BJB Evanston - 1420 Chicago

Experiencia fantástica: Super quick response to maintenence request. Great apartment and location. Helpful management. Best value in Park Ridge

Experiencia positiva: 2024.8.10 Since 1410 doesn’t have a Google review page, I’m posting this under 1420. I lived at 1410 Chicago Ave for a year, and I want to share my experience to help international students who can't visit the property in person. About a month before I moved out, the engineer, Leonel, came by for a thorough inspection, which I believe will ensure new tenants have a smooth start here. Throughout the year, he was always responsible and quick to respond to any maintenance requests. Tina from BJB was also very responsive and helpful. Overall, the staff here are reliable and communicate efficiently. The studio at 1410 offers good value for the price. The space is enough to fit a desk and a full bed while still having room to move around comfortably. However, there’s no in-unit washer or dryer, so you'll need to go up and down four times to wash and dry your clothes. The laundry room machines accept credit cards, but the instructions for the laundry card system can be confusing and are best ignored. The gym is small but always empty, making it convenient for strength training. The main issues I had with the apartment were the old-fashioned air conditioner and the bathtub drain. The AC unit is noisy because it’s inside the room, and in winter, it lets in drafts, making it very cold. The bathtub drained very slowly. The building is regularly cleaned, but there’s always a strange smell in the elevator, though you get used to it. There’s no front desk, but the building feels safe, and I never had noise issues. The building is near the Purple Line, so if you’re extremely sensitive to noise, this might not be the best choice, though the CTA runs infrequently enough that it didn’t bother me. The AC noise was louder than the CTA for me. When starting your lease, you’ll need to activate ComEd’s electricity service. If you’re an international student who can't arrive before the lease starts, you’ll have to pay a $45 deposit to ComEd, which will be refunded after 12 months. Overall, this is a recommended option for student housing. ___ Updates: Thanks to Tina and the dedicated engineer for their help. ___ Living here, you can enjoy the same low temperature as the street in winter, the Windows are frozen, and you can safely bring any snow back for collection without melting. While heat is included in the rental, you'll have to pay a premium for the mobile heater to keep you from shivering indoors in your down jacket. Referrals can be rewarded for up to $500, but I need to tell other potential tenants what it will cost to avoid losing $1,300 a month.

Experiencia negativa: Would not recommend this building especially to students. The heating and insulation are not equipped to handle Evanston winter, the apartments were freezing inside in cold weather. The ventilation system doesn’t work because of which there is often a bad odor on all floors. Most alarmingly, their emergency services don’t work. If you get locked out or need to reach out to the 24/7 helpline, it is likely to not respond. In BJB management’s own words, they have 90+ properties so the emergency line cannot be guaranteed to answer. There are many other buildings in Evanston with the same rent with cleaner common spaces and proactive management.

Experiencia fantástica: Great location and well-kept building. Management is attentive and helpful.

Experiencia fantástica: I've lived in two different BJB buildings (1575 Oak and 1420 Chicago) and had a very good experience with them overall. The management is both friendly and quick to respond to emails with any concerns I may have. The building engineers are also very responsive and quick to fix any problems that crop up.

Experiencia fantástica: I don't notice my neighbors, which is a positive for me. BJB is extremely timely for any maintenance related things, like, if you need something done and submit a ticket, there will be someone to fix whatever it is that day or the next day.

Experiencia fantástica: Cute building, lots of room and natural light in the apartments. Maintenance and management are very good at communication and responding to any issues.

Experiencia fantástica: The building engineer is the best, management is quick to respond to emails. Would recommend living in any of BJB's properties to family and friends.

Experiencia positiva: 1410 Chicago Avenue has been nice to live in. Maintenance requests are always resolved very quickly.

Experiencia positiva: Very spacious units with nice proximity to many restaurants, grocery stores, and coffee shops in the Evanston area! I enjoyed all of the natural light and hardwood flooring in my unit, too!

Experiencia fantástica: Units are large and have consistent appliances, AC, etc. Building is kept very warm in the winter, especially if you are at higher floors. Washer and dryers are easy to use but occasionally a few of them may be out of service- but usually they are fixed quickly. Maintenance requests are fulfilled quickly. Nice location close to campus, grocery stores, and the purple line.

