Renters And Hotel Guests Not Getting Along In Burg

Photos by Jen Carlson/Gothamist

Williamsburg's Hotel Toshi has been making headlines recently, and today the half hotel/half residential building is back in print, with word that residents are tired of sharing the space with guests who have a penchant for late-night partying.

According to the Brooklyn Paper, the hybrid is losing some long-term renters who fear what they'll come home to at their South 5th and Driggs abode. One tenant told the paper, “When I come home at 1 am by myself, I am thinking what if I get mugged in my own elevator?” The building’s owner, Shlomo Karpen, has been accused of keeping the building’s side door open, and renting rooms for private parties.

However, Hotel Toshi President Robert Chan claims his staff has put the kibosh on loud all-nighters. He also says, “We have a 24-hour superintendent. We serve the whole building. We clean the whole building. When I run a building, I think I do an OK job.” We dropped by earlier and found the "Hotel Toshi" paper signs that are usually taped the door have been taken down, and some light handiwork was being done.

Still, the building has yet to be raided, as hostels in the neighborhood have been recently, and Chan says what they're doing is legal. Some confusion remains as to whether or not that is accurate, but as the paper notes, "it’s difficult for the city to crack down on hotels in residentially zoned buildings, thanks to a 2009 Appellate Court decision that ruled that a hotel is legal if a majority of single-room units in a building are leased to tenants for a period over 30 days a month." Rumor has it that even if the tenants flee, they'll keep operating as-is, because they might just be making more off their guests than off their long-term leasers.

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By Jen Carlson in News on May 5, 2010 1:34 PM

Comments [rss]

really!?!?

"hotel is legal if a majority of single-room units in a building are leased to tenants for a period over 30 days a month."

You have it backward, a building can legally rent rooms transiently (nightly) if they can prove that it has been predominantly transient since 1961. All the 2009 Appellate Court decision did was defined "predominantly" as more then 50%, where as the city was arguing that it meant a much higher % of the building.

But none of that matters in the Toshi case, because their CofO does not classify the building as multiple dwelling, it is straight residential, Class A Apartments at that. Meaning, this operation is completely illegal. Here is a link to their most current CofO:

http://a810-cofo.nyc.gov/cofo/B/310/089000/310089203.PDF

alex

My friend lives in the Driggs building and was repeatedly harassed by Toshi's team to give up the apartment. They tried to bribe my friend to vacate.

nocadossi

http://www.vosizneias.com/54795/2010/05/05/williamsburg-ny-neighbors-say-hotel-toshi-for-hipsters-is-a-horrorshow-hostel

PLEASE READ THEIR COMMENTS!!! This is from a Yiddish website...their comments are priceless!!!!

laisla

From your link:

"[Hispters] don’t believe in clothing, and don’t believe in window shades."

hahahahahahahahahahaha. This made me laugh so hard. Those comments are priceless.

My mama always taught me not to look at things I did not want to see. Where is the personal responsibility? Can they not control their eyes? And maybe, I don't know, not look into people's windows?!

horseplay

Sounds like what's going on in that building, with NYers being the residents, and tourists being the guests, that the owners are picking the guests ($) over their residents. They dedicated the building (NYC) to the guests (tourists).. The way you feel about your residence, is the way NYers are feeling about their city

nocadossi

Cleans everything my ass! This whole thing is a frustrating disaster. GOOD JOB ROBERT AND SHLOMO, you have proven yet again that heartless, cruel, dirty, money hungry people are rampant wherever one goes!

There is no mail being delivered, shoved on a stupid table for everyone to see. The elevator and hallways smell of beer. Loud annoying frat heads party there all night long! All Shlomo wants is money, typical!!! 24-hour superintendent??? "We serve the whole building" is a JOKE! This is completely illegal!