by Justine 
*image by Vidiot
So I get an email yesterday from a fellow blogger and wouldn’t you know it – she was the previous tenant in my exact apartment. How fucking random is that?
Here are her woes as an Astral tenant.
Seems she had the same issue as I did with the bathroom ceiling collapse. Apparently they “fixed” it before I moved in but as I know it wasn’t really fixed then…
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Yeah, i live in the astral too for about 5 years and have to say I’ve heard these horror stories but never experienced them. I lived in actual hellholes before at much more exorbitant rates and i find tommy and edwin and the gang to be both charming and mildly helpful. More amusing than anything else.
I don’t think you can go in expecting very much. It’s a huge rent-stabilized building in a forgotten district. it is what it is.
Lovely Lady J – I’m really happy to hear that the bugs haven’t been a driving force to change your life. You’re right – they ARE just bugs, and they are manageable if you’re in the right frame of mine. Unfortunately, I had an apartment full of things I’d collected over my years on this earth, and as a result of the bugs, everything except my metal desk, my clothes, and my books (which I microwaved/baked individually upon leaving the apartment so as to kill bedbug eggs) was lost in the Great Bedbug Purge of 2007.
And yes, my communication problems were always with the management, and never with Tommy. He was very sweet and very attentive to the apartment’s many problems. But it’s SUCH A CUTE PLACE!!! I’m happy that you’re happy there – I have so many good memories that far outweigh the bad ones.
I had an apartment full of things I’d collected over my years on this earth, and as a result of the bugs, everything except my metal desk, my clothes, and my books (which I microwaved/baked individually upon leaving the apartment so as to kill bedbug eggs) was lost in the Great Bedbug Purge of 2007.
Oh my goodness – my heart goes out to you, Stella! I’m so sorry to hear that.
At the very least, I’m glad to hear the good outweighed the bad. 🙂
I put an application in for a unit at the Astral today and now I’m having second thoughts. All of my furniture is brand new and 100% bedbug free. I’ve lived in a building in “prime UWS” (blah blah) for two years and can’t imagine having any worse problems (massive mice infestation / roaches / leaks / etc.)
Should I have second thoughts about renting in the building? Or am I being paranoid?