Review for The Streeter Apartments

I have read the previous reviews and I have to say that my experience at The Streeter thus far has been much more positive. Granted, I did move in when the building was just about 2 years old, so perhaps all the new construction kinks have been worked out since then, but the flooding, power outages, etc. that I have heard mentioned haven't occurred during my time there-- knock on wood! I've been there for about 8 months and so far experienced 1 power outage and maybe a little loss of water pressure in the mornings, but that's pretty minimal in my opinion.
The doormen at this building are great-- extremely helpful and personable. They're also concerned with safety-- I had a friend staying with me for a week and even though they knew who she was by day 7, they were still calling me for permission to allow her to enter. It was annoying, but I was happy that they were being cautious about strangers in the building.
Parking here is probably my biggest complaint-- it's run by an outside company, so I know The Streeter doesn't have control over it, but it's outrageously priced. I just could not justify paying almost $300/month to park in an unassigned spot (that's right... if you drive in at peak hours, you may not have a spot). The plus side is that they have ZipCars-- which I would HIGHLY reccommend-- and its close to public transportation, so it isn't all that necessary to have a car anyway.
The building, in my opinion, is kept in very good condition. The staff is constantly cleaning, replacing carpet, repainting, etc. and I realize that the building is still relatively new, but I really couldn't complain about the appearance at all. Talk to residents in 5 or 10 years which is when it could become a problem, but the upkeep for now is great.
I'm not overly impressed with the management office. There seems to be a high turnover rate there with someone new everytime I go in, which could explain why some staff members do not always know how to answer your questions.
I've only had to make a call to maintenance once to fix my microwave when it shorted out and that was taken care of in less than 24 hours. It's been fine since. I have noticed that the equipment in the gym sometimes takes longer for them to fix. I think an outside consultant comes in to take care of that, which could be why, but that can be frustrating at 7 pm on a Tuesday when there's a line for the treadmills and one is out of order.
My apartment was in great condition when I moved it. With the exception of a faint carpet stain, it looked brand new. I will agree that they layouts can be a little weird. My northfacing balcony doesn't get the best light and thus doesn't get the best use. It is also inset as opposed to cantilevered out and since it is off the bedroom and not the living room (again, weird) it left an awkward little space in our bedroom next to it that we've meant to do something with, but so far has ended up as suitcase storage. The kitchen--while beautiful-- could use some extra storage space for sure. It's definitely lacking. Otherwise, the floor to ceiling windows are great (although an operable one in the bedroom would have been great as opposed to just 2 in the living area and no screen door on the balcony-- just a slider), insuite washer/dryer is such a great perk, and the closet space is pretty generous, and the unit, overall, fits our furniture comfortably.
With the exception of an occasional dog bark (I live on a dog floor, so it's to be expected) or being able to hear people talk/music through my bathroom vents (which is sometimes funny), the noise level is not a problem. The bigger noise complaint I would have would be the sirens and taxi horns outside, but that is part of downtown living.
Overall, I have been very happy with this building. Having a fitness center included, the business center with free wi-fi, and the gorgeous pool decks are great perks. Cable and internet is also included in the monthly rental price and the monthly electrical bill is shockingly low (a fraction of the $250/month that I paid in my old brownstone), which makes it a little easier to stomach. I will say that the building is probably overpriced though. It's cheaper than when I lived on the east coast in a much older apartment with far less amenities, but still $2000/month is a lot to pay for a 1-bedroom rental when you compare it to what some people pay as a monthly mortgage payment for larger places. I might consider renegotiating my rent price or possibly moving when my lease is up because, at the end of the day, it's just too much money for a rental-- downtown or not. It's also a very touristy area and while it's a great location if you work in the Loop, I think our next move will be further north to Lakeview or Lincoln Park where there is more of a neighborhood than there is in Streeterville.