116 John St

The Bad - 1. Rent - Rent is raised disproportionately to market 2. Sonder - The building is also home to a short-term apartment rental company, Sonder, who share most amenities and lobby access. The Evil - 1. Management - Silverstein properties to be more specific. Classic selfish, rude, and greedy property managers. I will elaborate on a couple scenarios below. 2. Rent Payments - there were 2 circumstances where there were “erroneous accounting” issues with rent and the security deposit so make sure to double check your invoices so you are not overcharged 3. Gym - Upon signing the lease and for multiple months thereafter, the gym was free to residents. Management decided to completely refurnish the gym with brand new equipment, mostly all the same equipment that was there prior but brand new. As per the property supervisor, they also wanted to have the aesthetic of an all black gym to “look nicer”. Totally understandable and fine. A week or 2 after the gym was completed, management decided to start charging residents $50 a month to utilize the gym, without prior notification that this may have been on the horizon to give them a heads up. As a point of reference, the gym was $0 for at least 8 years. As an daily user of the gym, I can tell you that everyone was obviously unhappy with this decision and the running theory is that management is trying to recoup their investment for the gym equipment by charging residents a monthly fee. Most residents did not end up getting the membership. 1. Residents can read between the lines and it was a lack of professionalism and under limited notice that ticked people off 4. Roof - The roof is open to all residents and Sonder residents as I stated above. However, management fails to explicitly state the rules of the road for the rooftop anywhere, which leads to ambiguity and arbitrary enforcement, leaving the resident powerless and at victim of whatever ridiculous rules management wants to bring up from time to time. 1. In my particular case, I had a couple friends over to enjoy the sunshine on the rooftop during the available hours of the day. No other residents were using the rooftop and we were up there for an hour and a half enjoying a few alcoholic beverages. 2 months later when vacating the premise, we received our notice of Security Deposit deductions, with the standard utility fee and a $500 charge for an “unauthorized gathering on the rooftop”. Absolutely ludicrous...

If you don’t mind waking up at 4:30am every morning Monday-Sunday from loud garbage trucks, then by all means. If you value your sleep then find somewhere else to stay. Staff is nice.

The leasing agents and the property manager are unprofessional and disorganized. The tenant resources provided (i.e. tenant handbook and welcome packet) provide conflicting information, and the staff are not knowledgable to help. They ignored my requests for help and I had to follow up 2 or 3 times on several occasions to discuss my needs. There are dozens of luxury high rise building in the financial district that are well run and clean. Skip 116 John.

Filthy building with bugs, leaks and management doesn't care

Cons: As a resident, the management never responds when you are in need of help but they will reach out to you whenever THEY themselves need help from you. ugh! and also the construction nearby is very loud! you might not notice during the day time because yes they like to do it in the middle of the night ( I'd say, midnight till 4 AM). The walls in the building are very thin so you can always hear your neighbors and if your neighbor happens to be a party mania then you're immediately screwed. Pros: front desk people are very nice! repairmen are efficient and helpful.

I tried to rent an apartment with this building but was turned off by the lack of professionalism exuded by the agents/brokers in the leasing office. They spoke down to me and were very dismissive of my needs. Additionally, they are disorganized--different agents at the office told me different things. I would never try to work with them again.

Living in this building can offer you many nearby conveniences: subways (the vast majority of which are express), a short walk to the waterfront and even a delightful escape to the restaurants and bars that quietly reside in the cobblestone nook centered around Front Street. As for the apartments and the building itself: they offer modern kitchens and bathrooms, wood floors and enough separation between units for privacy. The building rooftop is nice, however suffers from high walls that can block some of the otherwise tremendous views of the Brooklyn Bridge. The fitness facilities are adequate, and having two floors of washers and dryers is great. Beyond that, management is for the most part helpful and the building staff are efficient (and wonderful to have on your side for deliveries!). If you live here you'll be amongst a group that is predominantly comprised of mid-twenties to mid-thirties working professionals with a few families or older folks peppered in. I'd recommend this building for someone looking for a reasonably priced "luxury" apartment in a neighborhood that is full of conveniences (but not necessarily brimming with NYC character).

Moving to New York City was stressful to say the least. But I am so fortunate to have found an apartment (and home) at 116 John Street. My studio apartment is one of the biggest I've seen in downtown Manhattan, with high ceilings and plenty of natural light. The apartment is also recently renovated with stainless steel appliances and hardwood floors. But even with my amazing apartment, I was completely sold by the friendly doormen (that know me by name), large gym, and two large laundry rooms. Overall, I would definitely recommend 116 John Street to anyone looking to rent in New York City.

Love this apartment! The front desk is always friendly, the gym has enough equipment to work out, the facilities are clean, etc. My only complaint (if there is one) is the elevators can be slow. But aside from that, this is the best apartment I've lived in during my year's living in NYC.