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August 29, 2005

Slowing to a Crawl, Taking Time to Reflect

This being the deadest week of the year save the one between Christmas and New Year's, we're going to take the opportunity to start unpacking after our move last week. As a result, all we're going to serve up this week are the morning links to give you something to chew on. That, and one discussion question.

As we start to approach our one-year anniversary in October, we think it would be a good time to solicit feedback about the site. We're happy to hear any criticism as long as it's given in a respectful tone, so please let us know what you like about Brownstoner and what you don't as well as ideas for new features or services you'd like to see in the months ahead.

Thanks,

Brownstoner

Comments

We'll start it off by saying that we want to fix the archiving function in the Forum so that people can actually go back and find old posts!

Posted by: Brownstoner at August 29, 2005 7:57 AM

Based on a recommendation on the site, we used Top Hat Movers based in Park Slope and had a great experience. Call Robert at 718-965-0214.

Posted by: Brownstoner at August 29, 2005 8:43 AM

I think the site is great! Although I don't live in Brooklyn now, I was born there and it's great hearing about all the goings on in the area. Thanks!

Posted by: Anonymous at August 29, 2005 8:50 AM

The first poster is right; the only flaw with the site is the Forum's archiving feature. On a personal note, I'd like to see more pics of your place, B'stoner; the details are nice but I'd like more of an overview. Also, as we hardly cook ( especially with BBQ season drawing to a close ) we appreciated the restaurant report several days ago - I realize it's only peripherally relevant, but maybe a 'local amenities' forum?
PS: I feel the need clarify:'we' is my wife and me. not the 'royal we'. So don't start.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 29, 2005 8:51 AM

We'd like to do more restaurant/amenities stuff too but haven't done much of it because we haven't been sure if that was too off-topic...What does everyone think?

Posted by: Brownstoner at August 29, 2005 9:11 AM

I think the occassional restaurant review is fine, since so much of the chat on Brownstoner is concerned with neighborhood amenitites, quality of life, etc... Brownstoner has become a site about "living well" in Brooklyn.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 29, 2005 9:31 AM

Maybe weekely reports on the neighborhoods where there's a lot of action in terms of renovation, "gentrification" etc... Clinton Hill, Bed Stuy, Crown Heights, Ditmas Park. A regular weekly feature on either a property, a neighborhood development in each of these (and other "hot") areas.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 29, 2005 9:35 AM

Brownstoner, If you pick up the tab, I'll gladly eat out once a week and report back on my findings.

Posted by: Whitbo at August 29, 2005 9:35 AM

Posted by: Anonymous at August 29, 2005 9:35 AM

I think the occassional restaurant reviews are fine. Surely they fall into the neighborhood and lifestyle aspects of this blog, no? Some of your "fluffier" posts seem to be a tad controversial (celebrity sightings, ahem), but I say keep 'em comin'.

And while this is often discussed throughout the various posts, maybe a more comprehensive link on tips for first-time brownstone buyers?

Also, I really like when you pick a theme for the week and post pics from various 'hoods. I especially enjoyed the "gate of the day" posts. Little things like that really capture the character of the neighborhoods in NY.

Otherwise, I think this blog is terrific. I read it religiously. Keep up the good work!

Posted by: JC at August 29, 2005 9:53 AM

i love the site--think the restuarant reviews and neighborhood news seem like an added bonus part of the site,not off-topic at all...what will you do when your reno is complete? will there be another one?

Posted by: kowgurl at August 29, 2005 9:57 AM

We're in discussions with someone who's just embarking on a renovation and has the added bonus of also being a writer to do the next installment of the renovation blog. Anyone else who is interested should get in touch as well--there may be a way to have more than one reno blog going at once...

Posted by: Brownstoner at August 29, 2005 10:10 AM

Love the site. Although I don't even live in NYC it's a great way to keep my finger on the pulse. Keep it up, 'stoner.

Posted by: Sassy at August 29, 2005 10:27 AM

Love the site. I'm a brownstone owner upstate, but a lot of the old-house issues and challenges are the same. I've enjoyed and learned from the reno blog and dig the realtor listings with good pictures. Of course the one glaring difference is the housing prices. What I paid several years ago for a four-story 1894 brownstone upstate was absurdly low compared with Brooklyn prices. And, not to rub it in, but we live in the whole house. No need for a rental unit or changes to the original 19th century floor plans.

Anyway, love the site. Keep up the good work and best of luck in your new digs!

