Pros: very good location, very close to NYC&transportation, very nice place overall (view, small park etc.), extremely polite concierge, very good response in terms of any maintenance issues (always came ASAP and repaired what was needed), large and updated gym, sauna.

Cons: NOISY bec. of:

1. the construction that started some time in Sep. 2008, and I'm not sure if it's over - anytime I start believing it's over, the drilling starts again. Bec. of the drilling, huge clouds of white dust made any use of our balcony impossible for those 4 months. I really believe we all should get some rent discount bec. of this. It was too much.

2. never ending fire alarm testing. How many times, for God's sake, is it needed to test a fire alarm' I remember they tested the whole building for 4 days in a row, opening every single apartment testing it, imagine if you work from home or have a baby that needs to sleep - what are you supposed to do' Move outside, to the cold' (the alarm is on all the time and remember, babies can't sleep on the balcony, bec. of the dust coming from the construction). Today they test it again and they did test it million times before already. I just start to be fed up with this. I understand it's important for buildings's safety, but it should be done once and forever, and not throughout couple of months!!!!!

3. noisy in the summer mainly due to the copters and small airplanes flying back and forth the whole day and in the evening, too, that's also ennoying if you need to concentrate to work. Not only that - some of our guests really did not like it when visiting us, sometimes it really gets disturbing. Just be aware of that if you don't like noisy places.

4. thin walls. I can hear my neighbor scratching his plate with a fork. Seriously. If you have a neigbor who has a terrible voice :) or loves listening to loud music at night, well, you don't get any sleep, unless you talk to him/her.

So for me, the noise is quite a big complaint.

Second thing: safety.

Our BMW (inside the garage) was almost broken into in April 2008. My husband was not at home for couple of weeks and I did not use the car so I cannot tell when exactly it happened, but someone drilled a whole into the front door and probably was disturbed by someone so didn't finish the job. Maybe some security cameras should be installed in the garage. We had to let the door repaired, it was damaged and scratched, too.

I read some complaints regarding the murder that happened here, yes, it's true. I did not feel very comfortable about it either but in these large apartm. buildings you cannot avoid having some strange neighbors. No-one can guarantee a 100% to anyone I guess. If it's true that he owed some $$$ to some guy who killed him, well...it wasn't any random murder (not that it's more acceptable, but it's not like we live in some terrible place where this happens on a regular basis and randomly). Before moving here we lived in another place and over there, couple of apartments we broken into and people robbed and one of the tenants came home while robbery was in place. I think that was much much worse bec. it was repetitive and random, anyone could have been hit and killed.

But as for the safety, I would complain about the gym, there is no system that prevents strangers entering the gym. So basically anyone from the street could sneak in. Imagine how safe are you if you are a woman, change your clothes, go to the sauna, and anyone can enter and harass you. Also, I have a feeling that people who do not live in our building use the gym. Can't prove it, but most of us think the same.

Overall, it's hard to say whether I would recommend it, or not. It depends on you and your personality, what can be an issue to you and what not (for example, I don't care about the outdated kitchen or bathroom, that's not that important to me, but I know some people care about it). As we previously lived in a building with much more issues than here, compared to that this is a MUCH better option and we ARE satisfied. If you work outside your home, I think you won't be bothered by the noise and you'll be fine and like the place. If you have a baby, it's also a good place bec. you can walk a lot around, it's all well kept and there also is a playroom inside the building. As for me, I'm going to wait till our renewal is up and see whether I can negotioate the rent bec. I know the rent fell a lot. If they try to increase it or are not flexible, well, then I will think about some other options.

User Responses
From: Anonymous	Date: 01/08/2009
I know for a fact many Mexican laborers who do not live there use the gym, just as you said. It was unnerving to go in as a woman to try to sneak some quiet time in the gym and have 20 Mexican laborers being roudy. Our BMW was broken into in the garage also, just as yours was: where the lock had been drilled out. Management did nothing except point out in the contract where they were not to be held responsible.
From: Anonymous	Date: 01/08/2009
I know, it sucks. But I heard the management is planning on installing some new access system so only the tenants can use the gym. (I complained about the gym to them bec. once there was a bunch of rude nasty terrible teenagers, yelling and screaming like animals and I asked them whether they lived here, they said no! - and continued making noise. What was I supposed to do, alone in the gym? Fight them? :))But yes, it's very uncomfortable to know that anyone can come over while I'm sitting almost naked in the sauna! or undressing.

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