The LEX

The Lex is a modern, classy and comfortable apartment complex in the south South Loop area!
While I don’t live here I do commute to Chicago for work every month and have the privilege of staying at my friend’s apartment in The Lex– trust me, it’s a stay I look forward to!
A few pros/​cons to describe:
Pros
The staff–
The entire staff is so incredibly welcoming and friendly. I particularly appreciate Jasmin, the receptionist/​door person. Jasmin not only welcomes me with a friendly smile, she recognizes me upon my monthly arrival, AND she remembers the exact apartment I’m going to and fabs me up on the elevator without any issue!
The leasing office staff, Chris and Franc, are also really friendly and accommodating! Finally, the property manager Kim is so friendly and moreover very conscientious of running a great operation– the lobby is always sparkling, even the elevators and hallways! A big job very well done!
The apartment–
Very, very spacious with beautiful dark floors and incredible views from the wrap around balcony. We can seriously look over and into Soldier Field! Pretty cool.
The location–
It’s really a very up and coming area! And, it’s so close to the Metra electric line to get down to Hyde Park (U of C) or uptown to Millennium Station area. Also, it’s nice to have a solid convenience store right on site!
Cons
Parking garage —
At times when driving in I have parked in the garage and notice most spaces are pretty tight. Thankfully they have a large number of spaces so it’s not the biggest issue, but it is worth mentioning.
In sum, I love The Lex and would recommend anyone looking to live in a convenient location, in a classy, really clean and well managed building with friendly staff and neighbors, The Lex is definitely worth checking out!

I lived at The Lex for a little over 3 years through multiple changes in management so have experienced the highs and lows. I will spare you details on those lows because there has been significant positive change since the current property manager, Kim arrived! Whereas I was once anxious for my lease to end, I was actually sad to have to leave when I learned I would need to relocate for work.
The maintenance staff is top notch. I would submit a work request in the morning, and it would be completed within a few short hours. The only indication anyone was ever there was the notice that was left on my kitchen island. The building and grounds are meticulously kept (since Kim started) and the hallways are vacuumed every single day like clockwork.
The door staff is the best too. James, Jasmin, and Holden became like a second family and I was so sad to leave them as well. There are hundreds of tenants who live there, but the attention I received was so prompt and personable, it never felt like it.
Even the moving out process was smooth and efficient. If you are a good tenant, this would be a great place to to call home.
The only cons are the thermostats which cannot be auto regulated by temperature (it’s either off or on) and the absence of a garbage disposal. I really wish these were features the builders would’ve invested in for the units. I also would’ve liked for the The Living Room rental to have been a free amenity… with a provided security deposit. Most of the units are of small size to comfortably entertain a group, and this is often a free amenity in luxury buildings.

Love love love the Lex! The staff is great very helpful and the building is well maintained. I couldn’t ask for a better location with access to all of the expressways. I love all the amenities that make life so convenient. I live on a dog floor and surprisingly quiet. I barely hear my furry neighbors inside my apartment. I would definitely recommend The Lex to any of my friends and family.

