Saturday, June 16, 2012

Saturday, June 16

The TA Facebook page was jumping this week with the outing of many illegal hotels in Stuy Town. Even our councilman, Dan Garodnick, got involved in the discussion, appearing to promise action on these rapid turnover apartments.  The suspicion (or my suspicion) is that a good portion of these are apartments sold by brokers.  Management really has to get the word out that these ventures are illegal.  If it's not mentioned in a lease rider, it should be, and very prominently.  It would also help to have flyers distributed to every apartment indicating the illegal nature of starting up a hotel business in PCVST.  These flyers can easily be distributed along with the monthly event promotions that we are very familiar with by now.

Here's an amazing list of apartments available for temporary rent, and it's probably be partial!  (At this point some may already have evaporated.)






















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Work continues on Oval Cafe.  Oval Lounge was supposed to shut down this month for a "refreshing" also, but it appears Oval Cafe has to get finished first, otherwise amenity members will have very few amenity spaces left!  (Monthly dues are being frozen during this time period.)


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The grounds near the lower Oval numbers are really being spruced up and fenced off.  Looking good!



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It appears that popular Stuy Town deli, Bruno's Gourmet Market, is more gourmet (ie, tasty morsels you may not expect in your food) than we thought. The place was closed upon re-inspection on June 14, and its doors are still closed to the public as of today, June 16.  Next to the official yellow sign from the Dept of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bruno's has put up their own version of events, stating that the store will open once "technical & electrical issues are resolved."  These are the "technical and electrical issues" that have to be resolved, as listed on the NYC Dept of Health and Mental Hygiene page:

1) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
2) Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.
3) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
4) Live roaches present in facility's food and/or non-food areas.
5) Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
6) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
7) Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
8) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
9) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained and/or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit.

 
I've had a couple of nauseating experiences at Bruno's, sighting workers with hand swipes along their runny noses handling food and, in one instance, a worker sneezing directly into her palms and about ready to proceed with her business as if nothing had happened.  I dread to think of the mice and roaches scampering around in the back kitchen and their droppings, and how those droppings wind up in the lasagna, ravioli or pizza sold by Bruno's.  No, that's not an extra dash of pepper you see!

78 comments:

  1. Does anyone think that maybe these illegal hotels could be going on with the full knowledge of management? Their only concern is getting someone to pay rent. Do they care what people do with the apartments? Suppose they call out all these illegal subletters, they now run the risk of people no longer being able to pay their rent because as far as they were concerned (the lessee) getting the rent money was predicated on their illegal subletting. Personally, I wouldn't put anything past stytown management.

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  2. GOOD THING SECURITY HAS THE TENANT OF RECORD'S PHOTO ON THE DOOR ENTRY CARD!

    THAT WAY THERE CAN BE NO ILLEGAL SUBLETS.


    YEAH, RIGHT.

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  3. Re Oval Lounge Expansion-The Slippery Slope Theory-If you notice (my opinion), that the expansion of the Oval Lounge has taken out a decent potion of the landscaped section next to the Lounge. I believe they are expanding the outdoor table area. And so it begins, a piece at a time, the death of a thousand cuts. Overreaction? Maybe.

    Lovely day, the last Saturday for some time whereby my wife and I can enjoy our Oval facing apartment during the late afternoon/early evening time. Sad. My question. “Free to Residents and their Guests”. Que? Then what is the fee? And how will it be collected? Inquiring minds want to know.

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  4. In the past, Adam Rose has actually taken action against our B&Bers. I realize many people are squeamish about reporting this illegal activity, but I like the idea of flyering the buildings. Of course Rose will never do that, but the TA could via its building leaders.

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  5. Items 3,4,5 and 8, those could describe any recycling area in STPVV. Are we going to be shut down?:)

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  6. I feel sorry for the apts. directly above Bruno's!

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  7. They should give out paper bags to the new renters. They'll need them for their heads because it's so embarrassing to live here at times. Way to go Baby Steps Rose!

