I had lived here since about when this building opened. Since Equity Residential purchased this building over two years ago it has deteriorated markedly; HQ is oblivious to this. Anyone hear of a secret shopper' When an elevator is out of service (average probably 2-3 times a year) it frequently takes them MORE THAN a week to repair it. Apparently whatever part breaks needs to be ordered special from Antarctica or someplace! Depending on which elevator it is, this can be problematic given the layout of the building. The health club had 13 of 14 lights out FOR OVER 6 MONTHS before they replaced any of them. Over the summer, the AC in the fitness center was out for weeks (and with the windows it gets VERY hot in there). They refused to fix it because they were engaged in a dispute with the original contractor and felt it was his responsibility to repair it. The trash room on my floor had its sole light out for multiple months with no attempts to replace until recently. Many of the video monitors in the fitness center don t work (sound or video). While an isolated incident, when I left to go to work one morning (6:30am ish), a concierge (not the normal one) was lying with HIS FACE DOWN ON THE DESK SLEEPING totally oblivious to my passing by him. The sundeck has limited cushions left for the chairs, and multiple chairs were broken last season anyway. The doors in the ground floor compactor room are missing handles and sometimes can t be opened (probably a violation of the fire code). They request that residents bring all recyclables down to this room as opposed to the trash room on each floor...how s that for a luxury building! And prepare yourself for large rent increases (13-20% per year)

Now the good. Location is very good and convenient. Neighborhood shopping is easily accessible, but with very limited nightlife. View is spectacular and unique. Closet space is unmatched.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 05/26/2008
This is totally true. I lived in the pier for 2 years and a friend lived here several years ago, and the story is always the same. Shoddy maintenance, dirty carpets that haven't been replaced since they were put in back in 2002, broken elevators, lights out, doors that don't open, temp-employee "concierges" that sleep on the job or better yet bail on their jobs altogether, arrogant staff (the leasing office women are -------) and plain old greedy raises in rent. They try to get you on the first year and then expect a 30% raise in rent minimum. You pay for parking, but that doesn't stop most people from parking here anyway, with no consequences. Avoid, unless you think views of Manhattan are better than, you know, living.
From: Anonymous	Date: 06/25/2008
I live in the Pier (but not for long), and let me tell you, all of the above is true. This place is falling apart. Management has an excuse for everything, a solution for nothing. I just think Tony Soprano built the building. If you come into this place for a tour, look at the dented, fractured tile right in front of the elevator as the lease office women try to distract you. That kind of damage, un-repaired since before time, is the kind of thing you should expect from the "luxury" Pier. The elevator just broke yesterday, in fact, the door is half open, with the elevator mid floor between 3 and 4. Any toddler could kill themselves falling in there, but never fear, the temporary employee downstairs is on the job with assurances of "we know about it." Expected time of repair, who knows, we don't give those kinds of estimates at the Pier. Then there are the hallway carpets, which were supposed to be replaced in 2006. They are filthy, with God-knows-what stains on them. After 2 years, the management has posted a schedule for when the carpets are to be replaced (it's now 2008), but true to form, this should only happen after the actual time promised. They keep you hoping with promises. Similarly, the 100% ant and termite rooftop furniture on the roof has a replacement "ordered," a fact you can see with pretty pictures in the lobby that probably bear no resemblance to the furniture that will, if ever, arrive. The trash rooms are filthy perpetually, with other people's trash dumped in them instead of down the chute, where they sit and rot. Apparently, some of the residents still think they have servants from the home country and can just dump their trash in the hall, or wherever it suits them. Management claims the trash rooms are cleaned daily, but I have never once seen a janitor collecting trash. It is only a matter of time before vermin infest the building. If you are thinking of the 2nd or 3rd floors, get used to hearing deafening THUMP THUMP all night as cars run in the garage over the broken steel seams in the concrete. You can inspect it yourself, that is, if you can actually get to the garage from the broken motion activated door from the elevator on the 1st floor garage. This door, also broken since before time, will open the first time it detects motion, but then freeze shut, leaving you trapped. Management's explanation is that it only malfunctions in cold or wet weather, something that should assure you living on a Pier over a foggy river in the north. The fact it doesn't work in June as well has not been explained. The air conditioning in the rooftop "lounge" area, and in the gym, is either broken, or they purposefully keep it at 82 degrees. You also should expect your AC or heat to not work at least once per year in your apartment. It appears that maintenance must turn this on manually or something, which they won't do unless you complain sometime in December or June. As for "the concierge," you can expect these temporary employees to let anyone into the building. Last year, I heard a man with a restraining order was allowed into the building. You can also drive into the garage. Simply honk, and the concierge will open the gate, free for you to steal to your heart's content. If you hate the smell of fish or curry, this probably also isn't the place for you, since it will be wafting in the halls all day. The smell of burnt oil is often in the air in the halls for no particular reason. As for "local conveniences," nothing in Harborside Financial Center is open on the weekend, so it makes all that moot. You have to walk at least 5 blocks to get anything decent to eat, let alone buy a stick of gum, on the weekend. Rent wise, they have asked for anything from 1800 to 2700 in the past 5 years for a 1BR. Right now, they are quoting 2300, but probably would take much less given the vacancy rate. They'll try to rob you with bs application fees for Equity and other nonsense, and to discover your total net worth so they can squeeze you for every penny you have. Expect double digit increases in rent in your renewal letter, which you can negotiate down if you have the patience. With all the new construction in JC and the better value out there, please, do not live in The Pier.

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