All 32 tenant reviews.

“Pros: Building staff friendly, place is always clean and repairs always responded to. Building is safe. Cons: None this place is great”

“Pros: The staff here is wonderful, the lobby is clean, I love this building. Cons: The neighborhood is not the best but if you can get over that the building is lovely.”

“Pros: The Deli Dave’s across the street is the only pro (and only place to eat in the area) Cons: The Super is awful - doesn’t work or respond to anything. He lives in building but is “not to be disturbed” from 5pm-8am but is barely available during business hours. Building is filthy, roaches crawling on hallway walls and garbage rooms. The front desk clerks are more interested in playing on their phones than working. Crime in the neighborhood is awful - just look on Citizen’s App Advice to landlord: Get a new Super and more oversight in building. Clean and enforce face mask rule in building, laundry room, rec room and gym!”

“Aidin the property manager covers for his dad the Emer the superintendent mafia style. EVIL & COLD HEARTED. Building full of roaches and airbnb tenants but the super and management only HARASS People of Color. RACIST building and management. STAY AWAY from ALL Clipper Management Properties!”

“From a long time resident: TAKE YOUR MONEY ELSEWHERE. This building used to be decent under prior management. Ever since Clipper Equity took over this building - they are slowly but surely turning it into a dump - 1. Hallway carpets no longer get cleaned on a weekly basis 2. Pet droppings in the hallways can be found fairly regularly 3. Courtyard filled but cigarette butts and pot heads (on the weekends) 4. Unresponsive management and super 5. Recently effectively BANNED children from playing in the courtyard. IF YOU HAVE KIDS THIS IS NOT THE BUILDING FOR YOU. THE MANAGEMENT IS *VERY* HOSTILE TO CHILDREN 6. Apartments are generally falling apart too 7. Increasing rents 15-20% across the board for a harlem apartments - THIS IS NOT A LUXURY BUILDING. The rotating set of doormen don't even get off their butt to help with the door! 8. Discontinued the weekend shuttle service to subway stops - which used to be a real convenience offered by the prior management Again - DO NOT MOVE TO THIS BUILDING. THIS IS NOT A FAMILY FRIENDLY BUILDING AT ALL”

“Management is dishonest. When I moved out, I left my key in the apartment. They could not find it and asked if I had a spare. I did, in fact, have a spare key and said I would bring it to them. Their response to me was that they went ahead and deducted $250 for a new lock from my security deposit. Very unprofessional and dishonest.”

“This building has recently sold to Clipper Equity. You should Google them. We asked for an update on our lease for months (as we knew the rent would increase given this landlord's history) and they stalled until 6 weeks before our lease was up surprising us with a 15% increase. FIFTEEN....with only 6 weeks notice. Make sure to walk this neighborhood at night before signing. They are pricing as if this neighborhood is already "gentrified" and the Subway is working. None of this exists. There is public housing everywhere that are going NOWHERE and so the weekend nights in tha hood are sketchy most nights. There is an NYPD Light Tower that moves around from 102nd to 103rd and it has been there for over a year. Google the crime stats around here....especially the cop getting shot in the face. It's not East New York but it's also not Battery Park City at which this place is close to being priced. The hood residents party on the sidewalks on the weekends. Every weekend morning looks like the day after a music festival (pictured). Most dogs in tha hood look like killers, many not on a leash, none picked up after. Check out the garbage truck station just one block down...during the windy hot summer days....the smell is amazing. As of right now, the gym is being pitched as "state-of-the-art". Not even close. It's a 10' x 20' room with outdated gear that is jammed in the mornings and early evenings. Max capacity of about 10 people. If waiting is your thing, this gym is for you. The clubroom is a waste of space and the courtyard is currently being torn apart (for the 3rd time since I've lived here). The carpets are long in need of replacing (pictured) and the hallways are very institutional looking. Also advertised is an elegant lobby of limestone and mahogany. Nope. There's an old sofa probably from a sketchy nightclub that smells and most likely has questionable DNA all over it. It certainly came with fleas and roaches. It's foul and far from elegant. The listings currently have two photos in them that DO NOT exist in this building. There was a pest control service with the prior management that was done away with under the new. The roaches are happy! The super is DIY and mouthy. Far too much sass for someone paid to do a job of debatable quality. The prior management gave him carte blanche to the facility so perhaps this will wear off in time. The appliances were bought on clearance/bulk so not consistent throughout the building and certainly not modern. 21st Century perhaps, not 2015 by any means. The A/C&Heater units are old and drafty through the walls. The hot water will burn you one day and not exist the next. The on-site laundry room also suffers from this problem and the driers are the same way...20mins will roast your clothes one week then barely blow a whisper on them the next. The walls are VERY thin as are the doors. You WILL hear activity in the hallways and the air will draft in&out through the poor fit of the doorway (pictured). If you're on the street sides, hope you like 24-hour city noise as it's non-stop around here and the windows are thin. Signed the ridiculous lease for another year and will be running out of here when it's up.”

