In the decade I've lived in New York City -- in 'luxury' buildings similar to Atelier, including…read morethose in Gramercy and the Upper West Side -- this has by far been my worst experience.
I'll mention that I have avoided writing this review. I had no interest in engaging with Atelier after our sour encounters this year.
My intention is transparency. A lease is not a short-term commitment. A negative experience for any tenant is always the responsibility of the landlord, and I don't believe the current stellar ratings on this building are earned (or real -- notice that, on Google, the last one was uploaded a year ago).
I moved in on November 2019. My second-floor studio is directly across the hall from the loud 'community room' and gym. My south-facing windows offer this: raucous, bright construction with construction workers that stare, shout, and spit.
I pay $3150 for this tiny studio on the second floor, though for this price I can currently have, in this SAME building:
A 1-bedroom penthouse with dining alcove
A 1-bedroom with "loft-like" ceilings on a higher floor
An apartment like mine is projected to go down to $2595 (if not less) when I move out.
I was initially happy with the experience. The doormen are delightful (Mostafa, Lubna). The handymen are quick to respond and friendly (Jose, Robin). I'm certain these people are paid way less than what they are worth, but they were the only positives that continued to work hard during COVID.
The community room was problematic since the start. Residents would host enormous parties that went late. They'd speak in booming voices right outside our doors. As is the style for these cut-and-paste McMansions, the doors are made of cardboard. We could hear every word, every shrill laugh, every profanity. The music would make my entire apartment vibrate.
I complained about this twice to the community manager, Christian Schilhab, who continued to promise solutions that never manifested. I tried going out myself and imploring the people to be mindful that we are sleeping. They'd go away and then return.
The construction zone across the street kept their lights on all night; they seared into my apartment despite the blinds. I would wake up on my only day off to the sound of jackhammers, shouting, beeping. By December 2019, I wanted to move. To break the lease, I'd need to pay around $9,000. I decided to endure.
I work as a dentist and educator. Like millions of Americans, I was laid off in March. I am also a recent graduate with astronomical student debt; much of the "extra" money I made before COVID went towards that expense.
**Despite this, I continued to pay my rent from my savings until July, when it just became infeasible.** Prices around here had begun to drop significantly.
The 'luxury' items that they kept insisting were a source for high fees were gone: the gym had been closed for months; the roof was off limits or obscenely crowded; the community room and its adjacent terrace were closed. Even the elevators were shut down because of electric issues. The rent did not change.
Because of my surgical background, I volunteered during COVID. The governor had issued a call for health professionals to lift the load. This amounted to two months -- none of it paid.
I relayed this to Schilhab honestly. I was transparent that $3150 was not feasible and told him that my unemployment and current volunteering meant *all* expenses were being drained from savings. I all but begged him to end my lease. (They still requested $9,000, even though an empty apartment is written off as a loss in buildings like this).
His tone over email was unsentimental; he sent me template after template until I asked him to elaborate personally. Our emails became terse and hostile.
Around this time, Atelier had extended a deal for "new" renters -- if you signed a new lease, you could cancel at any time within the first 3 months. I asked why this could not apply to me; I'd already paid nearly $30,000 in rent to the building, and I was being treated like a prisoner. Anytime I mentioned ending the lease, I was met with the threat of damaging my credit score. This was doubly insulting because 1) new renters who had contributed absolutely nothing were given special treatment and 2) if a new renter was found to take over my lease, then I'd still be"responsible" for the difference in rent after.
Even when I asked to move to another unit, I was met with high fees and a sense that, genuinely, no one on the team cared. I decided to leave.
This review can go on for pages, but Yelp (and Google) have a word limit. My grievances with Atelier are endless. But I've learned to give back directly to local Brooklynites. I found the apartment of my dreams with new amenities and a huge balcony for LESS than what I'm paying now.
Companies like Atelier are Brooklyn's gentrification stain. All that's luxury is the French etymology of the name. The company does NOT care about you. You are a lease.
