Grand Plaza

Current Resident 521276

Resident • 2011

Believe all of the negative reviews!

My wife and I recently moved to Chicago from New York looking for a similar luxury high-rise building that we rented in NY. Don't be fooled by the claims of luxury living in the heart of Chicago at Grand Plaza. While the location is stellar and the views are great, that is about all this complex has to offer. From the cheap bathroom fixtures to the flimsy doors, this place is commanding prices far higher than what is promised for the luxury rental market. There is an attendant at the front desk, but do not be mistaken - they are not doormen! Far different from what one expects in a luxury apartment building. ~3.5K/month for a 40 floor 2 bed/2 bath apt should have said it all, but alas we were willing to give it a try. The majority of the residents appear to be recent college graduates who seek nothing more than blasting music without regard for their neighbors. In defense of the building staff, they do respond to complaints in a timely manner and seem to want to respond to issues accordingly. Unfortunately all of the previous reviews listed on this website are all too accurate. The previous post stating residents should "facebook people in the building and get to know them, etc." pretty much says all you need to know about the tenants living here. Just because they have income requirements to rent here does not mean your upstairs neighbor is not some trust-fund kid with ample space to party! All in all, the 20 or so previous reviews of Grand Plaza are spot on. If you are looking for a place well located in the heart of Chicago to live, rent at Grand Plaza. If you are over the age of 25 and would like to come home without hearing music blasting from your college-aged neighbors, look elsewhere!! Plenty of luxury condos/apts to be explored in River North. Wish we had believed all of the negative reviews in the first place!!!!!!!

Grandplazahonest

Resident • 2007 - 2010

renovated and better than reviews.

This is not a hotel although some pretend their is a bellhop and a front desk. The condo tower is nice and has some rentals, the apartment tower is alright but has more to manage and more going on in it. Overall great amenities, pretty cool residents, and if you want a real survey of the building don't rely on the reviews from the site but take a tour and talk to current residents. Find out how the building is today rather than when someone went on an online tangent on an issue that may have been addressed already. It's not the cheapest place to live but it's definitely nice and better than these reviews. Honestly, go facebook current residents or meet them when leaving your tour. Rent from the owner tower if you want to have a more condo like experience. Grand plaza offers a lifestyle for residents who want to live here in 2011 / 2012 that understands while it may be close to a hotel, it's really luxury apartment and condo living. Note: owner tower units may be nicer due to customization made

Current Resident 944682

Resident • 2010

Don't Leave Anything Behind

I rented an apartment for three days (9-15/16/17) and for the most part enjoyed my stay. However, since my room didn't have a closet, I had to use the hallway closet for my jackets. Shortly after checking out, I realized I'd left my jackets behind and immediately called to inform management of my oversight. Sometime between checking out and my phone call, the jackets mysteriously disappeared. I can only assume they have a thief in their midst. So stay there if you wish, but be sure to do a thorough check of the premises before you leave. Otherwise you can kiss your belongings good-bye.

downlowe

Resident • 2006 - 2009

ONCE A GEM...NOW THINK CAREFULLY!

WE LOVE THE LOCATION, BUT SLOWLY AMENITIES ARE DETERIORATING. NEIGHBOURS SEEM TO BE CONSTANTLY CHANGING AT THE MOMENT AND NEW RESIDENTS DON'T HAVE RESPECT FOR THEIR NEIGHBOURS. THERE IS AN ETIQUITTE TO APARTMENT LIVING WHICH NOW SEEMS TO BE LACKING IN THIS BUILDING. HATS OFF TO THE MANAGEMENT - THEY RECENTLY DID A SURVEY AND SEEM TO BE TRYING TO REDEEM THE BUILDING - BUT IT MAYBE TOO LATE. WE ARE THINKING OF MOVING ON - THERE ARE NEWER BUILDINGS WITH UPDATED AMENITIES, FOR A SIMILAR RENT. THE MOST THIS BUILDING HAS GOING FOR IT NOW, IS IT'S HANDY LOCATION.

