Mary D Buck Memorial Apts

Pros

• Mary Buck Apartments are a wonderful place to live.
• A good family friend has lived there for years and absolutely loves it.
• The apartments are well maintained and comfortable.
• Security of the residents is of the utmost priority.
• They highly recommend Mary Buck Apartments to everyone.

Cons

• A resident notes that their doorbell was stolen by a neighbor known to steal things, signaling security problems.
• The building's security is limited to the ground floor, and elevators reportedly break down frequently.
• The snow-plowing contractor has not been paid despite sending more than 20 overdue invoices.
• Attempts to contact management have repeatedly failed; meetings are often unattended.
• A manager allegedly laughed at a resident and dismissed their request with "good luck with that."
• Since May 2022, communication with building management has been sporadic, with the office frequently empty.
• The office is often closed, blinds are kept shut, and passive-aggressive notices about no services are posted.
• A mother of a resident was promised an apartment but remains homeless and receives no return calls.
• A negative view is expressed about HUD low-income housing, describing residents as treated poorly and as if they are owned.

Review

From February 2020 through August 2022, the lived experience at the Mary D Buck buildings reads as a chronicle of ongoing lapses in security, maintenance, and management, punctuated by moments of personal risk and financial strain. The narrative begins with a troubling incident: a neighbor known to steal belongings managed to take the doorbell that had been mounted on the resident's door earlier in 2022. This theft is framed not as an isolated vandalism episode but as part of a larger pattern of insecurity within the building, where the exterior and the lived experience of residents are affected by criminal activity and lax protections.

The concerns about safety extend beyond the doorbell. The writer notes that the building's security was limited to the ground floor, and even that security was undermined by unreliable elements - most notably the elevators, described as breaking down on a near-regular basis, effectively interrupting daily life and raising questions about the building's ability to function safely and predictably. In short, the resident experienced a sense that the building's infrastructure and security were inadequate for the needs of those who live there, with problems that seemed to persist rather than improve over time.

Compounding these issues are tangible problems with property management and concrete services. A separate company, employed to handle snow plowing in the previous season, reports that payment for services remains outstanding. The resident and their team have made repeated attempts to contact the management company, sending more than twenty overdue invoices and arranging meetings that repeatedly failed to materialize because no one appeared. A particularly sharp moment is recalled: the last contact with a gentleman at "10 Clonton," who reportedly laughed and said, "good luck with that." Such an exchange, in the writer's view, epitomizes a broader pattern of disregard for the needs and rights of contractors as well as residents.

Since May 2022, the writer has been a resident of Mary D Buck, yet access to consistent, meaningful communication with the building management has remained scarce. They describe the management office as often empty, with blinds closed all day long regardless of supposed office hours. The presence of passive-aggressive notices on the management window, stating that there would be no services, is depicted as symptomatic of a hostile or indifferent atmosphere. These observations contribute to a broader impression that residents are not valued, and that basic needs - information, assistance, timely responses - are routinely unmet.

The impact of these issues extends to family life and security. The writer emphasizes the recurrent difficulty of obtaining help when needed and the feeling that the staff and leadership are unresponsive. Calls from the writer's mother for information go unanswered, even when promises are made about securing an apartment or providing assistance. The result, as described, is distress and instability - an impression reinforced by the stated outcome that the mother is still homeless to this day. In one breath, the writer acknowledges that Mary D Buck Apartments can be a wonderful place to live, pointing to a well-maintained appearance, comfortable units, and a stated priority for resident security in other contexts, yet amid their own experiences, those positive attributes feel incongruent with the lived reality of ongoing neglect and mismanagement.

In a striking juxtaposition, the writer includes a contrasting view that appears to come from within the same document or from a related perspective: a declaration that Mary Buck Apartments are a wonderful place to live, supported by a long-time friend who has lived there for years and who has spoken highly of the development's maintenance and safety. The writer even uses emphatic language to recommend the apartments to others, underscoring a belief that the property itself, when managed effectively, has the potential to be a model of quality and security. This duality - admiration for the physical environment and frustration with management's responsiveness - highlights a deeper tension between the ideal of a well-run, supportive residential community and the lived experience of inconsistency, neglect, and bureaucratic inertia described by the author.

In the closing statements, the discussion broadens to a cultural and social critique: the writer reflects on the realities of living in HUD low-income housing, suggesting that residents must be tough and that the system can feel as if it "owns" them, with a sense that those in charge take pleasure in being mean. This concluding sentiment encapsulates a broader moral of the experience - frustration not only with specific incidents of theft, poor service, and unpaid contracts, but with what the writer sees as a structural failure to protect residents, honor commitments, and provide dependable, respectful service. The overarching narrative thus presents a portrait of a complex property where moments of potential comfort and safety are overshadowed by persistent mismanagement and unmet needs, leaving residents and their families navigating a landscape of inconsistency and fear that gates against the very stability that housing is meant to provide.

Whitesboro, New York offers a convenient and vibrant community for seniors to consider for living. With several pharmacies located within close proximity, accessing medication and healthcare services is easily manageable. A variety of restaurants provide dining options for every taste, while hospitals and physicians offices are readily available for medical needs. For leisure activities, there are cafes for socializing and theaters for entertainment. Places of worship offer spiritual support as well. Overall, Whitesboro presents a well-rounded environment that caters to the various needs of seniors looking to settle in a welcoming neighborhood with access to essential amenities.

Pharmacies

• Langdon's Apothecary (0.1 miles)
• Rite Aid (0.1 miles)
• Kinney Drugs (0.4 miles)
• Medicine Shoppe (1.1 miles)
• Walgreens (1.8 miles)
• Rite Aid (1.8 miles)
• Hannaford Pharmacy (2.6 miles)

Restaurants

• Boulevard Diner (0.1 miles)
• Burger King (0.4 miles)
• McDonald's (1 miles)
• Taco Bell (1 miles)
• Holland Farms Bakery & Deli (1.2 miles)
• Symeon’s (1.4 miles)
• Chowder House (1.8 miles)

Hospitals

• Faxton-St Luke's Healthcare (0.3 miles)
• St Lukes-Memorial Hospital Center - Faxton-St Lukes Healthcare (1.9 miles)
• Faxton St Luke's Healthcare: St Luke's Campus (2 miles)
• Mohawk Valley Psychiatric Center (2.2 miles)
• Utica Psychiatric Center (2.3 miles)
• Faxton X-ray Department (2.8 miles)
• FAXTON-St LUKE'S HEALTHCARE - FAXTON CAMPUS (2.8 miles)

Physicians

• Adirondack Community Physicians: Whitesboro Medical Office (0.3 miles)
• Empire Orthopedic Laboratories (1.3 miles)
• Valley Dental (1.9 miles)
• Francis Eye and Laser Center (2 miles)
• Thomson Anne J Pa Slocumdickson Medical Group New Hartford (2.1 miles)
• Dayal D Raja MD (2.1 miles)
• Slocum-Dickson Medical Group (2.1 miles)

Cafes

• Panera Bread (1.9 miles)
• Raspberries Cafe (2 miles)
• Starbucks (2.1 miles)
• Bagel Grove (2.8 miles)
• Joseph Putrello Coffee Barista Bar (3.3 miles)
• Daylight Donuts (3.3 miles)

Theaters

• Marquee Cinemas - Orchard 14 (2.3 miles)

Places of Worship

• Our Lady Of Lourdes Ch (2.9 miles)