Marine Drive Apartments Inc

Pros

• The location is described as amazing and the rent is income dependent.
• The rooms are praised as great and clean.
• The rent is comfortable, with the downtown setting offering access to the Erie Canal and nearby attractions.
• The property is on the water and within a short walk of Canal Side, downtown, and major venues, with cheap rent.
• One resident loved living there and looked forward to summers by the water park.

Cons

• The management is absolutely terrible and ignorant, offering little help and giving rude, inconsistent answers.
• Parking is severely mismanaged, causing tenants to get tickets and occasional lot closures with unclear policies.
• The buildings are dirty and poorly maintained, with overflowing trash and a lack of security.
• Heat is not provided for extended periods, violating local law and leaving residents cold.
• Work orders go unanswered or are delayed for long periods, forcing tenants to hire private contractors.
• Infestations are widespread (bedbugs, cockroaches, mice) and pest control is insufficient.
• The area feels unsafe with minimal security and frequent concerns about safety.
• The BMHA takeover has led to a decline in condition and service; residents feel HUD intervention is needed.
• Rent may be affordable, but the overall living conditions are poor and not worth the trouble.

Review

Residents of Marine Drive Apartments paint a consistently bleak picture of life in this Buffalo complex, with complaints that cluster around several core issues: parking, management responsiveness, building maintenance, and basic living conditions. Across numerous accounts, the parking situation stands out as the most exhausting daily hurdle. Tenants describe a system that seems designed to push enforcement rather than accommodate residents who live there. They report frequent parking tickets, a near-total lack of on-site parking for tenants, and even the administration closing the whole lot when it isn't in use. The frustration intensifies when tickets arrive after long days at work, especially since many tenants are paying rent at levels comparable to, or higher than, what others in the area would pay for secure, workable parking. The situation is said to be made worse by periods when the lot is supposed to be available, like after major events at Canalside or during Bisons games, during which ticketing behavior apparently changes and in some cases is avoided for event traffic, only to resume enforcement at other times.

Alongside these parking struggles, tenants describe a broader pattern of neglect and financial opportunism. There are repeated notes that new buildings or renovations have created or worsened parking problems, as if money were the primary objective rather than resident welfare. The sense conveyed by multiple reviews is that enforcement rules and "policy changes" arrive more as revenue-measures than as functional accommodations for people who live there year-round. The complaints feel personal and systemic at once: it's not just one bad moment, but an ongoing pattern of rules that seem to shift with little transparency or consistency.

The management and office staff receive some of the harshest criticism. Reviewers describe office personnel as terrible, rude, and unhelpful, with inconsistent information depending on who you ask. Several accounts emphasize a complete lack of reliable communication or accountability, and there's a recurring sentiment that the staff are either overwhelmed or intentionally unhelpful. Add to that the sense that the buildings themselves are poorly maintained, and it's easy to understand why tenants feel the problem starts at the top and bleeds downward. The feeling is not just of a few missteps, but of a chronic mismanagement that colors every interaction, from handling work orders to explaining what residents should expect in terms of services and protections.

Maintenance issues compound the frustration. Tenants describe a recurring cycle of unfulfilled work orders, aging infrastructure, and a noticeable decline in cleanliness and upkeep. Complaints range from general neglected common areas and security gaps to more alarming problems like pests and infestations in some buildings, with bedbugs, cockroaches, mice, and unpleasant odors noted in several accounts. When repairs are requested, the response can be slow or incomplete, and in some cases tenants report paying out of pocket to fix problems that should have been handled by the property management or maintenance crews. The combination of pests, poor housekeeping in public spaces, and unreliable repairs contributes to a sense that basic living standards have slipped.

Heat, cold, and other health-related concerns appear in multiple testimonials. The reviews say that heat is often unreliable or unavailable when required by local regulations. One particularly strong claim notes a prolonged period without heat - eight days in a row - despite legal requirements to provide heat during certain months. Tenants describe managers who are confrontational or dismissive when heat issues are raised, framing these outages as cost-cutting measures rather than necessary maintenance. The overall impression is that residents must battle through the winter with insufficient warmth and safety, undermining their wellbeing and contradicting assurances expected from any housing complex.

Security and safety are additional focal points of criticism. Several reviews describe a general sense of insecurity, with residents feeling unsafe in hallways and common areas. They point to a lack of visible security, routine maintenance, and "do-it-yourself" expectations (tenants repeatedly mention that they end up paying out of pocket for repairs or hiring external help) as evidence that the property is not adequately safeguarded. The atmosphere described is one where residents feel on edge about break-ins, vandalism, and general neglect, rather than confident in a well-managed community.

