Sunday, September 16, 2012

More Fails....

Cafe Kubrick is really the gift that keeps on giving. So, the last remnants of the cafe's arugala plants, devoured by rodents, were removed and replaced by less rodent desirable plants. But, the problem persists, and even these are being mauled. What I find interesting is that rodents are zeroing in particularly here, at Cafe Kubrick, while other plantings around Stuy Town remain relatively untouched.

Now, you may want to sit outside at Cafe Kubrick's patio, but--BEWARE--there may be a pit bull hiding under one of the tables....

45 comments:

Not Bud Perrone said...

They take Pitt Bulls very seriously. We know it's true because they say it.

Anonymous said...

A pitbull under the table and a rat in the plants. Very appetizing! That appeals to me almost as much as NY1's gruesome anti-smoking ads that come on at breakfast time!

Anonymous said...

I've noticed that during the last couple of weeks since Compass whatsit took over, the elevators in my building are very wobbly and "hesitant." I wonder if they are skipping routine maintenance? Considering these elevators are in use 24/7, with intense activity at certain times and are also used to haul furniture in and out more frequently than would be the case in most residential buildings, I think they need a lot of maintenance. Don't fuck with our safety Compassrock, we can get very ugly when we get hurt because of management's greed and incompetency.

Tommyboy said...

So a planter was the solution to the patio snafu. More national best practices

Anonymous said...

In the elevator here at 447, the padded thing they put up when people move in has been hanging for weeks! Now it's falling off. It looks slummy. Thanks Campus Rock!

Tommyboy said...

Regarding the elevators, they all sort of went in at the same time. In my building we had Bly one elevator or a month and that was the good one. I suspect they will all start breaking down soon enough. Regular repairs will only hold off the inevitable.

Anonymous said...

The moat at Cafe Kubrick will have to be filled with cabbages eventually. I, too, noticed that the new plantings were starting to get eaten. Why here and no place else? My guess is that the food at Cafe Kubrick is attracting rodents.

Tommyboy said...

Perhaps the rodents don't eat at Bruno's anymore?

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know what happned last night at like 6pm over by the 18th street loop? Apparently someone got mugged in daylight but not sure of the details.

Anonymous said...

Re: rodents. At least the cafe is attracting SOMETHING!

Anonymous said...

Can somebody please explain...that with all the issues around the complex, why it's now necessary to post a guard - seemingly 24/7 - around the Oval fountain?

I know there are some over-the-top dog haters around...and God forbid if somebody dares to have their kid dip a toe in the fountain...but is this level of vigilence really necessary?!?

Anonymous said...

"Perhaps the rodents don't eat at Bruno's anymore?"

Hey, even the rodents have standards!

Stuy Town Reporter said...

Re: Public Safety at the Oval Fountain area. Better there than hiding away in the doll house.

Tommyboy said...

BTW, the rodents are also avoiding the Ave. C trash way station.

Anonymous said...

I'm less worried about failed plant attempts than being harassed by power-drunk public security guards.

These rent-a-cops and their obnoxious behavior are my number one complaint about Stuytown.

They don't stop any real crime, but they sure harass the heck out of anyone trying to simply live here...weather it is parking or trying to enjoy the oval without their (useless) yelling at teens who happen through the area.

Anonymous said...

"God forbid if somebody dares to have their kid dip a toe in the fountain...but is this level of vigilence really necessary"

Yes, because of lawsuits. When they don't have a guard stationed there the college kids think the fountain is a water park and jump around in it. Thank them.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

>>I'm less worried about failed plant attempts than being harassed by power-drunk public security guards.<<

I don't see them harassing people at all. But they do, or use to, check dog tags. You're not a dog owner are you?

Anonymous said...

@1:25 PM I have noticed this too and I think it's better than not having any security at all. @3:07 PM I really don't see this either. In fact, I've only seen them do things that are in the interest of the tenants, such as stopping bike riders when there's an event in place. Only once was a guard really rude to me, which was when they had a private event in Playground 10 and he wouldn't even look at me when I asked him about it (anyone else remember that day?).

