An insider's view on new construction condos

the chipster

Subject: An insider's view on "new construction" condos

They suck. We are currently renting in an overpriced condo that was built a few years ago. I hated them when they went up, but circumstance has us renting an appallingly overpriced unit. (the rent ain't bad)
HOWEVER, you can hear the neighbors flush the toilet. There are constant leaks; we moved in when they were dealing with yet another floor to floor one. When the neighbors use their washing machine--our whole apt. shakes. Same thing when buses go by.
I've lived all over this nabe in many different bldngs. Be aware that these newer ones are made of paper mache and gum, and all of their Lowe's tiles and Home Depot lighting doesn't hide it very well.

ltjbukem

lol...are you in sackett b/w 4th and 5th?

veets

I am a long time resident of the Slope (before I would even call it that). This afternoon I was leaving the neighborhood via 4th Ave and I had an insight that came to me as a vision. . As I rode up 4th Ave towards Flatbush from 15th street I saw the future!! What swirled infront of me was the same view that I had seen a year ago BUT every now and again there were buildings having come to fruitian or still in construction that towered higher than the pre existing landscape. I have seen one of those projections of what 4th ave wiill look like in 10 or 20 years from now. The future was upon me! It will be like driving through a tunnel... but the tunnel vision is created by the overwhelming of me in my little Toyota by those semi hi rises fascaded buildings in the fako brick and brownstone-like stuff now tower above me. Every square inch of 4th ave is occupied by a building that is exactly 14 stories tall (is that the limit? or perhaps 15 years from now the limit has been increased to 25 stories tall. Woops.. I missed that Community Board meeting that allowed that increase in stories to go through!!) I panic as I see they will all fall down and bury me in this future residential apocolyse. Brick by brick they tumble.

the chipster

Holy crap--errr...maybe I'm in the one on Sackett---errr...maybe the one the same management has on 2nd st...errr...ummm......gulp. Wonder if anyone on this board has found themselves in similar situations?

lostingreenwoodhts

Current zonning is 12 stories max on 4th Ave from Flatbush to 25th St. Anything higher is bulk heads (don't get me started). I agree, the 4th Ave corridor sux! But, it was the trade off with NYC City Planning for lower density/contextual building on the side streets...higher density on 4th Ave.

Sunset Park's next in the loop, so it'll extend all the way to 65th and 4th, if CPC does the same scenario. Hope for inclusive affordable housing in that area. South Slope/GWH only received "voluntary" AH. PS proper got none at all...

What's more bothersome than all the over development (since housing is needed, affordable that is, which none of the new stuff is), is all the sh*t boxes and crappy construction. 5, 10, 15 years down the road will be a true test on what's still standing (and what kind of dilapidated condition) along 4th Ave. Perhaps they'll tear them down as well and build a new.

Ahh, the Bklyn real estate market! :evil:

sennheiserz

Yeah, I know some people who live in that big condo place on Sackett btw 4th and 5th and although I much prefer a brownstone, that building seems pretty solidly built. The worst offender is on 15th between 3rd and 4th, there is this 8 unit building that has these god awful floor to ceiling windows and modern look. Fillmore Real Estate has a broker sentry there constantly trying to get people to buy that nonsense, and at $700k I hope people are easily fooled by the big window with no view. Gah! :evil:

ilovecarbs

i used on live in the new coop on union between 8th and ppw. yeah it was a bit of a sore thumb since the other buildings were much older..but it was worth every penny and i never had any problems.

oiseau

I don't see how any of these new buildings can compare to the older buildinsg that were built with plaster and lathe and wood beams and thick floors and brink and mortar not cinderblocks and aluminum.

Anything after 1961 was pretty much sheet rock.

lostingreenwoodhts

It's all in the "finishing," not necessarily the materials: frame/brick/brownstone vs. cement/steel/stucco

If it's built correctly, it'll stand the test of time, whether built in 1870 or 2007.

My fear is the new kids on the block will be falling apart in 5 years!

erikka

lostingreenwoodhts wrote: It's all in the "finishing," not necessarily the materials: frame/brick/brownstone vs. cement/steel/stucco

If it's built correctly, it'll stand the test of time, whether built in 1870 or 2007.

