I have lived in this building for approximately ten years and have seen management transition from…read morethe prior generation of the landlord's family to its current leadership. In my experience, the quality of the resident experience and management responsiveness has declined substantially over that period.
The building is marketed as a "luxury rental," but I do not believe the day-to-day experience lives up to that description. The lobby may create a strong first impression, but many of the building's underlying systems and resident services feel dated, unreliable, or poorly managed.
The elevators are original to the building's late-1960s construction and are frequently out of service, sometimes for days at a time. I understand that management has begun an elevator-modernization project, but residents have been told it may take roughly three more years to complete.
When an elevator is out, waits can become long at virtually any time of day. If reliable elevator service is important to you, particularly if you have a busy schedule, mobility concerns, children, or regularly receive deliveries, this is a serious issue to consider before renting here.
The in-unit HVAC convectors are, in my view, undersized and often inadequate for properly cooling apartments during the summer. If you prefer to sleep in a room below 70 degrees, you may find the cooling capacity insufficient.
The building also uses an older two-pipe HVAC system, which means it cannot provide heat and air conditioning simultaneously. During warm periods in the spring or fall, residents may have no access to air conditioning because the building has not yet switched over from heat. Management's suggested solution has been for tenants to purchase portable air-conditioning units themselves.
This past Spring, after several unusually warm days, more than 40 tenants reportedly purchased portable air conditioning units. For a building promoted as luxury housing, asking residents to supplement the building's cooling system at their own expense is disappointing.
Management recently renovated the basement and added an amenity center. Before the renovation, the building had only a small, windowless gym that residents could use without charge.
The new space includes a somewhat larger but still windowless gym, as well as a playroom, chef's kitchen, and work areas - all located in the basement. Access to the gym and amenities now costs $100 per month. I do not believe the space or offerings justify that fee, particularly when many comparable luxury rentals include a fitness center as part of the rent. At minimum, access to the gym should be free of charge.
If complimentary, well-appointed amenities are important to you, I would look carefully at competing buildings before committing here.
The package process is another persistent frustration. Packages are delivered to a basement package room rather than directly to apartments. Residents receive an email once building staff have checked in the delivery, but notification can be delayed significantly; a package may arrive around noon and not be available for pickup until the next day.
Packages are sometimes difficult to locate, and lines can be especially long in the evenings between 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. Waiting 20 minutes or more to retrieve a package is not unusual. For tenants paying premium Manhattan rents, the package experience feels unnecessarily inefficient and below the level one should reasonably expect.
My experience with leasing and renewal negotiations has also been difficult since new Management took over. Rent increases have often felt excessive and inflexible, with renewal discussions focused almost entirely on maximizing rent rather than retaining long-term tenants or addressing legitimate resident concerns.
Prospective tenants should not assume that typical, modest annual increases will be offered at renewal. In my experience, increases beginning around 10-11% have been presented as the starting point, and substantially higher increases have also occurred - sometimes more than 30%!
The doormen and maintenance staff are generally kind, professional, and helpful. They work hard and are not the source of my concerns.
The apartments are relatively spacious for Manhattan and generally offer good closet space. Unfortunately, for me, those positives do not outweigh the elevator problems, HVAC limitations, package-room experience, amenity fees, and renewal process.
After nearly a decade in the building, I expect to move when my current lease expires. I would encourage prospective renters to tour carefully, ask tenants, NOT MANAGEMENT direct questions about elevator reliability, HVAC changeover dates, package handling, amenity fees, and likely renewal increases, and compare the full resident experience - not just the lobby or apartment layout with other buildings in the area.
