1400 N Lake Shore Drive Condos

Awesome building !!! This place is great !! The most beautiful lobby in the city !! Incredible location, in between OAK ST. and NORTH AVE beaches. Blocks from MICHIGAN AVE shopping and restaurants and the «TRIANGLE» and DIVISION ST. action. 151 bus is right outside the building and redline trains a few blocks west. Building has great amenities: awesome rooftop with cooking grills and spectacular views. Excellent workout facility with everything you need to get and stay fit, there are even personal trainers living in the building you could work with. Cute grocery store and cleaners along with laundry facilities and a huge bike room. This building is DOG FRIENDLY and it’s great for us non owners, as we can visit and pet other dogs without any if the dog responsibilities. My unit has been completely remodeled and is beautiful. As far as some of the construction complaints in other reviews, I never had any issues and with more and more OWNERS rehabbing their units there are more beautiful upgraded places to rent. Rent prices are the LOWEST in the gold coast and if you find a rehabbed unit you have a real gem of a place to live. ALSO, all ELEVATORS have been completely remodeled. They are beautiful and FAST !! 24 hour security with friendly and helpful front desk staff. Onsite management was great to work with. ISELA and VANESSA are very helpful and accommodating with move-​ins and special deliveries. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE living here !!

I have lived in this building for just over 2 years. My overall review — for renters, this building offers a decent «bang-​for-​your-​buck» option in gold cost if you can handle several cons.
For potential buyers — if you’re buying as an investment to rent out, this building will probably work out well for you; if you are looking to live in your unit, I would look elsewhere.
Pros:
— You’re right on the lake! 5 minute walk to 2 major beaches.
— The rooftop deck in the summer (although the cons are significant for the deck)
— The average price in this building is significantly lower than the average for the area (for renters).
— They are finally upgrading the original elevators (in the short term this is absolutely AWFUL, however).
Cons:
**UPDATE: The move out process made me reconsider an average rating to poor. It is clear this property is not managed well at all. Due to poor planning on the elevator renovation project, the service elevator has been down all summer (the busiest moving months of the year). They would not allow me to move-​out on the weekend, and had extremely limited times during the week to move-​out. As a result, they gave me 1 hr and 25 mins to remove all of my things — with heavy fees imposed if I went over that time (standard for this building). They also refused to wave the move out fee after causing such inconveniences (I had to take off work — which costs significantly more than the fee). Although I enjoyed my 2 years here, I would never move back or recommend the building due to such poor management.
— The rooftop deck (by far the best amenity) is only open 3 – 3.5 months out of the year (Which I don’t understand, there is no pool — why close it?), and has the most ridiculous rules for major events like 4^th of July or the Air and Water Show. Even as a unit owner you will only be allowed to have 2 – 3 guests on the roof for those events (Per unit. so you and your wife /​husband get 2 – 3 total). So don’t let your imagination run away with hosting ideas when you see it. The worst part about the short lived rooftop deck for me is you will not be able to access the top of the line grills from September through the end of May. Again, Chefs — temper your expectations for your grilling extravaganzas.
— Since it was built in the 1920s, it is constantly under construction. I work from home 2 days /​week, and I cannot recall a single day without the sound of hammers and drills (Starts at 8am pretty much everyday).
— Elevators. Although they are in the process of upgrading, I have waited 10 minutes on an elevator before. Nothing like being late to work because you had to take the stairs from the 18^th floor.
— Location convenience. Although beaches are close and the 151 comes to your door, the closest group of restaurants is the better part of a mile away. Same goes for the trains. The 151 actually takes me longer to get to work than walking a mile to the redline first. So if I’m running late, I’m showing up to work drenched in sweat.
— If you don’t have your FOB (left in your car, significant other borrowed it, etc) you are in trouble. There is no other way to get into the gym or on the rooftop, and the front desk will heckle you even if they know you. Which leads to my next point.
— Security. Safety is great, but they have gone overboard on this one. On 4^th of July, there will be multiple security guards waiting for you with a «Guest list» on the rooftop. Have more than 3 guests? Access denied. If you miss a call from the front desk when a guest arrives, they will not be let in. Once I let my cousin stay in my unit while she was visiting from Michigan and I was on vacation hiking through the Colorado mountains. I told several security guards about this. She had the key to my unit. My cousin arrived and since they have no formal system for me to register her to grant access, security evidently forgot our several conversations and of course they decided if I didn’t answer my phone she wasn’t coming in. She waited outside for 2 hours until I had cell service again.
— PARKING. This building sold the rights to the front parking lot. You cannot use it without paying for ANY amount of time. Bought a new piece of furniture or groceries and want to drop them off before parking? If you don’t get one of the two 15 minute spots on the street (you never will) that will cost you $ 10 – 15.

