Meridia Main Station

The pictures of this place online are really nice but I didn't like what I saw on my visit. First, I waited in the lobby for the person to come and show me an apartment and as i'm waiting I realized numerous packages scattered on the floor in the lobby. I saw people who already lived in this building tumble through the packages to see which one is theirs's, which I think is ridiculous because anyone can take your package, they don't bring packages to your door. The parking is insane, they say... they have a lot behind the building but it's a walk, fi you want a spot in the garage it is a $100 monthly fee. I was first shown a "1 Bedroom" but it was more of a studio because I could barely fit anything in there and then I saw another 1 Bedroom and the room was so tiny was well as the closet. No worth the price or the headache. Read More

The Good
1. Nice space and distribution of unit
2. Open kitchen/Good size bathroom
3. Package room - small but secure. I never lost a package in 2 years
4. Hallways and common areas are clean and kept in a good state of repair
5. Maintenance -work orders are handled promptly
6. Site managercourteous and almost always expedient
7. Close to Bound Brook train station but see below. This is both a blessing and a curse!
 
 
The Bad
1. Rent hike – 19% from 2022-2023 to align with other new... buildings in the area. There are no added benefits to tenants other than new furniture at lobby. They refused to re-negotiate.
2. Railroad tracks and grade crossing - Meridia is a couple of feet away from rail tracks:

* NJT passenger train: First train: 4:42AM; and last train 2:11AM - you’ll hear them!
* Freight trains -24H!!!! The worst days seem to be Mondays and Tuesdays from 3-5am.
* Grade Crossing  – both passenger and freight trains are required to blow horn at any time, and they do at the interception of the rail tracks and Main St - Queens Bridge where the Meridia sits.   Bound Brook is not a designated quiet zone   
3. Thin walls and ceilings: constant thump of upstairs neighbors
4. W/D - most units do not have in unit W/D, and W/D in common laundry often breakdown or they are busy.
5. Parking –there is a separate parking fee. Indoor parking spots are more expensive ($90) than outdoor parking. Indoor spots are not enough for tenants. There is a waiting list. Outdoor spots are not respected and there are constant reminders that unauthorized vehicles are parked and will be tolled. I was lucky to have one indoor spot. It was tight.
6. Amenities: Gym – OK but very small and I don’t think it can accommodate more than 5-8 people at a time.
7. Fees: administrative fee on lease signage (non refundable), late fee, lock out fee, amenity fee, parking fee, pet rent/fee, pet waste fee, smoking fee, month to month fee (>$300/month), change of unit fee, and attorney fee in lease contract.
8. Marihuana: frequent smell of weed even though it is not a smoking bldg. I recognize this speaks more of residents but enforcement should be on management.
9. Flooding – indoor parking may just flood with intense rain as it did in 2021. We also lost power. We all have to evacuate the Meridia for a couple of days! Read More

Management is horrible. We pay a lot for what we get. The laundry room charges $2.50 a load and the washers and dryers are old and gross. There has been a handful of times where the dryer didn't dry since there was zero heat. One washer has been out of order for months with mold inside the machine. The carpet in the hallways are disgusting and need a deep clean. Cabinets are falling apart due to poor building, our water heater closet smells HORRIBLE to the point where we try not to open the... closet, our heater/air conditioner has broken numerous times WITH MOLD INSIDE. We can hear our neighbors upstairs as if we are in the apartment with them. They charge us $90 to park our car in the garage which is insane. If you want to park in the free lot, you have to walk. (Not safe at night). They say they're strict about random people parking in the free lot but we always see random cars that take up room which makes us have to walk even further to the apartment. I can't even count the amount of times the elevators have been broken and when they get fixed, they bounce when the door opens and makes so much noise. I'm convinced I'm going to get stuck in it one day. They also charge $50 extra for having a pet. And being a dog owner, I have no idea where my money is going. They have two poop bag stands in the opposite side of the building. How is that pet friendly? It doesn't take everyone's $50 to pay for the bags. Unbelievable! I would stay clear from this place. My boyfriend and I can't WAIT to get out! Read More

Clear bait and switch tactics here. Complex advertised apartment as available on there website with an “apply now” button. Applied, paid $95 per applicant and received a text messaged that we were approved. After that we got a phone call saying that apartment was actually not available and refused to give us our money back for applying to an apartment that was never an option.

While I love my apartment itself, there is a lot of difficulties if you are not lucky enough to have an indoor parking garage spot. I have an outdoor parking spot that I may $70 for monthly, and every other week my spot is taken by random vehicles who I am to assume are guests of other tenants. I have to leave my car on streets, at the local park, or in the free guest lot when I am paying for someone else to use my spot. When I request the car to be towed, it never is. Sometimes the car has been... left there for days. This happens “after hours” so Meridia does not care. There is no monitoring of the paid outdoor lot, so the people that pay for spots are constantly screwed over with parking. Towing never tows, and the bound brook police department is not allowed to even be involved or help. I shouldn’t be getting home in the late evening with no place for my car and have nobody to be able to contact to resolve this issue. It actually shouldn’t even be an issue. Maybe be writing this will actually impact something after the bi weekly or monthly emails I send. Read More