The Brooklyner Apartments

Nice apartments. Our view is great and the staff is very nice.

Love this place, they recently renovated the laundry, so there are new washer and dryers!
Staffs are super friendly, and they return maintenance request within two days.
There are Macys, H&M, Gap, Nieman marcus last call, Nordstrom Rack within a walking distance and Target and Century 21 will be opening early next year few blocks away.

Lived here from 2011 – 2014. Great super. Helpful doormen. Leasing staff was accommodating when we considered switching apartments and upon move out. Great «dog friendly» building. Always used the outdoor spaces on the 4^th floor (grills were awesome). The only drawback was the neighborhood, but that has significantly changed and now Downtown Brooklyn is a happening spot. No fee was a bonus. Rent actually went down when we resigned our lease too. Great subway access. Not much to complain about, other than the washers and dryers seemed to malfunction on a fairly regular basis.

I just moved with my girlfriend into a 1 Bedroom in the L line. I’ve lived in 9 apartments over the past 5 years and this is BY FAR the best one (in the ~$ 3000ish price range).
— The staff is super friendly. When I put in a request to clean out the AC unit they came in a day.
— Dog Stuff
— Almost everyone seems to have a dog. That means people aren’t likely to complain about yours: P
— You can have up to 100 lb dog in the building (it’s one of the only buildings in DoBro which allows it)
— There is a room to wash your dog and cut its hair
— Not too far from Ft. Green Park
— Walking distance (a little far) from DUMBO Dog Run (which is huuuge)
— The Hood
— Insanely convenient to commute. Got R on the same block, and AC2345 and LIRR are close by.
— Next to Barclays Center and BAM!
— Haven’t checked out the neighborhood food too much. Seems a little heavy on the junk food so far :(
— Roof Stuff
— The roof is pretty big.
— It has 2 grills during the summer.
— The views are AMAZING (Manhattan Skyline).
— The roof has tanning chairs and table for eating/​drinking with friends
— Not ²⁴⁄₇ (closes at midnight). But that’s the same as most buildings I lived in.
— WIFI!!!
— There are 2 lounges. One is on the roof, one is on the 4^th floor
— Roof lounge has awesome Brooklyn view
— Both lounges have tons of TVs with FIOS
— Both lounges have sinks/​tables. Great for eating/​drinking w/​friends
— 4^th floor lounge is HUUUGE (biggest one I’ve seen)
— It’s so big that the lounge has a lounge: D
— 4^th floor lounge has pool table and games
— 4^th floor lounge has a Board Room, for meeting with your shareholders: D
— WIFI!!! Great for working from home
— Not ²⁴⁄₇ (closes at midnight). But that’s the same as most buildings I lived in.
— Back Yard
— On 4^th floor
— Pretty large
— Has tables and BBQ grills and plants and stuff
— Great for relaxing and drinking beers with friends
— Yoga Room
— Yeah, a dedicated YOGA room
— I’ve never seen anyone in there
— Sound proof-​ish
— Has an iPod dock + TV + mats and blocks
— The Apartment
— Lots of space compared to other building in the area.
— Super modern looking
— New appliances in the kitchen
— Reminds me of a hotel
— Huge bathroom (makes such a difference…)
— Large-​ish kitchen. Lots of cabinets and a corner to put your trash can. A lot bigger than other 1 bedrooms I’ve lived in.
— Deep tub
— Floor to ceiling windows — although they don’t open more than 4 inches :(
— I’m in the L line of apartments. Unfortunately I am on floor 16 so I don’t get wrap around windows in the bedroom. But starting on 17^th floor (might upgrade next year) you get a city view /​wrap around windows.
— Gym
— Pretty big, not huge.
— Has 7 – 10 treadmills, free weights, various machines
— Weights only go up to 50 (but that’s ok… I’m weak: P)
— Under utilized (I haven’t seen it busy yet)
— ²⁴⁄₇ — in case you can’t sleep
— Other
— Cold Storage — you can get get FreshDirect/​Amazon Fresh/​InstaCart/​Google Express (coming soon) to deliver groceries and the doormen will store them there
— Reasonable rates for laundry/​dry cleaning in the area
— Best I found was Dirt Busters: $ 1/​lb for wash and fold (they did a pretty decent job), Shirts 2.25 (wash + press), Pants $ 6.50, Suit $ 13
— Package Room — doormen take packages, but that’s pretty standard
— City Bike right out side — theoretically you can bike to Manhattan (gotta try it)
— Fast Elevators — make your ears pop: P
Helpful resources:
— Available Apartments:
— Other Buildings in the Area that I checked out that were pretty good were Brooklyn Air and Brooklyn Gold, but only if you don’t have a Dog or have a small dog
— The spreadsheet we used with my GF to rate apartments in the area. If you’re into that kind of stuff:

— StreetEasy lists pretty much every building (condos and leasing company rentals) in the area and has accurate availability information

I have lived here for almost 2 years and am not happy here. I moved from Manhattan to here, and regret my decision. These people have no idea what luxury apartment living is.
There is no doorman so you have to fight with 2 heavy doors to get into the lobby. Not easy to do when you’re coming home from work after grocery shopping and have all these bags in your hands. Or in the wintertime when the wind creates a vacuum and you are unable to open the door against the force of the wind. And they just look at you from the inside and don’t help.
The Concierges are good. The porters who cover for them are useless. Especially one named Valentin. He only talks to and helps those who he likes. AKA, those who will bullshit with him. One time I had a ton of boxes in my hand and he was standing by the elevator and refused to push the button for the elevator. He is a waste.
Don’t feel safe in this building because they just let people walk in past the desk and get on the elevator without screening them for who or what they are here for. I am not talking about residents who they obviously know and therefore don’t need to stop them. One time this man who was giving out fliers on the street followed me into the building without my knowing and started bothering me. He was able to walk right past the desk. No questions asked.
The apartment features are cheap and shoddy. The heat never works. The floors splinter and stain when you try to mop them. The ceramic tiles in the kitchen and bathroom are a nightmare to try and clean. For the amount of rent you pay, this is a total rip off. When it was time to renew my lease (I figured I needed to give the building a chance) they raised my rent by $ 350! Ridiculous! I lived in Manhattan for 10 years and never had my rent raised that high each year.
If you want to move within the building or into another Equity building and the rent is less than what you are paying now, you have to pay a one month fee equal to your current rent. This does not occur with other management companies.
The handyman, Danny is excellent and always willing to help. He is the bright spot in this building.
All these concerns have been brought up to the property manager and management office and they just shrug their shoulders.
There are no good restaurants/​bars in the immediate area. There are multiple subways and buses available nearby. The Fulton Mall is a block away. There have been 2 suicides here with people jumping off the roof. Terrible and sad!
Don’t waste your money or time here. Go elsewhere where you will be respected and feel like you are home.

trendy, chic, expensive. Nice views of the city.

My now husband and I lived in the largest 1br floor plan they offer for a little over four years. We had an L unit with breathtaking views of Manhattan, the bay and beyond. All in all, I loved our little home.
I always felt uneasy about gentrifying the area, though. We first moved in when the building was maybe ¹⁄₃ occupied. Our floor, 26, didn’t have finished floors or walls in the hallway yet. Which was fine with us because it was quiet and we felt the rent was reasonable. The Fulton Mall area didn’t have nearly any of the shine you see now, feeling more like an actual suburban mall with Gap and H&M and what not.
The area is ridiculously convenient. I liked to say that, in terms of the subway lines and stops that are within a few blocks of the building, its more convenient than Times Square. Having a 24 hour Duane Reade a block away can’t be beat. The grocery store that moved in downstairs is sometimes iffy, often overpriced, but as convenient as it gets. Make sure to check the labels, though. More than once I’ve found outdated food on the shelves.
The vast majority of the doormen are great and the main handyman, Danny, is very friendly and attentive. At least in our unit, we found it to be very quiet in our apartment, save for neighbors’ dogs barking. The walls feel very thick and solid, probably due to the concrete construction.
There were definitely consistent problems, though. For starters, after our second year, we gave up on our heaters working properly/​consistently. The thermostat means nothing. We learned some of the tricks to get the forced heat vent to stay open more, but we’d routinely come home to cranked up heating units we didn’t turn on, showing strange error codes and often only ever getting them to blow cold air. They have contractors come in when you complain about the units, but all they ever do is reset them, deem them to be working and leave.
The floor covering, outside of tiled kitchens and bathrooms, is cheap. I mean the cheapest of cheap. We were the first people to occupy our unit and they were splintering when we did our move-​in walk through. We routinely got splinters and with the lightest of wear the edges of the small tiles wear down and look cheap. The management company billed us over $ 900 to replace tiles on move out. Granted, there were two perhaps hand-​sized areas that had more wear than normal, though exacerbated by the cheapness of the wood tiles.
There are little annoyances that, when you’re paying this kind of rent, really add up. For example, there’s one porter that fills in as a doorman in the evenings when the other doorman is on break. He seems to get packages from the mailroom for people he likes but refuses to for others. Its very irritating when you can’t get access to your own property.
The worst thing is the laundry room. We had a unit with no washer and dryer and were so completely dependent on the totally ill-​equipped laundry room. Who thinks that having less than ten washers and dryers each for a ~500 unit building makes sense?! Even if there are small washers/​dryers in many units. The poor machines were running near ²⁴⁄₇ with inadequate maintenance, so they were constantly breaking down, ruining my clothes, eating my money. And that’s when I could actually get in to do laundry. Forget it on the weekends. Its very frustrating when there are stupid things like a room dedicated to dog baths but not enough laundry facilities.
I miss our amazing view, but our time at The Brooklyner was when Fulton Mall still looked like Fulton Mall, when the people who occupied the building were largely down-​to-​earth people who were taking advantage of the relative bargain. Over time the residents have changed and the area has tilted a bit too far toward that suburban mall. If you’re into shine, take a look. But be prepared for the annoyances.