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  8. Not for nothing but Lux had this situation under control last year when he was outing these hotels as they popped up.

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  9. >>Does anyone think that maybe these illegal hotels could be going on with the full knowledge of management?<<

    I would very much doubt it, as such a situation would become known eventually, and then the result (even just legally) would be catastrophic.

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  10. >>Lovely day, the last Saturday for some time whereby my wife and I can enjoy our Oval facing apartment during the late afternoon/early evening time. Sad.<<

    I agree. A lot of people were making use of the Oval/Oval lawn today and appreciating the grounds and just lazying around. These people don't need "events" to appreciate the Oval. Too bad the powers that be don't understand this and feel they must have "happenings" every week to seduce prospective tenants.

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  11. "Too bad the powers that be don't understand this and feel they must have "happenings" every week to seduce prospective tenants."

    You might have said "...to seduce prospective tenants and drive out older tenants!"

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  12. I'm sorry but anyone that believes the hoteling isn't tacitly sanctioned by management is delusional. It's all about RevPAR. If that means averting your gaze to some illegal subletting then they say, so be it.

    These guys can't make a go of it without cutting corners and breaking rules. Whether it's hoteling or harassing long time tenants with residency issues they're going to do it. The only people that will not feel the heavy boot of enforcement on their necks are those paying max rent.

    Call me a cynic, an old-timer, or a conspiracy theorist but, year after year, the same pattern repeats. Get used to it, folks, until we replace ownership and management with someone better. And I wouldn't bet on that, either...

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  13. STR,

    Nice piece outing Bruno's. I've been by many times but never been in to witness the nose-wiping employees. Ick!

    I still mourn the loss of the Frapposa Pizzeria on 23rd & 1st when they put in that concrete eye-sore the Post Luminaria--whatever that means. At least if the guys wiped their nose in that place, it was going into a 600 degree oven! Not that they did, of course.

    Hey, maybe if Bruno's doesn't make the cut they can put in another Starbucks. We're kind of "under-Starbucked" in PCVST according to the 2010 Census, anyway. I think we're supposed to have one for every five residents...

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  14. I'm thinkin' it's time to update this on the homepage"

    "Best deli: 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 has a B grade rating and was temporarily closed down due to an order from the Health Department. Bruno's on First Avenue is excellent, but more upscale, with a greater selection of food items (higher-priced, too).

    At this point Lenz's is looking operating room clean compared to Bruno's!

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  15. I don’t think these concerts necessary appeal to the millenniums per se. The Sheep Meadow, even with its specific rules, is packed with millenniums, who, like most of us, enjoy a break from the city noise and have a chance to chill in the sun. Maybe the clueless marketing strategy is to the so called flyover state “hipster” demo (so eloquently parodied at the diehipster.com blog) that is infecting Brooklyn and is spilling over here as well. When I see the ski cap/fedora blight look, I just laugh.

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  16. FYI
    Last week it was announced that CW Capital is being acquired by a firm called Walker & Dunlop.

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  17. >>I'm thinkin' it's time to update this on the homepage<<

    I'm thinking that, too!

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  18. Management could know about the illegal B&B's--if it was paying attention. But the evidence is everywhere that it isn't paying attention to anything but the stuff no one really needs and many don't want. Of course anyone who objects to this activity has the option of reporting it directly to Management.

    On another topic: can we just put to rest already that CW Capital was acquired? That bit of misinformation has been corrected several times in several places.

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  19. It does seem like the powers that be operate on don't ask don't tell. Bruno's during week operates like a truck stop diner, often 3 to 4 people handle your food prior to purchase. Lenz's appears not much better, however the bulk of security and golf carts beg to differ. Question are the illegal hotel rooms mentioned mainly on 14th and ave B to ave C ?

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  20. >>Question are the illegal hotel rooms mentioned mainly on 14th and ave B to ave C ?<<

    Hard to know. I don't think so, however.

