Tenants Complain About Problems at New Luxury Rental in South Williamsburg
Tenants at 53 Broadway in Williamsburg, a luxury rental finished last August, are complaining about exorbitant electric bills, parking lot problems and not having a promised 24-hour doorman. One resident told us, “My personal bill for my two-bedroom apartment was $700 last month, even though my roommate and I are at work all day and…
Tenants at 53 Broadway in Williamsburg, a luxury rental finished last August, are complaining about exorbitant electric bills, parking lot problems and not having a promised 24-hour doorman. One resident told us, “My personal bill for my two-bedroom apartment was $700 last month, even though my roommate and I are at work all day and were on vacation for two weeks that month.” She thinks the electricity in some of the units may be wired incorrectly, because other tenants report Con Ed bills as high as $1,043 (for a three-bedroom).
Tenants in the 75-unit building also say that they were promised a functional parking lot with a lift system manned by a 24-hour attendant when they moved in during the fall. Instead, drivers can park in one of four long slots, causing cars to be blocked in if someone pulls in behind them. “We were asked to give the other tenants with parking spots our phone numbers and be on call 24 hours a day and would be responsible to return home to move our cars within a one hour window so if you were blocking someone they would be able to get their car out,” writes one driver.
Finally, residents say they were promised a 24-hour doorman, but their doorman was switched to part-time without anyone being notified. They’ve tried to contact the management company and the new owners, but the problems persist. Rents in the building start at $2,704 for a one-bedroom or at $4,216 for a two-bedroom.
A rep from Adam America, which developed the building with the Horizon Group, told us that the development changed hands a few months ago, selling to an owner called Broadway Brooklyn Acquisition LLC. We’ve tried to get in touch with the new owners, but we haven’t received any comment on these issues.
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I am a new tenant in the building, and have also been disappointed with the con ed situation. $500 for the first 23 days of service, during which 14 of them we were out of town (no heat, no lights, no showers, no laundry, etc). The super in the building, William, is super nice and trying to help, but it seems there must be a wiring issue. I am nervously awaiting second bill for when we actually lived in the apartment (constantly wrapped in robes, blankets, and avoiding heat unless absolutely necessary).
Re: the parking. The first time I arrived at the apartment on January 1 with car was when I was told the “included” parking was unavailable. Fast forward 48 hours when I am picking up my vandalized car in subzero temperatures in bushwick after it had been vandalized on the street and towed by NYC police who reported there was an unknown substance thrown all over the car as well as popped tires and a cracked windshield. Welcome to the neighborhood, might have been nice to have been given a heads up that parking was off the table, would have made other arrangements.
It would be great to see the owners of the building right the wrongs so we can be happy staying in the apartment long term.
Great location, spacious apartment, very nice staff and nice neighbors. It’s not too late for things to turnaround, preferably without the exhaustion of “rent strikes” and “lawyers” which are 2 words I’ve heard thrown around. We moved into this “luxury” building for the luxury of peace and quiet. I’d love to just enjoy living there are put this mess behind us!
WHAT A JOKE 53 BROADWAY IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Metro Management should remove the word “management” from their name because they don’t know the first thing about managing a building. Almost every tenant in this building is complaining how ridiculous their electric bills are and they’ve chosen to ignore the situation as if it’s going to go away. People have been in here for months and still no working garage as promised. Their idea of a working garage is to walk thru an icy sheet metal parking lot with an old school garage door opener just to get to other peoples cars so they can move them themselves. Not once in all this snow did anyone shovel! They don’t even care that we have NEVER had heat in the lobby. It’s humiliating when your guests come and comment month after month considering how much rent we pay to live here. I’M SURE NOW THAT THERE ARE NEW OWNERS THEY”LL USE EVERY EXCUSE IN THE BOOK NOT TO HELP THE TENANTS BECAUSE THEY BOUGHT A LEMON OF A BUILDING. I’m getting out of this place ASAP and I will do everything in my power to let anyone and everyone know that moving into this building would be a moronic thing to do. These are the laziest people I’ve ever dealt with in any of the multiple places I’ve lived in in NYC. And aptsandlofts.com should be ashamed too. They marketed this place as such an amazing luxurious building. What’s so luxurious about sleeping without heat because in order to stay warm it’s an extra $500 a month for a 650sf apt? Pathetic – that’s what 53 Broadway is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thats not fair, William was outside in EVERY blizzard shoveling/plowing. Agree with all other points.
whoever said you get what you paid for lied! I’ve lived in better managed properties in suspect neighborhoods with better maintenance. I do not know how Metro Management Development, Inc or Aptsandlofts.com can sleep at night with the scams that they’ve pulled. These people make slum lords look good. You have people selling furniture to pay their con ed bills, people squatting in luxury apartments with layers of sweats and blankets to keep from turning on the heat. Karma is a mf and what goes around comes around!
I’m a tennant at 53 Broadway and have lived in Soho and the West Village for almost 8 years. I have never paid more than $100 a month, even in the worst heat wave of August for my Con Ed bills, and that includes having the air conditoner on 24/7. I have friends who own apartments in Manhattan and North Side Piers here in WIlliamsburg and NO ONE PAYS MORE THAN $90 A MONTH. Our bills at 53 Broaday suprass $400 a month, and we only used the heat sparingly and froze during the winter, and kept it off at night and during the day while at work. This is out of control, and I have never paid so much, even while living in some of the most expensive real estate in the City. My friend who owns in the city has her heat on ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT and pays no more than $90. This bill is a complete joke and someone needs to address this because we are being ROBBED while trying to save money in Brooklyn.
agreed, they need to step it up and take responsibility for it, we shouldnt be paying for their learning curve
sounds like halvewit is MetroManagement. Seriously doesn’t care about the tenants in their buildings
To the person who suggested we all move: I think the problem for most of us is that we simply cannot afford to fork out the costs associated with moving again. Even if it was possible.
Its worth pointing out on this thread that its not simply high charges here, its the inconsistency. Some people are not even turning on their heat, using their washing machines etc, and are getting charged an unbelievable amount of money, whilst others are using appliances as normal and don’t appear to be getting charged as much. None of it makes sense!
We haven’t simply moved into a building that uses expensive heaters – something is seriously wrong here and no one wants to listen, we flagged this to management weeks and weeks ago and still minimal progress.
As a group, the tenants have accomplished more so far than the people that run the building – shame on you Metro Management!!!
I’m not unsympathetic, but it might be easier for you than it is for many rent stabilized tenants.
That being said, those charges are insane. Our old apartment had ptac units and we paid for heat and electric and in a 2 bedroom in the summer we hit $400 (and that was home all day with the ac cranked.) Our winter bills were about $300 at the max. This was a few years ago, but I don’t think rates have increased. It really sounds like something is wrong.