I am a current resident at Bridges sober living and I can honestly say this place has saved my life. Bill and Sam are the house managers here at the California house and they are phenomenal, they will go out of their way to help and also hold everyone to the same accountability and I couldnt ask for more. Drew is the owner of bridges and does a tremendous job in making sure the house is as stable as can be. Its in a great location in logan square right by the blue line. Overall, Bridges is a constructive supportive and a very safe place to remain sober. Sincerely, Alex read more

THIS PLACE IS NOT SAFE. A SLUM DISGUISED AS A SOBER LIVING My biggest problem with Bridges Sober Living in Chicago isn't even the disgusting conditions--it's the complete lack of safety, oversight, and accountability. One of my roommates struggled with heroin addiction, yet I could not find Narcan readily available in the house. I was concerned enough about the possibility of an overdose that I went out and bought my own. People in early recovery are literally fighting for their lives. A business taking money to house vulnerable people with serious substance-use problems should treat their SAFETY AS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY. Based on what I witnessed, I came away with the disturbing impression that the owner Jimmy, could not care less whether the people living there were safe, as long as he got paid. Not having Narcan in a "Sober Living" should be a crime, the definition of depraved indifference. The management was just as alarming. In my experience, the house manager, James, is incompetent, reckless, and shockingly unprofessional. He struck me as deeply insecure and frankly not intelligent enough to handle a position that requires judgment, maturity, and the ability to de-escalate conflict. Instead, he seemed desperate to assert whatever small amount of authority he thought he had. I was VOLUNTARILY MOVING OUT EARLY, despite having already paid for the entire month, when he completely lost his temper over something INCREDIBLY PETTY and literally threatened to throw my belongings into the street. Additionally, when I arrived at the agreed-upon time to retrieve my things, he was yelling at me from a window and behaving so aggressively that I genuinely thought the situation would become physical. My 74-year-old father witnessed the entire thing and was absolutely floored by the insanity of it and the substandard condition of the property. Based on my experience, the entire operation felt like a scam, and I came away viewing Jimmy as a con artist profiting from vulnerable people under the banner of "recovery." There was little to no meaningful accountability or structure that I could see, just a bullshit meeting on Mondays in an effort to maintain the front of a Sober Living. The filthy conditions which included black mold all over the tub and a bed that caused me to develop a rash on my arm only reinforced how poorly the residence was managed. I have attached photos. Sober living is supposed to provide safety, stability, structure, and accountability. I experienced the opposite at Bridges. In my opinion, this is a slum masquerading as sober living, and I would strongly warn anyone considering sending themselves or a loved one here to STAY FAR FAR AWAY. read more

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If your only concern is that your loved one has a roof and a bed...this place might work for you. If you're hoping for then to recover, I'd steer clear of Bridges. My brother overdosed and died here. Where was the house manager? Where was the narcan? Where were the random urine drops and breathalyzer tests? How was this possible in a "sober living"? Maybe this would have happened to my brother anyway, but it sure as hell shouldn't have happened here. read more

My brother overdosed while living here. There was no curfew, no drug tests, no breathalyzers, and it wasn't mandatory they went to meetings. Do not waste your money on this place. I read another review someone's child overdosed here 7 months ago, and when my dad and brother in law were picking up my brothers belongings someone was being taken away in an ambulance. That's the overdoses in 7 months and those are just the ones I'm aware of. I don't know how this place is still running as a sober living house. These are people's lives. They have a disease and are trying to get better, yet live in a home fresh out of rehab that has no rules. Obviously it's very easy for them to fall into bad habits this way. DO NOT STAY HERE if you actually want to get better. This is a toxic environment for addicts. Unfortunately there is no regulations on sober living homes, so there is no way to get them shut down. If I could give this place zero stars I would. read more

I was a resident about 10 ago. Its a place I would love to forget but can't. The owner really was on topbof things. And genuinely cared about the residents It was a eye opener for me. It made me realize my life was not going quite as planned. But it also offered me time to recover and get my life back in order in a safe environment. My life definitely took a turn for the better after my 6 month stay there. read more

I'm Truly grateful for Bridges Sober Living- being from out of state I was doing outpatient treatment in Chicago And needed housing. Bridges was a life changer for me- the owner and mangers we respectful and all my needs Were met from day 1. I quickly saw the importance of rules And regulations for our own safety and sobriety. I will be forever grateful that Bridges was there for me when I needed one of the most basic needs- housing. I would recommend Bridges to anyone needing sober living- whatever your struggles this is a place where I have seen first hand people get their lives on track and begin to live their lives better than ever. #Grateful- Anne and Larkin are the most supportive women/managers that will find. read more

