I had to move near Chicago on very short notice because of my career. I opted to stay at Fairway Green. The lady who works in the office part time- Jackie- Is amazing. A really sweet funny lady who reminds me of one of the golden girls, and is a HUGE asset. The people who live there are really friendly as well.

That being said, thus far living at Fairway Green has been the most expensive and obnoxious living experience I've ever had. The security deposits, first month rent and extra deposit added on (apparently my credit wasn't up to her lofty standards due to my student loans), moving there alone cost me in the neighborhood of $2000.

I arranged a time to let the manager know what day I was arriving so I could pick up my keys, and was right on time. To find the office locked because she had gone home for the day early. Theres nothing quite like being left high and dry in Chicago. And good luck finding a cheap hotel after spending 2k on your deposits. But things happen, and I'm not perfect, so I figured it was an anomaly and let it go.

The apartment was clean and in pretty decent condition when I moved in, thank god, because they won't give you an itemized list. In other words: Kiss that security deposit goodbye. It is quiet at night, which is great. The parking lot is very poorly lit, which is a serious problem if you're walking alone.

The parking situation is absolutely ridiculous. If you don't have a pass you're getting towed. The catch is, to get a pass you have to stop by the office. Which is only open from 9-5 (or whenever she feels like working) and expire in 5 days. So those of us with corporate lives are sort of stuck. My boyfriend brought me flowers once as a surprise, and in the 10 minutes he was inside, he was towed as a thank you gift.

The biggest complaint is the manager, by far. She is the most irrational passive aggressive woman I've ever had to deal with in my life. Once I was late on rent (by less than 24 hours), and I came home to a note on my kitchen table stating that she was going to change the locks (which is a criminal offense in Illinois). She passes out 5 day eviction notices like candy at a parade (one time I counted over 7 sticking out from under the doors in the hall).

She has a job to do, and claims that her corporate office (which, after doing some research, doesn't actually seem to exist)insists on that. That is understandable, tenants are supposed to pay rent. No one can fault her for collecting. However,paying rent is also a chore because she requires you drop it by the office. After informing her that I work Monday-Friday 9-5 she basically indicated I could drop off payment when I could. After a few months of getting 5 day notices and $50 late fees-despite our verbal agreement- she finally caved in and let me slip it under her door.

When she leaves a 5 day notice, she slips it under the door with a barrage of (poorly) written threats. The tenants here are mostly hard working, non-white people who don't speak fluent English and don't have high levels of education, leaving me with the impression that her way of getting things done involves intimidating them because they simply lack the resources and education to defend themselves. She will resort to harassment such as ringing your doorbell repeatedly at 6 AM. Don't try calling her, she won't get back in touch with you. She'll just leave a poorly worded and grammatically abominable note under your door.

The grounds are immaculate. And they should be, considering I've been woken up by lawn mowers at 5 AM more than once. Also, don't expect to put anything out on your balcony. There are strict rules about what you are allowed to have. Some things that are not permitted are: bikes, coolers, furniture that's not patio, etc.

All in all, it's not a bad place if you can handle living with a passive aggressive manager on a power trip. The other tenants are great, the apartments are clean, the water pressure is great, and the place is huge. Jackie in the office is wonderful. It's a pity Jackie doesn't run the show.

In short: If I wanted to ask permission for my friends to park at my home, be told what I can and can't do in terms of my space and be constantly bothered by a crazy woman, I'd move back in with my mother.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 10/12/2007
VERY TRUE AND I MUST ADMIT, VERY FUNNY! A VERY GOOD ACCOUNT OF THE FACTS.

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