“I am convinced these 5 star reviews were written by the building mgt. This place, along with the neighborhood, is going down the toilet. Management doesn't fix anything even after numerous requests. Everyone I know has tiles coming loose in the bathrooms which is causing water damage, yet the building still will not come and fix them. The entire building shakes from the laundry room, up to the 6th floor (laundry is on 2)! The "doormen" are security guards that sleep at the desk- only one actually tries to help with normal Qs/etc. There are roaches, cigarette butts and dog urine in the stairwells and the "gym" seriously needs improvements/newer equipment/more space. As far as the area goes, sure if you take the shuttle and never walk outside your building you don't notice it but once you do decide to take a few steps BE CAREFUL. Every week someone is murdered within 3 blocks of the place- just check out DNAINFO on the area. This neighborhood is very unsafe at all times of the day, and the streets are covered in dog crap and garbage. Thank goodness I am moving next month”

“When I first moved into this building, I thought I was in paradise. The super was terrific and helpful. The managing agent was nice and the staff in general was very very accomodating. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. The building and the upkeep have deteriorated immensely. The Super is now totally unresponsive. I would even go so far as to say that he is a liar, i.e., when complaining about the lack f heat (49 degrees inside while it is 9 degrees outside)he responds with something to the effect that when the temperature is really cold outside,it is going to be colder in the apartment. What? Also, when you file a complaint, the super states that you are the only one who has ever complained. Is he serious? I ride the shuttle bus every morning with the tenants. We talk to each other and share stories. Most people are raging about the lack of heat. The super and the managing agent are very responsive to new tenants. However, after you have lived here awhile, they don't respond to anything. A few years ago, I would have recommended this building. Today, I am hoping to find another, cheaper, more reliable building.”

“Management defers to the Super whenever there is a problem. The Super is either unavailable or states that there is no problem, i.e., "the heat is on", although the front desk people sit in the lobby with down coats and wool hats on. If someone complains to the super about noise in the apartment above, he says, "What do you want me to do?" Then, "You are the only tenant who has EVER complained about a tenant?" Lies.”

“This building is great! Our apartment is clean and huge by manhattan standards. The super is very helpful and the staff is nice! The neighborhood is on the iffy side, but the building provides a shuttle to 86th street- so you really don't have to be in the neighborhood much.”

“I would have recommended this building 3, 4, or 5 years ago. Now though somebody was shot and killed 4 blocks north of the front door. It is seeming to be increasingly more unsafe. For the $$ they want you to pay I would recommend increasing your budget and living in a safe neighborhood.”

“I moved in last September. Everyone has been quite nice and very friendly. The apartment is beautiful, the courtyard is a wonderful place. The laundry room is always available and never too crowded. The gym is clean and although not big, has good equipment and free weights. Elevators always work, place is always clean. The best part is , all the tenants take care of the place. Nice people.. I recommend it to all.”

