Bretton Hall

I love my building! It is on the higher end price-wise, but I live on the Upper West Side, surrounded by a fantastic neighborhood. My apartment overlooks the 1 train, so my commute to school is extremely easy and quick. The building does not have any amenities, but it has laundry in the basement and includes electricity, heat and water. (There is no gas in the building, everything is electric.)
My neighbors are wonderful: they're very friendly and make building a community a priority. It is a pet friendly building, and there are many dogs :)
The building was once a hotel and retains some unique features from that, such as unusually wide hallways, decorative stairs and a front desk with concierge. When it was turned into an apartment building in the 80s, it was initially an artists' residence, and a number of residents have been here since then. Because of its hotel and artists' residence history, the apartments themselves are unique in size and layout.
The apartment I live in is quite large for a one-bedroom. I have space for both a living and dining room within the main room, and I have a full chef's kitchen with bar attached. My bedroom can fit a king-size bed and still has space for a study area. My apartment specifically was renovated immediately before I moved in, so everything is brand new and in great condition. Other apartments have not been renovated recently or are not yet due for an update, but I cannot speak to what those look like.
Management is responsive and on top of everything. The front desk managers are friendly and professional. I feel extremely safe in my building and in the surrounding area.
The building overlooks a number of useful stores, such as a grocery open until 1am, multiple tailors and shoe repairs, a bodega and a Citibank, as well as some nice restaurants and boutique shopping. Around the corner is a 24-hour CVS and another grocery. There is an AMC Theater (with luxury seats) a block and a half away and a Barnes and Nobles two blocks away. There's a great bar scene in Amsterdam, as well as a number of kosher and vegan restaurants. The nearest library is about 5 blocks away (which is very close).
The crosstown bus stops next to the building, making it very easy to get to the east side quickly. It takes aboutn10-15 minutes by train to get to Lincoln Center and about 15-20 minutes to get up to Columbia. I have friends in the neighborhood who walk to school (at Lincoln Center) everyday, but I prefer to take the subway.
Within walking distance is Fairway Market, two different Trader Joe's, a DSW, Marshall's and Victoria's Secret. And of course there are a number of Duane Reades scattered throughout. The entrance to Central Park is just a couple avenues away on Central Park West and 86th.