The Stuyvesant Town Report: Priorities Set

Monday, April 27, 2009

Priorities Set

Tishman Speyer's priorities in regard to Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village have been set for a while. Priority number one is to sell apartments, of course, which includes lying about what's to be found in this complex, both in and out of doors. Priority number two is to spruce up areas which can be used to promote, and sell, living in Stuy Town/PCV. Somewhere down the list of priorities is providing commendable service to members of the community. I mean, once you got the suckers in, who cares if you don't meet their expectations.

If you want to see relatively (for ST/PCV) lovely flowers and landscaping and nicely pruned lawns, your best bet is to head to the back of the rental office that's on First Avenue and check out what prospective market raters will see as they are shown Stuyvesant Town on their tour of the place.

This is the first thing that will meet your eyes:

Lovely, indeed! Gee, I want to live here! Sign me up right now!

For some reason, the Oval Essentials are still a top priority at Tishman Speyer. Just last week, a bunch of workers were fixing up the area in front of Oval Lounge and Oval Study, at the expense of doing any work on the awful looking Oval Lawn, which remains ugly and pathetic and a breeding ground for the mosquitoes coming soon. And today, workers were out early in the morning trying to upscale Oval Kids, with the addition of a row of bushes:

I've a feeling that the Essentials are the pet project of one of the biggies at Tishman Speyer. So money will be thrown at these even more this year. Expect a few open houses. Hey, free food and drinks, and I'm there!

Now in case you don't get out of Stuy Town/PCV much these days, you should know that other parts of the city, the city that's going through economic bad times, are actually looking quite nice in certain neighborhoods. I've already shown how the gardening at Tomkins Square Park has put the gardening in Stuy Town to shame. Yesterday, on a walking tour of the West Village, I came across this:

Now, ask yourselves, as you walk about Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village, why can't we have something like this here?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...: What these incompetent goons have done to Stuyvesant Town is unforgiveable. Tishman Speyer will forever be remember by a lot of people as the bloodsucking "pirates" who pillaged and destroyed a once-beautiful community. That will be their legacy. Totally moronic, moneygrubbing lowlifes.; April 28, 2009 at 11:54 AM
Anonymous said...: The new bushes around Oval Kids are replacements for bushes that didn't survive the winter. I'm betting the new ones don't last the summer. Notice the tanker in the background emptying the porta-johns on the playground?; April 28, 2009 at 4:12 PM
Anonymous said...: They have portajohns on the playground????!!!! Why?; April 29, 2009 at 11:09 AM
Anonymous said...: I haven't figured out why. I originally thought they were for the large landscaping crew doing all the new planting last year but they are gone and the porta-pottys remain. They are not the single cabins. It's a sort of white trailer. I think it has eight individual toilets. I live right by it so I guess I should be grateful they pump it out regularly.; April 29, 2009 at 11:43 AM
Anonymous said...: I think Oval Pee was left there because they eliminated all the bathrooms when they built the amenities. Now, they have an excuse to not let you use the new bathrooms that are located in the Oval Amenities.

Somebody really needs to step up and challenge TS at DHCR. They took over what were formally common areas and turned them into a commercial enterprise run by an outside contractor. Everyone deserves a rent reduction because of this.; April 29, 2009 at 7:30 PM

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FALSEHOOD: No one has won against our landlord in court. Our landlord, this case Blackstone, would like nothing better than for residents to think that anything legal is hopeless. Management wants residents to go away on certain issues and be forever quiet. The "fact" that no one has won in court is a FALSEHOOD. I know of an individual who won in court when she proved that her ST apartment had loud noises outside that prevented her from doing her job, which took place in said apartment. Also, please remember that the new rents laws passed in NY and landlords are not pleased. Also, remember that there was a case, about the tax break J-51, where the landlords charged more than they should have. The landlords had to pay up. (Of course, they crafted the situation to their advantage, but that is another issue.) The fact remains that you, as a resident of Stuy Town, have legal recourse, but you need documentation, the more documentation, the better.

Management has two priorities: 1) Making sure money is made, hence upgrading and filling up apartments is their goal. "Amenities" are important in selling the place, though few residents use them. 2) If someone needs medical attention, Public Safety will be there, if alerted.

Quality of life issues are not that important, however. Things like the carpet rule or outsider dogs. These "rules" tend to be ignored, on purpose it seems. So you will see a lot that isn't taken care of properly, and complaints will be met with a creative excuse and a smile.

Though money was always important, it is now more important than ever. Money rules many things, as you will find.

