The Edison Apartamentos

Since I moved in, there have been multiple fires, a broken fire alarm system, multiple burst pipes, mold in the stairwells & hallways, common areas with leaks almost every single day, broken washers/dryers, rodent problems, elevators that are repeatedly broken for long periods of time, maintenance staff that marks items complete without doing any work, and management staff that is frequently out of the office. And the “new” management is mostly just the same people from before.

I've been here about 4 months and will be leaving soon, but here are all of my experiences thus far:

This month, a few days ago, there was a fire in the building on the 6th floor. Not a single fire alarm sounded. My boyfriend happened to be in a group chat of about 70 people, and THAT is how we were informally told to evacuate. We're grateful for those folks in that chat.

3 months into living here we got a knock on our door and we were informed the building had been in foreclosure status and... would be sold that upcoming weekend, which we never knew, as we came from out of state, nor were we ever informed. On Thanksgiving weekend, that Friday night, I mistaking tripped our electrical breaker, and after informing their 24/7 desk downstairs they told us we would have to be without power for the whole weekend and that there's nothing they could do and no one they could call. I reported the building, as that's a clear violation of the Chicago electrical ordinance, but Sunday night, it was resolved, and it seems that the employee may have been fired after that incident. Needless to say, we still went almost the entire weekend without power, with a fridge full of Thanksgiving food. We were VERY unhappy.

Homeless people are let into the building most nights. They're harmless, and it gives me mixed feelings. I'm just hoping none of the homeless take advantage of the kindness of whoever is letting them in and do something awful. It's just something to be aware of.

Parking doesn't exist here. There's a wait list to be added to one of maybe 6-8 parking spots, which are also in use by the employees, so realistically, there are about 4 spots for the entire building. Needless to say, I've been paying for parking separately - a whopping $200 per month for a spothero parking spot.

The washers and dryers are on premises, but half of the driers are broken.

The rooms are stuffy with little to no air circulation. Luckily, we're here in the winter, I would hate to experience a summer here.

I've never been more disappointed in an apartment complex. I'm hoping someone sues the hell out of them for the fire incident. Fortunately, my partner and I were not injured, but we most definitely took note of all the issues we found here.

New ownership is coming soon, but for now BEWARE! Lee mas

The place looks beautiful but there are mice everywhere for the second time I see a nice inside my apartment. Management told me last time they covered all the wholes and I wouldn’t see it again. 24 hours maintenance is a job and staff is not very polite and professional. Move somewhere else.

This is a vintage building with an interesting history as a 1920s residential hotel.
The lobby is large, beautiful and well- appointed. Gym and laundry room are inconsistently maintained.
Apartments are on the small side, but have several large closets. Kitchens have built-in dishwasher and microwave, and plenty of cabinets.
It's an elevator building and apartments have an open-kitchen layout, which makes it partially accessible. It accommodates wheelchair users who have some ambulation.
The... neighborhood is diverse and lively, with abundant public transportation.
Management changes often, bringing periods of chaos and confusion.
Entry is via keyfob. The intercom system has been broken for months; visitors and deliveries have to call on their phones and wait outside while the resident comes down to open the door.
There is a front desk, which is occasionally staffed, but more often desserted.
Response to maintenance requests is inconsistent and largely ineffectual.
There is regular pest control with nontoxic spraying.
Pets are allowed, with some size restrictions and an additional monthly fee.

Strongest pro: location/neighborhood
Strongest con: poor management Lee mas

I have lived in numerous apartment complexes in different states, and this easily takes the cake for the worst one and it isn’t very close. Water shutoffs occur on a regular basis, elevators are down nearly every week, many washers and dryers are broken, police visits are regular and the safety of the building is questionable at best. The apartments are in need of major renovation and for the price, I can confidently say there are better options in Chicago. The only redeeming quality is a few of... the staff members are kind, and that’s about it. I would highly recommend avoiding this building if you can do so. Lee mas