New York Man Says He Can’t Get Back Into His Apartment—Because a Building Is About To Collapse: ‘I Was Supposed To Move In Today’

A New York City man signed a lease for an apartment in Midtown Manhattan. Then he was told he wasn’t going to be able to move in at his start date, which left him in a hotel. The reason why? A building on the same street he was planning to live on may collapse, which poses a risk to him and everyone else inside his complex. 

Hunter Puterbaugh (@hunterputerbaugh) posted a video that received more than 310,000 views. In it, he explained how after making a move directly to New York City, he ended up in varying hotels in Midtown. The content creator explained that upon his move-in day to a studio in the area, he got caught up in an exacuation warning. 

As it turns out, hundreds of people were affected by an unstable building, which prompted FDNY to evacuate the area. For Puterbaugh, that included his new dwelling. 

Why can’t Puterbaugh get into his apartment?

Puterbaugh described his situation in detail in an initial TikTok post. 

“A building is on the verge of collapsing in Midtown Manhattan, and my apartment street, which I was supposed to move into today, is closed,” Puterbaugh said. He added that the hotel he was temporarily staying at is also closed, which meant he couldn’t get his clothes or belongings. 

In the video, the content creator also added a screenshot he received from his leasing company. In it, a representative stated that the FDNY directed that tenants could not safely stay in the building. 

The building that’s presumably near Puterbaugh’s apartment complex is the former Pfizer headquarters, which, according to Fox News, prompted evacuations of the area. AP News reports that the evacuation occurred after witnesses saw the 1970s building, which is being converted into luxury apartments, “buckling.” 

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani reportedly called the incident “an extremely serious situation,” according to AP News. Later, emergency responders discovered the building had two buckled support columns and sagging floors. Then, the building’s current developer called initial fear that it may collapse “overblown,” and said that the damage was fixable. 

What did viewers say?

Viewers gave Puterbaugh advice on how to handle the situation.

“Document all expenses for a claim. Food, laundry, transportation, hotel. Pay for everything with credit, debit, Apple Pay/Google Wallet, etc. so you have a good paper trail,” one viewer said. 

Some viewers recommended the content creator look at renters insurance, which could cover his hotel stay. Others expressed sympathy for him. 

“Bestie you look exhausted,” one viewer said. Puterbaugh replied, “haha.”

@hunterputerbaugh #nyc #newyorkcity #manhattan #buildingcollapse ♬ original sound – Hunter Puterbaugh

Did he get to move into the building?

FDNY initially directed an evacuation of the area surrounding the former Pfizer headquarters on Tuesday, June 7. On Thursday, June 9, Puterbaugh confirmed that he was able to move into his apartment building. 

Puterbaugh gave his audience a small apartment tour. The content creator confirmed in his comment section that as he was moving into his studio, he was also adjusting to New York City. The content creator was moving there for the first time. He spent his first days in New York City inside of hotels. 

“What an introduction to NYC sheesh lol,” one viewer said.  

Puterbaugh said in a follow-up that there was no real update on the building and that it was “fine.” The content creator is adjusting to normalcy and city life. 

The Mary Sue has reached out to Puterbaugh via TikTok direct message for comment.

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