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High-rise Condo
Downtown Evanston, 1720 Maple Ave | Evanston
Overview
Photos
Amenities

Top Amenities

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  •  24-Hour Front Desk
  •  Cat friendly
  •  Dog friendly
  •  Fitness Center
  •  Granite Countertops
  •  Hardwood Floors
  •  Indoor Pool
  •  Parking Garage  
  •  Private Balconies
  •  Stainless Steel Appliances
  •  Walk-in Closets
  •  Washer/Dryer In Unit

User Rating

8.1
Great
111 Reviews

About this Location

Whole Foods Market
7 min via 213 (bus)
UP-N (rail) - 4 min
208/213/250 (bus) - 5 min
The Lakefill
20 min walk
Lots of bars and
restaurants nearby

Pricing 

1 Bedroom, 1 Bath
$2,300+
2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
$3,000+
3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
$4,200+
Schedule Appointment At
(872) 704-8022
  • Bedrooms

    •  Walk-in Closets
  • Building Related

    •  Elevators
  • Included

    •  Heat Included
    •  Water Included
  • Kitchen

    •  Dishwasher
    •  Garbage Disposal
    •  Granite Countertops
    •  Microwave
    •  Refrigerator
    •  Stainless Steel Appliances
    •  Stove & Oven
  • Laundry

    •  Washer/Dryer In Unit
  • Living Room

    •  Air Conditioning  
    •  Hardwood Floors
    •  Large Windows
    •  Lots of Sunlight
  • Parking & Transportation

    •  Bike Storage
    •  Parking Garage  
  • Pet Terms & Amenities

    •  Cat friendly
    •  Dog friendly
  • Security & Maintenance

    •  24-Hour Front Desk
    •  On-site Maintenance
  • Sports & Fitness

    •  Fitness Center
    •  Indoor Pool
  • Storage

    •  Additional Storage Available
  • View

    •  Private Balconies
X

Overall rating 8.1/10, based on 111 renter reviews Write a review

8.8
Location
6.2
Amenities
6.7
Management
8.8
Value
5.5
Social
9.3
Safety
Excellent
48
Great
40
Good
22
Average
1
Terrible
0

Optima Views reviews and highlights

  • Building has heated parking
  • Heat and cable included are huge perks
  • Nice amenities and considerate staff
  • Ample natural light
  • Great amenities
  • Very close to all the bars and nightlife
  • Great building with lots of Kellogg Students
  • Landlord is great
  • Small gym, pool and hot tub
  • Fairly high rent prices
  • Floor to ceiling windows
  • Feels safe and secure
  • Awesome views of Chicago and the Lake
  • Amazing upscale building with good amenities
  • In the heart of downtown Evanston
  • Units are spacious
  • Great location
  • Very comfortable, convenient and clean
  • Most of the doormen are really nice and helpful
Filter reviews for
8
Great
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Great value, units vary

We (student + JV) love our unit in Optima Views. It's large and great for hosting.

There are a fair amount of Kellogg students in the building, definitely enough to be social, and you are super close to E2. However, you need to be more proactive about being social if you live here.

Gym and pool leave a fair amount to be desired, but they are there.

Be careful, units and landlord experience vary dramatically as this is a condo building!

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Reviewed by
 
  • Couple
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
8
Great
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Optima views

A nice big space at an affordable price right by the train and other major Kellogg buildings

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Reviewed by
 
  • Roommates
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
10
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Great value for money

Great place to stay. Close to the Kellogg social scene but also away from it. Gives a great balance and you can have those alone nights when you don't want to be at a party. Not as convenient as E2 or Centrum if social is your top priority at Kellogg.

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  • Couple
  • Family w/ children
  • Roommates
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
6
Good
Overall score

Hard to move in an out; weird covid rules

Couldn't access the garden area during covid. Move-in and move-out times are very limited, only allowed a couple days a week. Charged $100 during moveout for a "Covid Fee" (which was putting a curtain up around the elevator). No real issues with the building, and the nextdoor farmers market was nice.

