As I sit outside Stuy Town, I notice certain things. One of the things I notice is how friendly and unfriendly Stuy Town is to residents. We can talk about how Stuy Town is primarily concerned about money from residents, but it also has other things that residents should be thankful for.
One of my eye-openers happened near the end of last year. I fell. It was a nice day and I decided to walk to Chinatown, using a foldable shopping cart to help me along and insert whatever when I would get there. Good idea, it seemed. But terrible outcome. The streets and particularly some corners were getting to be more of a physical nightmare. By the time I reached Houston Street, I was knocked down. A pedestrian took the blame, but I didn't know if it was him or me. I turned the corner, but that was as far as I could get to Chinatown. I decided to head back. Walking, of course. Then I fell again at a corner several streets away. Either I was too tried or my muscles gave way or mentally I surrendered.. Thankfully, a few New Yorkers, young too, helped me to sit on a small plastic chair that they grabbed from the coffee shop nearby.Then another young man spent time to flag a suitable taxi, even though he was on his way to work. I was able to get in the taxi and head back to Stuy Town. I was feeling well, but when I got out of the taxi, I couldn't make it. I fell again in front of my building. Two Public Safety officers came. I was actually in a good mood with them and joked around while I waited for my energy to return to head back to the building. But, after this and that, I finally was home. Safe and sound.
This was the start. The next two months or so, I didn't leave the building, and either called the deli for food or used my roommate to get things for me. With Covid, much had been set up to get things online. So I got familiar with that process.
I wasn't going to rush, however. Slowly I went outside in front of the building, with a walker now. Things proceeded. The Oval, Trader Joe's, Target.... I am exercising more and lessening the mental hangup that still hampers me. But I did notice certain things. Not only are the city streets difficult with a walker, but a lot outside, except for sitting, is a pain in the neck or legs.
This gets me to the gravel around the interior of the Oval. Though the gravel is less than it was, it is burdensome. Not just for walkers. People with shopping carts, carriages, etc. But Stuy Town wants a certain look. But that look with gravel on walkways is a handicap for those with mobility challenges.
Beware of leaf blowers, though. There are a lot of fallen leaves and these guys do not care that much about the dust and dirt flying around.
570 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 400 of 570 Newer› Newest»The dog owners aren't happy, either. Claim they are being "discriminated against." Some dogs "don't like" the astroturf. There are STILL insufficient "amenities" for them. Etc., etc..
The harridan monitor on the Tenants FB has withdrawn due to health problems. Only Mr. Dunn now, I think. I wish the lady well, but I'm glad to see her go. She would censor the comments for no apparent reason. E.g., in the discussion about lead paint somebody said it was dishonest of Management to check the boxes on the lease renewal form (the boxes that say Management is not aware of any lead paint). That comment was removed and I doubt it was by the person who posted it. I noticed several other innocuous remarks were also removed. A total control freak. The poster named Adam Rose always makes a lot sense. His posts are the most intelligent of any. Don't know if he is a moderator.
I see posts on the Tenants FB complaining about no heat; no hot water; brown water, etc., etc. As far as I'm concerned, if anyone is dumb enough to rent here at the rent they are asking for the unrenovated units, they must be fools.
There was occasional brown water here 50 yrs. ago, but now it's more frequent. New tenants, however, seem completely baffled, and seek "support" online at FB. Maybe they should instead seek that from a therapist (or their "emotional support" dogs)....
Oops! Meant to say renovated units.
"There was occasional brown water here 50 yrs. ago, but now it's more frequent. New tenants, however, seem completely baffled, and seek "support" online at FB. Maybe they should instead seek that from a therapist (or their "emotional support" dogs)...."
Now now! LOL! The folks moving in today are not as tough as the generation who moved in 50 years ago! They didn't endure the hardships of ST without air conditioning in 100 degree summers with high humidity. Somehow, we survived!
I never saw such a place that caters to dogs as much as this dump does. The dogs were even allowed near the produce at the green market. They run this place.Oversized, yapping, clogging the pathways and given stupid events. Please, give me a break.
That whole blog was terrible. I left after about two weeks.
>>I never saw such a place that caters to dogs as much as this dump does. The dogs were even allowed near the produce at the green market. They run this place.Oversized, yapping, clogging the pathways and given stupid events. Please, give me a break.<<
Beam has decided one way to make money is to make this a dog community with all the dog perks. A lot of buildings in NYC will restrict or ban dogs, and Stuy Town and PCV have gone in the opposite direction.
I have a dog shit patch practically under my bedroom window. I really miss the days when this was a clean, quiet, green and tree-filled oasis. NOW it’s a tawdry tacky dump.
There's a 'dog relief area' right in front of my building door. Nowadays I use the back door almost exclusively to avoid having to look at this dog toilet. I wonder how often Beam will now replace the AstroTurf, or will it stay in place for a decade or more like our filthy, threadbare, hall carpeting??!
I walked past one of those astro-turf areas this afternoon and almost threw up. I guess dog owners/walkers don't think they are supposed to clean up after the animal has dumped.
I don't think I can stand this place for much longer. I'll break my lease and they can chase me from here to eternity for any more money. The people who run this place are absolutely stupid and clueless about how to run a residential property. They clearly have very low intelligence and even less caring and sensitivity about what they put residents through with their absolutely ridiculous ideas. That Kennedy woman is a total moron. Hayduk was a smarmy liar with not too much between the ears, but the current "management" are like something out of a sitcom, only without any comedy. I wouldn't recommend this place to my worse enemy. There's nobody who I have that much contempt for. It would be just plain cruel to suggest to anyone that they might want to rent here.
"I wonder how often Beam will now replace the AstroTurf, or will it stay in place for a decade or more like our filthy, threadbare, hall carpeting??!"
The carpet in my hall is absolutely disgusting. We have had so many dogs here over the last two or three years and each one has left his/her calling card. I am really embarrassed to invite friends over because the filthy stained carpeting can turn your stomach.
I honestly have friends who live in NYCHA housing and their buildings are better inasmuch as cleanliness and security. Really, I feel like I am paying through the nose to live in a slum. Well, never mind "feel like" because the bare truth is I am living in a slum! With the lack of heat, outsiders touring the building looking for packages to steal and the abysmal lack of security and oversight, it really has become nasty, dirty, dangerous and SHITTY housing project. I guess this is the Blackstone/Beam standard of excellence. Gimmicks and money-making "amenities" but the living standards of a Slumlord. Kennedy and her "colleagues" should be embarrassed. But I'm sure they have no shame.
Hearing all the screeching and bellowing as the kids make their way off the property to head to the bars. At around 4 AM they will be puking their way back to their dorm apartments.
Do people signing new leases for megabuck rents realize that they are moving into an unsupervised, nasty dorm for undergrads? Does anybody actually warn them about this?
There’s someone on the non-TA fb asking how she can refill her laundry card because the machine in her building is broken. They should tell her to call one of the local laundromats to pick up her laundry. That way she will save herself work and aggravation (and probably money) and her laundry will be returned to her spotlessly clean and fluffed and folded.
The machines her are undersized, overpriced crap. It’s impossible to even read which compartment is for what function!
They must have been bought from seedy operation that wanted to get rid of them.
44 degrees outside and no heat. If it wasn’t for space heaters this place would be unlivable.
Temp in low forties all day and not as much as a puff of heat. No wonder everybody uses space heaters. This place is a disaster waiting to happen. A terrible fatal disaster. Today is the anniversary of the two buildings in the Bronx that burned down because of a space heater. I doubt the FILTH that owns and runs this dump would care because they don't care about human life. They only care about money.
The non-TA Tenants Facebook has gone wild lately! The over-zealous Ms. Toni has withdrawn and Mr. Dunn must be away too. The thread about the homeless man dossing in front of an apartment door has gone totally nuts. The prissy self-righteous and the realists have turned to threats and insults.
None of them seems to realize that this guy was not going to be turned out into single-digit temperature weather to freeze to death. That is not the way the City works. Homeless people have to be taken somewhere in extreme weather. It may not be some holier-than-thou's apartment for water, hot soup, blankets, etc., but there are shelters and medical facilities where the cops have to take them. I am rather inclined to think that the preachy "you coulda/shoulda" types and the so-called social workers who responded would have NOT practiced what they preached.
It's easy to bloviate and scold when you are not the one faced with the situation of finding a passed out or sleeping stranger literally sprawled across your doorstep.
This is an excerpt from something I saw on the TA FB:
"A Blackstone spokeswoman did not say whether the firm planned to appeal, but said it had “invested more than $300 million into the property” and “materially improved service levels,” as well as kept 5,000 homes not impacted by the ruling restricted to lower-income tenants.
“Our commitment to residents is unchanged,” the spokeswoman said."
My question is: Where do they get off saying that they have "materially improved service levels?"
We have the worse service we have ever had. The place has deteriorated markedly since Blackstone acquired it. The buildings are dirty and unsafe. The carpets in the halls are FILTHY and stinky from dog shit and piss and lord knows what other deposits of biological matter. A lot of puking goes on with the drunken frat shit.
We have little-to-no heat during the coldest months and almost everybody I know has to use space heaters.
We haven't had a real Property Manager since Hayduk quit. What we have now is a lady from the Pubs and Restaurants Industry and she is focused almost exclusively on a calendar of events. The QOL has sunk to an all-time low with rampant theft of deliveries and anybody can get into the buildings and help themselves.
The Resident Services Department should take out the word "Services" because you are lucky if you can get a live rep on the phone at any time during business hours. You could be up to your neck in a flooded apartment and unless you can get hold of a Security person .... fuggedaboutit! I think Security has been cut to the bone too. Most of them are barely out of puberty and I doubt they have much training in anything since potty training.
Whatever Blackstone has invested $300 million in it sure as hell has not been for the benefit of the people who call this place "home." Any investments Blackstone has made has been solely to reap more profit and not to make this place livable or even pleasant for the people who are paying them rent.
Well, they can go by this and other ST blogs to see if services have improved. Not the official ST blog from Blackstone. And, yes, we have no Property Manager for a while now. Blackstone is dividing up among the former hospitality leaders in resorts to run this place.
Tyrant Dunn probably is away, because there are "too many" posts criticizing Mgmt. appearing lately on FB. Was the $300 million to build dog toilets? Well, am sure the relevant contractors for this are happy....
There’s definitely no moderation on that fb site now because people are speaking freely and honestly! Some are clearly low class dopes, but it takes all sorts!
