Helena 57 West Apartments

I had a great experience with the Helena leasing office, especially with Paris. She was super helpful, attentive, and made the whole process easy and stress-free. Her kindness and professionalism really stood out.

The only positive part of this entire experience was Paris, who was kind enough to show me around the building and did a wonderful job. Unfortunately, my experience with the leasing associate, Kaitlyn, was the complete opposite. Rather than evaluating my application fairly, she seemed focused on nitpicking and ultimately denying it. This was not due to financial reasons. I have a verifiable income of nearly half a million dollars annually and a net worth in the millions. Also, added my credit score as the reason for a good measure. (800+ if you are wondering). Despite this, I was subjected to what can only be described as unnecessary and discriminatory profiling, sometimes when you remove all the possibilities what is left is usually the obvious. I hope this review helps someone out there. Have a good day.

Elevators are constantly broken and management takes a week or so to fix them. You will either have to walk to whatever floor or wait 15 minutes just to get to your apartment.

I visited Helena 57 when I was doing an apartment tour in the midtown west area. I was thoroughly impressed with the building. The size of the studio I was viewing was spacious with large windows, a massive walk-in closet, and a beautiful kitchen. The amenities were the perfect icing on the cake. From the conference rooms to game rooms to gym, the display was very elegant and bright. The rooms felt very cozy and spacious with nice furniture and large televisions. I must lastly mention the leasing manager who was assisting me - Paris. She was very kind and answered all my questions and concerns. She provided me a full tour despite me being a last-second walk-in and really made this experience amazing. I highly recommend the Helena as a peaceful escape from the noise and chaos of New York City if you you are looking for a quiet, high-end apartment very close to the water.

As a resident who’s lived here for awhile, it’s become increasingly clear that the leasing office and rental company see their tenants not as people, but dollar signs. My last two renewals have come with around 20% increases on rent, with no room for negotiation. So many people have moved out, pushed out by high costs so new renters can move in and be taken advantage of. Additionally, I’ve had to deal with a cigarette smoke coming into my apartment for over six months, constantly working with the management to try to get a resolution, only to get the run round around and very little tangible information in our email communications.

I have lived at the Helena for 5 years. It has been a wonderful experience! Everyone on this team goes above and beyond to take care of everything I need and make me feel cared for! Anytime I need anything they have been incredibly responsive, friendly and I always feel they are looking out for me! I have recommended this place to friends and they have experienced the same level of service and care. It's rare to find a place that feels like someone has your back and will do whatever they can for you. I highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a fantastic team and a true sense of home!

Helena is one of the best residences in Northern Hell's Kitchen, said many friends and I. Particularly stands out the quality of building management and maintenance. It something I noticed right away upon first walking into the building - every small detail was well thought-out, making busy and stressful New York life a little stressful when you enter the building where your home is. Same thoughtfulness applies to individual units, with included amenities such as a filtered water station in the kitchen and spacious bathrooms. The building is close to Riverside park - a gem you're likely to miss out on if you don't live close to it, and Columbus Circle with its access to Central Park is only 15 minutes away. If you want to be close to everything (10-15 minute walk), yet have a bit of peace and quite - a rare commodity in most of Midtown - Helena might be just the right residence to consider.

Leasing process was pretty smooth. Monique was great...super helpful and patient. I appreciate that she took the time to give me a call once I expressed interest online. She made sure I understood the process. I might not have gotten this apartment if it weren't for her. I've been living here 5 months now and I'm happiest I've ever been in an NYC apartment...this is my 6th one. Maintenance almost always comes within a day to address any issues. Everything is clean and well managed. The staff is friendly.

I stayed here on two visits to NYC with a friend who lived in the building. From my perspective, it was an awesome location. Just a tad far from Columbus Circle's subway station, but you get to be right by the water, with peaceful night views: http://s3-media4.ak.yelpcdn.com/bphoto/4YX7KAUc8SmArVz47WFw8Q/l.jpg The walls are thin but it wasn't like we could hear the neighbors from inside the apartment. We could hear the neighbors through the doors when walking down the hallway, though. Also! Vanessa Williams lives in the penthouse. I didn't stalk her, but maybe I should have.

