are some problems with this building. When we were looking at this place, I hated the huge TVs with the ads in the lobby and I still do. They seriously need to get rid of the ads and use that area as an announcements area for residents. It's literally such an eye sore with those ads. Also, the management like other people have said isn't that helpful. Talking to them about any question is like pulling teeth. I haven't had to deal with them that much so it hasn't been a huge issue. In terms of the parking garage, it's definitely not ideally set up. The parking spaces are huge so its super easy to park, but when you're going around the corners, you can't see and could easily crash into another car. However, there's barely anyone else using their car whenever I drive out, so it hasn't been a huge issue either. Lastly, the management sends us these random update emails that just confuse us, such as updates with the pool. Not really sure what's going on there, but it's not the worst thing in the world.

We looked at a place here on the hunt for a new home. This is a condo building but it seems like…read morethere are tons of owners renting their units. So like any condo building the unit will vary based on what the owner has done. The area was great and it seemed like you could easily get a one bedroom for about $1400 which is not bad. They have a pretty nice gym and a big pool which is all included. The building is pretty old and it has the typical rectangle layout so common to the area. Not a bad deal and it seemed to have some good residents. Closet space was great and I know there is a storage unit with every condo also.

This is such a lovely green space in the center of downtown Chicago. I just love it here…read more The trees were starting to change color. The crowds were minimal. We walked all over feeling safely distanced from other park goers. I kind of like that the BEAN was gated off. You could still get great photo ops without other people being in the picture. There was a security presence upon arriving making sure you wore a mask. There was only the one way in and out. All other entrances were gated off. The garden was a one way direction to prevent back and forth amongst guests. Fountains were shut off (more likely because it was fall, but I'm not totally certain on that). Parking was $14 but secure and simple rather than trying your luck on the streets. We had a fun time.

Great staff, very friendly, a great building overall. So many amenities. Gym, pool, sauna…read more Within the buildings walkway, there are so many restaurants (its connected to the AON building) and shops that are convenient. Always fresh flowers in the corridor. The terrace outside is large and very inviting with an excellent view. BBQ'ing outside is easy and convenient. Its close to everything, including the lake! You can't say no to going for a run as its so close by when its warmer out. As far as the building is concerned, its always clean in the hallways, and even the neighbors are friendly and pleasant. Pets are welcome as well. It's in a great location, and that says so much. Some of the units are privately owned, so you may be able to get a good bargain with the right person.

Niche 905 nails the luxury high-rise feel with pretty finishes, solid amenities, and events 24/7…read more The rooftop pool alone is worth visiting. The surrounding area's still developing, but the building makes up for it.

When I moved to Niche 905 in 2022 - it was a great place to live. Awesome location, friendly /…read morehelpful management, great location, and well maintained. However (as you'll see in many other recent reviews) - new management has ruined what used to be an amazing building. They are rude, send messages of the same things breaking over and over again on a weekly basis, and don't take the time to interact with residents even in passing. When you visit neighboring buildings - the contrast in management is almost immediately evident. The door and maintenance staff are AMAZING however, it's a shame to leave those people at the expense of the management that has taken over - I am writing this review in hopes perspective tenants don't have to risk experiencing what I and others have in a city with so many great residential options.

I've lived in the Vetro for 3 years and couldn't ask for a better place, based on several factors:…read more The location gives prime access to the best neighborhoods: Walking distance to the loop, west loop, river north, and south loop. Easy access to ALL train lines, making easy travel to further blue line and redline area. South Wells street has been undergoing major renovations in the last 2 years, and the strip had added many amenities including restaurants, shops, a divvy station, and the highly anticipated Southbank riverwalk. The Riverwalk features gorgeous views on the city, the river, and lush greenery. The building design (inside and out) is a key feature which makes this a class-A building. The architecture of the Vetro stands out as a gem in the neighborhood. Concrete and glass are showcased throughout the building as major design elements and truly evoke a sense of modern beauty. The interior of the building follows these principals, with units displaying highly coveted concrete ceilings and pillars in every unit. Concrete between every unit means very heavy sound-proofing. I almost never hear any of my neighbors which truly feels like a luxury. Common areas are tastefully styled, with high ceilings, contemporary artwork, and modern furniture. The hallways are particularly sexy with dark, dramatic colors, and low-to-floor lighting. The units themselves were thoughtfully designed with floor-to-ceiling windows, highly usable layouts, and amazing views. My particular unit has four 9-foot window panels in every room, flooding the space with light, a split-bedroom layout with a large open concept kitchen/living room, and two huge walk-in closets with custom shelving and drawers. Every unit is outfitted with all the contemporary finishes you'd expect in a luxury high-rise, like hardwood floors, stainless steel appliances, and granite counters. The building amenities are high-end and make my daily living much more comfortable. The building engineer is incredible, reliable, and friendly. He can fix just about anything, which is extremely convenient, and much more economical than any outside service would be. The management team was replaced with a new company several years ago, and the new team is excellent at getting tenant needs completed in a highly efficient manner. Management runs a tight ship, which makes me feel confident in the building's future. The door staff and other maintenance employees are extremely friendly and often brighten up the days of tenants. Other building amenities include 2 private spas with hot tubs and steam rooms, a rentable party room, common areas to relax, and a gorgeous rooftop garden with a water fountain, lounge chairs, and nicely manicured greenery. Overall, the Vetro is a high quality building with stunning design, amazing location, and great staff/amenities. I plan to be here for several years to come.

