Tipping Your Landlord?


Tipping etiquette question: My friend lives in a Brooklyn building where her super is also her landlord. She’s tipped supers in larger buildings in the past, but it seems strange to tip the same guy she pays rent to. I advised a small gift or bottle of wine would be OK in this situation. Anyone disagree?

Categories: Etiquette
By fawn | 12/20/2010 10:50 AM | Comment

Floorplan Confusion


I’m usually a traditionalist but love what they did with this brownstone. For the life of me, though, I can’t figure out the floor plan. From the outside it looks like a normal 3-story brownstone. From inside it looks like there is an extra garden level. What’s going on?

http://www.corcoran.com/property/listing.aspx?Region=NYC&ListingID=2016313

Categories: Real Estate
By fawn | 06/23/2010 10:12 AM | Comment

Informal Poll: Door for the Deck


I’d like to replace the door that opens on to my parlor-level back deck with a full glass door. Looking at my back-yard neighbors (I’m in central Park Slope), half have security doors off the deck and half do not. Do you think an iron security door is necessary?

Categories: Research
By fawn | 04/27/2009 11:08 AM | Comment

Caring for a slate stall-shower


Hello, The bathroom in the apartment I recently moved in to has a stall shower with 12” square slate tiles on the walls and 1” slate tiles on the floor. The stone cleaner I use now (for regular cleaning) says it is also a sealer, but I worry it is not enough. Any advise on how to care for a slate shower?

Categories: Research
By fawn | 01/26/2009 10:26 AM | Comment

Painter Recommendation


I wanted to share my good experience with Jamie Grubb (917-446-5175). He just painted my floor-through apartment in Park Slope and did a wonderful job. He was very careful, communicative throughout the process, and generally a pleasure to work with.

Categories: Painting
By fawn | 09/08/2008 10:28 PM | Comment

Antique Road Tour


My husband and I are driving to northern Vermont this summer and want to turn the trip there into a mini-antique road tour. We’re looking for mid-range furniture (a dresser, dining table, night stands) that is solidly built and not ornate. Our tentative plan is to drive up the Hudson Valley and cut east into VT around Saratoga. Does anyone have suggestions for good shops to visit? We don’t mind readjusting our route.

Categories: Antiques
By fawn | 07/25/2008 2:19 PM | Comment

Inspector Reccomendation


My husband and I recently hired Robert Albani of Home Tech Consultants to do an inspection of a floor-through brownstone apartment in Park Slope. He was very thorough and knowledgeable. We were able to follow him during the inspection and learn a lot. He also answered our questions along the way. We highly recommend him. Robert’s office number is 718-819-0174.

Categories: Inspector
By fawn | 07/02/2008 4:02 PM | Comment

Union St in Carroll Gardens


Can anyone give me a sense of the noise level along Union St. in Carroll Gardens? (Spec between Smith and Hoyt?) I’m aware a bus line goes down the street.

Categories: Quality of Life
By fawn | 04/24/2008 11:39 AM | Comment

Looking for our first home: Questions to ask


My husband and I are starting to look for our first home. From my internet browsing, it seems that we’ll end up in a brownstone floor-through apartment. Any suggestions on red flags to look for or standard questions to ask when we go to open houses? Searching the forum I’ve come up with:

When was the roof last redone?
Are the electrical and plumming redone?
What type of boiler/heat?

Many thanks in advance.

Categories: Real Estate
By fawn | 02/29/2008 1:12 PM | Comment