Blackstone needs to get rid of all these resorts people and install a management team that is knowledgable about running a RESIDENTIAL property and not a hotel. I've been here all my life and never seen the place in such a shambolic and unsafe state as it is now. Even during the days of "Alphabet City" with all the drugs and crime, we were 100% safer in our homes and even out on the property. Now we are not safe at all because we have a transient population of "tenants" and very little (little-to-no) safety force. I would never, ever recommend this place to anyone. I think it would be on my head (morally) if anything terrible happened to them, or even if they just realized they were paying through the nose for nothing worthy of the cost.
I'm sick of the noise, filth, lack of safety, thieves roaming the stairwells and halls and yapping, shitting dogs all over the place. This is definitely NOT the well-run, safe and pleasant place where I grew up. It's very, very much like the NYCHA Housing Projects and I always used to feel very grateful that I didn't live in one of those. I had friends who lived in the Projects and, through no fault of their own, had to endure a very low qualify of life with a scum landlord (the City) and didn't have the resources to move to somewhere better.
Now, people are paying through the nose to live in a property that is only marginally better than some of the Projects. To add insult to injury, they are paying top dollar for the "privilege." Well, I'm sure it is a learning experience for many of them. There are market rate (shut up Mr. Dunn! LOL!) tenants on my floor and we all share the same shit and piss stained nasty blue carpeting in the hall and the same noise sat at all hours emanating from the dorm units.
STR, what is the official ST blog? Didn't know that Blackstone had one. I'm sure it's as full of lies as they are full of sh*t!
The Tenants Facebook page has gone from being a heavily censored forum, monitored by a relentless yenta and a rather cranky, but good, gentleman, to being a nasty war of words - some words that would never be tolerated by the missing monitors. Clearly, some moderating is necessary. Wouldn't want the yenta back, but sure do miss Mr. Dunn. I wish Adam Rose was a moderator because he always is the voice of reason even though he doesn't insert himself into every topic of conversation.
"Was the $300 million to build dog toilets?"
Two poisonous, polluting, fossil fuel burning power plants
I'm not sure of the reason behind the power plants closing. A lot of work was done, including pipes that were giving Beam trouble.
>>STR, what is the official ST blog?<<
It's there, someplace, but right now I can't find it. Will post the URL when I do.
I may have meant this:
https://www.facebook.com/StuyTown
https://www.facebook.com/StuyTown
This is Management's Bullshit Propaganda Facebook blog. You will never find any of the ugly truths on that site.
Has Edmund John Dunn quit being a moderator of the Tenants (non-TA) Facebook? He hasn't been around lately and the other person, Toni Martini, is calling it quits. That site needs some moderation! I like reading it although I don't post. It really has deteriorated recently because of no moderation and some nasty asses posting all kinds of sh*t. Such a shame. True, Toni was a bit overly busy with the censor pen and Edmund did seem a bit cranky, but they did a very good job anyway.
Does anybody know if Mr, Dunn is coming back to the blog? More importantly, I hope he's ok.
I have no idea what is going on there, as I've been banned to the point that no posts turn up. But I do wish the best health to Dunn.
The non-TA FB is a mess without moderation: gifs, insults, filthy and threatening language from certain low-lifes. I miss the overly bossy Ms. Martini and the "toe-the-line" Mr. Dunn. It might as well be taken down at this point.
Seems we have been getting a little more heat lately. I tell EVERYBODY I meat about the problems we have with the heat here. I sincerely hope I have saved a few people of making the big mistake of moving in here. Bread and circuses and no heat, safety or cleanliness. Just filth, theft and dismal coldness.
I was recently blocked from seeing the non-TA facebook by Ms. M, but I am very sorry to hear that she is sick. Am in a sad state of mind myself and life just ain't easy at times. I sincerely hope she gets well soon (and Mr. Dunn too, if he's not well). Life's so short and there's so much sorrow and pain. We need to respect each other and forgive pettiness. I hope they will both soon be back to good health.
Wishing everybody a VERY HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR!
I have been getting more heat in general, though there are often lapses of a few hours. I consider myself lucky.
When it's around 35 degrees for most of the day, the heat should be on. Turning it off means the rooms will take a much longer time, if that, to become warm. Back to wearing bundles of clothing.
Oh Boy! The non-TA fb really needs some moderator to keep stupid people in check! I miss EJD and almost (but only almost) miss the Relentless Ms. M.!
But Blackstone is dependent upon Stupid People in order to keep Market Rate apartments filled.
"But Blackstone is dependent upon Stupid People in order to keep Market Rate apartments filled."
I totally agree! I have MR neighbors and I ask them if their apartments are warm and the inevitable answers are always "No." or "Not really." Can't understand why they don't spend their money on renting somewhere with a functional heating system. By "functional" I mean not functioning to give the bare legal minimum and save the greedy LL money; I mean "functional" as in keeps tenants comfortable and not having to bundle up or use space heaters. I have to use space heaters throughout the cold months. The sensor system is a failure and should be replaced. I'm sure it can't be difficult for even these schmucks to just set the heating to a comfortable level and leave it at that. By comfortable I mean at least 72 degrees, not the miserly smidge above legal minimum these schnorrers go for!
40 degrees and windy outside. Ice cold pipes and radiators. These apartments are so damned drafty. Wind whistles under my front door (and I am five floors up!) I use a draft rug, but where does the draft come from?!
Anybody thinking of renting here should read this blog so they don't get a nasty COLD surprise when they move in! Without space heaters these apartments (most of them, that is) are almost uninhabitable. Horribly uncomfortable at best.
I am embarrassed to have a friend coming in from the Midwest visit me, especially the interior of the building. The hall carpet is filthy. They need to replace them. The porters work hard, but Beam has driven this place to the ground. The exterior grounds are nicer on the edges of the property. Interior areas getting seedy looking and of course the dorm atmosphere is disgusting. Residents still put books and other crap on the shelves in the lobby. They should put a sign up that this is prohibited. It is sad when you are ashamed to have visitors come to your home. Hear that Keith Powers, Epstein, and the other pols who represent us. Stop crowing about your accomplishments and get on Beam’s case. As for the crap events, at least the oval is clear in the winter.
Most of them are filled by students and transients.
@6:56 PM: I hear ya! You are right on target. Blackstone/Beam is running this place into the ground and the quality of life has gone to hell. No politician has the right to crow and pat themselves on the back over what they have done for this property and its long-suffering occupants. I wish all those politicians (except Brad Hoylman) a shitty new year and losses in every election they have the gall to run for.
30 degrees and no heat in this fucking dump. I hate this place.
All you see when you walk around this dump are oversized dogs and Airbnb people with rolling suitcases. Hotel PigStuy.
I hope that they are both well, but I went off the site after only a couple of weeks due to Miss M’s relentless arguments and nasty remarks in response to my posts.
Is there anybody in charge of running this place?
"I hope that they are both well, but I went off the site after only a couple of weeks due to Miss M’s relentless arguments and nasty remarks in response to my posts."
I think she has problems and is a control freak. The site really needs moderation and I hope Mr. Dunn returns. He didn't make any announcement about resigning the post, but I believe he has health problems too. Ms. M would take down posts that were totally innocuous and I could never figure out why. What a Yenta! Anyway, I doubt that site will be up for much longer. I think there used to be more moderators, but maybe they resigned. I can't imagine Ms. M is easy to collaborate with!
"Is there anybody in charge of running this place?"
Yes. A lady who used to run a pub in London. No kidding.
Who better to run a massive residential property in New York?
Is there anybody in charge of running this place?
Well, we have a former cruise director and ex-dj. You want somebody with residential property management skills? You won't get that so long as Beam runs the place.
I just noticed that Stuy Town stinks. Literally. As you enter you start to notice it but by the time you are the equivalent of half a block to a full block you can very clearly smell the dog urine and poop. It is ever-present now. Stuy Town literally stinks!!!!
Is there anybody in charge of running this place?
NO! There isn't and it shows!
They don’t care. The company has decided to use it as a dorm/transient /roomie dump and obviously the deals with colleges and agencies they have are working out for them financially. This is all purposeful. This sale to this despicable company made possible by Garodnick and the TA.
I wish we could get some heat in this dump. It’s as cold as a grave. Stinks just as bad too.
It’s deteriorated from pleasant, well run housing complex to fetid, stinking, vile, cold shithole. Thanks Kennedy and rest of the incompetent goons. Go back to where you crawled out from.
No heat in this shit hole today. I text all my friends every day and ask if they have heat. They all do. They don't live in the Sty and are horrified when I tell them we have no heat.
Dog running off leash in Playground 1 in Stinky Town right now. All of Stinky Town is a dog run/bathroom now. Even outsiders bring their dogs to crap in Stinky Town. Beam Living needs to invest in some air freshener. This place STINKS!!!!!
All over the complex dog owners lifting their mutts into fenced off planting areas to relieve themselves and run off leash all day long with ZERO enforcement from security.
I live in a building near the PCV security booth and I often see dogs off leash on the astroturf recently installed nearby. And also dogs in fenced off areas. Some within sight of said security booth even. Hardly ever see security officers on the paths, much less enforcement. Signage about keeping out of the landscaping has disappeared from this area too (not that one should need signage: the fencing, and common sense and decency should be enough).
Today, I saw a German shepherd on the "dog relief" area in the southern portion of Stuy Town. And I always see outside dogs being brought in. Security doesn't stop them. Come one, come all. The dog "rules" are a joke here. Everybody knows this.
There is NOBODY running this dump. All they amount to are rent collectors and tacky event planners.
kennedy is a total waste of space. A total loser. She doesn't give a flying fuck about the people who live here. No heat, filthy buildings, dogs and bicycles terrorizing everybody who tries to walk through the property. No Public Safety either. PS is a joke - albeit not a funny.
GO AWAY MISS KENNEDY AND TAKE MR. VASQUEZ WITH YOU. YOU ARE WORLD CLASS NO CLASS LOSERS
Is there supposed to be anybody else apart from those two tossers who are running this frozen hellhole?
I HATE THIS PLACE! I HATE THIS PLACE! I HATE THIS PLACE!
NO HEAT. BROWN WATER. DOG SHIT AND PISS ON THE CARPET IN THE HALL BY THE ELEVATORS AND GARBAGE CHUTE. FILTHY, TACKY BLUE CARPET FROM AN ODD LOT OUTLET THAT BLACKGHOUL PROBABLY GOT FREE!
