This is a website documenting Avalon Cove in Jersey City, NJ, a supposedly “luxury” community along the Hudson River across from Manhattan. Avalon used to be a nice place to live, until a few years ago when they stopped maintaining the building and decided to view their tenants as problems to be dealt with and focused on how to extract the most money out of them.
Check out the photo Gallery- these pictures were taken within a 30 minute span on Saturday May 30th- I didn’t even walk around the entire building- just a brief trip outside and one wing of the fifth floor.
Have any of your own stories to share? Email them to me at kevstev@no.spam.gmail.com (remove the spammy stuff obviously). I should have a forum up soon- I attempted to put one in but it didn’t quite work on the first go around.
Things that piss us off as tenants:
-They charge a steep amenity fee- $625 dollars but they are in terrible shape- Elevators are out of service several times a month, there are 4 treadmills for both buildings with hundreds of units, the Pool was not open on Memorial day and is still not open as of June 17, 2009.
-Maintenance is terrible. On my floor there are 3 broken hallway light fixtures which have been broken for months. There was a storm in Summer 2008 that caused a leak in the roof and the paint to peel on the fifth floor ceiling and wall. After several months, they finally fixed the peeling paint, but just spackled over the damage and did not repaint it!. The elevator closest to my unit greets me on my way home each day with a big FU scratched in the door (see pictures). The roof is even falling off building two (again, see pictures) and no one seems to care.
-Security is a joke. The security guards can be found sleeping in the booth late at night, or kicking back a few brewski’s. But when they are on the job, don’t worry! They will be sure to break your visiting guest’s chops about getting a guest parking spot while completely ignoring the fact that someone is breaking into cars in the guest parking section (see pictures). Building locks often don’t work, and several years ago when there was a rash of break-ins Avalon Cove’s response was to put up signs telling you to get to know your neighbors, implying that it was the resident’s fault that they weren’t doing enough to keep the Cove safe. Have you forgotten your keys? Don’t worry! The gate can be easily opened by merely reaching through the bars and pressing the button (see pictures), and the main doors can be opened with a credit card in less time it will take you to find your key fob. Of course, if you are in a real bind, you can just walk into the community from the boardwalk.
-The apartments are aging poorly. The kitchen’s haven’t been updated in the 15+ years the place has been open, and beachwood cabinets were low quality to begin with and the doors are falling off the hinges. Compared to other new developments in the area, they are pitiful. On a similar note, in everyone’s rent, they pay a $50 monthly fee for the washer/dryer in the unit. These units are on their last legs, frequently break and fail to rinse the suds off of your clothes. $50 a month! They should be buying us a new set each year for that much!
-Customer DisService. Sometimes, I think they don’t want people to live here. The audacity of these people blows me away. They combined the “leasing” and the “resident services” offices about a year ago to “better help the community.” This has resulted in long waits on the weekends to actually speak with someone about community issues. They are more concerned with servicing their new potential shipmates on their Titanic than those who already on line for a life boat. Don’t even bother for your security deposit back, it will require tens of phone calls and a willingness to border on harassment to get them back. Three months later, you will have wished you had just gotten a job at McDonald’s instead of wasting all that time. So much for Avalon’s motto- “Giving you the gift of time.”
We personally have had a lease that has run straight through for 7+ years. During the last renewal, a roommate left and we handed in the proper paperwork to get her off the lease. They lost it, blamed us, and then told us tough luck when we explained we have no contact with her! To add to the story, they took her off the water bill when she left, and still won’t admit they made a mistake. The lack of common courtesy shown to people who have paid rent here for 7+ years without issue is mind-boggling.
-No one seems to care what the residents do. Some apartments, I don’t even know how many people they are packing in there- its like a farkin’ clown car. Out comes, auntie, uncle, grandma, grandpa, and a kickin’ stench of curry, and you think ok no problem. But then comes cousin amit, neha, servesh, three nieces, four nephews, Great Grandma who needs a far less revealing sari, ten in-laws and an elephant, and suddenly you understand why there is never a treadmill open between 6 and 10pm.
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