So far not so good
My last review of a NYC hotel was for the Renaissance New York Hotel 57. I said it was my new must-stay hotel in the city, or something along those lines. I should have listened to myself, because so far On The Ave Hotel has proven to be new must-avoid hotel. Normally, my work brings to midtown, but this time I have meetings on the upper west side. So, wanting to avoid a long taxi ride, I decided to stay local. 
Big mistake. I paid extra for a king sized loft room on the 14th floor that "boasts" a large balcony. I thought that sounded like a pretty rare perk. I also participated in one of their online promotions and received a voucher supposedly good for a free automatic upgrade to a larger room with a larger balcony on a higher floor. When I arrived I was told that no upgraded rooms were available but that my room was "very nice" and that I would be "extremely happy with it". Guess what?!?! I am not!!!! Right now I have my curtain drawn and am looking at about three dozen workers hammering, drilling, etc. at the top of a construction site that it is exactly level with my room. They started at about 6:30 AM and I expect they'll keep going into the evening. If you want to sleep or think, do not stay here. At least not in their rooms on the 14th floor. 
As for everything else: 
- no room service
- smallish rooms
- you have to pay for wi fi
- relatively high price for area
- furniture a little worn
- small tv
The only good thing I've noticed is the staff. Even though the front desk didn't honor my upgrade voucher, they were very friendly and efficient. But that's not going to help me sleep tomorrow morning.