I HATE THIS FUCKING NASTY DIRTY DUMP AND I TELL EVERYBODY I MEET (STRANGERS AS WELL AS PEOPLE I KNOW) JUST WHAT A VILE, FILTHY, NOISY COLD POOR APOLOGY FOR A HOUSING COMPLEX IT IS.
WHERE IS THE TENANT ASSOCIATION ON THIS? IS THERE A TENANT ASSOCIATION?
80-acre Dog Toilet. World's largest?
There is a large German Shepard on the main floor of my building. Way over the size limit. Beam Living doesn't give a shit.
Stinky Town, the renter of last resort. How this place has fallen. Unbelievable! The TA should be ashamed of themselves.
On, the contrary, TA is currently congratulating themselves heartily over a recent court decision (whose true consequences are as yet unclear to me).
The TA just won a lawsuit to stop some dirty power station being installed on the property and another lawsuit to keep some units RS. I can't help but wonder who in the hell wants to rent here anyway? It's not too bad if you are a longtime tenant as far as the rent goes. But as a longtime tenant myself, I can remember when the grounds were pristine and the property was safe because we had a real, well-trained security force (unlike the mall cops we have now) and everybody who rented here had to go through a thorough background check. If the place had been the way it is now at the time when I moved in, I wouldn't have even given a second thought to walking away from it, regardless of the low rent. It was affordable without being a slum. Now it is not affordable and it is a slum.
At one time, they even insisted on seeing the place you were currently living just to check out whether or not you were a filthy slob! That probably wouldn't be legal at this point in time, but I'd bet my life that not too many of the current tenants would pass muster if they still did that kind of inspection! The place has undergone a total reversal of everything was made it desirable to live here.
I'm not saying I would like it to go back to being a place where Mother Met kept strict tabs on people, but it would be nice to have back some of what we have lost: safety, cleanliness, green and pleasant lawns and trees. They have murdered so many beautiful trees. We used to have beautiful London Plane trees in the Oval and the sound of of them whispering in the breeze was so soothing to the soul. Some Putinesque little shit who was a temporary manager and got himself into all kinds of lawsuits for employee harassment, had all the trees destroyed so that they could turn the Oval into the scruffy, bare patch of nothingness so they could put on tenth-rate, overly loud "entertainment" during the summer months.
The property is very unsafe because of the speeding bikes, scooters and everybody and his uncle walking their huge dogs over so they (the dogs) can take a shit. There is absolutely NO enforcement of regulations. PS has been castrated by Management. I don't know why they even have a PS now. They're neither use nor ornament. I'm surprised they don't all sing soprano because they been so neutered and neutralized!
"Is there anybody in charge of running this place?"
Yes. A lady who used to run a pub in London. No kidding.
Who better to run a massive residential property in New York?
-----
She still runs a pub owned by Blackstone in London. That's her full time job. Once a week (twice when necessary) she manages STPCV remotely via email while taking a 10-minute bathroom break at the pub.
I wish there was something I could do to help 4:06 p.m. move to a nicer place.
Depends on what the options are in Manhattan. For the older crowd that has been here for a while, the rent is comparatively good and the grounds, despite downgrades, are better than other places in Manhattan. And many Manhattan buildings don't even have grounds. You walk out into the street and that's it! I still find this place acceptable, though I see the rules being broken all the time. And, yes, there is no one in the management position anymore.
The lawsuit affirms the 2019 Rent Law gave RS protection to all STPCV apts. Pretty significant.
"She still runs a pub owned by Blackstone in London. That's her full time job. Once a week (twice when necessary) she manages STPCV remotely via email while taking a 10-minute bathroom break at the pub."
Is this in any way true? I mean really true?
I hate this place too, though I like my apartment. The TA is an arm of management here.
"I see the rules being broken all the time."
I see no rules. At least no enforced rules.
Anything goes and inevitable shit happens.
The incredible amount of unenforced "rules" Blackstone spits out nonstop ad nauseam are intended to minimize Blackstone's civil liability when inevitable shit happens and someone gets hurt, or their feelings get hurt.
Blackstone did not come to own our homes and destroy our community by following rules.
I have never personally met or interacted with Ms. Kennedy, but I have neighbors who have. They tell me she is a very pleasant and helpful person and they really liked her and got results concerning their issues. It is NOT her fault that the property is the way it is. She is an employee, not an owner. Whomever they put in the position Ms. Kennedy is in would have to take orders from "up above" or would be fired. I think they would do well to get rid of the "former cruise director" because he's the one who thinks up all the annoyingly noisy and intrusive events. We don't need the noisy concerts and movies. This is not a nursing home and shouldn't be run as if it were. This is New York City and, believe it or not, there is entertainment to be had off the property! Still, if some folk enjoy the offerings, good luck to them. It would be noise if Management showed a little more consideration concerning the noise because living near the Oval is pure hell when those events take place. The apartments near the Oval used to be the most desirable, but not now.
6:19 a.m., I am considering a Go Fund Me page for them. Such angst and anguish can't possibly be good for one's health, and the vehemence is truly heartbreaking.
So, I was sitting on a bench in the path by the Oval and a middle-size dog ran up and crossed the barrier to run around the lawn. For a moment I thought the dog was lost, but the owner, a young woman, turned up, leash in hand. I told her that the leash should be on, but she ignored me and, as I saw, started taking photos with her phone of the dog on the lawn. I said a few other things, but nothing seemed to work. She just kept taking photos and walked to the southern area, outside the lawn. I believe she must have put on the leash when she got on the Oval sidewalk, but I don't know. And that's the way it is.
We may now all have "RS protection," but many "RS" apartments still have very high rent, considering services--or lack thereof--here.
I also think that TA had only a minimal role in cancellation of those power plants--many other factors were involved in the decision.
I think that some folks here have already begun to honestly voice thoughts about ways to end, stop, destroy, exterminate many behaviors here.
Violence, both premeditated and spontaneous, has been provoked, elicited, and downright invited, by the ongoing and now normalized and ACCEPTED behavior of both so-called "residents" (such as that walking pile of toxins with the poor dog referred to by Stuy Town Reporter on the 3:10 PM posting) who are part of the FUCK YOU generation,
and by
so-called "staff" or "team" or "management" people who illegally, immorally, habitually, and in some ways lethally (by way of causing stress which eventually KILLS a person) inflict their desires on us (as in Robert Vasquez, "Lifestyles" Torquemada).
This city, generally, and the human world, generally, has become increasingly violent, selfish, stupid, hate-filled, and devoid of sensitivity and decency. Mentally ill people in this city, as well as others, have become more violent.
The hell which our "neighbors" and "management" are increasingly inflicting upon us, right here where we live, is inevitably going to eventually arouse either healthy DEFENSIVE responses, or just plain rage . . . watch for it. There is just so much abuse and deliberate harm any one human being is going to accept as a way of life, no???
We all see "the rules" being broken around here. Nothing is done to stop them. This place is run badly, despite advantages of living in this place. I would hope that the TA is doing something, but they are not, aside from a couple of noted achievements, which, I do not fully believe because they have been so lax that one considers that these achievements may be a mirage or not fully the truth. I've seen TA membership go down, year by year, too. So there is no one to keep the powers that be (Blackstone, for one) worthy of rules that they have set up.
The latest email from "management" is touting local resorts and shows. I am confused. Is this a dirty, cold, seedy, badly-run residential apartment complex or is it a dirty, cold, seedy, badly-run resort? Who are they catering to: "guests" or "residents"?
I was under the impression I had moved into an apartment complex which I soon found out is a very dirty, cold, seedy and badly run apartment complex. Now I think I accidentally rented a space in a dirty, cold, seedy and badly run resort. Not a fun resort at all, had I wanted to live in a resort.
They really need to get rid of all of the current "managerial" staff and recruit people who know how to run residential property. What a bunch of all-time LOSERS! They are bad at everything they do!
Poster on Jan 20 at 4:24 PM and STR's post that followed:
You are both absolutely right. This used to be a very enviable and lovely place to live (albeit having no a/c for many years)! The property was clean and beautiful and was noted for its lovely grounds which were full of majestic trees. The Oval was particularly lovely and it was kept that way because people couldn't go and trample on it. You could sit nearby and enjoy the sound of the trees rustling and the birds chirping. Bicycles were forbidden to be rode on the property and we had a REAL security force of REAL men who made sure those rules were adhered to. It was a great place to go and chat with neighbors and we didn't need a dirty cafe full of dog shit and piss to sit and converse and gossip (lotta that went on!)
The buildings were kept spotlessly clean (we had rubber tiling in the halls instead of that cheap, ugly filthy carpeting) and everybody had to have their apartments sufficiently carpeted so's not to disturb neighbors.
Then the property was sold and turned into urban hell. Scores of students, AirBnB crowds, apartments chopped up to [illegally] accommodate more bodies than they were supposed to house.
And the "managements" Oh the "managements!" Third rate RE hawkers and now third rate Carnival Cruise and catering alumni. None of them fit to run a residential apartment complex. The absolute dredges of an industry that has a very, very deep well of dredges and we got the bottom layer.
This really has become Pig Sty Town and let me apologize to pigs because they are in reality among the cleanest and most social animals in existence. I know this because my grandparents owned a pig farm in Ireland. I never touch pork because I feel sorry for the animals.
When I see dogs off leash, I simply call security and report it. I have also told off dog walkers who go where they don't belong; I may get ignored but it still makes me feel better. Sometimes they have the decency to look embarrassed when challenged, so maybe there's room for hope.
STR, I just re-read your introductory to this particular thread and am wondering if your health and mobility have improved any since you posted about your falls. I hope you are doing well.
I don't know how old you are, but as a senior myself I totally agreed with what the late and great Bette Davis said: "Old Age ain't for sissies." She must have been feeling a bit "off" the day she said that, and I can totally relate!
Be well, STR.
Yes, everything is improving, but you have to learn this and that as one gets older. Progress is slow, and I am not rushing things. Thank you, and I hope you are doing well....
More dogs than children reside in PCV.
PCV buildings have 8 apartments on most floors.
5 dogs and 2 children reside on same floor where our apartment is located.
So glad to hear you are making progress, STR. Don't rush anything because that can actually set your progress back! Take it from someone who learned the hard way.
Poster at 7:54 PM: I am awakened every morning (very early) by yapping and howling dogs. Really puts me in a good mood to start a very busy day. I overlook one of the dog crap areas. I'd love to see the person who came up with this cretinous idea go out and skid and fall face down into a pile of steaming shit. That would really make my day.
