If you want to consider 88-west, please keep in mind that what I had to go through: 1) It has no gated security, so people have broken in and will continue to break in apartments. They have already been in police reports, you can look that up. 2) 800 People share the clubhouse, and unlike the more upscale complexes, these are mostly lower level undergrads, and they only sign leases to use these facilities. Don't plan on ever getting time in the gym, b-ball court, or arcade unless you are waiting or get really lucky at some odd time. 3) There is no check done on people that live here, so I was stuck living next to a building with a Gang in it (thank god they did not live in the same building as me). They trashed cars and constantly were loud. Parking is unassigned and non-tenants park cars there all the time. They claimed that parking permits would be distributed but that never happened. I also saw people climbing the side of the building to get to the balconies. The security did not even question them if it was their own apartment they were breaking into. 4) The staff only cares about signing people so DO NOT ROOMMATE MATCH because their profile data is not legit, they will throw you in with anyone they can fill the apartments with. My own roommates tried to steal my stuff and I had to make claims from renters insurance. The agents were even laughing when I was signing my lease about how they would place this one non-smoker person with a stoner because they did not like his attitude when he was questioning them about the lease. Why would you even let stoners and gangsters live in a self advertised 'premier' complex' 5) You are responsible for all the common area stuff, so if your roommates break the 32 inch lcd tv, you will be paying 1/3 of the damage cost. 6) The lease has been named one of the worst leases by the University of Illinois Tenant Union, and I have attached a list of clauses that are not right in the leases. You can look for yourself, and they will not modify any of these clauses under any circumstances. Also, there is NO buseline that comes into the complex at of now (8/2007), and it is not guaranteed for the 2007-2008 year, so do not believe the leasing agents. You can go to CUMTD.com or call them to confirm. You will have to walk all the way to towncenter drive to catch a bus and it takes about 45 minutes to get to the UIUC campus. Unless you have a car and extra $$$ for a space on campus, you should seriously consider this issue. The place is really noisy and there are parties EVERY night. Even the "quiet building" is really loud because there are drunk people all over the complex. Another security issue is that even through you are not in a dangerous area, a lot of the people living there are shady because of the simple fact that there are 800 people there starting in August. My friend and I lived there when there were only about 200 people last spring and she got raped by people who lived next to her. Even worse, those people were still living there and only got reported to the police. She still calls me to escort her in and out late at night. Lastly, the rooms are REALLY small. If you live with easy going roommates who don't mind the overflow in the common area, you might be fine, but there is NO storage or extra closets to keep any of your stuff in the common areas. You have to try and cram all of your stuff in your room. Take a look at the attached picture document for more lease restrictions. I am not trying to make the place look bad, but the lack of security and care for the tenants really made me frustrated at times. Half of the things outside like the pool are still being constructed when promised a while ago. All in all, the only thing I liked about it was that the apartment was new, but I would gladly get another place that is well maintained or average for all problems and crime going on here. The price was pretty high because you have to consider that each room pays the same amount and you WILL HAVE TO PAY EXTRA FOR ELECTRICITY PAST THE $35 cap each month. You can get a nice 1-bedroom for the price you pay for a 2,3,or 4 at 88-west. I have lived in a Greek house, dorms, campus apartments near the bars before and they were all a lot more quiet/secure/comfortable than 88-west. Trust me, a fancy clubhouse, pool, and new place are not worth living in a community full of dangerous people, far from campus that is already doing downhill. You will have a better experience living anywhere else that has a decent reputation. Ask the tenant union to help you find a place. They can even help you find a place if it is the last minute (like me). I am just glad my lease ended and I have a chance to find a nice place to live. I will certainly be more careful the next time I look for a place and not get distracted by the fancy frills. If you did not get all the way through on this thorough review, just take one piece of advice and ASK THE TENANT UNION WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT 88-West. They will gladly confirm everything I just wrote.

Manager's Response
From: Manager	Date: 01/20/2008
We do not believe this is a resident comment, but rather the unfortunate work of a competitor. 1. At the time this rating was posted we had barely 100 residents living with us. Even with the 720 residents we currently have residing at 88 West, there has never been a wait to enjoy any of our amenities which include tanning bed, tanning capsule, billiards, indoor, temperature-controlled basketball court, state of the art fitness facility and cutting edge computer lab with business office and individual conference and study rooms and printers. 2. We perform credit and criminal screening on EVERY potential resident of 88 West and have been unable to process hundreds of move-ins based on our qualifications. These specified qualifications are available for public view any time in the leasing center or on our website. 3. We have contacted the U of I Tenant Union. We were informed there is no such thing as a "Worst Lease" classification provided by the Tenant Union contrary to this anonymous author's claim. The Tenant Union is a respectable legal aide service for students to utilize. Making false testimonies of this or any other organization can be considered slanderous. 4. The MTD bus route was in place for the August 2007 school year and has been in place since the early stages of development. Please call MTD with any questions to the validity of this response. 5. To discredit this entire fabrication, we should disclose that this review was posted on August 1st, when the "quiet building" was not even released from construction or available for occupancy. 6. Of all remarks in this rating, the rape claim is beyond explaining. This is a malicious, violent, disgusting untruth. We encourage anyone reading this posting with any concern to such accusations, to contact Champaign Police Department to confirm this information as slanderous.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 08/15/2007
Unbiased? I have lived here since feb and they screened me and my parent which honestly upset my mom because they ran credit on her. I toured three places before choosing 88 West - go to all of them and you will see for yourself that this posting is probably some manager who works at an empty, scuzzy partied-out property. Keep it real. The only thing true here is the fact they don't have the pool yet everything else is lip.