I lived here for two years and just moved out. I highly recommend living here. While you may not have a subway across the street, it takes less than 10 minutes to walk to the Columbus Circle station or you can use the buildings shuttle service on the weekdays. I had the most incredible experience living in the city and at The Helena. The staff really made my stay special... I will miss you all! Thank you!

We have not had heat for 2-3 weeks, our floor was leaking a few days ago. Nice lobby renovation. Up the expectation, completely under deliver - that's the way to do it! The snake looking wooden seats definitely make up for no heat. Hope the old folks are doing alright in the building - they seem bundled up without a voice.

Very pleased with our unit with water views and huge windows. Very pleased with the staff. Very pleased with the amenities that are MORE than normal amenities for a luxury building (2 floors for the gym!). Very pleased with the community and the fact that attached to the building is an amazing grocery store, new boutique movie theatre, Italian fine dining restaurant and more.

Every time we come to the city we stay here full-time at the front desk gentle man are friendly the place is spotless highly recommend it

I have lived her six,months after having lived on the east side. I am so happy that I made the move. The Helena is a very well run building. The staff is very accommodating and very heipful in any way possible. For me one of the decided advantages of living at The Helena is its proximity to Lincoln Center, The Met, Carnegie Hall And the neighborhood is being developed and offering a new Greek restaurant, Ousia, which is excellent.

The future New Yorker will strongly want to consider becoming a resident of one of the finest apartment buildings in Manhattan. Midtown West Side's Helena, a 40 story Durst property at 57th St. and 11th Avenue is the preferred choice for settling in to a clean, comfortable, well-maintained building with amenities that include a co-working space, a state-of-the-art exercise facility, a recreation room and a modern and stylish kitchen. The community manager and residential administrative assistants pay close attention to detail and the concierge and maintenance staff are very professional and attend to every tenant need with speed and efficiency. The view of the New York skyline from the roof is spectacular and apartments are spacious and many offer great views and various exposures. The Helena simply must be your choice for living in New York--it is a wise and considerate decision for safety, for comfort and for a relaxed and well-lived life. James Carmicle, Resident 2018-2022

Absolutely terrible experience with the leasing office. The agent Melissa is terrible. She did not know answers to half the questions I asked and also forgot to mention that there was construction 24/7 in the building right across the street from the unit she was showing me. She also forgot to mention the my would-be next door neighbors are heavy smokers and smoke in their apartment. She gave me a "lecture" because I asked the maintenance man a question, and also just left me hanging after the showing when I told her I didn't like the apartments. She has a terrible personality and very negative energy. Would avoid working with Helena and their leasing office at all costs. Studio had creaky floor board and Melissa also failed to acknowledge it even when I pointed it out to her. Worst experience ever! Would not recommend this place to a friend! Stay away.

update: they provide payment options but no payment reliefs. how about you respond to the constant weed smell that permeates the apartment and rooftop? Or the noise from the thin walls and vents? Interesting that you chose to focus on payment plans.

THE WORST MANAGEMENT I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE!!! - On the fifth floor. I live here for a year, and can't say any good words about management in the building. Completely disrespectful to residents. They never willing to help residents. The door is mostly closed when you try to come to the office. There is always new people work in the office. For only one year, I've seen so many new people. And they seem really not competence, most of the time they don't know information, they seem don't know what they doing, they can't help you, and they really not interested to talk to residents who already live in the building. And I spoke to so many people in the building who think the same way, even doormen. I think they seriously have to work on developing an office team on the fifth floor. This is a WEAKEST part of this building.