“I lived at the Aspen for the first 5 years the building was built. Apparently (or rumour has it) the owners ran out of money and then quickly tried to fill it up. Needless to say, the apartments (while nice and roomy) had some "problems" in the beginning. On my third night, the shower head in the bathroom came off and almost fell on my head during my shower! Maintenance is quick, but the men are overworked. There are only 2 for a building that contains about 244 apartments! Re the office staff: currently, the secretary is really nice, but I was there when the first secretary was employed, Cathy, and she worked like a horse. She was quickly fired when the "current" manager (other one quit), fired her for getting sick and needing time off due to surgery. Nice guy right? (But the REAL scoop was that she found out he was secretly living in the building WITHOUT paying rent, and no, at that time the owners did not authorize this). The super is a complete a-hole. Racist to the extreme, thinks that all non-Croatians are "white trash". Don't get me started how he handles complaints from tenants who are minorities! And he treats the maintenance crew (all but 2), the front desk personnel like slaves, insulting them and constantly daring them to just "quit". Oh yeah, and as soon as they get a better paying job, they leave, so expect to see new faces often, especially at night. (Security? Hmmm, I've "woken" many poor underpaid front desk folks at 1:00 AM when coming home from dinners) The manager "hides" in his office daily, letting the poor current secretary deal with tenant problems. Every month you hear a different tenant complaint when paying your rent at the office. The manager is NEVER to be found, yet seems to magically "come out" when the complaining tenant leaves. There is a concierge/front desk personnel that rotate on shifts. They are employed through a third-party company. They are underpaid, overworked and treated badly by both the management and some of the tenants who for $4,000 per month seem to feel they should "open the door, answer the phone, get their packages, make sure that people do not come in without checking at the front door, - while keeping a smile on their faces!) Usually there is only 1 person at the desk so obviously in a building this large they cannot do all things at once. They are there only to accept packages, assist those at the front desk, thats' it!!! Ok, to the building itself. It is nice looking with roomy apartments, and different layouts. The problem is that the area is still surrounded by rough-necks, lots of drugs, lots of screaming, obscene fist-fights at 3:00 AM. Oh yeah, and don't be shocked when police trucks (plural) round-up all the drug dealers at the Metro North Apartments located at 1960-1966 First Avenue (across the street from the entrance of the Aspen). This is why all the exits remain closed after 6PM and to about 8 AM - not safe at all!!! Then there are the freaking garbage trucks that roll out at 4/5:00 AM and it is so noisy! Every single neighbor that moved in around the same time I did has moved, I think I was the last one to do so. (I hate moving) All in all, this building is nice, BUT the prices are too high for the neighborhood, the Manager and Super as complete a-holes (but the current secretary, and front desk staff are nice - give them a break, they are not paid to be doorman or doormats!) The few tenants that I knew from when I first moved in are those with government subsidized rents (from $400 to $700 in about 40 apartments). And some of them moved out to better places!!! Do yourself a favor, do not move here, you will regret it! P.S. Parking is leased by another company not run by the owners and they are snotty, could care less about the tenants and its' all about the Benjamins!”

“This place is the worst, I would not tell anyone to live here. I have a friend that wants to live there and I had to give him the run down. First let's start off with the fat --- Brian that is all in your ----, he is the first one to talk about you and who was in your aptartment. Also, when he wants to get real noisy, he will ask the mailman to let him know, if you have mail coming your box for other people. Second the super is the worst (Amir) all he down is run behind Brian letting him know what is in your apartment when he goes into your apartment. Third, they charge you more for somethings, so that they can pocket the rest of the money, (What kind of business is that)? The doormen are lazy they do not want to work, they are just there for the checks. The doormen are hired from different companies not within the building, they are so damn check they do not want to get there own security company. I WILL TELL ANYONE TO RUN ANYWAY FAR AWAY!!! THE MONEY THEY WANT YOU TO PAY, FOR YOU TO LIVE ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE PROJECTS, IT IS NOT WORTH IT!!!! RUN AWAY FAR AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!”