Posted by: Anonymous at August 29, 2005 10:34 AM

Hey Brownstoner - Love the site. You do a great job with it and I read it several times a day. Some ideas to make it even better:
1. Enhance the "My Brownstoner" feature. Let people have more control of it and add a comment section so people can give their feedback;
2. Invite guests bloggers. Maybe people who post frequently with interesting/well thought out posts. This would diversify the perspective often expressed towards development and the market;
3. I'm going to go against the grain on some of the posts and suggest that now that your reno is done - make the site less about you. Maybe that was your plan all along. Of course - this is your blog and we are just invited guests;
4. Keep up the good work talking about other things that impact Brownstone Brooklyn. Namely the arena development in Prospect Heights, BB Park, Downtown/FG commercial development, etc.; and
5. Count me in favor of the weekly restaurant review (in ANY Brownstone neighborhood).
Brownsloper

Posted by: Brownsloper at August 29, 2005 10:34 AM

You lost me at "respsectful tone"

Posted by: Anonymous at August 29, 2005 10:49 AM

Brownsloper,
You raise a very interesting point, one that we've been struggling with. How much of "me" should be in the site? This is relevant not only for the end-user experience, but also because the amount of work it is taking to do 6 or 7 posts a day in addition to a full-time job is becoming unsustainable. (And, frankly, as some of the comments have gotten nastier and more personal--i.e. wishing that we'll get broken into and robber--we've begun to think about depersonalizing the site a bit.) At Curbed, for example, they did a very good job of transitioning from having Lockhart Steele write the whole thing to him only doing occasional posts and focusing more on the bigger picture.

From our perspective, there are two ways the site can go: 1) It can continue in roughly its current form as a hobby; or 2) We can try to build out the brand into other related areas so that it actually has a chance at supporting the Brownstoner family and allowing us to quit ye olde day job (our preference but quite risky financially!). In either case, at some point, a significant portion of the editorial content would have to be generated from someone (or maybe multiple people) other than myself. So bottom line question is: Do people think the site would be improved by a slightly broadened range of editorial voice and perspectives?

Posted by: Brownstoner at August 29, 2005 10:58 AM

I love the site, too. I use it mostly to find out what's happening in the neighborhood--to get tips on new restaurants as well as new buildings.

I also like the discussions about the financial decisions involved in owning/buying-- about the various kinds of mortgages one can get, when to refinance, etc. As a first-time owner, I've had to work hard to ramp up my financial chops, relying heavily on sites like bankrate and mortgage doctor-- but hearing what other people do in similar situations is really helpful.

Thanks, Brownstoner! This is a great community service.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 29, 2005 11:02 AM

I read brownstoner every day, and I don't like the vitriolic turn some threads have been taking either - no fun to read at all, and not exactly informative or enlightening either. I think having other people contribute is a fine idea, especially since I've found the renovation and salvage aspects of the site very helpful, and would like to see more in those areas. But I would hate to see Brownstoner's own POV disappear from the site.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 29, 2005 11:31 AM

Brownstoner, your site is terrific. I would be thrilled to see the site grow - I think it's a valuable resource and I like your insight. Would you try to keep it free or rely on a subscriber fee or advertising? I think most would be more inclined to donate $ than pay a subscriber fee fyi.

I think you've been very respectful of the fact that owning a brooklyn brownstone is a privelige and a responsibility. Unfortunately it also generates resentment. Please don't let any recent nastiness deter you. Readers who care about the site and read it religiously need to make a concerted effort to IGNORE any nasty comments posted. That's the only way they'll go away.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 29, 2005 11:40 AM

Archiving feature: Try google.
As in:

jk site:brownstoner.com

Posted by: jk at August 29, 2005 11:44 AM

I bet if you had a paypal link on the site, you'd get donations.

Posted by: jk at August 29, 2005 11:45 AM

RE:archiving function. More specifically, if you're looking for a specific string, if you quote the string google will search for that whole string as a single term (this generally works with google, this is just using it in combination with google's site-specific "site:" search).