Current Resident 169237

Resident • 2007 - 2009

I've lived here for 2 years and used to love it when I lived on the condo side. It was quiet, clean, and convenient. Then we moved to the East Tower (rental side) and have had problems for the 2 months we've been here. Neighbors on both sides blare music at all hours of the night and day and our floor reaks of stale smoke. We've complained and the management seems like they want to help but nothing changes. On top of that, we feel like "tattle-tails" for complaining. The pool area can never be used on weekends because the younger residents treat it like their own personal fraternity and bring in many guests.

bitarjb

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Praise for Grand Plaza & Staff

I would definitely recommend Grand Plaza! I have lived all over the USA (and other countries) and this is one of my favorite apartment buildings. The location is excellent: right in the heart of the city and within walking distance from anything you could possibly desire. The rent is reasonable (for the location) and the amenities are one of the best that an apartment building has to offer in the city. From start to finish the staff at Grand Plaza made me feel right at home with informative apartment tours of not only the building, but as well as the surrounding area. I have now been at the building for over a year (just re-signed last month). Anytime I have an issue with anything in my unit or within the building the Management staff has been useful and professional when dealing with an issue. I can't stress enough how much I have enjoyed my time at Grand Plaza and don't see myself leaving anytime soon. If you are the type of person that likes to be right in the middle of all the action, have all the amenities one could ask for and live within a friendly high rise community then Grand Plaza will be a perfect fit for you as well. Hope to see you at the pool or on the basketball court! :)

Current Resident 406794

Resident • 2008 - 2009

Terrible Management / Inconsiderate Residents

I've lived here for more than a year and I'm tired of the inconsiderate tenants and the new management that only cares about the money (i.e., cut costs and services) and getting perks for themselves. I agree with what others have said - the location is nice - but don't be fooled by the friendliness during the initial tour - once they got you in, your quality of life doesn't matter.

Current Resident 158298

Resident • 2009

Happy Here

Am a new resident here after living in corporate housing for 6 months and decided to stay after looking at many options in the city. The grocery store in the building is a real convenience. The location is unbeatable but as another post mentioned the city noise takes some getting use to after coming from a suburban lifestye. You will find this at most buildings in the city. The door staff are courteous/friendly and helpful as is the leasing/management staff. Have had any problem fixed promptley by the maintainence crew as well. All in all am happy here and looking forward to summer and the pool.

Current Resident 350202

Resident • 2004 - 2008

No longer recommended

We have lived at this property for several years. Until summer 2007 we would have recommended it. Since new management took over in autumn 2007 qulaity of life has spiraled downhill. Examples: (1) there is no longer scheduled routine maintenance for items like AC/furnace filters (2) maintenance jobs are not performed promptly. For example a recent request to change a hall lightbulb took 6 requests and 7 days (under prior management it would have taken a few hours at most) (3) as someome else mentioned when there is a noise issue with a neighbor they ask that you call 911(police department) which is absurd (prior management personally talked to the offending tenant) (4) cleanliness of the property is poorer than in the past. (5) the copy machine is the business center doesn't work more often than it does work. There are many other examples we could cite that exemplify the poor quality of the current management team

Current Resident 431302

Resident • 2007 - 2008

Terrible Management

I am a current resident and my neighbor plays super loud techno music every night from 11pm - 3am. I have to get up at 6am for my job and obviously can't get any sleep. Numerous calls to management over the past few months have had no effect. Each time I complain they do nothing but write him a "note" and put it under his door asking that he be "more considerate". They haven't even called him to discuss the situation. He obviously has no intention of being more considerate. They suggested I call the police if I have any more problems. It is not the job of the police to manage this building. They also behave like I am being rude to complain. The snippy tone they use with me is grossly inappropriate. I will be moving out the second my lease expires.

Current Resident 833787

Resident • 2006 - 2008

Convenient Yes - Excellent NO!

I just read the last review and wanted to offer a few thoughts. 1. The location is great: Easy access to the highway, subway, bus lines, grocery store in building and within several blocks, Mag Mile shopping. 2. Facilities: "Resort-style living" its not, unless we are talking about that run-down resort which was popular six years ago! The Fitness facility is a perfect example. While I'm sure it was in great shape when the building opened several years back, the well worn cardio equipment and TV's are just (in the past week) starting (would have been nice if more than just a few new treadmills were added)to be replaced. The "high-speed T1" line is a common connection shared with all your closest buddies in two towers (see how fast that is when everyone gets home at night or on the weekend). 3. Parking: Leased to a third-party, while unreserved is reasonable for the location, ask what a reserved spot will run you. And just be careful you don't get run over by all the valet's who are practicing their NASCAR skills every night. 4. Management: Perhaps the biggest weakness of this complex. Now in fairness, a new owner has purchased the tower, and a new management company might have been brought in, but to date, I haven't noticed a whole lot of improvement. 5. Noise: This is city living at its best, so expect to hear the nearby Fire department going out several times a night, the drunks/tourists yelling at all hours of the evening, and the cabbies/suburbanites blowing their horns. Note this is not a complaint about the building, but a fact of living in the center of a major tourist downtown neighborhood, so just expect it.

