Fairly Decent Rent Stabilized Building
Pros
Rent stabilized building, that is fairly maintained. Management is somewhat responsive, and if you really bother them they will deal with it. Live-in super, but there's been a fair amount of changeover in supers. Locked package room, though packages get stolen anyway. There's a pool but inconvenient hours, doesn't allow guests and you need to pay $50 per family to use it, so I don't. Big win is that the apartments come with ACs in the wall -- they are old though. I have had to have mine replaced a few times and they always complain and give me a similarly used old AC, but it's still cheaper than needing to buy my own. Dishwashers in the apartments, if your apartment doesn't have one they will install one for you. Pet friendly excluding dogs. Kind of an annoying walk to the Q but it could be worse. Neighbors are a lot of older European immigrant families who have lived in the building for 20+ and are nice. I almost never have noise issues, nor do I have issues with people using drugs publicly or it smelling of weed. I'd probably live in this building forever if they 1. allowed dogs and 2. a two bedroom opened up.
Cons
Management try to get away with not doing stuff and have an attitude about every request. Building faces Ocean Parkway so it can be loud (as well as hot from the sun). Usually there are issues in the winter about the heat being on, but if you complain to 311 they resolve it. Packages get stolen, building is old and they don't try cleaning it or improving it really. There have been cockroach problems because the garbage rooms don't get cleaned. Wish they allowed dogs!
Advice to the owners
Allow dogs please :-)
Diamond in the rough
Pros
Conveniently located close to public transportation and not too far from Prospect park. The neighbors are courteous and friendly. Recently updated elevators and stairwell lighting. Pool available during summer.
Cons
Pool only available for tenants and no guests are allowed. The pool is closed on Saturdays and the hours are inconvenient otherwise. The building manager will try to extort a fee for the pool pass during the summer even though the pool is an actual amenity included on the lease. The manager does not follow up on requests for service. If he does not catch you on his time because you’re out or working he will not return unless you complain. The doorman was let go at the start of the pandemic and has not been replaced since then. We now have more issues with packages going missing. He used to deliver the packages to each apartment. No bike parking/storage area although there is a lot of room for it in the back of the building.
Advice to the owners
Invest in bike rack. It will make a lot of your tenants happy especially in a city that encourages eco-friendly cycling as alternative to driving.
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