Ana S.
Yelp
Had multiple apartments in this building (studio and 2BD/2BA) for almost 6 years total, from about a month after the building opened in 2016, until mid-2022. Would rate 4-4.5 stars overall, as detailed below.
5 stars:
- The staff and management (as of mid-2022). I considered moving a few times and always decided to stay because of the wonderful, helpful, friendly, responsive staff. They went above and beyond for me many times, e.g., when I broke bones and needed extra help with my pets, packages, and around the house. In particular, Breanna, Tasha, Darrin, Brittany, and the maintenance team were amazing! One time my smoke alarm battery started chirping, and the maintenance team was in my apartment and replaced it in under 10 minutes from when I called. Also, during my time at the apartment, there were numerous changes in management. Morguard was the best management company of all of them.
- Convenience. You don't even have to leave the building to drop off and pick up dry cleaning, packages, or mail. Great amenities for busy professionals. Lots of lawyers, doctors, bankers, and grad students living here.
4 stars:
- The facilities. The maintenance team does a great job of keeping common areas clean, but they have their challenges, e.g., residents who leave garbage and boxes in the hallway by the trash room, residents who don't properly sort and dispose of recyclables, etc. There are a few details that could use some touch-ups/upgrades here and there, e.g., stained carpet, but for the most part the building and apartments are kept in great shape.
- Space: Coming from NYC, I was amazed at how spacious the apartments were compared to NYC. My 2-bedroom apartment had almost 1,500 square feet and could easily fit a king-sized bed, dresser, and nightstands in the bedroom! Even the studio I had at Marquee was larger than my NYC 1-bedroom apartment.
3 stars:
- The location.
--Pluses: Centrally located in the Loop, attached to Block 37 (so you can walk from your apartment to the movie theater or to get food in your active wear if you want to, without ever going outside, and you can access the city train system in the basement of the building without going outside). There are incredibly nice views on the 38th floor (including panoramic views of the lake/city) and from many of the apartments.
--Minuses: Since the building is across from a theater and attached to Block 37, there are tons of tourists, theater-goers, and people around all the time. Parking anywhere on the street or in the area is a challenge, and basically impossible around showtimes at the theater. You're lucky if delivery people (e.g., DoorDash) can find a parking spot and bring your food up to you. At least half the time, they have to double-park, and leave your food at the front desk on the ground floor, or they ask you to come grab the food from them in their car, and you have to go get the food yourself. There is underground parking for residents and guests. Residents can buy a monthly pass. Guests can pay per day, but it's pretty expensive.
- Interior amenities: Not the most expensive, and not the cheapest, either. The units I lived in had GE appliances and those sliding, hollow-wood closet doors on a track. The floors seemed to be wood-looking vinyl but looked nice. The floor-to-ceiling windows were nice. AC/heat worked pretty well.
- Quiet/noise. The soundproofing isn't the best and isn't the worst. Pre-pandemic, there were frequently parades/protests up and down State Street. When I lived on the side of the building closer to State Street, I'd hear quite a lot of noise from those parades/protests. When I moved to the side of the building closer to Dearborn, instead of parades, I'd hear protests outside the government buildings near Marquee. (And with everything going on in the world now, there are lots of different protests happening all the time.) Also, if you live on the side of the building closer to Dearborn, from mid-November through late December you'll hear pretty consistent, loud, and unavoidable music and noise from Christkindlmarket. Inside the building, it depends on the location of your apartment and how large it is, whether you'll hear your neighbor's barking dog or loud music. When Marquee is quiet, it's very quiet. When Marquee is loud, it can get pretty loud.
- Price: Not the most expensive space in the area, and not the cheapest, either (for a place with similar size and amenities).
- The dog run. The maintenance team tries to keep this clean and safe to use in the winter, but unfortunately a number of residents don't pick up after their dogs, and the dog run can get pretty icy/dangerous in winter (the ground is coated concrete or something like it).
- Other: It seems like the hot tubs and pool are closed/broken more often than not. The light from the neon theater sign is very bright particularly if your apartment is near there and you're trying to sleep.