I have lived in my unit for over 6 months and have been very pleased.
Yes I agree with the other comments about the elevators sucking, and the management company is not superb, but I believe they have recently hired a new one.
Personally the only thing I can really complain about is the parking, in order to park in the front circle you have to pay a min of $ 15.00if even if you simply need to unload something quick.
Aside from that I would recommend this building, the location is VERY safe and the building has a fairly young community which I enjoy, not to mention the rooftop is a nice perk.
Are there better building in the Gold Coat on LSD, yes of course but for the price you can’t beat 1400 N Lake Shore Dr.

Beautiful location. However, The building is very out of date and is like a building out of the 1950s with no modern repairs. The elevators are also extremely slow, and worsen anyone’s living experience in the building. The door staff is also extremely rude, and the building manager is very inconsiderate to anyone but condo owners. Would never live in this building again. Would not recommend to anyone

I know it sounds so glammy living off of «Lake shore drive…» but this place is old, dimly lit, slowest elevators on the planet, and sooo strict in every sense of the word. Ever since I moved in here, I would wake up to constant hammering from upstairs. Keep in mind that even in the unit, there is barely any lighting. My little convertible has a nook for my bedroom and I refer it as my «bear cave» because there literally are no windows or opportunities for natural light to come through. I am looking to get out of the place ASAP because of the noise and overall uncomfortable feeling living here.
On the positive side– this building is VERY dog friendly! But keep in mind that if your furry friend pees or poops anywhere near the vicinity of the building– you will be fined $ 100… «Anonymous tips are welcomed» too… And they WILL catch you because every square inch of the building has cameras…
I feel bad for the security guards because their job literally consists of staring at the monitors for their entire 8 – 10 hour shift.

I am renting an apartment here through an outside company with whom the unit owner listed and have been here about five weeks thus far. The roof top deck is spacious with amazing views. However, as I type, I hear hammering. I always here it. This place inside and out is an construction site. It is noisy and constantly bothersome.
Second, one of my neighbors has three kids who seem to think that the hallway is their personal playground. They run, scream and slam doors at all times of each day.
My upstairs neighbors have a dog. While I have never heard it bark, it continuously runs around on the hardwood floors and I hear it’s claws all the time. I desperately want to put socks on the dog’s feet.
Recently, I shared an elevator with another resident and it skipped her floor. She pressed the button, it lit up and it did not stop.
The apartment itself is ok. It is not my choice in the long run and I wish the bathroom were cleaner (not a quick fix with a multi-​purpose spray). And it gets poor natural light thanks to another part of the building blocking most of it and my view. And of course, short term and furnished, it is obscenely overpriced. I am looking forward to moving out.
It is not a bad choice if you can find a unit with more sun exposure, quiet neighbors and a better deal. Good luck.

Far from upscale. Aside from the super cramped bathroom (with fluctuating water pressure and temperature) and kitchen (with original fixtures and a corroded sink that drains slowly, the unit is decent. It does get quite warm, and I rented on a lower floor. If you don’t leave a window open all the time, the unit will reek of gas from the tiny stove. The company that manages units for condo owners/​handles rentals is not very responsive. I was told I would have to pay for pest control when I experienced bugs the day after monthly pest control had come to units that requested it. Dates for pest control, fees for move in and out, and other building rules were not provided, nor were disclosures that I requested. There is noise outside every morning sometimes starting at 4 and as late as 7:30, so if you like to sleep in (yes, even on Sunday) good luck. Children run around yelling with no supervision or reprimand from management. For the most part you don’t hear your neighbors unless they slam things. Occasionally, you will wait 10 minutes for an elevator (which 1 is typically out and none have any ventilation). Fitness and laundry rooms are nice, but laundry card is $ 5 you can’t get back and does not give you any credit to use for laundry. Rooftop deck is nice, but since there is no limit to how many guests someone can bring there you often cannot get a seat, and it is plagued by classless early 20somethings. If you do decide to rent here, see if you can negotiate terms of your lease and make sure language protects your interests. Do not go through the in building broker, Patrick. He will not return your calls or get anything requested to you, or even get your lease to you in advance of its start date. There was so little contact, I didn’t even know the leasing company and building management were two separate entities, or whom to contact for what. Door people aren’t personable, save the one woman. Condo maintenance staff are great though, but when you rent you don’t get their help much.

