Towers at Four Lakes

Pros

• The leasing/building management team did an amazing job helping to find the perfect apartment.
• They were helpful every step of the leasing and move-in process.
• Melissa and Natalie made the stressful process more manageable.
• The studio is the perfect first apartment for a young adult moving out of the family home.
• The community is a tight, wonderful community of people.
• The management and office staff are consistently friendly and accommodating.
• Four Lakes is a beautiful community with a natural environment of trees and water features.
• The staff are attentive and attempt to be helpful to residents' needs.
• The maintenance crew is excellent - super responsive, fast, friendly, and informative.
• The ski hill is a one-of-a-kind feature in the Chicago suburbs.
• The community offers nice features like free kayak rentals and free swimming in pools.
• The views can be breathtaking from high-floor units, especially east-facing vistas.

Cons

• There are major problems despite the attractive amenities (pools, gym, etc.).
• The fire alarm goes off almost daily, mostly around midnight, with a noise described as war-like.
• There is a persistent weed odor through the AC vents whenever the system runs.
• Management is said to ignore these issues and focus on appearances rather than real solutions.
• The building pool is constantly crowded with non-residents, making it hardly usable for residents.
• Old management is described as not helping at all.
• The building is older and historically allowed smoking in units, causing pervasive smoke odors that render climate controls ineffective.
• Maintenance is said to refuse to address odor problems that originate outside individual units.
• There is skepticism about smoke-free lease amendments, with concerns that odor damage may be irreversible without duct cleaning.
• Specific units (821 and 820) are warned against due to long-term heavy smoking and strong hallway odors.
• Parking is limited, and there is a lack of regard for handicap parking availability.
• One staff member, Marissa, is described as terrible and extremely rude.

Review

Towers at Four Lakes presents itself as a verdant, lake-adjacent community with a range of amenities that many residents come to rely on and enjoy. The property boasts pools, a tennis court, a gym, and even free kayaks, all set within a natural environment of trees and water features that a number of reviewers say stands out in the Chicago suburbs. For studio and one-bedroom layouts, several tenants note that rents are relatively affordable for the area - roughly in the $1,500 to $1,650 range - making it an appealing option for those trying to save a little while still getting a nice, functional living space. In addition, many residents highlight the on-site community atmosphere: quiet, walkable grounds, safety, and a sense of place that makes it easy to feel connected to neighbors.

The leasing office and on-site management repeatedly emerge as a major positive in these accounts. Multiple reviews praise specific team members for their warmth, responsiveness, and willingness to help. Melissa and Natalie are singled out for going above and beyond during the leasing and move-in process, with one first-time renter describing Melissa as an "absolute pleasure to deal with," warm and welcoming, and instrumental in turning what can be a stressful experience into something manageable. Reilly and Natalie are also commended for providing thorough information to new residents, while friends and family members who visit note the same friendly, helpful demeanor. Even as some tenants recount past frustrations with "old management," the current staff's effort to remedy problems and maintain a positive atmosphere comes through clearly in many reviews.

For long-term residents, the Towers offers a sense of community that's sometimes hard to find, and many express real attachment to their homes and neighbors. One resident who has lived there for four years emphasizes that, despite its imperfections, Four Lakes fosters a tight, wonderful community. They credit the staff with maintaining smiles and a willingness to fix issues, contributing to an overall feeling that the management cares about residents' experiences. Another long-time tenant describes enjoying the natural beauty, the peaceful environment, and the ability to take advantage of amenities such as pools, parks, and recreational options without a hefty price tag. Even the maintenance crew earns praise for being responsive, friendly, and capable - the kind of reliability that makes living there feel comfortable and predictable.

Not all experiences are uniformly positive, however. A number of residents point to ongoing challenges that complicate daily living. The fire alarm system, they say, goes off frequently, often late at night, with alarms so loud that they feel like being in a war zone. In addition, a persistent odor of marijuana blowing through the HVAC system is mentioned repeatedly, suggesting that odor control and air quality are significant and unresolved concerns for some units. The building pool is described as being crowded with non-residents, which reduces its usefulness for people who actually live there and want a quieter, more private space. These issues paint a picture of a property with strong amenities and a generally welcoming staff, but also with some stubborn building-wide problems that management has struggled to address in a timely or satisfactory way.

