If you're considering moving into this building, do yourself a favor and look elsewhere. For a…read morebuilding charging premium Manhattan rents, the level of mismanagement, poor maintenance, and disregard for residents is astonishing.
OUTRAGEOUS RENT INCREASES: Expect annual rent increases of 12% or more with zero room for negotiation, despite comparable apartments in the neighborhood renting for less. Residents pay more every year while receiving less in return.
MISERABLE AIR CONDITIONING: Management shuts off the AC as early as possible, even when temperatures reach 80 degrees in October. Residents are left sweltering in their apartments. Even when the system is running, it's so inadequate that apartments struggle to cool down. Apparently, basic climate control is too much to ask.
FILTHY WINDOWS AND DUST: The windows look like they haven't been cleaned since the building was constructed in the mid-1900s. The amount of dust entering apartments is disgusting and raises concerns about air quality.
CONSTANTLY BROKEN ELEVATORS: Perhaps the worst issue. Elevators routinely break down, with waits of 15-20 minutes. There have been days when ALL elevators were out of service. Imagine having a baby in a stroller, mobility limitations, or a medical emergency. This is a serious accessibility and safety concern. The elevators have supposedly been undergoing "modernization" for over a year, yet nothing seems to improve. Only certain elevators serve the basement, so residents frequently have to transfer in the lobby and wait AGAIN.
DRY CLEANING INCONVENIENCE: The basement dry cleaner is wonderful, but residents can no longer drop off or collect dry cleaning with the doormen, reportedly following a disagreement with the superintendent. Now you must go to the basement during the dry cleaner's operating hours. Another convenient service eliminated, made even more frustrating by the elevators.
INEXCUSABLE PACKAGE SYSTEM: Don't bother paying for Amazon Prime or expedited shipping. Packages can sit in the building for DAYS before being logged, and pickup notifications can take two days. Then you must go to the basement, assuming the package room is open, because naturally, it isn't available 24/7. I've started shipping packages to a family member in a properly managed building. It is genuinely easier to take an Uber to another apartment to collect my deliveries than to deal with the package room here. Let that sink in.
DISGUSTING LAUNDRY ROOM: The machines are old, filthy, and nowhere near sufficient for the number of residents. Embarrassing for a building charging these rents.
MANDATORY $100 MONTHLY AMENITY FEE: Residents now pay an additional $1,200 annually for laughably underwhelming amenities. The gym is a joke. The chef's kitchen is a joke. The playroom is a joke. Another way to squeeze money out of residents while providing little value.
QUESTIONABLE SECURITY: Every evening, elevators are filled with delivery drivers traveling throughout residential floors unaccompanied. This raises legitimate concerns about building security.
USELESS KITCHEN VENTILATION: If you enjoy cooking, prepare for your apartment to smell like dinner long after you've finished eating. The exhaust fans are practically useless.
TERRIBLE LUGGAGE CARTS: The carts are cheap, poorly maintained, and some barely roll. That's assuming you can find one. Return from a trip or Costco run and don't be surprised if no carts are available and nobody knows where they are. Enjoy making multiple trips upstairs while waiting 15-20 minutes for an elevator each time. Truly a luxury experience.
THE ONLY POSITIVE: THE DOORMEN AND STAFF. They are genuinely wonderful, kind, and helpful. I give them tremendous credit because it cannot be easy dealing with constant resident complaints about problems beyond their control. They deserve far better support from management and ownership.
BOTTOM LINE: This building is a master class in charging luxury prices while delivering a substandard living experience. Broken elevators, inadequate AC, filthy windows, delayed packages, disgusting laundry facilities, disappearing conveniences, and outrageous rent increases and fees.
These aren't complicated problems. They're the absolute basics of operating a residential building competently.
Residents pay more and more every year for a building that seems to function worse and worse.
Before signing a lease, speak to current residents. Ask about the elevators, AC, packages, and rent increases. Don't be fooled by the leasing pitch.
There are far better places to spend your money in NYC. I would not recommend this building to anyone.