We (student + JV) love our unit in Optima Views. It's large and great for hosting.

There are a fair amount of Kellogg students in the building, definitely enough to be social, and you are super close to E2. However, you need to be more proactive about being social if you live here.

Gym and pool leave a fair amount to be desired, but they are there.

Be careful, units and landlord experience vary dramatically as this is a condo building!

A nice big space at an affordable price right by the train and other major Kellogg buildings

Great place to stay. Close to the Kellogg social scene but also away from it. Gives a great balance and you can have those alone nights when you don't want to be at a party. Not as convenient as E2 or Centrum if social is your top priority at Kellogg.

Couldn't access the garden area during covid. Move-in and move-out times are very limited, only allowed a couple days a week. Charged $100 during moveout for a "Covid Fee" (which was putting a curtain up around the elevator). No real issues with the building, and the nextdoor farmers market was nice.

Great value, rent is much lower than neighboring apartments while still very close to friends at E2, Centrum, etc. Much of your experience will depend on your individual landlord. Building management is just ok, but I don't interact with them a lot and the building is mostly well maintained. Not much of a social scene, but I don't mind as the other buildings are so close. Walls between units are thiccc, I never hear the neighbors.

Spacious and quiet

Great value! We have a very spacious one bedroom apartment. Layout is a little odd, but we love the storage space, especially the large walk-in closet and additional storage unit. Each unit is individually owned so it can be hit or miss when dealing with the property owners. Overall building management is just ok. There has been a ton good amount of turnover and it can sometimes be hard to reach the Property Manager.

The location is great as well! It's right next to the Davis Street L stop and Metra stop and a just a few blocks from the heart of downtown Evanston.

The good:
Spacious condos. Some of the units are a tad bit dated, just depends on the condo owner you're renting from, but no major issues overall.
Price. Super affordable compared to where 75% of the student population is living (i.e. E2, Centrum).
Location. You're right next to E2 and next to the Davis CTA and metra stops. One of the closest buildings to all the downtown Evanston stuff, grocery, etc.

Not so good:
Very few amenities here. There is an outdoor space but it's generally been closed during covid. There is a gym but limited equipment, strict capacity rules etc. The building has many older residents so they're super conversative about this type of stuff.
Few students. Quiet building.

While this is an older building and thus isn't as nice as some of the other options in the area, you are able to find a much larger unit for a lower price. Each unit is owned by a separate landlord so the updates/appliances in each unit are different and it is important to make sure that you have one that seems responsive. Overall there are much fewer students in the building so there is not much of a social scene, but the building is located within a 5 minute walk of where most students live.

Pros: Building itself is a pretty good deal relative to many of the other buildings in the area. Our one bedroom is very large and has a good amount of storage space (huge walk-in closet plus a storage unit). It's nice to have so many utilities included as well. We only pay for internet and electric. Everything else including cable, parking and our storage unit. There are also a few common areas, although everything is still closed due to COVID as of December 2020. Location is great. It's right in the hard of downtown, a 2 minute walk to the trains, and about a 20 min walk to the global hub.

Cons: Management can be difficult to reach. Heat/AC isn't great. It has been very hot throughout the colder months. Train is right next door so can be loud at times if you're a light sleeper. The building is also pretty quiet, and, although there are other Kellogg students, it is not very social (I realize this may not be a con for everyone).

Note: This is a condo building so each unit is likely to be different based on the owner.