The building balcony's have Dryer vents located right next to balcony.constant blowing of dryer exhaust and dryer sheet fabreeze perfume draft into units.very unhealthy.if you have allergy's only rent a unit that face the back or west. only rent a Top floor unit or you wont sleep.the sound proof is cheap and you will hear people walking 24-7.management will spin every complaint too.they just raised parking fee $50 after one year.there nowhere for people to walk there dogs either and they... don't clean up dog waste in front or back of building too. Read More

Reached out about availability & associated fees with the property (move-in, security deposit, parking, pets, etc.) Property manager responded very quickly with a link to the floorplans, available units, and a question of "are you looking for 1 or 2 bedrooms" but would not answer my question about the fees. I responded back that I needed to understand the fees to determine what was possible with my budget. Please send details on the fees. Silence! Sent another email 3 hours later asking the same... . Property Manager comes back "Looking for 1 or 2 bedrooms" - newsflash -- this has no relevance on if parking is 100/mo or 400/mo or if you charge pet rent. Property manager comes back with "utilities differ by unit, there's a security deposit, how many pets do you have, parking $175". Do yourself a favor and find a property that wants to be upfront with the expenses of renting with them & doesn't want to play email games. NOTE: Tried calling and she wouldn't pick up her phone either. Read More

Good:

1. This is a brand-new property so you will be the first tenet moving in to all new everything. Relatively affordable or at least competitive to similar properties. Has gym, and top deck community area with view of the city and lake. Indoor parking available ($175 a month).

2. The town of Highwood is kind of a hidden gem on the north shore. Probably the last affordable and non-pretentious areas left until you hit Waukegan. Many multi-cultural food options, bars, dispensary, coffee shop... , breweries x3, taco stand, biking/running paths and overall super chill vibe. People in this town are down to earth and super friendly. Super low crime. Good town management.

3. Access to the city via Metra in just under 1 hour.

4. Property management has been exemplary so far but only lived here 1 month so take that with a grain of salt.

The Not so Good:

1. The apartment gym is laughable. IMO They really skimped here on equipment... although the space is there. Comparing this property to ANY competitors properties is a major let down. Perhaps the lack of quality equipment was/is due to pandemic supply chain issues however, what they put in there is total crap. 1 cheap Walmart level treadmill, 1 cheap spin bike. Max weight 25lb dumb bells. I spoke with another tenant and we both agreed this is a major shortfall. If you are like me and consider the "savings" on not having a gym membership as part of your apartment budget - be warned. (Hey Benchmark! please address this before winter!) None of this stuff will survive 48 tenets using it.

2. I believe the secrets out on this tiny town and I expect Highwood to rapidly develop in the next year or two. Everywhere I look new stuff is being built or refurbed. This will likely drive-up prices in the future.

Overall this has been a nice place so far. Its still pretty empty so I cannot really address noise from neighbors or any concerns with a fully occupied building. As of 1 July about 11 of 48 apartments are occupied FYI.
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