Home  >  Chicago  >  Evanston  >  Downtown Evanston Apartments  >  Optima Views

High-rise Condo
Downtown Evanston, 1720 Maple Ave | Evanston
Overview
Photos
Amenities

Top Amenities

View All >
  •  24-Hour Front Desk
  •  Cat friendly
  •  Dog friendly
  •  Fitness Center
  •  Granite Countertops
  •  Hardwood Floors
  •  Indoor Pool
  •  Parking Garage  
  •  Private Balconies
  •  Stainless Steel Appliances
  •  Walk-in Closets
  •  Washer/Dryer In Unit

User Rating

8.1
Great
113 Reviews

About this Location

Whole Foods Market
7 min via 213 (bus)
UP-N (rail) - 4 min
208/213/250 (bus) - 5 min
The Lakefill
20 min walk
Lots of bars and
restaurants nearby

Pricing 

1 Bedroom, 1 Bath
$2,300+
2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
$3,000+
3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
$4,200+
Schedule Appointment At
(872) 704-8022
  • Bedrooms

    •  Walk-in Closets
  • Building Related

    •  Elevators
  • Included

    •  Heat Included
    •  Water Included
  • Kitchen

    •  Dishwasher
    •  Garbage Disposal
    •  Granite Countertops
    •  Microwave
    •  Refrigerator
    •  Stainless Steel Appliances
    •  Stove & Oven
  • Laundry

    •  Washer/Dryer In Unit
  • Living Room

    •  Air Conditioning  
    •  Hardwood Floors
    •  Large Windows
    •  Lots of Sunlight
  • Parking & Transportation

    •  Bike Storage
    •  Parking Garage  
  • Pet Terms & Amenities

    •  Cat friendly
    •  Dog friendly
  • Security & Maintenance

    •  24-Hour Front Desk
    •  On-site Maintenance
  • Sports & Fitness

    •  Fitness Center
    •  Indoor Pool
  • Storage

    •  Additional Storage Available
  • View

    •  Private Balconies
X

Overall rating 8.1/10, based on 113 renter reviews Write a review

8.9
Location
5.8
Amenities
7.2
Management
8.9
Value
5.5
Social
9.3
Safety
Excellent
48
Great
42
Good
22
Average
1
Terrible
0

Optima Views reviews and highlights

  • Building has heated parking
  • Heat and cable included are huge perks
  • Nice amenities and considerate staff
  • Ample natural light
  • Great amenities
  • Very close to all the bars and nightlife
  • Great building with lots of Kellogg Students
  • Landlord is great
  • Small gym, pool and hot tub
  • Fairly high rent prices
  • Floor to ceiling windows
  • Feels safe and secure
  • Awesome views of Chicago and the Lake
  • Amazing upscale building with good amenities
  • In the heart of downtown Evanston
  • Units are spacious
  • Great location
  • Very comfortable, convenient and clean
  • Most of the doormen are really nice and helpful
Filter reviews for
8
Great
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Less Perks, More Space

While this is an older building and thus isn't as nice as some of the other options in the area, you are able to find a much larger unit for a lower price. Each unit is owned by a separate landlord so the updates/appliances in each unit are different and it is important to make sure that you have one that seems responsive. Overall there are much fewer students in the building so there is not much of a social scene, but the building is located within a 5 minute walk of where most students live.

Keep reading
Was this review helpful?
  Yes
  No
Reviewed by
 
  • Couple
  • 1 bed / 1 bath
7
Good
Overall score
Location
Management
Value
Social

Quiet Building - Good Location

Pros: Building itself is a pretty good deal relative to many of the other buildings in the area. Our one bedroom is very large and has a good amount of storage space (huge walk-in closet plus a storage unit). It's nice to have so many utilities included as well. We only pay for internet and electric. Everything else including cable, parking and our storage unit. There are also a few common areas, although everything is still closed due to COVID as of December 2020. Location is great. It's right in the hard of downtown, a 2 minute walk to the trains, and about a 20 min walk to the global hub.

