Shoreland Apartments is probably one of the nicest apartment buildings in Hyde Park. The building that is being built on top of the new Whole Foods also looks swanky/convenient too, but Shoreland is right on the lakefront and has amazing views in addition to being a newly-renovated building. Of course, Shoreland isn't exactly cheap, but I think (based on personal experience) it is a lot better than some of Mac Properties' other buildings (e.g., Regents and Del Prado). Mac Properties can be pretty awful to deal with, but I haven't had anywhere near as many issues at Shoreland as I had at their other properties.

Pros:
Great views; free access to exercise equipment and study areas; free (relatively fast) Internet; capped heating bills; free water/sewage; close to 53rd/55th street restaurants and grocery stores; free outside parking (although spaces are sometimes hard to find); 24/7 concierge that will receive and hold packages for you; in-unit washer/dyer; 171 bus stops right in front of the building

Cons:
Mac Properties kind of sucks (e.g., Shoreland used to have an actual gym but they tore it out and put in office space for themselves, kind of like how they downsized the gym at Regents a couple of years ago); bicycle room packed and has 3 heavy doors that you have to swipe your key fab to open to get in/out; Shoreland charges $25 monthly per pet; closet space is limited in the apartments and the $25 monthly storage units are small

The Shoreland is a great place to live. Spacious living room, ample kitchen with granite counter-tops, new appliances, in-unit washer and dryer. Big windows, but smaller and up higher on 13th floor - visit and see before deciding on it. I had parties for my fellow classmates over the summer, fitting in plenty of people without any problems. The front desk staff are very kind and great about processing packages quickly. The gym is limited in scope, but useful for basic workouts and fitness - Ratner is only a (free) bus ride away. My favorite part is probably that the bus stops right outside, making the time you have to spend outside very minimal if you want to avoid doing so.

This has been my worst rental experience thus far. When I moved into the building, I was very happy with the Shoreland and Mac Properties. However, in the last year, there has been a steady decline in the quality of management, maintenance, and resident service in the building. I will provide a few examples.

First, I needed maintenance done in my bathroom. Until the problem was fixed, I was without a working bathroom. Maintenance was not prompt in arriving, even though I flagged the repair as urgent. When they did arrive, I was not home. I'm not sure what went on in my apartment, but when I came home, all of my towels were ruined, there was grease all over my bathroom, and there were muddy footprints leading out the door. I was eventually able to get someone to come out and clean, but they did only a fair job and it took a long time. In the meantime, I was still without a bathroom, as the problem had not been fixed. The whole ordeal lasted about 4 days. There was no apology from management.

Second, due to the ridiculous layout of the garage (which they will lease to you for $250/month without warning you that it's almost impossible to park in many of the spots), my car was damaged by the person who parks next to me. I emailed the Resident Success team, not to ask them to pay for the repair, but simply to ask that either my car or the car next to me be moved, as due to the size of our vehicles and the size of the spaces, it was inevitable that there was an accident and likely that one would happen again. I got the most dismissive, one line email possible. This is the kind of response that you can expect from the Resident "Success" team.

Third, and most frustratingly, Mac Properties has recently decided to change the parking spots from assigned to unassigned. This will not be accompanied by any change in pricing. As I understand it (which, admittedly, may be wrong as I am unable to get any answers no matter how many times I email or call), they plan to lease the garage to capacity by selling to non-residents. This concerns me as a safety issue. I am also concerned about the true "availability" of parking. Though they say that there "should" be a place for me to park, they will not guarantee it. And as mentioned above, some of the "spots" in the garage will not fit even the smallest compact car. Shoreland knows this. It does not care. When spots are not assigned, people will park in the most convenient (read largest) spot. When I signed up for parking, I had to let them know what kind of car I had so that I would be assigned a spot that my car would fit in. How has this changed? It hasn't and management does not care. I will be charged the same (extremely high) rate for the CHANCE to park.

In short, rent here if you want to be taken advantage of and treated like a child. In every conversation I have had with anyone from Mac Properties, it has been clear that the goal of the Resident Success team is to confuse residents, give them no information, and even intentionally mislead. Mac does not care about its residents, knows that it has a monopoly in the neighborhood, and will do anything it can to make an extra buck at your expense. Find something else!

Living at the Shoreland has been the most stressful, disappointing rental experience of my life. While it is one of the nicer buildings in Hyde Park, it is way overpriced and living here is not worth the money. In the past year and a half, I have experienced the following: waiting for routine maintenance for eight days; maintenance staff leaving broken light bulbs all over my apartment, and even after filing a complaint, never coming back to clean up their mess; stolen packages; having my parking lot move from assigned to unassigned without a corresponding reduction in price; posting utilities bills on the online portal well after their due date, and not informing residents.

The Mac staff is rude and unprofessional. Mac has a huge stronghold on property in the Hyde Park area, and it shows in their poor customer service, predatory practices, and complete disregard for the well being of their residents. If at all possible, I would suggest living absolutely anywhere other than a Mac property.

Love the size (not too many residents), the amenities (in-unit washer/dryer is huge), the bus stop to the law school is right outside, and I'm happy with my space for the price I am paying. I think it's probably the best luxury building in Hyde Park, but it's not prohibitively expense with a roommate (because it's Hyde Park).

The entrance to the Shoreland is almost intimidatingly spectacular, since it was originally built as a hotel (where Al Capone used to "do business"). Inside is not as glamorous, but it has everything I wanted: a gym, central air/heat, and easy/fast transportation to the law school (free buses take you door to door, or you can walk in under 30 or Uber in under 8 minutes OR, if it's between 6 and 8 PM, you can use free Lyft credit to get home). It's also nice to have the option of seeing other law school students both in the building itself or at Regents, which is very nearby and houses tons of 1Ls. It's also great to be able to see Lake Michigan from your room (if you get a lakeside apartment) and go down there to walk or run when it isn't too cold. And to have staff at the front desk who collect any packages that come for you. The gym isn't very big, there isn't enough lighting within the apartments, and people's pets are sometimes loud, but, all in all, Shoreland is a super refreshing deal compared to places like SF and NYC.

Shoreland is very convenient. The 171 picks up right in front of the dorm and drops off right in front of the law school so walking in the cold has not been an issue. Management is impossible, and the apartment is way over-priced. But, having an in-unit washer/dryer is pretty neat.

I've been very happy with my experience at the Shoreland. To begin, it's very easy to get to The Law School, since the 171 picks up right in front. It's an absolutely beautiful building -- an historic site, no less! -- and the inside doesn't disappoint. The apartments were recently renovated, and all are splendid, with new fixtures, granite counters, and, best of all, in-unit washer/dryers. I have a few quibbles, certainly -- the water pressure isn't great, and Mac Property Management has its reputation -- but overall, I'm tremendously satisfied, and plan on remaining at the Shoreland through my 2L and 3L years.

Property is great. Lots of students and even a few professors. Safe. Comes with a ping pong table in the lobby which is fun. Gym is really small. Internet is provided but is ungodly slow so you might as well buy an upgraded package. Management (MAC) is awful but basically have a monopoly on Hyde Park so what are you going to do? Building itself is amazing and is a really historic place.