dany2008

Resident • 2006 - 2007

Overall an excellent experience

I lived at Grand Plaza from spring 2006-fall 2007 and was very happy with my apartment, with Grand Plaza management, and with the apartment building overall. My husband and I rented a one-bedroom apartment, and while rent was steep, we enjoyed the fact that so much was in walking distance of our apartment we were able to sell the car and not have to pay for parking as we did in previous Chicago apartments. With cable, internet, and all other utilities but electricity included in our rent, we felt we were actually getting quite a good deal on a beautiful apartment in an excellent location. We did run into some trouble with the management when my in-laws visited us for a weekend and rented one of the units Grand Plaza keeps available for weekend and overnight visitors. They booked my in-laws for two rooms instead of one and we had to make several attempts to get them to realize the mistake was on their end and to stop charging us for a room we never used. We also had trouble getting our deposit back for the modem we rented from them (required for use of the building's T1 line) when we moved out. However, the management was extremely easy to work with when it came time to break our lease, and they even assisted us in finding a subletter for our apartment. Overall, we had a great experience at Grand Plaza. We loved our unit and all of the amenities, we loved the location (you can't beat having a Jewel on the first floor), and we felt our money was well spent. If we hadn't had to move out of state, we would probably be living there today.

R3I00

Resident • 2007

Horrible maintenance and service

I've been living in a 1-bedroom apartment here for over a month. The first thing I noticed when I moved in was that the door lock joint was really stiff: I have to slam the door in order to shut it, waking up the whole neighborhood at the same time. I've filed the online service request, which according to them is "1 of the privilege for being a Grand Plaza resident." It's been over 2 weeks and so far all that's happened was that I got an automated email saying that they got the request and will take care of it "shortly"...... Another thing is that the apartment advertisement said the apartment offers T1 connection for internet service. They don't mention the fact that the entire apartment complex is under 2 T1 lines: 1 for the office on 9th floor, the other for all others. So basically you end up with a connection that's slower than a 56k modem - yahoo.com sometimes takes over 1min to load... And I found out after I moved in that you cannot get a separate isp on your own: Anet has exclusive contract with Grand Plaza. Of course I found this out AFTER moving in: Prior to signing the contract their reply to this query was "I'm not sure... but I'm pretty sure you can get an additional line on your own." Also, I've snuck into the office floor and test out the connection from there: 32ms ping to www.yahoo.com, as opposed to the 600ms I get in my room..... The management is doing absolutely nothing to fix this problem.

Current Resident 802864

Resident • 2005 - 2007

Spender Beware!

Some very nice door staff, maintenance crew, and location attributes give this "luxurious" apartment complex a deceitfully glossy veneer. It charms the hurried apartment hunter but once a resident here, the multitude of flaws become painfully clear. For most- having well padded pockets, this place is at best compromised convenience and nothing ever more... nothing that one ever feels makes it any sort of home so only transients ever stay here. Daily annoyances include careless construction from misaligned cabinets, to water which at best dribbles on full flow, showers which squeal, to loud vents that gurgle constantly to poor air circulation which easily gives extremes of temperature within the same unit, surprisingly worse in the higher floor units, steam rooms which will send you to the drug store looking for relief, common area "hot" or rather luke warm tubs, a free "T1" line that the pony express could give a run for its money, free cable progressively becoming less free. But to top it off, is an understaffed (I can only hope that's what it is) corporate management office which believes tenants should feel lucky they can stay here and seldom keep promises. Details can be found elsewhere. Spender beware!

RiverNorthResident

Resident • 2006 - 2007

Great Location, Newer, but.........