They are definitely using these apartments as temporary residences. The one across the hall just turned over after a few months. They likely have arrangements with tourist companies for short term stays (on a monthly basis) in addition to the vile dorm deals with colleges. I believe that this along with non related roomie setups where they rent rooms out is working for them. The vilest of landlords and as for the dogs, this is a dog haven . I am sick of it.
"They are definitely using these apartments as temporary residences. The one across the hall just turned over after a few months. They likely have arrangements with tourist companies for short term stays (on a monthly basis) in addition to the vile dorm deals with colleges. I believe that this along with non related roomie setups where they rent rooms out is working for them. The vilest of landlords and as for the dogs, this is a dog haven. I am sick of it."
If that is what they are doing, isn't it illegal? This is supposed to be a residential property, not part of the hospitality industry. No wonder we have so much crime on the property. I wish we could get it into the press what is going on here. They probably pay off the press to mind their own business. I think people should know what's going on. The apartment across from me was vacated by a long-term tenant several months ago and there has been a revolving door of different "tenants" since it was renovated. The paint wasn't even dry before they started having a new "tenant" every week or so.
I wish we could go back to being a real residential property with the kind of management that knows how to run it as such. Since MetLife sold the property to the vilest of the vile (Tishman Speyer), who couldn't turn it into the goldmine they envisioned by harassing the in situ tenants out (though they broke a lot of hearts and homes in the their cruel effort) the property has been raped and pillaged by total losers who call themselves "landlords." The only interim period when it seemed to be getting back on an even keel was when the property management company of Adam Rose (not the guy who posts of fb under that name!). Unfortunately, that was a temporary arrangement until they find some vile vermin to take over from TS. Well, they found the vile vermin alright in the form of Blackstone/Beam Living. Their worldwide reputation says it all and they totally live up to. Churning apartments and trying to make the place become some pseudo low-grade resort has been their mission and they've even managed to bollox-up that!
Hard to believe there used to be a very long waiting list to get into here and applicants had to meet some rather high standards.
Nowadays it is a revolving door dorm/motel/hotel/hostel with the suckingest management ever and the attempts at "entertainment" are truly laughable. Or would be if they weren't so damned annoying.
I remember the days when telling anyone you lived in Stuyvesant Town or PCV would elicit looks of envy. Now it's looks of pity.
Yes, pretty much everything they do here is ILLEGAL and much of it is dangerous as all hell.
I am still not entirely clear as to why many of us don't organize, stop paying rent until the dangers are eliminated. And maybe some of the behavior of both landlord's organization and life forms here forcibly ended.
So sick of being woken up at 4 am and thereabouts by these noisy bastard shits coming home from the bars. Why don't they live in a real dorm instead of a housing complex where hard-working, rent-paying responsible adults live? They should have never given so many apartments (or even any apartments) over to dorm housing. If they ran the place right they would probably be able to fill the apartments with real tenants.
Another thing, has anybody noticed their wifi going down a lot lately and for no apparent reason? I am wondering if my wifi is being stolen or hooked into by some of these jackasses who dorm here. It never did this until recently. I make a point of turning it off when I'm using it.
Can't wait for lease to be up and I will find a decent place and warn everybody and his uncle what a badly run hotel/motel/dorm/flophouse this vile shithole is. It is operated by a bunch of cretinous morons from the low IQ flyover states.
I notice that Mr. Dunn hasn't been on the non-TA fb recently. I hope he's ok and just taking a break for enjoyment and is not sick.
It would be so nice to be able to sleep a little late on Sunday morning, especially after having been kept up by the stinking drunk students braying and screaming their way through the property around 4 am. But it was not to be. Around 6 AM there were dogs out on the dog shit patch under my window. They were having a yapfest; then the porters roll the garbage out to the curb. At the least the porters are doing an honest job, unlike anybody in the Management Office who spend their time thinking up more ways to make us miserable and hate our once much-loved homes.
No way in the world would I recommend this dump to anyone. If anyone asked me about it with a view to renting here, I would tell them to run away from the place as fast as they could and not even THINK of renting here.
Rent strikes only work in situations when the landlord owns one or two buildings. The management would be thrilled to take the strikers to court and evict them. There are too many profitable Dorm and transient apartments to make a dent in their profits. Not a feasible idea here.
Aside from the shameless hawking of household junk, the Stuytown classified have been posting tenants seeking individuals to house-sit their plants or cats for short periods. This sounds like code for Airbnb type activity.
Yes! It certainly does!
I live in PCV and took a shortcut to 14th street via StuyTown yesterday evening. Before exiting the building, I threw away my recycling into the recycling bins that were all messed up with mixed garbage. Then right in front of our building door, I walked over both fresh and old streams of dog urine. Walking down the path I encountered a man walking his dog off-leash. Crossed into StuyTown and a woman exited her building with 3 paper shopping bags full of garbage which she plopped on the ground next to a full garbage can. Then I ran into another dog off-leash. A few minutes later, teenagers(?) climbing playground fence to get inside. It really gives you the correct impression that there's no one in charge of this place which suits certain of our 'neighbors' just fine.
Dear Sir or Madam Who Shoots Down The Suggestion At Least Some Of Us Withhold Rent:
Other than running away, which results in many more people doing the wrong thing here because garbage people live in our former homes/apartments,
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS A GOOD IDEA TO DO TO MAKE THINGS AT LEAST SOMEWHAT BETTER HERE?
@Stand Up and Fight: Do you seriously think that tenants withholding rent wouldn't be exterminated by the fascist filth who run this dump? Best to just keep to yourself, live your life and have nothing to do with the cretins who "run" this place apart from paying your rent and calling a plumber when your toilet is backed up. I don't give a rat's ass about their banal third-rate "events" and you could not pay me to attend one of them (well, it would have to be a large amount of money for me to give my time for such inconsequential garbage that would be puked on if it were foisted on a home for the demented). It is best practice (IMO) to just get on with your life and ignore the garbage and shit that emanates from this tenth-rate crew who call themselves "Management.") We have no management here. We have rent collectors and wannabe fairground side-show alumni. The only good thing (public service) we can do is let everyone we know that they should spread the word that this is a shithole. An Over rated shithole. It used to be a great place to live and people yearned to become tenants here. That is history and, unfortunately, it is history that is not going to be repeated. If you're a longtime tenant with a great rent, notwithstanding the deterioration of the QOL) make the most of it; if you are a different category of tenant (student or fool) get out of here as soon as you can find something worth the money. Maybe I should not include students in that piece of advice because they are not here for long anyway. Just long enough to make the place even more of misery for the grown-ups!
If anybody has any doubts that this property is going down the sewer because it is managed by cretins and morons, please read the Tenants (not TA) Facebook. I think a rent strike is most definitely justified. The people who "run" this place would not be tolerate by NYCHA at its worse.
We are the victims of shameless greed and absence of human decency. The vermin who "manage" this place should be exposed for exactly what they are: VERMIN. Two-legged, greedy, ruthless VERMIN. The people they employ are chosen for their lack of competence and character.
@12:43 and 12:50 AM: Tell us how you REALLY feel!
I think they have laid-off a lot of people who work here - doing important work, such as repairs, painting, plumbing, etc. There is most definitely a deficit of helpfulness in Resident Services.
Maybe if they got rid of that Valasquez guy (the former DJ and Cruise Director) and the brainstormers who come up with the community "events" and used the savings to hire more useful and essential people, the place would run much more smoothly and renters would be happier.
When, I wonder, are we going to get a real Property Manager? With had three men who lasted about five minutes each (Hayduk was the only one who stayed a while and he implemented dumb ideas and nothing much else) and now we have various and sundry "Good Neighbors" people who seem pretty useless.
I spent a good part of this morning delivering mis-delivered packages. What made my "good deed" hard was that so many people are listed on the directory as "Private" and on the doors they are named "Welcome Home." This is NOT a hotel. It is a residential property and it is no surprise that delivery people can't find the apartments and people they're supposed to be delivering to.
The place is a train wreck. A dog shit caked, dirty slum. Such a shame because it was a beautiful place to live at one time. It was very well run by competent and caring people and has gone 180 degrees the other way. The people "running" this property are not trained, equipped or competent for the jobs they hold. They are from the hospitality industry and know NOTHING about running a huge residential complex. They are totally out of their depth and we, the people who pay their salaries, are suffering for their lack of talent and professionalism.
I've lived here for most of my life and up until recent years I loved it here. No so much now. I am sick of having my deliveries stolen from the lobby and from outside my door. That never used to happen. We have little-to-no security. They don't watch those cameras. This place is too big and sprawling for the handful of "Public Safety" people to watch cameras that are all over the place. Public Safety has been cut to the bone (like many other departments that help making living here safe and livable). It's like we have a skeleton staff of essential workers - Safety, maintenance, plumbers, electricians, porters, etc. However, we have a huge staff of useless do-nothings working on the "Good Neighbors" crap and the entertainment and noshery venues.
Get with the program, Blackstone/Beam/Barnum & Bailey, whatever you are. We don't need your corny events and sideshows. We need a real Security Force, enough plumbers, electricians, painters, porters, etc., to keep the place clean and well-running. We also need a Resident Services Department that doesn't put you on hold or three or four hours or callback (maybe) when they get round to it.
They need to get rid of all these dopey "Good Neighbors" people, starting with Kennedy, and get a real well-trained, experienced PROPERTY MANAGER with an appropriate crew/staff working under him/her. Hayduk was an idiot, but at least he gave the appearance of somebody being in charge. His main "accomplishments" were fucking up the tenant directories and making everybody "Welcome Home." I wonder how his hotel enterprise is getting along? Probably not well, but at least he's back in his familiar line of work.
I can't stand this place, but can't move out anytime soon for various family/health/affordability reasons. I certainly would not encourage anybody to move in here though. The place is a disaster.
Thank Dan Garodnick and the useless management plant TA for our situation. This place is purposefully being destroyed as we know it. They always intended to make it a profitable dorm,transient, short term rental slum.
The students are the bread and butter for management. They aren’t going anywhere. They largely contribute to Beam’s profits.
Has anybody had a problem with packages being stolen? I recently ordered something and it was delivered by the USPS (usually very reliable), but I never received it. I called the vendor and was told that they had a record that it was delivered on January 21. Well, I never saw it! It was something too large to go in my mailbox, therefore it was either left in the lobby or by my door. I was home all day that day and didn't see anything by my door or in the lobby. I currently have a case opened with the Postal Service (who have been very cooperative). I told the representative who I spoke to (at the Post Office) that, unfortunately, Stuyvesant Town has become a hotbed of theft. Theft and mis-delivery. Usually, the mis-delivery is committed by FedEx, LaserShip and (rarely) UPS. It is very rare that anything sent via the USPS goes missing.
