626 on the Park, chicago-il

Where to start?! Erica Johnson was the BEST person to lease with. She answered all of my questions very timely responses and no questions gone unanswered. The property is beautiful and I’m so excited for this experience at 626!

I was in the leasing office today and witnessed an interaction that really stood out to me. Erica remained extremely professional, patient, and respectful throughout a difficult conversation, even when the conversation became disrespectful toward her. It was honestly refreshing to see someone maintain their professionalism and composure under pressure. Not every situation is going to go the way a resident wants, but the way someone handles a difficult situation says a lot about their character and professionalism. Erica handled herself with grace, and I thought that deserved to be acknowledged.

626 is an awesome property. Erica is super responsive. Every interaction I’ve had with her has been awesome.

They never answer the phone, always saying they’ll call back only to never answer calls or messages I suggest going in person if you want a real answer or expect to be waiting for 2+ weeks. Housing aspect it’s a good building with nice views and amenities.

Update: Bella Carey in the leasing office has been very helpful so shoutout to her. Basic inquiries still take over a week to resolve, unfortunately. Response rate via email/text is still low. I am not an undergraduate student and have rented from several property management companies in Chicago. I have never posted a negative online review before, but after seeing other residents report similar problems, I wanted to document my experience at 626. In short, management has been consistently unresponsive and unprofessional. I understand that opening a new building can create logistical challenges, but the recurring lack of communication and follow-through has been unacceptable. In just a few weeks as a resident, I have experienced the following: 1. Management is extremely difficult to reach. Calls and emails are frequently routed to an AI assistant, “Sam,” which promises follow-up from management. Despite numerous calls and emails, I have almost never received that follow-up. 2. Possession was not properly transferred at the start of my lease. Before move-in, we repeatedly contacted management to confirm that our paperwork was complete and that electronic keys would be provided on the lease start date. We received no substantive response. 3. The electronic key system has been unreliable. Lockouts appear to be common, and when I finally received my electronic key, it did not work. The front desk staff—who have been consistently helpful—had to let me into my apartment. 4. Reasonable inquiries are routinely ignored. For example, after management failed to provide my key on the lease start date, I emailed asking what had happened and how communication would be improved. I received no response. 5. Certain lease terms have not been honored as written. Our lease provides for physical electronic FOBs, which have not been provided. 6. Maintenance requests have gone unresolved. A maintenance request submitted approximately 15 days ago remains outstanding despite management stating that requests would be addressed once a maintenance team was in place. The move-in experience illustrates the larger problem. We scheduled movers for the first day of our lease based on management’s written representation that electronic keys would be sent automatically. When no keys arrived, I called the leasing office three times and emailed repeatedly throughout the day. At noon, management apologized and stated that the keys would arrive shortly. They were not sent until approximately 4:00 p.m., too late for us to complete the planned move. When the keys finally arrived, they did not work. This has not been an isolated incident. We have encountered the same lack of communication regarding rent, lease obligations, access, and maintenance. Calls during business hours routinely result in “Sam” stating that no leasing manager is available and promising that someone will follow up. In my experience, that follow-up almost never occurs. I also notified management in person that the leasing office phone number effectively routed residents to an AI system without providing reliable access to a human being. Management acknowledged that they were aware of the problem. More than three weeks later, reaching property management by phone or email remains extremely difficult; going to the office in person appears to be the only reliable way to obtain a response. I cannot offer much of an opinion about any particular manager because actual communication with management has been so limited. I am posting this review primarily to corroborate the concerns other residents have raised. The building itself has positive qualities, and the front desk staff have been excellent, but the property-management experience so far has been exceptionally poor.