Thursday, May 24, 2012

Stuy Town Showdown

Interesting online article about the "battle" between older residents and college students.

changingneighborhoods.journalism.cuny.edu/2012/05/21/round-one-stuyvesant-town-residents-vs-college-students/

23 comments:

Tommyboyardee said...

Very interesting article, it seems leasing and security should share notes. I believe FDNY inspections of the sub divides would merit penalties & removals. Possibly Danny G should offer some legislation whereas this quick lease turn-arounds cannot be used for these rapid rent increases. The problem is that people want to live here! It appears to me for tenants is to file complaints with security and be persistent.

Anonymous said...

This is very interesting! There is a good letter in a similar vein in T&V.

J. Marsh said...

The real problem is that Rose Associates (Management) and CW Capital (the Owner) fail to educate new residents on how to be a good neighbor. They are so concerned with raising the rent rolls that they care less about the consequences of jamming single young adults into a units originally designed for families.

As a tenant advocate I can speak to this first hand. Over a year ago the Tenants Association met with senior Management and pointed out some basic problems.

Like, although there is a minimum floor covering rule (the carpet rule) of 80% (used to be 90%), Management continues to encourage bare floors through its advertising practices. State of the art, Photoshop enhanced pictures of units for rent, boasting bare wood floors continue to appear on websites and in print ads. Anyone who has lived in PCV or ST knows that carpeting is a must to both protect your neighbors from your noise, as well as to dampen noise coming from your neighbors. An Ikea furnished apartment with postage stamp sized throw rugs packed with young adults is a noise generator. Management said they would change their advertising policies. They have not done so and it has been over 14 months.

We have a huge problem with food garbage being inappropriately taken to the recycling areas. This despite the magic hole on every floor called the Compactor Chute. In helping a friend move into a two-bedroom PCV apartment I studied the new tenant orientation materials. In the material nothing tells the new resident where to take their food trash. It does tell residents where to take their recyclables. So without fault to the new resident, they have been misled to believe it is OK to dump their food trash, baby diapers and other food or fecal wastes in the recycling areas. We pressed Management to post a simple sign “No Food Trash” in the Recycling Area. They have yet to do so. The consequences of this has been an explosion in the vermin population, specifically rats. Food garbage bags left in the recycling areas have been found with holes in them made by presumably rats. Rat sightings have increased on grounds as well.

The blame for much of the quality of life problems belongs squarely on Rose Associates and CW Capital for failing to properly educate new residents. Most young adults will respond positively to such guidance. But Rose and CW Capital are more concerned about offending new residents who pay top dollar for less space.

For real visuals, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/STPCV

Anonymous said...

Party Town!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/stpcv/7000539508/in/photostream

Anonymous said...

"Stuyvesant Town now feels as if it is trying to attract younger residents by undergoing yearly facelifts. The overall structure of the buildings are the same, but the nips and tucks have transformed Stuyvesant Town from family woman to a desperate housewife."

AMEN!

http://changingneighborhoods.journalism.cuny.edu/2012/05/22/a-reporters-reflections-growing-up-in-stuyvesant-town/

Anonymous said...

The schedule of Oval Offenses just got slid under my door tonight. Looks like June will be a loud month for the Oval.

Still don't know why they don't offer Oval Earplugs.

As an aside, did anyone else notice the story in T&V that mentioned our beloved Mister Rosie just replaced his chief manager thug with the chief manager thug that used to work for TS? Does anyone know when we're all supposed to line up for our beatings?!?

Stuy Town Reporter said...

Yeah, it's a big week of news which I'll cover tomorrow.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

That's a nice photostream!

Anonymous said...

But I gotta tell you, this is a really big music line-up. I'm thrilled to see a couple of these musicians. So it's just fine with me. And it's a Saturday afternoon, so you can't complain about the noise.

Anonymous said...

And it only took Sabina three paragraphs to state his name! But in all seriousness, reintroducing the old regime doesn't bode well for us and speaks volumes to Rosie and Andy Macs plans for us!

Anonymous said...

Now! Now! Mama Rose can only take baby steps in those kitten heels!

Anonymous said...

Long past time for tenants who are bothered by noise from the Oval to come together and File a Reduction of Services complaint with DHCR and ask for a rent reduction. You have to hit CW And Rose in the pocketbook in order to make them do what anyone decent would do: stop the noisy activities that disturb so many tenant's quality of life.

Anonymous said...

To 9:52 pm: you can complain if you live by the Oval and have to listen to the music whether you want to or not. Those "musicians" should stay on the L train platforms which is where they usually perform.

Anonymous said...

"Long past time for tenants who are bothered by noise from the Oval to come together and File a Reduction of Services complaint with DHCR and ask for a rent reduction. You have to hit CW And Rose in the pocketbook in order to make them do what anyone decent would do: stop the noisy activities that disturb so many tenant's quality of life."

This is an excellent idea and I wish that the TA would GET ON IT!!!! However, I'm not hopeful when it comes to the TA because I think they don't want to rock CW's boat due their false hope that CW will sell them the complex. We need something other than the TA to represent our interests at this point.

Anonymous said...

Wait until the residents above the forthcoming Oval Cafe get a fast and furious stream of exhaust from the space. 4K apartments that'll smell like coffee and bagels all day and night.

Anonymous said...

One of the musicians who played in the Oval killed himself soon after.

Anonymous said...

"Long past time for tenants who are bothered by noise from the Oval to come together and File a Reduction of Services complaint with DHCR and ask for a rent reduction. You have to hit CW And Rose in the pocketbook in order to make them do what anyone decent would do: stop the noisy activities that disturb so many tenant's quality of life."

What exactly would the reduction of services be? You could throw the stench of dog urine around the property as well couldn't you? What's the reduction in services argument? This is what the property has become, and I think the sooner we accept it the better off we'll be. Everyone has their tolerance levels and indeed some people are giving up REAL RS apartments because of the toilet this place has turned into. Everything in this world comes to an end. The Stuy Town days of yore are long over. Now we live in Sty Town: accept it or move on. I'm having as much a problem with it as everyone else.

Anonymous said...

I know the feeling! I live by the Oval and I'm one event away from jumping.

Anonymous said...

The people who live next to the new IHOP on 14th Street are about to sue because of the constant bacon stench emanating from the air vent. The tenants in the oval atrocity buildings should sue too!

Anonymous said...

Are. These remarks a bout an IHOP an Ova l Caf e serious or a jok e? I've been away for several weeks nursing a sick family member and am totally out of the loop with what's up here.

Anonymous said...

No joke. There's a cafe going in the "old" lounge and there's a lawsuit brewing at the IHOP.

Anonymous said...

How will they properly ventilate a cafe? They'll have to run an exhaust up the side of the building to the roof. Will they move all the tenants who will complain about the smell and noise from the patio?

Anonymous said...

I guess many do not understand this is a rental, CW could do whatever they want.