Breaking Ground Review
Pros
The rent is dirt cheap since it's in a subsidized rent control supportive housing building run by the Breaking Ground organization. The water, gas, electric is all included with the rent cost of living here in this building. This building is located in the heart and soul of Manhattan New York Chelsea which is a wonderful neighborhood.
Cons
This building has so many issues that this is going to be a long review. There is a lack of basic building maintenance issues in this building. In the cold winter months there is a lack of proper heating so you will be sleeping in the cold inside your apartment unit. The hallways are dirty and smelly in most of the floors with flies in the air and roaches crawling on the hallway floors. This building has a big pest control problem of roaches, mice, and flies. Sometimes the water in the bathroom sink and in the shower comes out dark brown so you have to be careful before using the water in the apartment unit. Due to the water not being very clean in the shower I had skin rashes all around my body and had to go to the doctor about that. There is a low quality of life issues about this building I need to warn everyone about too. It is very noisy at nights due to the fact that some of the neighbors are extremely loud all throughout the nights. Some of the neighbors will be either mentally ill or suffer from substance abuse problems. This building has a history of some mentally unstable tenants being violent to others or to themselves. I highly recommend you Google search the news media of the full address of this building to see all of the safety problems that comes up about this building that came up on the news. Multiple tenants have passed away or got very hurt physically while living in this building due to substance abuse problems or due to safety risk problems. This building has had many HPD violations and complaints about the maintenance issues of this building. I highly recommend that you check out the New York City 311 HPD website to get a long history printout of all of the issues this building is having. These "apartment units" are not real apartments. Each of these units are really private SRO rooms with your own private bathroom. Breaking Ground with their building has advertised in public has apartment studio units which is not really true. The condition of these private SRO's are in poor condition too. The wood is old inside the units, the windows are rusted, the bathroom is very outdated. The ceiling has had a history of water dripping down from above so you can see the water damaged that happened in the past. They cover up the bad living conditions by just painting over the SRO units and cleaning up the place to look clean and neat. The only reason I ended up in the dumpy building is because I was homeless due to the lack of housing affordability crisis happening in New York City. I can only recommend living in this building if your homeless. Living in this building is only good for a place to sleep, a place to shower at, and a place to receive your postal mail or delivery packages at. I cannot recommend Breaking Ground to working class people and to elderly senior citizens because of the poor quality living conditions of this building. Please avoid living in this building if you can.
Advice to the owners
Improve the living conditions of your building.
The BROOK, is an insult; to the idea, of “Supportive Housing”.
Pros
The building itself, is a professional design. Nice light, cleanly designed hallways, decently designed apartments . It’s workable, as a quaint, SRO. It’s the quality of the tenants; which lowers the value and standards.
Cons
As a 12+ years resident, of the BROOK. Despite the amenities, that are available, for this Low income housing building. This is one of the WORST locations, that I have ever resided in. Moving here, was one of the WORSE decisions, that I ever made. The BROOK, has in house Management, and 24-hour security staff. But you wouldn’t be able to discern that; due to all of the chaos, that occurs, regularly in this building. The BROOK; has been featured REGULARLY, on the CITIZEN APP, due to the fights, and police responses. This building also has Maintenance staff; who clean 7 days per week. But many of the tenants, continue to trash the elevators, stairwells, hallway floors, and even their own apartments. The smells, that emanate, from some apartments, on the 5th floor alone; will make tears form in your eyes. The current “Building Director” is almost non existent. She barely shows up, on site. Leaving the daily activity of maintenance, to her assistant, and Administrator. To be candid; the BROOK, has never had an effective, BUILDING DIRECTOR. The first person, was fired. And this latest, one, was probably the only person, who would take the job. In my Not So Humble opinion, to anyone seeking a quiet, reasonable residence to call “Home”. Avoid the BROOK, at all costs.
Advice to the owners
My advice, to the Property Owner, would be; to Sell the BROOK. It’s reputation alone, is damaging to the BG portfolio. Selling the building, is Best for your Business. The BROOK, is sinking like the TITANIC. And it’s dragging down, everything else, with it.
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