The Oculus Condominium

Which buildings are up for consideration for teardown?

There are no bldgs with "for sale" signs on them. I was only curious if these older bldgs on 14th St (with their backs to the back of this codo) may be slated for demo.

Why would they be slated for demo?

because these bldg are old and there has been a pattern throughout the city to knock down old and put up new ;-) btw i never said that they are slated for demo only wondering if anyone heard if any of the northside 14th st commercial bldg were doing to be torn down

The building itself - location, staff - are great. The developer is taking too long to get work done - lobby, etc. I face 15th street so can't say anything about noise in the back... my apt is VERY quiet though - high quality windows, etc.

I am currently renting a unit at the Oculus, and honestly, I am eager to leave. Renters are explicitly prohibited from scheduling the common spaces, which I believe is ridiculous. The elevators smell strongly of marijuana, nearly at all times of the day and night. Thankfully, the doormen and maintenance crew are incredibly friendly, helpful and are genuinely good people. This has made life here much more pleasant, despite the fact that renters are treated like second class citizens by the condo board (which is saturated with petty politics). But I suppose, that there are few places in NYC that don't have "a ruling class" system, or overly privileged college students with drug habits.

As for the neighborhood, the construction outside can be a nuisance, but if construction bothers you, don't live in NYC. Sixth Avenue is kind of seedy at times, but the FV train is so close, shopping on 5th Avenue or at Union Square is wonderful. The location of this building is quite convenient and pleasant. Street parking is nearly always available. The only thing I could possibly complain about, and this is after some thought, would be the perpetual "Leviticus"-related propaganda that some religious fanatic keeps posting at the intersection of 15th/5th --- I don't know what it's about, but a cat litter box inscribed with bible passages is a little much for me, even in NYC.

Oh, last thing, many units do not have heated bathroom floors like advertised, because, as I was told, the pipe construction was not done properly. My neighbor down the hall had theirs replaced (and consequently had to have the whole floor torn up) and all of their furniture and possessions were caked with dust. Unless you own, it's not worth all the trouble. But I will tell you, I wish I had heated floors with this winter weather!