Beware of Empty Lots Next Door – They Can Turn into Construction Sites!

As winter falls away to spring, we can all rejoice for the lyrical song of birds in the trees. And we can all pound our heads against our pillows at the insomnia-inducing screech of fresh construction. In New York, construction can start at 7 AM. OH MY GOD I WANT TO CRY.

Why do I want to cry? Because I certainly don’t want to move but . . . there’s little I can do aside from call 311 and make a complaint. And, because last year when I was looking at apartments, I did notice the empty lot and thought, hey, that’s weird, an empty lot in NYC: isn’t property the same as gold bullion here?

Basically, I should have known that the empty lot in question spelled trouble but I was too blind-sided by finding a nice NYC apt. But the noise issue is only a small issue in the scheme of things. One of my friends had to leave his apartment last year because it was being bought – and bulldozed to make room for new condo buildings. He had a two months notice and he had to vacate the premises. If a building is bought, tenants do have some rights, but it becomes murky. It’s much better to try to find a place where you know this situation won’t arise. You can try asking your landlord out right if he/she has any plans to sell the building, but it might also be helpful to ask your future roommates if they’ve heard any rumblings because a land lord really has no incentive to tell you, as they still need tenants before they sell.

Hopefully you’ll have better luck than me. . .oh I miss sleep!