As Vice-President of Membership of the Francophone Bilingual Toastmasters that has been meeting at the Breakers for over 5 years, I would like to thank all of the staff and especially, Adam, Chef Extraordinaire. We have had two special events in the last three months and Adam went out of his way to provide very special delicious dinners, table decorations and a beautiful environment. i am sure that one of the reasons that our members are so happy is because we dine in style at every meeting. Thank you so much! read more

About 6-9 months after I moved to the Breakers I would have recommended it to any of my friends. On my first survey I said you get a bigger bang for your buck. So many things have changed that I would say "see for yourself. Rent a room for a few days and see how things go, visit with residents and make up your mind." At present my comment would probably not be you get a bigger bang for your buck, but you get what you pay for.Last week we got notice of rent increase for the coming year. Rents went up from 8 -12%. I realize things are costing more but this much a spike was a total shock. I would like to know if some of the rental increase will be applied to some of the many problems I have faced. * Meals that are not as good as they used to be--there are fewer choices and for the most part they are simply not as good quality as they used to be. *Getting rid of Sunday brunches so we can again have valid choices for a dinner. *There has always been a situation with the elevators. Only four elevators (no service elevator) for 450 residents. Since I have moved in they have converted some guest rooms to resident rooms. So now we have more residents, more walkers, more wheelchairs, more dogs.... *This building has 33 floors and 4 laundry rooms with each laundry room having 4 washers and 4 driers and very seldom are they all working. *I spotted a cockroach in my apartment my second day here and continue to fight this battle. *Some units have no thermostatic control of the temperature so you are constantly getting up to either turn the unit on or off. *It has a heating/cooling system that can't provide heat and air at the same time. A Chicago Ordinance requires the system to change from cool to heat in November and from heat to cool in May, leaving residents uncomfortable during certain times of the year. *There are no exhaust fans, not even in the bathrooms. *You can always expect something to go wrong, no hot water, no cold water, no water... Give me a break. We had guests in a guest room. They were in their sixties, one was blind and they were on 32nd floor at a time when only two elevators were in operation during their entire stay. And one morning they awakened to no water, ergo no shower no flushing.... In spite of this no consideration was given in their rent. The one thing I will say is that the Breakers is located right by the Lake and in walking distance of anything you may need, Mariano's, Jewel/Osco, several eating places, close to most medical care you may need. Catherine O'Connell read more

I have been looking for a place mom for quite awhile and hitting a lot of brick walls. I was very disappointed mostly due to cost, not everyone can afford today's senior care costs. I got a response to my email from Breaker's at Edgewater. I was very familiar with the area as I grew up there and went to school there. George contacted me right of way and was very responsive to all my questions, he was very easy to talk to, very laid back a no pressure type guy. He invited me to just come by and take a look at what they have to offer; he explained he wants whoever goes to his building to be happy there and fit in, so they never have to leave. It's very traumatizing for the elderly to have to relocate. After visiting with him and going for a tour, I was very impressed with everything I saw, from the moment I walked in, I felt my mom would be happy there. It is a beautiful place with many things to offer, from a library, to a gym, movies, pool many activities and even religious services. Two dining floors and parking in the building it's a very big place. From everything I had already seen, I couldn't even come close to Breaker's offerings and it in today's market I think they have the best game in town. Also, they offer a little extra if needed with medication and or personal assistance. Therapy and medical services are also available to anyone without ever leaving the building. Pull cords are within each unit in multiple places to alert the front desk in case of emergency. Also before a new member moves in, they totally refresh the apartment. Paint the entire unit, change the carpeting, and replace any kitchen appliances that may be in need of replacing, even change the baseboard trim around the carpeted areas. I would definitely encourage anyone looking for a very nice affordable place to stop by, and take a look I think it will be worth your time. I'm glad to have gone there and I saw something that is rare to find in today's world, very sincere people willing to work with you and actually help your family, to get something accomplished. read more

What a disappointment. There appears to be a well known public nuisance which I was not informed about. Hot roding along Lakee Shore drive is overwhekming during the early a.m. hours. There apparently is no screening of potential residence and no follow up during their stay. A woman next door is floridly psochotic. She chases people and threatens them. I notified a manager but nothing was done. Soo what does this poor person do? She tries to cut a toe off in her bathtub. Emergency was notified, the person hospitalized, and she has been absent for some time. I have a noise problem in my unit. Despite multiple attemts to get help, no one has come up to investigate. When I do get a guard to come up, it is so de layed that the noise is temporarily gone. As an aside, why in this type of building do they allow bare floors. The shrill sound of the person moving chairs occurs at all hours. The food is wretched. I am not saying this as a matter of taste, but from a health point of view. Food is served cold so it definitely is not being held at the require d safe temperature. The servings of protein are miniscule. My last blood work showed objective evidence of not enough protein. Aldo my triglycerides were up do to the fats in the meals. I must mention the staff. So many of them are kind, but others should a complete indifference to the help you need. So many here express their dissatisfaction so it's not just me. Choose your facility wisely though I didn't. Why give them even 2 stars? The view is just great. read more

The employees and residents here are all wonderful people. I do have to agree that the elevator going to the garage is a bit scary lol.

