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
111 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 111 renter reviews Write a review

8.8
Location
6.2
Amenities
6.7
Management
8.8
Value
5.5
Social
9.3
Safety
Excellent
48
Great
40
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
9
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social

Really like Optima Views

Great experience. Responsive landlord. Clean and convenient apartment

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  • 1 bed / 1 bath
6
Good
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social

Good for general living, bad for partying

The units vary quite a bit in terms of value. Some units are an incredible price while others have terrible formats for the rent price... so you really have to do your research on the format you are getting into. Optima Views, in general, while it has a decent contingent of Kellogg Students, is very discouraging around having massive parties. We had two big parties right off the bat and both times my land lord was contacted. I also got into an argument with the doorman because he thought I didn't live here. I get the feeling the residents (full time, non renters) and the staff know exactly who the students are because we aren't really old and sometimes I feel like I am "targeted" as having thrown parties and whatnot. All other aspects of the buidling are solid. Its not far but not close to school. The buidling is decently nice and parking is typically included which is heated and in-door. For the more low key Kellogg students, good place to be. For the ones that will be getting after it, stay away. For women roommates I highly recommend this building as it feels safe and secure.

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

2 Bedroom at Optima Views

Good building, great street with attractions nearby, nice apartment with wooden floors and good spaces, walking distance from Kellogg and downtown Evanston. Only downsides being Metra rails very close and terrace at nearby parking lot level. Probably a little overpriced but I believe the whole Evanston market is.

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  • Couple
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
7
Good
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social

Great place

Really like our apartment at Optima Views. We have a great view of the lake which is nice on the 5 days per year Chicago is sunny. Our landlord is great, and we've had no problems getting things fixed when we need to. The location is awesome, right in downtown Evanston, so we're very close to all the bars and restaurant. The management company is fine, most of the doormen/women are really nice and helpful. It's pretty expensive to live here, but I think to some extent you get what you pay for.

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  • Couple
  • Pet owner
  • 1 bed / 1 bath
9
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social

Conveniently located, spacious and lots of light

The apartment is pretty large even for a 2 BR. It's actually larger than the 2 BR that you would find at Optima Horizon. The floor to ceiling windows make it a very light apartment. The kitchen is quite spacious and you can actually do some serious cooking if you like. The street is quiet though close to most of the Evanston attractions and usual Kellogg meet-up spots. The movie theater is actually right across the street. Be careful with the east side of the building though - the adjacent Metra line might seem noisy to you. The building has a small swimming pool and a hot tub which is fabulous during Chicago winters. All in all, a great location for a reasonable price if you include utilities and parking and compare it with centralized apartment buildings like Park Evanston or Reserve.

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  • Family w/ children
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
7
Good
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social

Overall, a very clean and conveniently located apartment

It's a quick ~10 minute walk to Kellogg and downtown is right at the door. I don't really use the gym or pool here, so I can't speak to that, but the staff is incredibly friendly. Also, the 'L' and Metra are less than a block away, so it's very convenient to travel downtown, particularly for those w/ significant others who will be working.

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  • Couple
  • 1 bed / 1 bath
10
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social

Great apartment

Very comfortable, convenient and clean apartment and building. Dishwasher, washer dryer in unit which is a blessing!
The building has a small gym, pool and hot tub. Both the bedroom and living room get ample natural light. There's a small balcony which is helpful when you are entertaining your friends but we didn't use it much, thanks to the weather.

The landlord is extremely good and helpful.

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

Great building but Inflexible on lease terms

Amazing building, plenty of Kellogg people, great amenities.

Awful lease structure if you are going to be interested in subletting over summer internships, travelling abroad, or only staying 1 year (2 year minimum lease at Optima Views)

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

Bright and spacious apartment with 24 hr doorman, gym, and pool

Awesome place with big rooms, lots of windows, laundry in unit, and room to entertain!

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

Has been an awesome experience.

Great landlord, very amenable, and one of the best apartments with the best views of all Kellogg students.

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  • Pet owner
  • 1 bed / 1 bath

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
$
1,650
1 Bedroom
$
2,100
2 Bedroom
$
2,150

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
Downtown Evanston has everything you need. E2 is walkable to campus, a Target, and plenty of restaurants, as well as Metra and L stations to get to Chicago. Right across the street is a Subway, a Thai restaurant, and a pizza place, plus there’s a 7-Eleven about a block away, so you’re very close to options if you need food in a pinch.
Perfect for grad school at Northwestern, but otherwise feels a bit suburban without a booming downtown. There are some good food/bar options, but also a handful of abandoned/empty retail locations -- I'm hoping that means new coffee shops/food venues are coming, but it doesn't look like it just yet.
All in all ideal downtown Evanston location. Very convenient for public transportation to Chicago, next door to local favorite Bennison's (love the late night smell of donuts baking), and walking distance to plenty of bars, restaurants, and stores. Once the Target goes up by Sherman Plaza and we have an alternative to Whole Foods close by this will be perfect.
McManus is located right next to Evanston downtown, so everything (restaurants, bars, groceries) is very close by. It's also right next to Northwestern campus (~15-18 minutes to Kellogg Global Hub by foot), which helps quite a lot, esp. in the winter when you'd want to keep your commute as short as possible.
There's plenty to do, but it still takes some effort to get downtown. If you want the quickest ride (metra), then you have to plan ahead and deal with the (infrequent) train schedule. The purple line only runs express during rush hour. Depending on the time of day, your commute can run 20 minutes to an hour and a half.
I would 100% live in Evanston when choosing where to live for my time at Kellogg. There are plenty of amenities of all sorts - everything from two (!) Whole Foods and a Trader Joe's to amazing restaurants (Stained Glass, Boltwood, Found) and quick joints (Freshii, Cozy, Blaze, Cheesie's, etc.) to good bars ranging from dive-y (Bat 17) to more upscale (Bangers & Lace) to great retail, workout options (barre, boxing, and regular gyms), salons, and handy storefronts like hardware, cleaners, etc. Feels like home very quickly!
I live just south of the main downtown area, and it's the perfect intersection of being close to the action but also a bit removed when you want some quiet. I like being a in a more residential pocket, so there is slightly less foot traffic and really nice areas to walk around with a dog, etc.
We're one block from the centre of downtown Evanston. Clearly Evanston isn't going to win any awards for nightlife, culture or dynamism. But, you're not going to get than anywhere near campus. Good news is you're 2 blocks from Davis, which gets you to downtown Chicago in 30 mins.

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