Pros:
1) Front desk staff are amazing! Jazz, Jay, and Holden all have made living there wonderful.
2) Floor-​to-​ceiling windows! Overall nice and modern design.
3) South Loop location is right next to highway with parking directly connected to building!
Cons (applicable to everyone):
1) Temperature control. There is no thermostat. You can only go on or off. AND that’s only if the temperature is above a certain threshold. If you live above the top 10 floors you WILL be boiling in the summer. Vice versa for winter — you WILL be cold.
2) Kitchen: No garbage disposal. No sprayer. No built-​in microwave in all units.
3) More on the kitchen: There are four burners, but you can only use the back two because the vent hood does not reach far enough forward to cover the front two.
4) Wall thickness. You can’t host without neighbors getting disturbed. And they can’t host without disturbing you.
Cons (amenities. so won’t affect everyone)
1) «Pool» is 3 feet deep max. Literally. Which actually goes well with its screaming kids. Yeah, not that relaxing. Also, you are limited to one guest per resident, so good luck with that.
2) The gym is pretty limited — but I only use it as a secondary gym. There is a problem in that there are multiple tenants running personal training businesses out of there.
Oh right, the move-​out costs I mentioned earlier. I had dented three (3) slats of my blinds — which I think is reasonable wear and tear. But they charged me for FIVE (5) hours of labor and FIFTY SIX (56) new slats. Then, on top of that, they charged me almost $ 200 for repainting the top of the washer (apparently it was stained), for deep-​cleaning the tub, and for a chip in the counter which I’m pretty sure was already there. Really?
We decided that the pros are outweighed by cons. Our main concerns (parking, location, price) were addressed a few blocks north, so we didn’t renew the lease. However, with the new management company (and move-​out costs), I probably would’ve picked something a few blocks north. Also they lost their best leasing agent, Donna, who won’t be there patiently guiding you through the leasing process.
Please let me know if this review was helpful. If you have any questions shoot me a private message!

I wanted to wait a significant amount of time before writing a review. My husband and I have renewed our lease for one more year, so I think I can touch on some points to assist anyone deciding to move here. Anytime you live the apartment lifestyle, there are a few common things that folks complain about. Noise is a common one, my husband and I love to entertain but really haven’t been able to because we have received the knock at the door from neighbors asking us to «keep it down» a few times. You CAN hear your neighbors really well.
1. parking is great. Even when the garage is open to public Soldier Field events there is plenty of parking.
2. the kitchen could use a few upgrades. Our dishwasher never dries the dishes, we’ve had maintenance come up a few times but no luck. It’s 2015 and this is my first rental ever that did not have a garbage disposal or sprayer on sink!
3. the floors are a little weird… If I attempt to sweep the floor it only spreads the dust around. I have to use the vacuum to clean the laminate floors
4. the apartment is close to the highways
5. the mobile app is awesome, we love that we can pay everything online and place work order requests all through our cellphones
6 there is 24 hour staff at the front entrance which allows us to be able to pick up packages anytime
7. there is a gorgeous hang out area called «the living room» but it closes way too early. It is probably great for a day time event but definitely not for an evening football game
8. we have a great view really big up facing Soldier field, I’ve enjoyed watching events such as the Chicago Marathon from my balcony ;-)
9. the dog run is pretty cool, there are a few inconsiderate tenants that don’t clean up after their pets, so some mornings it’s like walking in a mine field!!! I appreciate the brave staff that has to keep the dog run clean for everyone to use
10. the staff keeps the building extremely clean, they are ALWAYS cleaning throughout the day
11. Anytime we place a work order on the mobile app, the maintenance responds really quick
Overall, our time at this property has been pretty cool and the staff has been great!

I love the location, amenities, but most importantly the staff!!! This played a crucial part of staying at the Lex! Everyone was so nice and went above and beyond from the minute I stepped foot in the door. James, Franc, Kim & Chris are awesome!!! Glad I made the right choice.

Ok, it only gets better. Jazz and Jay are awesome! Everytime I come home no matter what kind of day I’ve had, they make me laugh and smile. Since I’ve been living there they have always been professional and know exactly who stays there, so it always makes us feel safe. Thanks guys!
Great staff from the front desk, to maintenance, to the office… allI can say is, if you don’t like them, somethings wrong with you… not them.

I love James :)

Let me start off by saying, that my partner and myself lived here for two years. The first year was amazing, but was a different management company.
The new management is awful and has done nothing but make living in the building a nightmare. There is rule after rule. This building has amazing amenities, but don’t expect to bring friends with you to the pool. Not to mention use the party room. It’s a joke. You are allowed one guest per unit. For the price of rent, I recommend looking elsewhere. Yet the staff can have as many guest as they like. Some of them live in the building. Also when you move in and out. They charge you ridiculous fees. This building is a joke for the neighborhood. It’s not Lincoln Park.

