Opinions of Avalon Riverview apts-Long Island City? (Boston, Vernon: apartment complex, condo)

[latikeriii]

Hello,

My wife and I (late 20's) plan to move into the Avalon Riverview in Long Island City(Western Queens) in August. They are fairly new buildings(built in 2002 and 2007) We have visited the neighborhood 3 times and really liked it. We are from Texas so the relative calmness of the area is no big deal.

Basically, those apartments are perfect for us because:
-3 blocks from the 7 subway which is the first stop(Jackson/Vernon) out of mid-town Manhattan
-Dishwasher, washer and Dryer
-fairly new
-close to Manhattan
-cheap parking (special now for $100) it averages around $200 monthly.
-2 full service fitness centers($200 monthly gym membership savings alone for us)
-pool(not that we'd use it but its nice to have) and outdoor decks.
-front doorman
-park right outside front door with awesome views of mid-town

cons:
-not a whole lot of stuff over there but are some restaurants and a new grocery store.
-not many bars but again some
-not very vibrant, maybe a tiny desolate
-lacking of the "typical" nyc character
-7 subway typically has weekend delays

We have 2 cars and don't really want to part with a washer and dryer and
dishwasher. The 1 BD units average around $2200 and up at this time.

Does anyone have any opinions on this complex? I looked at aptratings.com but usually the people on that website are angry of bad service anyways and people who've had good experiences really never post anything.

Also, we have our minds set to that place however, its dependent on availability. We need to have a back up plan so does anyone have any recommendations on any areas/complexes that have the features as a listed above?(including proximity to Manhattan, parking, w/d, dishwasher, etc). We already checking out the eastcoast development next door and it is too expensive now.
Sorry for the loooong post, thanks.

[Spac3d]

I looked at these last month actually and I was not impressed. Sure the view (if you land a unit with a view) is really nice, but I didn't think construction was all that great. And by desolate, I think that is an understatement. I went out there at about 10am on a Saturday and didn't see a soul outside from the 7 all the way until the apartment complex. It is nice that there is a police station right across the from the subway.

On the flip side though, if you really want to have a car, this is probably the place for you. You will not be able to find a place anywhere near midtown like this that will charge you such little money for the space. When I was there last month I wanted to say they said it was $50/m for the garage space.

Did you take a look at the north building, it is a little cheaper and it was built a few years ago. I took a look at a studio that needed some TLC but they said it was move in ready. That was somewhat concerning.

[holden125]

I live there now and I think it's very nice. No real complaints. Before this I'd never lived in a complex of any kind, just private houses and apartment buildings. You basically nailed the pros and cons of the neighborhood on the head. I don't think it's that desolate, there are people on Vernon, the deli by the train is always busy, and there are basketball players in the park on 48th Ave until pretty late in the evenings. But I chose it in large part as an un-Manhattan because I was tired of the noise and congestion of Manhattan.

Consider if you really need 2 cars (hint-no). If you want to park right outside your door you should definitely take the garage spot; I got my first car a few months ago because I go back and forth to Boston, and I've been parking on the street but it has gotten much tougher just in the past six months.

If you want to have 1 or 2 cars, and have the washer/dryer and dishwasher in the unit, Avalon is a very good option. The Manhattan market has softened considerably but those things are still much tougher to come by in Manhattan. You probably need a newer building to get those amenities, and there may be some in Greenpoint and Williamsburg, though they are both, in my view, less convenient to midtown than LIC. There are some other buildings more inland in LIC as well, but the neighborhood is more industrial over there.

The 7 is not so bad these days. It was a real problem on weekends a while back, as they did track repairs, but better now. During the week you don't have to wait very long for it at all. I used to take other lines into Brooklyn and the 7 seems to come much more often than those trains ever did.

[vantastic10]

I have been inside a couple of the apts,breathtaking views to say the least. Have they paved all of the surrounding streets? Last time I was there was about 2 yrs ago. Even with all of this new development it is still an industrial neighborhood. Will LIC become the next Williamsburg?

[BenjiNY]

Hi,

Now you might be in this vincity, it would be useful to give you opinion about it... Is LIC worth it ? We are looking to live in one of these condo of LIC but we are afraid by the rise of monthly charges and the lick of the
farmer store and grocery...
What about the security there ??

Thanks for your reply!!!

Originally Posted by latikeriii

Hello,

My wife and I (late 20's) plan to move into the Avalon Riverview in Long Island City(Western Queens) in August. They are fairly new buildings(built in 2002 and 2007) We have visited the neighborhood 3 times and really liked it. We are from Texas so the relative calmness of the area is no big deal.

Basically, those apartments are perfect for us because:
-3 blocks from the 7 subway which is the first stop(Jackson/Vernon) out of mid-town Manhattan
-Dishwasher, washer and Dryer
-fairly new
-close to Manhattan
-cheap parking (special now for $100) it averages around $200 monthly.
-2 full service fitness centers($200 monthly gym membership savings alone for us)
-pool(not that we'd use it but its nice to have) and outdoor decks.
-front doorman
-park right outside front door with awesome views of mid-town

cons:
-not a whole lot of stuff over there but are some restaurants and a new grocery store.
-not many bars but again some
-not very vibrant, maybe a tiny desolate
-lacking of the "typical" nyc character
-7 subway typically has weekend delays

We have 2 cars and don't really want to part with a washer and dryer and
dishwasher. The 1 BD units average around $2200 and up at this time.

Does anyone have any opinions on this complex? I looked at aptratings.com but usually the people on that website are angry of bad service anyways and people who've had good experiences really never post anything.

Also, we have our minds set to that place however, its dependent on availability. We need to have a back up plan so does anyone have any recommendations on any areas/complexes that have the features as a listed above?(including proximity to Manhattan, parking, w/d, dishwasher, etc). We already checking out the eastcoast development next door and it is too expensive now.
Sorry for the loooong post, thanks.

[latikeriii]

Originally Posted by BenjiNY

Hi,

Now you might be in this vincity, it would be useful to give you opinion about it... Is LIC worth it ? We are looking to live in one of these condo of LIC but we are afraid by the rise of monthly charges and the lick of the
farmer store and grocery...
What about the security there ??

Thanks for your reply!!!

Hello,

Well, we went back to the area in late August and unfortunately the apartments were full and they did away with the free month of free so we couldn't find anything. We did find an awesome deal with cheap parking, new construction building, W/D, doorman, dishwasher and so on for much cheaper in Greenpoint right to the south of there. Greenpoint has tons of more amenities like grocery stores, restaurants, bars, etc but is along the G train which isn't bad but usually requires an extra connection since the line doesn't run to Manhattan.

I go through LIC quite a bit and it seems very safe. I have friends that live there and they generally drive to Pathmark off of Northern Blvd deeper in LIC for groceries or pick up something small closer to work in Manhattan. There is a whole foods type store in one of the East Coast Development buildings, and the local bodegas have produce, and there is a CVS in one of the taller buildings on the water as well. There are a few restaurants over there too. The best part of that area are the views, park, and 7 train. Most of my friends are Manhattan-centric so they really don't spend a lot of time in that area. According to them, its safe but at night kind of desolate. I'm sure others could add to this since they live may actually live in the area.

Good Luck