A Quiet, Good Neighbor

When Urban Recovery at 411 Van Brunt Street first opened its doors on January 7, 2019 nobody really knew what to expect. Rumors swirled and critics, well, were critics.

Now after a little over year of operation, it’s time to review Urban Recovery. I have a special relationship with UR. since I was a patient there for 5 weeks in 2019. I saw their ads on a regular basis in this newspaper and only after the need arose, did I dig a little deeper.

I found my way to UR via a “drive by”. I tried calling them with no response so during a shopping trip to Fairway, I stopped and rang their bell. During that visit, I made an appointment for a full tour. I took the tour with my wife and to say we were impressed is an understatement.

While I was there, the patient population was small and consisted of people from all walks of life and different parts of the country. I was the only “local” and if I had to guess up until that time, I was the only person from the from the local environs to walk through their doors.

I have to say that the five weeks I spent there were life changing. While getting the help I needed from a staff of amazing people, the in-patient experience was second to none. The rooms were luxurious with the most comfortable beds that only a 5-Star hotel could match.

Add to that a very large screen TV with every streaming service available, a heated bathroom floor and daily (yes daily) wash and fold laundry. The food was equally amazing, if you didn’t like what was on the menu, the chef would cook to order.

As patients, we were only allowed to go outside with supervision although we were allowed access to the rooftop deck (they have a beautiful deck with amazing views of the harbor and Statue of Liberty). Most of the supervised walks included visits to Ample Hills or Steve’s Key Lime.

Now let’s talk about the work they do. Their program is rigorous, consisting of 12-hour days with customized individual treatment regimens. The group “classes” are facilitated by some of the most knowledgeable and experienced professionals in their field. These group classes are supplemented with individual, one on one meetings as well. In order to get the most out of the program, you must take advantage of everything they offer and be committed to being there.

Sometimes It appears that the building is vacant but as I can attest, the inside is a beehive of activity, doing good work. You can’t ask for a better neighbor.