Avalon Morningside - UWS

ugh, why are you choosing to live there? it's a horribly ugly building, and the location is lousy.

okmijn666, please excuse rufus. He's a troll whom everybody hates; he has nothing to say ever; he knows nothing; his opinions have no validity.

Thanks for your warning, alanhart :D People have different values and I respect rufus too. Let me say that this building is better than where I used to live. Am I stupid even to try to bring my issues with the building?

nice try alanhart. i have friends at columbia and have been to that area numerous times. did i hurt your feelings by saying it's a crappy neighborhood? and yes, that building is extremely ugly.

rufus, do you have any knowledge about safety around the area?

rufus, you don't have friends. You have "friends". And it's already been established that you've never been to NY.

That building is more offensive than ugly, because of its siting. NIMBY failed.

And I'm not emotionally invested in that or any other neighborhood, which is only one reason your remark didn't hurt my feelings. Thanks for asking though.

okmijn666, it's totally safe around there.

alanhart and rufus, you guys look like good friends!! :D

BTW, the apartment building leased the land from the Cathedral. I guess the church needed some funds to restore its building. In this case, YIMBY by the church.

Alanhart, I have been following your thoughts about Harlem. I have a more specific question on the neighborhood for u but I don't want to post it here, as the other party involved will realize that I'm me. What can I do?

Mimi,

Create a new freemail account (gmail, hotmail, yahoo, etc.) and post the address here for me, then prepare to weed out psycho emails from attention-starved rufie.

I'll reply from an email addy that I rarely use, but will for discussing what I know about Harlem with you.

I know this area very well. The area has improved over the last ten years. I actually stopped by that building early on in the summertime. I tried to negotiate a lower price around July at the time they would not lower their price. A month later they sent out a newsletter offering up leases with the first month free.

Okmijn66, Did you sign a multi year lease?

I only got one year contract with the first month free. If you bring a broker, the apt will pay for the broker. I tried to get 2 months free since I didn't bring a broker. They said no.

okmijn666, sorry you've already had to deal with the two above miscreants. I will say this is a safe neighborhood, though it is one that's in considerable flux. You're close to Cathedral Pkwy, where there tends to be a lot of traffic and construction, though you're on the "right" side of the park in terms of too much noise carrying over. It's close to Columbia, which is a good thing, as there are plenty of nearby amenities. The only thing I'd be careful about is wandering through Morningside Park alone at night. I haven't been there at night in a while, but if I remember, you'll encounter a fair share of suspect characters in there from time to time. How are the finishes in the apartments?

Thanks, Alanhart. MimiBuenosAires@gmail.com .

I love BsAs!!! . . . I'll email you in less than a minute.

I live 5 blocks away and am around there all the time -- it's a fine area (my kid went to the preschool pgm at the Cathedral.) I agree that you don't want to go into the park at night, but even the east and north side of that area is fine by day -- I've spent lots of time in Morningside park ..it's quite nice. On Amsterdam you have some nice restaurants (Terrace in the Sky is a nice upscale one http://www.terraceinthesky.com/) However the neighborhood is really great on broadway around Columbia -- one of my favs in the whole city. I do agree though that the bldg is ugly, which is disappointing as I was considering it when they drew up the plans...

Thanks, bjw2103. Yes, I saw a couple of people in the park smoking even during daytime so I am very careful walking at night. (I don't go to the park at night) I think the apartment tries to be luxury with economic budget, meaning when you look first time, you will be happy with the building. Second time, you will find some issues. For example, the kitchen cabinet is not wood but something... made of plastic (?) and the yoga studio is actually a room shared by children's playroom. Anyway, since it is a new building, the layout is reasonable and comfortable. Staff is very friendly (except sleezy leasing office :) Tenants who I met were young and hip so far. I guess mostly Columbia students? Overall I like to be here.

Smoking what?

I live just south of Central Park in Midtown. Even though you need to be a gazillionaire to live along the Park, you'd need to be incredibly stupid to walk through there at night.

Is there ANY park in Manhattan you'd go strolling through at night?

sticky, absolutely not. thugs roam central park and the other parks late at night, looking for people to mug and rape. because there's so many housing projects and homeless people in manhattan, crime is still a huge problem.

rufie, I won't comment at all on the incredibly in-character stupid and incorrect content of your last post.

But we must insist that you write in standard English, not Hayseed. When referring to more than one thing, we say "there are", not "there's".

"Because there ARE so many housing projects..."

You definitely paid WAY too much. There are SOOOOOOO many condos built in Harlem below 125th that have not been sol that there are many brand-new, never lived in doorman condos for rent inthe same neighborhood for 20-40% less than what Avalon is charging. Look on Streeteasy and you will see comparible units for rent in Khalahari, Fitzgerald, Soha 118, Dwyer etc. And more to come, judging from all the construction in the area.

Now that their prices are dropping, anyone living here have any thoughts on the place? Is it finished? How is the neighborhood? Amenities? Etc.

Please don't respond with general comments about New York crime or how much nicer the apartments are in other parts of Harlem. I am asking specifically about this place. Thanks.

Sticky and Rugus - I live right off CP in the W90s - I've been in the part at all hours of the day and night as a dog owner, not once have I felt unsafe or felt harassed. Nor has anyone that I know of in my neighborhood. I can't speak for all of CP but in my neighborhood it is well lit and in my experience very safe.

How much do they charge for rent at Avalon?