building at 182 West 82nd Street

Which unit are you looking at?

Here is 2N http://streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/1036357-condo-182-west-82nd-street-upper-west-side-new-york
- 3 BR, 3.5 BA, 2280 Square Feet, D/W and W/D
- Doorman, Elevator and Gym
- Building has 11 total units and no abatement, so the pie is split (in someway) between the 11 owners

Monthly Common Charges: $2,373.00 or $.96 per foot

- That is not bad for what your getting

Right, carrying doormen with only 11 units is a real hit.

Compare with http://streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/995456-condo-219-west-81st-street-upper-west-side-new-york : quite a bit bigger, same low-floor side-street exposure, same staffing, but CCs are $100 less. And those CCs are real and established, not a let's-guess-at-what-they'll-be deal. Taxes are a good $3K per year less, too.

if you cant pay the charges you cant afford the unit

The developers thinking is probably, the kind of person buying a 5-10mm apartment is not price sensitive to carrying a doorman (minimum 5 union employees for 24 hour service, not including the Super and Managing Agent) on 11 units. Will maintenance go up? Likely.