This place is an absolute ABLEIST mess! How is it that this is a senior living facility that isn't properly accessible for their tenants?! I delivered a shipt order here for a customer and it took me 10-20 minutes to get up and down on the elevators of this building. While waiting I was absolutely disgusted by the fact that paying tenants have to wait so long to access the ground level or their apartments. There were ppl in pain standing long waits who are NOT supposed to be standing waiting for the elevator. By the time the elevator shows up it's packed and some ppl cannot even get on. read more

Quality of care ; elevators NOT working at peak hrs , the conditions of the cooking staff ;the parking garage for residents is in disrepair. read more

*This review was written by my mother, a former resident of The Breakers* Lived at the Breakers on Edgewater Beach ( a so-called Independent Senior Living residency) in Chicago for almost a year; paying over $2,000 a month for a tiny one bedroom with no WI-FI. She was primarily attracted to the daily activities and the two meals a day that were included in the rent. Although she praised the service staff she said the management staff was extremely disrespectful to the independent residents and rude to those seniors ( the majority) in need of Assisted living. Whenever any residents spoke up regarding their concerns Management said that the Breakers was a For Profit Corporation and it was up to their Investors to make changes. In March when COVID ordinances began, the Breakers Management made up its own more restrictive rules not based on the Illinois or Chicago ordinances or the CDC guidelines. When the independent residents wanted to do what seniors in other senior facilities in the city and across the state were allowed to do i.e. work in community garden located on the deck of Breakers building (not open to the general public) Management viewing it more like a prison yard, used words like "put on probation" for engaging in gardening activities at an unscheduled time. Also, when the main dining room was closed and meals were delivered to the rooms - they were extremely unhealthy i.e. no hot food for breakfast, high carbs dinners at a time when there were no physical activities or exercise available. When independent residents complained about these issues Management said "If you don't like here move". Which is exactly what my mom and many other residents did. She said that some residents had a phrase "Don't let the Breakers Break You!" Keep this in mind and don't let any of your loved ones or anyone you know move into this deplorable place. read more

they need to fire damir he is the worst manager ever! he doesn't know how to work well with his employees. if you're going to make a rule make sure u tell EVERYONE not just the few people that work full time and not part timers either. it was sad working here majorly of the time because another thing is that the human resource manager doesn't know how to do Her job either. they are all biased as hell. and shady to say the least. read more

The Breakers at Edgewater Beach director of Hospitality -sarahWatson- Printed&Distributed Memo-MED.lNFO (Resident was Not Contacted by Any Medical personnel!) read more

Placed a family member here six months ago from out of town and are extremely pleased with staff, manager, services, attention. Best activities calendar of any place we have found, very down to earth residents, very active engaging people. Food is fresh, desk staff alert, caring, courteous. Easy free and/or very cheap parking, easy on and off LSD. They know our family now and call if anything seems concerning or out of the ordinary. We think it is a great deal for the money and are very confident about their services. (We chose the Breakers over the Hallmark, Kenwood, The Claire, Sunrise) When looking into senior care, many, many things can go awry. These are two worth mentioning. 1. Elevators suck, extremely slow and renovation process is tedious. Residents wait for 30 minutes to take elevator down to dinner. It is horrible and worthy of a call to building inspector. Does this sound horrible? It is but it doesn't keep me from 5 star rating because they communicate well about it and everything else about this place is just so damn good. No place is going to be perfect. 2. Custom Home Care is a separate company in the bldg. that you can contract from medication reminders, shower reminders, etc. They are a great challenge to communicate with, very disorganized, dumb office staff. UPDATE: Glad to read from others below that the elevator situation has changed. I also wanted to add another plus to this place - Their residents' council. Many places don't have them, and some have them but the directors don't take them seriously. Not so at the Breakers. The directors meet regularly with the resident's council and have open meetings where residents can voice their complaints and concerns and the staff actually take them seriously and try to resolve the problems.... at least as of two years ago. It was quite impressive. read more

Elevators have been fixed (finally) for a few months now, so they don't suck anymore, they work great. My mother has been there a year, it's a well run place. She likes the food, basically. A lot of her cohorts, and her, enjoy having something to complain about, now and then. But from my perspective, it's very good. read more

Moving into a new place was a very hard thing to do for my grandmother. She lived in her house for over 50 years. This place has been "a dream come true" according to my grandma. Thank you so much for making the Breakers so homey and welcoming. Dave in the leasing office was so kind and very flexible. Eva at the front desk is one of the nicest people I've ever met! She has gone above and beyond for us so many times. I look forward to my grandmother living here for a long time. Thank you again! read more

