High-Rise Apartment Living in Chicago: What to Know Before You Sign

Choose the apartment before the skyline

A dramatic view cannot fix a layout that fights your daily routine. Start with the rooms and storage you will use every day, then decide what the outlook is worth to you. Exhibit On Superior has 298 residences, with studio, convertible, one-, two-, and three-bedroom floor plans ranging from 448–1,528 square feet.

Bring a short list of real measurements to the tour: your sofa, bed, desk, dining table, and any piece you refuse to replace. Notice where doors swing, whether a work setup blocks the main living area, and where coats, cleaning supplies, luggage, and bikes would go. A compact home can work beautifully when the circulation makes sense; a larger one can still feel awkward when useful walls are scarce.

Ask to see the specific available apartment whenever possible. A model helps explain finishes, but the actual home is what confirms its floor, position, natural light, outlook, and relationship to elevators or shared spaces. If only a representative home is available to tour, compare its details with the plan sheet and photos for the apartment you would lease.

• Measure the furniture that matters before touring.
• Open closets and picture where everyday items will live.
• Confirm which photos and plan sheet belong to the available apartment.

Pick a floor by routine, not by a rule

There is no universally best floor in a Chicago high-rise. The right choice depends on the actual apartment’s position and on what you value: a particular outlook, a shorter elevator trip, distance from shared spaces, or a floor range that fits your budget. Two homes on the same floor can feel different because they face different directions or sit in different parts of the building.

Stand quietly in the apartment for a minute. Listen with the windows closed, look at the surrounding buildings rather than only the horizon, and note where direct sun is coming from at the time of your visit. Then ask how that light changes through the day. Do not assume a higher number automatically means brighter, quieter, or better for you.

Elevator habits matter, too. If you leave at a fixed time each morning, visit around that hour when possible and make the trip from the apartment to the street. Renters with a dog, stroller, frequent deliveries, or a tight commute may weigh that daily trip differently from someone who works flexible hours.

Use amenities to solve a real space need

Shared rooms are valuable when they replace space you would otherwise need inside the apartment. A work room can keep a desk out of the bedroom. A fitness center may replace a separate gym trip. A lounge or dining room can make occasional hosting easier without paying for a larger living room every month.

At Exhibit On Superior, the full-floor amenity spaces include a 75-foot lap pool, outdoor hot tub, sauna, fitness center, lounges, private work and meeting rooms, a music studio, and a dog spa. Tour the spaces you expect to use rather than counting them on a list. Check the seating, outlets, equipment, and room layout against the way you would actually use each space.

Also ask about access and seasonal limits. At Exhibit, indoor amenities are open around the clock, while outdoor quiet hours run from 10 PM to 6 AM. The pool and hot tub are seasonal; grills and fire pits are available year-round. Those details are more useful than an amenity total.

• Remote worker: sit in the work room and check privacy, outlets, and call space.
• Pet owner: walk the route from the apartment to the dog area.
• Frequent host: ask how reservable rooms work before relying on them.

Build the complete monthly number

Compare high-rises by the monthly total, not advertised rent alone. Put required building charges, internet, electricity, renters insurance, parking, storage, and pet costs on the same page. Then separate recurring charges from one-time move-in costs so a lower first payment does not hide a higher ongoing total.

At Exhibit, the monthly Utility & Service Amenity fee is $95–$195, based on floor plan, and covers water, sewer, trash, heat, air conditioning, and natural gas for cooking and the clothes dryer. Electricity is billed directly through ComEd. Zentro internet is a separate required charge for new leases: $75 per month for studios and convertibles, $85 for one-bedrooms, and $95 for two- and three-bedrooms. Residents bring their own Wi-Fi router.

Those internet rates apply to new residents moving in on or after September 15, 2026. Because charges and availability can change, use the full fee schedule and the apartment’s lease documents for the current total. Optional garage parking and storage belong in the calculation only if you expect to use them.

• Write down every required monthly charge beside the quoted rent.
• Ask which utilities need a separate account and when service should start.
• Price optional parking or storage before treating either as part of your plan.

Test the commute from the front door

A neighborhood score is a useful filter, but your own trip is the better test. Per Walk Score, 165 W Superior St rates a 99/100 Walk Score (“Walker’s Paradise”), a perfect 100/100 Transit Score (“Rider’s Paradise”), and an 86/100 Bike Score (“Very Bikeable”). The Chicago station at Franklin Street serves the Brown and Purple Lines about two blocks away, and the Red Line’s Chicago station is about 0.3 miles east.

Walk the route you expect to use, ideally near your normal departure time. Include the elevator ride, lobby, station entrance, transfer, and final blocks instead of timing only the train. If you plan to bike, inspect the building’s storage and the streets you would ride. If you keep a car, confirm current parking availability rather than assuming a garage space comes with the apartment.

Repeat the exercise for the less frequent trip that still shapes your week: groceries, school, a partner’s commute, late-night work, or the airport. High-rise convenience is personal. A building can be central on a map and still be wrong for the route you make most.

• Time the full door-to-door trip, not just the transit segment.
• Try the route at the hour you are likely to use it.
• Confirm your backup plan for weather, service changes, or a late return.

Ask about the unglamorous parts of the building

The most useful high-rise questions are often the least photogenic. Ask how move-ins are scheduled, where deliveries go, how guests enter, how maintenance requests are handled, whether an elevator must be reserved for large items, and what happens when a package does not fit the usual process. You are learning how an ordinary Tuesday works, not just touring a polished room.

Confirm access details for everyone in your household. A pet owner should walk the route outdoors. A frequent traveler may care about package handling. Someone who hosts family should understand guest entry. A renter who works from home should ask what building work or maintenance notices look like.

Before signing, match the apartment number and floor plan across the quote, application, and lease. Read the rules and current fee disclosures, verify the move-in date, and get answers to building-specific questions in writing. Then revisit the actual available apartment once more if you can. That final pass is the time to notice what excitement may have hidden on the first tour.

• Confirm the exact apartment number, floor, layout, and move-in date.
• Read current building rules and fee disclosures before paying.
• Save written answers to questions that matter to your decision.