Decent Value if you can tolerate Incessant Noise Pollution
Pros
1. Prime location on the Lower East Side 2. Elevator & on-site laundry 3. Responsive to maintenance requests 4. Good amount of space for the neighborhood 5. Lots of natural light
Cons
1. Unregulated lease terms allows them to increase rent the maximum legal amount every year (and they ruthlessly do). 2. All day/night Busy intersection horn honking can be heard clearly through the windows AND Nightclub music on the weekends radiates into the unit clearly til late late. 3. Old windows, let cold in the winters and heat in the summer. 4. Poor kitchen ventilation system, so cooking leads to a smoky apartment. 5. Units get bare minimum improvements, probably in need of modernization and updating
Advice to the owners
At minimum, I’d aim to limit tenant turnover instead of pricing them out every year. Also, replace/upgrade all windows to eliminate noise pollution and improve heating/cooling efficiency.
Great location, decent apartments
Pros
The apartments are relatively nice and the location is super convenient. The people in the building are also really great. Management is mostly responsive. The laundry in the basement is super convenient. The real best part of the apartment is the rooftop.
Cons
There’s a club on the first floor, so Thursday through Sunday, expect loud thumping throughout the entire building. There’s also some problems with mice and cockroaches, especially in the trash room. Sometimes you have to bug the management to fix things. The utilities are also insane. Over $300/month in the winter. Overall the rent is high for the benefits, unless you love the area.
Advice to the owners
Install more efficient heating units, clean the building more often, and lower rents a bit