It's a LEED certified building (if that means anything of importance to you). Location is inconvenient as it's on 11th Ave. Any further west and you'd be on the Hudson River. Speaking of which, no swimming pool here. M57 and M31 bus literally stops on the corner. There's also a shuttle service that runs every 20 minutes during rush hour morning and evenings but only during the weekday. Nearest subway is at Columbus Circle. For $600 a year, you get membership to their "club" which offers access to the indoor gym facility, continental breakfast and the use of their community lounge which has free Wi-Fi and a small collection of books. The gym is pretty nice with state of the art machines however it's not open 24 hrs and even closed on certain holidays. The laundry room on my floor consists of only 2 washer/dryer units which is a bit ridiculous. Not sure if the other 1 bedrooms have W/D units inside the apt. I live on the lower floors so city noise is kinda loud as the intersection is pretty busy. There is also a waste facility nearby so you can hear garbage trucks doing their business at certain times. Luckily, the walls are pretty well insulated. Hallway noise can be noisy depending on your neighbors. Luckily for me, it hasn't been a problem. Maintenance crew is pretty responsive (and available 24/7 I believe). Pleasant and helpful doormen. Very friendly. The lobby has a small convenient store that has a wide variety of stuff, but expect to pay more for the convenience. Small but very cool roof top with great views.

I lived here for two years until spring 2014 and moved out. Pros: A great view of the Hudson. Steps away from the Hudson River Greenway. You can walk, jog, run, bike, skate, etc. there along the river. All the doormen and handymen are helpful, responsive. My unit was clean. No roaches, no bedbugs, other pests. Cons: Noise from construction sites. There are two. Work -- noise -- can start as early as 7 a.m. This was really irritating sometimes when I wanted to rest in the morning. Both sites are not finishing anytime soon. The leasing office did not inform about it. Perhaps my fault for not asking. It also sits on a zone 2 hurricane evacuation zone. We did not evacuate for Hurricane Sandy of 2012. Zone 1 was subject to evacuation. I got a robocall telling me not to flush toilet in the apartment because water supply was suspended. It got fixed within a day, I think. The Helena stands on a very low-lying area, unlike other apartment buildings nearby along the river that stand on an elevated land. http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/downloads/pdf/hurricane_map_english.pdf The gym closes early at 10:30 p.m. weekdays, 8 p.m. weekends. You needs to pay $50 or more per month, not included in the rent. I usually came home after 10 p.m. so, it was useless. They have a bus in the morning to Columbus Circle subway station and can be handy. I used it sometimes. It runs every 20 minutes. From the station, I've never taken one. It only runs limited hours in the morning and evening on weekdays.

Great apartments with great views of the river. Great doormen and well kept grounds. Amazing roof deck. Awesome 3 story Equinox style gym within the building. BUT IT IS ON 11th AVE!!!!!!! If this were on 9th it could easily command $3000 for a studio (now they are about $2500). Even though it is remote every 20 min in the morning and evening (for the 9-5ers) they offer a free shuttle bus to and from Time Warner Center (drop off right by the Starbucks/Coach store). It is one of the few lux green buildings in NY/the world so that is kind of cool that everything is recycled, they have solar panels on the roof to save energy costs and also half of the lights in hallways are motion activated to save even more energy.

I have never rented here. Went with an agent. They were going to pay the fee etc. Building is okay, got all the way through till lease signing, checks etc. Then was told I need to get a vet certificate for my dog. She is 53 lbs. They have a 40 lb weight limit. She's 8 years old and I had her since she was 3 months old. Come on? Really. Wasted my time for a week during the whole process. There were German Shepherds and other big dogs there, apparently they were grandfathered in. They need to spell it out. When you tell them you have a pet. WE HAVE A WEIGHT LIMIT of 40 lbs. They have to put that on their website. Instead of pet friendly. I have searched/googled & on none of their advertising do they have it. Hopefully people with pets more than 40 lbs will check Yelp first.

