55 1st Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10003

55 1st Avenue is a 15-unit, 5-story old law tenement building located in the East Village, constructed in 1900 and currently owned by Steve Gorey. The building has experienced several significant issues over recent years, most notably an unsanitary condition regarding garbage/recycling storage reported in November 2024 that remains unresolved as of July 2025. In March 2022, the building went through a concerning period of safety and maintenance violations, with documented issues including missing carbon monoxide detectors, mold problems, smoke detector deficiencies, and concerns regarding sprinklers.

While some violations were addressed promptly, they indicate previous lapses in safety systems. The building has maintained a consistent record of passing rodent inspections between 2021 and 2025, though there was one failed inspection in May 2023. Historical records show two active Department of Buildings violations from November 2019 regarding failure to file annual boiler inspection reports, which remain unresolved.

The property has generally documented compliance with bedbug reporting requirements between 2020 and 2025, showing no infestations or related issues during these periods. Various permits for plumbing and electrical work have been issued between 2018 and 2019, suggesting ongoing maintenance and improvements to the building's infrastructure. Two fire escape safety inspections in 2021 resulted in no violations, indicating that while there have been multiple safety-related complaints, the building's fire escape systems have been maintained in compliance with regulations. The management's response to the various violations and the recent garbage/recycling storage complaint, which resulted in an inspection attempt but no access granted to HPD, suggests potential access issues for inspectors that may complicate resolution of building violations.