Overpriced headache, but fine starter apartment.
Pros
Phenomenal neighborhood & proximity to the trains and buses. But you’re literally paying for that: location. Not for the actual value, size, durability or usefulness of the apartment. Despite the fact that the apartment is a bit bigger than a shoebox, it has vast and unique storage nooks. Only thing that impressed me.
Cons
Lived at this place for a few years, as it was an upgrade from the spot I was in prior. However, a 1BD/1BA apartment in this building is simply not worth over $2700/month. Doesn’t matter that the appliances (dishwasher, microwave, refrigerator) are seemingly updated. Packages are not stolen, but they are almost *always* misdelivered to other places in the neighborhood; you’ll get a delivery notification from the carrier, but the package doesn’t actually show up at your doorstep for 4 more days. It’s a hassle to try and intercept them for pickup. Neighbors are sweet, but your unit might be directly across from the playground/preschool next door, so you can definitely hear kids yelling outside frequently. Keep that in mind if you work from home. The building itself is clean, but a bit shabby and dingy, as it’s a pre-war building. That being said, you don’t control the heating, and it often gets so hot that you have to crack open a window during winter nights. The biggest issue is the landlord/property manager. Not only is he rude and inaccessible, but he hires repair teams that just paint over the issues with cheap supplies, so the problems end up recurring over and over again. He acts like a tenant insisting they have decent living conditions is an inconvenience. I had multiple leak issues in my bathroom, issues with mold & residue caused by the heating pipe, crackling walls — you name it. I had to get on him every time to bring someone in to fix it. Also, power outages in the summertime were oddly super frequent. I had to toggle with the breaker myself on multiple occasions. If you really like the neighborhood, wait on the newer buildings at E 87 and E 86th to finish construction.
Advice to the owners
Be better & stop making tenants pay rent via check.
Good entry to New York
Pros
Quiet location, fairly big
Cons
Poor design (weird spaces, limited natural light), lack of communication and the fact that you have to pay rent by check every month plus everything just always kind of felt dingy
Advice to the owners
Pay rent online