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  21. Councilman Dan Garodnick's statement on the purchase deal:

    There were reports Friday, June 8th that Fortress Investment Group sold a CW Capital entity to Walker & Dunlop Inc. for $220 million. Fortress and CW Capital are relevant to the 25,000 residents of Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village because a subsidary company, CW Capital Asset Management (CWAM), has served as the special servicer of the property since the default by Tishman Speyer in 2010.

    I want to clarify that Fortress did not sell the special servicer of Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village, but rather, another subsidiary company of a similar name. In short, the entity with whom we have been working over the past two years remains in place, and remains the same. We will continue to seek avenues to work with CW Capital Asset Management to advance the Tenant Association’s conversion plan and to bring greater affordability and stability to the neighborhood.

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  22. Some of the hotels are in Peter Cooper. They're everywhere -- Oval, First Ave, 20th Street, 14th Street.

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  23. My grandpa used to be fond of saying "If you want to eat out, don't look in the kitchen!"

    He sold meat to restaurants...

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  24. Hotels that say 10010 are in PCV. The ones that face the First Ave Loop are on First Ave. The ones that show street views of 12th and 13th Street are probably on 14th Street. The ones that say 10003? Well, you just have to guess. All apartments are the same. These days an Oval address is less desirable than it used to be because of the events. No matter where the hotels are, they're illegal and they make a joke of any sense of safety or security.

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  25. I will undoubtedly get clobbered for this, but the apt/room rental situation is getting blown way out of proportion. Has anyone been adversely affected by this?

    So it appears that there are 23 apartments (out of over 11,000) where people are mostly trying to make some extra money by renting a spare room or to sublet for a specific time period. Renting the whole apt is a bit more troublesome as the owner isn't around. Renting a spare bedroom I put in a different category.

    There are literally thousands of Manhattan listings on Airbnb; it's an issue in virtually every apt complex and residential block.The city made short-term rentals illegal but doesn't have the resources to enforce the law, so somehow landlords are supposed to do it?

    Known illegal room/apt renting should be reported--when it happens, not based on a listing that may never get rented. Beyond that, we have many larger and more pressing issues facing our community, like student tenants and unaddressed noise complaints.

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  26. >>Does anyone think that maybe these illegal hotels could be going on with the full knowledge of management?<<

    I would very much doubt it, as such a situation would become known eventually, and then the result (even just legally) would be catastrophic.

    June 16, 2012 2:24 PM

    I'm not gonna go into details because don't want to out anybody or our building, but numerous complaints from at least 3 separate apartments were submitted to Rose management about a hotel apartment in our building. Not just middle management. It was one of the expensive renovated apartments and the situation was allowed to continue until the lease on the hotel apartment ended.

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  27. June 16, 2012 4:15 PM probably has it pretty correct. It's likely that Rose is only interested in dealing with tenant hoteliers who rent the old school cheaper apartments. Them they want out.

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  28. I am a rent stabilized old timer.

    Rose, no doubt wants me out.

    Wonder how much they'd pay to buy my lease out.

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  29. The RGB is meeting today to decide what exorbitant increase to stick us with next. Does the TA still care about this, or are they done caring about rent stabilization and only interested in ownership?

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  30. I can't believe how much land the expanding Oval Lounge consumed!!! Who said they can do this??? CW doesn't own the place but they are destroying lawns and gardens for lounges and greenmarkets.

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  31. June 16, 2012 4:15 PM probably has it pretty correct. It's likely that Rose is only interested in dealing with tenant hoteliers who rent the old school cheaper apartments. Them they want out.

    June 18, 2012 12:07 PM

    Sorry. You are only half right. This blight is centered on market priced apartments. Those are the folks that are having a hard time paying the freight. They are predominantly the people whoring out their bedrooms to transients.

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  32. Chris, you deserve to be clobbered and I suspect that you will be.

    This is a scourge on our community and you are at least passively supporting it

    My question to you is: how much is the room you are renting and does it come with full Oval Conseurge priviledges?!?

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  33. Interesting opinion concerning mgt. stopping only non lux living apartments, this would be a tool to break a lease, we all know how low they stooped earlier to create these vacancies. Market raters can air bedroom? With confidence that mgt. will look the other way as long as they are getting maximum rent.