The Breakers was designed for senior independent living - emphasis on INDEPENDENT. Over time, more residents needed a higher level of care, so management brought in an outside company, Custom Home Care, Inc., to provide optional assisted living-style services under the "Catered Living" banner. Services include a registered nurse (weekday business hours only), medication management, and caregivers. These services are available to all residents, but the 4th and 5th floors are designated "Catered Living" floors. Both floors are staffed with "concierges" and there is a small dining room on 4. The Breakers does NOT have a skilled nursing facility. My mother was a resident at The Breakers for several years. In the beginning, this residence was appropriate for her needs. But she gradually progressed from living independently to requiring a live-in caregiver 24/7. And as her health declined, so did the quality of "Catered Living" services she received at The Breakers. The building and grounds appear clean and well maintained; public areas were refurbished in early 2014 and apartments are spacious and bright, with great views. Facilities, activities and events are above-average. Having medical offices, a beauty parlor, and other services in the building is a big plus. In the dining room, my mother experienced varying food quality and abysmally slow service. Four elevators are inadequate for a building where a growing percentage of residents uses walkers or wheelchairs; waits at peak times averaged 10-15 minutes and longer when one of the elevators happened to be out of service. The building hired exterminators to tackle bedbug infestations which migrated through apartments and common areas. Residents and/or responsible parties should review monthly rent Statements VERY carefully. I found erroneous fees for supplementary services on nearly every one of my mother's bills. Having to dispute overcharges month after month was a drain on my time and patience. As my mother's needs increased, communication with The Breakers' staff became more problematic. Important memos circulated among residents were not copied to family members living outside of The Breakers. Response to voice mail and email was often slow-to-none. Front desk concierges and maintenance personnel were often visibly stressed out and occasionally rude. Ultimately, though, it was extreme dissatisfaction with the "Catered Living" services that caused me to relocate my mother (see my review of Custom Home Care, Inc. elsewhere on this site). read more

This place smells very bad. And the food is practically inedible. The elevators are always an exercise in extraordinary patience. And the management is utterly indifferent to the needs of it's elderly and sick population. My mother spent 3 months here for a "respite" visit, and they hounded her the entire time about moving in permanently, without leaving her alone. Some respite. And, the people who live here are not independent at all. This is not independent living. This place is populated by very disabled and sick people who cannot fight for whatever needs they have with the management who feeds them disgusting food and completely disrespects their needs as human beings. I highly suggest you visit and eat here before moving in or someone you love into this dump. It is truly a dump that over charges and only interested in profiting off the disabled and elderly. read more

The Secret is Out! The Breakers is a wonderful reason to retire. I say this based on several life experiences. Not only did I have a chance to live here with my Mother In Law but I have gone though the experience of seeing my own parents finding a place to live in their golden years. I found the breakers when I was searching for a way to find happiness for my dear Mother in Law. My wife's family has truly been a life changing part of my life. Had I not been able to be a part of her family I would not have had the amazing life that I now enjoy. I say this only to explain why it was of such importance to play it back. I had working with my wife done a search for a place for my Mother in Law. But, what I got was a home. A place that she is quite busy and to such a degree that it is hard to catch her at times. I call The Breakers a secret because I can't believe more folks do not know of this wonderful building with apartments to equal the space and the views of many a "Gold Coast " Condo. She has now been at The Breakers for over three years and still manages to find more activities to keep her busy. My Mother in Law has had many tough things to deal with in her life. And, knowing that I had just a small chance to be involved in getting her a place at The Breakers allows me a tiny bit of pay back . I try to tell as many people as I can about this wonderful place on the lake in Chicago as I can. As many people know facing retirement in this age is very scary from a financial perspective. I currently live in one of the most expensive cities in the United State. And, eventhough I am able to maintain my current life style the knowledge that a place like The Breakers exist allows me to sleep with the knowledge that we ALL have a place to live our lives. Maybe not where I live but still someplace where people care and with a million dollar bill view to boot!!! Enjoy, and do check it out read more

Francophone Bilingual Toastmasters has been holding its meetings at the Breakers for nearly five years. During this time the service has been incredible. All of the staff at the Breakers is courteous and goes out of the way to accommodate our club. We have been holding dinner meetings in a beautiful room that has a marvelous view of Lake Michigan. The tables are always elegant and the food is delicious. Whenever we request something special the chef will adapt the menu to suit us. In addition the cost is reasonable and the assistance from the Breakers is unbeatable. read more

