695 St Nicholas Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10030

The 6-story, 40-unit building at 695 St. Nicholas Avenue in Hamilton Heights, built in 1907, has experienced several significant maintenance issues in recent years. Most notably, there are currently multiple open complaints related to water leaks (April-May 2025), an open complaint about unsanitary conditions involving garbage/recycling storage (April 2025), and a food contamination issue currently being investigated by the Department of Health (June 2025). The building has a history of heating and hot water problems, with several complaints filed in April 2025, though some of these were closed due to inability to gain access for inspection.

The elevator system has been a recurring concern, with multiple complaints about single device service and no alternate service, though inspections in early 2025 found no violations. A major incident occurred in July 2022 when a fire damaged multiple apartments (44, 34, 54, 1B, and 1G), resulting in structural concerns that required an engineering evaluation, though these violations were later dismissed. The building has also faced ongoing issues with rodent activity, as evidenced by multiple rat inspections in 2023-2024, though recent inspections have shown some improvement. Between 2020 and 2024, there were varying levels of bedbug infestations, with the most recent reports (2024-2025) showing no active infestations.

Recent Housing Maintenance Code violations included issues with self-closing doors and egress blockages, though these were subsequently addressed. A spring 2025 inspection revealed an unfinished retaining wall at the rear of the building, which was noted as potentially unsafe. The building's management, under owner Gideon Stryker, has received multiple violations for various maintenance issues, including concerns about fire safety, door mechanisms, and garbage storage. While some violations have been resolved through repairs and inspections, others remain open or were addressed through permits issued between 2019-2022. The property has shown some progress in recent months with passing rodent inspections and maintaining a pest-free environment according to the latest bedbug reports, though the ongoing water leak issues and other maintenance complaints suggest that some building systems may require further attention.