Pros:
- Large kitchen with updated appliances (including dishwasher)
- Large windows for lots of natural light
- Amazon Hub lockers
- Easy access to public transit: 172 bus (to law school) + 6 bus / Metra (to downtown)
- Mac Properties is responsive to maintenance requests

So-So:
- No central air, although temperature control with the window unit has been great
- No in-unit washer/dryer, but no problems with shared building machines (especially at non-peak hours)
- Wall thickness - can sometimes hear music / conversations from neighbors if they're right next to shared wall
- Shared gym - better than nothing, but I don't use it for much more than a treadmill

Cons:
- Expensive, outside (uncovered) parking - I recommend just finding street parking
- 30+ minute walk to law school - not doable unless weather is nice

Getting to school is easy: the 172 stop is a block away, and there's also a university shuttle that stops right in front of my building. Getting to other places in the city is easy too: the 6 and 28 that go downtown stop a block away, the metra is a block away and super convenient. Also, it's not far from the vibrant shops on 53rd in Hyde Park.

The Algonquin has a gym in one of the buildings, but it's a bit small: no free weights, ~2 ellipticals, ~2 treadmills, ~2 bikes, cable machine

A lot of students live in Regents which is more expensive but have better amenities. I cared more about space, so I chose the Algonquin. I also didn't like the idea of running into a bunch of classmates in my building's hallways: the Algonquin is close enough to the action at Regents without being fully in the mix.

Downsides are no in-unit laundry, the recycling bin outside gets crowded kinda quickly, and there's no doorman so it feels a smidge less secure than other buildings might.

I honestly really love the Algonquin. The walls are thick so my apartment does not get any noise from neighbors. I do hear people in the hallway, quite clearly and they can hear me, but there are only 4 other units per floor, so it is not much of an issue. I have a south-facing unit so I get tons of sunlight/natural light and I was pleasantly surprised to find that I get a view of the lake and a gorgeous sunrise every morning. The unit is modern and clean and is pretty big with lots of storage. It doesn't look like it, but once all my stuff was moved in, I felt happy with the space I got. There are some issues with packages (sometimes delivery people don't put packages in the mail room), but the Amazon locker for our building is amazing. Whole Foods is super close, but other than that, the area isn't really very safe. Management is also amazing and gets back to me in a timely manner.

Pretty Decent

Good apartment overall. Recently redone units, close to transportation downtown and to UChicago. Overall great experience so far. Problems with gym access, and occasionally my packages never arrive, which I've never had a problem with before. Good bang for your buck, but don't expect anything luxurious - this is a solid alternative to living in Regents, but it's just fine. If you're looking for something with more amenities, choose Regents, and if you're looking for an altogether more luxurious complex, choose Shoreland.