For example:
site:brownstoner.com "8 unit building in Park Slope"

Posted by: jk at August 29, 2005 11:55 AM

Brownstoner--
I've been reading the blog most every day since December. Thanks to you and your readership I chose not to purchase a home in Prospect Lefferts that my wife and I had an accepted offer on and were prepared to sign contract... all to say the blog has been a source of valuable information. I'd suggest a few things:
1) expand the site beyond Brownstone Brooklyn. We just moved from CH to a Queen Anne Victorian on LI (we were priced out of CH/FG and wanted to get into a good school district as we couldn't afford private school and nanny). I still read the posts to keep up on Bklyn where we often venture anyway (and also because I've gotten tips on the major renovation we're doing right now). There are really a few different blogs at work in my opinion (there's the Bklyn celeb/restaurant/"Blimbie" focus which elicits some intense (and often hostile) response and then there's the renovation blog which in months passed has included not just Brownstones but also, for example, a story of a NJ couple renovating a Victorian). In my opinion the renovation blog could be much less narrow geographically than just Bstone Bklyn because each renovation you read about can teach you something to do/not to do. I think you do a terrific job and bring real value. I also agree with prior posts about guest writers. In several posts, readers will get off topic with thoughtful and interesting questions -- these could often be "highlighted" on the main page. Also, I'd love it if you could somehow link back to archives (especially the stories that resurface, more than anything to see how ideas/trends change and take shape). The ongoing Blimpie opening is a case in point. I think a few posts covered it effectively but to link them might be interesting. Just a few rambling thoughts.

Posted by: archer at August 29, 2005 12:53 PM

I love the website and i read it every day. i like the fact that brownstoner and mrs. brownstoner have set the tone of the site, and that should stay.

besides some of the things mentioned already, I would love to see a map of brownstone brooklyn (delineating the different neighborhoods).

Posted by: browngirl at August 29, 2005 12:58 PM

Sadly, the more I read Brownstoner the less I like it. Initially I found the renovation tips and sources to be great. As I read the site more and more regularly, I became annoyed with the only-Brooklyn focus and, honestly, the occasionally superior and/or defensive tone taken by both posters and Mr.B. The gentrification issues are interesting and rightly controversial; Mr. B defending himself as "I'm just an ordinary guy" when he's clearly bought a very expensive house and renovating it in full in super-expensive NYC is verging on hilarious. Although I make a nice living, a high-six-figures-plus-tasteful-reno house is not in my future, nor, I suspect, the future of most people.
I really do like the renovation blog, though, and I would love to see more of that in the future. (Perhaps I'm just a gawker)
Basically, I think Brownstoner should narrow its focus in either one of two directions: 1. Brooklyn or 2. brownstones/renovating generally. There are many many brownstone neighborhoods outside of those in Brooklyn, and as a non-Brooklyn resident I'd rather see the focus be narrowed to architectural history, feature stories on certain buildings, and renovation.

Posted by: me at August 29, 2005 1:35 PM

Love the site, brownstoner, and thanks for all your hard work in maintaining it. Easily the most useful feature for me is the FORUM. Reading other folks' experiences with solving specific problems is both helpful and reassuring (let's face it, some renovation issues can be scary -- termites and rising damp, anybody?). I have also called various tradespeople as a result of postings and am on the verge of hiring a painter through a recommendation on the site. Which leads me to a request: Is there anyway to create an archive of referrals/recommendations, sorted by -- say -- specific skill? This would be a huge resource for home owners and might also provide a platform for advertising to support the site. I'm not suggesting that anyone be allowed to pay to include a referral, of course, but if you're looking up "Painters" there could be CLEARLY delineated ads on that page from painters, kinda like Google. As regards the civility issue, I guess everyone has a different idea about what's robust discussion and what's just plain rude. I prefer to err on the side of politeness coz it makes life a little nicer and there ain't enough nice to go around these days. Personally, I would also like to see a little more respect for the fact that many of the brownstone communities of Brooklyn have been gentrifying at a rate that makes many people very uneasy -- especially those who've been here a long time and have been priced out of owning in their own neighborhoods. While the changing nature of some of our neighborhoods is a reality, folks might want to think twice before, for example, trashing a new commercial outlet just because it's down market when it might infact be offering an important service to the community. I guess I feel the same about the endless commentaries about house prices. If you can afford to buy a brownstone, you know who you are and you presumably have a plan for making it happen. If you can't, some of your enjoyment of the site might be diminished by having to wade through so many discussions about sky-high prices. Finally, thanks again for making this site happen.

Posted by: Roz at August 29, 2005 1:40 PM

I am thrilled by the quality of the site and quantity of the posts. It's your site and your voice, and I would hate to see it become more generic. You have a unique perspective and obviously you get a rise out of people.

Some of my favorite blogs: Gawker, dooce and Go Fug Yourself have done away with comments, and it's not nearly as fun to read them anymore. The comments on your site do get snarky at times, but you shouldn't take it personally. It's amazing to see people debate and challenge each other--and you. To me that's most of the fun.