To the person who mentioned the kids going into the fountain, you're right. I live right near playground 10 and hear every thing that happens in the oval loud and clear. Usually around once a year, there's some commotion really late at night, and I look outside and sure enough, see people in the fountain. Soon after, security does come with the wizzing lights and takes care of the situation. Especially when I enter the complex late, I feel assured having a security person there. I think with the muggings that have taken place over the years, we should be glad that they at least have an active presence in the oval. Hopefully they are patrolling the borders as well..

Anonymous said...

"These rent-a-cops and their obnoxious behavior are my number one complaint about Stuytown."

I have been here a long time. Most of the "PS Officers" are harmless and useless. A few of them have a nasty attitude. I recall one of them that went beyond the pale with me.

I suppose we are better off having someone around to create the image of security but, on balance, I think they provide little actual benefit.

Anonymous said...

How is it that dog breeds that are not allowed in Stuyvesant Town are paraded around ST and manage to sit at the Cafe Kubrick table? Where is the enforcement of the dog rules?

Tommyboy said...

Perhaps the dog was a registered guest, if a security officer approaches a breed that is not allowed to live in Stuytown, the dog owner can state that the dog is licensed in NY, meets all criteria and is only visiting.
I suspect mgt. would have to prove the dog lives in Stuytown.

Anonymous said...

<>

Maybe...just maybe...that dog is/was registered. The ST/PCV policy of "bring your dog"/"don't need to bring your dog" in person to be registered has changed over the years, as did the people doing the registering, as well as the vigilence of the policies being enforced, including dog weight and size.

Just the other day, a person stopped me outside the leasing office (I have a registered dog), and said that he was concerned because the person in the rental office was telling him that having their 80 pound dog move in wasn't an issue...as long as the dog was well behaved (which, while probably true, is at least a violation on paper).

Which about sums up the "we'll rent to anyone who can write a check" philosophy now running this place!

And re useless security...I think forcing a drunken young man face down handcuffed in the mud/concrete while six security guards stand over him IS a bit much...because that was the scene a couple of weeks ago behind my building when somebody got a little loud with their subway sandwich and drink one night. And then the boys from the 13 precinct showed up and essentially started asking..."so what exactly did he do?"...and "why is he cuffed face down in the mud"? "Was he being violent?" "Did he hit anyone?"

And those answers were all "no".

And so it goes.

Anonymous said...

I couldn't disagree more. I have found Public Safety officers to be extremely helpful and professional.

Stuy Town Reporter said...

That pitbull/pitbull mix is a registered Stuy Town dog...remarkably. Which is why the dog rules here can be a cruel joke.

Anonymous said...

Puhleeeeeze! Leave the damned dogs alone! The big dogs are not nearly as annoying as the little yappers. They are not as nasty either. We have really bad QOL issues here: neighbors who hammer at 2 am; wobbly, unsafe elevators; filthy halls (except for the Terrace and Main levels, which are always getting swabbed); transients; bedbugs; filthy, malfunctioning, overpriced, undersized washing machines which may even represent a health hazard. I'll take all the pit bulls, dobermans, rotweilers, etc., in the world to be rid of the noisy, ass holish neighbors, filthy laundry equipment and dangerous elevators!

Anonymous said...

"I couldn't disagree more. I have found Public Safety officers to be extremely helpful and professional."

Ditto

Anonymous said...

" I'll take all the pit bulls, dobermans, rotweilers, etc., in the world to be rid of the noisy, ass holish neighbors, filthy laundry equipment and dangerous elevators!"

Now there's an original argument for rationalizing the legitimate dog problem here! You forgot the cigarette butts and kids making noise in the playgrounds!!!!!! Come on now!

Anonymous said...

What 10:46PM said.

HAL 9000 said...

