Monday, March 16, 2015

Life at 20 Avenue A



Workers erected a sidewalk bridge around 20 Avenue A at East Second Street on Thursday. According to one building source, part of the exterior brick covering fell off along a second-floor window.

And as for the address… the 62-unit, rent-regulated building changed hands last summer for $26.2 million, as The Real Deal first reported.

Per our coverage in August:

One building resident said that the new management company has been pretty responsive so far. And there's new laundry room coming soon.

"We will see how the honeymoon period goes," the resident said.

Apparently the honeymoon is over. The resident now says that "nonstop renovation has plagued the building since Elizabeth Assets LLC purchased the address."

Specifically:

"It's been pretty shitty. They have been doing non-stop construction that shuts off the elevator, breaks the door buzzer, turns off water without notice," among other things, according to the resident. "All the paperwork is under layer after layer of LLC so you can't even track down a legitimate place to send your complaints."

There are also accusations of unfriendly treatment toward the longtime residents, some of whom have been offered buyouts. As for all this, the residents formed a tenants association and have been working with outside housing sources for assistance.

According to Streeteasy, the newly gut renovated apartments range from $2,595 for a studio to $4,000 for a two-bedroom unit.

"The lobby and hallways are dirty and busted, and they keep telling new tenants that everything will be redone very soon," the resident said. "I wouldn't hold my breath."

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I rented an apartment in this building years ago and had to travel out to the management office in Brooklyn where they required a cash deposit equal to one month's rent separate from the regular deposit I made by check. I wish I hadn't forked over the cash. I was very naive then!

Gojira said...

The bullshit of allowing LLCs to buy wide swathes of the city needs to stop. A law needs to be passed mandating that purchasers use their real identities in order to be allowed to buy. This shell crap is destroying NY.

Anonymous said...

One of the contestants on The Bachelorette lived here, and I remember the episode where The Bachelorette came to NYC to visit his apartment. She clearly wasn't impressed--he got dumped right after that.

Anonymous said...

Gojira makes an excellent point.

Anonymous said...

Years ago guys played the old shell game on the streets to bilk tourist, not the rich are doing it.

Anonymous said...

I'd bet money Shaoul is behind this. Sounds like his m.o.