The leasing office is fantastic and has bent over backwards to help me on two separate leases. The front desk staff and maintenance workers are always nice and helpful. The apartments are beautiful inside and I have had no issues. There is a lot of development in the area, however if you are on the south west side of the building, it's much quieter than the other three sides. We are actually looking to assign our lease to someone starting asap - message me if interested. There are no fees if you work with the management office. Contact me and let them know I referred you. Happy apartment searching.

I am glad that I moved here. They are offering pretty good incentives given nearby developments that are leasing up. The building is fairly new and the units have large kitchens/bathrooms with modern appliances. The staff - Derrick - Martha - and Matt are great. Very responsive and helpful. The gym is very nice and not overly crowded. I have not seen the roof deck, yet, but hear it is the nicest one in the city. All told, I am glad that I moved.

We moved in about two weeks ago. So far so good! The shuttle to Columbus circle is convenient. The leasing and move in process went smoothly. They're doing good deals with 2 months free rent. There have been a variety of maintenance issues (the heating/ac unit in the living room didn't work), but the staff has been extremely responsive- to the point where, since it couldn't be fixed, we now have a state of the art in wall unit that actually has digital settings we can control. Everything has been addressed the same day I put in a request- usually within a couple of hours. Front of the house staff all seem to be friendly and helpful as well. Washer/dryer on each floor is convenient and they seem to work well. Construction across the street seems to be past the noisy stage- hasn't bothered us so far. All in all a very good move.

I've lived in this building for five years and it keeps getting better. Management is amazing. The doorman are incredible and know every tenant by name. And the building is great at making updates and repairs in a very timely manner. The neighborhood is also changing rapidly - it's an easy place to live with convenient shops and beautiful views. I love living at The Helena!

I'm reviewing this building in the viewpoint of a dog walker. The people who work here are polite, friendly and helpful. They seem to know some of the residents well. They've helped me get a few clients in the past year by recommending me, which I really appreciate. Although the location isn't central, I wouldn't call it remote. The M57 and M31 are across the street and they stop by Columbus Circle Station and 57th St-7th Ave Station. I take my dogs either to Riverside South Park on W 59th & 12th Ave or the off leash dog run in DeWitt-Clinton Park on W 54th & 11th. My dogs enjoy both places :)

That's my first review ever done in any platform, but I needed to say everything I think about The Helena after living in the building for 2 years. This is litterally the best management I've ever seen in any building I've lived. They are truly concerned about all tenants, pro active on issues remediation, perfect communication (you always know what's going on when there is a issue like gas leak or power surge for example), and wiliness to help when you have a concern. To give an example, they switched all my curtains in my studio to blackout shades when I told them that the ones they recently put were too clear, and that was approved and done very fast! Incredible! Also, the building has the nicest staff I've ever seen! Concierges and maintenance staff are always ready to help when you need. You put a repair request on the website and they come in less than 5 minutes and do everything they can to fix the issue as quick as possible! Not to mention the incredible views from the rooftop and the new mail room with amazon lockers when you get your stuff your self, very convenient. They also recently renewed all hallways and lobby and it's stunning! Last but not least, the lease office staff is again the most helpful people and helped me with some problems I had in the end of my lease contract. Simply amazing! I would totally recommend living in this building and really hope some day I will go back to live in The Helena again!

I've lived at the Helena for two years and it is really amazing building! Awesome location and views, Riverside park is a gem! It's always a pleasure to talk with concierge, maintenance and service team very fast and helpful! All maintenance requests were completed within an hour. Beautiful lobby and floors after renovation. Great community events!

I never post anything on Yelp, but randomly came across this rating for the building I've lived in for 5 years. It's a great building. I suppose anyone could have any sort of experience and people are more likely to post about a bad experience than a good experience, but I don't have a single complaint. Fantastic building. You will likely not be disappointed if you live here. Doesn't deserve any sort of ranking below 4 stars.

