When in Doubt, Ask the Renters: See 10 of the Best-Rated Apartment Communities in Chicagoland

When you want to find out whether the new apartment you want to live in is worth your money or not, you often have plenty of options. It usually boils down to two, however: you can either read what its managers want you to know about it, or ask whether people who actually live there like it or not. Or both.

The latter one obviously has its pitfalls, but we live in the 21^st century, so you don’t have to stalk people and stop them on their way out, just to find out if the floors are REAL hardwood, or if the gym is any good. This is what reviews and ratings are for, and this is where Yelp and Facebook come in.

If you want the best of the best, however, we have shortlisted 10 of the highest-rated apartment communities in Chicago, to make your choice easier.

Millennium Park Plaza Apartments, 222 N Columbus Drive

Yelp rating: 5*/5 (8 reviews)
Facebook rating: 4.3*/5 (31 reviews)
Property description: One of Chicago’s premier downtown buildings, Millennium Park Plaza is located just steps from the Magnificent Mile, across the street from Millennium Park and minutes from the lake. Its pristine apartments offer finishes like hardwood floors, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. The range of top notch amenities includes valet parking, a superb 38^th-floor rooftop deck, as well as a fitness center with lap pool.

Millennium Park Plaza Apartments, Chicago, Illinois. Image courtesy of Millennium Park Plaza

Atwater, 355 E Ohio Street

Yelp rating: 4.5*/5 (14 reviews)
Facebook rating: 4.7*/5 (10 reviews)
Property description: Atwater offers a unique style of urban living with its progressive architecture, light-filled lobby and vibrant décor. Located in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood, the building is smack dab in the middle of a thriving community with plenty of style, culture, art and entertainment. The units come with custom designer furnishings with king-size plush beds in the main bedrooms, fully equipped kitchens, individually controlled heating and air-conditioning, wireless Internet connection and flat-screen TVs in the living room as well as in the bedrooms.

Atwater, Chicago, Illinois. Image courtesy of RentCafe

Parc Huron, 469 W Huron Street

Yelp rating: 4.5*/5 (25 reviews)
Facebook rating: 4.5*/5 (43 reviews)
Property description: The apartment units at Parc Huron offer luxurious finishes that cannot be left unmentioned, such as designer pendant lighting in kitchens, 9.5- to 10.5-foot ceiling heights and floor-to-ceiling windows. The community also offers amenities like an oversized spa pool, business center, a cyber café with WiFi, lounge, fully-equipped fitness center, media room, and even wine storage lockers! The building is also a pioneer when it comes to green features—it was the first residence in downtown Chicago to have received the LEED Gold Certification.

Parc Huron, Chicago, Illinois. Image courtesy of RentCafe

Mondial River West Apartments, 910 W Huron Street

Yelp rating: 4.5*/5 (10 reviews)
Facebook rating: 5*/5 (4 reviews)
Property description: Located in Chicago’s River West neighborhood, Mondial River West offers a selection of one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans in an international-style building, all with unobstructed views of the surrounding neighborhood and the beautiful Chicago skyline. The apartments feature spacious living spaces with modern kitchens, natural hardwood floors and private balconies.

Mondial River West Apartments, Chicago, Illinois. Image courtesy of Mondial River West Apartments

Astoria Tower, 8 E 9th Street

Yelp rating: 4.5*/5 (55 reviews)
Facebook rating: 4.8*/5 (23 reviews)
Property description: Located in the South Loop neighborhood, Astoria Tower is literally just steps away from Chicago’s most important public transportation lines, but this is not even its best feature. In fact it’s tough to pick just one, because it has pretty much everything from rooftop decks with breathtaking views, through a 24/7 concierge service, to a glowing fireplace with BBQ grilling stations. The apartment interiors are equipped with only the best quality finishes, including granite for countertops and natural hardwood for the floors. The community is pet friendly, so your pooch can also experience the luxury living.

Astoria Tower, Chicago, Illinois. Image courtesy of Astoria Tower

Aqua At Lakeshore, 225 N Columbus Drive

Yelp rating: 4.5*/5 (32 reviews)
Facebook rating: 4.4*/5 (63 reviews)
Property description: Lake Michigan, the Chicago River, Millennium Park, the 6-acre Park at Lakeshore East—in other words, the best of the city. What else do they have in common? All of them are within walking distance of the impressive, 87-story Aqua At Lakeshore. Finishes include glass-tiled backsplashes, vinyl plank flooring, floor-to-ceiling windows, tiled entries, full-granite kitchens with contemporary wood cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, and in-home laundry.

Aqua At Lakeshore, Chicago, Illinois. Image courtesy of RentCafe

Oakwood 200 Squared, 210 N Wells

Yelp rating: 4*/5 (25 reviews)
Facebook rating: 5*/5 (15 reviews)
Property description: Nestled in Chicago’s vibrant Loop, Oakwood 200 Squared has the city’s best dining and nightlife within walking distance. You can choose from furnished and unfurnished apartments, among which you’ll find a selection of studios, convertibles, one- and 2 bedroom units. Whichever you may choose, it will have an upgraded kitchen, in-unit laundry and floor-to-ceiling windows. The range of amenities includes an indoor pool and sauna, private pet walk, landscaped deck with fire pit, 24-hour fitness center, and the list goes on.

Oakwood 200 Squared, Chicago, Illinois. Image courtesy of Oakwood 200 Squared

Chestnut Tower, 121 W Chestnut Street

Yelp rating: 4*/5 (25 reviews)
Facebook rating: 4.8*/5 (17 reviews)
Property description: If the location is not good enough, which is unlikely, Chestnut Tower also has easy access to the CTA Red and Brown/Purple lines. There are a number of new and exciting restaurants/bars in the area, though, so you won’t have to go far, at least when you just want to relax and have some fun. The apartments themselves are huge by downtown standards, so it’s great value for money, not to mention the views they have, which are just magnificent. The building amenities are of a very high quality—you get Bluetooth stereo access to play music directly from your phone, to name just one clever feature.

Chestnut Tower, Chicago, Illinois. Image courtesy of Chestnut Tower

Randolph Tower City Apartments, 188 W Randolph Street

Yelp rating: 4*/5 (36 reviews)
Facebook rating: 4.6*/5 (67 reviews)
Property description: Completely renovated, this one is a 45-story monster—not the kind that you’d see in a nightmare, much rather the stuff of daydreams. Nestled along the edge of The Loop, it’s obviously hard to beat location-wise, but it’s the amenities that really set it apart from the rest: Olympic-sized swimming pool with waterfall, 24-hour fitness center, and the unique SkyClub with gourmet kitchen, theater, and lots more extravagant features. The finishes are also worth mentioning: apartment homes feature wood flooring, lavish master suites with oversized walk-through closets, spacious bathrooms with 36-inch soaking tubs, and sleek-styled kitchens.

Randolph Tower City Apartments, Chicago, Illinois. Image courtesy of Randolph Tower City Apartments

Echelon at K Station, 353 N Desplaines Street

Yelp rating: 4.5*/5 (56 reviews)
Facebook rating: 4.5*/5 (19 reviews)
Property description: These West Loop apartments offer the most coveted features and finishes, such as modern kitchens with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and gas ranges, along with in-home washer and dryer. Designed to provide residents with first-class comfort, the list of luxury amenities includes an elegant lobby with 24/7 concierge service, fitness center with lap-length swimming pool, fire pit, grilling patio and a business center.

Echelon at K Station, Chicago, Illinois. Image courtesy of Echelon at K Station

Do you happen to know other Chicago apartment communities that should definitely be on this list? Think of the comments section as an extension of the list and add your favorite!