Right now, my lobby has items meant for different buildings just dumped there, waiting to be picked up. Fat chance. I tried to call one of the persons who should have received fresh flowers that are still sitting in my lobby, but only got voicemail. Yesterday, I spent a couple of hours delivering stuff that had been mistakenly dumped in my building lobby. I realize that a lot of problem is caused by lazy and/or illiterate delivery persons, but usually that does not apply to the Postal Service. I'm pretty sure my package was stolen because somebody thought it was worth stealing. Actually, it was not unless you have a certain physical disability and need prosthetics.
In the recent past I have had deliveries stolen from outside my door and found the boxes opened and the contents spilled out on the stairs. Found a lot of boxes and packages meant for other tenants in my building too. I delivered all the stuff to the rightful recipients. Nothing was actually stolen because I guess it didn't appeal to the thief/thieves. It was just strewn on the stairs.
This overwhelmingly high rate of theft has become a serious problem here. We never used to have this problem. Of course, we used to know our neighbors and took things in and held them for the person who was probably at work at the time of delivery. We also didn't shop online as much. However, at this point in time a lot of us do shop online and the buildings are filled with people who are strangers to each other rather than neighbors.
When I spoke to an official the USPS today I asked her if she was familiar with Stuyvesant Town and she said she was. She also mentioned that it was now pretty notorious for theft of deliveries and other things.
It's a shame how much the place has deteriorated in so many ways since it was sold and acquired and resold and re-acquired by private equity money-mongers who haven't got a clue as to how to run a residential property that is actually "home" to real people. Real, hard-working, honest, decent people who pay rent to live here and get so little in return when it comes to safety and good quality of life.
"Thank Dan Garodnick and the useless management plant TA for our situation. This place is purposefully being destroyed as we know it. They always intended to make it a profitable dorm,transient, short term rental slum."
Didn't the TA just win a biggie against Blackstone concerning rents?
I wonder if it ever occurred to the “intelligent “ people who run this dump that not everyone wants to be woken up at dawn by the sound of yapping and (sometimes) snarling dogs and their equally loud owners availing themselves of the “relief” areas right by our buildings?
The level of stupidity of the “management “ here is mind-boggling.
Remember, the students are only here because Blackstone can't rent the apartments to others. They have to fill apartments, it doesn't matter how. Don't forget PCVST is the new renter of last resort. If you get turned down everywhere else, you can always rent in PCVST. That doesn't bode well for the future.
"Thank Dan Garodnick and the useless management plant TA for our situation. This place is purposefully being destroyed as we know it. They always intended to make it a profitable dorm,transient, short term rental slum."
I don't really blame the TA, but I think the politicians take a lot of graft to do the RE titans' bidding.
I feel very sad that the place has deteriorated so much since it was sold. The grounds are scruffy; the buildings are scruffy - god forbid they would shampoo the hall carpets occasionally - and there is an air of "decay and neglect" that is very tangible. When I have visitors they comment on it because they remember how it used to be.
One of the worst things is that we no longer have a really good Security Force and the crime rate in the general neighborhood has risen steeply, especially since the Pandemic. If we had a decent Security Force instead of the Public Safety mall cops it would be a lot better. Theft is rife and there are all kinds of creepy people roaming the buildings going criss-cross on the stair wells. They steal packages from outside doors (or even from the lobbies right under the "security cameras" and open them on the stairwells.
If don't believe that Management really cares about our safety and the quality of life here. They think they can please us and keep us quiet with silly events and "amenities." I would love the "amenity" of a well trained and well-manned security force and a bit more cleanliness. The porters do a great job, but there are not enough of them and most of the time they are cleaning up the sh*t left in the carriage rooms. I put everything except glass or sharp metal objects down the chute. The recycling and composting programs here are a joke. I saw one woman put a plastic container of congealed lard into a compost bin and I won't mention some of the detritus I've seen in the recycling bins!
The stories on the non-TA fb page read like the script of a horror movie. Somebody's fridge conked out and "management" has put a huge, ugly think in their LIVIN ROOM with the word "Loaner" spray-painted on it.
I would like to find Sibh..whatever Kennedy and spray "Loser" on her.
Just can't believe the absolute ABUSE that is perpetrated against tenants by this scum-scrapings so-called "management." When I see them tote the phrase "Good Neighbors" it makes me want to fucking vomit.
We need to get the NYT, NY Daily News - whatever to come in and observe the abuse and insults inflicted on the tenants by this bunch of hoboes. If I were in the situation of the tenants who have the big ugly fridge marked "Loaner" in their LR, I would contact EVERY newspaper and news channel in the City and would contact the Mayor's office too. This is a vile and despicable insult to the tenants. I sincerely hope they are withholding their rent! If not, they are fools!
The more we let this vermin get away with, the more they will push their luck.
Can you believe the shit these poor people are going though? Go to the non-TA fb page to see the whole thing, complete with photograph.
That idiotic, indifferent and heartless Kennedy woman should be fired right away. Nowhere else would rent-paying tenants have to deal with this kind of absolute ABUSE and derision. "
Kennedy, you are a LOSER and I hope Karma comes back to bite you in your ass.
BSW
3h ·
HELP!! Stuytown is making me spend 2 months with a loaner fridge in my living room. How should I get help & expedite?
My fridge broke last weekend, spoiling all of the food. Stuytown gave me a temporary loaner fridge, but it didn’t fit into the fridge cubby where my old one was stored - so the loaner is now sitting in my living room.
Afterwards, they called and said they needed to install a vent in the wall behind where the fridge is stored before they could install a new fridge. This is not considered an “emergency”, so the soonest they could schedule a vent install crew +fridge replacement is mid-March.
My wife & I have called the team & management back so many times, but keep getting stonewalled. What should I do?
All reactions:
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36 comments
Irene McLoughlin
That is the most F*cked up thing I have ever heard. So unacceptable.
33m
Sara Bernstein
Been there 3 times - we just make jokes about it. Our weird loner exchange student.
27m
There is nothing funny about the loaner fridge situation. I can understand if they put an old fridge in for a short time until they could put in a new one. However, having to wait till mid-March is crazy. That is at least six weeks away!
This "management" really is the pot-scrapings. Maybe Kennedy knows how to pull a pint in a London pub and arrange tables, but she is not competent to be a manager of any kind in a huge, sprawling residential apartment complex in New York City. May the DJ guy was good at keeping cheery on the Carnival Cruise ships, but he doesn't belong here. Blackstone/Beam have finished the carnage that TS and Compass Rock started.
Living in this place is like being an extra in a very bad black-comedy movie. One that might star Bill Murray or Chevy Chase!
I was at the TA meeting several years ago when they introduced the new owner, Blackstone. The TA lauded them as did Garodnick and other politicians. They were thrilled and promised a great relationship. The TA was involved in negotiations.
Somebody on the Tenants fb page was saying how so many people don't put warm coats on their dogs when the weather is very cold. A lot of idiots made fun of him and said (the usual) crap about dogs already having fur coats.
What those morons fail to understand is that when a dog lives indoors and goes outdoors in cold weather it is pretty much the same as us being indoors in our winter coats and then going outside wearing them. Wolves, bears, etc that live in cold places grow thick fur that is very greasy and they have a layer of body fat that they would not have if they lived indoors. Our pet dogs don't develop that kind of natural insulation as they live domestically indoors.
Taking a domesticated pet dog (especially a short-haired breed) out into the bitterly cold weather without any kind of coat and protective attire is no better or kinder than taking a child out into the elements wearing a tee shirt and shorts because they would be comfortable wearing that attire indoors in a warm home.
Some people are so stupid and callous that they really should be put under some kind of supervision and definitely not allowed to have pets. Or children in some cases. I'm being polite and restrained here because what I would really think should happen to them would not be passed by STR.
I see the fridge loaner post has been taken down. Maybe "management" asked them to remove it. They (management) SHOULD be embarrassed.
STR's blog is the only website Schwarzman DOESN'T control. And Management NEVER gets embarrassed (by anything).
"STR's blog is the only website Schwarzman DOESN'T control. And Management NEVER gets embarrassed (by anything)."
Does Schwarzman control the TA facebook and the non-TA facebook?
Mind you, both of those facebook sites have their own "control freaks" and don't need any help from Schwarzman! I seem to remember that it was someone named Jonathan Gray who was the Blackstone person involved in the sale of the property to that evil entity. Also, I remember that some member of the TA Board was a seasonal neighbor of Jonathan Gray out in the Hamptons. I'm surprised really that the TA has fought and won a lawsuit against Blackstone. Maybe their Board membership has changed.
TA membership is so small, they can all be on their "Board." And they all have "seasonal" second homes, too. Membership hasn't changed--Steinberg is their President For Life.
The problems with package deliveries just gets worse and worse. Today I walked several packages over to other buildings because they had been erroneously left in my building. I noticed that in the lobbies of those other buildings there were numerous packages that had been erroneously delivered to them! I spent almost two hours taking deliveries to where they should have gone and it was exhausting! I also managed to get lost because the layout of this place is like a maze! I don't know what the solution is. It was never this bad in the past, but I suppose more and more people are shopping online and the postal people and delivery guys just can't deal with it. Some are definitely careless because there is no excuse for not reading the damned address label!
Some of the problem stems from the transient nature of this place. There are people coming in and out constantly. Many of the addressees no longer live here. Someone across the hall from me was here a few months. You can’t blame it all on the delivery people. You may be delivering packages to people who don’t even live here anymore.
"Some of the problem stems from the transient nature of this place. There are people coming in and out constantly. Many of the addressees no longer live here. Someone across the hall from me was here a few months. You can’t blame it all on the delivery people. You may be delivering packages to people who don’t even live here anymore."
The delivery labels were ALL very clear and every package I delivered was to an actual tenant. The delivery guys need to read the labels. Whether or not the person still lives here is irrelevant. The address at the point of delivery should be the same as what is on the label. I know the delivery people are overwhelmed and the entire place is a maze of almost identical buildings, BUT the building addresses are clearly displayed.
I think the problem has been exacerbated by the pandemic and so many people ordering online. Still is the responsibility of the delivery people to READ the f**king label.
