244 Madison Avenue

The board is strict and difficult. Adequate staff.

I looked at a great apartment there but they would not budge on the price.

I have rented an apartment here before. They have some unusual & unique apartment spaces.
Downside: roach and mouse problem, no grocery store, sometimes very noisy(windows not good at soundproofing),commonspace decor dated.

Nice 2 bedroom there just went into contract. Note that building does not have gas so electric stoves only. Otherwise seems like a nice building. Area is sort of on the cusp of Murry Hill. Zoned for the good Mary Linley school district. Hope this helps.

This area of Madison Ave "cruisy area" for businessmen

I thought it was my imagination. Thanks for the confirmation.

I just came back from a few open houses here. I wasn't impressed. One of the hallways, smelled like a combination of wet dog and smoke. They said the hallways were recently renovated, but I'm not sure. Look a bit dated.So an assessment or increase in maintenance could be in their future.Some of the apts had updated kitchens and/or baths, but seems on a budget (ie:Ikea)So definitely not worth the asking price. Tenant wise it seemed like it was either college dorm or old age home. I had a strange incident. It seemed a female tenat was following me in the elevator and then watching me going into each of the apartments.Very odd. The roof deck is nice with pretty views of the city. Locationwise a little inconvenient to the subway.Supermarket not nearby.

I actually live there and rather like my cool loft studio - rivals some 1 bedrooms in the city for space. Fortunately no mice or roaches (don't want to jinx myself). But I have a cat. Only 1 tenant has a dog (grandfathered in from rental policy 30 yrs ago) so that wet dog and smoke smell comment is interesting. I never caught a wiff. Diner smells and street noise, yes. Stank other than that, no. :-) Halls were redone last year; don't strike me as dated - perhaps more hotel retro. :-) They are going to be updating the sparse lobby soon. Tenantwise, I know many in their late 20s thru early 40s (hello, I fall in the middle!) so they day one person visited more youngsters and oldsters might have been out and about. Like the cruisy bizman comment, I don't quite notice. Everyone checks everyone out in every neighborhood! I am happy here if that helps any - but I bought 7 yrs ago. The board is strict for financials, work in apt, and move ins but otherwise reasonable. Parents can co-own for apts and sublets are allowed (fee goes up each year you rent it out.) That's my take for what it's worth.

Looks like someone is trying to do some damage control just in case they decide to sell.

I attended several open houses here. I think some of the spaces are great, with really high ceilings and good light. I didn't notice any odd smells in the hallway or drastic age differences, it actually seemed rather quiet there. The common spaces are not dated, just a bit boring, but clean and maintained. People are cruisy every where in NYC,so thats an amusing comment. I think ill make an offer on a one bed here. People with bad financials, shouldn't be purchasing in a co op and they won't have any problems.

Nice looking building but bugs, rodents & an idiot board? I'll pass! Thanx for the heads-up!!

I moved from here about 4 years ago.It's OK for singles,but after I had my baby I decided to move. While out with my baby I did observe individuals who would walk back and forth along Madison.I did not find this amusing. I now live on the UES and I can say people are not cruisy everywhere. Also I read there was a shooting in that area earlier this month. I am glad that I moved out of that area.

Amusing comment, but I am not doing damage control as someone claims above. (I have no intention of selling anytime soon), just telling it like I see it living here. I've had no problems in 7 yrs. And, thankfully no bugs or rodents where I am. Unfortunately, most NYC boards have their share of idiots from what I hear from friends in other bldgs. I'm curious about people walking back and forth on Madison - I never see that (they got rid of some of the massage joints that used to be on a few side streets around here a few yrs back so maybe more cruising happened in the past?) I didn't hear of any shooting - if anyone has more info on that please share it. I agree supermarkets not being near by can be a pain but I order Fresh Direct and go to Whole Foods like everyone else. One down side, is the noise on 38th St at night. The garbage trucks from the commercial bldgs on that street make noise half the night. Some people get City Quiet windows, I use a fan for white noise. Like everywhere else, if this bldg is not for you, if you get a strange vibe, then of course keep looking for someplace that you'll be happy!

The current listings are overpriced. You can find better deals and better buildings elsewhere in the area.

Any updates on this building currently?

Only thing I can add that was not mentioned above: it's a non-smoking building. Even on a balcony, there is no smoking. So the hallways may now only smell of wet dog...

Rising2,

It is sad that NYC Dept of Buildings has not responded to your complaints. When your attorney did his/her due diligence, didn't they check for complaints? I am sure that previous residents of the A and B lines must have complained about it. If I were you, I'd continue to bring this up with the building managers and the co-op board at the next meeting.

Bobnay,

With the help of many individuals the HVAC unit that was causing excessive heat and noise in the A and B line apartments has been removed. The A and B apartments are now enjoying a much cooler and quieter existence. I thank all of those involved for their efforts.

I read on this forum that 5 years ago the board was very strict? Is this still the case? As a Potential buyer here, does the board give owners a hard time if we were thinking about ie adding a bathroom, renovating and expanding existing bathrooms and kitchen?
I also noticed the doorman set up is not as "official looking" (for lack of a better term) as other luxury buildings, any reason or explanation for that?
Does anyone know or have heard that there is any asbestos in the building? Just asking because of the age of the building?.
Does the engineering staff in the building repair or replace the HVAC units or is that the owners responsibility?
Thanks for your help!

A few answers to your questions....
1) The board is no more strict than other NYC co-ops. I found them very reasonable as far as required information and interviewed process.
2) It is no problem renovating kitchens and bathrooms over the existing wet location. There is some flexibility with expanding, but would have to be reviewed and approved by the board.
3) The doormen have three closets to store items and a cubby wall space where their phone and screens are located. The door is locked 24/7 and they have to unlock it to let in visitors. This set-up is very similar to other buildings that I have lived in. While it may not have the size of large desk/counter, it is sufficient given the overall size of the lobby area.
4) Owners repair and replace the HVAC units.

I have done 4 apartment renovations in the building and never had a difficult time. I found it easier then most to get approvals.

thank you

Having just dished New York to a rude person, I must say I loved the comments about "cruisiness" of areas in Manhattan. I'm a gay 60 year old, modeled and performed in my earlier years and not exactly hard on the eyes. But here in San Francisco, I'm absolutely invisible. If you're over 40 and gay, better have a partner or lots of money. When I'm in Manhattan, I get cruised all the time, in every location. New Yorkers ARE very cruisy, even more than the French or Dutch. I know this is a superficial comment, but I just had to........................................... Perhaps that's why Manhattan is my favorite place in the world.

The price per square foot based on recent sales at 244 Madison is the best deal in NYC. THIS IS AN INVESTORS DREAM.

"THIS IS AN INVESTORS DREAM." For morons, maybe. Look at those tacky "terraces," the tacky kitchens, the tacky bathrooms. Dream???????

Great building IMHO