Columbus Plaza — Local services in Chicago

I wanted to wait a year to review Columbus Plaza so I can make a fully unbiased opinion and I cannot say enough good things about this apartment!!! I am currently on my 2nd year and will absolutely be renewing my lease without thinking twice! Please read this review in its entirely because finding an apartment in Chicago is very difficult, but I’m here to tell you why Columbus Plaza will be the easiest and best choice you’ll ever make!

From the moment I went on the tour I IMMEDIATELY felt like I was at home. The environment here is absolutely incredible! The ambience is peaceful along with each and every fellow neighbor! To this day I’ve never had an awkward elevator ride or ran into a rude neighbor. Everyone is super nice and very friendly. If you have a package that’s a little too big, within seconds there are people there to help you out whether it’s the staff opening a door or fellow neighbors holding the elevator for you. Columbus Plaza has made a huge positive impact on my mental health as living here is exactly what I envisioned it to be. Living here is not just about having a beautiful apartment and location, but about having a space that feels personal and catered to you!

Don’t get me started on the views… I have yet to see an apartment with views as amazing as the ones here. And it’s not just the higher floors like many other buildings. Whether it’s the 2nd floor or the 48th floor, the views here are BREATHTAKING! Most days I literally don’t close my blinds because the views are that exceptional. When I’m at work I look forward to going home so I can come home to the stunning view. I was thinking of getting a painting of the Chicago skyline but then realized why get a separate painting when I can literally just look outside??? The view itself is like a 3D painting!

The amenities are top notch and make life sooooo convenient! The fitness center has everything you need to cover the basics and get fit. In addition to each apartment’s great view, you have the Skydeck on the 48th floor where you can see the entirety of Chicago’s skyline from all around you! The study room is super relaxing and some days I work from there because the ambiance is super relaxing! And my personal favorite about the study room? You get 10 free cups of delicious coffee every single month!

One of the most underrated aspects of this apartment is that it’s connected to the Hyatt, Marianos, and a plethora of other restaurants and facilities via the Pedway, which makes errands and outings effortless. Not to mention it’s all underground so you literally don’t even have to go outside at all. I cannot express how ESSENTIAL this is during our Chicago winters! It’s an absolute game changer and sets Columbus Plaza apart from every other apartment in Chicago!

And the management team? They are incredible. Bar none. They are professional, helpful, and VERY approachable. They’re not the typical stuck up management staff you see from other apartments. Everyone says hello and you can feel how genuine they are with how they speak to you! Not only that, but they make your living experience their priority! For example, one Sunday morning, I had an issue in the bathroom and the maintenance request was handled IMMEDIATELY. On a Sunday! I assumed they’ll only fix it on Monday but the fact that they still came that Sunday morning itself says a lot about how much the staff values you! It shows their dedication and loyalty to us residents.

Overall the staff, the community, your fellow neighbors, the location, the VIEW, and the apartment itself makes this an extraordinary living experience. I absolutely love living here and cannot recommend this place enough. I look forward to renewing my lease every single year and I can say with full confidence I will be living here forever! The tour you go on from day 1 will blow you away. Choosing to live here is the best decision you will ever make and you will never regret it, I can promise you that!...

I lived here from April 2021 - Feb 2024. Overall my experience was great. This was my first apartment and I really loved it. The reason I moved out was because I was done living downtown and wanted to try a different neighborhood in the city.

PROS: Location - close to L, bus stop right outside, access to the pedway without leaving the building, close to shops + dining, lakefront etc.

Views - depending on which way your unit faces, you can have an excellent view of the city. My apartment was east facing, so I could see Navy Pier fireworks all summer right from my living room.

Staff - The leasing team, Staphany, maintenance guys and front desk were all so nice and friendly.

24hour maintenance - I only filed one request while living here and it was to replace some kitchen lights. Submitted it late Friday night and someone was up within an hour to fix it.

Package room - You get an email anytime a package is delivered to the package room downstairs. Someone is there to hand you your packages and you sign for it in their system. I've never had any stolen/lost packages.

Outside lounge/upstairs sunroom - grills outside with lots of seating. Sadly only grilled once while living there. Wish I did it more often. Upstairs sunroom was so cool. Just wish the ceiling windows opened up more often.

CONS: Garbage chute - there is this terrible draft that happens in the chute and it was sometimes a pain to throw away garbage. This big gust of wind would blow at you (which stunk) and there would be trash/debris flying everywhere.

Sound - not really a con, but just want to mention that it can get loud. However, this should be expected with living in the city. (Honking, sirens, people, boat horns). You get used to it and it never bothered me. The one thing that did bother me was the street racing on lower Wacker. Sometimes you would hear this at 3am.

Walls - they are extremely thin. You can never hear anyone above or below you, but you will hear next door. My unit was in the middle, so I had neighbors on both sides. Luckily they were both really quiet most times or non-existent.

P.s. A lot of the old reviews mention elevator issues, but just know they aren't a problem anymore. There was a whole project (for a year) to fix them and they have improved tremendously. No...

The building is beautiful, great amenities, and most if not all of the door staff is phenominal and so sweet. HOWEVER, management is TERRIBLE.

When I first moved in they had a complete management switchm which did not change really anything. They have terrible communication amongst themselves and the residents. I would get personal, passive agressive emails about policies like leaving your car in the loading zone (which I ALWAYS did for LOADING) about how you can't leave your car there when other residents would park there for over an hour. Or about packages left too long in the mail room that I either A- was never notified of them being there or B- was told they were NOT there to begin with when I checked. They also never clearly communicate the manner of your lease, I was told my lease ended on the 2nd but it ends on the 15th and I now have to pay a bunch of money I was unaware of, and because nobody would admit or remembered speaking to me there was nothing they could do besides wave the late fees. Terrible.

The other attrocious thing about this building is the elevators. NEVER have I seen all four functioning. When I moved in they spoke of "modernizing" the elevators and according to other longer term residents this was ongoing for almost 2 years, with still no proper fix. Sometimes elevators took 20+ minutes to catch and board one.

Def reccomend asking other residents about the building first and really reading your lease and looking around in other buildings in area so you don't get finessed. The building is beautiful with amazing views, location, etc. but nowhere near the money its worth for a 1 bedroom. I get it's the location but for the same price next door in a more modern building you'd get way more and a way nicer unit. If I wasn't a student I'd probably live at the Shorem or Aqua but I'm moving back on campus or staying back home next year to save $ after this...