There is constant buzzing above from a helicopter (police?) about the neighborhood. Been going on now for about half an hour. Also, there was a massive fire in New Jersey and another one, creating air problems in NYC. That may be related to the helicopter.
Does anyone else feels that these Con Ed heat shutdowns are becoming more frequent? We are having another one this Saturday into Sunday, starting at 8pm yet! This means no hot water or heat. Last time we had a shutdown, service did not return till many, many hours later than scheduled.
I'm suspicious of these frequent shutdowns. I don't think we are being told everything. To me, they have something to do with the ST power station that is no more.
Revenge shutdowns would be typical of Blackstone. Don't get mad--get even. That's their motto. Just like in Organized Crime (which is what they are a variation of).
Incredibly inconvenient these shutdowns, to say the least. I've lived in Manhattan 40+ years now, different neighborhoods, never experienced anything like here. Brown water, the occasional water leak or flood, shutdowns because of apartment renovations, scheduled Con Ed shutdowns, and 'other' emergency work shutdowns.
Has anybody else had problems with FedEx not delivering to apartment doors? I have had to cancel regular orders of pet food from Chewy because FedEx simply will not deliver to my door. They dump a box that weighs over 25lbs in the vestibule or lobby and I have to almost kill myself getting it upstairs. Countless complaints to Chewy and FedEx (and speaking directly to FedEx reps on the phone) have not helped. Those delivery guys simply refuse to bring any deliveries beyond the lobby. Not infrequently they dump the box in the wrong building. Am at my wits end with that company. Have cancelled my Chewy account and my FedEx account.
One of my friends had the same problem and simply left the overweight Chewy box in the lobby, told her credit card company it had not been properly delivered (and got the charge reversed) and told Chewy to send FedEx to take the delivery back. Chewy deactivated her account, but if they insisted that FedEx deliver to the door they probably would do better. It started as a nice company, but now it has a really nasty attitude toward customers who complain about delivery issues. They say that FedEx is there only delivery company and that is that!
"Revenge shutdowns would be typical of Blackstone. Don't get mad--get even. That's their motto. Just like in Organized Crime (which is what they are a variation of)."
For all their evil, Blackstone is nowhere near as evil as Tishman Speyer was. That company and hideous cretin (Rob Speyer) who ran it was the absolute satanic worst of the worst.
TS evicted or attempted to evict elderly tenants on the slightest suspicion that they may have a second home somewhere else. (Makes me wonder about all the TA Board members with their Hamptons homes); they harrassed almost to death a severely handicapped lady who had CP and dragged her through the courts because she got a bit behind with her rent. She had lived here all her life and was left alone and a bit confused when her parents died. Fortunately, neighbors and the NYT special cases department came to her rescue. Whenever an elderly tenant died, the TS ghouls popped bottles of champaign (no, I'm not kidding or exaggerating); and they would descend on the deceased's apartment before the body was cold and empty it out to ready it "renovation." There never was and, hopefully, never will be a worst landlord than Tishman Speyer. When I hear that the evil old fart, Jerry Speyer (who is now 83) croaks I will pop a bottle of champagne. When I hear that is vile, hideously ugly and evil son has croaked I will throw a party to celebrate.
Those vile bastards destroyed so many lives and they bilked no end of entities who stupidly invested with them, not that they are deserving of any sympathy. If I find out where they'll be buried I'll walk my dogs over there to crap on their graves.
TS was indeed evil, although I had no problems transferring the lease into my name after my mother passed away. Although they were evil, they were transparent. I think the problem with Beam is the hypocrisy of being benevolent when the opposite is true. Beam, especially under Hayduk, acted like they were the kindest and most understanding landlords ever. Hayduk listened and promised but did nothing for tenants. We started to have heat problems, dogs ran rampant, students took over and oval events caused us pain. Hayduk presented himself as an interested, benevolent manager who you could contact anytime. Only he began the descent of this place into a pigsty. I agree that TS was evil, but you got what you saw. With Beam it is hypocrisy unlimited. Hayduk also picked out dissenters on blogs and tried to pacify them in a passive aggressive way. By the way, my heat was pretty adequate until the past month. Now that temperatures are above average, they are cutting the heat and the thermometer is often below 70. The days when it was in the 20’s were also uncomfortable in my apartment. Deprivation of heat is one of the most evil practices a landlord can impose on a tenant.
"we no longer have a really good Security Force and the crime rate in the general neighborhood has risen steeply, especially since the Pandemic. If we had a decent Security Force instead of the Public Safety mall cops it would be a lot better"
I've had enough of these incompetent morons-- they sit on their asses all day and do nothing and somehow draw a salary. Calling them is equivalent to yelling out the window for help from some guys sitting on the curb-- they are trash. I don't like that this garbage has access to our apartments whenever they want it-- they are mall cops.
Cut their salaries, end this nonsense and get the NYPD to patrol this area AS IT IS THEIR JOB. We don't want mall security, we need actual cops, who've had training, and background checks.
@7:50PM - can't say I agree with you. I've had occasion to call on PS several times recently and I found them to be very "on the ball" and very pleasant to deal with. They are not mall cops, as you call them.
True, they are ineffective in enforcing rules because they work for Beam. When I called recently after office hours regarding a bathroom leak they responded quickly.
True, so long as it isn't anything to do with enforcing the QOL rules, they are great. It's not their fault that they don't enforce the rules. You can blame that Major Bullshitter, Rick Hayduk, for that. He told them to "stand down" when it came to enforcing rules. He was more interested in appeasing the violators of the rules than he was in keeping hard-working, rent-paying tenants safe and comfortable. He f*cked up the lobby directories (against the law) and made all newcomers "Welcome Home." He knew and even acknowledged that this is a transient dump. I think it has got a bit better since he moved on. I think that Ms. Kennedy tries to make it livable and likable. Probably, she doesn't have that much "power" because she doesn't have the title that Hayduk/Fuckup had and she is a woman. I think Blackstone is a somewhat misogynistic outfit and gives the "power" positions and titles to assholes like Hayduk.
It has a bad reputation in a lot of areas and the way it treats its employees is almost as bad as the way it treats its victime, i.e., tenants and former owners of the properties it acquires.
There's a plethora of written, documented information about the evils of Blackstone if you look. Blackstone/Beam = same shit and same stink.
I wonder what has happened to Edmund John Dunn, the gentleman who moderates the non-TA FB? He hasn't posted since before Christmas. I do hope he is well and is away from FB because he's enjoying a nice vacation or doing something else that is fun. Moderating that FB can't be much fun, considering some of the dopes who post there. I'm not a member, but I like to read it. Very informative, but there are one or two misfits. It's been a lot better lately though. Some people seem to have gone away. The "discussion" over the homeless guy asleep in front of somebody's door during Christmas brought out some of the best and some of the worst of posters. I'm not taking anybody's side, but some folk were just plain rude and nasty.
@ 7:48 AM— 9pm last night kitchen faucet broke, couldn't turn off water. called security. came at 9:10, verified and contacted plumbing. plumber was here @ 9:35 gone by 10pm. To quote @7:50PM both "on the ball" and very pleasant to deal with!
>>Probably, she doesn't have that much "power" because she doesn't have the title that Hayduk/Fuckup had and she is a woman. I think Blackstone is a somewhat misogynistic outfit and gives the "power" positions and titles to assholes like Hayduk.<<
I haven't checked, but I would assume most of the high positions in Blackstone are held by males, but here women in power are around. You've mentioned Kennedy, and there is that "captain" of Public Safety, who is a woman. Of course, all of them, including the lower males, have to answer to Blackstone/Beam. That's everyone's paycheck.
"Diversity" is just for show here, too. Oh, yeah, we'll have marches around the Oval for this and that "diverse" group, but it is meant to present a smiling face to the diverse crowd and show how "hip" Beam is.
Multiple problems in NYC as a whole, this community, and his Council district, but what is Keith Powers doing? Giving radio interviews about the post-Superbowl lighting on Empire State Building. (He didn't approve of what was planned.) Does he own that building? I guess his long-term goal is to run for Congress, like George Santos did.
One makes a lot of money being councilman. Wasn't the upgrade for money about 33%?
Kennedy isn’t the property manager. She’s got some ephemeral “Resudent Experience “ title. We don’t have a Property Manager.
He is promoting himself constantly on his Facebook page which connects him to hundreds of ST/PC tenants. I lost respect for him when he refused to act on the oval event noise issues and heat problems which he was very well aware of . I believe that he prefers working with management. He did, to his credit, assist with the cleanup of vendors on 14th St, which the actual Councilperson of that block did not. All in all I don’t believe that he does not represent our community well. Too many issues with Beam that he ignores while pretending to be proactive on them. I agree that he is bucking for higher office. Doesn’t miss a photo op. I didn’t vote for him this time in his council race and would never vote for him if he runs for higher office. At least Garodnick had a few decent years before he turned management stoolie.
Powers promotes himself shamelessly lately on social media. Today he posted himself as one of the 100 most powerful city and state politicians after a survey was done.Any politician who ignores heat complaints, which he did a couple of years ago and likely still does now( My heat has been better, so I haven’t contacted his office in a while) is not powerful or competent. Heat is a major health issue. In addition his failure to have technicians come in and examine oval concert decibel levels and zoning laws for loud events, also shows his neglect of ST QOL issues.
I wish that Management would enforce the rule about deliveries NOT being left in the lobby. I have had some serious problems recently with FedEx and USPS Priority Mail.
FedEx has the laziest drivers on the planet. They just chuck the deliveries in the lobby (sometimes not even the main lobby where the mailboxes are) take a picture and leave. The picture could be taken anywhere. I recently put my back out moving a very heavy box that was dumped in the lobby (not where the mailboxes are) even though I had contacted FedEx and the vendor (Chewy) and asked for the 26lb box to be brought to my door. I am now boycotting online merchants who use FedEx. When you call their "customer service" you are on hold for an hour and then get some idiot in Malaysia or Mars - wherever - and always someone whose English is a joke.
I have also had problems with FedEx. Not so much with USPS, though if something won’t fit in the mailbox god forbid they will
bring it to your door!
In my experience, UPS has been pretty good at delivering to the door. I would join the new concierge service if they’d allow heavy deliveries to be brought to the apartment door. Would gladly pay extra for that. But it would be a bigger hassle to bring a heavy delivery over from the concierge than from the lobby. Btw, FedEx and USPC Priority Mail both have a bad habit of dumping deliveries in THE WRONG BUILDING!!!!!
