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The Merion
Exterior view of The Merion facility with entrance Exterior view of The Merion building with street activity Bright interior common area with seating and decor Interior view of a well-lit lobby area Bright common area with seating and decor Stylish bar area with elegant seating and decor

The Merion

1611 Chicago Ave, Evanston, IL 60201 View map
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Overview of The Merion

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Serving older adults in Evanston’s Chicago Avenue neighborhood, The Merion is an independent living community in a high-rise building about half a mile from the city center. Residents live in their own studio, one-bedroom, or two-bedroom apartments. They manage their daily lives independently, with the community’s services and amenities available to support that lifestyle.

Daily support includes housekeeping, transportation, dining services, a schedule of social and educational activities, and fitness programs for residents who want to stay active. Common areas include lounge spaces and a courtyard for relaxing or spending time with neighbors. Each apartment includes a private bathroom with a walk-in shower. The community also welcomes pets, which can make the move easier for residents who want to keep a companion animal.

Executive Director Maria Hammer leads The Merion and brings more than 30 years of management and leadership experience in hospitality and health care. Her background includes boutique hotels, luxury residential communities, and health care practices. This experience shapes the community’s daily services to residents.

The neighborhood has a Walk Score of 97, placing it in “Walker’s Paradise.” Residents can complete most daily errands, such as grocery shopping or visiting a pharmacy, without a car. Resurrection Medical Center is about 8 miles away, giving residents and visiting family a nearby option for emergency medical care if needed.

Facility Direct Line (847) 864-6400
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By The Numbers

Community insights.

Walk Score Info Walker's paradise. Daily errands do not require a car, with many shops and services nearby. Rank #7 / 585Walk Score — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 7th out of 585 homes we track in Illinois for walk score. Shows how walkable this facility's neighborhood is compared to the average walk score across Illinois facilities. Higher scores benefit residents, families, and staff.Communities with the same value for a metric share the same rank. Rankings cover every community we track in Illinois that reports data for that category. Communities without available data are excluded, so the pool size varies from metric to metric.Click the rank badge to see the full State ranking.Click here to see the full State ranking.
97 / 100

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What does this home offer?

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Pets Allowed

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Housing Options: Studio / 1 Bed / 2 Bed

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Building Type: High-rise

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Transportation Services

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Fitness and Recreation

Managed by Maria Hammer

Executive Director

Over 30 years of experience

Maria Hammer serves as the Executive Director at The Merion, bringing over 30 years of management and leadership experience in hospitality and health care. She offers unique insight into boutique hotel, luxury residential markets, and healthcare practice. Maria and her team are dedicated to providing an expert and seamless client experience, ensuring excellent health care and unmatched luxury service for all residents.

Living Spaces & Floor Plans for The Merion

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Places of interest near The Merion

Address 0.5 miles from city center Info Estimated distance in miles from Evanston's city center to The Merion's address, calculated via Google Maps. — 8.01 miles to nearest hospital (Resurrection Medical Center - Emergency Fast Track)

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Compare Independent Living around Evanston

Info below is compiled from the IL Dept. of Public Health (IDPH), senior community websites & trusted data sources such as Walk Score & BBB.

Communities are listed from highest-ranked to lowest-ranked based on our methodology.

Care Types in This Table AL (Assisted Living): Housing with help for daily activities like bathing, dressing, and medication, without 24-hour skilled nursing. NH (Nursing Home): 24/7 skilled nursing care for residents with complex, ongoing medical needs. SNF (Skilled Nursing Facility): Round-the-clock nursing care, often for recovery after surgery, injury, or illness. MC (Memory Care): Secured, specialized care for people living with Alzheimer's or dementia. RC (Respite Care): Short-term temporary care that gives family caregivers a break. IL (Independent Living): Community living with dining, activities, and transportation for active seniors who need little personal care. CCRC (Continuing Care Retirement Community): A campus with multiple care levels so residents can age in place without moving.
City and state of the facility. Used for mapping and state-average comparisons.
Licensed bed capacity (maximum allowed). Not the same as how many beds are currently filled.
Indicates whether residents are allowed to have pets in the facility.
Third-party neighborhood walkability score (0–100). Convenience/context metric, not a healthcare quality measure.
Number of years the company has been in operation.
Name of the licensed owner, operator, or managing entity as filed with the state. Useful for grouping facilities under the same organization.
Count of regulatory inspections in the reporting window. Higher volume can reflect more oversight visits, complaint-driven surveys, or routine licensure cycles.
Total count of citations (cited regulatory issues) recorded in the selected reporting period. Read alongside inspection counts for context.
The average number of citations this facility receives each time it's inspected, calculated as total citations ÷ total inspections. A lower number suggests more consistent compliance with safety and care standards.
Inspection events categorized as complaint-related by the state regulator.
Count of incident-based investigations (e.g. reported events) in the regulatory record for the reporting period.
Housing or bed configuration options (e.g. studio, shared), often from facility-reported amenities and licensing details.
Westminster Place
IL
AL
MC
NH
RC
SNF
Evanston
105
Facility 105
IL AVG 80
Rank #87 / 379
Yes
44
Facility 44
IL AVG 51
Rank #357 / 585
-------Studio / 1 Bed / 2 Bed
Trulee Evanston
IL
AL
MC
Evanston
33
Facility 33
IL AVG 80
Rank #331 / 379
Yes
93
Facility 93
IL AVG 51
Rank #18 / 585
-Trulee Evanston3
5
Facility 5
IL AVG 7
Rank #168 / 276
1.7
Facility 1.7
IL AVG 1.4
Rank #156 / 276
1
Facility 1
IL AVG 3
Rank #62 / 315
7
Facility 7
IL AVG 1.9
Rank #302 / 315
Studio / 1 Bed / 2 Bed
The Mather
IL
AL
CCRC
MC
NH
SNF
Evanston
22
Facility 22
IL AVG 80
Rank #354 / 379
Yes
95
Facility 95
IL AVG 51
Rank #15 / 585
1
Facility 1
IL AVG 15
Rank #121 / 189
The Mather Evanston5--
0
Facility 0
IL AVG 3
Rank #1 / 315
3
Facility 3
IL AVG 1.9
Rank #222 / 315
1 Bed / 2 Bed
The Merion
IL
Evanston-Yes
97
Facility 97
IL AVG 51
Rank #7 / 585
-------Studio / 1 Bed / 2 Bed
Ten Twenty Grove
IL
Evanston-No
96
Facility 96
IL AVG 51
Rank #12 / 585
-------1 Bed / 2 Bed

