We moved into this building when it opened, and it was far from habitable at the time. Things have gotten better now that the building is finished.

The doormen, porters and super all are pleasant and capable. But management is another story altogether. It expects complete flexibility from tenants when it cannot meet its promises but then is inflexible when tenants request common courtesies.

Also, don't be fooled by the shiny fixtures -- management cut corners in many ways. For example, the walls are thinner here than any apartment buildings I've ever been inside. We can hear our next door neighbors (and smell their cigarette smoke) as if they were in the same room. Energy costs were double to triple what we paid Con-Ed, though I understand that your monthly bill varies greatly by line of apartments in the building, which says a lot about how it was constructed.

Ask to see the roof deck when you visit. The computer rendering shown to us when we visited looked very nice. The real thing is a cruel joke.

The neighborhood is safe. While amenities are somewhat lacking compared to most other Manhattan neighborhoods, things are slowly getting better.

If you have a car, keep in mind that parking is very expensive -- if you're moving down here to save money on rent, you should know that you will tack on about $100 (or more) to your parking costs and about $10 more per cab ride from midtown.

Driving is a nightmare. The streets are narrow, often closed, and laden with more potholes than any place I have seen in this country. Be prepared to drive slowly or purchase new shocks.

Back to the building: It's certainly not the worst place to live, but the facade is nicer than the underbelly. There are nicer places with better management out there in the same general price range. I recommend that you look elsewhere.

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