If you want to live in a sauna move in here. The AC unit does not have a thermostat. Only on and off. The AC automatically shuts off when the outside temp drops below around 60 degrees. Which means your apartment will get very hot, humid, and stuffy. I sweat every night and can’t sleep. I can’t wait to move out.

I used this place to park and it was clean convenient and exactly as stated on the SpotHero site, 4 blocks away from McCormick Place. I would pick this place again if ever down that way. The whole area was clean and friendly staff.

Upon first initial visit, I was ecstatic. I thought, wow we are saving a couple hundred dollars by moving here and it’s similar to our last high rise!
Upon moving in… here’s what I noticed:
1. There is no auto on the HVAC system, it is only on or off. PS: if it’s between a certain temperature outside the AC will not blow, I think it’s between 60 – 70. Yet because the units are pretty much all windows, your apartment will bake in the sun just like a car will. Yet, you will have no relief from AC.
2. It gets so hot even in the winter. No joke, we have to open the windows and shut the blinds during the day. Again, I’m not kidding you — this is when it’s 15 degrees outside. I’m a cold natured person but this year round car baking in the sun effect (from all the SW facing windows) is just killing me.
3. There is no garbage disposal.
4. There is no sprayer in the kitchen sink faucet.
5. The microwave is not built in.
6. The ceiling and a couple walls (stability columns) are concrete. Meaning if you want to put up curtains be aware that you cannot. The blinds are cheap aluminum and do not block out heat and only block out about 60% of the sun.
7. The walls are really thin. I can hear my neighbors’ conversations and the bass line to all their music. I noticed the other day when I went into the hall that I could hear my own music playing clearly in the hall, even with the door shut. And my music was not very loud.
8. Florescent lights in the ceiling fixtures and bathrooms in the unit. Some people can stand florescent and that’s fine, it drives me insane though.
For me, not only am I a mile further south than where we previously lived — and I thought that was the main reason we were saving that money. The location is bad, it is still in an upcoming neighborhood. There’s really nothing you can walk to and there are no close grocery stores. I work a bit north of the city. Getting on the highway here is easy but going north on 90 is terrible traffic any time of the day! a mile further south of where we lived before added 20 minutes onto our commute.
So what does the building have going for them?
1. The property manager is pretty reasonable
2. James at the front desk is just downright awesome
3. The building does have a really nice modern décor.
4. The floors in the units are really awesome, like a gray/​brown/​black wood laminate.
5. I really enjoy their cabinets, they are quality.
6. I can always find a spot in the garage easily.
7. LOTS of windows (floor-​to-​ceiling, wall-​to-​wall)

Wish I could give this sh*thole zero stars.
People trust me when I say, DO NOT RENT HERE!
My fiancé and I just moved out in March 2014.
The management sucks. The rent is extremely high for a building that isn’t safe and dirty.
I am so curious as to why all of the real and honest reviews are not displayed on Unilocal.
That’s a little shady.

I have lived at the Lex for the past few months. I absolutely love it!
Management was amazing for the first time I spoke with them. Elia has been the best person to work with hands down. The rest of her staff has been extremely helpful when needed and continue to give amazing service. Any questions I have had. they have answered quickly, honestly, and very promptly. LOVE THIS PLACE!!!
The added bonus to the Lex is the concierge crew. Danisha, Jasmine, and James are absolutely amazing. Whether it is a package, a visitor, or just the simply greeting upon arriving… the crew is tremendously pleasant and helpful. Thank you guys!
Maintenance is amazing as well! No complaints at all!
Amenities are second to none and with the pool season open it gives all residents a chance to socialize.
MOVE TO THE LEX!