Cons: Management can be difficult to reach. Heat/AC isn't great. It has been very hot throughout the colder months. Train is right next door so can be loud at times if you're a light sleeper. The building is also pretty quiet, and, although there are other Kellogg students, it is not very social (I realize this may not be a con for everyone).

Note: This is a condo building so each unit is likely to be different based on the owner.

Keep reading
Was this review helpful?
  Yes
  No
Reviewed by
 
  • Couple
  • 1 bed / 1 bath
8
Great
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Quiet building close to the action

Not many students in this building, which may be good or bad depending on your perspective. Only a block from Optima Horizons and E2, where the bulk of Kellogg students are. Lots of space for the price, thick walls so no issues with neighbors. Pool, gym, and outdoor common area have been closed for the entirety of the COVID pandemic, a negative point of contrast with some of the other area buildings.

Keep reading
Was this review helpful?
  Yes
  No
Reviewed by
 
  • Roommates
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
7
Good
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Great building, inept management

We have a great one bedroom in a prime location within Evanston. It's a 20 minute walk to the hub and close to all the necessary amenities: Target, restaurants, grocery stores, bars. The biggest downside is the building management who can't do basic things like keep the elevators running or the pool filter working, but will send emails almost daily badgering tenants about the most inane issues.

Keep reading
Was this review helpful?
  Yes   2
  No
Reviewed by
 
  • Couple
  • Pet owner
  • 1 bed / 1 bath
8
Great
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Pretty solid

The building won’t wow you by any means, but it’s spacious and gets the job done. If given the opportunity to do it again, I would live here.

Keep reading
Was this review helpful?
  Yes
  No
Reviewed by
 
  • Roommates
  • 1 bed / 1 bath
5
Average
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Great location, fine apartment, old building, terrible management

The location is in downtown Evanston and about a 20 minute walk to the hub so couldn't ask for more. The apartment is nice enough - the kitchen is dated and small things break (i.e. - faucets) but its fairly big and you can't hear your neighbors at all which we like. The floor to ceiling windows are nice but it can make it really cold in the winter so heat is more expensive. The building itself is old which is evidenced by the 3 pipe bursts last winter that resulted in flooding in apartments and that our elevators have worked 50% of the time we've been here. The management's response to the flooding and elevators has been atrocious. After ripping up our baseboards and putting holes in our walls they went silent for 3 months. We finally had to finish the work ourselves. Because the units are condos renters have no leverage with building management and owners are remote and unresponsive. If you want something similar I would pay a little bit more and opt for one of the other optima properties.

Keep reading
Was this review helpful?
  Yes
  No
Reviewed by
 
  • Couple
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
9
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Optima Views: 2019 - 2021 Tenant

The views are great. Our broker and the building management are extremely responsive and genuinely caring. Cold has been hard on us given we are from Texas, but with the our central heating, in unit washer-dryer, and quick walk to multiple take-out spots, OV has made things simpler.

Keep reading
Was this review helpful?
  Yes
  No
Reviewed by
 
  • Couple
  • 1 bed / 1 bath
8
Great
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Optima Views

Right beside the railway so might get little noisy. Some issues with elevators.......

Keep reading
Was this review helpful?
  Yes   1
  No
Reviewed by
 
  • 1 bed / 1 bath
9
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Beautiful view and spacious room

What I like about my condo the best is space and view (18th floor). Two bedrooms are really spacious. Since there are two bedrooms, I can use one as my study room and the other one as a family bedroom. I also highlight convenience. My building is close to McManus and other major apartments like E2, Optima Horizons, and Sherman that I can go anywhere quite easily for group meetings and get-togethers.

Keep reading
Was this review helpful?
  Yes
  No
Reviewed by
 
  • Couple
  • Family w/ children
  • Roommates
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
9
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Best value apartment in Evanston

Spacious apartments with good amenities. Heated parking for the winter is great, especially if you have kids.