I know it's a lot of work, but I wish you would create a searchable directory of reader-recommended tradespeople. The forum doesn't get nearly enough responses. Perhaps you could form an advisory panel to answer inquiries. Again, a lot of work, but it would really improve the site.

It has been a pleasure to see your labor of love. Good luck unpacking and settling in. Welcome to the hood.

Posted by: clinton hillbilly at August 29, 2005 1:40 PM

At Curbed it seems like the quality has gone down considerably. They are presenting opinions as facts and are pissing off the wrong people. I'd hate to see Brownstoner follow the same path.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 29, 2005 1:43 PM

Brownstoner, you do a great job on the site, and I like your voice in it. An occasional throwdown over class issues or wood stripping won't kill us (I hope) -- and I hope people will continue to put themselves out there with honestly considered opinions and experiences.

BTW, your housework will not be over when the renovation is over . . . but love to see other people's renovations fill in the spaces, and hope My Brownstoner helps you do that. Comments there would be cool.

The Forum is the best part for me, and I too wish there was a better mechanism for listings of tradespeople/techniques/resources and running feedback. SO useful! At present it's obviously getting bogged down in multiple unanswered posts of the same topic as new people tune in . . . and can't/can't be bothered to search out last month's answers to the same question.

Posted by: LG at August 29, 2005 5:24 PM

I love the site and have been a devotee for the past six or eight months. I consider one of its great strengths to be its elegant design and simple focus. There's a lot of fodder out there on the internet - don't underestimate the value of a clear editorial focus.

I think the core features are real estate and home improvement, with an obvious local anchor. Both subjects are ideal for a web log - offer up a property or issue, and harvest the collective wisdom of all the participants. To me, that provides a huge value to anyone in the market to buy/rent or trying/planning to fix up a place.

There's a lot of entertainment value in these things as well - all the armchair real estate quarterbacking and house gawking. We also all love the flattery of seeing discussion of our neighborhoods in print.

The gentrification debates address a real issue and are an important to our community, but I don't think they're what draw people to the site. Frankly, I find some of the rants to get tiresome, but we can all read what we want.

I think the name "brownstoner" (and "Brownstone Brooklyn" for that matter) resonates with a lot of us. It denotes urban living, but urban living on a scale in which we can exercise some individual control over our own homes and some collective control over the community which we are a part of. It also denotes historic architecture and historic districts, and the happy fact that landmarking drives zoning that keeps our neighborhoods cohesive.

So my advice is to keep it simple. Keep it about houses and homes, blocks and neighborhoods. Keep it useful and entertaining. Post the news, post the new openings, but let the reviews write themselves. Harvest the collective voice and knowledge of the community.

Posted by: S at August 29, 2005 7:11 PM

I also read your site daily and think it has only gotten better over the past six months. But please keep the site Brooklyn based - I just don't see how people expect you to be the eyes and ears of all brownstones all over the world, when you can barely keep up with the ones in Brooklyn. The neighborhoods are all changing so fast - did you hear about the Dunkin' Donuts going in on Court and 1st Place in Carroll Gardens? Can't wait to see that neon pink sign on our cute little street. Keep up the good work.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 29, 2005 8:04 PM

As an Fort Greene homeowner in temporary exile, I've found your site invaluable for keeping up on the neighborhood. I think the low-hanging fruit in terms of improvements would be around the technical side: 1) make the comments flow top-to-bottom as 90% of other blogs do, 2) tag the posts (see, e.g., Technorati or del.icio.us), which would allow for some logical navigation to archives among other benefits, 3) organize material contributed to the forum and the outbound links in the left-hand column into a separate Resources page with a more useful layout.

I also agree that it would be worthwhile to expand the blog either in the direction of deeper coverage of the Brooklyn brownstone nabes or historical renovation. My preference would be for the former, and I think that a focus on things other than houses would improve the class-warfare tone on the site. Daily Heights, I think, is a great example of this kind of a neighborhood-focused site whose vibe seems much more positive.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 29, 2005 9:05 PM

As we have been seriously house hunting for a two family building under $850,00 for more than two years, with many regrets for decisions not made as prices increase, (as well as being aware of some neighborhoods becoming safer- we have a young daughter), Brownstoner has been most helpful in a providing an unbiased reflection of the Brooklyn real estate market. I especially appreciate the open house picks, comments, quick links to realtors. If we ever find a place, I am sure we would use the renovation features. Honestly, if it weren't free, I don't think I would use it, but wouldn't mind clearly separated from editorial content ads. Thank You!

