Not Worth It Unless Living in Greenpoint is a Hill to Die On
Pros
The trash/recycling management is bar none, mainly because there's a next-door neighbor who spends his entire day watching how people in the building sort and dispense of their garbage. Any mistakes are quickly corrected. The neighbor does mop the apartment hallways once a week, which is nice. He can also act as a contractor for tenants, but charges separately for payment. Basically a super that isn't included in your rent. As a pet owner, not having to pay pet rent is big. One could make the argument that the building is quiet for a busier section of Greenpoint, and I would say that's true when the landlord isn't actively demolishing some part of the apartment to upgrade it. Unfortunately, that was happening more often than not in our two year tenancy (couple living together). Neighbors in the building are decent and keep to themselves, will mostly ignore you but are not disruptive. Objectively a beautiful street to live on, and the location/access is really what you're paying for. 2 blocks from the Nassau G station is clutch, not a difficult walk to the Bedford Ave L, and proximity to the best of Greenpoint is always available. Really enjoyed our access to the river and the various parks alongside it. Amenities are functional. Everything works and is in decent condition, and there weren't many issues with appliances not working, etc. Water pressure was average, temperature was touchy (either really hot or really cold). We had one winter where the radiator wouldn't stop clicking. There is a thin coat of primer/paint on the walls, so be prepared to touch up if you decide to put anything on the walls.
Cons
Firstly: there are illegal items in the lease, and this has been confirmed by housing lawyers. Please be aware you're signing an illegal lease. For example: there is an item that states that in the event of a housing court incident, YOU are responsible for the landlord's legal bills regardless of the outcome. The landlord Marzena is without doubt the most difficult person I have ever met in my life. Moving in, we thought having a landlord in the building wouldn't be such a bad thing. Not so. Her behavior is erratic, unreasonable, and combative most of the time. Living with someone perpetually upset and unpredictable was not great, and everything there felt slightly on edge. She is constantly stomping up and down the stairs, yelling at God knows who (usually contractors), and runs the building like a college dorm. She is disrespectful, relentlessly challenging, and acts like she's doing you a favor for being the landlord. If you decide to rent here, don't expect to stay long: she is actively contracting construction jobs in the building at all times, with the intent of continuously raising rent prices and eventually forcing tenants out. The noise during construction in the building was absurd and pretty much constant during our two year stay. Thankfully my partner and I didn't work from home often, but I can't imagine what it was like if you did. When we complained about the noise, the landlord's response was "This is a place to live, not an office." She will give tenants heads up about construction updates via text. Anything that breaks or stops working, no matter the circumstances, is going to be your fault and she's going to blame you for it.The rent you pay comes with next to no supportive services, which for the price point I think makes it too expensive. Here are just a few examples of our experience with her: 1. Blamed us for a 20(!) year-old wall unit AC breaking despite normal upkeep (it broke because it was 20 years old), and repeatedly threatened to charge us for it. 2. Our cat nearly escaped out of our window after she left it open with a visiting contractor. Our radiator was leaking water once and she brought up a plastic jug to catch the water, with a dead cockroach in the handle. She seemed completely oblivious to the dead cockroach. 3. Did not adequately fix a leaking section of our bedroom window ceiling, and refused to accommodate in any way. Told us that we needed to pay for our own 10 day vacation so that she could make repairs, and would not consider any kind of rent reduction/relocation. This issue persisted until she eventually told us she wasn't going to renew because she needed to do the construction, and wanted to make upgrades. 4. Makes up arbitrary financial charges to threaten you with, including but not limited to: $150 for needing to change a meeting time, $200 for asking to be let in during a weekend evening (forgot our keys and it was at midnight to be fair, but she was awake and lives 10 feet from the front door. Refused to let us in unless we gave her $200, which we did not). 5. Claims that she doesn't work on evenings and weekends even though she lives in the building (and the landlord!), will not respond to messages you send after 5PM weekdays or at all on weekends. If you have any issues, most of the time she'll respond with "check your lease and rider" and is often resistant if you need further help. This apartment was ultimately a place to lay our heads at night, but it was not a relaxing or comfortable place to live otherwise. It might be a suitable option for a year just to get settled if you need it, and if it's Greenpoint or bust I get it, but we wouldn't recommend.
Advice to the owners
This landlord takes 0 advice. There is no negotiating, no dialogue, no compromising of any kind. If there is, it requires enormous amounts of energy and dealing with someone who has no self-awareness and the shortest fuse in New York City. Everything is either your fault, or not her responsibility. She needs serious help and should be nowhere near managing property.
Nightmare landlord experience
Pros
Very quiet apartment based on location
Cons
The other reviews have pretty much covered it, watch out for this landlord with a sneaky lease.