Keep reading
Was this review helpful?
  Yes
  No
Reviewed by
 
  • Couple
  • Family w/ children
  • Roommates
  • Pet owner
  • 2 beds / 2 baths

The Neighborhood

Signature Spots

dining 29 Recs

Buffalo Joe’s
Bat 17
Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza
See more

grocery 2 Recs

Whole Foods Market
Trader Joe’s
See more

convenience 2 Recs

Walgreens
7-Eleven
See more

fitness 36 Recs

Pure Barre
Evanston Athletic Club
TITLE Boxing Club
See more

parks 5 Recs

City of Evanston Recreation Divisi…
Merrick Rose Garden
Dog Beach
See more

coffee 14 Recs

Andy’s Frozen Custard
Bennison’s Bakery
Dream About Tea
See more

About Downtown Evanston

Since it's home to Northwestern, Downtown Evanston is the most popular residential area for Kellogg students. Most apartment buildings in Downtown Evanston are a 20 minute walk from the Donald P. Jacobs Center, and several public transport options can cut that commute even further. This safe and hig...
Walkable
Easy Commute
Great Location
Student Friendly
Social Community
Great Accessibility
Proximity To Amenities
Median rents in Downtown Evanston
Studio
$
2,300
1 Bedroom
$
2,600
2 Bedroom
$
3,300

Getting around Downtown Evanston


Parking at Optima Views

Parking Garage

, , , ,

Parking Near Optima Views

Parking rates are for informational purposes only and may vary — for most up to date pricing, please reach out to the garage directly.

Downtown Evanston Reviews

546 reviews
Lots of apartments and family homes in the area. I always see someone riding their bike or walking throughout the day. It's a block from the police station, and only 2-3 blocks to downtown. Close to intercampus shuttle, 201 bus stop (3 blocks), and Dempster purple line (1.5 blocks). Nice area to live, quiet at night.
Downtown Evanston is a great place to live if you're a NU student. It's super easy to get to campus via either walking or the bus, and has convenient groceries within walking distance. The food scene is not the best, but good enough.
Evanston is the epitome of a college town, everything you need and most of what you want is within a 10 minute walk.
I really enjoy living in downtown Evanston. Everything that I need is within walking distance, and it is a 10-15 minute walk to my classes.
Safe, walkable area, even late at night depending on the streets you take. Great for convenience in terms of getting to campus, no car needed, access to many public transit options. You lose out in terms of cheap food options and fun nightlife - there are only a couple of bars open after 9PM on the weekends and for cheap food you're stuck with Chipotle or at best Tomate. But the lake and beach are within walking distance and you live close to other NU students making it well worth it for me.
Evanston really is a nice town. There's loads of food, both chains and otherwise, and a number of shops and things if you don't mind moving around a little. Driving in the greater Evanston area is not a lot of fun, I will say. I get the sense that the city doesn't much like the University and its constituents, and that the students don't always respect the city. It's not a perfect relationship, but it works. I can easily walk or take transit to class on the Evanston campus, and when I have class in Chicago I take transit, which usually takes more than an hour in the morning and close to an hour coming home.
Downtown Evanston is super cute! There are tons of restaurants and a handful of bars so I find that it offers a good bit of variety for the neighborhood size. There are street festivals, a great farmers market, summer concerts in the square and other community events I've enjoyed. Would highly recommend Evanston anyone who wants access to the city but a self-sufficient "urban burb" type neighborhood.
Pros: Great location near key Kellogg hangouts like World of Beer, Nevins, Five and Dime, Prairie Moon, etc. Also convenient to Bennison's Bakery! Great for late nights- can get home in < 5 minutes without ubering. Also near both Metra and L- ideal if you plan to spend some of your time in downtown Chicago.

Cons: Long walk from the Global hub. Closest grocery store is Whole Foods, a bit of a hike to TJ's and Jewel.

Similar apartments & condos

  Downtown Evanston

1 Bed $2,495
2 Beds $2,850
3 Beds $4,600

Check availability
  Downtown Evanston

1 Bed $1,950
2 Beds $2,400

Check availability
  Downtown Evanston

1 Bed $2,800
2 Beds $2,700
3 Beds $5,000

Check availability
  Downtown Evanston

1 Bed $2,000
2 Beds $2,300
3 Beds $3,500

Check availability
  Downtown Evanston

1 Bed $2,400
2 Beds $3,500
3 Beds $4,500

Check availability
  Downtown Evanston

1 Bed $2,250
3 Beds $4,500

Check availability