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High-rise Condo
Downtown Evanston, 800 Elgin Rd | Evanston
Overview
Photos
Amenities

Top Amenities

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  •  24-Hour Front Desk
  •  Cat friendly
  •  Dog friendly
  •  Fitness Center
  •  Granite Countertops
  •  Hardwood Floors
  •  Indoor Pool
  •  Oversize or penthouse units
  •  Parking Garage  
  •  Stainless Steel Appliances
  •  Walk-in Closets
  •  Washer/Dryer In Unit

User Rating

8.7
Great
263 Reviews

About this Location

Whole Foods Market
10 min walk
UP-N (rail) - 5 min
208/250 (bus) - 4 min
The Lakefill
18 min walk
Lots of bars and
restaurants nearby

Pricing 

1 Bedroom, 1 Bath
$2,495+
2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
$2,850+
3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
$4,600+
Schedule Appointment At
(872) 704-8022

  • Bedrooms

    •  Walk-in Closets

  • Included

    •  Gas Included
    •  Heat Included
    •  Water Included

  • Kitchen

    •  Dishwasher
    •  Garbage Disposal
    •  Granite Countertops
    •  Microwave
    •  Refrigerator
    •  Stainless Steel Appliances
    •  Stove & Oven

  • Laundry

    •  Washer/Dryer In Unit

  • Living Room

    •  Air Conditioning
    •  Hardwood Floors
    •  Large Windows
    •  Lots of Sunlight

  • Parking & Transportation

    •  Parking Garage  

  • Pet Terms & Amenities

    •  Cat friendly
    •  Dog friendly

  • Security & Maintenance

    •  24-Hour Front Desk

  • Sports & Fitness

    •  Fitness Center
    •  Indoor Pool

  • Storage

    •  Additional Storage Available

  • Unique Unit Types

    •  Oversize or penthouse units
X

Overall rating 8.7/10, based on 263 renter reviews Write a review

9.4
Location
7.4
Amenities
8.1
Management
8.7
Value
7.6
Social
9.2
Safety
Excellent
139
Great
98
Good
26
Average
0
Terrible
0

Optima Horizons reviews and highlights

  • Modern finishings and appliances
  • Gorgeous view of Lake Michigan
  • Indoor parking garage is a big plus in the winter
  • Excellent amenities
  • Expensive for Evanston
  • Great bathrooms
  • Indoor Pool is great for kids
  • Great for retirees and seniors
  • Building is clean and well maintained
  • 5-10 min walk to bars and restaurants
  • Lots of sunlight
  • Condo rules can be strict
  • Allows large dogs
  • Great place to live
  • Tons of Kellogg students
  • Amenities in units vary
  • Building is pretty quiet if you aren't on the side next to train tracks
  • Friendly landlord and management
  • Gym is small, but enough for simple workouts
  • Front desk personnel are extremely nice
  • Floor to ceiling windows
  • Fee required to reserve the elevator
  • Fantastic location
Filter reviews for
10
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Hassle free living

Secured building, free gym, in unit laundry, all utilities included (excluding electricity), near to transport and Jake. Parking included

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Reviewed by
 
  • Family w/ children
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
8
Great
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Convenient location

Super convenient to campus and easy access to town.

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Reviewed by
 
  • Couple
  • 1 bed / 1 bath
9
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Optima Horizons

Lots of Kellogg students, overall great location and building!

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  • Roommates
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
9
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Best Place to Live

Optima Horizons is the place to live if you put a premium on location. It's a quick walk to everything in Evanston (the Jake, bars downtown, public transportation). It doesn't have all the (excessive) amenities of E2, but the rent reflects that. OHO is the best middle tier housing at Kellogg and the apartment building where you get the most bang for your buck.

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Reviewed by
 
  • Roommates
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
9
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social

Great building

Great location, so many Kellogg students in the building makes it a great place to meet people, and the apartments have all the amenities you would need for the next two years.

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Reviewed by
 
  • Couple
  • 1 bed / 1 bath
9
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social

Great for Kellogg Students

Very close to campus, and will still be a short walk when the new Kellogg building is completed. Condo association allows us to sublet the two parking spots that came with our unit (number of spots differs for each unit), which brings in approx $180 ($90/space) per month, which more than covers any utilities. Lots of Kellogg students live here. Would definitely recommend.

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  • Roommates
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
8
Great
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social

Highly Recommend Optima Horizons

Great location, one of the closest to campus and tons of Kellogg people in the building. Ideally suited for access to campus, trains to Chicago, and walking to restaurants, bars, and Whole Foods in downtown Evanston. Highly recommend Optima Horizons

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Reviewed by
 
  • Couple
  • Family w/ children
  • Pet owner
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
10
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social

Optima Horizons (1BR + Den)

Great location and great building. The building is 50% Kellogg Students (the rest are senior citizens) and is close to campus and to downtown Evanston. All of the units are a little different and have different layouts so the price varies accordingly. The only downside is that there is noise from the train, but you get used to it really quickly. There is a small gym and an indoor swimming pool. The staff are very helpful and its great to get an email notification when an Amazon package arrives for you :-)

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Reviewed by
 
  • Couple
  • 1 bed / 1 bath
8
Great
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social

Optima Horizons

Great location. It is close to downtown and Kellogg. The management is very nice. One side of the building is a train track, and you can hear the trains.

