Seneca Apartments

Despite not living here yet. I feel compelled to give a review of my leasing experience thus far. I would like to thank Jeannie for giving me a great first impression of Seneca. Her can do attitude and positivity really came through the leasing process. I’ve never really seen someone go the extra mile like her. It was a really pleasant experience and I am hopeful that the experience will continue to shine through. I’m not one to give 5 stars to anything, but in this case I will. Great work Jeannie, I would highly recommend working with her and her assistant manager as well. I look forward to coming at the end of November.

I’ve lived here for the past two and a half years and have had an overall positive experience through last year, but can’t wait to leave when my lease expires this summer.
Pros: Great location, friendly and welcoming front desk staff
Cons: A new management company, Greystar, took over the building in December 2014. From the beginning they have been disorganized, rude, and unprofessional. A few examples…
1. They «lost» my lease and payment history, and threatened late fees when I wouldn’t write them a check for «around 2,000» without proof of what was owed
2. Thin walls and noisy neighbors can be a problem in this building, and my concerns were not even acknowledged until after more than 10 complaints were filed (that’s 10 long, sleepless nights). Despite written records, phone calls, and visits to the office, management claimed to be completely ignorant of the issue.
3. Terrible communication — one person in the office will tell you one thing, and someone else will tell you something completely different an hour later
4. It has been upwards of 80 degrees in the building for weeks, despite telling residents that AC would be turned on 2 weeks ago. When I expressed concern I was simply told to «try opening a window.» WOW… thanks.
If management wasn’t so focused on promoting dumb ass Instagram contests and raffles, and actually ran the building like a business and treated residents with respect, this could be a great place to live.
If you’re not trying to live in a mismanaged, over priced freshman dorm, keep looking.

Wow! What an incredible property! Everyone here is so warm and hospitable! I moved to Chicago from Washington, DC to be close to my family and have found incredible people here at the Seneca.
The Hancock building is ½ a block a way and the Magnificent Mile (Michigan Ave.) is 1 ½ blocks away. The laundry room and fitness center have top of the line equipment. From go I felt at home here. Maria is warm, funny, and incredibly helpful! We met and I knew I was in the right place. Myra in the Leasing Office could not be kinder! She has really gone above and beyond.
Antonio and Rocendo in Maintenance are warm, generous, respectful, and punctual! If any maintenance issues arise, they are dealt with immediately.
Karen and Robert at the front desk clearly have a background in hospitality. They always greet me by name and have made me feel welcome here.
Seriously, this place stands out as an incredible find! Could not be happier about my decision to live here!

I’ve lived in a lot of apartments over the years, so I’d like to think I was a pretty good judge of them.
One, they chose the internet/​cable provider called ‘Suite Solutions.’ If you’ve never heard of them, consider yourself lucky. It is the worst internet/​cable provider in the entire nation according to the better business bureau. They charge you higher rates than any of the other providers, and substantially worse service. I had to call them a dozen times my first few months living at the Seneca, and they never fixed the issue. When I contacted the management of the Seneca about switching their cable provider, or at the very least telling their cable provider it was unacceptable that they never worked, I was pretty much met with a bad attitude and no help. So off the bat, let me say, if TV service or internet service is at all important to you in an apartment, do not stay at this place. The TV will be choppy, overpriced, and will go down frequently. The internet will be slow as hell and you will not be able to get work done that requires any type of reliable internet connection.
Secondly, this is a two pipe heating/​air conditioning building. You would have thought they would upgrade it since they were renovating everything, but no, they didn’t. During the transition months, before they turn the AC on, you will experience 80+ degrees in your apartment. Before they turn the heat on going into winter, you will experience 65 or so consistently. When the heating and air is actually in use, your electricity rates will be substantially higher than they guesstimate for you.
The ‘wood’ flooring is actually extremely cheap laminate that has pockets of air bubbles formed shortly after being laid down. Not sure if that matters, but I thought I’d mention it since the other residents mentioned ‘wood’ floors. My floor is not flat anywhere, although maybe that is just my unit and not true of everyone’s.
My refrigerator has broken twice, as they use extremely cheap appliances. Around 3 months into a refrigerator’s life, it just starts emitting this painfully annoying high pitched squealing sound and then stops being cold. I’ve already fixed it twice, and I’ve grown so weary of trying to get shit done at this apartment. The shower had to be fixed once as it would jump from extremely hot to extremely cold water from second to second, regardless of whether I touched the dial. This took about two weeks to fix, so I was taking showers terrified of what would come next.
Listen… there are a ton of apartments in this city. You’ll find hundreds who are significantly better for a similar price to what you’re paying here. The area is nice, but this isn’t worth it. Most of the doormen are exceptionally nice, but this entire building is poorly managed. I’ll be moving out the second my lease expires and know my next apartment will be significantly better for the money.

I just moved into the Seneca this week. The maintenance, security and management staff are wonderful; everyone is so helpful and friendly. I am a transplant from Atlanta and to be able to walk everywhere within 15 minutes is amazing. I decided not to bring my car to Chicago because the building location is perfect. There are restaurants, every type of shopping imaginable, entertainment and parks everywhere. If I want to go south to the loop there are buses and trains 2 blocks away. I can walk to church, then head to the lakefront for a group exercise class or walk/​ride to Millennium Park for a group yoga class. I just love this building and location.

I just moved here about 3 weeks ago and I couldn’t be any happier. The building is very well managed and the staff here is always friendly. Also, the amenities are great! Card laundry room, rooftop deck, gym, and restaurant/​bar in the building. Its a short walk to the red line and the neighborhood is very walkable/​safe. Maria the leasing agent is fabulous. She was helpful every step of the way and answered all my questions. You could tell she really cares about you.
I love the old/​new look of my apartment. Nice wood floors which are super easy to clean and a clean modern kitchen.
Overall I couldn’t be any happier!

I’ve done my fair share of luxury apartment tours in Chicago and can honestly say that The Seneca stands out. Maria helped me from day 1 choose an apartment I would love. She genuinely cares about your happiness even after you sign a lease. The entire management office is quick to communicate and you can really tell that they keep their renters top of mind.
The building itself is so unique having been a hotel and built in the 1920s. It has a certain charm that can’t be removed even with wood flooring, stainless steel appliances and a renovated interior.
My move was quick and painless, the management staff is always there to greet you with a smile and the doormen know you by name. Surprisingly it’s also quite quiet for its location and in terms of the building itself, the walls aren’t that thin. I think it’s a hidden treasure amongst the tourist packed Magnificent Mile.