The Breakers Management and Staff are the Best! We moved our Mom to a well maintained & bright studio apartment at the Breakers about a year ago. The common areas of this fine facility are also bright, well maintained and provide a pleasant atmosphere to live. The Breakers', Maintenance Personnel, Housekeeping Staff, Servers, Concierge, and Management serve exceptionally under an endless barrage of daily tasks required to operate his facility. There is never a shortage of smiles, kind acts and positive regards during the course of any day. They get an A+ for patience and perseverance. The Breakers has given us peace of mind that Mom is never really alone but still independent. read more

I am an event planner for a local nonprofit organization that has had three events at the Breakers. We couldn't be more pleased. The public spaces are beautifully designed and furnished. The high ceilings and abundant windows in the dining area give a feeling of pleasant alfresco dining even when it's cold outside. The food service we've enjoyed has been first rate. Access to public transportation is excellent with several CTA bus routes having stops within a block. Indoor garage parking is available for cars. Most important, it's been a pleasure working with the staff. Kristin Milton and Marnie O'Reilly in particular have really extended themselves to be helpful and accommodating. I like that the management is welcoming to outside groups that include people of all ages. It enhances the feeling that the facility is part of the community - not a place where older, retired people are isolated from it. read more

We moved my mother-in-law into The Breakers about 3 months ago and we are all Happy! They have great staff...who cares and are very friendly. I don't think I have ever been to a place who remembers my name every time I go to visit. My MIL is always on the go with the activities and transportation. And did I tell you they have a pool! We bring the kids down to swim with her and they just love it! I can say that The Breakers was the best community out of all that we looked at in the Chicago land area and were my MIL was. Her rent is a fare and reasonable rate for all they offer to the residents. If you or a family member are looking I really do suggest that you go to The Breakers and make sure to have a meal...the dinner meal and service is OUTSTANDING! We made the right choice when we moved her there! read more

I lived in the area for 41 years and didn't want to leave, but it was getting harder to be mobile in my own home. I was tired of dealing with street parking and shoveling in the winter. The Breakers welcomed me like family and I was able to move in at my own pace. Now I am a Resident board member and Co-chair of the New Residents Committee and I am free to be as involved as I want to be. I enjoy serving others and feel gratified welcoming new residents. I also enjoy making everyone feel as welcome as I did when I moved in. read more

I held a fundraising event at the Breakers at Edgewater Beach. It was very successful. The food was good and the environment was comfortable. Adam from dining was very helpful and accommodating and I definitely recommend the space. read more

I have lived at The Breakers for two years and three months. I only have praise for my new home. First of all, location, location, location! We are on the lake, have our own private park in Lincoln Park. We have great CTA and bus service. We have spectacular views from our apartments. We have fantastic entertainment, friendly staff and the most beautiful dining room in the Chicago area. The residents can even help plan each week's meals. The wonderful staff caters to our needs. Even though it is independent living, the residents who have lived here for a long time and have special needs can hire a personal caregiver and therefore can stay here. This is the right place for me! read more

These people will never return a call once they have your money. Very poorly run. Management is totally two faced. All they wants is to collect money. God forbid the resident dies. She will go after all family members to get money and threaten you with bogus legal action. DON'T GO HERE. They stink. read more

only been here a few weeks. and love the bldg. very good and big dinning room with good food. right now it's a bit noisy cuz of giving the bldg a new facade lots of outside construction now read more

I've been visiting for over eight months, going over various concerns of my ninety year old mother. We have dinner or lunch each time and are always pleased. The food is delicious. Everything is homemade! I finally moved my very antisocial mother in recently. I rarely hear from her. When I call she tells me she's "too busy with her new friends now to talk" and will call me back later! I have to hunt her down! The staff is great. Everyone is kind, patient, and willing to help. I finally have peace of mind that my mother is in a safe and caring place. Also, her view from her apartment overlooking the park, beach, and Lake Shore Drive is spectacular! read more

It has been almost two years since my parents moved into the Breakers. While the garage was finally renovated last year, they are now doing major needed maintenance on the outside of the building. The food has not improved since my first review. If anything it has gotten worse. Often, they run out of options that are on the menu or serve the food ice cold. The elevators get stuck frequently between floors. This is unacceptable, given the tenants could have any type of medical condition. To my knowledge, I do not believe that the Breakers holds any type of yearly fire safety meetings with the tenants, considering it is a high rise. On the positive side, the staff is friendly, especially at the front greeting desk . The summer activities are plentiful and diverse. For the most part, the common areas are kept as clean as possible for the number of tenants living in the building. Given the cost of the rent, I hope that the elevators and the dining issues get resolved. read more

my mother has been living there for more than 6 mos , the location is excellent , the people are very good and sensitive to the needs of the elderly , the activities they provide is such and varied that one can choose according to their interest, and mom is very happy there , though i hear that they could improve on the food , but then again mom craves filipino food. i like too that mom found friends there. so , simply put i am also very happy . read more