Home  >  Chicago  >  Evanston  >  Downtown Evanston Apartments  >  Optima Views

High-rise Condo
Downtown Evanston, 1720 Maple Ave | 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
  •  Parking Garage  
  •  Private Balconies
  •  Stainless Steel Appliances
  •  Walk-in Closets
  •  Washer/Dryer In Unit

User Rating

8.1
Great
113 Reviews

About this Location

Whole Foods Market
7 min via 213 (bus)
UP-N (rail) - 4 min
208/213/250 (bus) - 5 min
The Lakefill
20 min walk
Lots of bars and
restaurants nearby

Pricing 

1 Bedroom, 1 Bath
$2,300+
2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
$3,000+
3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
$4,200+
Schedule Appointment At
(872) 704-8022
  • Bedrooms

    •  Walk-in Closets
  • Building Related

    •  Elevators
  • 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

    •  Bike Storage
    •  Parking Garage  
  • Pet Terms & Amenities

    •  Cat friendly
    •  Dog friendly
  • Security & Maintenance

    •  24-Hour Front Desk
    •  On-site Maintenance
  • Sports & Fitness

    •  Fitness Center
    •  Indoor Pool
  • Storage

    •  Additional Storage Available
  • View

    •  Private Balconies
X

Overall rating 8.1/10, based on 113 renter reviews Write a review

8.9
Location
5.8
Amenities
7.2
Management
8.9
Value
5.5
Social
9.3
Safety
Excellent
48
Great
42
Good
22
Average
1
Terrible
0

Optima Views reviews and highlights

  • Building has heated parking
  • Heat and cable included are huge perks
  • Nice amenities and considerate staff
  • Ample natural light
  • Great amenities
  • Very close to all the bars and nightlife
  • Great building with lots of Kellogg Students
  • Landlord is great
  • Small gym, pool and hot tub
  • Fairly high rent prices
  • Floor to ceiling windows
  • Feels safe and secure
  • Awesome views of Chicago and the Lake
  • Amazing upscale building with good amenities
  • In the heart of downtown Evanston
  • Units are spacious
  • Great location
  • Very comfortable, convenient and clean
  • Most of the doormen are really nice and helpful
Filter reviews for
8
Great
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Value
Social
Safety

Great property and unit; terrible property management company

We love our building and apartment. The apartment is spacious and filled with lots of natural light. My only complaint is that the heat/AC seems to only have one level (high) so when we use the system its either really hot or really cold. We tend to leave it off most of the time which means lower electricity bills. The building is conveniently located in downtown Evanston and the building staff are great. Each unit is independently owned so experiences will vary greatly from unit to unit. Our owner hired Renters Warehouse to manage the property and we had a terrible experience. The unit was filthy (stains, dead bugs, white appliances were brown/black, old food in the freezer) when we moved in and it took them 3 days to send someone to clean it (and they sent a maintenance person not a cleaner). Bottom line - the unit and building are great but avoid anything managed by Renters Warehouse.

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

Best value apartment in Evanston

Spacious apartments with good amenities. Heated parking for the winter is great, especially if you have kids.

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  • Couple
  • Family w/ children
  • Roommates
  • Pet owner
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
8
Great
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Good Floorplans

Wonderful Apartment for our Family - Nice Floorplan and Walkable to campus!

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  • Family w/ children
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
9
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Nice Apt

Nice building with decent amenities

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Reviewed by
 
  • Couple
  • Pet owner
  • 1 bed / 1 bath
7
Good
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

We got lucky

Optima Views itself is nothing spectacular, but we got lucky with our landlord and the fact that our apartment has a large patio. One bedroom is half the size of the other and there's a HUGE pillar in the smaller room. Blinds have problems. Our landlord was great and was able to fix most things that weren't structural problems.

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

Great apartment

Very spacious unit with tons of natural light. Heated garage parking and extra storage included! Expensive like most Evanston options but relative to other "Kellogg buildings", it's a good value. Overall, really good spot for two-year students.

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

Mba student

Solid property, some units are just weirdly shaped.

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Reviewed by
 
  • Couple
  • Pet owner
  • 1 bed / 1 bath
7
Good
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Bang for buck, great location

Optima Views is in a central location, close to all of the buildings with high number of Kellogg students (E2, Optima Horizons, Centrum). You get the benefit of all of the parties and social activities without having to host them/trek through all of Evanston to attend them in the winter.

I think the building is a little older than others so depending on the unit, you will get apartments that aren't modern (e.g. laminate countertops, etc.) However, the rent is considerably cheaper than other buildings and even at the same rent, you get a lot more space.

Great for people who want their own space but still stay connected to the Kellogg social circles.

New property manager is not the most responsive, but hasn't presented any big challenges yet.

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Reviewed by
 
  • Roommates
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
10
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Well maintained and great facilities

Optima Views is hands down the best in terms of value in Evanston if you want to be in downtown and have full amenities. We have the best apartment layouts, great staff, indoor pool, spa, and gym, ample indoor parking, front desk staff, and an active HOA that is working to improve the living conditions.

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

Great for Kellogg students

Great area. Quiet. Spacious

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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 36 Recs

Pure Barre
Evanston Athletic Club
TITLE Boxing Club
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parks 5 Recs

City of Evanston Recreation Divisi…
Merrick Rose Garden
Dog Beach
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coffee 14 Recs

Andy’s Frozen Custard
Bennison’s Bakery
Dream About Tea
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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


Parking at Optima Views

Parking Garage

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Parking Near Optima Views

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
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.
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.
Evanston is the epitome of a college town, everything you need and most of what you want is within a 10 minute walk.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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