Monday, June 22, 2009

Archstone Midtown West Truly Awful

(My Original Blog Post: http://ping.fm/RMYrE)
I live in Archstone Midtown West in Manhattan, and it is truly been awful! To begin with, I've had gas leaks, a dishwasher that has flooded my floor making the cheap parquet bubble up, windows that don't open, and my bathroom wall cut out because the building said that there were problems with the pipes behind the dry wall. Worst of all, my apartment is directly behind the garbage chute. Only a thin piece of dry wall separates me from this metal tube which rises over forty stories tall. At all hours of the day and night, loud banging noises echo through my tiny studio. To make matters worse, the beams are made of metal which enable the sound to be carried everywhere. When bottles and cans are thrown in with the trash, it sounds like a train is crashing into my apartment. Directly behind another wall of my apartment is the stair well which leads to the laundry room. Here you will find heavy metal fire doors without dampers that slam shut, making cracks in my walls. I've even had pictures fall off the hooks as a result of the vibrations. The noise is so intense, and so sporadic, that it is truly insane. I've complained to Archstone for years. Although they offer friendly smiles, absolutely nothing has been done. Please note, they claim that they address issues in one day time. This is completely false. I've put in service requests that are not answered for weeks, yet they will notate that work was "completed." In fact I have one in right now regarding a new kitchen ceiling fixture (I had to purchase a new one at my expense since the florescent one they provide either flickers or does not work at all). The building had the audacity to list the work as completed, yet the new fixture is still inside the box it came in. I have also asked to be moved out of my apartment, only to be told that there are wait lists. Indeed, I was placed on a wait list over ten years ago, but have no been informed that the old list is "lost," and there is a new one. One year ago, I wrote a letter requesting to placed on the new wait list, and to date, have never received notification that I was actually placed on the "new" list, or even that such a list exists. I am so desperate to get out of this horrible apartment that I have even agreed to be moved to another Archstone building, but was informed I had to write the company to obtain an application for such move. I have complied, but never received the new application. In short, I'm done with Archstone. I've been patient and polite in dealing with management, but to no avail. These people are incompetent, rude, and ineffective. Because my basic concerns have yet to be dealt with in any capacity, I have enlisted the help of several building authorities. Once the complaints are verified by city agencies, I will take legal action. I encourage anyone interested in thinking about renting in an Archstone community to please re-consider. Simply put, Archstone should not be in the housing business. I WILL NEVER RENT FROM ARCHSTONE AGAIN!

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