The Habitat Company

Only downside is the laundry situation

The location is amazing! Lakeshore East Park and the grocery store are nearby. Needless to say, it is in the heart of downtown Chicago so we don't have to go far to explore and have fun on the weekends. This location is also just a 5-minute walk away from the bus stop, to get on the 2 in order to come to school.

Sometimes, there can be noise issues because of the many noises that come with downtown living. Additionally, the commute to and from school takes about 45 minutes.

We have absolutely loved living in Asbury Plaza. Management, door staff, maintenance staff, everyone is friendly, supportive, and dedicated to making the residents feel like it's their home. We have a pet ferret and unlike some places in Chicago that describe themselves as pet-friendly, there aren't any "except for..." in the leases here. Southwest side of the building have great views with the building oriented diagonally across the block (haven't seen NE, but they just built One Chicago on that side of the building), floor plans are unique, kitchens are updated, gym is well maintained, and management hosts building events ~monthly including a holiday party at a nearby restaurant. The location just can't be beat. Tons of restaurants around, Red line Chicago station 1 block away, Brown/Purple ~4 blocks away, easy access to Loop lines. If you're a Northwestern student, 10min walk to the Chicago campus. Choice of grocery stores (within walking distance: Whole Foods, 2x Jewel-Osco, Aldi, Trader Joes). The only downside I can really think of is the building is either AC or heat, residents don't have control over when that switches due to Chicago heat ordinances. The building tends to run warm, so we often have our balcony door cracked throughout the winter.

We love our apartment - new floors, appliances, lots of space and great price for it. Still a good amount of amenities (pool, outdoor fireplace, gym, fireplace and parking) but MUCH better price than other complexes.

Only complaint is that our walls are SUPER thin and we've had a lot of issues with upstairs neighbors being too loud.

I chose the Reserve because it was walking distance to the Hub and is close to lots of other popular, but more expensive, living options in Evanston. Overall it's been an average experience. The location is great, the community is quieter and a bit more family-friendly than others. For those with pets, there is no monthly pet rent. However, the walls are extremely thin and you can hear your neighbors very well. You'll also have to deal with occasional internet outages that, since the internet is included in your rent and you have no choice which provider is used, you have very little control of. The gym is pretty small and doesn't have a lot of equipment. The HVAC system is extremely loud (like, people on the phone can hear it). The property was recently sold and so far the management has been pretty responsive, but is much more "analog" than the previous company. The website is not as informative and they don't have any app for submitting maintenance requests (but are responsive to emails so not the end of the world). Overall, it's a pretty good value if you can tolerate the minor inconveniences.

The best ppsf, good amenities, nice staff. It's worth signing a 2-year lease to minimize rent increases. Be mindful of the room selection whether it gets a lot of natural light or not will be important in the Winter.

Overall I am pleased with The Reserve. It is lighter on the amenities than other apartment buildings, but the apartments themselves are generally more spacious and less expensive. Shorter walk to Kellogg than other buildings (~15 minutes) but tradeoff being that it's a bit further to downtown Evanston. Walls are a bit thin and sound travels pretty easily, but nothing that can't be managed in my opinion. Overall, I would recommend if you're looking for a lower cost option to E2, Albion, or Centrum.

Cheaper than other buildings with a gym + underground parking + guest parking. But walls are incredibly thin so there's a lot of noise. Also be prepared to listen to a LOT of leaf blowing. However good layouts for 2 room apartments, good amount of space, and walk in closets.

I have really enjoyed living at the Reserve. They recently were acquired and have new property managers that go above and beyond to make it a great experience. It's in a fantastic location and my unit is updated/relatively large for Evanston! In addition, it is pretty close to the CTA train and a nearby park.

The units are nice, and the price is good relative to most of the high-rises. Amenities are nice, and the large property is great for pet owners. We really like it, except the walls are extremely thin. We hear every footstep our upstairs neighbor takes, and if any of our neighbors are having people over we will hear them late into the night until their guests leave. If you're a light sleeper, this may not be for you.

I love this apartment more than either of the two I had in Hyde Park. The 2 and 6 busses makes transit between my apartment and campus a breeze.

Great quiet place close to MPP

It's the best apartment for someone that don't want attrition to get to Booth (Harper by metra and Gleacher by foot, both at the same walking distance ~8 mins).
The apartment has a great view of the river (especially for St. Pat's Day).
Lots of space and all the other perks (gym, grill area outside, package concierge, etc) - it does not have a pool

The rent is really affordable at the Reserve and you get a lot of space for what you pay! The bedrooms are much larger than most apartments I've seen in Evanston. The management is great and very quick and responsive. Overall great place to live. Still close to the "action" at Kellogg and not too far of a walk to campus.

Overall I’m happy living at the Reserve. I was looking for a larger apartment (space matters to me) that didn’t break the bank. There have been some good/bad things I’ve learned since living here, outlined below:

Pros:

- much larger apartments for much less money (1900 or less for 700 square foot one bedroom apartment)

- closest to the action (E2) without being the action

- homier feel

Cons:

- very thin walls. This is something they’ll tell you about Evanston place or park Evanston, but did not tell me about the Reserve. Your experience will depend heavily on the behaviors of your neighbors, including whether they have dogs and/or kids

- electricity is more than expected ($40/month) likely given poorer insulation

- package delivery issues - if you anticipate getting tons of things delivered, I would look elsewhere as we have had a lot of stolen package issues given that the package room is not locked or monitored