Home  >  Chicago  >  Evanston  >  Downtown Evanston Apartments  >  Optima Views

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

Mba student

Solid property, some units are just weirdly shaped.

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

Bang for buck, great location

Optima Views is in a central location, close to all of the buildings with high number of Kellogg students (E2, Optima Horizons, Centrum). You get the benefit of all of the parties and social activities without having to host them/trek through all of Evanston to attend them in the winter.

I think the building is a little older than others so depending on the unit, you will get apartments that aren't modern (e.g. laminate countertops, etc.) However, the rent is considerably cheaper than other buildings and even at the same rent, you get a lot more space.

Great for people who want their own space but still stay connected to the Kellogg social circles.

New property manager is not the most responsive, but hasn't presented any big challenges yet.

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  • Roommates
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
9
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Nice Apt

Nice building with decent amenities

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

Great apartment

Very spacious unit with tons of natural light. Heated garage parking and extra storage included! Expensive like most Evanston options but relative to other "Kellogg buildings", it's a good value. Overall, really good spot for two-year students.

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

Good Floorplans

Wonderful Apartment for our Family - Nice Floorplan and Walkable to campus!

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

We got lucky

Optima Views itself is nothing spectacular, but we got lucky with our landlord and the fact that our apartment has a large patio. One bedroom is half the size of the other and there's a HUGE pillar in the smaller room. Blinds have problems. Our landlord was great and was able to fix most things that weren't structural problems.

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

Well maintained and great facilities

Optima Views is hands down the best in terms of value in Evanston if you want to be in downtown and have full amenities. We have the best apartment layouts, great staff, indoor pool, spa, and gym, ample indoor parking, front desk staff, and an active HOA that is working to improve the living conditions.

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Reviewed by
 
  • Couple
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
9
Excellent
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Great for Two

This apartment is perfect for two people - very large bathroom, open concept (kitchen looks into living room), and lots of storage space. W/D in unit.

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

Great for Kellogg students

Great area. Quiet. Spacious

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

Small but Good

Good value, great building, small unit

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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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