Level @ 2 N 6th, Williamsburg

This is a review written for prospective renters so you don’t wind up with some of the issues we had, many of which are still unresolved. Start with some questions you should ask when you speak to the brokers repping the landlord.

Is this a doorman building? The answer is definitely no. Although there are numerous individual apartment listings at Level with the word “doorman,” in fact, there is no employee actually standing at the door. Need someone to help you with your luggage or packages in or out of a cab? There’s no one with that job.

What do they have, then? Well, there’s a “concierge desk.” Unfortunately, it’s woefully understaffed with never more than one person on duty at a time. This poor guy has to answer the phone from any tenants who want to call maintenance, greet visitors and then, if he’s got a moment and is so inclined, he might open the door which he is not required to do. If you’re a mom with a stroller and possibly another child or a pet, keep this in mind. You might be waiting for a while. Most likely, you’ll have to rely that one of your fellow tenants will open the door for you.

So what else does the “concierge” do? Actually, there’s a bigger list of what they do not do. At the top is accept deliveries. That’s the function of a subcontracted “valet” company. For a luxury building, they strangely have no cold storage. If you’re expecting Whole Foods, Fresh Direct, etc., etc. better be home.

Is there garage parking in the building? That’s a very definite no. No matter what the brokers tell you, ask to see the alleged “basement entrance” to the garage. They will tell you, “it’s not yet ready.” Sadly, this is their all-purpose evasive answer as we’ll see.

Didn’t the listing say “valet parking?” There is a garage in the basement of another building, called The Edge North and it’s a 500 foot+ walk to the garage entrance. If you park there, you’ll be carrying your things up a steep ramp (remember, there is no direct access to Level) after you leave the car with the attendant. That’s what they mean by “valet parking.”

Is there a roof deck? No one actually knows since no one has been up there. It was promised to us “by Summer.” I guess we all should have asked “Summer of which year?” Remember, the building opened in July, 2017.

What about the children’s playroom? Again, that’s the same story as the roof. No one knows if it will ever open. But that doesn’t stop them from promising you’ll have it.

How are the appliances? Don’t be dazzled by the brand name dishwashers and washer/dryers. The other stuff is Whirlpool like you can find at Sears. Corner cutting that abounds at Level. Kitchens have a single sink without a sprayer. How much would that have cost? The painting, white only, is horrible with brush strokes and splatter in all rooms. The bathrooms? Try this little test. Bring a can of hairspray with you. Put it on the bathroom sink just like you would if you were leaving in a rush. Then try and open the medicine cabinet. The door will hit the can. Why? Because the fool who directed the installations didn’t measure properly and every single mirror in the building is three inches too low. Why does a “luxury” building have so many petty annoyances?

How is the heat and the A/C? Here’s a little test. Go over to one of the units and turn it on so it’s blowing hot or cold, whatever you like. Then see if you can turn it off. Better yet, ask the broker how to turn it off. Watch as the LCD display says “OFF” and time how long it takes to actually turn off, that is, if it does. That’s electricity you’ll be paying for. Remember when you were home and you set the thermostat so that the heat or a/c was off when you were at work and turned on before you got home so you were comfortable when you got there? Ask the broker to show you how to program any unit to do that and see what response you get. Not me or anyone in the building knows how to do it and we can’t find anyone on the staff who does! And this is 2018 when some neighborhood buildings are using state of the art technology like Google Nest.

How many times did the heat go off in apartments last winter? Did anyone receive a rent reduction?

Is the building and especially your apartment and the floor it is on, finished? While the broker is extolling the luxuries, ask if you can see a copy of the lease. Pay careful attention to one of last pages and the paragraph marked “Construction.” Even though it’s been 14 months since the opening, the lease says you are giving them one more year for “refinement.” Why do they need this? You will soon learn that when you receive your first email from a lovely person in the landlord office that will say that some disaster is about to happen, e.g. no water or elevator service, but since you signed this lease, too bad for you. (This person must be a graduate of the Kim Jong Un Charm School.) The email will also say THEY paid YOU for this in the form of rent concessions. (There is also a page marked Construction Concessions Rider.) So today, take a look at their listings regardless of where they appear and look for where it says that you are giving up rights in return for a month or two of free rent. And here you thought the free rent was an incentive for you to sign a lease not for them to screw you over.

What will the building do when the L train shuts down in April? Many of us were told Level would have its own minibus to shuttle tenants over to the nearest working subway station. Lately, no one has said a word.

What’s with those window shades? You’ll probably be looking at an apartment in the daytime and the shades will likely be drawn. Lower them. See how sheer they are, so sheer, in fact, that you can see through them even at night. It’s as if they hung giant rolls of Bounty in front of the glass. You may love that view of the Empire State Building but the light can keep you up at night. And in the summer, be prepared for it to start getting bright at 5 o’clock in the morning. If you complain, they’ll tell you to buy curtains at your expense. Why should you pay for their mistakes? While the windows open slightly, they have no screens and none can be bought.