Rank badges are statewide: each community is ranked against every IL community we track that reports that metric, not just the 5 on this page. See how we rank facilities

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Financial Assistance for
Independent Living in Illinois

The Merion is located in Evanston, Illinois.
Here are the financial assistance programs available to residents in Illinois.

Get Financial aid guidance

Community Care Program

Illinois CCP

Age 60+
General Illinois resident, at risk of nursing home placement.
Income Limits (2025) ~$1,215/month individual
Asset Limits $17,500 individual, excludes home, car
IL

High demand in urban areas; waitlists possible.

Benefits
In-home care (3-5 hours/day) Adult day services ($65/day) Emergency home response systems ($30/month)

Illinois Respite Program

IL Respite (via NFCSP)

Age Caregiver of someone 60+ (or with dementia)
General Illinois resident.
Income Limits No strict limit; prioritizes low-income.
Asset Limits Not applicable.
IL

Limited slots; urban/rural balance.

Benefits
In-home respite (4-6 hours/day) Adult day care (~$65/day) Short-term facility care (up to 5 days)

Supportive Living Program (SLP)

Illinois Medicaid Supportive Living Program

Age 65+ or 22-64 with disability
General Illinois resident, Medicaid-eligible, needs moderate assistance (not nursing home-level).
Income Limits (2025) ~$2,829/month (300% FBR, individual); QIT allowed.
Asset Limits $2,000 (individual), $3,000 (couple) (excludes home, car).
IL

~200 SLP sites statewide; room/board not covered.

Benefits
Personal care (5-7 hours/day, e.g., bathing, mobility) Meals Housekeeping Medication management Respite (~240 hours/year)

Persons Who Are Elderly Waiver

Illinois Medicaid Elderly Waiver

Age 65+
General Illinois resident, Medicaid-eligible, nursing home-level care need.
Income Limits (2025) ~$2,829/month 300% FBR, individual
Asset Limits $2,000 (individual), $3,000 (couple).
IL

Part of HealthChoice Illinois; consumer-directed options available.

Benefits
Personal care (5-7 hours/day, e.g., dressing, eating) Homemaker Adult day care (~$60/day) Respite (240 hours/year) Home mods ($1,000 avg.)

Medicare Savings Program (MSP)

Illinois Medicare Savings Program

Age 65+ or disabled
General Illinois resident, Medicare Part A/B.
Income Limits (2025) ~$2,510/month (QMB), ~$3,380/month (SLMB), ~$3,598/month (QI)—individual.
Asset Limits $9,430 (individual), $14,130 (couple).
IL

Three tiers; no waitlist.

Benefits
Covers Part B premiums ($174.70/month) Deductibles ($240/year) Copays (~20%)

Optional State Supplementation (OSS)

Illinois Optional State Supplementation

Age 65+ or disabled
General Illinois resident, in approved facility, SSI recipient or low-income.
Income Limits (2025) ~$1,004/month including SSI
Asset Limits $2,000 (individual), $3,000 (couple).
IL

~$50-$500/month based on facility type.

Benefits
Cash (~$50-$500/month) for room/board in personal care homes or SLFs

VA Aid and Attendance (A&A) and Housebound Benefits

Illinois VA Aid and Attendance/Housebound

Age 65+ or disabled veteran/spouse
General Illinois resident, wartime service, need for ADL help (A&A) or homebound.
Income Limits (2025) Net income < ~$1,984/month (veteran with dependent, A&A); pension offsets income.
Asset Limits ~$155,356 net worth limit
IL

High veteran demand in urban/rural areas.

Benefits
Cash (~$1,433-$2,642/month veteran, ~$951-$1,318 spouse) for care costs (e.g., in-home, assisted living)

Frequently Asked Questions about The Merion

Is The Merion in a walkable area?

The Merion has a walk score of 97. Walker's paradise. Daily errands do not require a car, with many shops and services nearby.

Are pets allowed at The Merion?

Yes, The Merion allows residents to bring their pets.

How much does The Merion cost per month?

Pricing at The Merion starts at $4,050 per month, with rates varying by floorplan and additional care needs.

Are there photos of The Merion?

Yes — there are 6 photos of The Merion in the photo gallery on this page.

What is the address of The Merion?

The Merion is located at 1611 Chicago Ave, Evanston, IL 60201.

What is the phone number of The Merion?

(847) 864-6400 will put you in contact with the team at The Merion.

Does The Merion provide medical or personal care assistance?

No — The Merion is an independent living community. Residents live on their own in private apartments with access to amenities, dining, and social activities.

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