This is an excellent place to live in the Gold Coast. Honestly I couldn’t ask to be in a better location. I’m renting a condo that is very spacious and everything is brand new! Vessel sinks, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, hardwood floors, beautiful city view and brand new bathrooms. The staff is awesome and very kind! When my friends come over they are stunned by the beautiful lobby. I’m proud to live here.

This is my second year here. After my lease is up, I’ll probably move, but that’s just because I don’t like to stay in one place too long.
Pros: Staff is very courteous and respectful. Maintenance staff is prompt and very nice. Thick walls between units. Location is pretty rock star. Roof deck has an incredible view (but not great for parties, see below), fitness rooms is pretty nice, common areas are kept very clean. This is the 3^rd place I’ve lived in the city in 5 years, and by far the best.
Cons: It seems like almost everyone has a dog here. Which is great for pet owners, but extremely annoying for the rest of us to hear any number of dogs barking at any time of the day, or to have dogs break into a fight in the lobby, or to have to dodge the urine puddles when walking out of the building because careless owners just let their dogs go wherever. Management does their best, but they can’t be everywhere.
The elevator situation is still a problem, YEARS later.
Smoking is allowed in your unit here, which makes the hallways smell a little rough when that person down at the end decides to light up in their apartment.
The rooftop deck is really nice, but there are so many rules, that it would be impossible for me to throw a party up there with my group of friends. No smoking, no bottles, etc.
I think the management has done a good job of revamping the place and getting rid of the party crowd that used to give the place a bad rep several years ago…

This was an awesome place to live for the most part. You are close to everything, the beach, downtown, the trains, gold coast restaurants and bars, the Mag Mile, etc.
The units are great and spacious, there’s a cleaners and convenience store on site, a fantastic rooftop deck overlooking the lake and the city and a private gym. Half the shots of the Chicago lakeside you see in movies feature this building and this area.
My only complaint is the management company. While the building is well-​maintained, they do not address complaints AT ALL.
I had a noise issue with an upstairs neighbor who didn’t have noise-​insulation in their floors and it was a constant problem. The neighbor made no attempts to be quiet and the management company shrugged it off.
Not every unit has these issues, but for those that do, don’t plan on Private Holding Group to help you in any way, shape or form.
Really I’d give the building/​units/​neighborhood 5 stars and the management company 1 star.

Hmmm… I just took the time and energy to write a review based on my experience with the building only to find that Unilocal «filtered» the review for whatever reason. I said nothing malicious are anything that wasn’t true. I also noticed they filtered the reviews of other tenants which makes me wonder what kind of site Unilocal has turned into? Maybe we should starting reviewing this actual site along with the other businesses the general public are dissatisfied with. I recommend you take a look a the filtered reviews to make you decision about this property. I noticed others shared the same experiences as I did which confirms the claims more that makes them «suspicious».

This is a great building, in a great location, with lousy management. Just terrible. I can’t speak for the leasing company side of things because I rented from a condo owner and not the rental company directly, but the people actually responsible for fulfilling building management tasks are crazy inept.
Example: I left my keys on the counter in the laundry room. After going upstairs I realized my mistake and came back down. Keys gone (along with a Tiffany key ring, but I digress). Management confirms via videotape that only two people (building employees) entered and exited the laundry room during that time. The two people were asked if they saw my keys and they said no. I was told it was case closed, sorry… and oh by the way we need a check for $ 150 for new keys. Wait, what? So I set my keys down for 15 minutes unattended and a building employee helps themselves to a $ 200 Tiffany key ring, management gets $ 150, and the only feedback is «so sorry». No, «Hey guy — here you are on tape… want to answer that question again?» or, «We will file a claim with the cleaning company and in the meantime get you a spare set of keys until we can figure out who to bill for duplicates.»
The same thing happened with a towing issue… everyone kicked the can to someone other than the person who could actually do anything.
Everything is outsourced… the cleaning, doormen, etc. so even if the management was on the ball they’re one step away from a solution anyway and can’t deal with a problem directly (read: good opportunity to pass the buck, which, in my experience was done 100% of the time). So, if you’re like me and little things get on your nerves think twice before moving here until the management company changes. Or, find a condo owner in the building who is nice and willing to go to bat with management on your behalf. Or, get your checkbook ready.
I hate giving it so few stars because other than the front office the place is great. When they get a new management company I’ll change my rating.

The new building owners updated so much the last few years. I really like living here. It’s SO close to everything including the beaches. One of the BEST rooftop decks in the city hands down. The gym is as good as the one I used to go to and the renovated laundry room is as good if not better than any laundromat. The other tenants have all been very nice and I feel very safe in the area.

