Packard Square North

Awful, awful, awful management! They treat their tenants like garbage and their employees even worse. Paying minimum wage to their doorman is ridiculous. DONT LIVE HERE IF YOU WANT TO BE TREATED LIKE A CHILD

Awful awful awful experience with the building management team here. I started looking at apartments here since September — looking for my move in November. Management was nonexistent — they just sent me the places to check via email or text and told me to take a look myself. I was not miffed about this, but rather the opaque process management decided to pursue in even trying to get us to sign a lease.
I submitted documents along with my roomate and waited for confirmation of the apartment for over a week! What a surprise when — with less than 2 weeks to my move — management calls me and tells me that they sold away and had someone else signing the lease. Not only did they not honor the fact that the apartment would be held off market — they went ahead and found someone else to fill the unit!
When asked about this treatment — management was absolutely not helpful and told us there were no other apartments available. I felt tricked and cheated by this unit and now will have to find a new place to live with less time on my hands than I imagined. Absolutely avoid Packard if you can.

The worst management ever. They will be prompt to your calls and emails when you’re trying to lease, but will never respond once you move out. Either the person is out of the office and will be back «the next day,» only to call back the next day and she won’t be available all day. I am trying to receive my security deposit back but they have been avoiding my calls for the past 3 months. Dear JULIE and DAWN, go take a time management class or something. Must be way too busy to call someone back!
Oh. and their apartments are filthy. I don’t know why their bathroom vents don’t work.

AVOID AVOID AVOID. The Packard Square North and Packard Square building is located on a street that feeds the Queensboro Bridge and rush hour traffic in the morning and night is characterized by intensely loud and chronic honking. It is beyond awful if you face the street. Then to the north is a parking lot that has a loud exit/​entry alarm. One week after you live here, you will want to move out. NYC neighborhoods are loud, but these buildings have truly awful surroundings. Convenient location to midtown but there’s no fun blocks around here. This may become like nicer parts of LIC after 10 years but there’s not even a decent grocery store for 15 blocks. The apartment itself is fine, but the management is manipulative. Promised parking but it never materialized. Rented PSN units, then started construction right in front of it. And another bldg is planned but they won’t tell prospective tenants. The view you think you’re getting will be blocked out very soon. Avoid this awful location and dishonest marketing team.

I lived in Packard Square North for a relatively short time (7 months). When I moved in, it was not only brand-​new, but a work in progress; the rooftop deck — which was done beautifully — as well as fitness center and laundry room were still underway. Happily, this posed no inconvenience; I had full access to both the gym in Packard Square, next door, as well as that building’s laundry facilities. There is also a brand-​new laundromat between the two buildings.
My apartment was a roughly 650sf one-​bedroom, with attractive wood flooring and ample light. The kitchen, along with a gas stove, large energy-​efficient refrigerator, and massive countertop, was both compact and highly workable, and overall the apartment was well-​equipped and comfortable.
The building staff, and management team, were great — everyone who handled concierge-​like services, and the super, was exceptionally friendly and helpful, and the Ciampa management team was consistently responsive.
The building’s overall location, for someone looking for proximity to Midtown (2 miles across the Queensborough Bridge), was ideal. In my case, I commuted to a Midtown office, and had my choice of a 5-​minute E train ride, one of many, many cabs, or the 7 train. I was also within walking distance (a mile) of Astoria, arguably the most ethnically rich neighborhood in Queens. Parking was seldom a problem, with a reliable and affordable lot next door, and periodic street parking when needed.
I left this building only because a job opportunity took me to Washington, D.C. I would recommend this building, as well as its predecessor, Packard Square, to anyone.