Queens Residents Struggling with Elevator Issues

In some situations, opting for stairs might be the wiser choice!

Residents living in a Queens rental complex have reported ongoing issues with noisy and unreliable elevators for a decade now, and in just the past month, individuals have been trapped in them three times.

In Long Island City’s Hunters Point South area, there are only nine functional elevators servicing around 1,000 apartments in two rent-stabilized buildings, with complaints that the air conditioning and intercom systems often fail as well.

Matt Aaron, president of the tenant association and a resident since 2018, remarked that becoming stuck in the elevators has become sort of a “rite of passage” for the community.

“Getting stuck can be rough,” the 37-year-old noted, mentioning that the emergency call button at the front desk doesn’t always function when residents need help.

“Management claims they’re monitoring things via cameras… but really, the front desk is busy with other tasks,” he added.

“When issues pop up, they don’t seem to take us seriously.”

After a cable break, two of the elevators got refurbished last month, yet even the renovated elevator caused problems, trapping people on multiple occasions.

A resident recalled being stuck in the upgraded elevator on June 14, explaining, “None of the buttons worked.” However, she managed to contact the front desk through the call system, and eventually, she had to alert the fire department.

“They didn’t respond at all. It was late—around 11 p.m.—so I called the FDNY, and they arrived quickly,” she said.

Some tenants expressed frustrations over frequent power outages and the fact that some elevators only reach specific floors, leading to complete service interruptions.

Chris Zeles, a 56-year-old resident, described a situation where one elevator seemed to “bounce” down repeatedly for weeks. Zeles shared that he had been stuck for over an hour when troubles began a decade ago, leading him and his wife to pretty much avoid the elevators altogether.

“My husband tries to take the stairs whenever he can. He’s taking Flight 29,” she added. “He’s turning 60 soon, and my knees are not what they used to be.”

Management for the complex didn’t respond immediately to requests for comments.

A former resident who moved out in 2015 shared that the noise from the elevator disturbed his sleep often, describing it as “clunking, clunking, screws turning.”

Inspections from the Department of Buildings have led to at least four violations related to the elevators, with one noted as recently as April.

Residents mentioned that these ongoing issues have caused delays with after-school pickups, late-night laundry, and sometimes, lengthy waits of up to 45 minutes for an elevator.

Aaron highlighted that during busy morning hours, delays force tenants to spend money on rideshares, while elderly or disabled residents often find themselves stranded when outages occur.

Frank Llewellyn, 77, who works with U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, found himself forced to walk to the sixth floor as all elevators servicing his level were down, which took him about 35 minutes due to his “bad knees.”

“Elevators really are a lifeline for folks with disabilities,” Aaron emphasized.

Despite the city providing a development subsidy, the issues have lingered, only gaining attention after a cable snapped in 2024.

Residents held a media rally seeking much-needed repairs, and while some renovations were announced this summer, recent power outages have rekindled their worries.

“Honestly, when I get into the elevator, I often think I need to use the bathroom because it’s uncertain how long it will be until I can get out,” Aaron confessed.