"Kennedy isn’t the property manager. She’s got some ephemeral “Resudent Experience “ title. We don’t have a Property Manager."
No, I think she is the Property Manager, but they don't use that title anymore. I've never met her, but I've exchanged emails with her about the heat (or lack thereof) and the hard time getting through to RS and she was very responsive. We've had much better heat in recent cold snaps. I think that sometimes they have to adjust some gizmos in the basement. Haven't called RS in a long time because I've had no need to. I think they hired more people in that department, but at one point you had to go on a waiting list to speak to someone!
The only thing that really annoys me about this place (apart from the package theft and dumping situation) is the constant noise from work being done inside and outside the buildings. I don't know what they're doing, but I wish they would get it over with!
Off topic, but .... does anybody know what is going to be in the space vacated by Associated on 14th? I really miss that store and have been going to C-Town on Avenue C. I am sick of TJ and its one brand only offerings. Generic brands are ok, but it's nice to have a choice. Their fresh food is ok, but I like to have a some more choices. Target is a dead loss. Very few national brands and overpriced as well.
There is a post on the Tenants (not TA) Facebook commenting on the dangerous bikes, e-bikes and scooters that speed around the property and the answer was that the NYPD has no juristiction over the property and that it is the sole responsibility of PS.
Well, PS does NOTHING about this problem and they probably are not equipped to handle the situation, anyway. I remember hearing or reading that Hayduk specifically told PS to "stand down" because some errant cyclist who was stopped by PS within the Oval pathways had his lawyer send a letter to Management threatening a lawsuit.
Just how pathetic is that? I can't believe that even Hayduk was dumb enough to think that some crap lawfirm was going to sue Management and prevail! Blackstone has lawyers that are minted in Hell. When (it's no longer "if") somebody gets killed maimed by some asshole cyclist/scooterist, Blackstone will have a lawsuit of an extremely nature on its hands. It won't be able to use the defense of "Notices Posted on The Property" because it is a known fact that Management has instructed PS to stand down. Hayduk will be named as a defendant because he is on record of issuing that instruction to PS. PS has been castrated by Management and this is why they are referred to as "mall cops." Actually, mall cops have more authority than our PS force. It wouldn't make a difference to our level of safety if PS was disbanded and no longer existed. I don't blame the guys who work for PS, but I have zero respect from that so-called retired cop who is in charge of them. She found herself a cushy little post-retirement boondoggle.
Two remarks:
1) I find my buying less and less from TJ. The items change or disappear. Instant coffee? Not like before, etc. Target has some brands that are the cheapest in the neighborhood. You have to know what to buy. The space that housed Associated? Though it was supposed to be filled by an upscale eatery/store, it hasn't.
2) The ebikes, scooters: Nothing is done to make sure the "rules" are enforced. Nothing. One of the worst violations of Management. Management should be embarrassed, but aren't.
I never thought I would say this, but I really miss Associated. Though it wasn’t the greatest, we really need a full service supermarket in this area. Trader Joe is not the solution. Their produce is good, but some of their brand name products are terrible. Target is OK for staples. It is terrible that we don’t have a real supermarket here.
Why would any "upscale" business (food or otherwise) want to rent on 14th Street? Yeah, it was once decent there--before ~1970!
For the love of Pete; this is NYC! People, please-- improvise, adapt and overcome. This is not Afghanistan. With all the stores at which one could possibly shop (Key Food, C-Town, Gracefully, Trader Joe's, Gristedes, Morton Williams, K-Mart, Westside Market on 3rd Avenue, Associated (Park Ave or Ave C) or Whole Foods--that's 10 places!-- options abound with which to fend off starvation without going completely broke. Personally, the street vendors are my go-to for fresh vegetables; they have the best prices around. Nuff' said?
I don't it's wrong to want a close supermarket in the neighborhood.
Many of those stores that you mentioned are rather far for elderly people to do heavy shopping at.
If you live on 20th St Morton Williams is a good option. Elderly folk down on 14th St find it hard to schlep a cart up to 23rd St. TJ is the only option on 14th and not a great one.
Just heard that Immaculate Conception School is closing as of the end of the year. What does that say for the neighborhood?
Pardon, but I still don't get the "this is NYC" comment. Some of the places you mention are far away for "the neighborhood." Key Food, C-Town? Westside Market on 3rd Ave? Park Avenue. LOL Yeah, this is NYC, but you don't have to walk blocks and blocks to get to a supermarket or take a bus. Really! LOL.
Most of the above full service supermarkets you mentioned are too far for elderly living on 14th St. Others such as TJ, Gracefully, Gristedes are not good options. Gristedes is way overpriced. Gracefully is not a full service supermarket nor is TJ. No paper goods. I have tried some of the TJ brands and they are lousy. Plus many of their products are loaded with sugar and salt. It is not too much to ask for a full service supermarket closer to 14th St. At one time we had three. Morton Williams is great but too far for elderly 14th St residents.
ST might be considered a "food desert." If you don't know what that is, google it. Desert, not dessert.
"2) The ebikes, scooters: Nothing is done to make sure the "rules" are enforced. Nothing. One of the worst violations of Management. Management should be embarrassed, but aren't."
Management doesn't give a flying f*ck about the speeding bikes - e or pedal. When there is a fatal accident or someone is maimed for life and Management is hit with a massive lawsuit, maybe then they will flinch. Just a bit. This is a useless, tawdry bunch of hucksters "managing" this property and PS is totally impotent because of them.
It used to be pleasant to walk through the grounds and around the Oval, especially in nice weather, but now it is almost as dangerous as going for a stroll on the FDR. I have lost count of how many times I've been narrowly missed by these assholes who don't give a damn. There should be law enforcement on the property. If there is no law enforcement on the grounds because it is private property, why can't we just vandalize, rob and kill and get away with it? The property should not be a no-go zone as far as law enforcement is concerned. We don't need mall cops (actually, real mall cops are more enabled to keep law and order). We need a Security Force that has the authority to apprehend people engaging in dangerous and illegal behavior and zooming through the property on an e-bike or scooter is definitely dangerous behavior. Management needs to hand "Public Safety" its ball back. Why is it called "Public Safety?" They don't do a damned thing to make us safe! If somebody started pulling up the plants and vandalizing the Oval Shit Offices would PS spring into action to protect Blackstone's property? I'm sure they would and they would call the real cops for back-up, but they don't feel compelled to protect human life here.
@ 4:23 PM: No, this is not Afghanistan and your remarks are about as far from reality as Afghanistan is in distance from us.
We need a decent supermarket. We need one within easy walking distance. This is NYC in the 21st Century, not Shittsville, Mo. where everybody has a car and drives to a distant shopping mall or Walmarts to stock up. We need a decent supermarket close enough to walk to and walk with a shopping cart, rollater, stroller, etc. We have young, old, disabled, able-bodied and we all need to be able to shop for essentials without it becoming a major undertaking. Most of the places you mention are too inconveniently far for a very large portion of the population of this project. Are you going to carry my groceries from any of the places you mention? Get a clue. Nuff said.
>>Just heard that Immaculate Conception School is closing as of the end of the year. What does that say for the neighborhood?<<
Not a surprise, though. Either they will turn it into a condo or knock it down and build something high.
Usual Friday night/early Saturday crap on the 14th Street Loop. Obnoxiously loud and drunken students bellowing their way back to their dorms. No wonder they can’t get renters for this dump. Management should have PS patrolling in their cars and making these drunken assholes shut up. That would be too intelligent a notion to even occur to the garbage who run this place.
IC School closing? After preaching hatred and intolerance for 'others' since at least 1947, when ST first opened? Maybe they don't have enough 'customers' now? Good riddance. But what will happen to their wonderful(?) flea market...?
4:23 PM yesterday obviously has zero compassion for seniors, and doesn't realize that they themselves will be one...sooner than they think!
PS doesn't even do anything about the stuff happening literally under their very noses! There's always a guard inside the booth on PCV road, yet all kinds of people enter unchallenged to use the property. Very often there are dogs walking inside the fenced areas within easy view of the guard, in fact sometimes right behind the guard booth itself! Then some yards down the path from this booth, where it's been turfed for a dog toilet, very often you see dogs romping off leash, singly or in groups! Only once have I seen a PS officer tell someone to get out of the landscaping, and I was just as shocked as the dog walker!! He was on foot patrol and chose not to look the other way.
Temperature in 30s and no heat. This dump is run like a tenement slum. Totally no conscience or basic decency in this “management.”
No heat. With all the space heaters and e-bikes here, this is a major tragedy waiting to happen.
Can’t wait to get out of here and warn others about how dangerous it is here because of the ebikes (zooming around outside and charging inside). Can’t get ANY insurance because the place is so badly rated by insurance companies and actuarial companies.
I wonder if any other large apartment complexes put their tenants through this thermometer and “engineer” visit when the tenant complains about no heat?
It’s nothing less than harassment.
This has been NYC and yet we still had good, close supermarkets. Go figure. Been here over 60 years and I can say I for one am sick of these imposter assholes who say shit like "For the love of Pete; this is NYC! People, please-- improvise, adapt and overcome." So? WTF does that have to do with anything? STFU dope!, is that NYC enough for you?
Was reading on the non-TA fb about how some folks have had their stuff go missing from the $25 per month Oval Concierge "service."
Might as well save myself $25 and have my deliveries stolen for free from the lobbies and outside my door.
If these incompetent carnival barkers are going to charge for a service, the should at least provide the service! I don't know how anybody can work for Beam/Blackstone and maintain any minimum of self-respect.
Am waxing nostalgic here: was just looking at some Google Map photographs of East 14th in 2007. So many small businesses and eateries along the south side of the street as well as our beloved Associated on our side of the street. Things don't necessarily improve with time. I can't remember who owned us then. Maybe it was the vile and despicable TS. This place was a great place to live before it had to stoop to the level of being a student dorm in order to fill the apartments. Too bad MetLife sold it for much much more than it was worth and we tenants have had to pay the price in so many quality of life ways.
"a major tragedy waiting to happen"? Blackstone's army of lawyers would deal with that; meanwhile, they would then have a good excuse for total demolition (their ultimate goal).
At one time we had a few supermarkets on 14th St including Red Apple and Associated. We had great retail shops along First Avenue as well: Emerald card store, Lechters, Lens Crafters,a long time ago, bakeries, Payless, I can go on and on. This is now a retail desert.