Anony 10:46 PM-I was not aware that one’s lease was a cafeteria plan whereby one can pick and choose the regulation that the tenant feels are important (comply) and those that are not important (non-comply). But as noted here by Anony 9:02 AM: “Which about sums up the "we'll rent to anyone who can write a check" philosophy now running this place!” So true. The PCVST lease, as a legal document, is about as valid as the German–Soviet non-aggression pact of 1939.

Anonymous said...

The leasing office people do nothing but lie. They tell people furniture counts as rug coverage, they mislead people into thinking the "amenities" are free, they blow off the dog weight rule telling the groups "don't worry about it," and they carry on about the "state of the art" Mac Gray mold makers, which is funny because they NEVER, EVER show the tour groups the laundry room. If they did they'd see 3 out of the 6 machines are usually broken and the room itself is hopelessly filthy. Same goes for the storage areas. There is a LONG waiting list for the units and often the unit available ISN'T EVEN IN YOUR BUILDING! And the price recently and arbitrarily went up from $80 a month to $100 a month.

The leasing office gives the impression you can do what ever, when ever here with little or no consequences. Bill McClellan should send a mole through on a tour and ask some legit questions. He'd die if he learned how the leasing office contradicts almost ALL of the rules of the property.

Anonymous said...

The TA set up a facebook page @ http://www.facebook.com/ProtectSTPCV a while ago, they said to quote
"This project is a joint effort between the Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village Tenants Association and Brookfield Asset Management"
after there press conference on Nov of 2011 when they told the world they had partnered with Brookfield and were going to place a bid to buy STPCV in the 2nd quarter of 2012, when that time came an went, they announced they would place the bid in late summer of 2012, it is now Sept 20th, I think this would qualify as late summer, why have we not heard anything from the TA?

Anonymous said...

Buckle your seat belts folks, the big announcement should be coming up tomorrow regarding the bid for the property as the TA has promised. If not the bid at least an update regarding the progress made.

Anonymous said...

" I'll take all the pit bulls, dobermans, rotweilers, etc., in the world to be rid of the noisy, ass holish neighbors, filthy laundry equipment and dangerous elevators!"

Now there's an original argument for rationalizing the legitimate dog problem here! You forgot the cigarette butts and kids making noise in the playgrounds!!!!!! Come on now!"

I am not trying to rationalize anything. I don't have a dog. I mean what I said. I will take all the dogs in the project rather than the filthy and dangerous conditions we are subjected to by management (if you can call them that) and the fucking assholes they are renting the apartments to these days.

Anonymous said...

"The leasing office people do nothing but lie. They tell people furniture counts as rug coverage, they mislead people into thinking the "amenities" are free, they blow off the dog weight rule telling the groups "don't worry about it," and they carry on about the "state of the art" Mac Gray mold makers, which is funny because they NEVER, EVER show the tour groups the laundry room. If they did they'd see 3 out of the 6 machines are usually broken and the room itself is hopelessly filthy. Same goes for the storage areas. There is a LONG waiting list for the units and often the unit available ISN'T EVEN IN YOUR BUILDING! And the price recently and arbitrarily went up from $80 a month to $100 a month.

The leasing office gives the impression you can do what ever, when ever here with little or no consequences. Bill McClellan should send a mole through on a tour and ask some legit questions. He'd die if he learned how the leasing office contradicts almost ALL of the rules of the property"

This is the same as every other large rental property in Manhattan.

Anonymous said...

<< You're not a dog owner are you?
>>

Nope...but the dog poop all around shows how Public Security does little to nothing.

I have only had 3 encounters with them in 12 years here, but each time they were useless.

1) my bike was stolen, chained in the basement, "sorry no cameras"

2) a crazy neighbor attacked my door with a key when I was not home because someone above my apt was making too much noise "sorry, we didn't see anything on the cameras" "call the real police if you want"

3) this last issue of a door that was not locking to outside our building from 1st ave. This is clearly an issue they could have helped but they acted like I wa a pia just for asking the to check on it a second time after my first call went unheeded.

