I love this place. Let me give a disclaimer, I am on the board. I am on the board because I love this place. This review is being written by me as an individual and is not being written by the coop nor is this any official statement. Also, much of this information can change as coops and other places evolve and change.
When I was searching for a place, I was looking for a place that was financially responsible and well managed. I found both of these items in Northridge Coop Section 2. There are 3 Sections. This one was the one I liked most. I looked at Apartments in all three. The staff works had to keep the buildings clean and in shape. There is a private garden, a gym which costs about $5 a month to join and a community room. There are laundry rooms throughout and the prices are right.
The buzzer system has cameras so that you can see who is in the lobby as well as who is in the laundry rooms and whether the machines are free. There are two garages for cars. However, there is about a two year wait for a spot. There are also storage rooms where you can rent a shed.
The coop has a mix of old and young people as well as people of many races. It is quiet and most of my neighbors are professionals or retired. The units must be owner occupied. No subletting. There are no dogs allowed. Cats are allowed. Carpets are required.
When you sell your unit, 25% of your profit goes back to the coop. 75% goes back if you sell in less than 2 years. (ie: Purchase Price: $100k Sale price $200k, profit is $100k and $25 goes to the coop) This is placed into the general fund and used to keep the maintenance low. While at first blush this may sound insane to some, it helps the older people who can not deal as well with market fluctuations in energy costs, etc and in actuality, it is their estates that really pay the most as someone who purchased in the 50s or 60s will have way more profit than you will if you buy today and sell in five years. In fact, in that case, you would have done well and profited due to the lower cost of maintenance.
To be fair and balanced, one of the things I have never liked as a young professional is that the laundry rooms close at 8pm. Even though I left manhattan over two years ago, I am still not used to the laundry room closing, let alone so early. As the complex is a Naturally Occurring Retirement Community, meaning that many of the original owners still own and live in the place, I think that the 8 pm rule does not bother most people. I have also been told that it was created due to noise and people who live above the laundry rooms.
I love this place. The people are nice. Time is spent by my neighbors making sure where we live looks great. People plant flowers, etc. There is a sense of community. There is a 24 hour drug store on the corner. While the train is a walk, there is a bus that comes a block away. I am shocked by the prices and hope they stay undermarket. I strongly believe that the internet and post office designation of the place as being in East Elmhurst when it is actually Jackson Heights have saved us from the scrutiny of outsiders and the crazy market inflation. The fact is, the value of the units have risen consistently since I came and has not been affected at all in my opinion by the market. Undermarket is undermarket. I remember going to see a broker just a mile away and telling him what I wanted to spend. He literally told me I was dreaming. I spent less. Call me Martin Luther King. I have a dream and that dream is Northridge! read more