I
n the heart of Manhattan's West Village, a neighborhood synonymous with luxury and glamour, lies a building shrouded in mystery - or rather, misery. Influencer Sophie Balardo has come forward to share her harrowing experience living in this supposedly coveted address, where she claims to have battled illness for six months due to an infestation of mice and mold.

    Balardo's TikTok followers, who typically tune in for a glimpse into her high-end lifestyle, were shocked by the influencer's candid confession. With 22,000 eyes on her, Balardo revealed that her apartment was a breeding ground for pests, including cockroaches, wasps, and lanternflies - all while paying a whopping $3,000 per month in rent.

    "I'm not the only one who suffered," she emphasized, sharing that a friend had also fallen ill after moving into the building. "We're both healthy individuals, but our immune systems were compromised by this environment." Balardo's symptoms included random rashes, swollen lymph nodes, and inflammation - all of which she attributed to the damp and moldy conditions.

    The influencer's warning comes with a caveat: not everyone who lives in the building experiences these issues. Some residents have reportedly lived there for years without incident, leaving potential renters to weigh their options carefully. As Balardo herself noted, "Rent at your own risk."

    While some social media users dismissed her claims as "crazy," others shared similar stories of living in the same building and facing similar problems. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that exposure to damp and moldy environments can indeed cause a range of health effects, from mild respiratory issues to more severe conditions like hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

    Balardo's experience serves as a stark reminder that even in the most desirable neighborhoods, hidden dangers can lurk beneath the surface. As she so aptly put it, "This building is cursed - do not move into this building."