The apartments are excellent and the staff (excluding The leasing office staff) are super nice but the rent increases are obnoxious. We just got our renewal through and it's up by 11% on last year, and we already had a rent rise of 11% in the previous 2y we were here. Watch out when viewing this place too, the leasing office are super nice until you've signed then the cracks in their personality will start showing. Also, they blatantly lie on the tour, the tv room doesn't work (cable isn't connected) and all the residents know this and so don't ever go there. On the tour, they'll say it's very popular and always in use. Complete crap. Overall, if you know you will only rent for 1year and you can negotiate a good deal, this place is well worth it. But if you want to rent more long term, they will screw you on the renewal and they don't negotiate

Poor customer service. I am preparing to move in the city sometime in June of this year. I have been touring apartments for a few weeks now. I contacted The Helena via webform. They called the next day and left a message. I called back and spoke with Judith in the management office. She was less than concerned about me and wouldn't even schedule an appointment to view the apartments unless they had one available for me right now. They wouldn't even let me tour the building or look at anything and told me to call back. I've looked at many buildings and properties in NYC already and the is the first time I was told they wouldn't even schedule an appointment. I don't make decisions on the fly especially when spending more than $3K a month for rent so I'm not waiting until a few weeks prior to my move date. To top it off, she wasn't exactly friendly.

I lived at The Helena now for two months and I love it! Yes there is construction but its New York City. It's not terrible. The front door and maintenance staff are lovely and very helpful. The apartments have gorgeous views and are well laid out. I'm happy to call it home!

We worked with Rabiya to sign our apartment and she made it a seamless process. She is knowledgeable, friendly, and very responsive to any questions or concerns. All of the staff were very helpful and professional throughout the leasing process. I'd highly recommend working with Rabiya if you're looking to rent an apartment at The Helena!

Lived here for a year in 2009. Building is very far away from subways/restaurants and bars. The building is nice and close proximity to the west side highway and west side greenway but that's about it. When we moved out it took us MONTHS to get our security deposit back. I've never dealt with a more rude and incompetent person than with the durst fetner accounting department. They told us week after week that our deposit was returned and that we should see it shortly, but it never happened. Finally they actually looked into the issue and discovered that the building never submitted our lease expiration papers. Maybe this has been improved upon, but the experience was so awful that it still upsets me even after having not lives in the building for 4 years

I moved to the Helena after divorce and move from Florida. From day one, the leasing office worked with me and made me feel welcome--not like a tenant or a number. I had lousy credit and had to get a co-signer and they worked with me on that, the one bedroom apartment was facing the avenue and on a low floor, but I got a good (by NYC standards) deal and came to love the apartment--spacious, clean and everything worked well. Modern and convenient. Judith and Kristin (leasing office) made sure I wasn't lonely and included in things and gave me suggestions in a neighborhood that has changed radically since I grew up. What was once Hell's Kitchen now is right on revitalized hudson river park/walkways. The location is not for everyone---right on 11th avenue and it can be loud with construction. I was also surprised GYM not included in rent, but the building has many plusses: Reasonable parking opens right into lobby, really nice common area, roof, and lobby shop open for food and essentials early and late. Handymen nice as well and responsive. I was able to get my security deposit sent right away, and they even helped with a moving guy who was superb. Recommended and I would consider moving back if unit was right. Surprised how much I liked it. Ben S. Tenant 2013---2015.

I have lived in the Helena for a little over a year. The building's management on the border of being immoral. They charge folks high rents under the guise of providing luxury accommodation, however the Helena is just a building in the middle of a construction site. There's always jackhammering and the management (who is also responsible for all the construction) does now have the courtesy to start the work at a reasonable time. Please stay away from this building. Go to the Mercedes House

I have lived here for 3 short months and have hated it from day one. The building is totally pretentious. The elevators are always packed, The management sucks, The air conditioning units are loud and stink. I cant say one good thing about this place. I guess the fact that I was pretty much forced out of my brownstone on riverside drive to move to this monstrosity left a sour taste in my mouth from the beginning. Its also and 80/20 building which means while I pay 2500 a month for a tiny studio, there are people paying 30 percent of that. This equates to a ton of trashy people in the gym, lobby and roof. I cringe every time I walk in the door...Can't wait til my lease is up in July. Don't move to the Helena. You will regret it.