I’ve lived in the Brooklyner for over three years (and have rented from EQR for another 3 years)
A lot of reviews have focused on the leasing office, which won’t be a fun place regardless of where you live.
As for the building and amenities, it’s outstanding. The staff are all excellent and friendly. Amenities are sweet. Rooms are incredibly quiet. Location is good: short walk to plenty of nightlife spots and unbeatable proximity to subways.

I’ve lived in many places but this is by far a beautiful building. Immaculate & staff is friendly & helpful. I would recommend to anyone.

I’ve lived in The Brooklyner since it opened a little over 4 years ago and I have to say that this is hands down the best apartment I’ve had in my 12 years in NYC.
When I saw some of the negative reviews here I felt compelled to share my experience. I live in the largest studio layout (C line) which is the perfect size for one person and excellently configured with large separate kitchen, huge bathroom, and a separate sleeping area. The amenities in the building and apartments are top notch, gym, yoga, room, laundry, lounges, and roof deck are all excellent.
I’ve never experienced the draftiness, poor insulation, or broken heat that other posters mentioned, although my unit does not have floor to ceiling windows. Con Ed bills are always reasonable (around $ 40 — $ 60 depending on how hot/​cold it is outside) and I’ve never had any issues with the hot water or water pressure.
The staff are super friendly and helpful and their accommodating spirit really makes trying to juggle a professional life-​style in NYC manageable. I know I can get help, pick up packages, or get answers ²⁴⁄₇ and with a smile.
I’m a huge fan of the neighborhood but I do understand some people’s concern that it’s «dead». However Downtown Brooklyn is rapidly changing and you now have a lot more restaurants and shopping right outside your door (this was definitely not the case 4 years ago!) That being said, you have the A/​C/​F/​R/​2/​¾/​5/​G right outside your front door and pretty much every Brooklyn bus line running through Fulton. In addition, Smith street and Court street, the beauty of Brooklyn Heights and the Promenade, the restaurants and bars of Fort Greene, and the new Pier Parks are all a short 15 minute walk away. Park Slope and Gowanus are just a few stops on the subway and it’s only 2 stops to Manhattan. Not to mention you are walking distance to Atlantic Yards!
The best part though? My apartment is SO QUIET. I face the courtyard and have never known peace in this city like I have living here. You can’t hear a thing. Not from the outside, not from the inside. Nothing. Ever. It’s so beautiful I could cry.
I haven’t experienced any serious issues in my four years and if I could buy this apartment and live here forever I would!

I recently moved to the Brooklyner from Manhattan (in search of more space) and really can’t say enough good things about this place! It’s true what others say about the building… The amenities are fantastic, and I’m very happy with my unit. I have a spacious loft style apartment with high ceilings and tons of closet space!
The people here are also fantastic, from the staff at the front desk to the maintenance guys. They’re always friendly, and more importantly, you can tell they really care about making sure you’re a happy resident.
If you’re interested in checking this place out, ask for Elanna in the leasing office. She is extremely professional and incredible to work with (I’m certain the other people in the leasing office are, too)! Sure, the rent might be on the pricey side for Brooklyn and they have strict credit standards, but as the saying goes… You get what you pay for, and you also won’t feel like you’re living in a frat house.

