Wellington Arms

A rating well deserved

From: monkeybusinessiu
Date posted: 4/17/2008
Years at this apartment: 2008-01-01 - 2008-01-01
1 response

I found myself moving back to Chicago after brief absence of some months, and thus in need of an apartment. Witrz Realty, the leasing company, is a complete pain in the --- to deal with. I was moving from Indianapolis and they forced me to drive three hours each way to spend a half hour waiting and an hour signing paperwork and giving information I could have sent in an email. As a note, should you rent from these people, you will have to be there in person. No negotiation, even under unbelievably difficult circumstances.

However, this review is not about Wirtz, but rather the lovely Wellington Arms. When I first saw the reviews, I thought "There's no way that this place can be that good.". Well, I'm pleased to say I was wrong. The building is an absolute gem. When your biggest complaint is that there's no onsite parking (which is a rarity in Lakeview anyway, and there are plenty of surrounding buildings that rent spots), and that you have to fiddle with the key to open the side door, I think you're in good shape.

My move-in was a snap. They had dollies (the kind with wheels, not plastic heads) which was an immense help. You can park behind the building in the alley during move in. There's a freight elevator that was and is out of service, but it really wasn't that much of an inconvenience.

Living in the building has been great. The kitchen was nicer than I expected (stainless steel countertops, fridge, gas stove, oven) if a little small. The closets are HUGE. I use one of them as my clothes closet and the other one I actually converted into an office. It's big enough for a desk, my chair, and a small bookcase. I use the shelves for books and storage, and there's still lots of room.

The living area is spacious. Mine came with hardwood floors, which is always a plus. My only knock is that it looks across into the condos across the street, but there are heavy pull-down blinds, so it's not bad.

I really have to give a shoutout to the maintenance staff. This place was in phenomenal shape when I moved in. The receiving room hours are a little inconvenient, but if you catch the right guy, he'll open it up for you. Mail is safe and secure. Never had a problem with a package.

Oh yeah, and the roofdeck. There's a 16th floor roofdeck. You've got the lake on one side, downtown on another, the northside on another, and the west city on another. The view is amazing (and perfect for dates!).

Considering the astronomical prices of apartments in Chicago and how bad most of them are, how this place doesn't have a waiting list and how I ended up living there, I'll never know. If you're willing to walk a bit from your car and don't mind being a bit far off Broadway, there isn't a better place I've seen.

Recommended: YES Overall Rating

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