Experiencia positiva: Not an awful place to live.

Experiencia positiva: Over all very happy with the apartment. The building is not the newest but is well maintained and BJB management are always very responsive. The only complaint I have is that despite the building being non-smoking someone near my apartment does periodically smoke and the smell gets in to my apartment.

Experiencia fantástica: Great location and friendly staff!

Experiencia fantástica: Really good management!

Experiencia fantástica: BJB Evanston is a great management company, the apartment is well maintained and the maintenance staff are super responsive. I have been here for a year and I’m super happy with the place. The staff are very nice and quick to respond, making it easy to communicate things! Highly recommend

Experiencia fantástica: I'm already in my 4th year of living in BJB Evanston building (1410 Chicago) and I've had very good experience. It feels safe, located close to campus, and has its money-value (though they've been increasing the rent recently). I was lucky enough to get a top floor unit at the corner, with only the bedroom sharing a wall with the neighbors, so it's been quiet with a lot of privacy. However, the walls can be thin so for units sharing several walls with its neighbors, it might be something you'd want to consider. A lot of the units are also facing the buildings right next to us, which might be annoying sometimes. But I'd still consider BJB as one of the best management in Evanston. Leon, our engineer, was also great and always fixed any problems promptly. I know others who also live in 1575 Oak, and they've had pretty good experiences there too!

Experiencia positiva: BJB management is amazing and always responds to matters very quickly. The building engineer is very friendly and helpful too. I’ve had work orders get done literally an hour after putting them in. The only con is that I wish the unit was more thoroughly cleaned before moving in. There was a lot of grease on the kitchen surfaces left by the previous tenant that took hours of scrubbing to get off. Overall though, I am quite happy with my stay and have recommended BJB to many people!

Experiencia positiva: I have been living at this property for two years and really like it. The location is amazing, everything nearby is so walk able. Management really shows that they care by communicating consistently through email and work orders are completed as soon as possible. The main con I have are that the walls are somewhat thin. I'm pretty sensitive to noise and it can be annoying to be able to easily hear the next door neighbor just talking or laughing.

Experiencia fantástica: We have leased the apartment from BJB for 3 years. They are very responsive, and all our issues were resolved on the same day. Both Dina and Tina who manage their property are wonderful and helpful. The move in/out experience was seamless. I wholeheartedly recommend considering their premises, especially if you are moving from abroad to Evanston.

Experiencia negativa: They seem to take great care of the buildings but the application process is awful and I would just avoid going through with it at all. We kept being told certain units were available and then the next day they wouldn’t be and at the end of it my roommate and I didn’t even know what unit we were applying to. Plus they didn’t refund the $75 application fee even though they totally messed up our application.

Experiencia positiva: Lived here as a student with two other roommates. HUGE apartment, spacious rooms, and decent appliances. Was able to have a lot friends over easily before COVID hit. Management and maintenance are great and super responsive (shout out to Dina, Tina, and Leonel). Building was also well managed during COVID. Lobby is kept clean but hallways can get a bit grimey sometimes. Only giving it a 4/5 because the elevator is slow af and the washing machines randomly breakdown sometimes (but are repaired quickly too so not a huge deal in the end). Also there’s that old dude in the building next to us who will blast music sometimes but he’s aight too

Experiencia fantástica: Excellent management! Our heat went out, and Anca sent someone out right away to help get it fixed. The building engineer, Maciej Trella, was very professional and fixed the problem quickly. I also appreciate that they were considerate of the time slot I requested the work to be done. They honored the time I put down. We have only had positive experiences with management.

Experiencia negativa: Poor management. Noise building. Do not live on the top floor. You will hear the noise from the mechanic room on roof days and nights. And they would rather blame you have an super hearing than install the noise block mat which cause less than $80. Also even you have been suffered from the noise and could not sleep well for months, they would not terminate the lease, and do nothing to the poor elevator machine on roof. You are either lose your money or you just dead here. Sometime, an old building with an elevator is not an plus point.

