ASSOCIATED BLIND FOUNDATION INC · avg 2.5 ★★★★★ · New York City
“I lived in Ocean for five years before finally moving out. The rent has just gotten way too high for what the building has become, which is basically a college dorm. It is a nice building, in a nice location, but over the past year or so studios have become 2brs, 1brs turned into 3 bedrooms, etc. They actually advertise studios now as 2 bedroom apartments. Its a joke. It puts additional stress on the elevators, the mail service, the amenities, etc. they are also opening 3 new floors that they would not give me ANY information about, though they have retooled the elevators to go to them. We had one valet cart for a year because two were “broken”. They had to wait for new “wheels” to come, instead of getting new carts (they said they would be $3k each). My apartment was well over $4K a month. There are almost 500 apartments here. New wheels? Are you kidding me? They told us to use laundry carts. Very luxurious building. Now we have one fixed…still down one. The elevators always have at least 2 of 6 not working. Getting in touch with management is next to impossible unless it is about your payment. The roof deck is beautiful but has about 20 chairs. But seriously, if you are over the age of 35, you probably will want to look elsewhere, the dorms have taken over. The trash rooms look like people dont know the difference between recycling and composting.”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“Among the worst experiences of my life. I moved into a unit on the 21st floor in February of 2023. Two months later I began noticing cockroaches. Management began sending an exterminator who visited several times but the problem kept getting worse. Roaches had spread from the bathroom, to the kitchen, to the living room, and finally to my "home office" which is a nook I used as a bedroom. I had requested to be relocated to another unit in the building, and they offered me two smaller unit with no "home office/bedroom," and I was informed that they would be more expensive due to peak market rates in the summer. They wanted me to pay more for a smaller unit with no separate space for a bed. In the meantime, I had begun dreaming about my body being covered in roaches, had begun very literally hallucinating and seeing them in my peripheral vision when I would go to wash my hands at work. They cared nothing about this. I was treated like an animal and not a human being. As the problem continued to worsen over the weeks despite regular visits from an exterminator, they finally offered me a comparable unit for the same cost, but it was two floors directly above me. As one of the maintenance men had told me the problem had spread across several floors, I hesitated at the offer, thinking I'd only go to the trouble of moving into a different unit and have the same problem. I asked if I could have the weekend to think about it, and was told it would be no problem: "Take your time." I personally monitored the unit with roach motels for a couple of days and was relieved to see no activity of roaches, and on Monday morning I agreed to make the move. I later received a message that the unit "had been taken off of the market over the weekend," i.e. they had rented it out to another tenant. I saw red. I requested to be released from my lease so I could just move out. Despite having been told in writing that I would get one month of concessions, they reneged on that. They refused to pay for my move, as well as the cost of the new furniture I would have to buy as a means of not migrating the problem to my new apartment. I later took them to small claims court to collect the damages I had incurred for the broker fee I had to pay for my new apartment, the cost of furniture, the cost of moving, and minimal compensation for emotional duress, as the small claims court awards a maximum of $10,000. I just wanted management to finally take accountability and did not want to deal with or hire an attorney. The day our case was heard they sent no representation to defend their treatment of me, their tenant. The judge heard my case and awarded me the full amount I had requested, and even suggested I go to a higher court as I could have gotten more in damages. Fast forward to today, Ocean/Moinian is refusing to pay me, reply to my messages, or take my phone calls, despite the court order. So I am now in the process of working with the City Marshal and County Sheriff who will collect on my behalf. Why Ocean is licensed to serve as landlords in NYC I can never understand. Absolutely unbelievable.”