I have lived in NYC for 8 years and the Brooklyner for 1 and the leasing and building staff at the Brooklyner are an example of what renting in New York City SHOULD be like. Elanna in the leasing office was friendly, professional and accomodating and was one of the main reasons we decided to lease here. The gym is amazing and FREE, and there is a parking garage that adjoins the building. Rent is competetive with Manhattan maybe a little on the pricey side for Brooklyn but we really enjoyed living here. The immediate neighborhood is still going through some revival but Brooklyn Heights and Boerum Hill are a short walk away. Regretfully we are off to greener pastures in the suburbs, but we really did enjoy our time, the people and the employees at the Brooklyner.

We’ve been here 6 months now. I wish we could stay forever! We love our apartment, but more important, the staff of this building is just outstanding. It’s the staff that makes the building, although the physical attributes of this building are excellent as well.
There’s so much I could write, but here’s just the latest: a neighbor spilled red wine all over the carpet and walls, and door, in front of her apartment, which is in our area of the hall. Now remember, this building has 51 floors so there are 51 halls, and cleaning the carpet is surely on a schedule. But I reported the wine and it was immediately cleaned up, beautifully.
Here’s another example: There was a big loud party on the roof deck over the summer. The next day, the landscaping truck was here with new plants; the roof deck looked perfect again.
The staff is outstanding, and so nice, and not seeking to know your business, either. We own a co-​op apt on the Upper East Side in a near-​white-​glove building with a full staff, but this staff is definitely more attentive and far nicer. They are constantly improving, cleaning, and being pleasant to residents at all times. They’re not stuffy or uppity.
Also worth noting, the staff hauls small furniture and moving boxes from the refuse room; in many buildings tenants must take larger items to the basement themselves. The building has a package room and a chilled locker for grocery deliveries.
We are helped by having a higher floor apartment, because yes there is a lot of construction in the neighborhood. But the windows can be closed and the fan turned on, and then it’s like a library in our home.
The location is terrific. Each morning I walk the dogs to Fort Greene Park where they can play off leash until 9 AM. Meanwhile all of NYC is at our doorstep, and the LIRR is a short walk away, which is how my husband commutes to work.
The building has barbecues set up on the impressive 51^st floor roof deck and the 4^th floor backyard area. Our family and friends are always, always impressed when we take them up there! It’s amazing how relaxing a place like this can be.
The gym is hands-​down the most beautiful gym I have ever seen as an included amenity in a condo or rental building. It rivals gyms you find in nicer hotels. There are stability balls, free weights, and cardio theatre.
There is also a yoga room and a study room whenever you need utter quiet, you can have it.
We’ve decided to buy a place but we are going to be sad to leave the Brooklyner.

This review pertains solely to the leasing office. I was told they could not process my application without the application review fee and the holding deposit fee of $ 750.00. Before I agreed, I asked when I’d recieve my holding deposit back if I didn’t get the apartment and I was told 2 – 3 business days. After notification I didn’t get the apartment, I asked again when I’d get my holding deposit back and I was told 5 – 7 business days via email. After 7 business days, the same person who told me 5 – 7 business days via email changed her tune and said 7 – 10 business days.
I’m still waiting on my holding deposit and the application process took less than 24 hours. BEWARE of the aplication process and know if dinged it will be extremely difficult to get your money back.
The building was lovely, the leasing office HORRIBLE.

Very disappointed with my experience in this building. Having lived in brownstone apartments since arriving in New york, we were really excited to live in a ‘luxury’ building.
Before getting into the negatives, I would like to echo the other reviewers in saying that the staff and amenities are pretty much spot on. The roof deck is incredible and the gym and lodge downstairs are equally impressive.
My main gripe with this building is the level of noise entering the apartment. Downtown Brooklyn is a busy neighborhood with lots of commerce, and as such, garbage collections are very regular and unfortunately, because this is not a residential neighborhood, the collections tend to occur at around 4am.
As mentioned by other reviewers, the apartments are heated by wall units and ours in particular are not sealed well, letting in a lot of noise and drafts. The management have just about stopped the cold air from coming in, but the apartments are so poorly insulated against noise, we find ourselves getting woken up every night at around 4am.
Maybe we just got unlucky with our particular unit, but either way, I am staggered that a big development in such an area is this is not properly insulated against noise.