“I've been at The Aspen for a little over a year. It's not that bad, but I guess if I could do it over again I wouldn't move here. You don't really get what you pay for, because the rent is pretty high and when I toured the building it was sold to me as a luxury building. I skimmed the other reviews and others have already commented on the crappy security so I won't bother, but yes, it does concern me even though I am a man. I didn't realize these weren't union workers/regular doormen when I moved in and it does make a difference in terms of the pride they take in the job and how closely they pay attention to who comes in, your packages, etc. To me the real problem staff are the super and the manager, who appear to be lovers. That's fine and it doesn't bother me, except that the super (Imer) is hard to get a hold of and is pretty ignorant to the tenants. I think it wouldn't be tolerated if they weren't sleeping together. The location is ok. I moved here from the village and it's quite a different scene, in that there isn't one here. That's ok, because there is a shuttle bus that will take you to the subway during rush hour for free. If I'm out late, I have a buddy bring me home or take a taxi. So it's true, there aren't many restaurants or things to do here, but this is Manhattan, so you can easily find whatever you want a hop, skip and a jump away. My apartment itself is very nice, the building is pretty new so it has all new appliances and no insects. There are a few problem neighbors (we are in the projects after all), but you get used to dogs barking at all hours if you live in NY (at least I got used to it in my old apartment). Overall, I'd say if you can afford the rent here, you are better off going somewhere else. For the people coming in on low income apartment specials, this is a good deal.”

“I have lived at the Aspen going on 3 years now. I started out in a one bedroom and now I am in a 2 bedroom. I have been very happy here. The rents are very fair for this type of building. Yes there might be some unhappy workers at the front desk sometimes late night or evenings, but who can blame them? They do not make very good money, however they do their job. I have never had any security issues. I am a single female with a 5 year old child and we never feel unsafe. The building staff keeps the building clean and they have new washing machines.There are dogs in the building and the staff makes sure you would never know it. I never see any dog messes out front. The shuttle service is great. Runs 7 days a week. Sure you can go to the Glenwood and pay more money and have your butt kissed a little more, or save some money and get a nice apartment in a good building. If you look a few blocks south of the Aspen you would pay double and get the same kind of building. Nothing is perfect but I find the Aspen to be a nice home with friendly neighbors and staff. The people complaining are just mad cause they can not afford to live downtown!”

“hi all. i read some of the reviews on here and having lived in the aspen for a year now i have to agree - i would have gone elsewhere had i known about the problems. i'm kind of a factual guy, so bottom line: the building is pretty nicely constructed. there is a gym and a laundry room - washers never work and they don't have hot water, but such is life. there are no real doormen - as someone else said, they do use an outsourced firm of minimum wage yo-yos (some don't want to get up - one guy told me this weekend he was too tired - to get a package, they let strangers in without calling you, etc.). this is probably the worst part of the building, it impacts everything: i can't even get a newspaper delivered to my door (if you're thinking of renting here, ask brian the property manager if it is possible to even have a newspaper delivered to your doorstep and see what he says). if there's a problem in the building - there often is given the mix that live here (more on that later) - the security will tell you 'i don't know what to do, why don't you just call the police?" even if it's not an emergency. i guess i'm not as worried about my own safety but if my sister lived here i would be. beyond that, there are dogs barking all the time, and since the building is whatever that term is where low, middle and high income people live together, you've got a lot of folks from the projects running around (babies in the gym, 4 people drunk in the gym, 6 mofos at once playing pool and yelling in the gym area, you name it). it gets ridiculous. you'll know the projects people right away (no, not by color or anything like that - just by behavior). shuttle to the subway runs only during rush hour on weekdays, besides all of the above. for $3,000 a month at the aspen...look, you can go one block up and pay the same to live in the glenwood building, hampton court (with real doormen and a shuttle that runs all day). i have 3 friends there and their (two) apartments are nicer, plus the staff is professional and they don't have folks from the projects. the neighborhood is what it is - it's ok, there's nothing to do, but you go out elsewhere, period.”

“The building is beautiful, and the neighbors in the building are usually very nice, however the staff and management in the building are dishonest and disrespectful. I have spoken to other tenants in the building who told me that the building manager Brian lied to them repeatedly, and in fact when I moved out he tried to force me to move out before my lease was up so he could show the apartment to prospective tenants. When I didn't comply (my legal right, by the way) he claimed that I had extensively damaged the apartment and he told the management company that I had not left before the end of the day (I left at 3pm, an legally you have until midnight), so they tried to charge me another months rent in addition to the security they withheld. I know this building seems like a dream come true, however be warned that you will be taken advantage of if you are naive, like I was. In addition, there were two drug related shootings across the street from the building while I lived there, and the corner of the block is a well known spot for crack dealers.”