“I have been at Ocean for 4 years and while my actual apartment itself has been a good home, the building and the people that run it are beyond awful. The Ocean building is supposedly "luxury residences" when in reality it is the OPPOSITE. I would NEVER recommend anyone to live here! It's a shame because the surrounding area is great, views are beautiful, easy access to trains, away from the craziness of midtown etc. As other reviews have mentioned, everything is constantly broken in the building - at least one elevator is always down, lines to the front entrance for elevators (unrelated to covid), you have to wait for 10 mins just to get downstairs to the lobby, gym is full of broken equipment, and constant, disruptive, construction at all hours of the day/night. Skateboarders posted up every single day outside the building entrance, in the way of everyone walking in and out, and not surprisingly the building does nothing to enforce parameters. The management office - impossible to reach, constantly making mistakes on tenants account, will charge you if THEY make an accounting error, and overall completely and totally not accommodating (I.e moving in and out and use of service elevator). Front desk - doormen are pleasant and greet you sometimes, but often have their faces stuck in their phones or not paying attention at all to whoever is coming in (defeating the point of doormen as extra measure of security) and often times blatantly showing they don't care when approached with a complaint or issue by tenants. And let's not forget that the rent is absurdly overpriced for what you are getting. Only reason I have stayed in the building for so long (much longer than necessary) is because it's such a hassle and financial burden to move in the city, plus family is closeby. Otherwise I would've moved out 3 years ago. AWFUL Building and management/leasing staff.”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“Leasing THE WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE! Thank you for treating POC the way you do. I knew NY was all about money but if they did their job right I wouldn't have a panic attack or seizure at work. (Willing to show my hospital record) The company they work with, background check, informed me it had been 2 weeks my paper was sent to Ocean. So, if the lady is so good at her job.. Why didn't you see that and not tell me 48 hours before I don't have an apt. My uncle (guarantor) is from Cali and despite knowing the time difference. They gave me 45 mins to get the stubs (BY POLICY NOT ALLOWED FROM HIS COMPANY) before the office even opened. I asked if I could pay you 6 months at one shot and to give me time so I can handle it with a cool head as I was working and has to contact HR because my behavior was off and I was crying.. but NO! I thought your company policy was you see my credit or payment history minus all the bs. And, your "policy" should've been null and void after the lockdown. I don't want a revamped apt I need a roof on top of my head. People are dying, no homes and no food and this is the compassion.. Bravo Moinian! Everything aside the staff from front desk, valet and maintenance on top of everything and honestly the only reason I love this apt. Good amenities but it's a global pandemic take others in to consideration too. Not everyone was born with millions and $25 extra you're charging me from my view point, I can get 3 weeks food with that money because that's where the USA stands now.”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“I got this apartment in 2018 through online platform I am extremely satisfies with the staff, apartments, neighborhood, cleanliness and clam environment of the community. I am living in New Jersey right now but if I ever come back to NYC I will go for ocean”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“Apt are nice and comfortable. The roof has an amazing view. Staff is very present. One exception : valet service is literally rude. Quite unbelievable , this place deserve people that knows what hospitality means.”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“NEVER stay at the Ocean building. Their management comes from hell and does not care about you or your needs. They won't even give you a full name of who you are talking to, to file an official complaint against their employees. Firstly, I paid my full rent in advance to stay in their "luxury" building and when my lease was up, I asked if I could extend my lease for six more months because I am an international student and that's all my visa allows. They said no. But after pleading and pleading, they agreed to let me stay in the smallest studio apartment known to man if I pay $300 extra each month to "make up for the manpower it will take to find a new tenant in the middle of the year." The new rent adds up to $2700 a month for a TINY STUDIO in this so-called luxury building. Then, a mysterious $100 bill shows up after I have paid for my utilities. I email them since I already paid my full rent in advance and don't get charged for anything else other than my utilities. After a lot of back and forth, I ask to speak with them on the phone, and this lady is literally screaming at me, showing me attitude, saying it's "only $100 and I shouldn't make a big deal." Umm....it's my $100. My hard earned money and the management has the audacity to say that to me. I highly highly NOT recommend getting an apartment in this building. Do not fall in their trap.”