I have lived in the Brooklyner for two and a half years, and just renewed my lease. I can honestly say this has been one of the best apartment buildings I have lived in. All the staff are fantastic, super attentive, and very friendly.
The staff, the amenities (gym, lounge, back yard, pet shower, and roof deck), and the subway access all deserve five stars.
The apartment layouts could have been better, with some layouts, like the K line 1 bedroom, at 618 square feet, being extremely efficient and functional, while others, though larger, are awkward, lack well thought out floorplans, and lack closet space.
The kitchen and bathroom finishes are all very nice. The bathroom has a high efficiency two flush option toilet, and ample vanity space. The kitchens feature a gas stove, dishwasher and regular sized fridge (all stainless steel), granite countertops, and self closing cabinets. However, the kitchen could have been slightly improved: the drawers are narrow, and the corner cabinet is downright impractical. I like to cook, and found the counter space to be decent, especially for NYC standards.
The floors were picked with design in mind, but unfortunately are hard to maintain. The parquet splinters easily, so I wouldn’t recommend sauntering about the apartment in high heels. The unsealed tile in the kitchen and bath are difficult to clean.
While there have been complaints of ridiculous ConEd bills, I can say that mine is more than reasonable, well south of $ 100 for a one bedroom, and in line with other apartments I have lived in. A huge plus is that the building is pre-​wired for Verizon Fios, so you can give Crime Warner the boot. (If for some enigmatic reason you love Crime Warner, the building is pre-​wired for them too…)
The neighborhood is safe, and has been improving steadily, with lots of new locally owned businesses opening up recently. Unfortunately one of the best things to happen to the neighborhood, Dekalb Market, with its plethora of delicious food and cute shops closed this past fall. Fulton Street has vastly improved, especially with the addition of Shake Shack. It is an easy walk to Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo, Fort Greene, Boerum Hill, and Cobble Hill.
As for the «price gouging» rent raises mentioned in another review, all the apartments are rent stabilized and can only go up 2% per year, unless you make more than $ 175,000 per year, in which case… seriously?
Overall this is an excellent place to call home, and I have been extremely happy living here.

I’ve lived here for about 6 months now. The doormen, maintenance, and mailroom staff are really nice. I like the amenities. The train access is great. Laundry room can be a competition sometimes. Gym is good, I can almost always get the machine I want. Roof is unbeatable. Leasing office was nice and prompt when we were initially renting. Maintenance requests are prompt. Apartment itself is pretty nice. Heating sometimes makes strange noises, but works well. And as other reviewers mentioned, floors and cabinetry are a little meh. Management is nice and not micromanagey like other apartments I’ve lived in.
Overall, a great place to live. We’ll probably stay for quite a while.

I lived here in the early days summer of 2010 through spring of 2011. Management office /​leasing is a total joke. Can’t remember her name, but the lady who was in charge of leasing was a totally and completely incompetent… I think that they hired a new guy around the time that I was leaving so could be better now. Difference between management and the door staff was night and day. I still miss some of the door staff guys. Honestly, I think that the apartments are a bit overpriced for the quality and location… better deals to be had out there. But not a bad place, especially if you need to find an apartment quickly and /​or work a lot (very convenient to subways and cabs).

My husband and I moved into The Brooklyner before they even completed any floors higher than 21. We were excited at first but after a few months, we started noticing the quality (or lack thereof) of the unit. In comparison to the price we were paying, it was a huge disappointment.
The floors started splintering and there were a couple of times where I stepped in the wrong spot and had to remove a splinter from my foot. Our washer and dryer had to be replaced twice. The walls constantly scuffed and it got so bad we had to request paint to do the touchup work ourselves. The door handles and faucets were loose by the time we moved out.
After it’s all said and done, what we enjoyed most was being so close to the subway and the 10 minute walk to get to Carroll Gardens. Last but not least, the staff is very friendly. Oh, and the dogs. They were friendly, too.

Update:
The management has gotten better. The coffee’s gone though.