Last week the Apthorp's long-serving elevator operators were grounded and the mail delivery thrown into disarray, causing the landmark Upper West Side building's Tenants Association to draft an angry letter to Apthorp management. Now, however, a new controversy has gripped the posh building's courtyard grounds, known for its meticulously cared-for central garden. A garden, an Apthorp tipster tells us, that is now sullied by the creeping presence of some phony intruders. The horror!
Our tipster writes:
The systematic trashing of the Apthorp continues. After years of planting and maintaining a tasteful, carefully manicured garden in its center courtyard, yesterday, as it struggles to unload apartments in its thus far catastrophically unsuccessful condo conversion plan, the Apthorp ownership resorted to planting fake, paper flowers, blue hydrangeas on the second floor, over all four entranceways. A new low for high society, the place that George Balanchine, Sidney Poitier, Joseph Heller, two Miss Americas, Al Pacino, Conan O'Brien, Rosie O'Donnell, Steve Kroft and The Pileggi Ephron Show once called home. This comes amid unsavory rumors that the owners, in court with each other, out of funds and dependent upon the dwindling mercy of banks abroad, will soon attempt to have the building condemned for massive structural problems, shutting it down for two years. This is one way of disposing of tenants who have rent-controlled and rent-stabilized leases, in other words, rights, haven't been intimidated into leaving or bought out by the measly sums offered, are elderly and/or infirm.
While the condemnation rumor sounds a bit far-fetched (though the garage was already suspiciously deemed unsound and its third-party parking operation booted), there's something to this FlowerGate. Those hydrangeas look awfully chipper for April 28, if we know our botany. N.B.: We don't know our botany.
· Apthorp coverage [Curbed]
· The Apthorp [Official Site]
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