The Bevel, located at 42-20 27th St. in LIC. Photo by Queens Post
Oct. 15, 2024 By Shane O’Brien
A number of residents at a luxury 18-story apartment building in Long Island City have raised concerns about a plethora of issues, including continuous noise complaints, broken glass in the gym and homeless people frequently accessing the building.
The Bevel, which opened at 42-20 27th St. in 2019, is marketed as a 202-unit building that “exudes sophistication.” One-bedroom apartments start at $3,400, and two-bedroom apartments start at $4,600.
However, residents have described living at the luxury building as a “nightmare,” stating that the units offer almost no soundproofing to the round-the-clock construction work in the local area.
A Bevel resident who wished to remain anonymous out of fear of provoking a reaction from the building’s management company, Goose Property Management, said he has been forced to wear noise-canceling headphones to block out the noise from nearby construction sites, where a jackhammer piles through rock from 7:30 a.m. and continues until 5 p.m.
Construction work is permitted between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. in New York City, but residents have stated that the work has been going on for years—far longer than they were promised. Residents say the jackhammer has been used continually since at least July 2023.
The anonymous resident – henceforth referred to as Tenant A – alleged that a Bevel-appointed broker misled him when he signed a lease at the building, informing him that the nearby construction work would not be persistent.
“Brokers tell prospective tenants that it’s not as bad as it is and that it doesn’t go from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.,” the resident said. “When we moved in, they didn’t even mention any of this construction.”
“I’ve spoken to other tenants. When they toured the building, the broker specifically told them that this construction wouldn’t start for at least two to three more years, which was obviously not true.”
Other residents have raised concerns about poor noise insulation in the building, stating that each unit has thin walls that allow noise to filter through from neighboring apartments and the nearby construction work noise reverberates through the building.
“People on [work] Zoom calls can hear the construction in the background,” the resident said. “People on phone calls can hear it. My girlfriend gets crazy headaches throughout the day because this is all she listens to, just banging all day.”
Another resident who also wished to remain anonymous – Tenant B – said there is no escape from the constant noise.
“It’s like a prison. We are going insane,” Tenant B said.
Tenant B added that construction work at a site across the street at 42-42 27th St. has been ongoing for about two years. He said workers at the site have warned him that jackhammer piling work at an adjacent site will take even longer once it gets started, given the sheer amount of rock at that parcel.
“Everyone knows construction has to go on, but this is overly excessive,” Tenant B said. “My partner is going insane trying to work and concentrate. Many have left (the building) over it, and we are looking to do the same.”
Tenant B said he has contacted Council Member Julie Won over the issue but acknowledged that Won could do little since the construction was taking place within the legally required hours.
A spokesperson for Won’s office stated that another resident who lives in the building has told the council member that construction work only takes place between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. However, residents have stressed that the main issue is the time it is taking to complete the project rather than the daily operating hours.
A spokesperson for B Sosa Enterprises, the developer in charge of the site at 42-42 27th St., said work has only been going on for eight months and described complaints from residents as “not accurate.”
The spokesperson added that the construction noise is within the permitted limits and that the project is using small machinery to avoid making loud noises. He estimated that the project would take another year to complete.
Meanwhile, Tenant A also said they were promised that the building would have a 24/7 doorman but said that has also not been the case.
They claimed that the building often lacks a doorman on duty, leading to homeless individuals from nearby shelters entering the premises regularly.
A person who doesn’t reside in the building is seen loitering and sleeping in the lobby. Photo by Queens Post
“It’s definitely a safety issue,” Tenant A said. “We have a doorman, but they’re never there and they’re just letting people in the building.”
He said other residents had placed fliers around the building to raise awareness about the issue but said management had taken the fliers down on each occasion.
Tenant B said that since construction work started, the property management has failed to send out a single email updating current tenants about the construction work and how long it will take. He said it had forced some tenants to take to local Facebook groups to make their voices heard.
Tenant B described the staff who do work at the building as fantastic but said there is no doorman on duty between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., allowing homeless people to enter the building.
“People have asked for security but nothing is happening,” Tenant B said. “We are all concerned, especially now that the migrants have gone in next door.”
A former hotel on Crescent Street, previously known as The Red Lion, was converted into a migrant shelter a few months ago and a rear unmanned entrance to Bevel is just feet away from that premises.
Additionally, residents have reported broken glass on the floor of the gym on several occasions.
“I don’t even know where the glass is coming from, but it’s there. And my girlfriend has almost stepped on it numerous times,” Tenant A said.
He added that the glass has almost always been found on the floor of a yoga studio inside the gym, where a number of residents walk in their socks or their bare feet.
Goose Property Management did not respond to a request for comment.
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