Posted by: Laura Newman at August 29, 2005 9:22 PM

I love Brownstoner.com too. I like that you have strong opinions and aren't afraid to state them.

I agree with the guy who said "Keep it simple. Keep it about houses and homes, blocks and neighborhoods. Keep it useful and entertaining."

I think the site is great as it is.

Real Estate rules! Long live Brownstoner!

Posted by: the MAN at August 29, 2005 9:32 PM

Since you're a family man, why not enlist somebody single to review local bars.

I bet most folks interested in Brownstones are also interested in beer.

Even married Brownstoners need to let loose once in while!

Posted by: Anonymous at August 29, 2005 9:53 PM

hey...moms drink beer too!

Posted by: mrs.brownstoner at August 30, 2005 8:04 AM

Keep it simple. I'd recommend having a tightly focused site, i.e., brownstone areas of Brooklyn, and renovations/restorations info. Some of the blog debates such as whether Brownstoner's purchase of a brownstone qualifies his as "rich" aren't informative, in my opinion. Plus, postings along those lines seems to bring out a mean-spirited crowd who post comments such as "your stupid and can't spel".

Posted by: DN at August 30, 2005 9:56 AM

I agree keep the focus generally Brooklyn. It's always interesting to hear from those who live elsewhere and who bring a different perspective on brownstones/old homes and restoration, but it seems to me that Brooklyn is the heart of this site.

Posted by: ana at August 30, 2005 10:05 AM

i like BS and suggest keeping it simple like it is. i'll echo the sentiment that other blogs like Curbed have gone downhill but BS remains excellent and focused.

but yeah, could the comments go from top to bottom? i get confused every time.

Posted by: dl at August 30, 2005 11:12 AM

This site is certainly informative, regarding both the techniques of renovation and the mindset of renovators. But it is shocking that a group of passionate and knowledgeable Brooklynites seem absolutely incapable of recognizing the damage that gentrification brings to established communities in the borough. Displacement is real--it is painful for those being displaced and is directly caused by many of the practices taught and discussed at Brownstoner.com.

If this website needs anything, it is some sort of recognition that there are social consequences to urban middle- and upper-class consumption.

Posted by: blissville at August 30, 2005 1:09 PM

I think the last post is exactly what this site does NOT need more of. Getting tired of every thread being about the "damage" of gentrification. This site is great and informative and having discussions regarding how gentrification is damaging brownstone Brooklyn is not what I think most people come to this site for. Most gentrifiers got priced out of other nabes just as the residents who've been here for the past 60 or 70 years might get priced out now.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 30, 2005 2:55 PM

One of the many things I like about your site is the passion. You can tell from the comments and posts there is a core following of 'stoners'.
What you may be documenting is not only the process of renovating a brownstone, but also the evolution of a neighborhood, with all its trials and tribulations. As for the function of your site, an accessible directory of local services, supply houses, contractors, architects, and other trades people with some kind of rating/feedback area would be great.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 31, 2005 9:18 AM

Possibly change the comments font to something a little easier on the eyes?
Keep the focus on Brooklyn. Otherwise a great blog.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 31, 2005 12:29 PM

Fonts: to make it easier on your eyes, you can increase in the font size:

In mozilla/firefox: ctrl + / ctrl -

In IE: with a wheel mouse, hold down ctrl and scroll the mouse wheel. Or View->Text Size->Larger

Posted by: jk at August 31, 2005 2:44 PM

Brownstoner, I noticed all the comments go from bottom to top except the reno blog comments which are the reverse. Why is that? Can you make them all that way? (Most recent at the bottom)... Sorry if someone pointed this out already.

Posted by: Anonymous at August 31, 2005 3:09 PM

I suppose since a brownstone is built from ground up, Brownstoner figures the comments should go up too.

Makes perfect sense to me . . . and I'm drunk!

Posted by: Anonymous at September 1, 2005 1:16 AM

I agree with the suggestion to append new posts to the bottom of the page.

I participate in a forum on another subject where those who post are requred to use their real names. It's remarkable how civil the tone is. I suggest requiring people to say who they are in order to post. Otherwise this blog may become more like the yahoo boards. (blech!)

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« Monday Linkage (NY Times Edition) Photo of the Day »

August 29, 2005

Slowing to a Crawl, Taking Time to Reflect

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