What Grand Plaza Is:<br>1. Great location - Easy access to highways, subway, bus lines, and blocks to Michigan Ave. Jewel grocery store attached to building, with Whole Foods and Trader Joe's a couple blocks away.<br>2. Newer - being just four years old, the units still appear in good shape, have recent appliances, and w/d's in units.<br>3. Amenities - Nice, but aging fitness facility (see below), outdoor pool, garage parking available.<br><br>What Grand Plaza is Not:<br>1. Cheap - Well located quality is never cheap, but lease rates here are definitely on the high-end and the quality has not kept pace as the building has begun to age. And let's not forget the parking garage, leased to a third party, which has passed through two price increases in under year.<br>2. Highest Quality - While the fitness facility is well appointed, it's hard not to miss the broken/burned in tv's which haven't been touched since the building open, or the cardio equipment which needs servicing (hard to miss that chalkboard squeaking sound of the elliptical), but never seems to get fixed (that costs money, hurts profits). And let's not forget the alarm in the lobby which kept on going off and the broken exit warning system in the parking garage which took months to fix.<br>3. Amenities Worthy of a World Class Resort - I'm all for putting a good spin on things, but really, the Winter Garden Atrium Lounge (better known as the passageway connecting the condo and apartment buildings and the pool), the Indoor Pool (a moving water tank for simulated swimming), Club nine (a worn-out pool table, big-screen tv which no one seems to know how to operate, a few internet stations, and golf arcade game, don't make a club), and the Running Track (great for little kids).<br>4. Refined: At these price points, I guess I would have expected a little more mature, friendly, nice environment. And while there are a great number of nice people in the building, there are also a good deal of the self-centered, mommy & daddy are paying the tab, post-college party set.<br><br>All in all, you pay a lot to be at the Grand Plaza. In return you receive a newer, well-located, decent amenity place. The one major unknown is whether or not management will invest to return the amenities to first-rate condition, especially given the West Tower's conversion to Condo's in 2005, and unknown future of the East Tower with its recent sale.<br>

Current Resident 557726

Resident • 2006 - 2007

Buyers in the West Tower Watch Out

A warranty is only as good as the people standing behind it! <br><br>I purchased a unit in the West Tower. Only when I moved the furniture in did I notice that there were significant floor leveling problems. Over the space of 7 feet, I had to pick up the wall unit 2-1/2 inches on one end to level it out. <br><br>Terrapin's Grand Plaza Tower had given a warranty that any defects in the Unit due to faulty construction and/or defective materials would be corrected; also the Unit was warranted to have been constructed in a good and workmanlike manner and that they would repair any item not so constructed. The floor was like a bath tub and it took $12K to level out the floor which also required the bath and kitchen to be retiled.<br><br>Terrapin and their Grand Plaza representatives who are much the same refused to honor the warranty to level the floor or even give me a place to move to or store my furniture unless I waived the warranties in the contract. I'm out about $12k addressing this matter. <br><br>I think the location and facility is great, but a former tenants observation about the beggars in front of the Jewel store, the shoddy and variable internet service by N-Net blaming my computer for their problems which caused me to hire a specialist to prove they were the cause of the problem, and the gym machines and T-V's that are frequently out of service on an extended basis are correct complaints

Current Resident 924057

Resident • 2006

GRAND LARCENY!

GRAND LARCENY <br><br>The Grand Plaza over-promised and under-delivered to us in a dramatic fashion, and did not provide anywhere remotely near the level of care, service or commitment to excellence that it purports to provide to its prospective residents.

glad4grandplaza

Resident • 2005 - 2006

I love the Grand Plaza!!!

I recently moved out of the Grand Plaza, only because my husband was transfered and offered a new position out of state. I was seriously devasted to leave Grand Plaza, because I truly felt at home with the outstanding amenities and warm, patient staff! Grand Plaza is also in a great location (on state, in between ohio and grand) and I could literally walk out my door and shop the finest boutiques! Thank you Grand Plaza for making our year long stay with you the most comfortable, relaxing, stress-free vacation I have been on in a long time! Thanks again!

Current Resident 477566

Resident • 2005 - 2006

Another terrible experience

I moved out of Grand Plaza at the end of June. I returned the internet modem that I put a deposit down for and have not recieved the deposit ($150) back. I called managment after the 45 days they have to return it. At first they said they had no record of a deposit (I have the cancelled check for the modem deposit). After I told them the check number, they mysteriously found the deposit. Now they are arguing (over a year later)that there was a problem at the beginning of the lease and that we owe them money (this problem was resolved at the time of the incident) and we recieved no further notice there was a problem. Very angry. This seams to be the norm at this place. This is the third time they have not kept books correctly and have tried to double charge us for things.

Current Resident 525029

Resident • 2003 - 2007

NO AIR CONDITIONING IN SPRING!

