The Smile

I’ve been a tenant at The Smile for almost 5 years. I can say that I am very happy living here. The entire staff at the smile are very friendly and professional. The current property manager and superintendent are on point when attending our needs or service request and, they’re communications skills are excellent and deserving of a 5 star ⭐️ rating.

Avoid This Building – Looks Nice, But It’s a Disaster I lived here for a year, but I knew within the first month that I needed to move. The management is incompetent, the front desk is unprofessional, and the amenities are a scam. While the building looks beautiful, it’s run like a poorly managed college dorm. Management & Repairs: Emails go ignored for weeks, office hours change at random, and they even modified my lease without consent to add a move-out fee—I had to hire a lawyer to remove it. Maintenance is a nightmare; they “fixed” my fridge and made it worse, left it unplugged while I was at work (ruining my groceries), and took days to address a major water leak that left my living room wall stained and deformed. The leak happened while I was away for a few weeks and no one from management informed me, though they knew it likely damaged my apartment (upstairs leak). Front Desk & Security: Packages go missing, doormen let people up to your apartment without calling first, and at night, they hang out with their friends instead of working. Rent & Amenities Scam: The payment system was a mess for months. They charged $75/month for rooftop access and $300/hr to use the grills when I moved in, and the roof was only open during the summer season. The pool costed $800 when I moved in. The rules for the amenities can change at a moments notice. During the season, they changed the rules and revoked access for everyone because a few people broke the rules. I had to hire a lawyer to get my access reinstated. Neighborhood: Loud, congested, and unsafe—people shoot up drugs, nod off in the streets, and prostitutes openly work nearby. Apartment Design Flaws: White floors and countertops are impossible to keep clean. The oven is a 2-in-1 with a microwave with no real bake setting—it’s basically an air fryer. If you like to cook, this place is a nightmare. This is not a luxury building. Management is the worst I’ve ever dealt with—save your money and rent somewhere else. Keep in mind, this is a mild version of my actual experience.

This apartment building is an absolute joke. They have zero respect for potential tenants, and whoever is running the leasing office needs to be fired immediately. I left a review, and instead of actually fixing the problem, they had the nerve to respond with a phone number yet when I called, along with three other people, not a single person picked up. The people working here are lazy, incompetent, and completely unprofessional. For $5,000 a month, this is the treatment they think tenants deserve? They were offering three months free, then dropped it to two probably because they know no one wants to deal with their nonsense. They don’t answer the phone, they don’t respond to texts, and they clearly don’t care about running this place properly. The owner needs to wake up and clean house because this is unacceptable. If you’re paying this kind of money, you might as well go downtown or Midtown, spend the extra $1,000, and at least deal with professionals who actually do their job. The way this place is run is a disgrace.

I hope this message finds you well. I’m writing to provide feedback on my recent experience while visiting the property and to express my concerns regarding the management and overall environment. I arrived at the scheduled appointment time, but unfortunately, no one from management was available to meet me. The doorman and front desk staff were extremely unprofessional and rude, which was disappointing and not reflective of the standards expected for a property at this price point. Given the premium pricing of $5,000 per month, I was expecting a higher level of professionalism and care. Instead, the surrounding area and the attitude of the staff created an unsettling impression. This was further compounded by the fact that I traveled to the property, incurring additional expenses of $54, only to be met with a lack of organization and courtesy. The reviews I had read prior to my visit seem to align with my experience, raising concerns about the management’s oversight and approach to potential tenants. I encourage you to address these issues promptly, as they are likely to deter others as well. Please feel free to reach out if you’d like to discuss this matter further. I hope this feedback can help improve future interactions and the overall experience at your property. Best regards,

Technology is taking over the planet, especially at the Smile. So, I applied and moved to this building on the brunt of C19. As a result, during processing, all movement in and out was halted. Fast forward I finally got an appointment with management to view my dwelling and sign on the dotted line (paperwork). The kind fella Cliff, who has since long gone, gave me a tour of the building/amenities. Upon entering my unit, I honestly thought it was still under construction (cement) ceiling, which I totally detest. I am an interior decorator (self-taught) and will never get used to that. For the technology that was poured into this building, I would've preferred an old-school touch in my apartment, i.e. a regular, not air, microwave, and convection oven. I would switch out the dishwasher for an island, and totally redo (finish) the unfinished floors that go creek, creek, creek. The concierge (front desk) and the maintenance team are all cool and very professional. Management here has changed hands so many times I've lost count. All that to say, Harlem grew on me and is very convenient, as I'm not fond of city driving or mass Transit. So, until I Bless up w/something better I will keep all my options open. Shout out to NYC Housing Connect which is where I got this one. Peace!

I’ve lived in a lot of different places in NYC and The Smile has been my favorite so far. I lived in two different units in this building over the past 3 years and not only is the quality of the apartments, the gym, the spa, the rooftop pool 10/10, the staff there made it the best building I’ve stayed in. Sam the super is the best super I’ve ever had, if anything broke it was fixed either same day or in a day or two, that doesn’t happen anywhere else!!! Thank you guys for a great experience. I will miss it. All the best to you

I scheduled a tour for 11:45 am they did not have it documented, the receptionist tells me, the agents may have forgotten or may have been away and therefore didn’t confirm their appointments. She also said it would be at least a 30 minute wait bc the agent was on a zoom call. Why would tours be scheduled when the person is unavailable. It’s extremely wasteful/disrespectful to my time. But of course in NYC, businesses don’t have good standard practices. If this is how you all do business I’m certainly glad to not be leasing here

Do yourself a favor and just don't. Let's get this straight- this building is feets away from the infamous Lex-125th St. Okay? So, no disrespect but those who do not know: dozens of people laying on the street or subway stop stairs, to the point that they will harm you if you try to pass by. They are intoxicated and lost. Extremely dirty streets and neighborhood. You would be unable to use public transportation. I set all of that aside (!!!) to give it a thought after I see the units thinking, you know it might be an amazing building, great community in there, good prices... Little did I know: rude staff and FIVE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS, yes, $5600 for a two bedroom????? Two bedroom in Chelsea in Luxury Building is $5000, and staff is the nicest and kindest ever. So, no. Don't. Move on, keep searching.