Home > Chicago > Evanston > Downtown Evanston Apartments > Optima Horizons
Top Amenities
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- 24-Hour Front Desk
- Cat friendly
- Dog friendly
- Fitness Center
- Granite Countertops
- Hardwood Floors
- Indoor Pool
- Oversize or penthouse units
- Parking Garage
- Stainless Steel Appliances
- Walk-in Closets
- Washer/Dryer In Unit
About this Location
Whole Foods Market
10 min walk
10 min walk
UP-N (rail) - 5 min
208/250 (bus) - 4 min
208/250 (bus) - 4 min
The Lakefill
18 min walk
18 min walk
Lots of bars and
restaurants nearby
restaurants nearby
Pricing
1 Bedroom, 1 Bath
$2,495+
2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
$2,850+
3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
$4,600+
Schedule Appointment At
(872) 704-8022-
Bedrooms
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Walk-in Closets
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Included
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Gas Included
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Heat Included
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Water Included
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Kitchen
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Dishwasher
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Garbage Disposal
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Granite Countertops
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Microwave
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Refrigerator
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Stainless Steel Appliances
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Stove & Oven
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Laundry
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Washer/Dryer In Unit
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Living Room
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Air Conditioning
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Hardwood Floors
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Large Windows
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Lots of Sunlight
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Parking & Transportation
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Parking Garage
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Pet Terms & Amenities
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Cat friendly
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Dog friendly
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Security & Maintenance
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24-Hour Front Desk
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Sports & Fitness
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Fitness Center
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Indoor Pool
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Storage
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Additional Storage Available
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Unique Unit Types
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Oversize or penthouse units
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Overall rating 8.5/10, based on 259 renter reviews Write a review
9.4
Location
7.4
Amenities
8.0
Management
8.7
Value
7.7
Social
9.2
Safety
Optima Horizons reviews and highlights
- Modern finishings and appliances
- Gorgeous view of Lake Michigan
- Indoor parking garage is a big plus in the winter
- Excellent amenities
- Expensive for Evanston
- Great bathrooms
- Indoor Pool is great for kids
- Great for retirees and seniors
- Building is clean and well maintained
- 5-10 min walk to bars and restaurants
- Lots of sunlight
- Condo rules can be strict
- Allows large dogs
- Great place to live
- Tons of Kellogg students
- Amenities in units vary
- Building is pretty quiet if you aren't on the side next to train tracks
- Friendly landlord and management
- Gym is small, but enough for simple workouts
- Front desk personnel are extremely nice
- Floor to ceiling windows
- Fee required to reserve the elevator
- Fantastic location
10
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety
Optima Horizons Review
Great place to live
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Reviewed by
Kellogg School of Management Student
Nov. 30, 2017
-
Couple
-
1 bed / 1 bath
8
Great
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety
Great location & staff
Perfect location for Kellogg students, well priced & good building. Walls are a bit thin, watch out for the 2 year leases and inability to sublet for summers or other times of the year
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Reviewed by
Anonymous
Nov. 30, 2017
-
Roommates
-
2 beds / 2 baths
8
Great
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety
Kellogg Welcome
A nice place for Kellogg students
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Reviewed by
Kellogg School of Management Student
Nov. 30, 2017
-
Couple
-
1 bed / 1 bath
9
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety
Great for students wanting to be close to campus
I've enjoyed my time at Optima Horizons. Of the high rises, it's the closest to the Global Hub and is very centrally located in downtown Evanston. Very clean and great management!
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Reviewed by
Kellogg School of Management Student
Nov. 30, 2017
-
1 bed / 1 bath
9
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety
Good option
Overall a very good option for Kellogg students but tons of variety between units as it is a condo building & management can be hard to deal with
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Reviewed by
Kellogg School of Management Student
Nov. 30, 2017
-
Roommates
-
2 beds / 2 baths
8
Great
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety
Great
Great apartment if you are willing to spend for a slightly nicer place.
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Reviewed by
Student
Nov. 30, 2017
-
Roommates
-
2 beds / 2 baths
8
Great
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety
Great location, nice units, lots of Kellogg students
-Location is great (closer to school than most buildings, and close to downtown Evanston)
-Units vary by owner (some are outdated, some are flashy, mine was in the middle)
-Residents are about half Kellogg students and half retirees
-Lots of building rules, but haven't been a problem
-Indoor parking is nice
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Reviewed by
Anonymous
Nov. 30, 2017
-
Couple
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Pet owner
-
2 beds / 2 baths
10
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety
Happy Kellogg Student
This is the best apartment for Kellogg students and JVs to stay in. Great community within the apartment building, good amenities and decent pricing. Happy I am here--no regrets!
