Lawyer for Brooklyn Coop


Looking for a recommendation for a lawyer for our small self managed coop. The lawyer we have now is Manhattan-based and a bit too high powered for our building’s budget–he charges us exorbitantly for even a 10 minute phone call, so as a result we avoid speaking to him unless absolutely necessary.

If any of you know of a lawyer in the neighborhood who isn’t running his meter all the time, a recommendation would be appreciated.

Categories: Lawyers
By WonTon | 09/01/2010 11:45 AM | Comment

“Owner-occupied” coop units


This is a question for anyone who’s shopped around for a mortgage on a coop apartment lately. What percentage of “owner occupied” units is a coop building required to have in order for a prospective buyer to obtain a mortgage? Is it 70%? 75%? 80%? Or is it not a question that your lender asked?

Categories: Mortgage
By WonTon | 09/02/2009 4:00 PM | Comment

Bike and Board-Thumbs Up


I had an old Sears bike gathering dust and rust in the basement of my building. Last week I dragged it to the new bike shop in Vanderbilt (the last time it had been tuned up, 8 years ago, I’d taken it to Dixon’s, which did a crummy job, had to take it back twice, they charged me $100.)

Well, the guys at Bike and Board took my old beater and turned it into a beauty. The rust is gone, the gears are sparkling, it rides better than it has in decades. My hat (well, my helmet) is off to them.

Total cost–including two new tires which had to be special ordered–was $120, which seemed just about right, considering the original condition of my bike.

I enthusiastically recommend them!

Categories: Stores
By WonTon | 06/23/2009 12:02 PM | Comment

The $29,000 Question: Big Box Watch on Flatbush Ave


A couple of days ago the mystery was revealed: the new tenant in the space occupied for years by beloved local video rental store Video Edge is gonna be…ta da! T-Mobile.

Just what we need! Mr. Won Ton is ecstatic that he now has five choices of mobile phone stores within a five minute stroll of his front door–who needs a butcher when you’ve got extra minutes?

The scuttlebutt at the recent North Flatbush Avenue BID meeting is that T-Mobile is paying $29,000 a month rent on this sucker, or about four times what Video Edge had to cough up.

(Mr. WonTon misses Andy and Rommel of VE…who had such great taste, not to mention a massive collection of his favorite old skool martial arts flicks.)

My $29,000 question is: How is it that T-Mobile can afford to do business on Flatbush and 7th with such high overhead?

Answer (from my local real estate guy): They’re bad, they’re nationwide! They don’t have to make a profit in this location. “It’s all about placement. They pay for the visibility.”

Hmmm. I guess that’s why American Apparel is able to keep going in our old Plaza Twin Cinema by selling a couple of t-shirts a day.

Lots of empty storefronts sitting for a l-o-n-g time on North Flatbush these days…greedy landlords hoping to cash in on the big box store tip, I guess. Hey, we still don’t have a Starbucks!

Categories: Quality of Life
By WonTon | 06/20/2008 11:34 AM | Comment

NYSERDA Multifamily Performance Program


Has anybody had any experience with this new NYSERDA energy efficiency program. My co-op (15 units, Park Slope limestone) is starting to look into it. Wondering if it is really a good deal to get involved in. It’s not exactly easy money (you have to find an energy consultant, pay them a lot upfront, then follow their energy conservation plan design)

On the other hand, our building’s heating costs are rising, we could use new insulation, and maybe this program is a great way to help us pay for this.

Any thoughts, and especially recommendations for Energy Consultants from the NYSERDA list, most welcome.

Categories: Environmental
By WonTon | 05/02/2008 6:11 PM | Comment