I've been a client at Bridges Sober Living. This facility promotes a strong atmosphere of recovery. The living space is a bit more intimate which I enjoy. Most other facilities cram 16 residents into one space. However, Bridges women's housing is split up which it makes it easier to get to know and fellowship with your roommates on a deeper level. I have had great experience with the management and the owner, Drew. It is mandatory that you attend 4 or more meetings per week as well as being held accountable for chores and everyday check-ins. The owner has always been a delight to me and a has always shown care and compassion for me and my recovery journey. read more

As a long-term member of the recovery community in Chicago, I have seen my friends rotate through most, if not all of the various sober homes in Chicago. I must say, Bridges is the premier spot for someone trying to turn their life around and get a new start. Bridges not only provides a beautiful home, but a strong, positive, community that helps guide individuals through the challenges they may face in early recovery. The houses are beautiful themselves, but the love, acceptance, and guidance found within them, are even more beautiful. read more

What a great place to begin again! Bridges sober living is the best sober house I've encountered the staff is accessible, location is great and it's apartment style living. Bridges is a great place to start building relationships with self and others. Happy Sober Day! read more

This place is responsible for the death of my 24 yr old son. He needed to go to rehab as he had relapsed twice while living here but the owner didn't want to lose the rent so they let him continue staying here. My son made it to curfew but they saw he had used, put him in front of a zoom meeting and had him send the house manager, Scott a video of him attending at 12:30 am ( which I have). They then let him go to sleep and his roommate claims he was breathing heavy at 7 am when he got up but no one tried to wake him AFTER KNOWING HE HAD USED! The house manager, Johnny sent my son a text at 11 am, saying " Don't worry brother we'll get you back on the road to freedom" ( which I have) but NO ONE WENT TO CHECK ON HIM!! He wasn't responding to texts or calls so finally at 2 pm he checked on him and my son was pronounced dead at 2:30 pm. My son died because of their negligence. My son died of fentanyl toxicity but he could have been saved if someone had called 911. They let someone who they knew had used drugs the night before "sleep it off" instead of taking him to the hospital or even calling his parents. The irresponsible behavior in this house is beyond my comprehension and no one should trust them with a loved one. My son would still be alive if they had acted responsibly. I'm so sorry he ever went to Bridges, he was better off at home where we watched out for him. This place is run horribly. It shouldn't have any stars, no one pays any attention to what's going on there, it's all about getting paid. read more

Be aware , we paid 466.00 for five nights, Drew would not even consider refunding a portion of the money, most of the time we were not allowed back In the apartment. Living conditions were set up for failure from the beginning. The area is terrible for access to public transportation, no private space in the apartment, one bathroom for FIVE people, no storage space and NO support at all from management. We moved to another place, so happy with the support from management. BE AWARE! BE CAUTIOUS with misleading contract! Want to save everyone a headache! RESPONSE TO OWNER Manager, being ONE, works Full Time, only support you get is a text message...NOT A Supportive group at the Richmond house, not what we had hoped for.........$1000 go somewhere else for the money...Good luck finding any parking in the neighborhood and if you enjoy walking 15 minutes to the blue line in the rain and cold, this place is for you...located deep within the neighborhood read more

Facilities are acceptable, except repairs sometimes take slightly longer than desired. Management is great, and this establishment has helped me greatly in my recovery! read more

This was my second experience in a sober living/assisted living environment and it was not very positive. There are pros and cons to ever sober living but my overall stay was negative and I ended up leaving early on my own. I didn't relapse but I felt cravings come up more as the stress of the house grew. PROS: *close to public transit and many transit options (I was able to easily get to meetings, some were with walking distance and many were within a 30-40 min transit ride) *relatively safe area *lots of coffee shops and restaurants around (and a Walgreens very close to get prescriptions) *most of the apartments are relatively clean (except mine, see cons below) *cheaper than other sober living options *girls living here were amazing and beautiful people *cable tv & WiFi CONS: *management, management, management (house manager wasn't around much, didn't consistently enforce rules and would frequently break the rules; there was strong evidence that she was using e.g. found nodded off on the toilet, couldn't walk in a straight line at times, and would be in meetings and not be able to open her eyes... when this was brought up to the owner, nothing was done about it; manager also ate other roommates food constantly) *not a clean place necessarily (my apt was by far the dirtiest, which the manager said that "all the dirty people end up in that apt" so that was the excuse given, my roommate had scabies that the doctor diagnosed and the exterminator said it was bed bugs... either way, bugs; cleaning supplies were promised but were often scarce or took a long time to resupply; rats in the alley, but I guess that could be everywhere; HUGE ant problem, stains on my couch that looked like they were there for years) *inconsistently enforcing rules (sometimes things would easily get looked over or brushed to the side while other times, people would get put on major restrictions for small infractions; house meetings that were supposed to take place every Sunday were often canceled the day of due the manager "having work"; many of my personal belongings were getting stolen and nothing was done about it) *owner (very sexist it seems and clearly has a power complex, talked down to all the women in the house and did not make anyone feel comfortable in the slightest; turns a blind eye to some things like the manager's use while blowing up smaller issues, never even met him and he never introduced himself to me; overall just a rude, unsympathetic man, gave me very bad vibes) *weird owner/manager dynamic (already alluded to this, but they seemed to want to gang up on the girls living here; didn't seem to want to help people find a path to a happy life) NOTABLE MENTIONS: *drops and breathalyzing was inconsistent and random: depending on where you are in your recovery, you could see this as a pro or a con, but there were times where I would go over a week without being breathalyzed or dropped, while some people had to do it multiple times a week, sometimes the manager would just say we had to breathalyze before a certain time but if you weren't home, you were off the hook *this place just didn't seem to want to actually help those that were living there: one girl was discharged over a build up of small rule breaking incidents and was given no notice to find a new place to live (and she had no family or friends in the area) and she found out she was discharged through the group message instead of them directly contacting her; they seem to focus on rule breaking and handing out penalties over trying to empower the women to work on themselves and encourage them to want to take on more responsibility BOTTOM LINE: If you need a place to stay, it's not the worst, but if you aren't confident in your sobriety and need a lot of community support and accountability, this isn't the place. read more