Property Managers: These people are very adversarial always trying to find ways to charge the…read moreresidents or blame them for things yet never try to do anything to fix the situation. They act like they own the tower instead of working for the residents as they are supposed to do. Also they operate on a distinct double standard between owners and renters. This is complete BS and not only is bad for the renter its also hurting the ability of landlord to find quality tenants. I have never lived anywhere where I have been looked down on by the property manager when we are paying over $2000 a month in rent. They operate it with that same attitude the property managers had when you live in college slum. Building: We lived there 1 year and in that time the air conditioning for the building went down 2 or 3 times. Hot water 2 or 3 times. All water once. Balcony glass door blew up in a storm. Light bulbs burn out in a 100 hours instead of the 3000 they are rated for indicating electrical issues. The kitchen sink was improperly installed causing water damage into the cabinets. The wall dividing to the neighboring unit is not up to code with only a piece of foam weather stripping dividing the unit causing the ability to hear all conversations, phone calls, alarms, etc.. between the units. So if you come here yes it does look nice on the surface but this will quickly fade and then you will realize that what you thought was a nice building with quality amenities is really just a facade.

I lived in this building for 2.5 years as an owner and for the most part, I have enjoyed living in…read morethis building. It has a good mixed demographic as far as families, yuppies, students, etc. This vertical village is 33 floors, just under 500 units, and 7 floors of parking spots (with top floor being uncovered). There are not a lot of amenities (lacking fitness room, pool, community activity room) which I personally preferred because it kept assessments low. In fact, this is probably one of the lowest assessments for the highrises in the area. However, the building does have 24 hour doormen & security, package room for deliveries, dog run with complimentary bags, a dry cleaners, and well-stocked market in the building. A martial arts/yoga tenant now occupies one of the retail units as well. In my 2.5 years here, the building has gone through high Management turnover. We are on our second management company, and 4th manager so far. I have been happy with two of them. Sometimes I don't understand the things that the Board approves, but I'm sure every building has the same issues. I actually lived in 2 units in the building, the first being a rental with lake-facing views and a balcony. The issue I personally did not like about the units that faced east and west was that the second "bedroom" wasn't a true bedroom (i.e. windows) but just had a 3/4 wall sharing the kitchen. It felt like a cave. The unit I eventually bought was a south facing unit and even though it did not have a balcony, it had two true bedrooms with floor to ceiling windows in each room (master bedroom, great room and guest bedroom). It was light, it was airy, it was beautiful. Rarely did I ever need to turn on the heat during the winter. Location wise it has its pros and cons. I'll start off by saying t's a bit of a walk to Roosevelt station (red, orange and green lines). I had no problem walking during the warmer months, but rarely ever walked to the train during winter. The CTA buses stop right in front of the building though (the building also has a cab light). It has access to Grant Park, the Lake, Museum Campus and Northerly Island via the 18th Street bridge. I always used to walk to State Street shopping too. It is close to other daily necessities like groceries (Mariano's, Jewel Osco, Trader Joes, Target) if you find that the on-site market is too expensive (which it is). It's close to Chinatown, McCormick Place, and Soldier Field. Traffic can be a nightmare during game nights, and there is zoned permit parking required on some nearby streets. Move in/move out fees are kind of high (increased last year) but pretty much what all other high rise units are going at nowadays, and a small assessment occurred at the new year. Upon my move out, even though I paid and 'reserved' the elevator for a 4 hour time frame, the front desk/maintenance staff hadn't prepared the elevator at all the morning of (aka padded the elevator and added a "Do Not Use Elevator, Move In Progress" sign). So of course I had to go to the front desk and remind them. Speaking of front desk staff, there were probably 5 or 6. When the management company changed (when I first moved in) so did the front desk staff. I only like maybe 2 or 3 of them (2 girls and 1 guy Luis)... the others I felt were not hospitable, friendly and weren't doing their job most of the time (i.e. letting guests enter the building without contacting the unit first). Window washing occurred twice a year. It's amazing how much bird poop gets on your windows and how high spiders can live. Power washing the garage floors happened I think once a year. The garage had been replaced/repaired several times. The front desk lobby was remodeled. Corridor Carpeting is being replaced on all floors (Floors 2-6 were already done because of high traffic areas). Elevator landings will get a touch of color. I thought I'd live here a lot longer, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity of putting my unit on the market and selling at my price point.

Beware: the building has master control of the heating/cooling system. It's mid April and it's…read moreabout 80 degrees outside but since it's not "summer," the AC has not been switched on so there is no cool air. It's about 80 in the apartment. Nothing can be done about it other than a plethora of fans and keeping the blinds closed. It's absurd that you don't have control over your own climate. It's awful.