Alright I have to let you all in on a little secret but first I’m wondering if anyone knows how to run a successful business let alone manage a building that has 400 unique individuals with adverse backgrounds, tastes and attitudes. Well think about it for a minute and take into consideration all the reviews you will read here.
I have lived in several High Rise environments for the past 20yrs in Chicago, NYC, Philly etc and find The Lex to be one of the more satisfactory buildings in the city. I have lived on the Loft side of The Lex and in the Tower (3 different units to boot and just signed another year) I also believe that the majority of your experience anywhere is reflective of your own personality and attitude. That said, please continue reading.
The price was a big factor when I moved here. I wasn’t paying the Streeterville prices anymore and still had the amenities with the bonus of quiet parks on Indiana Avenue, a short hike to the Bears Stadium and easy access to the Freeway.
The staff, well I know almost all of them I think by first name and believe me they know us too. I have four children between myself and roommates and at the very least 20 solid friends that reside in the building of which I never had before moving in. On Sunday it has become a ritual to answer the mass text of who’s grabbing what and when to grill and chill. James, Jasmine, Denisha and more will be at the front desk to assist our friends when they arrive.
Maintenance has always been prompt as well as extremely helpful. Once I had a key break in my door that a locksmith couldn’t remove and maintenance did. He saved me $ 500 bucks, «thanks Hasib.» Usually a request will be addressed the same day you acknowledge your issue through The Lex’s Online Resident Portal. This is extremely convenient and you can pay rent here too.
In the past 2 yrs at The Lex I’ve had the privilege of knowing 2 property managers and I had a great relationship with both of them. Don’t get me wrong I have 4 kids so don’t think for an instant I haven’t had to address a noise complaint or 2. Management has always been straight with me as I have been with them and has even presented creative opportunities to avoid problems with our neighbor whom we are good friends with now. They gave us an opportunity to switch units to keep both families happy. In short, our kids playtime was their time of rest, and a simple solution was found. Now I live on the Pent House Level and extremely happy about that. Management saw an opportunity to fix a problem and things have been great ever since.
Management also has already begun remodeling a «what I thought was chic» lobby, and after only being open 3yrs has continued to keep up on repairs on the pool deck caused by wear & tear, as well as damage from large storms. Additionally they have continued to make changes that are reflective of the best interests of all neighbors and has also enforced policy against tenants that overlook the rules. Elia is the boss now and has done a great job thus far along with her assistant Karen whom we are very fond of as well.
Anyway I have more stories to tell but you’ll just have to move in and come find me to hear them. I hope you find the ideal residence as I know we have found ours. We wish you all the best!

Myself and my fiancé just moved into the Lex from out of state and the staff here throughout this process has been amazing! I have asked Donna-​the leasing agent a million questions about the apartment and she has answered everyone of them in a timely and friendly manner. The building itself is in a great location with amazing million dollar views! Every Wednesday and Saturday Navy Pier hosts fireworks and we can watch from our very own living room! The area is convenient with a brand new Mariano’s food market only blocks away. I am so happy we decided on moving into the Lex!