Experiencia negativa: Frustration after frustration. Stay away. After reading all these positive reviews I had high hopes. But starting from the day I moved in it was just headaches. I have 2 outstanding work orders, one that is more than 3 months old (!!!) and another that has been ignored for 1 month. Like how do I even know the temperature of the stove?!? Also I can hear everything that goes on upstairs. Loud bangs and footsteps from 2-4am as I’m writing and moans/groans…

Experiencia negativa: The building gets 4 stars! Walls/hallways could use serious attention. Staff is great! I give 2 stars to the website to pay rent!! Rentcafe seems to be substandard, can't handle internet load on 1st day of the month when you attempt to pay rent! REALLY!!!! Very frustrating and if you wait you end up paying later and incurring late fees. Stop being cheap and get better website for your residents to pay their rent!

Experiencia fantástica: Very impressed with the management. I never wait more than a day for work orders to get completed and management is incredibly responsive. The internet service is also reliable, which was an initial concern of mine.

Experiencia fantástica: I thoroughly enjoyed my two years at 860 Hinman. Would highly recommend BJB and 860 Hinman to anyone looking for an apartment in Evanston.

Experiencia fantástica: Had a great experience renting from BJB. I rented the same space for nine years and only left to buy a home. They kept all common areas clean and presentable all year round. BJB was always very responsive and would get back to you about any questions or concerns quickly. The maintenance staff was friendly and knowledgable. I would highly recommend renting a BJB property.

Experiencia fantástica: BJB is the absolute best. They are always responsive and care about their tenants.

Experiencia fantástica: I am living in the building which is managed by BJB Evanston. Today I emailed the manager to report the issues with water in the apartment. Manager replay immediately to my email and promised that the engineer who takes care of the building would cam the following afternoon to fix the problem. Everything was done as was promised. May big respect and appreciations to the BJB Evanston. Thank you.

Experiencia fantástica: I am an international student studying in Northwestern University and living in 860 Hinman for last 6 months!!I am very happy with services and management!Good restaurants and cafes are near home and very convenient to come and go to university! If one is aslo an international student coming to Northwestern University then this place will be best to live :)

Experiencia fantástica: Great location. Excellent staff! Very quiet neighborhood with no issues.

Experiencia fantástica: Overall our experience living here has been very positive. Good location, responsive staff, and a quiet building. Rent is competitive with the market in the area.

Experiencia fantástica: I live at Park Ridge location , beautiful apartment with large windows, hardwood floors, healthy and clean space; management is very helpful and always responding quickly

Experiencia fantástica: Excellent management and services provided by Anca. She is always pleasant, kind and truly cares. Anca and the maintenance staff are a pleasure to deal with on every level!

Experiencia fantástica: I love the location (860 Hinman Ave), it's close to the shuttle, L & metra and cafés, restaurants and stores. I have been here for several years now and Dina is an awesome manager who is professional, prompt, responsive, very nice and helpful. I can easily say the same about Tina, Jennifer, Jerome, Oscar and Leonel. Thank you for a great experience, An extremely content tenant :)

Experiencia fantástica: I currently rent a studio from BJB. They are great! Was very easy to sign a lease and they have been receptive to any problems or concerns. The buildings are older but very nicely remodeled inside with newer tiling, drawers and appliances. The layouts are really great and the building is so convenient being a grad school at northwestern to walk over to campus or get to Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and downtown after classes

Experiencia fantástica: I've lived in apartment buildings on two continents, and lived in 3 separate buildings managed by different property management companies here in Evanston, and BJB stands heads and shoulders above the rest. It's the details that make the difference: the members of the property management office are always polite and attentive, the building is exceptionally well-maintained, and should any minor issues arise, they are handled promptly and courteously. My only regret about BJB is that I didn't find them earlier.

Experiencia fantástica: I have lived at BJB Evanston property for almost 19 years and loved every minute. Great staff, apartment and neighborhood!

