The Residences at The Grove

My husband and I lived in the Residences at the Grove for 3 years and 6 months. The price is high relative to the amount of space in the apartment. We were offered a lease renewal rate of $ 1996 per month yet identical units are being advertised at $ 1742 per month. It appears that the Residences at the Grove does not value customer loyalty or want to retain low-​risk tenants. With every year we surveyed the area for better living arrangements. However, each year the Residences at the Grove continued to provide the best opportunity for us based upon our respective commutes.
However, the management company, RMK, is incompetent, bordering on negligent. The first indication came upon requesting an examination of our refrigerator which continuously made groaning noises for periods of time excess of twenty minutes. We were told that all the refrigerators make this noise and that no replacements or fixes were available as this was simply the type of refrigerator that was purchased for the apartments. In our second year of living at the Residences at the Grove, we heard what sounded like gunshots at approximately 10:00 p.m. on a Sunday. From a news article, we learned that a tenant in our building fired a gun from their balcony into the parking lot. However, despite having reported hearing gunshots, the management company never alerted any tenants as to what actually happened. Later when asked about why the residents were not informed about what happened and what measures were taken by management to protect tenants from another such incident, we were informed by the assistant manager that those that were affected were advised. I suppose living in the same building, using the same elevators, and sharing the same communal space did not deem us as having been affected.
In December 2014, our unit and another unit in our building were burglarized, while a third attempt was made. Immediately the police were called and a message was left with the management company (the burglary occurred after regular business hours). We received a response from the management company only after we, again, made a call the following day. We were first informed that our door could not be replaced, though the lock had been damaged by the burglars, since the company who makes the doors only makes them bulk and they didn’t buy any extra. After approximately a week of calling daily to check up on the status of the door, management finally took our advice and swapped our door with that of an unoccupied unit. At the time of the burglary, there were no cameras in the entrance way of the buildings and often tenants would hold open doors for those who approached the entrances. We requested that our fellow tenants be alerted of the burglaries and advised to be careful to prevent tailgaters from entering the building behind residents. Our request went unanswered until a second burglary was apparently underway and the management company was forced to advice tenants to not leave their residences.
The maintenance crew does a good job at snow removal and lawn care, but similar to the leasing office, their response to important issues is inconsistent. Large repairs (sealing the parking lot, power washing the balconies, security cameras) are mis-​communicated and randomly delayed. For example, we were informed during the summer that all balconies were to be power washed and that all items, including gas grills must be removed from the balcony. This meant that we had to place our grill, including the gas propane tank, and numerous plants in our apartment. Given the already limited walking space available, this prohibited us from walking through much of our apartment. After removing all of the items from the balcony, the power washing did not occur as scheduled. We were informed much later that it was rescheduled for a time when we were out of the state for our wedding. As a result, we had to leave the grill, propane tank, and plants in our home for in excess of a week. This caused a fruit fly infestation of our unit.
Further, when we moved out of our unit, we were advised that we would receive our security deposit refund within fourteen days. 65 days and multiple phone calls later we were forced to threaten initiating a small claims suit to receive our remaining security deposit.
Although the leasing office is friendly, easy to contact, and organizes many events, they seem incapable of making any decisions that actually matter. Whenever real issues arise, such as communicating crimes that happen on the property or negotiating rent renewal rates or terms, the typical answer is «Those decisions are made at the corporate office. I can’t help you.» However, judging from actions, the corporate office does not seem interested in dealing with tenant needs. They are more interested in collecting money and whitewashing their reputation.

My wife and I lived here for ~5 months while we were building our new home.
Life was so easy at The Grove! They were extremely flexible with our month-​to-​month lease and even allowed us to extend for an extra few days, as we had various delays associated with closing on our new home. The property was clean, maintenance was responsive when needed, the front office (Ashley & Tessa) was friendly, parking was a breeze and the tenants were professional. Lastly, the apartment complex was very pet friendly, which worked out well for our pup.
The apartment, by the way, was essentially sound-​proof. .. to give you some perspective, my wife completed her PhD thesis while living in the apartment!
I’ve lived in various apartments in the Western Suburbs, and I HIGHLY recommend The Grove to those in the area.
VKM

I have been living at The Residences at the Grove for 3 years now and am very happy with this place. The Grove apartments have some of the nicest, beautiful and cleanest facilities in the Chicago area. Units have a great open feeling with a modern look. Very nice bathrooms which are a plus for me. The Grove is not your standard Apartment complex; each building has its own lobby. And unlike other large apartments that have a closed musky odor as you walk in, these buildings are clean and have a refreshing smell. The monthly rent is a little high but you get your money’s worth. It is quiet and the center courtyard is beautiful with outdoor seating and a grilling area. Each building has underground garages and large elevators, which are great for moving in.
The office staff has helped me with leasing questions, apartment maintenance and any other issues I had with the facility. They also organize events that are fun and make this complex feel more like a community.

I love everything about this place. Pricey but you get what you pay for. Top notch Billy, top notch!

The management staff make their own rules and when you communicate they act like they never received your communication. They are unpredictable and unprofessional.

I lived here for 1 year before relocating to another state. This was the BEST apartment I had ever lived in. Ashley, one of the office managers had amazing customer service. The only complaint is that it is a bit pricey, but at this place, you get what you pay for:
Granite countertops, Stainless Steel Appliances, In Unit Washer/​Dryer, Trash Closets on each floor, and the list goes on. What I especially loved about Residences at the Grove is that they had monthly events where you could meet other residents. I’ll miss this place!

There was
I thoroughly enjoy living here. This place is great. Can’t complain. Every amenity available. Nice granite and stainless steel. Very clean and good renters. Way nicer than anything around. Garage parking, heated pool and gym.
The lease does not allow residents to possess a firearm but does not enforce it. How

Management turnover has really change the tune of this property. When I first moved in, management was friendly and professional; the place was still in construction. In less than a year, the entire management team has changed. And completely GONE were the days in which the staff would say hello, know their residents by name, provide a warm greeting, professional, and helpful.
And, of course, the new property managers won’t honor any initial agreements. For example, initially management indicated when I first moved in that I could leave a half gallon of paint and, therefore, not have to repaint the room with primer. The room was painted professionally, but new management indicated that I still needed to throw some primer on the wall before moving out (which I did).
Also, the new management staff can’t seem to answer questions. In fact, they will respond to your questions with questions. (i.e., they won’t take the effort to look up information)
In any event, I moved a couple miles to another apartment (The Towers at the Four Lakes in Lisle, Illinois) with new units, more services/​amenities provided, friendlier staff, quite, a much larger unit and for almost 35% less in monthly rent/​parking.
While the initial two or three months of free rent seems enticing, the place is still significantly overpriced for the area. Do your research thoroughly. I moved to Chicago for a new job and had less than a couple weekends to find a place.