Absolutely love this place. The doorman make the building, and the attached garage is a great accessory. All the construction going on in the neighborhood makes it noisy on the weekends.

I've lived in The Helena for several years. It has an awesome view of the river and New Jersey. Because it's pretty far from the subway, it's assuring to know that there aren't too many strangers wandering in the area. The lobby decor is pleasant and I must compliment the overnight doorman, George. From the beginning of his employ, I've found him to be very courteous and always with a smile on his face. He always greet the tenants pleasantly, is very knowledgeable about local resources and always willing to provide assistance without resistance and/or attitude. Because he able to communicate very well, I can also have an intelligent, informative conversation with him, as opposed to the other building staff members I've encountered. Although he works the overnight shift alone, I always feel safe knowing that he's present and in an emergency, will be able to handle any situation calmly and effectively.

Avoid at all costs! The apartment is awful. Unless you are deaf. The person who showed the apartment is very nice but blatantly lied to us. We asked if the construction noise is bad and she said you won't hear anything this high up. Wrong!!! We are awaken at 7 am everyday! The noise is so bad that you cannot read a book or even have a conversation with another person without yelling the entire day.It's 7 days a week. At night the trucks unload things so the noise is awful all night. Plus the sanitation dept is across the street so all night noise from that as well. The management sucks! Stephen Dowling does nothing and also lies saying he will help the situation. He does nothing for the residents. He never even gets back to you. There is zero security- anyone can walk in. There are no maintenance people at night. There was no heat during the coldest day of the year and they do not use the email system to alert tenets. They charge MORE for parking for residents to accommodate the construction people-$475 per month. Regret moving here. Friends won't even stay here because of the noise.

I lived in the Helena for 13 months. Although the apartment and gym were very nice I had a horrible experience with the night doorman in March 2015 in which he followed me to my apartment and attempted to physically assault me. I called the police and have the incident documented at Mt. Sinai. It was a horrible experience as several other doormen on duty simply watched him and the incident was caught on camera. The other doormen in the building are professional and respectable - it was just George who works the 12am to 8am shift. Aside from the predatory actions of George the security is terrible mostly bc of the lobby's layout where it's very easy to walk past the doormen. Most delivery men and visitors bypassed the guards. When I brought this up with management, a lawyer representing Durst Mgmt send me a letter stating that the building 'is not a fortress' and that I should call downstairs when people bypass the guards. The doormen did collect packages well though and were very sweet to my puppy. If it weren't for the safety issues within the building it would have been a nice apartment. For single women looking for safety this is not a good choice. Most of the other doorman buildings I have lived in at similar price points are much safer.

Stay far away from The Helena if you are planning on leasing for more than a year. The rent increases, which are in the 10-15% range are absolutely ridiculous. I lived in the building for two years, and while the staff were generally friendly and the building nice, it's definitely not worth the rents they charge, considering the building is several avenues from the nearest subway station. However, the biggest joke about this building is that the leasing office calls it rent stabilized. After inquiring about this, I was told that the stabilization increase, which is generally 1-3% (reasonable), is applied to the stated rent in your lease, not the lease amount that you actually pay. The stated rent is some astronomically high amount that they put in your lease, and then you are given a much lower agreed-upon rent. Although this lower amount may sound like a great concession, the leasing office has the ability to now raise the rent by any amount they wish, up to the stated rent amount that is listed in your lease. It's a loop hole in the rent stabilization policy that buildings use to allow them to raise rents by any amount they wish. And the Helena is notorious for this! Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere for full service buildings that are more reasonable with negotiating rent increases.