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Main Station is an 8-story, 120-unit apartment building built in 1952 at 855 Hinman Ave in Evanston.
The apartments
Main Station has seven different floor plans of 1-bedroom apartments ranging in size from 650 to 725 square feet. Floor plans are available online. In late-December 2014 rents ranged from $1,077 to $1,499. Furnished apartments are available at additional cost.
The apartments have carpeting or wood-look flooring. Most of the apartments have a well-defined dining area. Closet space is comparatively good and includes organizer shelving.
Kitchens have gas ranges and dishwashers. Some have eat-In areas and some have breakfast bars.
The apartments have baseboard heat, through-the-wall air-conditioning units and ceiling fans.
Higher-floor north-, south- and east-facing apartments have good skyline and lake views.
Amenities, services, policies
Main Station has a good complement of common-area amenities for a building of its size.
The building has a fitness room with cardio and strength-training equipment, a business center, a laundry room, resident storage areas and a bike storage room. The business center and laundry room have Wi-Fi access.
Assigned garage and outdoor parking spaces and an Enterprise CarShare location are available on-site.
Main Station has on-site leasing and management staff. The building is pet-friendly, subject to limits.
The location
Main Station is at the intersection of tree-lined residential Hinman Ave and the lively commercial strip along Main St. The building is close to shopping, restaurants, coffee shops and public transportation.
Main Station is over a mile south of the Northwestern University campus.
Shopping. Main Station has reasonably good proximity to grocery shopping.
Whole Foods is two blocks north on Chicago Ave and Jewel-Osco and Trader Joe’s are a block further. There’s also a small convenience store a few doors west on Main St.
There’s a new Walgreens on Chicago Ave, two blocks south of the building.
Main Street serves up a quirky mix of retailers ranging from resale shops to handmade chocolates. Downtown Evanston shops are about three-quarters of a mile from Main Station.
The upscale Westfield Old Orchard shopping center, anchored by Macy’s, Bloomingdales and Nordstrom, is accessible by a bus route that stops a block from the building.
Dining, nightlife, entertainment. Residents of Main Station have a variety of dining and drinking options nearby.
Brothers K coffee house is across the street and Starbucks is a half-block west on Main. Both venues have pleasant outdoor seating areas.
The Lucky Platter, a half-block away on Main St, draws a crowd for comfort food and a great weekend brunch.
Siam Paragon, a local favorite for dine-in and takeout Thai food, is across the street from Main Station. Lupita’s, two blocks west, is a margarita mecca. The Firehouse Grill, a block south on Chicago Ave, is the neighborhood go-to spot for burgers and a lot more.
TimeOut Chicago’s Evanston City Guide recently ranked The Alcove, a few doors west of the building, as one of the best bars in Evanston.
Piccolo Theatre seats 50 for comedy plays at a space in the Main Street Metra Station.
Parks, recreation. The location does not have convenient access to public parks and outdoor recreation areas.
Evanston’s public beaches are about half a mile east of the building. The nearest public park, Clark Square Park, is a passive green space.
Transportation. Residents of Main Station have good access to public transportation.
The CTA Purple Line stop and Metra North Line stop at Main St are just a block from the building.
Northwestern’s intercampus shuttle and the #205 CTA bus stop at Chicago and Main, a block from Main Station.
All of Evanston has relatively inconvenient access to Chicago’s airports and to I-90/94 and the expressway grid.
There’s an Enterprise CarShare location next door to the building. The nearest Zipcar car-sharing location is several blocks from the building on Main St. Taxi service can be readily summoned to the building
The competition
You’ll find additional options at YoChicago’s at-a-glance list of Evanston apartments.
Rentals are typically available in a number of nearby condo buildings, sometimes at lower rents than in the managed apartment buildings.
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