Beautiful Landmark Building
From:
-Anonymous-
Date posted:
6/4/2007
Years at this apartment:
2005
-
2007
I have lived in the Fisher Building for close to two years now have really enjoyed my stay.
First the positives of the building:
The building itself is truly gorgeous! They have done a fantastic job of restoring and maintaining the original finishes within the building's 100 year structure. Everything from the corridors to the hardware on the doors is beautiful. Every person that has visited me at the Fisher Building has commented on the originality and beauty of the architecture throughout.
The apartments themselves are also nicely done. It has been nice having a dishwasher in the kitchen that ACTUALLY washes dishes, and a refrigerator that does not freeze everything near the back. Our unit also has the bathroom with the soaking tub which is great for a relaxing soak after a stressful day at work. The hardwood floors and giant 9 foot windows are also a plus. The bedrooms also have nice sized walk-ins which helps confiscate for the fairly small square footage of the bedrooms themselves.
The concierge staff is also very friendly (especially Nate and Lisa), and feels more like friends than staff of the building. They will go out of their way any time you need them and its nice seeing their familiar, friendly faces when you come home.
If you have a dog, the building is also great (as long as your pooch falls under 25 pounds). The staff learns your dog by name, and keeps treats in the concierge desk for when you pet comes home. Unlike some other residences, I have never been made to feel like a second class resident for having a dog. On the flip side, the people in the building who have dogs are a responsible bunch that are good about cleaning up after them so as not to bother the residents who are pet free.
And lastly, the building is in the most prime location for public transit. Every singe El line (with the exception of the green line being about 2-3 blocks away) is literally right outside. The blue line on Dearborn in front of the building, the red line behind the building on state, and then the Pink, Brown, Purple, and Orange lines beside the building at the Library stop. There are also ample busses.
While the location is great for public transit, being in the loop as it is, there are issues at times with pharmacies, coffee places (such as Intelligentsia) the sandwich shop across the street closing around 5:00 or 6:00. Some places are not even open on the weekends. So plan on taking the redline north if its late at night or even Saturday or Sunday for that bottle of cough syrup or a few last minute groceries that the White Hen does not carry.
Now the cons:
My greatest complaint about this building is the homeless problem right outside the back door. They are EVERYWHERE. And will harass you, call out to you, and bother you for money. They lay all over the park behind the building, and throw their cigarette butts, half eaten bags of chicken, booze bottles, etc. all over the park. They are usually drunk or on some concoction of drugs, and just act annoying!! There are times I would like to come home without walking through a pack of them to get to my apartment. They can also be very noisy at night yelling and blubbering into the wee hours of the morning. Apparently the 7/11 in the base of the building is one of the few that sells the small bottles of hard liquor; therefore they all hang out around our corner to get money to buy their booze there. There is also a correctional facility just a block away and also a mission just a few blocks south on State. For as much as the building charges for rent, sometimes I really resent the fact that I have to deal with the annoyances of the bums outside DAILY.
Speaking of rent While I understand that a historic building is probably rather expensive to operate, I have experienced pretty hefty rent increases with each renewal (my last increase being close to $70 more per month). I enjoy the building enough to chalk up the difference, but it can put a strain on the budget.
Parking is rough if you have a car. The building does not have a garage. If you do not need a car, I would suggest canning it. I have to have a car for my job, and end up parking 3 blocks away in a city garage for $200 a month. The garage is very cramped, tight and feels pretty far in the winter when its -30 out! There is a slightly closer garage on Financial, but prepare to pay upwards of $300 a month to park there.
Despite the cons, I would overall strongly recommend living here. This building really feels like home to me. I am planning on moving out the end of my current lease term, but only b/c I want to buy a condo. If I were to continue renting I would stay here in a heartbeat. Check this place out!
|
|
I'm the author!
Free estimates on moving trucks
Free quotes on movers
