A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words. But Does Anyone Care?

"To help the City's fight against bedbugs and to avoid a $100 fine, seal any mattress or box spring in a plastic bag before putting it out with your regular garbage for bulk collection. You can get large plastic bags at department stores, home improvement stores, and moving supply centers."

http://www1.nyc.gov/nyc-resources/faq/476/how-do-i-throw-out-a-mattress 

What? Not One Official Takes a Tour?

The photo below did not turn out well, as far photo quality goes, but you can see what met my eyes, this time in the early Sunday afternoon, west side of the 20 St loop. This sight meets residents daily. BTW, mattresses that are not disposed of properly are a violation of city law. Many mattresses that I see in Stuy Town are NOT disposed of properly, and no one, in an official capacity, seems concerned these days.

THE OTHER HALF

The "other half" living at the Hillman housing cooperative, not far away from Stuy Town, on the East Side:

Teens allegedly beat man before midnight in front of 531 East 20 Street

Stuy Town or Peter Cooper address, July 12th, reported online by Town & Village:

https://town-village.com/2017/07/27/teens-beat-man-with-hockey-sticks-outside-pcv/#more-16649

The TA, our TA, is silent so far. So is Management.

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Updated: 7/19. As we wait to hear more about the hockey stick beating, it's it apparent that some residents do not travel about the city to see how other people may live. For instance there is this place, on the West side, which has some strange rules:

This may be the same community. Or one which is close by. Take a look inside. Does it remind you of our own?

 They even have a church!

The greenmarket is on the sidewalk. A novel concept, that.

More of the greenmarket:

A view of the community outside:

A New Phase

I've noticed that the TA Facebook, which is usually different than the TA itself, has voices that are not pleased with the way this property is run and the general inactivity of the TA. I applaud these voices And, yes, I am aware that these voices can get a "personal" message from a "Peter Stuyvesant" to basically behave, whatever that can mean.

What these voices and the many comments I receive on this blog tell is that certain residents are dissatisfied, even pissed, at the way this property is run.

I do not fault Blackstone for buying and running this property. I do fault them for not making sure that several quality of life problems are followed. It seems that Blackstone has a priority where the selling of rooms (and the more rooms, the merrier) is its top priority, but that certain "quality of life" issues are not that important, and can even be ignored. Even the attention paid on the greenery and the constant landscaping has its selling motive, as does the "new" playground. All of us can see the problems of this complex. There is no need to bullshit us, but generally these activities are meant for prospective buyers rather than those who already have signed on the dotted line. And meant for some who have signed (not all students, as can be the current meme) who are satisfied to have their expenses somehow justified.

Now let me state that I want the same things that Blackstone can want if we are talking about quality of life issues:

Case in point is the lanyard rule: I chose this one because its lack of enforcement is so obvious after TWO posts from General Manager Rick Hayduk. The messages, a year apart, say the same thing. Basically, if you don't have a lanyard and you are a legal resident, you will be shown where to get one; and if you are not a resident, you will be escorted off the property with your dog or dogs. I will not debate or argue whether 8,000 lanyard stops have been made in a year. A LOL will suffice as my answer.

Some people are afraid, and some have lost faith. And some don't care. And, yes, there are some residents who can go the opposite way, and want less rules and more "we can do what we want." We should also understand that most people do not want to get involved. Management is banking on this.

If you are senior, this is your chance, however. A senior vs Blackstone is very bad publicity. Yet if you are a senior, you must follow certain things....

Unless you have a hidden property in the Hamptons, unless you do criminal activity, you will be okay. Do not be bullied into thinking that you have no rights and that you have to be thankful of having a place over your head.

Also don't be bulled into thinking that you are alone. Yes, you can see many residents with oversized dogs, no lanyard stops, residents eating right next to a dog urinating or defecting, with no apparent concern. You will see residents willfully ignoring "the rules" and laughing in the process. Other residents can join in. Even worse, you will see Public Safety and Management not care too much about certain rules.

Please remember that you are not alone. Others feel the same way that you do. But it doesn't help the residents who care to be angry about the infractions to the point of fury.

For a while, I stepped "out of the shadows" to experience more of what the people representing property have to say. I've spoken to most of the "big boys" around here (and, yes, most of them are male), and they can know my identity if it's that important to them.

There is a saying, "Don't get mad, get even." I don't particularly like the "get even" part, because it sounds like payback, but I do like the gist of the message: which is not to let this place negatively affect you, but rather to do what you can to make sure certain rules are followed. Rules, incidentally, that Blackstone champions on its website and/or rules that are dictated by the city. Acknowledged that the city can be another major obstacle. Again, Management is banking on this, and you walking away.

So what do we do?

Keep a note of the infractions, the official response given, etc.

Know to that this phase will not be easy. (And I say this to myself, too.)

We have examples of residents who have won. Incidentally without the TA or our councilman.

Though she may wish to be "in the shadows," Caryn Chow won a legal battle against Management (CW Capital at the time) when she was able to prove that this complex was not providing the quiet, proclaimed by Management, that she needed to do her daily work.

