This appears to be a recurring theme. I lived at Shorewood Heights for a little less than 2 years and I have seen this place take a turn for the worst. First off, the most unfortunate thing that happened to this place was the change in management. The previous management company when I first moved in was absolutely first-class. They took care of any issues, any concerns, and actually cared about their residents. However, when Riverstone took over in late 2006, that's when it went all downhill.

1) Our trash bin used to be emptied out at least once a day or once every other day. In any case, there was never a time when the trash bin was filled to its maximum capacity. However, now the trash is only collected twice a week and everytime I go there, the trash bin is overflowing. The smell is putrid and if any Health Agency were to show up, this property would most certainly receive a citation of some sort.

2) There was a watermain pipe that burst earlier this year that management did not make its residents aware of. Luckily one of the other residents informed us of this incident and told us that there was only enough water to flush the toilet once and that we needed to find an alternate restroom source for the rest of the day (it did not get fixed until early the next morning).

3) There is a resident who blatantly parks in front of the fire hydrant everyday and yet the management company does not do anything to prevent him/her from doing this. The vehicle is parked there during regular business hours & it is clear that the management company has not taken a firm stance since it has not detered him/her from parking there. This has gone on for at least the last 3 months.

4) There was a fire in our complex large enough to force the rest of the residents to evacuate, but the management company did not send out any notices after the incident informing us of what happened and assuring us of their commitment to our safety.

5) The workout facility has not been kept up. The treadmills are constantly broken, the machines have not been cleaned, and leaks in the ceiling take days to be fixed.

Although I have listed a bunch of the negative things about the apartment complex, I have to admit that there have been some improvements made within the last couple of years. They have re-landscaped a bunch of the courtyard/resident gardens. They have repainted majority of the units. They have coordinated a bunch of on site activities for the residents.

Furthermore, if it weren't for the list of negatives that I mentioned above, this would be an excellent community to live in. It is way too pricey for people living alone (you might as well live at The Mercer or Island Square if you want to pay $1000 for a studio/1 bedroom), but if there are two or more people paying rent towards a single unit, then this price is fairly reasonable. The residents for the most part are excellent, although there seems to be more younger people moving into the units since the two or three bedroom apartments here are an excellent value. Parking is excellent here depending on what unit to live in since there are parking lots scattered all over the complex to complement the stalls that line the road that goes around the complex as well.

Lastly though, I would like to address the noise issue. The walls are extremely thin, which amplifies the noise that carries through to the other units. This noise issue caused a great deal of tension amongst our neighbors. Residents are constantly calling in noise complaints, yet it's not as if there are huge parties being thrown in the complex. Don't turn your music on too loud, make sure your kids aren't running around at 7 in the morning, and keep the loud conversations to a minimum, or else there may be some tension that occurs.

Bottom Line: Location is great, features are okay, the majority of the complex is old (but remodeled), noise is a problem (if you live on a bottom floor and the unit above you has kids, you will be in for a world of hurt!), residents are great for the most part, but management needs to adjust its image if it wants to retain its residents. And no discounts are given to residents who've lived here for a while. As they mentioned to me as well as other people who have moved out that I've talked to, "We have no problem selling these units at full market price." In other words, no loyalty towards current residents, but put on a great facade to lure the "potential residents" to help increase their monthly commission.

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