My fear is the new kids on the block will be falling apart in 5 years!

Your fear has been supported--I've heard horror stories about the floors buckling in one building. The building where the new Bowery Whole Foods resides is allegedly so poorly built the residents can hear and feel the subways go by.

turtle95

Even in some old buildings you can feel/hear the subways. I used to live in the apt building across the street from Key Food on 11th Avenue and could hear the F train every 10 minutes; but the building had great thick walls and could probably withstand a tank. These new construction places, you feel like you could knock them down if you sneeze too hard.

daahookup21

check out

http://www.sarahnicolephillips.com/save4th.htm

veets

Turtle.. You are absolutely right that even in old, well constructed builidngs the vibration of the subway can be felt. Ask anyone who lives on 9th street aafter the point where the F train goes underground. I live in one of the oldest buildings in Ps on that "run" and trust me... I can still fell the vibration of the F train. So my point is that tHAT alone does not describe bad construction.

raw

Subject: Curious

turtle95 wrote: Even in some old buildings you can feel/hear the subways. I used to live in the apt building across the street from Key Food on 11th Avenue and could hear the F train every 10 minutes; but the building had great thick walls and could probably withstand a tank. These new construction places, you feel like you could knock them down if you sneeze too hard.

I must ask a dumb question. Did you get used to the F Train's noise so that after awhile you tuned it out and were not bothered by the subway or did you wake up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes?

the chipster

I've gotten used to steady noises--but even when we lived in an older house here--it was the sudden noises that jerked me out of bed. Today, I got to hear my neighbor peeing while I did same. Weird!

president street

Subject: I hope I missed something

Let's blame it on the early hour, but it seems everyone's complaint is the size of the buildings - that they look to big for the area.

What about the quality of life - how will this unplanned for influx of flesh impact the local electric supply, telephone lines (thank goodness for cells - but what about businesses), water supply, sewer system, transportation system, parking, playgrounds, schools, etc.

And what about the change in lifestyle - will we go from a neighborhood of fairly small homes to a subset of Metropolis with families living in the skies...

And worst of all - mark my words, what will happen during an economic slowdown when the condo's will not be worth the monthly payment and people flee as Manhattan becomes more affordable....what happens to these empty buildings - wait and see...tony

8thandprez

I have zero problem with the size of the buildings. I think 4th Ave is absolutely perfect for 15 story buildings... it ain't ever gonna be brownstone street and can absolutely handle the density. The big problem, as others have posted, is in the architectural quality of these buildings. The first 4th Ave bldg, at President St, completely turned its back on 4th Ave; a total disaster. The newer biggies going in down near 3rd St at least have a relationship with 4th Ave, but they're still pretty cheaply designed. The Novo is super tacky, but appears to have slightly higher-quality materials. Overall, I think the boutique hotel across the street, next to Staples, is the best in the area.

sevenoneeighty

Subject: Re: An insider's view on "new construction" condos

The Chipster wrote: They suck.

yup.

Cheap materials, shoddy construction, tacky kitchens,cheap fixtures and appliances, bad layouts, cheap windows, EIFS and overall bad design and a desperate public all to willing to buy them.

In 100 Years, what will Atlantic Terminal Mall look like?

lostingreenwoodhts

In 100 Years, what will Atlantic Terminal Mall look like?

Need I answer that?

turtle95

Subject: Re: Curious

raw wrote: [quote=turtle95]Even in some old buildings you can feel/hear the subways. I used to live in the apt building across the street from Key Food on 11th Avenue and could hear the F train every 10 minutes; but the building had great thick walls and could probably withstand a tank. These new construction places, you feel like you could knock them down if you sneeze too hard.

I must ask a dumb question. Did you get used to the F Train's noise so that after awhile you tuned it out and were not bothered by the subway or did you wake up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes?

That's a reasonable question. It actually became like a lullaby..a soothing rumbling that carried me on an express train to dreamland.

Seriously, I got used to it and when they would do something where the train wouldn't run, then the lack of the noise would wake me up.

daahookup21

You Kinda get use to all the the noises and then they don't bother you. I have the fire station next to me and that does not bother me at all when they go out on a call.