Accessibility and safety are also visible through residents' eyes in different ways. A reviewer who uses a wheelchair and recently underwent hip surgery praises the staff across the lines - maintenance and front office included - for their support and responsiveness, noting that the team helped with tasks and accommodations during recovery. They even highlight a specific missing feature - the need for a safe ramp at the pool area - to improve accessibility for those with mobility challenges. This perspective underscores a broader theme: the staff's intent to help is clear, but some improvements - like improved accessibility and better odor isolation - could elevate the experience for residents with special needs or heightened sensitivities.

Another layer of experience comes from a resident who offers a detailed "Good/Bad" appraisal. They celebrate Four Lakes for its natural setting, affordable rents, fairly easy parking, attentive staff, and a range of community features that encourage outdoor activity and safe living. Yet they also call out the building's age and the lingering problem of secondhand smoke infiltrating units through the ducts, which compromises climate control and indoor air quality. They warn prospective tenants to thoroughly test the AC and smell in any unit before committing, and to be cautious of certain units with known odor issues. The review also touches on the reality of limited parking and handicapped parking challenges, further illustrating how some logistical realities can affect daily life. They acknowledge that maintenance is generally excellent - quick, friendly, and effective at addressing problems - while also signaling a desire for broader systemic changes, such as stronger enforcement of a smoke-free policy and more proactive duct cleaning and odor remediation.

In the midst of mixed reviews, there are also moments of direct, personal interaction that shape people's memories of the place. One resident who visited the property and met with Melissa describes a highly positive interaction, highlighting the welcoming nature of the staff and the quality of the unit they toured. Conversely, a segment of residents voices frustration with a specific staff member - Marissa - whose described demeanor and behavior stand in stark contrast to the overwhelmingly supportive experiences shared by others. This tension highlights that experiences with management can be highly individualized, and it serves as a reminder that customer service quality can vary within the same property.

Overall, Towers at Four Lakes comes across as a place with much to offer: a scenic, active landscape, reasonably priced apartments for the area, and a staff that many residents regard as genuinely helpful and friendly. The building's age and some persistent issues - especially odor and air quality from smoking, occasional late-night alarms, and crowding at the pool - temper the overall experience and prompt careful consideration for prospective tenants. For current residents, maintenance responsiveness and the sense of community are clear strengths that help balance the building's drawbacks. For those weighing a move, the property offers a compelling combination of natural beauty, practical amenities, and a responsive on-site team, tempered by the realities of an older building and the ongoing need for improvements in air quality, accessibility, and some day-to-day conveniences.

Restaurants

• McDonald's (0.7 miles)
• Culver's (2.3 miles)
• Chipotle Mexican Grill (2.3 miles)
• McDonald's (2.4 miles)
• Portillo's Hot Dogs (2.7 miles)
• Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant (2.8 miles)
• McDonald's (2.9 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (0.7 miles)
• Walgreens (2.3 miles)
• Walgreens (2.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.5 miles)
• Walgreens (2.8 miles)
• Walgreens (2.9 miles)
• Oswald's Pharmacy (3.5 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (0.9 miles)
• Starbucks (2.4 miles)
• Peet's Coffee and Tea (2.9 miles)
• Panera Bread (4.4 miles)
• Starbucks (4.5 miles)
• Starbucks (6.3 miles)
• Starbucks (6.5 miles)

Theaters

• Cinemark (1 miles)
• AMC DINE-IN Yorktown 18 (5.8 miles)

Parks

• Surrey Ridge Park (1.3 miles)
• McCollum Park (3.9 miles)
• Burlington Park (4.3 miles)
• Cress Creek Park (4.4 miles)
• Seven Gables Park (4.4 miles)
• Briar Knoll Park (4.7 miles)
• Wil-O-Way Park (5.3 miles)

Hospitals

• DuPage Medical Center (2.3 miles)
• Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital and Clinics (5.9 miles)

Physicians

• Dupage Medical Group (2.5 miles)
• Northwestern Medicine Proton Center (4.4 miles)
• Northwestern Medicine Orthopaedics Warrenville (4.8 miles)
• Dupage Medical Group (6 miles)
• The Dermatology Institute (6.5 miles)
• Bolingbrook Family Medicine (6.6 miles)
• Bolingbrook Medical Building (6.8 miles)

Transportation

• Metra (2.5 miles)
• Metra - Downers Grove Main Street (3.8 miles)

Places of Worship

• St Andrews Episcopal Church (3.7 miles)
• College Church (6.2 miles)