Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The neighborhood is bad, but there is worse. You are right about the Smith projects though. There is crime all over New York City, but there just happens to be something going on in the Smith Houses a little more often.
If you are out late on the Lower East Side, especially in Chinatown, you will definitely run into a rat. They are running through the streets at night. One night I was coming home through Chinatown and the rats were just jumping all over the statute in Chatham Square. They just can't seem to kill the rats.
I've lived in the neighborhood all my life and the amount of crime in the neighborhood is lower than usual. It varies. There is usually more crime when the holiday season comes.
I really don't think that there is an area of Manhattan that doesn't have it's share of crime or rats.
Did anyone else see the ad today in the AM New York? Their process is a little different than Penn South and Masaryk Towers. You have to send a self addressed stamped envelope to request an application to enter the lottery.
I'm also a little confused by the maximum income limits. It says $62,945 - $78,204 for a 1BR for 1-2 people. Does that mean your income has to be in that range, or are those the high limits? I'm wondering if they mean you can make up to $62K for a single person and up to $78K for a couple, or can a single person who makes up to $78K still qualify?
These things are always a bit confusing!
Just saw this. Is the waiting list over? The web site FAQs don't mention a waitlist period, but the description is very similar to how Mitchell-Lamas are regulated.
Not sure I'd want to deal with a sketchy landlord in legal proceedings with tenants and it's awfully close to the river. Even my building basement was flooded and I live near B
Requesting an application ends at 9:00 AM on 11/11
You can still request an application as long as your request is received no later than 9:00 AM on Tuesday 11/11/14. Why did you say the landlord was sketchy?
Knickerbocker is two blocks away from the water so that is why the basement did flood with 20 feet of water from Sandy. We were without electricity, hot water, heat, etc for close to 3 weeks. They had to turn the electric on one building at a time.
They are taking preventive measures so water doesn't get into the basement if there is another storm like Sandy.
You can still request an application as long as your request is received no later than 9:00 AM on Tuesday 11/11/14. Why did you say the landlord was sketchy?
Knickerbocker is two blocks away from the water so that is why the basement did flood with 20 feet of water from Sandy. We were without electricity, hot water, heat, etc for close to 3 weeks. They had to turn the electric on one building at a time.
They are taking preventive measures so water doesn't get into the basement if there is another storm like Sandy.
Same thing (basement flooding) happened in my building though not as badly. We got emergency heat the 2nd week.
Supposedly, there are (were) Landlord-tenant issues? There are always issues with rent increases, but I am cautious as good management is as important as good immediate neighbors.
The main tenant/landlord issues at Knickerbocker is the tenants get together and fight the amount of the rent increase. The most recent rent increase that the owners are asking for amounts to 15%. The tenants got together and with the assistance of a lawyer, Margaret Chin, Sheldon Silver & Daniel Squadron we had a public meeting to fight the amount of the increase.
We will be getting a raise, but it won't be the 15% that the owners/landlord wanted. The lawyer also showed that the owners were holding vacant apartments and that if they would have rented them that would have been money for the landlord to use for expenses. I guess they were holding the apartments since the owners wanted to go Co-op, but since Sandy happened that was put on hold - that is what the tenants are thinking. Since that information about vacant apartments became public and the basis for the tenant fight to lower the amount of the rent increase, the landlord had to rent all the vacant apartments. They couldn't hold them any more. I guess that is why they opened the waiting list and having the lottery.
The main tenant/landlord issues at Knickerbocker is the tenants get together and fight the amount of the rent increase. The most recent rent increase that the owners are asking for amounts to 15%. The tenants got together and with the assistance of a lawyer, Margaret Chin, Sheldon Silver & Daniel Squadron we had a public meeting to fight the amount of the increase.
We will be getting a raise, but it won't be the 15% that the owners/landlord wanted. The lawyer also showed that the owners were holding vacant apartments and that if they would have rented them that would have been money for the landlord to use for expenses. I guess they were holding the apartments since the owners wanted to go Co-op, but since Sandy happened that was put on hold - that is what the tenants are thinking. Since that information about vacant apartments became public and the basis for the tenant fight to lower the amount of the rent increase, the landlord had to rent all the vacant apartments. They couldn't hold them any more. I guess that is why they opened the waiting list and having the lottery.
Thanks for the info. My ML rental building was "refinanced" and anyone eligible went to DRIE subsidies or Section 8; the rest of us got a hefty increase in the base rent followed by annual standard increases, totaling 15% over 3 years.
It's still less than market for the area, and I will never complain about the two happy years of low rent, and below market rent now, but the jump forced many tenants to move and has hurt people who are still working and not eligible for support. These increases were claimed necessary for maintenance costs. I suspect a few apartments were held until the approval, but there are not a lot of vacancies.
I would say this is a pattern. I still consider myself fortunate, in comparison to the many apartments I've lived in over the years, in different cities.
OP, why not aim for something higher instead of another section 8 housing building? Don't you have goals and aspirations? You know, dreams of becoming a high powered executive or start your career where you make good money so you don't have to be subjected to such horrible living conditions?
see the next step as the owners paying off the subsidies they received from the government and taking
the building out of the ML program and going to free market.
Then they will raise the rents to market and force out tenants.
Tenants fought in court to stay under Article 4 and won
The tenants of Knickerbocker Village went to court and won. They can't remove KV out of Article 4. Knickerbocker Village was sold to new owners about 3 years ago. They want to make it a co-op and discussions were going on, then Hurricane Sandy happened. Right now repairs are still being made.
Management wanted a 15% rent increase and the tenants along with Margaret Chin, Sheldon Silver and others are fighting against that rent increase. There was a public hearing about a month ago. The tenants are going to get a rent increase, but it won't be 15%.
The owners claim that they need 15% because KV needs money for all the repairs. Sandy caused the basement to be flooded with 20 feet of water. The electrical system was destroyed. It took 2 to 3 weeks to get electricity and heat back on in the apartments. It also took a long time to get the elevators work again. There were so many things destroyed by Hurricane Sandy.
During the public hearing a lot of things came out. The owners were holding a lot of apartments vacant. Those apartments were vacant for 2 to 3 years. The tenants hired a lawyer and all this became public at the hearing. Since then all the vacant apartments are being rented. That was income that KV would have had every month to use for expenses. I guess they were holding them until it became a co-op and they could sell them at market value.
A few weeks ago the owners advertised a waiting list lottery.
Knickerbocker Village will eventually become a co-op even though the building is 80 years old, but there is the no-evict clause in it. That was already agreed upon. Whoever doesn't want to purchase their apartment can stay as a renter. The owners win either way because a lot of people in KV are seniors so they will eventually have a lot of apartments to sell at market value.
Independent plaza tenants won their J51 case but was over turned by higher courts and were evicted.
Just a buyer beware and Due diligence warning.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Requesting an application ends at 9:00 AM on 11/11