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“Besides all the negative things, I just want to say we moved out over two months and they still NOT RETURN the DEPOSIT. We have no choice but taking them to small claim court to recover our deposit. Wish me luck. Btw they also claimed there is a small damage on the microwave (which was there before we moved in) and charged us $175. They also charged $30 for a light bulb. If you don't want to lose deposit or deal with the s**t, STAY AWAY FROM THEM”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“Very poorly managed, dilapidated elevators, paper thin walls, and atrocious pricing increases. When we heard Ocean LUXURY apartments, we hoped the receive just that, but instead found we overpaid for the bare minimum. This place is the equivalent of visiting a upscale restaurant where you walk through a beautiful facade and entrance, excited about all the possibilities and find that your waiter ignores you all night, your food is overcooked and in tiny portions, and they automatically add a 20% tip to a table of two. Here are a few facts you should be aware of before coming here: -Management - today, as an example, I need to book an elevator. There are 4 individuals whose job is to run the management office, all with dedicated extensions. I called each one throughout the day between 9 am and 6 pm for a total of 30 times. No one picked up. All the voicemails were full. Ask yourself, if in your job you refused to answer the phone, would you last long? -Rent, specifically Rent Increases - How much did your rent increase last year? Less than 5% ? What is the average increase in NYC? If you said 3% you would be correct. How much did Ocean increase rent this year.....23%. Yes that is a double digit number. Most people upgrade and get an extra room for the amount Ocean is having us pay for the same place. -Elevator - I had one friend get stuck and trapped on the elevator for about 30 minutes. There are two elevators that will not take you to certain floors. Each has been brought up to management over the last 12 months. Have the elevators been fixed.....nope. -Roofdeck - Is open for only about 6 months out of the year, its closing in October, long before there is any snow. You are paying for something you don't get to use half the time. -Gym - It smells. Bad. Like really bad. And wait until you find how much of the equipment is broken or unsafe. Again, are there plans to fix or upgrade anything. Well that would cost money to the building and they are not in the habit of spending it. -Free Brunch on Sunday - First I need to get them on definition, brunch = breakfast + lunch. No one eats brunch at 7:30 AM. That aside, yes the brunch is delicious and awesome. Oh, by the way, have you ever been to the thunderdome, because if you want some of those delicious scones and orange juice you better be ready for war. The first 3 or 4 people in line most likely have a small orphan family living with them because they are going to grab enough of those breakfast treats to feed 20 and leave you with crumbs. "Brunch" is advertised to last from 7:30 to 9ish. It will be history in 10 minutes guaranteed. -The building. 1) The walls.....Your neighbors want to watch TV? Now you get to listen to TV with them. Your neighbors want to have a dog. Now you have a dog. Your neighbor into some freak nasty things at 2 AM, then so are you friend. Maybe it will grow on you, there is always the opportunity to grow in life. 2) Fire Detectors - will detect anything including when you are not cooking or doing anything. 3) Sinks and Faucets - will occasionally spit out brown water. Its a special feature. We were told to run the water and it will go away. Sweet! - Washer/Dryer - Two were broken all year, never fixed. Also expensive. - Front Desk: These guys are awesome, I want to buy them a drink.”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“------------------ is the top three worst people I have ever had to communicate with in my entire life. RUDE and not professional. Acting like she is doing us a favor by even communicating to us. Held our money way past due and made us feel like she was not in fact accountable at all. She basically treated us like rats. Miserable human being. The doormen and maintenance professionals are amazing otherwise this place is a total waste of money, stress and time. AVOID ocean at all costs. You will hate yourself for ever considering it.”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“I've lived here for three years. They raise my rent $200 per month every single year. Everybody who works at the building is fantastic. However -------- the building manager is the most horrible person on earth. Beware they will screw you over!”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“Without a doubt, the most hostile management group in the city. Their bully tactics are enough to write a comedy movie about. --------, the leading manager, swore at my face and threatened with eviction on absolutely no grounds. Apparently, this is something she does often, as 2 other houses of tenants were threatened with the same force. Unless you're an older resident, the company has no conception of keeping their tenants happy. After reading about the way that Ocean treated the hurricane sandy victims, it only reinforces what I experienced with this company. To give you an example of the kind of greed that exists within this building: forgetting your key or accidentally locking yourself out means paying 30 dollars for them to open your door... The washing and drying machines are ludicrously expensive, at 2.75 a load, with the option to add extra cash for extra time (they keep the cycles short in order to scoop more money). They rarely allow you to use the service elevator (required to transport your furniture) and if you're caught pulling boxes through the normal elevators, BOOM, another fine. The front desk legitimately scolded me when I asked if I could borrow a vacuum, telling me it was a liability to the company... The only redeeming qualities of this building are the rare gems who work here: -----, ---Ã?