1661 1st Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10028

1661 First Avenue is a 4-story, 6-unit Old Law Tenement building located in Manhattan's Upper East Side, constructed in 1920 and currently owned by Antonio Ventura. The property has experienced several recurring maintenance issues, particularly concerning heat and water systems, with reports of building-wide heating problems in both 2019 and December 2023, though inspectors were unable to gain access to verify conditions in both instances. In 2020, multiple violations were documented, including defective fire escapes, exposed electrical wires, and various other maintenance issues.

Notably, there was a concerning series of complaints in 2023 regarding work performed without proper permits, with multiple inspection attempts showing inspectors were unable to gain access, though some resulted in violations being served. The building underwent significant scrutiny in 2018-2019 regarding potential illegal transient use of Unit 4S, with violations related to inadequate egress, missing fire alarm systems, and lack of required sprinkler systems being documented. While these violations were marked as resolved, they indicate past safety concerns.

The property has maintained a generally clean record regarding pest control, with no documented bedbug infestations in the past five reporting periods (2019-2024), and recent rodent inspections have consistently passed, though there were some rat activity indications in early 2019. The most recent complaints indicate ongoing issues with building maintenance and safety, including a 2024 ECB violation regarding an obstructed exit passageway and potentially hazardous conditions at the exterior parapet wall, both of which remain active as of 2025. The building's recent history also includes various non-emergency maintenance requests being logged and addressed through 311 services, though many involved access issues for inspectors.