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  34. People would care about one illegal hotel if it were on their floor.
    I don't think management succeeded in getting rid of an infamous old-timer hotel host. Jete!

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  35. A NY Times reporter posted this on the STPCV TA FB page:
    John Leland-I'm a reporter at the New York Times hoping to speak with Stuytown or Peter Cooper residents about neighbors using their apartments as hotel rooms. Please contact me at 212-556-1269 or leland@nytimes.com.

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  36. Please! That's weak! The only reason for turning your apt., into a hotel is because the rent is too high. Did you not know this? Did one of your 5 other roommates leave? You endanger others on your floor, your building, I'm sure your vetting process is NYPD caliber. Oh wait airbn says they are solid citizens, but wait they know what you are doing is illegal in this complex. How could this happen here? It's only a matter of time when a violent crime is a result and all are left shaking their heads

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  37. Is the Black Swan still here???

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  38. I have to laugh at these so-called reporters. Here the roles of DG & the TA, Brookfield, CW, Roberts are rife for investigative reporting...but these reporters are so lazy these days, unless a story appears like a slam-dunk, they do nothing. Their idea of reporting is...yesterday, Mr so & so said X. Today Mr So & so said Y. They dig for nothing. The mere fact that this Times reporter expended the energy to ask for contacts is earthshaking & extraordinary.

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  39. After how the TA has thrown all of the FMR under the bus to further their agenda, I would expect many more of these illegal rentals and NYU dorm rooms popping up around STPCV. If/When CW gets around to charging the so-called "legal" rents they will force most of us to move. Who will be able to afford the $5800 a month for my PCV 2 BR apt? 4 or 6 NYU students maybe? Some peeps I am sure will go the airbnb route. And why not? The TA screwed us all.

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  40. "If/When CW gets around to charging the so-called "legal" rents": My impression has been that one of the things holding up the Roberts settlement is how to determine what the legal rent of the FMR apartments should be. The plaintiffs' position (and the TA is not a plaintiff) is that many rents are higher than would normally have been because the apartments have been churned. The defendants thinks the rents are the rents. The possibility still remains that many rents will end up being legally lower.

    To Anonymous 6/18, 2:17 p.m.: The RGB met yesterday to take testimony. The final vote is Thursday. The TA does care about this and I received an email notifying me about the meeting. I go every year. You realize, of course, that the corrupt RGB has already made its decision and what they announce Thursday at the end of the meeting is a fait accompli. Nevertheless, you can show up to voice your disgust and disapproval for the TV cameras. Or you could have signed up to give testimony yesterday or Thursday. Or you could just vent here.

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  41. "Who will be able to afford the $5800 a month for my PCV 2 BR apt?"

    Probably no one you want to live next door to. Or below...

    We live in a unique community (or we used to) but there is a limit to what they're going to be able to get for units in this aging community--even with a wine fridge!

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  42. Anonymous said...

    The RGB is meeting today to decide what exorbitant increase to stick us with next. Does the TA still care about this, or are they done caring about rent stabilization and only interested in ownership?

    June 18, 2012 2:17 PM

    Well yes they do Mr/Mrs Anonymous, they are just smarter about it than you. Even though they sent an email out to its list (one you probably never got), they understand that the annual circus down at Cooper Union is a waste of time. It is not an annual hearing, it is an annual "jeering". The TA knows it is much better to get behind Brian Kavanagh's bill to reform the Rent Guidelines Board, which in part would take the power to choose RGB members away from the Mayor and give it to the City Council.

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  43. Anonymous said...

    After how the TA has thrown all of the FMR under the bus to further their agenda, I would expect many more of these illegal rentals and NYU dorm rooms popping up around STPCV. If/When CW gets around to charging the so-called "legal" rents they will force most of us to move. Who will be able to afford the $5800 a month for my PCV 2 BR apt? 4 or 6 NYU students maybe? Some peeps I am sure will go the airbnb route. And why not? The TA screwed us all.

