Fernwood Property Management

You get what you pay for, mostly. The apartments are a good size with large windows and basically all utilities included in the rent price, plus a small gym and indoor pool. I've heard a couple pest horror stories, but my biggest concern has been management and assistance by the front desk. They're really pretty unhelpful and bad at responding, and the doormen seem fairly useless. The only other kind of negative aspect is that it's a 15-minute walk to Trader Joe's. But I'm living here for a second year and my actual unit is great, so if you're ok with paying significantly less than Shoreland for a better apartment in a big building with worse management (even though it's the same company), you should do it.

I have had an overall good experience.
My pest issues have been very minor, but my sense is that the level that people experience them depends very seriously on the tower, floor, and specific apartment, and there are very dramatic differences.

Mac and Fernwood are very hard to get in touch with for any concerns, and my move in process was not ideal. I do not use any of the building amenities (pool and gym) because they are quite dirty and can be crowded. However, the apartments themselves are spacious and light. There is a bus straight to the law school right outside of the building, and the lakefront trail is easily accessible.

Convenient to get to school (bus stop right outside). Walking distance to Whole Foods. Unit itself is clean and roomy. View of the lake is nice. Community and staff are friendly. Gym is functional.

But 1000+ units mean maintenance and upper management are slow to respond. Moving in with only one freight elevator can be a logistical nightmare. Many additional fees (parking, all utilities, laundry) make it less affordable than you might think. Washing machines are small, so expect to pay double loads. Random things are often broken. Construction is loud. Cockroaches. Package room was a mess but got better.

Some of this stuff just comes with living in a big city and a mid-range apartment. Others are problems unique to Mac/Regents. Seems like they respond more to legal threats than anything else. Don't be a d*** to the staff on the floor, but know your rights. Manage your expectations and it's not so bad.

I moved in on 9/30, and just four days later (10/4), I had a very unpleasant experience with the evening front desk staff. I asked about booking the service elevator to move a few small, disassembled chairs. She told me it wasn’t available but never asked what I was moving or said the guest elevator couldn’t be used.
Since the guest elevator was empty, we used it carefully without disturbing anyone. As we waited outside for our car, she came over and said I’d be fined $100. When I tried to explain, she cut me off and accused me of being rude and dishonest. When I asked for her name, she refused. When I asked for a security camera footage to verify who said what, she refused to give me that, either.
As a new resident, this was extremely disappointing and unprofessional.

I've lived at The Algonquin (1605 E 50th St) for a year, and it’s been a consistently frustrating experience. Maintenance response times are painfully slow — I had to escalate issues multiple times just to get basic appliances like the dishwasher replaced (which took a month), and my bedroom AC never worked since move-in. Some lights don’t work at all, and I’ve stopped reporting issues because the hassle isn't worth it. Package delivery is also chaotic — items go missing or end up in the wrong building, and I’ve had to dig through Regent’s Park’s package room just to find mine.
The building was once managed independently but is now lumped into the much larger Regent’s Park complex, making it nearly impossible to get timely support. Management recognizes me by face at this point but still gives the runaround on unresolved problems. Laundry theft is another serious concern — my clothes and basket have both gone missing from the shared machines. Overall, the building feels neglected, and management is unmotivated to address long-standing issues. I would not recommend living here.

Regents is not the best place to live, but it's definitely worth it. Cons: management isn't great, the package room is a mess, the elevators are slow, many of the apartments aren't updated, buses to campus are much less regular than they advertise. Pros: things tend to work, spacious, beautiful views of the river, social life, amenities, cheap. I think Regents is a good place to be if you want things like a gym, doorman, river views, and a law school community, while still having enough issues to make it cheap.

Came for the all new appliances, stayed for how good the management is. I've lived in many apartments, none as responsive as Laramar is. Not only is maintenance usually pretty quick to get to requests, but the building has a dedicated office with a manager there Monday thru Friday, so you can just walk in if you have any questions or issues. My one big complaint is the central heating, which can be hot on warm days and sometimes isn't turned on when it's cold- however, if you have a heater yourself it should be no problem.

Bad management but great unit

Regents is incredibly convenient because it is the first stop for the 172 meaning you can always get a spot on the bus and it is quick to get to and from the law school. Nothing about it is particularly special but I have found the maintenance requests to be fulfilled fairly quickly and it is reasonably quiet. If you are looking for a good deal you can definitely do better but it is an easy solid choice that is unlikely to be a problem for you.

Nice building but very old. Package room is a disaster.

I live in the north tower which is more renovated, but the amenities are nowhere near as good as they make it out to be. Gym is shabby and mail room is super disorganized.
My apartment itself has uneven floors which is annoying. Also management NEVER responds over email, and rarely over phone. Repairs are quick though. Also super thin walls.

Very convenient to live right on the bus route and near many other students. Nice to have access to the pool and a small gym. Maintenance usually responds very quickly for small problems, but there are a few more fundamental problems (pests and the mail room) that haven’t changed while we’ve been here. Overall, it’s a nice place to live for the price.

All my issues with the apartment have been with management. The actual unit is great, but management especially when it comes to receiving packages and maintenance requests leaves something to be desired.

The amenities of the building are great and appealing, like the pool and fitness center. The package room is absolutely miserably handled and I don’t send anything there anymore.

Having all utilities covered is a relief and convenience, and besides the fact that the air conditioning doesn’t go below 70, I’ve had no complaints with the utilities at all.

To be clear, the property is very poorly run. There’s not a lot of coordination between the different components of management, and in my first month I had to make several trips down to the property manager’s office to resolve misassigned fees and the like.

I have had minor bugs in the apartment, but no less than would be expected in an urban apartment.

I did get locked out of my room by a stuck key within my first few weeks, and they cut a doggie-door-sized hole in the wall to resolve the issue. It was patched promptly and painted afterwards.

All things considered, Regents is beautiful on the outside (both the building and the amenities), VERY convenient for travel and neighborhood, and a good spot to live in general, even if slightly overpriced for the “actual luxury” of the apartment.