“I read some of these things on here before moving on and now I am skeptical of wither the person reviewing it or whether the people are really tenants at all. Bottom line- the neighborhood is "up and coming". The point is you can't get a 1 of the same quality with gym and doorman for the price even 5 blocks south. You would be paying 5-600 dollars more a month easy. There is a shuttle in the mornings and evenings m-f that stops at 96th and 86th, it also runs on weekends 10-6. The gym is really more of an excercise room but serves its pupose and it's usually not crowded. Don't understand people's issue with the staff. The management is very accomadating and the super and his staff are helpful and repsonsive. Most of the doormen are nice as well. Nooise fomr other apartments is minimal, there is some street noise but where in NYC isn't there? Bottom line it's bang for your buck.”

“The Aspen is not for spoiled trust fund I moved to New York 10 years ago yet I am a New Yorker weenies. The development is on the cusp of The Projects. If you are intimidated by what you see, then don't move here. The best way to view a neighborhood is on weekend nights. The Aspen is your home destination. You are within close proximity of all the city has too offer. Rate the building by space, rent, amenities and of course how comfortable you will be. The neighborhood is not for window shopping! I believe East Harlem has the largest concentration of housing projects in NYC. I think Ymer the Super does a great job considering he has 234 apartments to service. The contract doorman situation is not the best. Some are good and some are just there. Could have stronger Management that's for sure.”

“Is the building really as loud as some people make it to be?”

“I have only been living at this building for a short period of time, but I have to say it has been a great experience so far. I spent the past few years living on the upper east side, but I decided I wanted a building with more amenities with an affordable price. No matter how hard I looked I couldnt find something decent with a reasonable price tag attached to it. Then I fortunately stumbled upon the Aspen and immediately fell in love. There is a modern gym (which people hardly ever use so there are always machines available), valet service, beautiful court yard, and a Rite Aid attached to the building. The apartments still have that brand new feel to it, complete with modern kitchens and bathrooms. I come home and feel very comfortable and excited to enjoy a place like that for the prices I was paying on the upper east side in a walk up building. The greatest down side however is the location. There really is nothing to do over there. I was used to walking downstairs and being in the thick of it all right outside my front door. All you have to do to be in the action is walk to 96th street and you are surrounded by restaurants and bars to enjoy. This is a small price to pay for all the other amenities I listed. I read the other reviews, and to be honest I was worried about moving in because of what I saw. Because of those comments I decided to make a post to give my point of view and express my happiness with the building.”

“We moved into The Aspen despite the neighborhood for two main reasons: it has a doorman and they provide a shuttle to the subway. We've been here for about 2 years now, and the shuttle to the subway works just fine - it's all the other stuff that's the problem! First, the neighborhood. It's not that bad, but there's nothing to do - you do need that shuttle to get to the subway and the shuttle only runs weekdays in the morning and evening (not all day like some buildings). The main problem is noise. Blaring music at all hours of the night (especially, oddly, early mornings) - light sleepers, beware...know that even the heavy sleeper in our household gets woken up by car alarms almost daily - and we're on a higher floor! The building is nice, but it's a few years old now and the management doesn't keep it in good shape. They clean, but they don't fix things properly. You'll find broken washers, gym equipment, stained carpets, etc. I think it's the building manager being cheap, not any laziness on the part of the staff, but it does make a difference in how people treat the building (seeing sloppy stuff makes folks sloppier). The "doorman" we were told about is a bit of a bait and switch. They actually outsource as another reviewer mentioned. These are guys (and sometimes gals) who sign up for a low wage job at a security company and then get sent to our building. They have no investment in the building, often aren't able to exercise common sense (problems picking up packages, for example - basic function of a doorman!), and make us worried about safety. Sometimes you come home and they're dozing off or not at their desk - I hate to say this in case there are criminals reading this, but to be honest: it'd be so easy to break into this building. You wouldn't even have to "break" - just walk in. Outsourced people don't know who doesn't live there, so they never question anyone - we've had friends and delivery people show up at our door unannounced all the time. I'd say this is our main problem with the building. The building manager, a guy named Brian, is OK but he seems like he's in over his head. He's not really good at managing staff and getting things done. He doesn't address safety and other concerns. He basically collects rent and gossips about people, oddly enough. I wouldn't recommend this building, particularly for single women and families - the doorman situation is just too sketchy.”