It is fixed now, but two weeks of anyone at all being able to walk into my building seems excessive.

I'm pretty sure I have never seen them do anything useful and they are usually parked two or three cards together on the 1st avenue loop so they can chat and pass the time rather than do anything useful. Ask them to do something and I will bet you will change your opinion of them quickly.

I re-emphasize, they are my least favorite part of Stuytown. Public Security is on overstaffed un-helpful groups that should be reduced or restructured immediately.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, but I totally disagree with the criticisms of Security. I can only speak from experience, but I have found them to be responsive and professional. I won't go into details here, but they have been life savers on occasion. Recently, that is. I'm not talking about the Halcyon days of MetLife.

Anonymous said...

"Sorry, but I totally disagree with the criticisms of Security. I can only speak from experience, but I have found them to be responsive and professional. I won't go into details here, but they have been life savers on occasion. Recently, that is. I'm not talking about the Halcyon days of MetLife."

Thanks, Sarge!

Anonymous said...

I agree with the observer(s) who are irritated by the over-the-top Security presence at the Stuyvesant Town Fountain. It is excessive and detracts from the peaceful setting. They now park their vehicles regularly on the plaza around the fountain. Why? Plus groups of uniformed security personnel huddle there like it's their office watercooler. And they drive around too fast. And they never stop electric bike delivery guys. The ONLY thing they do is question people with dogs. The presence of squads of uniformed police for this sole purpose is absurd. Get the security vehicles off the fountain plaza.

Anonymous said...

<< I won't go into details here,>>>

Of course you will not.

Talking with many many neighbors, I have not found anyone happy with the way PS is working. I bet the instances they they have actually helped someone can be measured on one hand and the times they have every cracked a case measured on one finger. (If they are lucky.)

Does anyone know if there is a way to force Public Security to open up it's records to theTA? I'd be very curious as it seems no one is watching the watchers.

Anonymous said...

A big issue I have with Security is that they are not proactive, which is what they should be. I've reported streetlamps that were out for days, if not weeks, which is something they should note and report on their patrols. I have repeatedly reported safety issues from people using lawn areas as playgrounds (baseball, soccer), which causes a hazard when the balls are booted across the walkways, not to mention damage to plantings. Security seems more polite and responsive these days (I timed one response at 6 minutes), but I still feel that the onus is on tenants to report problems and follow up, which is not how things should be. What exactly are they watching on those screens? Or more to the point, what are they looking for?

Tommyboy said...

I believe they do a pretty good job, for instance this conversation was overheard on the First Ave. loop on a Friday " do we have to move the cars for street sweeping" the officer responds "yes" and is questioned why?
Once the loop car owners are permitted to park and leave there cars, please tell me where else in the city this is permitted.
Of note, the parking has become sluggish since they switched drivers.

Anonymous said...

Big announcement from the TA and Brookfield: "we submitted an offer for something that was not for sale, and amazingly enough, we were rejected." SHOCKING NEWS....so now we are just going to work on Dan's re-election campaign. Which is what this was in the first place. Duh.....

Anonymous said...

NYU actually list's Stuytown as part of their graduate dorms! Clearly mgmt has a deal with NYU. The new mgmt has no intention of making any improvements to QOL by ending this. depressing.

Check out this link:www.nyu.edu/life/living-at-nyu/on-campus-living/explore-the-residencehalls/Stuyvesant-Town.html

Stuy Town Reporter said...

>>Big announcement from the TA and Brookfield: "we submitted an offer for something that was not for sale, and amazingly enough, we were rejected."<<

And where is this posted?

Anonymous said...

To those of you who call me "Sarge" and don't believe anything good about Security, all I'm going to say is that I was ill in my apartment, a friend called Security and they broke my chain and came in and helped me. Nobody's business as to the details, but they did a great job. I respect them and am grateful to them and that's all that I have to say.