2101 Cooperative, Inc. Reviews

A Horrible Cooperative with Substandard Living Conditions. This building is cheap because it is dilapidated and more of a nursing home than a cooperative. The hallways are grimy and ugly, and lack ventilation. The infrastructure is a disaster with noisy A/C window units, a faulty boiler, ill-fitting windows, many units lack ventilation, plumbing is substandard, etc. When you buy here, management falsely claims the monthly carrying charges increase will be roughly 3%. Last year it was over 7%, this year it is 9.3%, with no relief in sight. They refuse to submit to a forensic audit and resist one. All the money vanishes without explanation, just vague excuses about inflation. There are no amenities here that justify these increases. This is a Limited Equity Cooperative, so be very cautious of buying at an inflated price. Ask your realtor to explain this. Don't get tricked into paying for the seller's improvements, which is prohibited in our bylaws. Demand a copy of those bylaws before making any decisions. *They have chronic infestations of BEDBUGS, COCKROACHES, and recently MOTHS. *Noise carries through the walls and ceilings of the building so you have little privacy. *Although they call this a "non-smoking" building, they “grandfathered in” smokers. Hence, it isn’t unusual for smoke to travel through the building’s defective ventilation airshafts and enter through your vents. Smoking is permitted on the roof garden, an odd policy for a building that claims it is "non-smoking." *Despite claiming to be pet-friendly, they have a policy wherein only “emotional support animals" (ESAs) dogs are allowed. Yet there are an extraordinary number of dogs in the building, with no restrictions on breed or weight. They seem to be backing down from this, but be cautious. Also, the Trump administration is cracking down on ESA abuses so you can tell 2101 management to screw off if you want to have a dog. *The Board of Directors is a typically awful HOA that often subverts house regulations and lacks the knowledge to run a building. The median age of the board is 75, and it shows. *BOD members conspired to keep the parking fees low for themselves and their allies, though the regulations say they should be increased with the monthly carrying charges. They suspended that practice, but after a big battle, were obliged to resume it. This is typical of how they operate. *Watch out for ASBESTOS, something that they try to conceal. The lack of ventilation in many units is a serious health problem that leads to mold, flaking paint, unhealthy stale air, and high humidity levels. If you are buying directly from the building demand the seller disclosure statement required by a mandatory Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law (RESDL) that they refuse to provide. If you are buying through a realtor, he will provide an RESDL form, but the seller who filled it out may not be telling the truth about the ventilation. Be especially cautious if you are buying a unit through an estate because then you are not protected by the RESDL. Get an attorney to advise you, or you will very likely be screwed. Before buying, demand a copy of the new "Master Plan" (2024) to evaluate the poor state of the building. Note the cost estimates and consider where the funding will come from. The price consists of non-recoverable fees, so when the buyer wakes up and sees what a mess the place is, it's too late. Look at the real estate sales records online and see how sales here have plummeted over the years, and how long it takes to sell a unit. Finally, beware of the identity politics that run rampant here. If you are Christian know that nativity scenes are tacitly banned, yet they set up a Hannakah altar and conduct public rites before it in the lobby. They display weird hand scrawled signs conflating Juneteenth with Pride Month, but put nothing up for MLK day. The bottom line is that there are seemingly insuperable infrastructure issues and there isn't a competent board and management company to handle them. Spend a little more money and save yourself massive frustration and discomfort.