Wednesday, August 7, 2013

This exists in 2013?

From the NY Post:

It’s a human kennel.

Less than a 10-minute walk from Soho is the Sun Bright Hotel — where men pay $10 a night to live in tiny cells bounded by chicken wire.

It’s a single-room-occupancy hotel that has been operating since the late 19th century and where today men live side by side in filth.

Nestled on the edge of Chinatown between the Bowery and Elizabeth Street, the hotel on Hester Street is minutes from Balthazar, where the $135 côte de boeuf for two would cover half a month’s rent at the Sun Bright.

Only men are allowed in the units on the third and fourth floors, the hotel’s most hellish. The accommodations there measure 7 by 5 feet, smaller than the average 8-by-10 solitary-confinement cell in a state prison.

Roaches, bedbugs, fleas and other vermin infest the building. Hot hallways reek of rotting trash, sweat and urine.

More than 100 men on the floor share one bathroom with two shower stalls, four toilets and one urinal. Wet, moldy spackle peels off the ceiling like snakeskin. Black mold spreads over filthy walls in two shower stalls.

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

Deja vu!

Gerald Wolkoff had divided up some of the floors in his building (the "5 Pointz" site) to house "artist's studios" in a similar fashion. They were bigger of course...but they were ILLEGAL, none the less.

The FDNY got wind of this after one artist plunged to the sidewalk below (almost to her death)...when a poorly maintained exterior staircase suddenly gave way.

The building was subsequently padlocked shut and a vacate order was posted.

Now...this same slumlord and son...want a variance to build two 40+ story luxury residential towers on the site.

CB2 voted it down unanimously, but that didn't stop the developers' house servant Helen Marshall from approving it.

Spend a day on Davis Street. Count the rats and smell the garbage.

Uh...Councilman jimmy Van Bramer is in favor with the Wolkoff plan to develop the "5 Pointz" site.

Councilman Jimmy also got money from the same Wolkoffs for his campaign war chest.

Do we smell a rat here...the two legged variety?

Van Bramer needs to be investigated by the City Council Ethics Committee.

Being on the cuff of a developer...whose project you will be voting on in the council...is a serious matter!

Anonymous said...

Something right out of the Tweed era "Gangs of New York" movie. Will the residents vote Democrat?

Anonymous said...

Why should this be a surprise to anyone?

I looked at a "basement apartment" behind the Carvel at 29th and Francis Lewis that was being offered for $900/month. It didn't have a kitchen!!!!

On top of that it was being offered by a renter - not the home owner! This was part of their rental! A finished basement with a 3/4 bathroom (no tub).

They hadn't even bothered to put in a microwave and fridge. And it had a tenant.

These spaces are actually larger than some of the hotel rooms in Japan. You think they could at least keep the place clean!

NYC has had its day in the sun - now it's just a playground for the uber-wealthy - life sucks for everyone else!

Jerry Rotondi said...

Do you remember Bloomberg's promise of a better New York--with an improved educational system--the delivery of better city services, etc. ?

It all sounded very nice--huh?

Well, he lied--and he was aided and abetted by Speaker Quinn. Do not forget that treacherous cur's support of him, or we'll be screwed once again.

Bloomberg should never have been given a 3rd term in office. He should have been given the boot!

Mayor Mike bathes himself in luxury. He cares only about himself and his own pleasures--along with those taken by his wealthy pals.

Many other horrible conditions like these exist around our city--that the Emperor of Wall Street doesn't ever notice or even give a damn about.

Can anyone even begin to imagine the conditions on a slave ship without ever having been on one?
This human kennel gives us a little hint.

I wonder how many calls have been made to the grossly inept DOB regarding this site?
Are they too busy accepting bribes to respond?

This is only one of the discovered "festering sores" on the "soft underbelly" of New York City!

No doubt--there are many more.

The Department of Buildings appears to be operating like a criminal organization. They are certainly accomplices in many of these crimes.

Anonymous said...

Of course it exists... Its another wonderful chinese import!!!

Isn't everyone glad we are such a welcoming nation?!?!

Anonymous said...

There a homeowners in Flushing who are renting out spare bedrooms to Asian visitors and no one complains.

Anonymous said...

http://www.sunbrighthotel.com/main.html?src=%2Findex2.html#3,0

Those are pictures from their website.

Anonymous said...

I looked at a "basement apartment" behind the Carvel at 29th and Francis Lewis that was being offered for $900/month. It didn't have a kitchen!!!!

Yes we know this is everywhere - so why don't we ask Vallone and Katz about this during the next debate, eh?

There is so much shit going down around us - the stuff on this blog are things we see every day - so why the hell don't we hound those responsible everytime we have a public opportunity - like the debates?

Anonymous said...

Yeah, It's a good thing Bloomberg is leaving. I'm sure none of this will continue under the leadership of any of the fine upstanding candidates currently running for Mayor. I'm sure we're not going back to the bad old Beame-Koch-Dinkins days at all.

Anonymous said...

"There a homeowners in Flushing who are renting out spare bedrooms to Asian visitors and no one complains."

For YEARS we Flushing-ites have complained and complained, and the city does nothing.

Anonymous said...

The sad part is if this place was shut down, many of the residents would likely find themselves in an even worse situation than they are now.

Anonymous said...

But it has such stellar ratings!
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60763-d673661-Reviews-Sun_Bright_Hotel-New_York_City_New_York.html

Anonymous said...

"Forget it Crappper, it's chinatown."

Anonymous said...

Is this a Christine Quinn rent control ad again?

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
"There a homeowners in Flushing who are renting out spare bedrooms to Asian visitors and no one complains."

That's right just check out this house @ 33-53 155th Street. All the info is on the DOB web site.

http://a810-bisweb.nyc.gov/bisweb/PropertyProfileOverviewServlet?boro=4&houseno=3353&street=155th+Stret&go2=+GO+&requestid=0&t10=y

Anonymous said...

Unless the DOB gets its ass kicked real good, complaints will be ignored.

And who's gonna kick their ass...our aloof Mayor, or our real estate industry owned city council members?
Even DOI operates under the auspices of Emperor Bloomberg.

The fix is in and nobody's going to fix that.

Anonymous said...

And who's gonna kick their ass...our aloof Mayor, or our real estate industry owned city council members?
Even DOI operates under the auspices of Emperor Bloomberg.

YOU DEAR VOTER - YOU HAVE BLOGS NOW SO THERE IS NO REASON TO SIT SILENTLY AND SUFFER. THROW THIS IN THEIR FACE EVERY CHANCE YOU GET!!!!

Anonymous said...

The funny thing is that I don't find this surprising. It's just typical of NYC. NYC is a dump and is in general a very dirty city. Look at every NYC street corner even in the UES. FILTHY. This picture of the hotel looks nothing different from any NYC street or NYC subway. It reflects the character of NYC I see everyday. Garbage stains, gum spots on the sidewalks, outdated nonoperational telephone stations or whatever you call them, everywhere. Once you travel more outside the US and see other countries and cities, you will begin to see NYC differently. I used to think NYC was the best and cleanest city in the world until I was exposed to the world outside my comfort zone aka outside the US. Harsh but the undeniable truth...