I just moved into the Riverside West building at Port Imperial, which is a part of the same complex as Riverbend. While I have only lived here a short time, this is to give an update on some of the reviews that I had read prior to looking at the apartment.
For one, the construction in the new buildings (Riverside West, bldgs 24 and 26) must be better than Riverbend, as it is fairly solid in my estimate.
The leasing office staff, bashed in other reviews, has been exceptionally nice and helpful with me, stopping to talk when we meet outside, dealing with all requests very quickly, and generally acting like the tenants do matter. The concierge service is also very helpful and courteous.
There is a slight chemical smell in the building, but it is more that of cleaners than sewage/dirt and has noticably faded in the time I've been here.
Other things to note: living in the Riverside West buildings, your heat is gas instead of electric, which should drop that bill down some. The rent that you are quoted for an apartment in the new buildings also includes DirecTV and high speed internet, which come to $99/month together - a deal.
The apartments are beautiful, with full size washer/dryer in the entrance, tons of closet space, mediocre carpeting, very thin paint (anything makes a mark against it).
There have definitely been some problems, like the key card security system locking everyone out of the building and phone being turned on, but no dial tone. These, as stated, have been dealt with as quickly as possible by the management.
Perhaps it is a completely different story living in a Riverside West building, instead of Riverbend, but that's my take on it so far. Just hoping things don't change in the future.
And, when you're looking at the high cost of rent, and the thousands of dollars in additional fees (amenities, pet rent, pet deposit, parking...), remember to negotiate - it saved me a ton.

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