    June 19, 2012 9:52 AM

    Really? Are you that ill-informed? The TA did what? The TA has 0 control in the Roberts matter because it is not a party to the litigation. Hello, that means it is not a plaintiff. Your post doesn't even make sense.

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  44. The RGB is meeting today to decide what exorbitant increase to stick us with next. Does the TA still care about this, or are they done caring about rent stabilization and only interested in ownership?

    June 18, 2012 2:17 PM

    Two things.

    First. An email from the TA went out last week about the RGB hearings, didn't you get one?

    Second. I see nothing about the RGB hearings anywhere here on Stuy Town Reporter. Think STR is done caring about rent stabilization and only interested in oversized soda bans and Bruno's? Got a hard hitting comment about that?

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  45. @ Anonymous June 19, 2012 9:52 AM

    Legal rents for illegally deregulated apartments have not yet been determined in court and attorneys for both sides are not talking, at least to the Tenants Association and the press.

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  46. "Second. I see nothing about the RGB hearings anywhere here on Stuy Town Reporter. Think STR is done caring about rent stabilization and only interested in oversized soda bans and Bruno's? Got a hard hitting comment about that?"

    June 19, 2012 7:03 PM

    TROLL ALERT!

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  47. STR,

    Kudos to you on updating the home page to reflect the recent "challenges" at Bruno on 1st Ave. I would have included something more pertaining to the rodentia and ca-ca-roach-infestasia but, hey, that's just me!

    As for your other critics here, let them go elsewhere. Not your job to make sure that everything pertaining to this community is posted, balanced and unoffensive to the stroller mafia, ignorami and yunni population. This is an iterative process and you're doing a great job.

    Now...get your camera charged up because you KNOW there will be people bathing in the Oval Fountain this week when the temps hit 100! And Pubic Safety will be standing by...updating their facebook status on their android phones. Probably Rose-issued...

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  48. We're all here complaining that apartments are 5k and up but YOU CAN'T even blame CW or TS for this. Manhattan sets the price. There will never be enough housing here. Supply and demand.

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  49. To June 19, 2012 6:47 PM
    You must be on the TA. LOL

    I am not informed at all when it comes down to it. I have nothing but an email from a lawyer telling me I am about to get screwed, but they can't say when. Same email tells me I can't ask any questions. The TA knows this was sent, and that 4400 units they allegedly represent are affected by this and we get nothing but silence.
    The real question is are you naive enough to believe the TA has no input or sway with this Law Firm and no stake in the outcome? It seems to me that to make concessions on the "actual" rents is a small price to pay when you're busy building an empire. The FMR aren't real STPCV citizens after all.
    How about some honesty from the TA: Just tell us "we only care about the REAL rent stabilized apartments" we can see it.
    "Affordable Middle Class Housing" is a crock of shit. Everyone squawked when Tishman wanted to destabilize units based on earnings requirements, which is the law, but how about we agree that they can't raise the rent but the the apt must be turned over to someone not making too much in salary, like a middle class person. My neighbor never uses her apt, NEVER, maybe stops by once a year. It is empty. It is rent stabilized. This is not the intention of the RS law. Another couple on my floor, who based upon their professions must be raking in at a minimum 500K, are in a RS apt. This is not the intention of the RS law. These are not middle class situations.
    As I said earlier, when they force out some of us "newer tenants" and there are 4-5 NYU dorm rooms on each floor you'll all wish you had examined the TA's motives more closely.
    Either the TA is evil or incompetent or both. You decide.

    "Affordable Middle Class Housing"
    LOL

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  50. "We're all here complaining that apartments are 5k and up but YOU CAN'T even blame CW or TS for this. Manhattan sets the price. There will never be enough housing here. Supply and demand."

    I don't think that's exactly what "we're all complaining about," Sparky. Put your thinkin' cap on and give this riddle another go around...

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  51. I am the person who asked about the RGB and if the TA really cared. I am a 20-year+ member and I do get emails occasionally asking for money, but I haven't had one about the latest RGB hearings. I always used to go to these meetings and speak my piece, but now I don't bother because I know they are fixed.