©, and ---. And the views of the city. Everyone else fights to the teeth in order to avoid being bullied by --------, that includes the tenants.”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“I have to agree with the last review. I have been at the Ocean for about 3.5 years and Michelle is amazing!! She is a definite asset to the the Ocean!! She is extremely professional, has a pleasant demeanor and is always available unlike other property managers I have dealt with in the past. She is one of a kind!”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“I have been a tenant at 1 West for the past four years, and I couldn't be happier. I love my apartment and the building. Very happy during the summer months with the amazing roof top which has incredible views of the statue of liberty. Additionally, kudos to the property manager Michelle Szeneitas who is always ready to help. In 2013, I had a problem in my apartment and I needed her help and she was there from beginning to the end making sure that things were being properly done with a satisfactory outcome. Extremely pleasant. I have been leaving in NYC for 14 years and first time that I can truly say that she makes the experience of talking to a property manager a pleasure.”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“I love the location of this building which is why I renewed my lease, but the management is weirdly unhelpful and disrespectful. The girls in the office look at me like I have two heads when I ask them a simple question with a smile on my face. If I email or call, I never get a response. I chat with other tenants in the elevators and they say the same thing-- inept management. I would recommend the building for its cleanliness, beautiful roofdeck and amazing location, but if you need real help, you're gonna be a little screwed. Elliman needs to hire building manager who is service oriented, actually enjoys what they do, and who realize that this is our home, and that we would really appreciate their help if they would just provide it. PS: My Staff rating on this is in relation to management. The actual workers in the building-- doormen, handymen, maintenance are all AMAZING.”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“NOT luxury. --------------- Property Management has no sense of the term "customer service" and the owners of the building, The Moinian Group, are cheap and disrespectful. A/C in the hallways? Don't think about asking why it isn't turned on. A few of the elevators out of order? Just a regular day. Visit -----------------------------------------------------------”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“I used to love this building. The roof deck is nice and the doormen are great. The sad part is that they have the WORST property managers. They have switched from --------------------------------. They way the property manager treats the tenants is truly disgusting. She is mean spirited and disrepectful. This building is NOT running at full capacity since Sandy. Numerous power outages, people getting stuck in the elevators and to top it off, they have raised the rent 10% on the tenants that live there. Do NOT live at the Ocean! It has turned out to be the worse living experience I have ever had.”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“This is the worst place to live. My entire apartment shakes every time someone shuts their door, I have been stuck in the elevator three times, one time we dropped a few floors and the worst was when I was stuck in the elevator, alone, for an hour, my cell wouldn't work, the doorman refused to call 911, and the call button did not work either. I complained with 311 who informed me that they've been getting bombarded with elevator complaints for our building. On top of that we are still running on generators since October, and they turn off the power every now and then for hours and might only give you a ten minute warning that they are...so I hope you're not in the shower. Lastly, some of my friends who moved out during Sandy have yet to receive their security deposits. My one friend had to file with the attorney general to get his money and then I know a few people who have received checks from Moinian and they have BOUNCED! This place is hell- avoid at all costs.”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“Does anyone know how to get a security deposit back from this landlord? I moved out and have yet to receive it and when I contacted the management office I was connected to and almost hung up on by a very rude and abrasive property manager, I think she is knew, what happened to Ben Shuman?”