Siddharth Dube also won a legal battle by suing the dog owner that put his dog's life in jeopardy. Both Chow and Dube won, though we can debate the monetary awards that were given. You can win, too, but only if your reasoning is documented, as are the responses.

In reviewing the above post, I came across the following on the TA Facebook, kinda hidden away but pertinent. From ex-resident, Siddharth Dube:

(I spent literally months and countless thousands of dollars on a law suit and on attempting to get PCVST's Rick Hayduk and council-member Dan Garodnick to merely have the dog that mauled my old Lorca muzzled, a reasonable and humane solution... but to no avail... so I've moved.... I hope you will all turn to Dan Garodnick to have the city law improved so that pet owners are held strictly liable. Why do NYC and NYS still have antiquated laws when other states have reformed pet laws? Come on Dan Garodnick I and others expect more of you. Senator Brad Hoylman https://www.facebook.com/brad.hoylman.9 you too -- your office didn't even bother to follow up. https://www.facebook.com/ReformNYDogBiteLaws/ and https://www.change.org/.../rick-hayduk-a-safe-home-for.... https://dogbitelaw.com/mixed-dog.../new-york-dog-bite-law  )

I don't know the current Management's take on these things, but it is very possible, that they are not sweating too much as long as the bottom line of selling rooms looks good. The individual lawsuits will go away, they reason, and they can keep on selling rooms to prospective tenants. And the selling of rooms is what they are most interested in.

My advice is to read and check what your lease says, to read the rights that you as a tenant have, and to try to "deal" with these infractions in a non-confrontational and possibly cheerful manner. The angrier you get, the more weaponry they have against you. If you do the opposite, it will get them...angry.

RGB Lower Manhattan Public Hearing - June 14, 2017 - Part 3

 

Other parts available at that link.

Also, news from the TA:

Tuesday, June 27, the Rent Guidelines Board will vote on increases to leases that renew starting October 1. If you’re paying a preferential rent, this increase will apply to your higher, legal rent.

TUESDAY, JUNE 27
5:45 p.m. Meet on the corner of 23rd St. and First Ave. to walk to the rally
6:00 p.m. Rally on 25th St. and Lexington Ave.
7:00 p.m. RGB votes at Baruch College's Mason Hall, 23rd St. and Lexington Ave.

HOW MUCH ARE THE PROPOSED INCREASES? The chair of the RGB has proposed a range of 1%–3% for one-year renewal leases and a range of 2%–4% for two-year renewal leases. BUT THE RGB CAN STILL VOTE FOR A ROLLBACK OR A FREEZE.

The RGB knows that even though landlords’ costs are projected to up, FOR ELEVEN STRAIGHT YEARS their profits have increased.

Rent increases are forever. Join the TA to demand a fair deal for tenants.

Note: If you plan to take the 23rd Street SBS crosstown, you should get off at Third Avenue. There is no stop at Lexington anymore.

Yes, It Is a Construction Zone

Hot on the heals of the TA informing us that Blackstone is constructing new apartment configurations in Peter Cooper and that the noise level in various parts of the complex has risen, I have decided to name all the current projects and soon to be projects that are going to be inside or near this community. I will be adding as warranted. Above you see, the view pictured above is from inside Gracefully. No doubt you have seen this scaffolding, the putting up of which is noisy, all over the complex, to include scaffolding atop Oval Stuy, right by Oval "Office," along 20 Street, etc. I know the mandated reason, but does this work have to be done in the summer months and at the hottest, most humid time? Expect an MCI, by the way. Blackstone, therefore, is not crying too much.

Aside from this, there is the work being done on condos along 14th Street. Then there is the normal noise intrusion of barking dogs, the noise which is sharper and louder than children at play. Certain residents even encourage their dogs to bark/play with other dogs, oblivious that their dogs may be disruptive, but just "cute." There is also the noise one hears from inconsiderate neighbors. For some residents, this noise is a nightmare.

There is the continual noise of refurbished apartments. Any time you see the "old" AC unit, know that when the tenant moves out, that window unit will be replaced by one positioned below the window. More noise. A lot of it, to include the "normal'" noise of refurbishing an apartment.

The construction on Playground 7, which when finished will have an outdoor gym, continues. Obviously, this construction is noisy.

There is the noise and smell coming from diesel cleaners who go around the property, usually the Oval, and clean the walkways, which are used by STPCV vehicles, too. Though we have been promised the old-fashioned rakes, know that air leaf-blowers continue. They can be very noisy, particularly in the early morning hours. And new, but very loud lawnmowers! This after a promise by Rick (yeah, I know) to have the property use those quiet old-fashioned lawnmowers.

Speaking of which, though they are not noisy, the club cars running around the complex seem to be increasing. Apparently they can go either way, so watch out. I'm sure if these cars could fly, they would.

I have lived here from about three decades and have never seen it this bad.....

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Update 6/22: Adding "music events" at the Oval, to include other "events," like free movies. But this music today was particularly loud and abrasive. Way to go, Rick and Blackstone. About 100 people, if that, listened to this music.

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Update 6/23: Gee, I knew I forgot something. The tree and branch cutters. We have a lot of trees and branches, and they have to be cut, if not taken out of living. More noise! Buzzzzzzz.....