I am very grateful to be part of the Bridges Sober Living community. I came to Bridges woman's residence 4 months ago and had no idea what to expect because I didn't even know that sober living existed. I'm a transplant from the suburbs and the last year of my life has been very difficult for me. One bad decision after another deepened my depression and I hit a bottom I thought I would never hit. They say every bottom has a trap door and mine sure did. After taking suggestions of going to treatment then a half way house, a friend suggested I check out Bridges because I was looking for a sober living place that offered apartment style living and more freedom. I was ready for the next step in my life so I made the call, spoke to the director and decided to give it a try. I was scared, but it was the best decision I ever made. Bridges is clean, I always felt safe, it's close to public transportation, and you get to hang out with some pretty awesome sober women. I have made lifetime friends that are real and down to earth and the best part, we are all like minded. No time to isolate because there is always something to do, a meeting to go to or just having someone there to talk to when you need it is priceless. I was told to build an army of woman and Bridges sure gave me that. Yes, there are rules and I am not innocent of breaking them. There are consequences for all actions, good and bad, but the best part is you learn from your mistakes and try your best not to make them again. You learn how to live a sober, productive and happy life along the way and become a better person. I personally have learned how to navigate the city, how to take care of myself, how to overcome some of my fears, and how to ask for help. We are all here to help each other and I am very grateful to have had the pleasure and experience of staying here at Bridges. I will be moving on at the end of the month to the next step in my recovery to my own apartment and I will be forever grateful to the women here that helped me learn how to stay sober and live my life one day at a time. I definitely recommend Bridges Sober Living. read more

First off let me say that I stayed here for ~8 months while paying for a separate apartment. So that should tell you enough about how worth it I believe this place to be. However, I will say, that in order to succeed in a place like this, you have to be ready to do your own work. If you are looking for a place that will hold you hostage and keep you sober, go to rehab. IF you are looking for a safe place to jumpstart your life and take the next step in recovery, than this can be a great place for you, if you make it great. I have seen people sit around and do the bare minimum in and then get kicked out for coming home high. The staff does a good job at sniffing these things out and taking action when necessary. There are also people who come here to work their butt off to craft a life beyond their wildest dreams. Have that be you! The staff are humans with real lives. They have other jobs and obligations and do not spend 24 hours in the house. This is something that I love about this place. The people in charge are out setting an example of what success looks like. They are always willing to take you out and introduce you to strong influences if you want. They are always out doing some form of service work when not at the house. If you want full time butlers waiting on you, try some place else. If you want a place where you can have the freedom to live life while also having structure and accountability then this place may be for you. The location is great, I walked every day to the blue line to work downtown and there is a bus stop right outside the front door at the house I was at. Nobody is perfect because we are humans. The staff here cares and will do what they can to rectify their mistakes. I try my best to do the same. In the past, I have heard that there were issues with one of the previous managers but they recognized this and hired two guys who have done a great job and have become some of my favorite people. Yes there are rules and yes there are consequences for not following them. Do you know what else does? Life! The rules didn't always make sense to me, but I could trust that they were there to protect me and the house. The main gripe about the house that I have is making daily 12 step meetings a consequence. I know it's hard to find consequences in a place like this but negatively associating AA meetings with punishment while also preaching that they will save your life. I love these meetings and I wouldn't want that spoiled for anyone. Overall, great experience. Love the house and the people and the set up. Would recommend staying here. read more

I stayed at Bridges Sober Living for 5 months and it was a life saver. Bridges is very convenient. The location was great. The bus and CTA are close by, walking distance. Drew was a big help with resources for outpatient services. The managers are great. There was no drama and everybody was nice and encouraging. The house is extremely clean. Rules at the house are common sense and very easy to follow. I will definitely come back if I ever needed to. I highly recommend Bridges. read more