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Reviewed by
Nathan, Kellogg School of Management Student
Nov. 30, 2017
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Couple
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Family w/ children
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Roommates
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Pet owner
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2 beds / 2 baths
9
Excellent
Overall score
Great location and plenty of students
Love the location (one of the closer buildings to campus, while still close to downtown Evanston)
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Reviewed by
Anonymous
Nov. 30, 2017
-
Couple
-
Pet owner
-
2 beds / 2 baths
8
Great
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety
Centrally Located and Big
The apartment is huge and is in a central location.
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Reviewed by
Anonymous
Nov. 30, 2017
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Couple
-
1 bed / 1 bath
The Neighborhood
Signature Spots
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About Downtown Evanston
Since it's home to Northwestern, Downtown Evanston is the most popular residential area for Kellogg students. Most apartment buildings in Downtown Evanston are a 20 minute walk from the Donald P. Jacobs Center, and several public transport options can cut that commute even further. This safe and hig...
Median rents in Downtown Evanston
Studio
$
1,650
1 Bedroom
$
2,100
2 Bedroom
$
2,150
Getting around Downtown Evanston
UP-N (rail)
5 min
Purple
5 min
208/250 (bus)
4 min
93 (bus)
3 min
213 (bus)
4 min
201 (bus)
4 min
Parking at Optima Horizons
Parking Garage
, , , ,
Parking Near Optima Horizons
City of Evans 1800 Maple Self Park Garage
5 min
$110 / month
City of Evans Sherman Plaza Self Park
5 min
$95 / month
E2 Apartments
8 min
$145 / month
Parking rates are for informational purposes only and may vary — for most up to date pricing, please reach out to the garage directly.
Downtown Evanston Reviews
546 reviews
Downtown Evanston has everything you need. E2 is walkable to campus, a Target, and plenty of restaurants, as well as Metra and L stations to get to Chicago. Right across the street is a Subway, a Thai restaurant, and a pizza place, plus there’s a 7-Eleven about a block away, so you’re very close to options if you need food in a pinch.
Perfect for grad school at Northwestern, but otherwise feels a bit suburban without a booming downtown. There are some good food/bar options, but also a handful of abandoned/empty retail locations -- I'm hoping that means new coffee shops/food venues are coming, but it doesn't look like it just yet.
All in all ideal downtown Evanston location. Very convenient for public transportation to Chicago, next door to local favorite Bennison's (love the late night smell of donuts baking), and walking distance to plenty of bars, restaurants, and stores. Once the Target goes up by Sherman Plaza and we have an alternative to Whole Foods close by this will be perfect.
McManus is located right next to Evanston downtown, so everything (restaurants, bars, groceries) is very close by. It's also right next to Northwestern campus (~15-18 minutes to Kellogg Global Hub by foot), which helps quite a lot, esp. in the winter when you'd want to keep your commute as short as possible.
There's plenty to do, but it still takes some effort to get downtown. If you want the quickest ride (metra), then you have to plan ahead and deal with the (infrequent) train schedule. The purple line only runs express during rush hour. Depending on the time of day, your commute can run 20 minutes to an hour and a half.
I would 100% live in Evanston when choosing where to live for my time at Kellogg. There are plenty of amenities of all sorts - everything from two (!) Whole Foods and a Trader Joe's to amazing restaurants (Stained Glass, Boltwood, Found) and quick joints (Freshii, Cozy, Blaze, Cheesie's, etc.) to good bars ranging from dive-y (Bat 17) to more upscale (Bangers & Lace) to great retail, workout options (barre, boxing, and regular gyms), salons, and handy storefronts like hardware, cleaners, etc. Feels like home very quickly!
I live just south of the main downtown area, and it's the perfect intersection of being close to the action but also a bit removed when you want some quiet. I like being a in a more residential pocket, so there is slightly less foot traffic and really nice areas to walk around with a dog, etc.
We're one block from the centre of downtown Evanston. Clearly Evanston isn't going to win any awards for nightlife, culture or dynamism. But, you're not going to get than anywhere near campus. Good news is you're 2 blocks from Davis, which gets you to downtown Chicago in 30 mins.