Despite all the negatives, some reviews do acknowledge a few positive dimensions, most notably the location. Marine Drive is repeatedly praised for being in a great urban setting: water-adjacent and close to downtown, Canal Side, and several attractions such as Canalside, the First Niagara Center, and Coca-Cola Field. Rent is sometimes described as affordable or income-dependent, which, for some tenants, remains a meaningful upside in an otherwise challenging living situation. The contrast between the desirable location and the disarray inside the buildings creates a conflicted sentiment: the setting is worthy, but the experience living there is far from it.

A sense runs through many of the accounts that the property has undergone management changes that have not translated into improved living conditions. Several reviews specifically mention a shift to BMHA (Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority) management in the past few years, with claims that conditions have deteriorated since the transition. Observers describe a "non-visible" general manager who fails to maintain visible oversight, a lack of inter-building consistency, and a perception that HUD oversight or intervention might be necessary to restore basic standards. The underlying fear is that without stronger governance or external oversight, the property will continue to drift further from the quality of life that residents expect and deserve.

All told, the collective voice is one of deep disappointment and mounting frustration. Renters who stay are soaking up the stress of unreliable services, unhealthy living conditions, and ongoing disputes with management. The recurring threads - parking chaos, inconsistent and discourteous office staff, unreliable maintenance, pest problems, heat outages, and perceived neglect of safety and security - create an experience that many would not recommend to others, despite the undeniable appeal of the riverfront location. For those who call Marine Drive home, the hope visible in some comments - that the situation could improve under better management - remains the most hopeful thread amid a long list of persistent grievances.

This part of Buffalo, New York offers a diverse range of amenities that cater to a senior living lifestyle. With a variety of restaurants, cafes, and pharmacies nearby, residents have easy access to dining options and healthcare services. The proximity to parks such as Delaware Park Marcy Casino and Wilkeson Pointe provides opportunities for outdoor activities and relaxation. In terms of medical care, there are several reputable physicians' offices and hospitals within a reasonable distance. Additionally, the presence of places of worship in the area offers spiritual support for those seeking religious community. For entertainment, seniors can enjoy trips to theaters like Regal Walden Galleria 4Dx & RPX for movies. Overall, this neighborhood in Buffalo combines convenience, healthcare accessibility, recreational activities, and cultural opportunities making it an appealing option for senior living.

Restaurants

• Liberty Hound (0.2 miles)
• Southern Tier Brewery Buffalo (0.3 miles)
• Sidelines Sports Bar and Grill (0.7 miles)
• Big Ditch Brewing Company (0.8 miles)
• The Ward (0.8 miles)
• Club Marcella (0.9 miles)
• Betty's Restaurant (1.2 miles)

Parks

• Delaware Park Marcy Casino (0.3 miles)
• Wilkeson Pointe (0.6 miles)
• Woodlawn Beach State Park (6.9 miles)
• Centennial Park (7 miles)
• Beaver Island State Park (7.7 miles)

Physicians

• The Evergreen Exchange (0.8 miles)
• Urban Family Practice (1.4 miles)
• Ross Eye Institute (1.9 miles)
• Jericho Road Community Health Center (2.7 miles)
• 50 Gate Circle (3.3 miles)
• Primary Care Of WNY Primary Care Of Western New York Kenmore (5.5 miles)
• Western New York Ear Nose and Throat (6.6 miles)

Pharmacies

• Rite Aid (1 miles)
• Walgreens (1.6 miles)
• Rite Aid (1.8 miles)
• Rite Aid (2 miles)
• Rite Aid (2.7 miles)
• Top's Markets (4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (4 miles)

Cafes

• Tim Hortons (1.4 miles)
• Tim Hortons (3.2 miles)
• Wegmans Food Markets (4.1 miles)
• Starbucks (5.3 miles)
• Tim Hortons (5.3 miles)
• Wegmans Food Markets (5.8 miles)
• Starbucks (7.1 miles)

Hospitals

• Roswell Park Cancer Institute (1.5 miles)
• John R Oishei Children's Hospital (1.6 miles)
• Erie County Medical Center (4 miles)
• Mercy Hospital Operating Room (4.1 miles)

Places of Worship

• Saint John Gualbert Catholic Church & Diocesan Shrine (4.9 miles)
• Queen of Angels (5.2 miles)
• Queen of Heaven Church Rectory Office (7.5 miles)

Theaters

• Regal Walden Galleria 4Dx & RPX (6.5 miles)
• Quaker Crossing STM 18 (7.7 miles)