I lived in this building for a year. I slowly watched things go downhill.
The location is perfect, quiet and convenient. There’s even a convenience store (albeit pricey), gym and dry cleaners in the building. The walls are thick and I never heard noise from my neighbors. My unit faced the lake and the view was spectacular. In the summer, the rooftop overlooks North Avenue Beach and Oak Street beach. And it is smack dab in the middle of the Airshow. The maintenance team is fantastic and resolved the few minor issues I had immediately. And the cleaning crew does a fantastic job keeping the public areas pristine.
And now for the cons:
The elevators are in need of serious repairs and at least one elevator is down a day. You can imagine what impact this might have on a building of this size… long elevator delays and constant fear that you might not make it to your destination. The security buzzer stopped working about 6 months into my time here and the front desk is now unable to let visitors in without a hassle. My interactions with the building management and leasing office were unpleasant enough for me not to recommend the building to anyone.

I Just wanted to add a quick update to my last review. We have now been here for almost 5 ½ years and along with the Building enhancements, the people we now have living here are great! The Workers from the Owners to Management, to the cleaners and security on down are all excellent. If you get a chance i would seriously come and take a look, you wont be sorry! We live in one of the Best neighborhoods in the city, the people here all care about the Building also. It‘s a pet friendly place and most everyone is great about that.
The Units? The «Vintage Units» have a lot of charm and can be made anyway you‘d like. The Renewed/​rehabbed units are Gorgeous and i would not change a thing! We have a Nice Store for those days you don’t want to leave your home, A Fantastic Gym/​workout room, a Great Spa to get a Haircut or Message and so many more things. There is also a Wonderful roof top deck with Awesome views of Oak Street Beach, North Ave Beach and the city!
Check it out, If your Old Like me :) or a young beautiful or Handsome Kid you will love this place! See ya all soon Neighbors.

I just moved into a 2 bedroom 2 bath with a roommate last week. The building itself is absolutely gorgeous and the neighborhood is not only safe but perfect for someone my age. Since the day we moved in the staff has been nothing but amazing. Everyone who works the desk is always friendly and the management has helped us every step of the way from before we moved into the building to today when we had questions about the lease. The first day they even let us borrow their vacuum! The building is beautiful and very safe– with 24 hour front desk staff. I would recommend this building to anyone looking to live in Chicago, it has been the best experience for me in this city and I never want to move! Thank you to everyone who works here for providing such a great experience.

LOVE IT!
Just recently moved into the K Studio Unit with my dog and so far so good… the bus stop is right outside the doors, all neighbors are friendly, pet store is awesome for that last minute grooming deal.
The apartment has great features like completely remodeled kitchen and bath, repainted walls, trim and ceiling, new light fixtures and everything else…
Great place to be =)

We just moved in last week and albeit so far a short stay, we love this building. They have truly gone above and beyond in trying to take care of us and we couldn’t be happier. Coming from a building with zero amenities and no management staff on site, this is a dream. They are prompt, responsive, and everyone on staff is very pleasurable and kind.
Our unit is perfect for us, clean, the rooftop deck couldn’t be better, and the whole of the rest of the amenities are just extra perks-​so great. Take the time to check out the building as they’ve spent millions upgrading and renovating-​worth it for a fabulous location.

I totally hear what Katherine and Jackie are saying about the «vintage» units (by the way Jackie, those original art deco cabinets are worth a mint and the «thin piece of metal» countertops are called stainless steel), but I rehabbed my unit and it was so worth it. (However, do NOT go with the building/​developer contractor… Find your own licensed/​insured contractor to have it done right!) Anyhow, the building management leaves something to be desired in terms of courtesy, but they are competent. Overall the location is killer and it is a great opportunity to enjoy lakefront living with a fantastic rooftop deck. The building used to attract a younger student/​party crowd but that is changing quickly as the unit owners are much pickier about protecting their investment than the developer was, plus a lot of owners live here.

I looked at this building the other week and thought the location and price sounded fabulous! Well, the lobby was really nice. But the apartments reflect the price… I cant say they were small, had a dining area, but the kitchens were the worst ive seen in my whole apartment search. Actually I can go as far as saying they were the worst ive seen in my life. They look like they were stripped out of an old, run-​down boat. All the cabinets were like tin, and the countertops a thin piece of metal. and it was no bigger than a closet. Move here if you do not value cooking and eat out all the time. The amenities do not include a pool, but it does have a gym. Also on site laundry and quicki mart.