Dividing Up Apartments To Get More Rooms

Certain Stuy Town apartments have been "divided" to give rooms an extra "room." We have talked about this, but now a "pilot" program is being introduced into Peter Cooper Village.

The TA has woken up, it seems, and this is their latest:

http://www.stpcvta.org/new_reconfiguration_of_stpcv_apartments

New Reconfiguration of STPCV Apartments

StuyTown Property Services recently informed the Board of Directors of the Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association that they are  embarking on an “experiment” to reconfigure vacant apartments. Although construction has already begun, StuyTown Property Services has not yet notified the community.

The new program will convert 40 vacant Peter Cooper Village units by turning the kitchen of a one-bedroom unit into a bedroom and moving the kitchen into the living room; combining adjacent one- and two-bedroom units to form a three-bedroom unit; and reconfiguring adjacent one- and two-bedroom units to create a three-bedroom unit and a studio. The new program will continue to divide Stuyvesant Town living rooms of 75 vacant apartments to provide an additional bedroom at the expense of living and dining space.

The Board of Directors of the Stuyvesant Town–Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association opposes the reconfiguration of the Stuyvesant Town apartments, which reduces living rooms to foyers in order to increase sleeping spaces. The arrangement, which degrades the time-tested, well-designed layout, will likely result in an increase in the existing transient rent-a-room lifestyle. This is the antithesis of the original concept of our community. This reconfiguration will most certainly exacerbate the dormitory and churn effects which tenants have been objecting to since subdivision of apartments began. It will add further pressure to our aging infrastructure. It will continue to destabilize our once-cohesive community.

However, we consider that, with the exception of the studio apartments, the reconfigured Peter Cooper Village units may attract long-term residents, the stated goal of both management and the Tenants Association.

The Term Sheet executed by the City and Blackstone when the latter purchased the property states in part:

"The agreement protects both the current tenants of Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village, as well as the Property’s legacy as a home for moderate- and middle-income New Yorkers for the generation to come. The Purchaser and the City are committed to the good stewardship of this unique community, and its long-term viability.

"In addition, the Purchaser intends to maintain the unique characteristics of the Property . . . by creating an environment that is conducive to residents establishing a long-term connection to the community."

The Tenants Association believes the terms and the spirit of the purchase should preserve the functionality of the original Stuyvesant Town living spaces in order to maintain, not violate, a viable and gratifying living experience in an unusual urban setting.

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Right now, I do not have plans of these or Stuy Town rooms, but it appears that Management is creating more space by actually giving less space. More to come.

Life in Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village

A photo here and a photo there. To be updated with more photos.

Yes, there is a rule of NO riding of bicycles around the Oval. Trust me: there is that rule. The barriers at all points of entry to the Oval tell riders of the rule and everybody else who can read.

But unless you run over a Public Safety officer, chances are no one cares....

And, yes, they are riding right by the "guard" booth. 

Difficult to see because I couldn't focus in time, but this is something one witnesses ALWAYS: dogs being walked without those PCVST lanyards. All this despite the second warming by our Manager, Rick Hayduk, which has followed the first warning given a year ago. No one cares, including, it seems, Rick and Blackstone itself. A rule that is not enforced, no matter what is said. And, yes, I know about "the monitors."

Don't ask, don't tell...

Every Friday, Public Safety closes the 1st Avenue Loop to ticket cars parked illegally during that time.... And I do hope that dog is very nice, but he is kinda eyeing me in a persistent way....

We hear a lot about this place being noise free. That is one of the selling points of this complex. But residents can hear many things aside from the sounds of birds in the morning. Yes, it is a "construction zone." Of course, the noise depends on the job being done and its duration, but apartments will be "upgraded" forever, bit by bit.... This photo also clearly shows the bicycle barriers and the ever-present sign that warns bicyclists not to ride around the Oval.

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Update, around 11am.

It's not all tears. There is laughter, too. As when at a certain season (which just happens to coincide with the closing and then opening of colleges), moving trucks start appearing in Stuyvesant Town. Oh, for a fee Oval Something-or-Other will provide all the material you need to get you the hell out and another sucker tenant coming in at an even higher price for a PCV or ST apartment.

All good things must end. So enough laughter. Serious stuff coming up in the next update.

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Update, around 1:30pm.

Do you play chess? Well if you do, you may want to bring your own chess board. Photos of our chess tables between Five Stuy Cafe and Oval Studio....The term "elbow grease" has probably not been heard because when the tables are cleaned, in response to the complaints of residents who are not all pigs, we get a spray of water from one of those diesel-spewing and smelly vehicles.... And whose bright idea was it to put a garbage can near the tables? Doggie do-do and urine go so well with breakfast or lunch.... And let's not mention just how new these tables are or their benches! Oh, okay, we can mention that, too.

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Update, around 8pm.

Things like this greet me in the morning. Left behind by pigs. There's no other word for them.

Below. Unattended. "Sorry, we haven't seen your package anywhere."

"It is a sandbox for my little one, isn't it? Anyway, I pay too much rent to be bothered by soil or plants! Maintenance will clean it up. And, by the way, what's it to you?"

Maybe more updates tomorrow.