Grand Plaza

Good for a year From: -Anonymous- Date posted: 2/4/2005 Years at this apartment: 2005 - 2005   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). 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. 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. 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. 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.

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