224 Avenue B Apartments

very little attention to cleaning and maintenance. Major problems like damaging leaks are a recurring problem. Before the boiler was replaced due to damage from Hurricane Sandy, chronic neglect and lack of maintenance on the old boiler and the venting system resulted in poisonous gas fumes permeating the building. The fire department had to intervene and emergency measures were taken to address the potentially lethal situation. There is also neglect of the trash and cleaning in the building. Trash often builds up and the trash area becomes squalid. Making matters worse, many of the residents of the building seem to have no responsibility for the cleanliness of the building, and they often leave trash (including full trash bags) in the hallways and on the stairway landings. Or, they often dump the trash in the first floor hallway in front of the trash area and block access to the trash area itself (where usually there are open trash bins with new and empty bags in them -- the trash area also becomes squalid because residents do not place trash in bins but simply throw it on top of or near the bins). The building was built in 1895 and is a classic tenement style building. At an earlier time, there was a spring under where the building currently stands. As a result, the building has partially settled and is tilted at a slight angle so that many of the floors are slanted. The units in the building have been divided down over time. Recently, the trend has been toward dividing two bedroom units (that were already small as two bedroom units) into three bedroom units. This either removes or diminishes the living room, and diminishes the kitchen and bathroom areas. To recap, this is a great location and the building certainly has a lot of character and history. But the ownership and management is badly irresponsible in a way that can frequently impact the residents and the overall integrity of the building.