We have lived here a little over a year.
Signed a second lease this past May.
Let me tell you that we won’t be renewing our lease next year and we wish that we didn’t renew this second year!!!
New owners/​management has let this place become a dump!!! Stay Away!!!
Our problems first started around last year in October. There is a dog run here and we didn’t ever seem to have a problem with responsible dog owner’s picking up after their dogs until new renter’s came in and the dog run was disgusting for literally 7 months!
I’m talking piles and piles of dog crap not being picked up and the management fully aware of the problem but NOT on top of the problem! At all!!!
I have many back and forth emails to prove it as well.
They did install camera’s and started holding people responsible, thank goodness!
But mind you it took 7 months. Obviously not a priority! And we are paying 2400 $ a month for this!
I’ve literally stopped taking my dog down there, it still has it’s issues and it really can use some more rocks and some sprucing up a bit to make it more usable. There is literally a hat in the corner that’s been thrown over a balcony and has remained in that corner for months. Obviously management does not come out here or anywhere for that matter to inspect anything to see if anything needs tending to etc.
Too much money for rent as well as I’ve already stated above, with little to NO customer service by management!!!
2400 $ for a 2 bedroom, includes
150 $ charges for each of our parking fee’s.
As soon as the new owners came in, the place and the people they rent to has literally changed the place, for the worse!!! Are they even doing background checks??? ((((Where is Carol? She ran this place like it was her home! On top of everything! She was the management that really cared about what went on here!).
A person was recently stabbed here!!! With no mention to any of the renter’s as to what exactly happened! Well I don’t know, maybe to help us out a bit as to some sort of «attempt» at putting us at some sort of ease… knowing that a person was stabbed at your place of residence!
Oh, not to mention the drug dealing and the people starting fights with you in the parking lot! The parking lot that they’ve now opened to the entire surrounding public area… To park in a private building! Now it is a pay lot. People may park here that don’t know anyone in the building. Doesn’t make any sense. At the end of the evening there aren’t enough parking spaces for those that actually pay rent to live here and pay 150 $ a month to park.
And feel free to take 2 spots if you have a nice expensive car because management does nothing about it!
Lastly the pool rules, 2 guest’s per resident.
Guest’s must have a wrist band.
Makes no sense at all!
Plus the hot tub has had green water in it ever since the pool opened. They are waiting for parts to fix the hot tub. That’s all fine but why leave dirty disgusting water sitting in it while waiting for parts???
Standing dirty water is a prime breeding ground for Mosquitos!
Oh well that is all I have to say at this point!
Plenty of newer building’s in Chicago, DO NOT RENT HERE! RUN AND DO NOT COME BACK!!!
It is most definitely NOT WORTH YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY!!!
The only bright side and kind thing I have to say about this building is the security/​desk concierge as well as the maintenance workers. They are all AWESOME and all deserve a raise!!!
(I do hope that the upper management or actual owner’s of The Lex review these reviews, so that they can see this and really know how well these employees are doing their jobs).
James and Hasib are the most enjoyable and most helpful people in this building, as well as the people that work for them under their guidance, all of our needs are met by these team’s of people and they all should get some sort of recognition for their continual hard work. Possibly a raise! The definitely deserve it!!!

First of, I made an appointment to check out a loft. I made the appointment while i was at the leasing office for the following week. 3 days before the appoinment, donna called and confirmed the time. When the day came, i went to the place to check it out, they said they never had any record of making an appoinment so I wouldnt be able to see the place today I was sooo fraustrated!! They completely forgot it! I called back and left messages for them to call me back but no answer. It wasnt until i made a review here that they got back to me. On top of that the price for the loft went up dramatically by 200 extra/​month.

This building and units are great and the building has an amazing view of the beautiful city of Chicago. That sentence is the reason I didn’t give this building 0 stars. Its comical how all of the 4 and 5 star reviews are the ones shuffled to the front of the line while the more truthful and realistic reviews are the ones not seen.
Let me preface this review by stating that I have lived in the building since 2012 and love every inch inside of the walls of my apartment and the gorgeous view that my wife and I have. We moved to this building in 2012 as we were able to secure a high floor unit with a northwest view. Life was great. Three management companies later, our last rent payment cant come quick enough. The only complain about our unit is our washer and dryer which doesn’t dry our clothes and after talking to management, they decided we wouldn’t be getting a new unit.
Let me first start with the «AMENITIES» aka the Pool and a mediocre (small) gym. If you consider relaxing on the weekend while 6 – 7 unaccompanied kids ravage the pool area relaxing, you are in for one relaxing weekend. If its not kids running around there will probably be some sort of party which historically turns into someone destroying the common area as they did when we first moved in. The pool is roughly 2−3ft deep which I am not sure you even call a pool, more like a puddle. The gym is ridiculously small for the amount of people who live in the building and apparently there are multiple residents who run personal training business out of the building.
This building is perfect for people who are weed smokers. I cant count on my two hands the amount of times that my wife and I have left our unit to the smell of weed. Also all the times in the parking garage where we have physically seen people smoking weed on the way to their cars.
SAFETY
Although I have never felt «unsafe» at this building, I have seen many sketchy characters mosey their way into the building past the doorman and on the elevator with us. The cops have been called multiple times and I just found out that our most recent police visit was due to a domestic dispute where a resident was stabbed. Make you want to sign a lease yet? There is a couple sketchy buildings just north but never had any issues as other reviews mentioned. Again, we cant wait to move out.
To end, the building itself is great an hopefully the new management company (3^rd time is a charm) will change things around. We paid way too much money to live in a place like this. If you asked me honestly should you live here, I would say if you are someone who stays to themselves in your apartment and enjoy the smell of weed smoke in the morning, then yes.