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  52. Does anybody have any suggestions as to how to deal with this: My downstairs neighbor is a young woman who calls herself a fashion designer, though I think she is overstating herself; 20-something, from flyover state who comes home at 4 am most mornings with a retinue of noisy, high/drunk, shrill friends. After they strum the guitar a little, they put together the Ikea furniture and go to bed at around 7 am which is the time I usually get up. After being awake and forced to listen to these yahoos (who think they're cool because they hang out in an overpriced bar in Gramercy Park where a relative of mine happens to work and catches their act) I am dragging my ass to go to work and do a real day's work. I was in consults with Renee Riley, who was actually trying to help, but she suddenly left the company and I am at a loss as to what to do. They say call PS, but really they are totally powerless. I've called them on occasion and they've listened to the noise from downstairs, gone down and told them to shut up, but next night/morning they are at it again. This situation is really trying my patience.

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  53. "We're all here complaining that apartments are 5k and up but YOU CAN'T even blame CW or TS for this. Manhattan sets the price. There will never be enough housing here. Supply and demand."

    Whether or not that's so, we can still make sure that whoever is the landlord doesn't falsify the information they submit to get the MCIs that jack up the rent. Last year's change in the rent laws means that landlords will have to recoup their investment in 60 months, not 40 (although the tenant pays forever)--landlords may be even more tempted to pad and falsify their records. MCIs have been challenged for years by the efforts of the TA. They can't file for review, but they have always notified the individual tenants how to do so. If we were living in a regular building, we probably wouldn't even know we had the right to protest such increases.

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  54. >>Does anybody have any suggestions as to how to deal with this: My downstairs neighbor is a young woman who calls herself a fashion designer, though I think she is overstating herself; 20-something, from flyover state who comes home at 4 am most mornings with a retinue of noisy, high/drunk, shrill friends<<

    An intolerable situation. Call management. Sean Sullivan is the new general manager. If that doesn't help, try to contact Adam Rose.

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  55. >>"Affordable Middle Class Housing" is a crock of shit.<<

    Depends what you mean. In the case you gave, of a tenant who never uses her apartment, yes, but there are many, many STPCV residents for whom this complex is home and who need "affordable middle class housing," including yours truly. If it's slipping away, and it is, then we should be willing to fight for it.

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  56. >Does anybody have any suggestions as to how to deal with this: My downstairs neighbor is a young woman who calls herself a fashion designer, though I think she is overstating herself; 20-something, from flyover state who comes home at 4 am most mornings with a retinue of noisy, high/drunk, shrill friends<<

    They live downstairs? I would take a few days off and get myself some hobnail boots and stomp around all day while they are trying to sleep. Then go down and play some ring the bell and run. A pair of speakers face down on the floor playing the same bass-heavy tune over and over would do the trick as well. Maybe some Vanilla Ice?
    Try dumping a few gallons of water on the bathroom floor every other day, then they have to deal with getting that fixed.

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  57. Mrs. Halberstam, or whatever her name is who is in charge of "tenant relations," does absolutely nothing. She is the one I was told to call regarding my horrifically noisy student neighbors. She simply will tell you to report incidents to Security when it happens. We had several parties broken up where it was reported to Mrs. Halberstam, but she still took no action. I don't know what they're paying this woman for, who has been in charge of "tenant relations" for years.

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  58. yeah some of us are 10:18.

    duh. Maybe not you, but put your I'm not stupid cap on and think about others for once.

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  59. I don't think that's exactly what "we're all complaining about," Sparky. Put your thinkin' cap on and give this riddle another go around...


    Excuse me Sparky? I'm complaining about the price of our apartment, the overcharges, the illegal increase.

    It's a riddle to you since you are a troll.

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  60. "Depends what you mean. In the case you gave, of a tenant who never uses her apartment, yes, but there are many, many STPCV residents for whom this complex is home and who need "affordable middle class housing," including yours truly. If it's slipping away, and it is, then we should be willing to fight for it."

