Knickerbocker Plaza

My studio apartment is one of the smallest apartments in the 565 apartments in the building. Although our lobby has been beautifully designed, the apartments are slowly catching up in the renovation process. All apartments to be renovated are put on a lottery system. That is what I've been told. The renovation of apartments in this building started 3 years ago and my apartment has yet to be renovated. My lottery number is 372. They say that it will take 2 more years to be renovated. ... Bathrooms and kitchens will be renovated. All the ugly brown cabinets in the kitchen will be replaced with white cabinets and the bathrooms will have vanity closets and a large mirrored medicine cabinet. The renovated apartments also get a microwave and a new refrigerator. I have my mother's refrigerator, which is 35 years old (Sears Kenmore) and I bought a microwave oven, from Amazon, which went kaput after 11 months. The doorman wanted to know why I did not wait for my apartment to be renovated so I can get a free microwave from management. Yeah, right! One to three bedroom apartments have dishwashers. Studio apartments do not rate a dishwasher because, well, we are just single. My apartment floors are horrible. They are white, scratched up, black spots on them. I have to use detergent, bleach and other floor cleaners to make them look half way decent. The renovated apartments have nice parquet floors. The paint that is used to paint our apartments are inferior. The maintenance department uses this off-white paint by "Mr. Paint" for all buildings. You know, the standiard apartment paint. If you want to use your paint, forget it. They won't use your paint. even if you buy it, even if you secretly pay the painter to use your paint. So, I deal with having a bland apartment. I would love a larger apartment. One where I have my sleeping area separate from my living area. I would entertain more. I hardly entertain in my apartment because my entire life is exposed in one area. It's very small, almost no closet space. Just one accordion closet, several shelves for sweaters, etc. You have to buy extra furniture for storage. I have to tell you that I haven't bought extra storage pieces, because I can't afford to. Even though I am not pleased with this place, it is 4 walls, I am inside when it is cold and rainy and when I am tired and need a shower and it is mine. However, I thought by this time in my life, I would have a better place to live in. Read More