Home  >  Chicago  >  Evanston  >  Downtown Evanston Apartments  >  Optima Towers

High-rise Condo
Downtown Evanston, 1580 Sherman Ave | Evanston
Overview
Photos
Amenities

Top Amenities

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  •  Cat friendly
  •  Controlled Access
  •  Dog friendly
  •  Fitness Center
  •  Granite Countertops
  •  Hardwood Floors
  •  Indoor Pool
  •  Parking Garage  
  •  Private Balconies
  •  Resident Lounge
  •  Stainless Steel Appliances
  •  Washer/Dryer In Unit

User Rating

8.0
Great
39 Reviews

About this Location

Whole Foods Market
7 min walk
UP-N (rail) - 7 min
Purple Line (metro) - 7 min
The Lakefill
21 min walk
Lots of bars and
restaurants nearby

Pricing 

1 Bedroom, 1 Bath
$2,400+
2 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
$3,500+
3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths
$4,500+
Schedule Appointment At
(872) 704-8022
  • Bedrooms

    •  Walk-in Closets
  • Building Related

    •  Elevators
  • Entertainment

    •  Resident Lounge
  • Included

    •  Basic Cable Included
    •  Gas 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
  • Parking & Transportation

    •  Parking Garage  
  • Pet Terms & Amenities

    •  Cat friendly
    •  Dog friendly
  • Security & Maintenance

    •  Controlled Access
    •  On-site Maintenance
  • Sports & Fitness

    •  Fitness Center
    •  Indoor Pool
  • View

    •  Amazing Views
    •  Private Balconies
X

Overall rating 8.0/10, based on 39 renter reviews Write a review

9.2
Location
6.2
Amenities
6.6
Management
8.3
Value
5.5
Social
8.8
Safety
Excellent
14
Great
16
Good
8
Average
1
Terrible
0

Optima Towers reviews and highlights

  • 5 min bike ride to campus
  • All the appliances you need
  • Building is quiet
  • Heated parking garage
  • Great for families
  • Huge master bedrooms
  • Lots of retirees
  • Close to all of Evanston's nightlife
  • Maintenance varies by your condo owner
  • Building has been wonderful
  • Spacious bathrooms
  • Close to lots of restaurants
  • Modern apartments that are in great condition
  • Washer/Dryer included
  • Parking is included
  • Amazing balcony
  • Lots of space to entertain
  • Amazing location
  • Indoor pool and jacuzzi
  • Great amenities
  • Large walk-in closets
  • Great view of Lake Michigan
  • Small, but functional gym
  • Rent is very reasonable
  • Large modern kitchens
Filter reviews for
8
Great
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

great, super underrated property smack in the middle of downtown

Apartments in this building are super spacious especially at a low price point. It is right in the middle of downtown - less than 1 min from Target, 3 min from Whole Foods, 7min from Trader Joe's etc. Lots of really friendly neighbours. Since it is a condo and not an apartment building not a ton of Kellogg students. Fantastic apartment with lakeviews at a low price point.

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

Great Value Apt, with the best location

The apartements are pretty spacious compared to other Kellogg apts. The location is unbeatable, very close to Albion, Centrum and Evanston Place, as well as Target and Whole Foods.

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

No frills, but gets the job done

Large apartment with nice views. There is no common area or study rooms, and the gym is bare bones. But all in all it's a solid, affordable condo building that is super conveniently located. You really can't beat the location, especially if proximity to the L and the Metra are important to you.

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

Great value, spacious but maintenance needs work

We got great value for the amount of space we have, heating is great. However, after staying here for 3 months we already experienced a lift breakdown, two occasions of hot water being down and a problem with the flush in one of the bathrooms. Could be due to issues caused by the cold weather last year though.
Location-wise, it's further from school/E2 but near to pubs like Whiskey Thief, Evanston Pub, Target and McManus

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

Affordable

Well priced and lot of space

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

Central location, lots of space

The Optima Tower apartments are located in the middle of downtown Evanston and offer plenty of space. Not as many Kellogg students live here as I would have expected. The residents skew older (retirees). The building is 15–20 years old and is beginning to show its age.

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  • Roommates
  • 2 beds / 2 baths
6
Good
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Lots of space, but older unit and cumbersome rental process

Pros:
- quiet building
- very spacious
- in-unit laundry
- gas stove, which is covered in rent
- heated parking garage
- property management company is responsive
- expensive (but everywhere in Evanston is)
- pool and hot tub in building
- my roommate is awesome

Cons:
- older building - had to get our dishwasher replaced after one week
- gym in building but it's very small (only 4 cardio machines and one weight station)
- no security/management on site to deal with issues (e.g. someone parked in my spot and it took 2 days to get someone to move that car)
- process to finalize the lease was very, very cumbersome and required a lot of documentation and paperwork

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  • Roommates
  • 2 beds / 3 baths
6
Good
Overall score
Location
Amenities
Management
Value
Social
Safety

Great location but building could be better

Location is right in the middle of downtown Evanston but the building itself doesn't have much. Depending on the owner, you could also have good or bad experiences.

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

Good location, large apartment

The location is pretty convenience (close to a bunch of Evanston Bars and restaurants and only about a 20 minute walk from the Global Hub). The apartment itself is large and fairly nice. Floor to ceiling windows in the living room. It's also very close to the L and Metra station which can take you downtown and other Chicago neighborhoods.

Some complaints are that (1) the master is much bigger than the other two rooms (2) there is no doorman, but it hasn't really been a problem.

Overall I think it's a great value.

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

VERY Spacious Apartment, Fully Furnished, Ideal for 1Ys

Right in the heart of downtown, best location possible in Evanston (near Davis St. train station, near all restaurants and bars). Apartment is very spacious, well furnished, and comfortable. Building is mediocre (few amenities, gym is old and small, the 'pool' is absurdly small).

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  • Roommates
  • 2 beds / 2 baths

The Neighborhood

Signature Spots

dining 27 Recs

World of Beer
Buffalo Joe’s
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 35 Recs

Pure Barre
Evanston Athletic Club
Akemi Fitness Method
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parks 7 Recs

Dawes Park
Merrick Rose Garden
Clark Street Beach
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coffee 16 Recs

Andy’s Frozen Custard
Cupitol Coffee & Eatery
Other Brother Coffeebar
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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 Towers

Parking Garage

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Parking Near Optima Towers

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

506 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.
Close to downtown Evanston but a bit far from E2/the reserve. One of closest apartments to Trader Joes/Whole Foods/Jewel Osco while also being close to campus. Very close to the lake!
Downtown Evanston has everything you need from a downtown including grocery stores, restaurants, and convenience stores.
Downtown Evanston is great - plenty of great food within walking distance, Metra and El trains right nearby, a really nice place to be. Only downside is it's far from school and the only truly walkable grocery store is a Whole Foods, which can get expensive. Overall, wouldn't want to live elsewhere though.
Close to grocery stores and restaurants. Very easy access to Lake Michigan as well!
There isn't much to do here, but that's true pretty much everywhere in Evanston. We're in walking distance to all of "downtown" Evanston, so restaurants / fast food / subway, etc. It's a slightly longer walk than desired to Kellogg, but that's fine.
The apartment is central to downtown and is walking distance to most bars, restaurants, shops, beach, etc. Evanston is a bit of a sleepy town (especially during the pandemic...I've been told it was much more vibrant pre-pandemic).
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.

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