    Absolutely! There may be a few RS tenants who abuse the privilege, but not that many. Some may be "snowbirds," elderly people who go to Florida for a few weeks in the winter, but in my building all the RS tenants I know (and I have been here 30 years) are living full time in their apartments and are not in the high income level.

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  61. Mr. STR: word of suggestion if I might..... Why do you put posts through which contain tenants attacking other tenants and name calling?

    Bit weird eh? I think you should make it a policy so it's not done. Totally juvenile and unacceptable.

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  62. RE: to June 19, 2012 9:02 PM

    Not sure what it is you're not getting. Lawyers for both parties, CW Capital and formerly market rate tenants, are in negotiations over what "legal rent" means for tenants who have rented formerly illegally de-regulated apts in court. Lawyers for their side want to collect a 15 or 20% vacancy fee for every time our landlords flipped a formerly illegally deregulated apartment, attorneys for tenants think that is outrageous. Especially since a case can easily be made that successive landlords intentionally flipped them. BTW, that is why rents on a lot of formerly deregulated apartments are so sky-high, the landlord is currently including all those vacancy fees in your rent and is probably THE sticking point in negotiations.

    In cases like these, both sides negotiate until they come to some sort of compromise agreement. If either side leaks what is being negotiated, the court would go ballistic. Hence lawyers are not speaking to the press about what's happening behind closed doors, and lawyers for our side are not sharing those details with the hundreds (or thousands/) of participants like you they are repping in the suit.

    And why would you assume the TA has any input? They only set the thing up, matching plaintiffs to a law firm that wanted the case. The TA is not advising the attorneys and they are not paying them. Tenants' attorneys fees will eventually come out of the settlement.

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  63. Lmao at 10 23 who just made my day. Had a similar situation and ms halberstein was useless.

    Dont' blame her though. she's paid to do this and Rose tells her to do nothing about the noise complaints. She told one tenant who had numerous loud techno music complaints at 3 to 5 am, to get carpets. There were as thin as paper and covered barely 1/3 of the room. I saw this. Even the guilty party thought it was a joke.

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  64. "Does anybody have any suggestions as to how to deal with this: My downstairs neighbor is a young woman who calls herself a fashion designer, though I think she is overstating herself; 20-something,"

    CALL PUBLIC SAFETY. (212) 598-5233

    They will visit the apartment, stop the noise, and file a complaint against the tenant. If it continues legal will intervene and deal with them.

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  65. "20-something, from flyover state"

    I feel for your situation but I cringe at the epithet. Some of the finest people I have known live somewhere between NJ & CA. You should stick to the merits of your case and avoid painting everyone that comes from a state other than your own with the same brush. It makes you seem more like part of the problem.

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  66. >>Mr. STR: word of suggestion if I might..... Why do you put posts through which contain tenants attacking other tenants and name calling?<<

    You should read the posts I don't put through! I sometimes read through posts "on the fly" and unless something brazenly hits me as being unacceptable I will let it through. It's not an exact science, and, yes, posts with minor put-downs do get through at times.

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  67. Please don't, though. It's very detrimental to the overall issue and makes Stuytown look like a bunch of malcontents. It's far more effective if you don't post the insults. Ultimately, people will get the point and start posting as adults and stick to the issues.

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  68. "Does anybody have any suggestions as to how to deal with this: My downstairs neighbor is a young woman who calls herself a fashion designer, though I think she is overstating herself; 20-something,"

    CALL PUBLIC SAFETY. (212) 598-5233

    They will visit the apartment, stop the noise, and file a complaint against the tenant. If it continues legal will intervene and deal with them.>>

    I've gone that route. They have been spoken to several times by management. The continue to do what they do. Maybe if I withhold my rent? What happened to Renee Riley? Was she fired? She was very nice and very helpful.

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  69. Anon 2:42 PM:

    Do you live in dreamland? Security does nothing, except report the noise to Mrs. Halberstam, who then also does nothing. It never goes to legal.

