November 19, 2009

Illegal Business Next Door

I live next door to some guys who have set up a recording studio in their house. Nobody lives in the house, and there is no soundproofing. They live down the street and just use the house for recording sessions. Unfortunately, I share a wall with them. They definitely have clients over at the space, I've seen Bentleys parked out front. The police ignore my noise complaints. When I called 311 tonight about more noise, they suggested I talk to the DOB about a business being run in a residential building. Anyone have experience with this sort of thing?

November 17, 2009

Street Cleaning / Leaf pickup

Now that the leaves have very much fallen I have a question.

Given that the city has suspended the leaf pickup and the street cleaners will not clean the sides of the streets because of the leaves (they just drive down the middle of the street). Can I just sweep the leaves from the side of my street into the middle of the road right before the street cleaner comes by?

Monroe Street Safety & Schools

I'm considering moving to Monroe between Classon & Franklin and am trying to get a sense of this area's safety. Is it okay for a lady to walk around at night alone there? especially from the c train at franklin. Also wondering about the school options.

November 16, 2009

Williamsburg or Clinton Hill

Hi all,

We're looking at purchasing a condo in Brooklyn. Our chief concerns are space (>800 interior sf), a neighborhood that we don't need to leave to do everything, a dog run nearby, less than 45 minute commute to midtown (where we both work), and some outdoor space.

Given what we're willing to spend and the requirements above, we had initially narrowed it down to East Williamsburg and North Slope/PHeights. However, we came upon a place just outside of Clinton Hill (half a block east of Classon) that seems promising. There are two similarly promising places in East Williamsburg. The apt in Clinton Hill is bigger, but it seems your train options are the G and C, neither of which is fantastic.

So, any semi-objective opinions on the pluses/minuses of East Williamsburg vs Clinton Hill? Safety? Potential to hold value? Overall quality of life? We'll be there at least 5 years, but would still like to hold onto it as a rental property if/when we eventually move on (hopefully to a house), so long-term value is important.

We've spent time walking around both neighborhoods, but you really never know a place until you've lived there, so opinions from those who have lived in both or either are appreciated.

November 10, 2009

used car dealers

Can anyone recommend a used car dealer in Brooklyn (or Manhattan) reasonably accessible via subway/bus?

I'll most likely buy a Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla but might consider other reliable small cars.

Bay Ridge seems to have a fairly large concentration of dealerships. Anyone have any good experiences there?

I realize used car dealers (like rental brokers) have earned themselves a pretty awful reputation, so I'm not expecting much.

I've done the usual online searches, and either every car dealer in Brooklyn is the worst one on the planet, or only people who have bad experiences write online reviews of car dealers.

And after careful consideration of the forum categories, I've decided finding a minimally slimy used car dealer is a Quality of Life issue.

Thanks,
nsr

November 5, 2009

Lincoln Place Block?

I'm considering renting an apartment located on Lincoln Pl. btwn Underhill and Washington Aves. Does anyone have a read on what that block is like? It was pretty quiet when I was there during the day - is that the case at night? Does it feel safe? Just for reference, I currently live on Myrtle Avenue near Adelphi, so my standards are....flexible.

Thanks!

November 3, 2009

11th Street Firehouses

Hi, I'm considering renting on 11th Street between 7th and 8th Avenue. Does anyone know how active and loud the firehouses are on that block? My apt would be in the back of the building on the 4th floor. Many thanks

October 30, 2009

Looking for a Tailor

I have a wedding to go to on Sunday and I need my suit adjusted. Can anyone recommend a tailor who can get the job done in a day? Anywhere around Park Slope, Bay Rigde, Sunset Park would be appreciated.

Bed Bugs

I moved into a apt in Mid May. Late June I discovered we had the bedbugs. The mgmt sent the exterminator- 5x later they are still here. Spoke with the blg mngr, he told me they had another apt I could move into that was clear of them. said OK. now they are renegging on it. Clothes were laundered and are in bags. been sleeping on an airmattress since june. Can I take them to court? What are my rights?

October 28, 2009

Dog Daycare

Not exactly a renovation/real estate question, but can anyone recommend a dog daycare in the Park Slope/Prospect Heights area? Our current place has webcams, which we really like and are hoping to find in a dog daycare in our new 'hood.

Forum: Quality of Life