Terrace Square Condominiums

(It’s not in Des Plaines, it’s in unincorporated Niles).
We’ve been renting a 1BR unit in one of the buildings for the past 4 years.
Pros:
+Friendly neighbors
+Dog friendly (there are no breed restrictions though. Most dogs are friendly, even those that would normally be restricted, but there are some aggressive dogs, but the owners will tell you if they are).
+Pet friendly
+Safe area (I’ve called 911 for a couple incidents and the police usually arrived within minutes)
+Condos: individually-​owned
+Relatively-​secure buildings
+Water’s included in the HOA (currently under $ 300, last I checked)
+Storage bins (nice size, area for bikes, locked)
+NO BUGS (I’ve never lived in a place that’s been as good at preventing bugs as this place — even for those living near the garbage chute)
+In the newer buildings, you can have your own washer and dryer (but not in the older buildings)
+Good variety of cultures throughout
+Elderly, children, and dog-​walkers can often be seen walking around the property
+Maintenance guy lives on the property (nice guy, too).
+2 Washers/​Dryers on each floor ($ 1 for each machine)
+Intercom system in lobby (set up with any phone, even your cell)
+Lots of parking
+Towing set up for non-​residents after 11:00 pm
+Recycle dumpsters outside each building
+Garbage chutes on each floor (except 1^st)
+Most every apartment is designed differently
+Walking distance to Meijer, restaurants, and Omega Restaurant
+Contracted snow plowing is good (no saving of spots, either). If you move your car, it’ll be plowed out when you return. If you can’t get your car out, they’ll usually help.
+Official voters poll center
+Rent out the Clubhouse for events
+Thick walls: we RARELY ever hear our neighbors
+Thick floors (concrete, I believe). We never hear our neighbors upstairs, and they have wood floors.
Cons:
–Old buildings (built in 1971), so many are falling apart
–Many dog owners don’t pick up after their dogs (many do, but many also don’t)
–Not wheelchair accessible (I mean, there are 2 elevators in each building, but the doors are difficult to hold open to get somebody in a wheelchair through)
–Earlier buildings were built cheaply (and the builder’s been in jail since for doing so).
–Pipes are narrower than regulation, so the water gets shut off often for repairs
–Extremely cold during winter, especially in the corner units
–Heat is electric baseboards. Most neighbors I know in 1BRs have complained of $ 200 heating bills in the winter.
–New management company has taken over recently and isn’t doing much better a job than before.
–Trees being removed due to disease, none being replanted
–cosmetic work needed (white bricks crumbling)
–balconies need restoring (board’s talking of making residents pay for the restoration)
–chipping around main entries haven’t been fixed
–Elevator in newer building has been broken for past 3 months
–Roofs are currently being redone, yet tar-​filled tanker has been sitting in lot past few days,
burning contents, and nothing being done yet (polluting air).
–Talks of a «special assessment» in 2016 (bringing the HOA to about $ 500 monthly)
–We have rules to live by, but many don’t follow them
–Speed limit in area = 15 mph. But many drivers drive closer to 30 in some areas.
–Barely anybody stops at the stop signs.
–Flag pole/​American flag in the back of the clubhouse and hidden by tall pine trees
–Board of Directors like their positions, but don’t do much in them to better the property they rule over (constant problem/​complaint I hear)
–Only 2 maintenance guys for the whole complex.
–Our first 3 years, there were flooding issues (especially bad for the first floor — beware if looking to buy a first floor unit in bldg #s 1 – 3) — many of us lost our cars to the floods those years
In spite of the cons, we like it here, we really do, but we’re renting — we would never buy anything here.
Summary: Terrace Square is a really nice place to live if you’re RENTING, but I wouldn’t suggest buying anything here.

Good location, right next to the highway. In Des Plaines so it has friendly attractions and close to a highschool and community college, both of which are not bad schools.
Most of the apartments are rather small but are also moderately priced [you get what you pay for]. Beware of people who own and rent by owner, they give best prices but are bad landlords!
Overall a decent place to live.