Grand Avenue Apartments

I have lived in the building for over 20 years and the pluses are very strong (good location, very large apartment, rent stabilized, off street parking) and negatives are also very strong, (poor management, shamefully overworked Super, noisy neighbors across street, and way too much garbage and trash in parking lot and adjacent streets. I would not recommend a market rate apartment here, however it may be more affordable than newer buildings in the neighborhood.

I have lived for 20 years in this apartment and the ownership has changed at once. The previous owner was a joke and simply did not think that NYC rules applied to him or his building. The new owner/management company is somewhat better in that this know the rules apply but they have made it clear that this are only prepared to do the bear legal minimum. Repairs are at a minimum, done clearly and only a temporary fix. The owners want a high turnover of tenants, however many have chosen to stay longterm as their rents are stabilized. They creates a tension between long term tenants and the owners. The newer, younger tenants don't seen to care much.

After 2 decades, it's sad to see that the property is being less taken care of now than when we first moved in. Only the bare minimum gets done. I understand that these are tough times but Oak Tree really needs to step up their maintenance game. The hallways and stairwells need to be painted. The buzzer system is antiquated and malfunctions when wet. The landscaping is basically ignored. And the rat situation in the "garden," parking area, and around the trash bins has yet to be resolved. There's so much more I could say, but I think you get the idea.

597 grand ave is a very well kept and maintained building by supers, Gabriel and Maria. Gabriel is always only a text away and he is incredibly handy and always gets the job done from fixing a leak in our ceiling from the apartment upstairs, to unclogging our kitchen pipes, and even replacing/fixing our sink faucet from our first apartment at 597 grand. Maria keeps our halls and stairways spotless and she’s a joy to greet in the morning. It’s been a great experience living here especially with the closed off feel with the front entrance. It feels safe and secluded from the street.