Residents at 1920 Walton Ave in Tremont say their front lobby has gone from ordinary entryway to something closer to an all-night party spot, with late-night gatherings, open drug use and people passed out on the floor. Neighbors have traded photos of motorcycles parked in the hallways, picnic chairs set up in common areas and what appear to be narcotics and trash left scattered where families are supposed to walk through.
According to a report by News 12 Bronx, tenants shared images of people sleeping in the lobby and hallways, along with what looks like drug paraphernalia left behind after the crowds clear out. One tenant, identified as Isabel, told the station, “I don’t feel secure in this building,” while the building superintendent, Alberto, said he “repeatedly cleans up the mess” and sometimes faces confrontations when he asks people to leave. News 12 reported that it contacted the building’s management and was waiting for a response.
Paper Trail Shows Years of Complaints
Public property records list 1920 Walton Ave as an 85-unit, six-story building that went up in 1926, according to PropertyShark. Building-data records also point to a long history of city service calls and violations tied to the address. One database logs more than 800 housing complaints made to 311 and over 1,000 housing-maintenance violations in recent years, per Augrented. Together, those records suggest the chaotic lobby is part of a larger pattern of maintenance and enforcement problems tenants have been flagging for years.
Not Just One Troubled Lobby in the Bronx
This is not the first time a Bronx lobby has effectively been taken over. News 12 previously covered a Bedford Park building where parents and daycare staff said people were openly using drugs right by the entrance and police removals did not last. In that report, residents told the station, “Police come, they take them out and then they come right back,” a cycle that highlights how quickly conditions return when there is no sustained enforcement or firm action from building management.
What Tenants Can Do Right Now
Tenants who want the city to step in can file housing complaints through NYC’s 311 system or through the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, which can inspect buildings and issue violations. If residents see ongoing drug activity or feel their safety is at risk, they are advised to call 911. For non-emergency conditions, reports can be submitted through 311 or directly with NYC HPD to request an inspection and create a paper trail…