Experiencia fantástica: I love my apartment. Newly renovated, its a beautiful apartment with new appliances. The rent is very reasonable, and awesome internet and heating are both included with the rent. No problems. Anca was very helpful in the leasing process. I would definitely recommend BJB Evanston and Anca to others. :)

Experiencia fantástica: Wonderful Management and Place to live in Park Ridge. Property manager is so professional, responsive and attentive. Thank you Anca !

Experiencia fantástica: Beautiful apartment and well maintained. Very responsive maintenance!

Experiencia fantástica: Wonderful staff very polite and helpful. Highly recommend!

Experiencia fantástica: I have lived here for two and a half years, and I am so grateful for my little PEACE:) of Evanston. It's in such a central location with the restaurant(s) downstairs as well as coffee shops, cleaners, convenience store, and other goodies directly surrounding the area. Dina, the property manager, and the entire team do their best to keep us updated on changes/renovations to the building. Over the years, the team has had several different events for tenants (Christmas party, Pasta Party, Breakfast!), which has been totally unexpected but totally appreciated. Though my apartment is an "economy-sized" one-bedroom, I've done several variations of rearrangement that have made the place feel like home.

Experiencia fantástica: Great job by Dina and the team at 860 Hinman in Evanston. They respond quickly to requests and are always pleasant to deal with.

Experiencia fantástica: My boyfriend and I just left our cozy apartment in Park Ridge. I just have to say that our landlord Anca is THE BEST! She was so easy going, easy to get a hold of, and helpful in every way. I wish I could take her with us to our other places! She was my first ever landlord and I feel spoiled! My boyfriend has had many many landlords and he agrees that this was the best experience!

Experiencia fantástica: My building is in a great location and the BJB staff is attentive to any issues that may arise!

Experiencia fantástica: I have been a resident for 5 years with BJB Evanston! I recently transferred to 1 S. NW Highway and absolutely love my apartment! The renovated features inside each unit are gorgeous. From the massive walk-in closet located off of the front entrance, laundry room with in-unit washer/dryers including a utility sink, granite counter tops, stainless steel appliances, and hardwood flooring. The additional storage space in my apartment has been a major benefit! Whenever there has been a maintenance related issue Anca, The Property Manager, has been extremely efficient in getting it resolved! Overall, Anca's professionalism has been a main reason for why I enjoy living here!

Experiencia fantástica: I have lived here for the past 2 years and I love it! Central location in Uptown Park Ridge, access to many restaurants and shops, and walking distance to Metro train station. I feel very secure in my apartment as well. Anca, apartment manager, is very helpful! I locked myself out a couple times and she even waited after-hours to help me get back in. I would love the stay here again if I didn't have to move for my job!

Experiencia fantástica: I can’t say enough good things about my stay at a BJB property and my experience working with the Property Manager Anca and her team! Moving is never an easy experience but they made the move-in process smooth and painless for me, I never had to worry about a thing. And when an act of nature caused water damage in my unit Anca was quick to coordinated the help needed to make all the necessary repairs. With little inconvenience to me she helped get my new home in good working order again. Her follow through and attention to detail are the best I have seen in the business! Professional, results-driven and courteous, the rental industry needs more people like Anca and her team! The Engineer Maciej goes above and beyond as well to keep our building in good working order. I live in a well-maintained property and it is not by accident. A lot of hard work goes into it and it shows.

Experiencia fantástica: Attentive staff at BJB Evanston. Great location and views of downtown! Walking distance to Metra and restaurants.

Experiencia fantástica: Great location and wonderful service. Any request I submit is promptly answered by staff. Very happy with my time here.

Experiencia fantástica: Anca is very helpful in the management office!

Experiencia fantástica: Love the management, love the building!

Experiencia fantástica: Great first time renting with BJB. Amazing apartment location, couldnt ask for a better one. Anca was amazing and very sweet helping us with all our needs.

