401 West 54 Street,

Manhattan, NY 10019

- Convenient location
- Good natural light
- Good water pressure
- New intercom system

- Extremely loud. There are frequent emergency sirens and a lot of honking from traffic at the intersection, plus periodic shouting from pedestrians (especially bar patrons late at night). 9th Ave is also a truck route, and the building shakes substantially when heavy vehicles go by. If you're used to Manhattan noise, it might not be a deal-breaker, but if you're a light sleeper or work from home I wouldn't recommend this place.
- Had minor issues with management. They tried to access the apartment without giving notice at least twice (for a nonexistent issue), the lease had a couple of clauses that violated local laws, etc. We had to nudge a bit to get the security deposit back, but did get it in the end.
- The apartment had a recent renovation that was done as cheaply as possible. The vinyl flooring has gaps in it, the dryer is a ductless model that doesn't work well, the building door doesn't always latch without shoving it hard — stuff like that. Nothing crazy, but corners were definitely cut, and the rent is pretty expensive considering.

The building’s units, while not the most modern, are spacious for the neighborhood. The building is conveniently located near the subway, Central Park, the theater district, and midtown. A good starter apartment for someone new to the city.

The building sits right on the corner of 9th Ave, so the noise level is high, especially during rush hour and on weekends. The building’s interior is also not the most clean or aesthetically pleasing. Management has made some effort toward renovating the hallways and units in the last few years. Encountered a few roaches over the years I was there, but nothing atypical.