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Reviewed by
 
  • Couple
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
9
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social

Great Units, Close to the Jake

It's new, median priced for the area, close to school, and has good amenities.

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  • Roommates
  • 2 beds / 2 baths

The Neighborhood

Signature Spots

dining 29 Recs

Buffalo Joe’s
Bat 17
Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza
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grocery 2 Recs

Whole Foods Market
Trader Joe’s
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convenience 2 Recs

Walgreens
7-Eleven
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fitness 34 Recs

Pure Barre
Evanston Athletic Club
TITLE Boxing Club
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parks 7 Recs

Dawes Park
City of Evanston Recreation Divisi…
Merrick Rose Garden
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coffee 14 Recs

Andy’s Frozen Custard
Bennison’s Bakery
Unicorn Cafe
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Back

About Downtown Evanston

Since it's home to Northwestern, Downtown Evanston is the most popular residential area for Kellogg students. Most apartment buildings in Downtown Evanston are a 20 minute walk from the Donald P. Jacobs Center, and several public transport options can cut that commute even further. This safe and hig...
Walkable
Easy Commute
Great Location
Student Friendly
Social Community
Great Accessibility
Proximity To Amenities
Median rents in Downtown Evanston
Studio
$
2,300
1 Bedroom
$
2,600
2 Bedroom
$
3,300

Getting around Downtown Evanston

UP-N (rail)

5 min

Purple

5 min

208/250 (bus)

4 min

93 (bus)

3 min

213 (bus)

4 min

201 (bus)

4 min

Parking at Optima Horizons

Parking Garage

, , , ,

Parking Near Optima Horizons

City of Evans 1800 Maple Self Park Garage

5 min
$110 / month

City of Evans Sherman Plaza Self Park

5 min
$95 / month

E2 Apartments

8 min
$145 / month
Parking rates are for informational purposes only and may vary — for most up to date pricing, please reach out to the garage directly.

Downtown Evanston Reviews

546 reviews
Reviewed by Northwestern Graduate Student living at 1406 Elmwood Ave
Lots of apartments and family homes in the area. I always see someone riding their bike or walking throughout the day. It's a block from the police station, and only 2-3 blocks to downtown. Close to intercampus shuttle, 201 bus stop (3 blocks), and Dempster purple line (1.5 blocks). Nice area to live, quiet at night.
Reviewed by Northwestern Graduate Student living at Residences of Sherman Plaza
Downtown Evanston is a great place to live if you're a NU student. It's super easy to get to campus via either walking or the bus, and has convenient groceries within walking distance. The food scene is not the best, but good enough.
Reviewed by Local Resident living at The Scholar
Evanston is the epitome of a college town, everything you need and most of what you want is within a 10 minute walk.
Reviewed by Northwestern Graduate Student living at McManus Living-Learning Center
I really enjoy living in downtown Evanston. Everything that I need is within walking distance, and it is a 10-15 minute walk to my classes.
Reviewed by Northwestern Graduate Student living at 617-625 Grove St. Apartments
Safe, walkable area, even late at night depending on the streets you take. Great for convenience in terms of getting to campus, no car needed, access to many public transit options. You lose out in terms of cheap food options and fun nightlife - there are only a couple of bars open after 9PM on the weekends and for cheap food you're stuck with Chipotle or at best Tomate. But the lake and beach are within walking distance and you live close to other NU students making it well worth it for me.
Reviewed by Northwestern Medill Student living at Clark Street Apartments
Evanston really is a nice town. There's loads of food, both chains and otherwise, and a number of shops and things if you don't mind moving around a little. Driving in the greater Evanston area is not a lot of fun, I will say. I get the sense that the city doesn't much like the University and its constituents, and that the students don't always respect the city. It's not a perfect relationship, but it works. I can easily walk or take transit to class on the Evanston campus, and when I have class in Chicago I take transit, which usually takes more than an hour in the morning and close to an hour coming home.
Reviewed by Kellogg MBA Student living at Centrum Evanston
Downtown Evanston is super cute! There are tons of restaurants and a handful of bars so I find that it offers a good bit of variety for the neighborhood size. There are street festivals, a great farmers market, summer concerts in the square and other community events I've enjoyed. Would highly recommend Evanston anyone who wants access to the city but a self-sufficient "urban burb" type neighborhood.
Reviewed by Kellogg School of Management Student living at Centrum Evanston
Pros: Great location near key Kellogg hangouts like World of Beer, Nevins, Five and Dime, Prairie Moon, etc. Also convenient to Bennison's Bakery! Great for late nights- can get home in < 5 minutes without ubering. Also near both Metra and L- ideal if you plan to spend some of your time in downtown Chicago.

Cons: Long walk from the Global hub. Closest grocery store is Whole Foods, a bit of a hike to TJ's and Jewel.

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