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“I rented at One West for four years, having recently moved out [after the hurricane aftermath]. Although there are some very nice things about this building such as the location, the roof deck and the attentive & polite concierge staff... the management [Moinian Group] of this building is extremely difficult to deal with, and often times just mean- spirited and rude. There are many problems with this building, starting with extremely poor ventilation throughout the building. The hallways have no ventilation whatsoever, so residents get assaulted on a daily basis with foul cooking & garbage room odors along with the constant toxic smell & moisture from the laundry rooms on each floor. Added to all of this, after the storm there has been a strong smell of petroleum due to the garage, basement and lobby being completely flooded. Of course bldg. management advised all residents that the air was fine and there were absolutely no mold issues either [I do not believe this at all]. Also, since the building is still using external boilers, you can never get any hot water, only luke warm. The One West elevators are very sketchy as well [I was stuck in two different elevators on two different occasions for over an hour each time] - the elevators constantly do strange & scary things. The gym was horrendous until a recent face- lift [now it is average]. FYI: Prior to the storm, building management was planning to charge a monthly fee for both the roof deck and the gym [they now insist on clauses in all new leases that allow them to do so]. With so many unhappy residents, I doubt they would be so bold as to push that through this year... but it is coming sooner or later. Worst of all, the One West rental rates have sky- rocketed over the past three years, while providing no tangible improvements. Prior to the storm, residents were told NO DEALS... perhaps they are backing off that for now. Lastly... and you will hear this often... is it very difficult to get your security deposit back from the Moinian Group. Good luck.”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“To recommend this building to anyone would be an injustice, all you have to do is go to Curbed.com to see what I mean, Its a very sad state that the building is in, very angry tenants and management that is unresponsive and often defensive”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“This may or may not help anyone but here goes... I visited Ocean 1 West Street this week to find out about available apartments and to get some insight into the building's "issues" post Sandy. 1. The rental rates that the leasing agent provided were MUCH higher than what they advertise on their website (I know that those are starting rates, but it was a difference of anywhere between 1-2K per unit type) 2. All of the floors in EVERY unit were creaking and damaged. 3. The uninhabited apartments were very poorly maintained (grout issues in the bathroom, fallen/unhinged closets, etc). 4. The building is still running on generators - AND I witnessed 3 calls made to the leasing office by existing residents who were yelling because they keep on dealing with "no hot water" issues. 5. All of the residents that I met were very "displeased" with management to say the least. **Now I know some of these issues would be handled if one were to move into an available unit (i.e. unhinged closets and grout issues) - BUT I can tell you right now that you won't be getting any "steals" due to the building's situation. They are sticking to their high rates with no more than $100 room for negotiation and one free month on a 13 month lease. The additional hassles might eventually be taken care of - BUT I don't see the building getting back to pre-sandy standards before Feb/March 2013. People are far better off renting in Battery Park City which surprisingly faired much much better with respect to the storm aftermath.”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“Management is absolutely horrible and the building is still on a generator (full power not restored from Sandy) which continues to have issues and power outages months later. Hallways still smell like gas/oil.”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“Ben Shuman is not helpful with anything. They raise the rent at least $150 each year. If you plan to live there for short term, you will be fine. Do not make any long term commitments to this building. Management is terrible. We moved in with a broken wall unit ac, and for 2 years they have not found the time to fix it! Beautiful building and wonderful location! The roof deck has one of the best views in the city.”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan“I have lived here since the beginning of the year and have had nothing but problems. I hope the information I provide will help others not make the same mistake as I did. Apartment repairs are not addressed promptly (or at all), my dishwasher is so old that it doesn't clean the dishes, the package room closes at 7pm and you are lucky if you get your packages delivered to the front desk (I now have to call the front desk every single time I get a delivery to make sure it is there for me when I get home late from work- one of the most annoying problems of the building), my rent check has been lost twice (and I have been charged late fees), there is never any answer in the management office (probably because they know tenants call to try to complain all the time), you need an insurance certificate to move absolutely anything into the building (even a cheap piece of furniture from craigslist), there is no ramp to get a cart with groceries/packages into or out of the building easily, the laundry room and gym closes at 10pm and the walls are thin. Concierge staff are very nice and try their hardest to do their job with the constraints they are given.”
— 1 W ST · Manhattan