Experiencia fantástica: I am shocked at the low ratings I'm seeing. This is the best rental I've ever lived in. I have a two bedroom, two bath, contemporary apartment on the second floor. The building engineers are responsive to any needs I have had for repairs, and the management is terrific. I love the amenities. . . parking, in-unit washer and dryer, a balcony, freshly painted walls, a master bath tub with jets, and a generally quiet building. As long as you pay your rent, there are few if any problems. I have a longer commute to work, but the comfort of the space is well worth it. Free wifi comes with the unit. The grounds are always clean, and there is a short distance to the mail room and dumpsters. There are a few critters around (e.g. squirrels), but I don't mind them. It is easy access to any place in Park Ridge, and I live on the non-traffic side of the building. The neighbors are quiet and friendly. I have lived here for five years, and as long as I don't get priced out of the place, I want to continue to live here till I retire in a couple years. Trust me, I've lived in awful places with awful management, which is always a risk when you're a renter, but there is NO comparison to previous living spaces. . . this is 500% better.

Experiencia negativa: I couldn't be more disappointed, upset, and infuriated with BJB Evanston. I have stayed at 1575 Oak Ave for 8 months since September 2017 and experienced MULTIPLE incidents of being repeatedly locked out from my unit due to door lock malfunction. The engineer came over many times to diagnose the problem but failed to solve the fundamental issue as the problem recurred throughout my time living at this property. The first incident dates back to the very first day of moving into the unit when I had picked up my card key (the entire building uses a card key system), all while the movers were on their way to the building with my furniture and other belongings. It was clear that the door lock itself was malfunctioning (as opposed to the card key) since the engineer himself couldn't use his master card key to open the door. He eventually let me into the unit using a physical master key and told me that he'd be replacing the battery to the lock the next day, although it was evident that the battery wasn't dead (the door lights indicated that the battery was still running). However, the problem repeated itself one month later and the engineer came over to re-diagnose the problem. He said that it was the door latch that was somehow causing a jam that led to the door lock malfunction. Once again, he said that he'd fix it the next day. The management claims that the door lock was replaced, so I believed that this would solve the problem. Unfortunately and frustratingly, the problem repeated itself THREE times recently in April 2018 -- in fact all within a single week. After letting my wife into the unit during the first incident of this time period, the engineer said that he would come back the next day to replace the lock. When the engineer came over the next day, he inspected the lock and said that it was functioning perfectly fine, so he left without replacing anything. That very evening, my wife and I were locked out from our unit once again because the door lock wouldn't work. We had to wait outside our unit for more than 2 hours until midnight with our bags of groceries left in the hallway. The next day, the engineer came over to re-program the entire lock. Much to my disappointment, the door lock malfunctioned again after a week. This was during the daytime so I ran into the building engineer while exiting the building, and he was able to let me in using a physical key on the spot. I brought this to the management's attention immediately. The property manager (Zumi Topic) told me that she would bring in a lock expert to inspect the issue. For all the inconvenience that was caused, I demanded an early lease termination to the management, but the response I heard from them was "Sorry, that cannot be done." All they offered me was issuing a one-time inconvenience fee in the form of a rent credit towards one month's rent, since all the problems fell under the same category of "lock issue." For those who are considering BJB Evanston apartments, please do yourself a favor and stay away from their properties.

Experiencia negativa: Jennifer is an irresponsible agent，she not only didn't show up at appointed time，but also 'forgot' to inform the current tenant someone was going to visit. She seems to try to stop me from seeing the appartment after knowing that my roommate wants to rent it.

Experiencia negativa: Poorly maintained common areas and apartments. This building is currently maintained by BJB Evanston. Repairs (even if it is an emergency) often take several days and the work is shoddy requiring them to fix the issue again in several weeks or months. There have been issues with the front and back doors (the only fire exits) during which time they were completely unusable for long periods of time. I slept soundly knowing that I would bust out a window in the case of a fire alarm during the week the front door was broken. As with the common areas, the amenities are also poorly maintained including but not limited to: unusable Wi-Fi, TV outages, and lack of washers/driers. Due to the poorly installed and maintained communal Wi-Fi, most residents in our building, and the BJB Evanston managed building adjacent, have setup their own Wi-Fi. The density of Wi-Fi in this area is causing other RF issues. Plumbing that takes a week to get fixed has encouraged me to recommend looking at other apartments first.