At this point, 30 years into living here and seeing many things, I can state that Management and their reps are BS-ing us. I can't say that loudly enough: We are being BS-ed. I don't see any genuine change, though the "selling" of this place is intense. Few of the "rules" will be enforced, as Management doesn't want to lose customers or potential customers. Where personal integrity is a hallmark of an excellent management style, this integrity is not seen in enforcing some of the rules.

Our Tenants Association is, basically, null and void. Oh, it is still around, but it lacks the will power to confront much of anything. The TA will ask for your dues, however. By now, the TA is a charade.

Life in Stuy Town

I write this on May 3, 2018: Since this year, there have been three suicides in ST/PCV. Aside from silence by almost everyone, there occurred a suicide where sulfuric acid was used and the city had to be called in, including the Fire Dept. As of now, there has been a general state of silence about this suicide, even though other resident lives were at danger. Yes, our councilperson is silent. The TA is silent. Obviously, Management is silent, too.

Added April 29, 2019: Another suicide in ST/PCV. That we know of.

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"We'll be introducing a new process to identify registered dogs thus enabling Public Safety Officers to clearly approach offending dog owners. The registration will hang from the leash handle; clearly identifying the dog as registered.

"If the dog is not registered by May 1; a summons will be issued at the point of contact. If we learn the dog owner is not a resident, they will be escorted off the property."

Rick Hayduk, CEO and General Manager of PCVST. Letter to Barry Shapiro, February 2016.

STR here: I have been around since the inception of this dog policy and I have NEVER seen anyone escorted out of ST or PCV with their non-lanyard dog. But I have seen, many times, a dog owner from outside, and his/her dog, casually walking through ST or PCV.

BICYCLES, MOPEDS, SCOOTERS, ETC.

What is legal?

Something for everyone to read:

Motorized vehicles:

The direct link:

https://dmv.ny.gov/registration/motorized-devices-cannot-be-registered-new-york

And...

Of course, "private property" but "public access" - whatever that means! And if a part of it is public access, do the rules of the city apply to our roads and sidewalks? Or does anything give because this complex is "private property"? Who comes here in case of a fire in one of our buildings? The Stuy Town Fire Brigade?

Hint: Look both ways if you are in the complex. Look on the ground, too!

61.03 Control of dogs and other animals to prevent nuisance.
(a) A person who owns, possesses or controls a dog, cat or other animal shall not permit the animal to commit a nuisance on a sidewalk of any public place, on a floor, wall, stairway, sidewalk, lawn, garden or roof of any public or private premises used in common by the public, or on a fence, wall [or], stairway or entranceway of a building abutting on a public place

Banned & Oversize Dog Breeds in Stuy Town

Message from now EX-Landlord Rob Speyer to Stuy Town & Peter Cooper Tenants 11/06

I am writing on behalf of everyone at Tishman Speyer to express how honored we are to become part of your outstanding community. We are a business with deep roots in New York, a true love of our city and a great respect for the neighborhoods that make it special. We are committed to maintaining the unique character and environment that have made Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town such a wonderful place to live for so long. We look forward to providing you an extraordinary level of service and attentiveness that will be the source of pride and satisfaction for the entire community.

Neighborhood Recommendations

New to Stuy Town/Peter Cooper Village? Here are some basic recommendations.

Best gym: Don't waste your money on the Oval Fitness Gym. Instead go to the earthy but real Asser Levy Recreational Center, right above 23rd St on Asser Levy Place (near the FDR Drive). $75 for a year's membership; seniors are almost free. Contains seasonal indoor and outdoor swimming pools, ping-pong table, two pool tables. Called by some rich people who wouldn't get caught going there "the prison gym," and you know why.

A Stuy Town favorite is Lenz's on 20 St. between the 20 St. Loop. The way New York used to be. Be careful of unwanted "pepper" in your food, however. Lenz's got a B grade rating and was temporarily closed down due to an order from the Health Department. Bruno's on First Avenue is more upscale, with a greater selection of food items (higher-priced, too), but was closed down temporarily by the Health Department. Stuy Town's own cafe was closed, too! And not because of all the dogs that hover and piss outside.

Gracefully has two locations, but we prefer for its size the one on 1st Ave. Prices are high and reflect the new tenants that are currently renting Stuy Town and Peter Cooper apartments. ("Do you have a credit card?") We like Gracefully's lunch specials, which are somewhat affordable.

I priced the CVS on 1st Ave near 14st. The non-aerosol hairspray was 20 cents above CVS' own website price, and one of the highest in NY. (Yes, I have hair.) You can save at least a dollar or more buying at another place. So beware. Look around for a better deal on all your items.

I love warm Quaker Oats in the morning. Gristedes is not the place to get it, nor is Associated, though their price is less. Look around!