Building at 20 Waterside Plaza: From a Tenant

I used to love Waterside for the prior four years of living here - in fact, I recommended it to several people who were moving to the city because of the doormen, safety, and views. This well made up for the fact that it is outrageously expensive (both in rent and electric since their heat is run on electricity and there is little to no insulation), nowhere near a subway and is inconvenient for... [more]

I used to love Waterside for the prior four years of living here - in fact, I recommended it to several people who were moving to the city because of the doormen, safety, and views. This well made up for the fact that it is outrageously expensive (both in rent and electric since their heat is run on electricity and there is little to no insulation), nowhere near a subway and is inconvenient for anyone who actually works for a living (anywhere except Bellevue or Tisch Hospital) or ever wants to have guests over. That's not to mention the laughable management hours. Despite those issues, I had still felt the benefits outweighed the detriments...until now. The management has instituted so many new regulations, it is making it pointless to live there. A large part of why we live there is because it has a 24-hour doorman. This used to mean you could get packages delivered and there would be someone to accept them. However, now they have created (and emailed all residents) with a new package policy where they won't accept packages any larger than 26” x 26” with a maximum weight of forty pounds. Also, they won't accept more than one package per day. This was apparently to avoid people having furniture delivered (which is an acceptable limitation). However, what this means for residents is that you basically can't get any Amazon subscription orders, pantry orders, or anything else that comes in a box SLIGHTLY over two feet. In short, the box of paper towels I used to get delivered without issue every month: rejected by the doorman. Kitty litter: rejected. Cat food: rejected. There is a dedicated package room that was just expanded. It is a very large room that could accept large or multiple boxes per unit. This is really an unacceptable policy in a city where it is cost prohibitive to have a car (and space prohibitive to stock up on supplies from Costco every few months). In addition to this policy, it is now required that you inform the building 72-hours in advance of any guests that will be staying in your apartment (whether you will be present in your apartment or not). If you had asked me a year ago, I would have given four-stars DESPITE the downsides based on the benefits that fit my lifestyle (being in a quieter area, good views, and safety); however, as the building continues to pile on major negatives while the price still increases, it is no longer a good place to live. I won't be renewing my lease. [less]