From: MyzzSpyrit05	Date: 08/15/2007
Wow. My roommate told me about this review but I didn???t believe him. It seems like people will write anything now and days. 1) I???ve lived here since January 15, 2007. As a matter of fact, I was one of the original 5 residents! Your stories are completely ridiculous. I am a very social member of this community. I know almost all of the other residents and I???m sure if anything as big as the stuff you wrote actually happened me or my roommates or one of the other HUNDRED ppl I know on the complex (!!!!) would know about it or a least mentioned it. And that police report you heard about was probably my apartment anyway. And it wasn???t a robbery! It was the cops breaking my door down because of some stupid prank but I guess you didn???t read the actual report. 2) As for the gym and stuff, my two best friends go and play basketball all the time. There has never been a time when they couldn???t play and even if ppl were already playing when they got there, any hooper knows to just call next. And theres never anyone in the arcade! I go play Pacman after work almost everyday. Whoever you are, you got your facts all backwards. 3) Lol. I love the part about there is no background check. That???s a bunch of crap. As a matter of fact they ran a check on me AND my dad! I honestly think your little Gang comment is just racist. If you lived here since the beginning like you say you have then we lived in the same building, seeing as how there was only one building open until recently. No one randomly trashed cars and yeah it was loud but that???s because we party. You can???t hear any of the noise in your actual apartment anyway. It???s only loud outside. And there is security at night. Are you sure you lived here because you dont sound like it. 4) Yeah there isn???t assigned parking but why would random ppl come park their cars here unless they???re here for a party. What are they parking here and walking to the mall??? Be serious. I don???t know what kind of problems you had with the roommate matching but I was matched with two other roommates. I haven???t had any problems. And if you don???t trust your roommates lock your door! That???s why the bedroom door has a lock! 5) I was told if like your roommate trashes the common area then to go tell the property manager. Then you wont be held responsible. 6) I don???t know anything about the tenant union but I haven???t had any problems with my lease. And yes call MTD because there IS a busline. When I called MTD they said it would be working starting the 12th. So yeah, call them. And how would you know if the quiet building is quiet or not. One of my friends just moved in there and she said it wasn???t even open until last week! You don???t even sound like you live here! I???ve always been taken care of here. I don???t know what your problem is. Although you are right about the pool. It???s not done. I was told that it would be finished at the end of the month. So we???ll see then. But I don???t know what kind of electricity you are running. I have a 4 bedroom and my electricity cap s $140 (Its $35 PER BEDROOM DUH!). Ive never gone over and my heat and air conditioner is on CONSTANTLY. You just don???t sound right. If someone is interested in 88-West the last person they should listen to is you. The way I see it, ppl should just come here and check it out themselves. 2 Fingas
From: lindz1984	Date: 08/16/2007
Wow, if anyone is a stoner here it's you girl because you have obviously lost a few brain cells. I have only lived at 88-west for a month now but can say that all the stuff your talking about is crap. Each apartment has deadbolts everywhere and an alarm, I feel completely safe walking around at night, there are no "gangs", cars aren't getting trashed, I have NEVER had a problem getting into the gym or arcade. The bedrooms really aren't small, the apartments are BEAUTIFUL, I got matched with a wonderful roommate, I was annoyingly thoroughly screened, the staff is incredible, the people are incredible, any one of your neighbors would invite you in at a seconds notice for some food or drink, there IS a busline (I checked as you suggested) and the pool will be up in less than two weeks. I basically think you like the sound of your own voice and should move back in with mommy and daddy if you are so "unsafe" here. Oh yeah, and I am not some "lower class undergrad", I am in a graduate professional program, I am 23 damn years old. Get a life.
From: suzanne_stachura	Date: 12/13/2007
This review is 100% true. If you look at the dates of the other responders, they are all before 8/17 which was the official move in date for 2007. 88 West had some buildings finished early and allowed some people to move in at that time. I'm sure the quality of life at 88 was much better before 8/17 but you can bet that it has since declined... sharply.
From: Anonymous	Date: 04/11/2008
I agree, everything in this review should be considered. I don't know about the whole rape issue, but nearly everything else in this is true. In fact this is probably the most useful review because it picks out most(but not all) of the major issues of this complex.

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