“First, the neighborhood, since so much has been written about it! There is loud music frequently and we are on a high floor (so it must be much worse for tenants closer to the street), and if you're a woman you can feel unsafe late at night, but it's not that bad. I think if you're a person of color or white but simply comfortable around people of color, a dash of caution and you'll feel fine. The building: it really could have been special. We were so disappointed, because it looks so nice and seems well designed. But the management of the building ("Brian" is the building manager) is so poor, it's almost illegal (but not quite - these guys know the law and make sure to provide just enough). They outsource the doormen to some security company, which is the most important thing to know if you're thinking of moving here: this means that these guys (and sometimes gals) are lower wage, aren't as invested (as someone else said - although they put a different spin on it - they don't care about you or maybe being tipped or even doing a good job), and can't be bothered. We've had strangers come right to our door and when we called downstairs were told, "Oh, I thought I called" or "Sorry!" One of these days, that person is going to be a burglar or something worse, and that's mainly what I fear (not the neighborhood itself). If you tell Brian about these issues, he pretends to get outraged ("Well, I will speak with him RIGHT AWAY!" he'll say about doorman X) but with minimum wage employees who change every day (because they are outsourced), nothing changes. The above doesn't even address the superintendent, who promises to fix things and doesn't, yells at the tenants - particularly the "lower rent" tenants - and gets away with it. Gym equipment will languish broken for days, dog stains will stay in hallway carpets for months, etc. The building porters are mostly nice and I think try their best, but you get the sense living here that they're not treated or paid well. Overall, it's not terribly safe to live here because of the security guard company, ever-changing doormen, and it's not terribly comfortable to live here because the management won't keep things clean or fix things that are broken. We're leaving as soon as our lease is up.”

“...and can we please stop with the racist innuendos on this board? Seriously, enough with the "------ music," rent subsidized tenants," "80/20 building," "low cost housing," "bad attitudes," ect ect. If you are a white individual who didn't like living in the company of non-whites, just say it. The building is what it is, and so it the neighborhood. But it's one of the most affordable buildings of its kind in all of Manhattan. The units are nice and modern. The grounds are clean. And I've never had any serious problems with my neighbors. I'm a single, white male who has lived in the building for about 2 years. Yes, the security falls asleep late at night (but no one can get in unless they're buzzed in...so you tap on the glass--the horror!!!). Yes, there is a school across the street (attended by mostly minority children--gasp!!). And yes, it's Spanish Harlem (a whole 4 blocks from 96th street!!!). For those who want a lily white building with doorman who will kiss your insecure behind in hopes of a big Christmas tip, move to Midtown -- for twice as much! The Aspen is a nice place, period.”

“hello- I am considering The Aspen on First Avenue. I am a single female- is it safe, secure, what about the neighborhood, day and night? I hear there is a shuttle bus- when and where does it run? Any comments on overall cleanliness of building- the hallways, lighting, paint, gym, washer/dryer room? What about the helpfulness of doormen, super? Who helps if your toiet needs repair on weekends? I appreicate you comments-”

“The staff is fantastic, especially Brian (the manager), and Imir (the super). Any call for maintenance I have made is taken care of same day. The building is clean and the apartments are spacious. The amenities include a great free gym and community room, shuttle bus to 86th street, a very large private courtyard, laundry and maid services who are fantastic and economical to use. Best of all there is a great licensed daycare and preschool in the building that gives priority to tenant's children for available spaces ( visit them at www.buildingblocksplaygroup.com). A real family friendly building, and you won't find more space for less money just on the edge of the upper east side.”