u/BookkeeperLazy5245

Hi all, I've been living at 2-20 Malt Drive for about 1 year now and wanted to provide my thoughts for anyone who was interested in the Units (2-20 or 2-21 Malt Drive as they are generally the same). Feel free to DM me with any questions, happy to answer any if you're interested in the building / any TFC buildings (also would split sign-ups). TLDR - would rate the apartment 9.5 / 10.0. Generally a very solid building with good management in a nice, quiet area. Happy with everything so far.

Neighborhood / Location (9.2 / 10.0)

• The Neighborhood is great. I’ll speak to specifically the Hunters Point South area from Gotham Point to Vernon Blvd / Jackson Ave and specifically to 2-20 Malt Drive but generally what can be said for 2-20 can be said for 2-21. While generally very peaceful and quiet, there's a ton of new development going on throughout the area so the construction can get rather noisy (although nothing compared to the noise levels you’d find in Manhattan).
• There are two massive empty lots that are fenced around directly in front of Malt Drive when you are facing the East River (in between 56th and 55th ave, and 55th and 54th ave). These two parcels are expected to be a mix of affordable housing / green space but construction has not yet started
• They are currently building an elementary school that's expected to wrap up by the end of this year on the corner of 2nd and 54th ave, and another residential building on 51-09 2nd st expected to wrap up fall of 2026
• The area is extremely diverse, having a good mix of families, pet owners, and younger adults starting their careers but definitely leans to the maturer crowd in their early 30’s / late 30’s (updated from late 20’s / early 30’s)
• In-line with the rest of Queens, there is a really diverse population throughout the neighborhood with an outsized representation of Asian individuals
• Being right on the water is great. Hunters Point Park is clean, extremely walkable, and is a well built out green space Fitted with park areas, volleyball / basketball courts, playgrounds for kids, big green space to picnic, all right along the water facing Manhattan from Gotham Point all the way up to Eleventh Street basin. I typically go on runs along there and it’s a great path that’s about 1 mile long.
• One of the biggest pain points to Malt Drive is the clear lack of dining options which has been improving over the course of the last year. While the area directly around Malt Drive doesn’t have dining options given mostly residential, a 5 minute walk to 50th ave or Vernon Blvd has plenty of good dining options. On 50th ave they just opened a new Sushi restaurant, Pizza spot, etc. and there are a wide array of options on Vernon with plenty of diverse cuisines.
• Similarly, nearby affordable groceries can be a pain point, there is a Trader Joes and Target by Court Square which you can bike / subway / walk to but it’s about 3 miles away. There are a handful of the grocery markets like Evergreen Marketplace by Gotham Point and Urban Market on 50th ave but I find those options needlessly overpriced. A few months ago they opened a brand new Dumbo Market on the corner of 5th st 50th ave and I find they have some affordable deals.

Apartment (9.8 / 10.0)