"This has been NYC and yet we still had good, close supermarkets. Go figure. Been here over 60 years and I can say I for one am sick of these imposter assholes who say shit like "For the love of Pete; this is NYC! People, please-- improvise, adapt and overcome." So? WTF does that have to do with anything? STFU dope!, is that NYC enough for you?"
Well said! I think the original poster was some asshole from a flyover state. We used to have a plethora of really good supermarkets within walking distance. Now I'm ordering online from Walmart. That's the trouble with these small towns! ;-)
Going farther back, South 14th Street originally had a Cushman's Bakery branch, Town Rose Bakery, F.W. Woolworth, Key Foods supermarket, Horn & Hardart sit-down restaurant, separate Horn & Hardart Retail Shop, Phil's Barber Shop, JoJo's clothing store, bookshop, furniture store, Strauss Auto Supply, 2 toy stores, 2 soda fountains, a bank, Loft's Candy branch, travel agency, and more. With Carvel, Pioneer and A&P supermarkets on 13th Street and Avenue B, when it was perfectly safe to go there, too. North 14th Street had the Met Life Management Office and Gristede's supermarket. THAT was New York City, not the big sewer it has become today!
>IC School closing? After preaching hatred and intolerance for 'others' since at least 1947, when ST first opened? Maybe they don't have enough 'customers' now? Good riddance. But what will happen to their wonderful(?) flea market...?<
hatred = not agreeing with everything I say
intolerance = just wanting to live and let live, not obey their overlords in everything
You sound like a perfect employee for BEAM Living
Another day another heat and hot water shutdown except this one is going for 13 hours from 9pm till 11am
The TA and non-TA facebook pages are full of horror stories about floods, shutdowns, shitty paint and renovation work, etc., as well as a very telling post inquiring who is charge apart from Siobhan Kennedy. Kennedy is about as helpful as tits on a boar hog. There really is NOBODY running the place anymore and I think that Blackstone has given up trying to find someone with the capabilities and qualifications to do the job. Anything goes here. We are on our own because all this LL cares about is collecting rent. This is why they have to fill the apartments with students and airbnb guests (rented by management, I suspect). We have a totally transient (and, in some cases, strange) "tenancy." Blackstone is not known for improving the residential stock it buys; it is known for destroying it. When looking for a rental always BEWARE of any property that has a notice declaring it is "managed" by Beam Living. Beam is the ultimate, absolute worst of the worst in the world of corporate residential property management. You don't believe me? Just look at what we've got! These people also serve as a clear warning to never be a guest of any Blackstone-owned resort or hostelry. Remember we have a former cruise-director and DJ in charge of "Lifestyles." That just about says it all! I doubt it was a "Loveboat" type of cruise ship. Probably one of Carnival Cruise's Ships of Death and Horror!
>IC School closing? After preaching hatred and intolerance for 'others' since at least 1947, when ST first opened? Maybe they don't have enough 'customers' now? Good riddance. But what will happen to their wonderful(?) flea market...?<
I am glad to say this wasn't my family's experience when my children attended ICS (from pre-K to 8th grade). The demographics of the school reflected the city well, and we never saw or heard anything of the kind you are alleging. As for the flea market, did it also bother you when it was held for years at the Mary Help of Christians Church yard, only a couple of blocks away? Don't blame the degeneration of 14th street on the Church and its weekend flea market.
"Another day another heat and hot water shutdown except this one is going for 13 hours from 9pm till 11am"
Oh NO! When and where? In all fairness, I think this probably happens in apartment buildings everywhere because things do break down and repairs and maintenance has to be done from time to time. I don't think we are going to suffer like we were in Ukraine, though. Have to keep some perspective.
Yeah. But now you have Target!!
Kidding, I agree with your post.
"I don't think we are going to suffer like we were in Ukraine, though. Have to keep some perspective. "
So now we have to be suffering at the level of Ukrainian citizens in order to voice a legitimate complaint about quality of life issues?
6:50 PM yesterday is probably too young to remember when IC School pupils kept non-Catholics out of certain ST playgrounds. Unofficially, of course. There was also a lot of bullying by them going on outside the playgrounds. Meanwhile, Francis Cardinal Spellman was partying it up on Roy Cohen's yacht (they were two of a kind, although of different religions) in his spare time during those years. Ironic, isn't it?
Evidence that Spellman was "partying it up"?
I wish somebody would ask those students to please not scream and yell when they're on their way out and when they come back. I don't think that they realize that when they're walking through the property we can all hear their exuberance and would rather not! I don't begrudge them their fun (I was young not so long ago, actually) but, like many others here, I need my sleep in order to function properly the next day. Some of us have jobs (such as in the medical field) that require a clear and well-rested mind in order to not jeopardize the lives and well-being of those who need our skills.
"Evidence that Spellman was "partying it up"?"
I'm sure they were just sitting quietly holding hands.
>>I'm sure they were just sitting quietly holding hands.<<
Evidence, please. Don't be rabble rouser, just the evidence. LOL.
I wasn't here during the 50s, but neighborhoods had their own ethnicity and some of those one could not walk through if one were not part of that group, particularly at night. Right below us is the Lower East Side.... Different now, different then. I don't know what the make-up of Stuy Town was then, but I would like to know if there was a clique of Catholics that harassed/bullied those of another group. (Aside from the ST ban against renting to blacks.)
The tension--or worse--between Irish Catholics and Jews (both children, and the adults they learned it from) during the Fifties and early Sixties was Stuyvesant Town's Dirty Little Secret. (Of course, if any non-whites ventured inside, with the exception of hired cleaning women/maids during those years, Security were quick to act.) Anti-Semitism got preached from the pulpit every Sunday, as well as fanned by Hagedorn in T&V. Was only barely alluded-to, reading between the lines, in a published memoir called Twelve Stories High, and a T&V series of articles called Growing Up In Playground Five. (Caution: Book's apparently OOP, and there's now another, different one with same title. Or maybe it was Twelve Stories Up?) Both of those presented ST as some kind of totally-idyllic, happy place, which it was not, although there was no crime, and the grounds were kept immaculate (no pun intended). As for Spellman, he was gay, as was Cohen. And they held orgies with younger men on the latter's boat, moored off the Long Island coast. But such is the power of the Church (still), mainstream media's reluctant to "out" Spellman. Perhaps STR would dismiss all stories about this in remote quarters of the Internet as "gossip"? For those who believe it's all Ancient History, would remind them that Cohen's protege was POTUS in 2017-2021, and may possibly be again. Cohen and Spellman were Kings of NYC in those early times. Is all this too heavy for you, STR? Do I have to get even more explicit? Readers can also listen to song The Cardinal, by a young Tom Paxton (1967), available on YouTube (with comments). Of course, was never played on any commercial radio station.
Again, you are not providing evidence, but gossip as fact. I know the gossip you refer to (it's online with a simple search), but if you know (and really know) then you should contact the FBI as I think their files on Spellman may still be open. Good luck!
A good and affordable school, ICS, in our neighborhood is closing, a school that welcomed all children and gave them a good education for a very reasonable fee; some families had subsidized if not totally free tuition. Now these families have to scramble to find another safe and good school for their kids.
Meanwhile we have this poster dredging up stuff about playgrounds and partying that may or may not have happened 50 or so years ago, and gloating that a good school in our neighborhood is shutting down. While my history with ICS doesn't go as far back as your memories, more recent history definitely shows that ICS was and is a good school in all aspects, and that's what we should care about today.... and grieve over its loss. And yes, don't be another rabble rouser, we have no lack of them.
It was not a Catholic "clique," but more like a Catholic Cult. Meaning an overwhelming majority of Catholics in ST, who were all Irish (no Italians). Security and Met Life mgm't. office personnel were also exclusively Irish back then. If ST had been built before WW II and the Holocaust, Jews probably wouldn't even have been accepted as tenants. FBI?? You must be joking. J. Edgar Hoover was gay (besides reportedly having black ancestry). As was his longtime partner Clyde Tolsen, also high in FBI. But both got plenty of 'action' on the side. And FBI today no longer has its former sterling reputation, which was fake to begin with. I think this discussion should end here. (Had previously meant to say remote CORNERS, not quarters [of Net].)
You know, it used to be that people who disagreed with an agenda were closet homosexuals. Now, of course, it's Russian disinformation. Same technique of shutting people down or ignoring their public acts with NO evidence. We need evidence, which you still have not provided. Sorry. From where I'm sitting (and you don't know my history except for a few facts), this is BS, if not laughable. What? Were Spellman and Cohn dancing naked on a boat? Maybe they invited Hoover, too. He was naked, also, of course.
>>A good and affordable school, ICS, in our neighborhood is closing, a school that welcomed all children and gave them a good education for a very reasonable fee; some families had subsidized if not totally free tuition. Now these families have to scramble to find another safe and good school for their kids.<<
I agree.
Hagedorn was definitely a racist and that was reflected by him comments in T&V. Whenever he reported a crime he would always say "a male Black" or identify whatever the ethnic identify of the perp was if they were not White. I don't think his son was much better, but he was a little more toned down.
Hagedorn was a heartlessly vile man in my opinion. At one time he ran a series of "looking back" reports reprinting items from ten or 15 years earlier. One of my (now deceased) neighbors had the horror of witnessing her husband put a gun in his mouth and blow his head off. Of course, that was reprinted and the poor old lady was still alive. I'm sure she appreciated being reminded of that horror. He also reprinted items about people being drunk and disorderly, etc. Anything that was hurtful, distressing and/embarrassing and humiliating to those involved was dredged up a reprinted for the "entertainment" of readers. It certainly was not for our edification.
When his wife died he called out all the doctors who he didn't think helped enough (and praised those who he thought did) and called our relatives who didn't visit her in the hospital, etc., etc. I can only imagine that relatives and in-laws liked to keep their distance from that disgusting man.
Btw, it is no secret that Spellman and Cohen were gay. Such things were not spoken of back then, but most people knew. Too bad that so much was brushed under the carpet because it may have saved so many children from sexual abuse by the clergy. I'm sure Hagedorn would never have published such facts though. If he did, he would have probably blamed the children and named them in his rotten rag.
>>Meaning an overwhelming majority of Catholics in ST, who were all Irish (no Italians).<<
Funny, because I'm here (for over 35 years now) because of a ST Italian-American who was friends in ST with another ST Italian-American family.
STR, do a bit of Googling. There are archival articles about Spellman's homosexuality and his promiscuity and predatory sexual behavior.
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