apartment dilemma

anonymous · March 2007

HEY!

I have an apartment dilemma and so I have turned ot the internet for advice. I am torn between two apartments.

1110 Carroll St. traditional detailing, two hundred dollars cheaper than the other one, almost the same amount of space, hardwood floors, nice size living room and bedroom, big windows, first floor, between Bedford and Rogers Ave. beautiful tree lined neighborhood, closer to the franklin ave. stop

597 Grand Ave. at St. Mark pl., new construction, elevator to the third floor, not very neighborhoody, laundry room in basement, rent-stabilized, maintenance people on-site. large living room and bedroom, three closets, large bathroom.

does anyone know these buildings, live on these blocks? i could really use some advice.

candicissima · March 2007

I'd go for Grand. It's closer to more of a nightlife and stores than the place on Carroll. And it's near the Eastern Pkway stop and walkable to the Q at 7th Avenue.

anonymous · March 2007

what nightlife are you refering to? I've been living off franklin for a year and I really haven't spent enough exploring.

apollonia666 · March 2007

I know the building you're talking about on Grand, because it's managed by the same company that manages my building the next block over. You should know that the buildings are pretty great but the management company's pretty shady, and there have been a lot of problems with security problems, bookkeeping, and maintenance. There were at least three muggings IN THE BUILDING at 597 between October and December of last year. There's a new tenants' association that's just formed over the past few months to address some of the problems with them. That said, the apartments are great, and if you get a good one you probably won't have many problems. How you know whether you got one of the good ones (vs. one of the ones where the roof leaks or there are mice or there's a faulty stove or some of the other problems people have had), I don't know. Still, I'd go for rent stabilized over market rate, myself, having moved here after being fucked over by a landlord who jacked my rent up 35% and forced me out. I'm not sorry I moved into one of their buildings, because I love my apartment, but I wish they'd get their act together.

PM me (you'll have to register a username to do so, but it's pretty quick and easy to do) if you want to know more about the management company.

isabella b · March 2007

apollo,

i just wrote you a message.......... REALLY want to hear more about this management company. thanks for responding......

alafairnadia · March 2007

rent stabilized rules. I'd go for that, and the closer-to-subway options any day. aka take the place on grand.

and nightlife: ripple is at washington btwn st. johns and sterling. also, there are a bunch of places on bedford and nostrand. next time we do a bar crawl, come with!

anonymous · April 2007

Subject: older is better

Definately Carroll St. If anything, I am a firm believer in a residential area. If it doesn't feel homey, people don't treat it like their home. They treat it like a dumping ground; it will become a magnet for muggings, and cops, who don't live there, won't care. Neighbors won't talk to you or watch out for you, and if you're coming home from the train at night, watch your back.

I made the jump to a big, cheap, old-construction building a few years ago and liked it better than the nicer, 200-more per month place I'd lived it before it. A smaller unit and weirder layout, but the best neighbors and hood, even though it took a couple years to see it. Grand Ave is weird and totally desolate. I wouldn't move there. Carroll is very neighborly.

PS: I'm really curious about new contruction/rent stab. I don't know of ANY current rent stab. programs out there on new properties unless you won it through the lottery of HPD. In which case, hell yeah take it.

It's far more likely the Carroll St. apartment is R/S, esp. if its built before 1974 and has more than 6 units. In which case no doubt it's R/S.

But due diligence is most important of all. Do your homework and one will surely prevail as a better choice.

apollonia666 · April 2007

Subject: Re: older is better

baglady239 wrote: PS: I'm really curious about new contruction/rent stab. I don't know of ANY current rent stab. programs out there on new properties unless you won it through the lottery of HPD. In which case, hell yeah take it.

There are a few such buildings in the area; I'm in one. The ones I know of are new or renovated buildings on city land and the management companies that run them are required by the city to rent the units as rent-stabilized moderate-income housing. I found mine through a regular ol' broker, though.

anonymous · April 2007

Go for neighborhoody.. You'll feel better day to day.

ben · April 2007

Subject: Re: older is better

baglady239 wrote:
PS: I'm really curious about new contruction/rent stab. I don't know of ANY current rent stab. programs out there on new properties unless you won it through the lottery of HPD. In which case, hell yeah take it.

If 421-a (new construction) or J-51 (rehab) programs are used to abate the taxes then the units will be rent stabilized. You don't see many of these because most new construction and major rehab buildings are sold as condos but those that take advantage of the tax breaks and stay rentals will be stabilized.

oiseau · April 2007

I'd go for the older building. It's probably built better with thicker walls.

dmiami · April 2007

Carroll btw Bedford and Rodgers is beautiful block. I've been in one of the homes on that block and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous. I do have a friend in the new building on St. Marks and Classon and he likes that quite a bit as well.
If you get any back yard or garage access on Carroll that should not be underestimated! Also, in my experience I've never had a rent increase from a private rental but have always had increases from managed properties.

apartment dilemma

Comments

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories