Pros:
- location is super convenient
- the doormen are lovely
- the super is quick to fix issues that arise
- building manager responds quickly to emails
- there are lots of dogs and they gather outside every evening which is really fun to come home to
- there's a clothing donation box in the laundry area which is handy
Cons:
- Elevators are the worst I've faced in NYC. They have 3 elevators, however, only generally run 2 of them. It's clear that the algorithm is optimizing towards having an elevator in the lobby, as opposed to moving people to and from their destinations efficiently. Tenants that have lived in the building for years have told me that there was a lawsuit brought against them by the tenants because of the mishandling of elevators. The building lost however did not change a thing. They previously had an attendant in the third elevator and packages would be delivered to apartment doors. Now they sit in the front lobby.
- Multiple packages have been lost.
- Management is a nightmare to deal with and have mishandled fees/payments, misrepresented changes to a lease, and much more.
- The heat is absurd. I had the super turn off the head in my apartment and I still need to sleep with the windows open. This means that my apartment is incredibly loud & dusty.
- Rent prices are obscene for the building and apartments. They have tried to increase the rent of studios to be more than the cost of a 1BR at true luxury buildings (which this is not).
- Despite a "no smoking" rule, the hallway constantly smells of smoke
- Washer is $3.5, dryer is $3.25. A couple of the washers & dryers have been broken for months
- The amenities fees are astronomical for what you get. Gym will be going to $35/month. It is a tiny, cramped gym absolutely not worth that much. The lounge is $75/month which is well decked out, but too small to justify the cost.
- The water occasionally turns brown?? Occasionally after returning from a trip of 2-3 weeks the water coming out of the taps is brown. The other day it happened WHILE I WAS IN THE SHOWER. So gross.
- Large oversights in cleaning the apartment before I moved in (things that I only was able to notice after a couple of months). Eg. bathroom vent is completely clogged with dust and therefore no hot air/steam can escape (this means that the roof DRIPS), toilet tank had an inch of scum on the bottom of it, so the toilet bowl would turn brown after 1 day, under the radiator there were multiple dead cockroaches.
Advice to owner:
If you charge luxury building prices, make it a luxury building.