The Roach Motel
Pros
This building was very close to the train, that was the only positive of living there.
Cons
The building is extremely neglected and has a terrible issue with roaches of all kinds - German, American, big, and small they’re all there. During my time living there I had a gas leak in my apartment due, numerous packages stolen due to no secure way to receive them, and I had to battle the management throughout all of this who were no help in attempting to remedy any of the issues.
Advice to the owners
Tear down the building because roaches have taken it over.
Could Be Worse
Pros
We probably benefitted from white privilege, but owner responsiveness to pest control or other needs was pretty quick. Only so many units in the building so you only have so many neighbors. Great location, right next to Train station, laundry, corner stores.
Cons
The super’s cleaning was always cursory. Quick sweep, maybe a mop, and sometimes garbage went a week without being cleaned. I wonder if the banisters/door handles were ever wiped down. There’s a beautiful backyard accessible through the basement but it isn’t landscaped and looks like a jungle. ALSO, one long-time resident evidently suffers from paranoia. He’s very curious about the neighbors coming and going and is super protective of his unit, to the point of being aggressive and dangerous.
Advice to the owners
Wipe down the doors and entryway, maybe give it a fresh coat of paint and it’ll immediately look more appealing, but nothing will matter while the dangerous tenant still lives there.