Mid Apartment Building
Pros
Location is good and central. Super close to the train and bus lines. Neighborhood is fun to live in. So much to explore. I rarely ever left because there was so much to do in a couple block radius. The building is in the more quiet area of LES so the apartment is pretty quiet. You don’t hear much of that party loudness as you would if you lived up near Ludlow but you still get the hustle and bustle cause your are only a few blocks away from the busy area of LES. Layout of apartments is doable and can make work. They are on the smaller side but it’s New York.
Cons
Someone in the building chain smokes, and unfortunately, it causes the entire complex to smell. The odor even seeps into your apartment. I had to purchase something to cover the bottom of my door just to keep the cigarette smell out. Was worried my belongings would eventually start to smell like cigarettes overtime. There are also loud neighbors who argue constantly. And I mean constantly…pretty much every week. The time of day doesn’t matter either. It could be at 2am, 1pm, 8am, 7pm. They fight around the clock like they don’t have a job. It gets bad enough that you’ll hear other neighbors yelling in the hallways, threatening to call the cops. On top of that, you have your usual neighbors who blast their music occasionally. The front door (which is the only door preventing people from entering the complex) has been broken for months. Package theft wasn’t too bad when I first moved in, but since the door stopped locking, it’s become a regular issue. Obviously, it’s also a big security concern, especially given some of the shady characters who wander around the neighborhood. When I first moved in, there were a few unsettling people hanging around…one guy in particular used to wander the halls and seemed to be stalking someone who lived here. Thankfully, he doesn’t seem to come around anymore, but at one point, I even think I witnessed someone trying to break in. Some neighbors have also complained about flooding in their apartments. As for mine, I’ve had constant issues with insects, everything from cockroaches and flies to spiders and centipedes. I keep my place spotless, and I’ve never lived somewhere with so many bugs. It’s honestly pretty gross. If you have to live here, you can make it work. But if you have the option, I’d recommend spending a little more elsewhere, it’s worth it for the peace of mind.
Cigarettes smokers inside. Sometimes cockroaches.
Pros
The super is always fixing things. But that might also mean things are just constantly breaking...
Cons
Someone in the building smokes a LOT. And it bleeds into the halls and even other units. I've noticed cockroaches inside the ground level and even up into the third floor.