Asbury Plaza Apartments

Overall very positive experience. Relatively affordable convertible apartment for River North with a good layout. Good amenities and great location.

What did you like most?

Building management was very helpful. For example - my original move in date was on the 15th of the month, but my old lease ended on the 31st of the prior month (leaving me a 2 week gap). They worked with me to help me move in on the 1st. Also, the door people were very friendly and helpful.

What did you like least?

Laundry was expensive. Started at $1 to wash and $1 to dry and was raised to $1.75 to wash and $1.75 to dry mid-way through my year living there

Building had issues with cockroaches, and our next-door neighbor had major cat urine smell issues, which strongly affected our kitchen. We went to the building several times about the smell, and after a few months the issue was resolved.Maintenance staff was prompt and polite, but door people were reserved and generally not very helpful. Building management was ludicrously inept and unresponsive - for example, I got a random email stating I didn't pay rent. When I responded with the date of the transaction and asked for confirmation that it was in fact received and credited to my account, I got radio silence (presumably they agreed I'd paid...). When I had an issue with security in the building, building management was rude and accusatory, suggesting that it was the fault of me and my boyfriend that my wallet was stolen and my purse put in the trash chute. While many of the Section 8 residents were very nice families, overall there was no sense of community, and it felt like there was some hostility/resentment between the young professionals and the Section 8 tenants. The common spaces have been renovated but certainly aren't luxurious. The pool is small and run-down. The mail room/dry cleaners were extremely helpful and pleasant. What did you like least: See above - cockroaches/cat urine smell and incompetent/unpleasant building management. The leasing agent I worked with assured me that this property would be a major step up from the PPM building I lived in before (presumably bc of the management and young professional tenants), but in my experience it was similar, except less safe and less attentively managed.

Building is very well kept up and the remodel of fitness center and common areas are great. Management is great to work with and very responsive. The building is old, has bugs and terrible HVAC. More details below. What did you like most: East view from my unit is amazing. Management great to work with and polite/responsive. Location is ideal. Unit was very nice upon move-in, remodeled/upgraded and very clean. Daytime doorman is very nice and friendly. What did you like least: There are roaches (they call them waterbugs) everywhere. One was in my unit once but I see them in the common areas constantly. They are huge and terrifying. I see them by the pool, in the laundry and fitness center and in common areas. HVAC is not ideal. They keep the building so hot that my unit was too warm and sliding doors had to remain open all winter just to maintain 70 degrees, otherwise it crept up to 75 degrees. Also the AC broke twice at the beginning of summer for days during a heat wave. Water pressure for hot water is not great and they couldn't fix it.