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  • Couple
  • Pet owner
  • 1 bed / 1 bath
9
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

OV

Great value, rent is much lower than neighboring apartments while still very close to friends at E2, Centrum, etc. Much of your experience will depend on your individual landlord. Building management is just ok, but I don't interact with them a lot and the building is mostly well maintained. Not much of a social scene, but I don't mind as the other buildings are so close. Walls between units are thiccc, I never hear the neighbors.

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  • Roommates
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
8
Great
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Optima Views Review

Spacious and quiet

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Reviewed by
 
  • Roommates
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
7
Good
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Quiet Building - Good Location, Great Value

Great value! We have a very spacious one bedroom apartment. Layout is a little odd, but we love the storage space, especially the large walk-in closet and additional storage unit. Each unit is individually owned so it can be hit or miss when dealing with the property owners. Overall building management is just ok. There has been a ton good amount of turnover and it can sometimes be hard to reach the Property Manager.

The location is great as well! It's right next to the Davis Street L stop and Metra stop and a just a few blocks from the heart of downtown Evanston.

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  • Couple
  • 1 bed / 1 bath
8
Great
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Great location and price, but few students

The good:
Spacious condos. Some of the units are a tad bit dated, just depends on the condo owner you're renting from, but no major issues overall.
Price. Super affordable compared to where 75% of the student population is living (i.e. E2, Centrum).
Location. You're right next to E2 and next to the Davis CTA and metra stops. One of the closest buildings to all the downtown Evanston stuff, grocery, etc.

Not so good:
Very few amenities here. There is an outdoor space but it's generally been closed during covid. There is a gym but limited equipment, strict capacity rules etc. The building has many older residents so they're super conversative about this type of stuff.
Few students. Quiet building.

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  • Roommates
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
8
Great
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Less Perks, More Space

While this is an older building and thus isn't as nice as some of the other options in the area, you are able to find a much larger unit for a lower price. Each unit is owned by a separate landlord so the updates/appliances in each unit are different and it is important to make sure that you have one that seems responsive. Overall there are much fewer students in the building so there is not much of a social scene, but the building is located within a 5 minute walk of where most students live.

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Reviewed by
 
  • Couple
  • 1 bed / 1 bath
7
Good
Overall score
Location
Management
Value
Social

Quiet Building - Good Location

Pros: Building itself is a pretty good deal relative to many of the other buildings in the area. Our one bedroom is very large and has a good amount of storage space (huge walk-in closet plus a storage unit). It's nice to have so many utilities included as well. We only pay for internet and electric. Everything else including cable, parking and our storage unit. There are also a few common areas, although everything is still closed due to COVID as of December 2020. Location is great. It's right in the hard of downtown, a 2 minute walk to the trains, and about a 20 min walk to the global hub.

Cons: Management can be difficult to reach. Heat/AC isn't great. It has been very hot throughout the colder months. Train is right next door so can be loud at times if you're a light sleeper. The building is also pretty quiet, and, although there are other Kellogg students, it is not very social (I realize this may not be a con for everyone).

Note: This is a condo building so each unit is likely to be different based on the owner.

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  • Couple
  • 1 bed / 1 bath

The Neighborhood

Signature Spots

dining 29 Recs

Buffalo Joe’s
Bat 17
Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza
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grocery 2 Recs

Whole Foods Market
Trader Joe’s
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convenience 2 Recs

Walgreens
7-Eleven
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fitness 36 Recs

Pure Barre
Evanston Athletic Club
TITLE Boxing Club
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parks 5 Recs

City of Evanston Recreation Divisi…
Merrick Rose Garden
Dog Beach
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coffee 14 Recs

Andy’s Frozen Custard
Bennison’s Bakery
Dream About Tea
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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...
Walkable
Easy Commute
Great Location
Student Friendly
Social Community
Great Accessibility
Proximity To Amenities
Median rents in Downtown Evanston
Studio
$
1,650
1 Bedroom
$
2,100
2 Bedroom
$
2,150

Getting around Downtown Evanston


Parking at Optima Views

Parking Garage

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Parking Near Optima Views

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.

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