The management company will NOT agree to turn on the air conditioning until June 1st even though it can get well into the 80s in the units when the temp outside is only in the 60s. It doesn't cool off much at night, even when the lows outside are in the 50s or upper 40s. You can't sleep with your windows open because of the horrible noise from the traffic below, especially the constant sirens from the fire station across the street.

chicagostyle

Resident • 2006

Beautiful but expensive

My company had to put me up in an apartment, and somehow I managed to get them to pay for this place. Otherwise I could never live here. But it's just a gorgeous place to live. My only three complaints so far are: 1) the weather was back and forth this spring, so they switched from heat to air and then back to heat again, and stayed neutral for a few days until finally it got warm enough to turn on the air. With only one side having windows, there's no cross ventilation, so it got rather warm for a few days. 2) Someone stole $30 in quarters from my counter. This was very disturbing, and the office staff didn't seem to believe me or care, but the property manager was very concerned and helpful. The apartment keys can only be accessed with employee fingerprint id, and it turned out someone had "accidentally" taken my key instead of one to another apartment. I feel bad that the employee was fired since there's no proof that he was guilty, but the manager felt that was the right course of action, and I respect that. 3) There's no option to rent a parking space on a monthly fee, you have to pay in advance for sets of discount parking passes of different time limits.<br><br>As far as features, there's a pool, a gym, 1/2 basketball court, endless pool, hot tub, and outdoor running track, and there's onsite dry cleaning and Jewel. So if you've got lots of $$ to spare and don't have a car, this is a great place to live.

Current Resident 911295

Resident • 2005 - 2006

Management staff lied about rent increase

When I signed my lease I was told that my renewal rate would be based on my current rent (when I signed I was in some kind of "concessions" by the management, which averaged out one free month of rent over the course of the lease). I was also told that rent goes up 3% per year. This was suitable to me, as that is approximately what my income increase is per year. When it came time to renew, I was told that the market rate on my apartment was "bumped up" and the new rent is FOUR HUNDRED more than what I am paying!!!! When I confronted the management about the 3% I was quoted, all they said was that the person who quoted me that was wrong, and that she doesn't work there anymore. So I was completely out of luck, and they did nothing to compromise. They are so stuck-up that they actually think they can get $2100 for a one-bedroom!! Unreal. I have just never heard of a landlord raising a rent $400 in one year. <br><br>I found a one bedroom a couple blocks up State St. for exactly $500 less than I'm paying now, and it's just as nice -- with extremely friendly and flexible office staff!!

Current Resident 389286

Resident • 2006

BEWARE!!!

This apartment complex may seem nice on the outside, but in reality it's a different story. Upon moving in we noticed the workmanship was shoddy in some places (our floor slants.) It does not use top of the line fixtures and other such items you may expect to find when you pay this much. Rent is somewhat expensive, and the management does NOTHING!!! When we signed our lease we were not told there would be construction. I work nights and it is so loud during the day I have to go to my husbands office to sleep. The management said they could see if they could get a discounted rate on the guest sweet. HA! If I'm paying nearly $2000 a month I should not have to pay for another room just so I can sleep. Very disappointed.

Current Resident 263926

Resident • 2004 - 2005

Stay Away!

Management staff was unprofessional and rude. I moved to Chicago from out of town and they were horrible in helping with the movers, etc. The pool is more like a small hot tub with too many kids who do not live in the apartment. It's way overpriced for what you get.

Current Resident 107967

Resident • 2005

Good for a year

I lived here for a year and would say that if you are looking for a short term residence in Chicago, its a great place. If you are planning on living in Chicago for a long time, there are better places. There are a lot of professionals that live in the building and also a large number of law, MBA and medical students. There are a surprisingly large number of families and kids. It was always my sense that there is a ton of corporate housing here, so it has a very professional atmosphere. Live in the west tower because it isnt nearly as busy and crazy as the east tower (lots of foot traffic).<br> It is very convenient and close to everything. Being attached to Jewel is nice and convenient but the Whole Foods really is a lot better. There are incredible views and where else can you share an elevator with Nomar Garciaparra.<br> The gym facilities are excellent and it gets busy, but rarely is it too busy. The sauna room is great and rarely used by anyone else. Outdoor pool is a little small and everyone brings over 10 friends during the summer. Computer room is a great resource, just dont rely on it for your primary computer. The running track should be converted into tennis courts, its pretty useless and the putting greens are a nice selling point that no one ever uses. but big deal.<br> Unfortunately, I got real tired of waking up on saturdays and walking through the crowds of tourists just to go get a coffee. Also, there are plenty of chain restaurants and fancy dining but it is very difficult to find a fast, easy, dinner...there simply arent any little "neighborhood restaurants." As for entertainment in the area, its also very geared toward tourists. There is not the city charm you can find in Gold Coast or Streeterville.<br> Conclusion: a great place for a year and short term experience in Chicago. For living a real life in Chicago, there are better places. Also, it was originally built to be condos and then decided to go rental...but i have an underwriter friend who told me they were evaluating what the apts would go for on the condo market, so a conversion may be on its way.