135 East 54 Street,

Manhattan, NY 10022

The best part of living in this building is hands down the building itself—and especially the doormen. They are truly exceptional: always present, consistently kind, and they literally open the door for you every single time you enter or leave. Their warmth and attentiveness go a long way in making the building feel like home. They’re always willing to help in any way they can, and their presence is a genuine highlight of the experience here.

The common areas are well maintained, with clean floors and a sense of order that reflects the building’s overall quality. Structurally and aesthetically, the building is lovely and well cared for.

It’s important to note that because this is a co-op, every unit is owned and managed individually, so experiences can vary widely. I spoke to several neighbors who didn’t face the same issues I did, which leads me to believe that many of these concerns are specific to my unit.

In my case, the unit is owned by a landlord who does not live in New York City and has maintained it very poorly. The windows are not double-paned, and because of the building’s location, noise is a serious issue. I previously lived in Times Square and consider myself fairly tolerant of city noise, but this is on another level. There’s a trash receptacle directly outside the building, and honking, garbage collection, and street noise go on at all hours—especially in the early mornings. It’s extremely disruptive.

Even more concerning is the cockroach problem. The building sits above eight restaurants, and because the kitchen and appliances in the unit have not been updated or sealed properly, there are many gaps and holes where pests can enter. Despite using the kitchen only to heat food—not cook—we’ve experienced a persistent and severe cockroach issue. This has been the most distressing part of living here and ultimately the reason we are not renewing the lease.

While the apartment itself is spacious and the rent is reasonable for the size, the outdated appliances and pest issues make it feel far from worth it.

Update and take care of your apartment

Great building staff super helful and responsive

Strange rules baout reserving elevators and not being allowed to do so on the weekend. Had a horrible owner but the building was super nice about it.