Rent Increase Alert! Rent Decrease Alert!

So, as mentioned earlier, the increased rental numbers are back up on the website (www.flatbushgardens.net).

However, I have a rent decrease alert for . . . EVERYWHERE ELSE! (duh, right?)

I was looking around craigslist, and quality units are available in the most desirable places for 1600-1800. Ok, yes, $500-$700 is A LOT of money, but come on. There has to be at least a few people who think prime rib at $1700 is better than lipstick on a pig for $1100. Thus, I am hoping that this pressures FBG in reverting back to the old scale, or somewhere in between. Heck, maybe I'll move to the fancy borough and someone else can ramble here about their gussied up pig of an apartment.

Laundry.

I'm happy to report I did my laundry on Presidents' day, and the standard 55-70% of the machines were working. No, that is not sarcasm, anything above 50% is ok with me. It's the 80%+ broken that is annoying.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention that they've raised the prices a nickel a wash (regardless of size), and a nickel per 15 minutes of drying. I believe this is abundantly fair. The machines (when working) are already much less expensive than the local retail operations.

Dogs, or no dogs; that is the notice.

Notice about dogs. See attached. I have two things to say about this.

One, ignore the first sentence for a minute, and I believe this is a shockingly reasonable, professional, typo-free document. If this was posted in a "luxury" building, it would not seem out of place. Good job management.

Second, what is up with the first sentence? As you know, you're not allowed to have pets, but here are three paragraphs about the proper care of your pets. It's almost like they had a perfect document, and said "wait, we better start it with a completely out of place and incompatible sentence so people know we were the ones that wrote it. I can't even guess how that sentence should have read to fit with the rest of it. "As you may be aware, it is stated in your lease that Flatbush Gardens has a no pets policy." I guess, if you change "no" to "defined." Because I am not aware of that, because my lease does not say that, and in fact says the opposite. Anyway, good try management, you almost had a competent notice posting.

Breaking news of violence at Flatbush Gardens.

1010 WINS New York's #1 source for local news, traffic and weather - Man Stabbed on East Flatbush Subway Platform

The thing about this is, FBG won't report this as a violent crime committed at the complex, when they say "we've reduced violent crime by X%". Even though, everyone who lives at FBG uses the Newkirk metrostop. Oh well. We'll wait for the full details. From a selfish safety standpoint, random violence = big deal, pre-existing relationship = less of a big deal.

Image update!

Ok, ok, I'm wicked lazy about moving pictures from my camera to computer (I guess that's a consequence of huge and cheap memory cards).

But, I've finally posted them.

Laundry:
http://flatbushnyc.blogspot.com/2008/10/laundry-day.html


Leaking ceiling:
http://flatbushnyc.blogspot.com/2008/11/rainy-days-in-my-bedroom.html


Also, see previous post regarding the maintenance department sign.

The fine service offered by FBG maintenance.

So I guess they moved the maintenance office from the security office to the area just before the mailroom.

I think this might capsulate the fine service one gets from the Flatbush Gardens maintenance department:

Let's start with the ridiculous fact that they have this notice. Ok, granted, it's good advice, and Flatbush Gardens may have an above average number of people who go immediately into adversarial mode (i.e. holdover tenants). However, it's still absolutely ridiculous that they post this sign. I mean, maybe try running the maintenance department with some degree of professionalism and competence.

Though, to be fair, the prior location of the maintenance office was located behind protected safety-"glass" such as you would find at a movie theater or gas station. Ostensibly, one could imagine that was not by design, but because the office was located in the security office, but in truth, it was likely designed that way.

Here are some suggestions to help you not need a sign:
1a. Try to give people a time window of when you'll be there.
1b. At least tell people what day you're going to be there. I mean for the love of Elmo, even the phone company can tell you what day they're coming.
2a. Accept people's keys so you can enter the apartment while they are at work.
2b. Do whatever is needed to do 2a, such as not hire criminals, or pay a few extra bucks for real insurance.
3. Insert more in comments.



Also, why is "Welcome to the FB Maintenance Office" in much smaller font than the message telling you to relax?

Rent Increase Alert! un-retracted (tracted?)

As the commenter mentioned in the prior post, the site is back to the new higher scale.