It’s not uncommon for Chicago apartment websites and videos to engage in a little puffery about the advantages of their location.
WalkScore.com rates the location of Mondial River West, 910 W Huron St, as Very Walkable, with a score of 83.
That’s apparently not a high enough score for Mondial, which takes puffery deep into the realm of aggressive deception in a video at its website.
Let’s listen to the description in the video, and pay attention to the images that accompany it.
Experience contemporary living in sophisticated Chicago style … This brand new address is within walking distance of great shopping, restaurants and everyday destinations.
The images accompanying the above are of the Chicago Theatre, Italian Village, Penelope’s, Block 37, Target and David Barton Gym. The closest destination pictured is six-tenths of a mile, or an 11-minute walk per Google Maps. Very few people are likely to consider walking from Mondial to the other locations, except in extreme circumstances.
Let’s listen again:
Half a mile from the I-90 ramp at Milwaukee and Ogden and just 2 minutes from public transportation, Mondial River West is ideally suited for those looking for an easy commute.
The images that accompany the above are a clip from Google Maps, a Metra train, signage from the CTA Blue Line stop at Chicago Ave and Union Station.
Mondial is actually less than half a mile from that I-90/94 on-ramp, but the ramp is northbound only. You could walk to the Chicago Ave bus in the two minutes claimed, but not to the Chicago Ave or Grand Ave stops on the Blue Line, or to Union Station, more than a mile and a half away.
The video continues:
Add to that all the spectacular surrounding hot spots, markets and cafes and you can see what makes Mondial River West the address for the modern urban dweller.
As you listen to the above you see images from Washington Square Park, Blackbird, Sepia, Billy Goat, Whole Foods, Lou Mitchell’s, The Fifty, N9NE, Buckingham Fountain, and a bike path along Lake Michigan. The closest of those destinations to Mondial is about a 20-minute walk.
If you’re considering a move, investigate your new location carefully. You can’t rely on the information you find at some apartment websites, and you should never rely on anything you’re told by the rental services that we call bedbugs.
If you investigate the area around Mondial, you’ll find some walkable spots that aren’t mentioned In the video. And, as you can see from the above video, Mondial’s claim of “striking views of the city” is, if anything, understated.