• I live in a 1 bedroom flex room in 2-20 Malt Drive facing the Newtown Creek / East River
  • For the flex wall I paid $1,400 including the removal fee when I move out
• Your mileage may vary but my apartment is very modern with sleek appliances from a mix of Moet, Kohler, General Electric, and Electrolux for the in-unit Washer Dryer.
  • Refrigerator + Freezer are decently sized / no issues. Freezer comes with ice maker.
  • Dishwasher is good / no issues
• Noise hasn’t been an issue, every now and then I can hear the individuals below me if its dead quiet but not material.
• Windows are expansive with a great view of the Newtown Creek and East River. They are double paned glass and insulates from noise and outside climate well.
• Rooms all have wood flooring and the kitchen space has modern wooden cabinetry and marble countertops.
• Bathroom is good, modern, spacious although I think the mirror and storage looks a bit dated but definitely gets the job done.
• Building Amenities
  • $75 fixed fee monthly for each resident regardless of usage
  • 24/7 Gym equipped with standard running equipment, stair master, free weights including flat bench / squat rack, smith machine, etc.
  • Yoga studio with provided yoga mats
  • Two large hang-out lounge areas
    • One lounge includes pool room with pool cues and balls included
  • Study Lounge (can seat 25+ individuals comfortably, haven’t seen any capacity issues)
    • Includes a few individual rooms with sliding glass doors which you can connect to a TV
  • Outdoor rooftop deck on the 6th Floor with unlimited grill access and large outdoor seating space with tables and chairs, hammocks, bathroom. Space is really great and is awesome to host friends.
  • Outdoor Pool (last I checked it was $750 per person for only part of the year when it’s not closed).
  • Children's Playroom
  • Dog Grooming
• Building (Other)
  • There are 4 elevators and generally don't ever see a line to wait for the elevator
  • The front desk is manned 24/7 and the doormen are all extremely friendly and great (huge plus), never had any issue with them, always very quick to let people into my apartment, handle maintenance requests, unlock my door when I'm locked out, and handle the packages
  • Packages are handled by the front desk while letter mail has a dedicated mail room
  • Parking Garage
  • Bike Room
  • Exterior grounds of the building is very nice with plenty of outdoor seating, playground (brand new), walkways, which are all along the water
  • On the ground floor there is a Nail Salon, Coffee Store (very solid), Asian Restaurant (currently being built) and what looks to be a day care (currently being built). There are a few other retail spaces that haven't been bought up yet so TBD there.

Management / Leasing Office (10.0 / 10.0)

• Malt Drive is run by TFC Cornerstone which is a generally well regarded Management office and is structured / professional (something that I was lacking in some of my first few apartments in Manhattan)
• They are generally responsive and are on top of it with reminders (regarding leashing pets, cleaning up after pets, no smoking in the building, appropriately disposing of trash and recycling, any on-going extreme weather, etc.)
• Maintenance is a huge plus, whenever we have had any issues (all minor), we just submit a maintenance request on our phone and a maintenance worker shows up same day to fix it. You can set it up so they can show up while you’re in the apt or away and can have stuff fixed for when you come home.
• Similarly the leasing office is clearly well equipped / trained and responsive and can help you with any questions / always available to tour when I was first looking at the location

Transportation (9.0 / 10.0)

• I think transportation to Long Island City gets a way worse reputation than what it is in reality. To get to Malt Drive from Manhattan you can take the 7 to Vernon Blvd / Jackson ave which is the FIRST stop after Grand Central heading to Queens. Then walk about ~10-15 (updated from 8-10) minutes to the Malt Drive Apartments. Additionally you can take the E toward Queens to Court Square then take the 7 to Vernon Blvd heading from queens
• The 7 is rarely down (only occurred on three occasions in the last 7 months for me, once during a weekend for maintenance and twice during a work day due to someone on the tracks). Additionally, if the 7 to Manhattan is down, you can take the 7 to Court Square and transfer to the E to take you to Manhattan that way.
• The ferry is amazing. It stops right at Hunters Point South (5 minute walk stepping out the door at Malt Dive) and can take you direct to Manhattan (34th St. / Wall St.) / Brooklyn (Dumbo / Williamsburg) and has even more flexibility during the Summer when it runs to more stops. Ferry is fairly affordable costing $3 a ride assuming you buy 10 tickets at a time, and allows unlimited transfers for 2 hours but you cannot take a round trip ride
• There is a convenient Citi Bike stand on 55th ave directly in front of Malt Drive
• From Malt Drive you can actually walk to Green Point Brooklyn rather easily by walking on the Pulaski Bridge (which can seem sketchy at first) and enjoy all of Green Point without worrying about subways or Ubers.
• There is a shuttle that runs from Malt Drive to the 7 with one another stop at 5241 Center Blvd which is convenient especially when its raining / snowing. The shuttle runs Monday - Friday from 7AM to 10AM and later in the evening from 5PM to 8PM and then on the weekends from 10AM - 6PM, it runs approximately every twenty minutes. There’s an app you can use to track the shuttle so I generally plan my morning commute easily by knowing when the shuttle will arrive at Malt.

I'm sure I'm missing a lot but my experience has been overwhelmingly positive. Feel free to reach out with any questions, happy to help!