Environment: ⁵⁄₅
Parking: ⁵⁄₅
People: ⁵⁄₅
Employees: ⁵⁄₅
Amenities: ⁵⁄₅
Apartment: ⁵⁄₅
Price: ⁵⁄₅
Location: ³⁄₅
Total: ³⁸⁄₄₀
Synopsis: When I think about The Lex, I think of upcoming class for the cheaper. This place is a frick’n LEXUS! Per friend, it is a new developing area, and The Lex was hoping to be the center of the attention when it becomes the «New Chicago.» I thought that was a brilliant idea. As of right now it is on the quieter side, but when you walk in, it’s glamor, contemporary art explosion. There are some things to worry about such as a broken television in the pool room, but other then that, everything is all good. My favorite part is the pool/​Jacuzzi/​mini dog park with chairs. Ugh divine! Definitely TALK GHETTO, LIVE RICH status!
Environment: When you walk in through the vestibule into the lobby, you cannot help but feel important, significant, rich. Just for a second, I think I am out of place when I walk in with my shorts and a shirt. But that quickly goes away when the people behind the desk, in suit, greet me. The first floor has television, art, pin-​ball machine, lounge chairs and a table. There are these curtains made out of string separating each little section as well. And this is just the first floor. When you go to the 6^th floor, there is a library with two MAC computers! YEA FOR MACS! To lounge chairs with tables to do your homework, a small gym, recreational area with a pool table, television, surround sound for music, and there is a pool right out side with the Jacuzzi and dog park. It gives you a relaxed feeling, almost like living in paradise. A «vacation feeling away from the city.»
Parking: It is abundant. Right now there are no regulations, as far as I know. Guest parking goes along with the residential parking, until further notice. I think parking is included in the rent. Well for my friend, it is.
People: The residences are so nice. I have never encountered someone rude. Everyone is friendly, even the people with their dogs. So cute!!! Even though I am not a resident, people say, «Hi» or smile. Cool, huh?
Employees: Again never encountered a bad employee. You are always greeted and they tell you, «Have a good day» when you leave. Ugh. I cannot recall if any of the receptionists were cute. I need to be more wary of that. :D
Amenities: Pool, Jacuzzi, dog park, recreational area, gym, computer lab with free printing!!!
Price: My friend said 1,200 for everything, including central air. I think there is a little fee for the gym, or something. I forgot what it was. But when she told me, I was like «OMG!» I need to live here pronto! I don’t care about student loans.
Apartment: My friend lives in a two bedroom, one bath apartment. The windows are all glass, so you can see all parts of the south-​side and parts of the main city. There is a building that blocks the way, but regardless, everything is breath-​taking. During the day and night.
Location: Because of the area it is in and the fact that it is still developing, I would caution walking here during the evenings from the train station. Although, fortunately, nothing has happened, I would not be listening to my IPOD while walking the streets at night. Furthermore, it is quite a ways from the train station, 15 – 20 min walk, depending on your speed.