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  70. "It's very detrimental to the overall issue and makes Stuytown look like a bunch of malcontents."

    What is the overall issue? Seems to me that there are many issues! I have several.

    Why are you concerned that we appear to be "malcontents?" Seems as though many of us are not content with the current state of affairs.

    Discourse can get ugly at times and I'm not sure I would be able to write rules as to what is OK and what is not. It's like pornography--you know it when you see it.

    I say we stay with STR being the arbiter as to what is acceptable discourse. I just wish I could read the text in the "prove you're not a robot" box. Maybe I am a robot! So difficult to read.

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  71. “Maybe if I withhold my rent? “

    Do not do this. Your legal options are few. Always consult with counsel. I have posted this link before.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/11/realestate/q-a-meaning-of-quiet-enjoyment.html

    Current management at Rose does not care about enforcing the 80% carpet requirement and other noise regs that are listed in this link.

    http://www.pcvst.com/resident-info/living-basics/good-neighbor-policies.aspx

    My opinion is that CW Capital does not budget funds for this purpose since it is “cost center” application, not a “profit center” one. Public Safety will respond but their hands are tied. I have talked to several PS officers off the record and they have told me that the rug inspection process is a big joke here, especially with the current transient demo that this place is being marketed to with their constant rotating roommate situation. PS gets these noise complaints all the time, they write them up and into the management memory hole they go. I think these marketing vids posted on the ST & PCV links says it all.

    http://www.stuytown.com/apartments/classic-tour.aspx

    http://www.petercoopernyc.com/apartments/classic/classic-tour.aspx

    Blatant violations of the 80% carpet requirement are all over the place in these vids and in the still shots as well. They really do not care.

    “What happened to Renee Riley? Was she fired? She was very nice and very helpful.”

    She was fired last year. The new property managers are jokes. Mostly, management is only good for right now is promoting questionable marketing events, (window dressing)sprucing up selected outside grounds for a possible future sale, and renovating apartments for new tenants so that the churning for higher rents can continue. On the plus side, maintenance requests (at least for me) have been promptly attended to and the PS officers always respond. These officers and their PS superiors are between rock and hard place on the overall management t world of Rose Associates who, let’s not forget, are funded and report to CW Capital.

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  72. I say we stay with STR being the arbiter as to what is acceptable discourse.>>

    Or, as Lux Living used to say, we don't appoint hall monitors!

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  73. Why are you concerned that we appear to be "malcontents?" Seems as though many of us are not content with the current state of affairs.

    There are a lot of issues to get malcontented about! Noise is only one of them, though it is probably the most egregious and life-damaging one.

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  74. Halberstam, Fabersham, Carlos is teaching Mrs. Manicotti the Mambo...I swear I'm living in a Honeymooners episode!

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  75. Hey, I am the tenant with the noisy fashionista downstairs neighbors. Why the hell would I want to buy my apartment? I am retiring next month and going on a long vacation to Italy. My son and his wife are "babysitting" my apartment and my dogs. If the lowlife downstairs keeps up the problem, she will have a lot of shit on her head, hands, etc. BTW, what is the problem with referring to someone from the flyover states as being from the flyover states? These people come to New York thinking it is a party city, just made for their pleasure. They are too ignorant and stupid to know that the term "the city that never sleeps" comes from the fact that New Yorkers work around the clock. These ignorant hayseeds think it means partytime round the clock. The asshole tourists and hayseeds from the flyover states should go home and take Bloomberg with them. Spoken by a born and raised NYer who has totally had it and nothing left to lose at this point.

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  76. Halberstam, Fabersham, Carlos is teaching Mrs. Manicotti the Mambo...I swear I'm living in a Honeymooners episode!>>

    You are! And Ed Norton is running the joint! He was very at home in the sewer!

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  77. Uh, it's HaberSHAM.

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  78. Yes, Black Swan is still here.

    If all else fails, once Security has been to your apt. and verified the noise complaints a number of times call Legal directly and leave messages if need be.

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