Most major cities play up their waterfronts as attractions for tourists, parks for communities and treat the waterfront as a resource. But in NYC, where we have waterfront like crazy, it's under utilized and much of it is grim and gritty industrial areas. I'm all for ribbons of green around every part of the waterfront in NYC that it's feasible to have parks and public spaces.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at February 12, 2007 12:35 PM in response to Putting The San Diego in Williamsburg

This house was one of the highlights of the Victorian Flatbush tour, it had it all both inside and outside.
Can't believe the owner is parting with it after all the care and effort that went into the restoration.

Cortelyou Road is getting new trendy shops and restaurants all the time. It's got the same feeling that Smith Street in Cobble Hill/Carroll Gardens had when restaurants and shops started opening up there.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at February 6, 2007 6:20 PM in response to House of the Day: 484 East 17th Street

to clarify the photos of the pool are in the album "2006 Victorian Flatbush House Tour" here: http://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=arsenicandoldlace

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at February 2, 2007 1:41 PM in response to HOTD: One Heck of a Paint Job in Caton Park!

"Also there is an in ground pool in the backyard, which I have never seen in NY"

Then I guess you didn't go on the Victorian Flatbush Walking Tour. The final stop on the tour was a garden (flowers and fruit/vegetable) and a in ground pool. See my photos here http://www.dotphoto.com/go.asp?l=arsenicandoldlace

There is are more in ground pools in the nab, both at private houses plus at some of the big apartment buildings.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at February 2, 2007 1:38 PM in response to HOTD: One Heck of a Paint Job in Caton Park!

Well since it's so close to home, might just swing by and check out the open house.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at January 17, 2007 1:36 PM in response to House of the Day: 318 Westminster Road

Coolness, I can log in!

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at January 11, 2007 10:17 AM in response to Announcement

On the Victorian Flatbush Walking Tour, we were told that that section is the most stylist architecturally diverse in the USA. There is a bit of everything all one after the other.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at October 24, 2006 10:34 AM in response to John Petit's Vision for Prospect Park South

OK, unless the Japanese style house was fully repainted since the Victorian Flatbush Walking tour, it's currently a orangey/red with green trim. (not the yellow and green color shown in the photos above).

You can see it, plus the Sophie's Choice house (which was painted pink for the movie but is no longer pink) and other houses in the area by clicking the thumbnail for the walking tour album: http://arsenicandoldlace.dotphoto.com

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at October 23, 2006 12:16 PM in response to John Petit's Vision for Prospect Park South

Let's here it for:
#36 Marlborough Road between Albemarle and Beverly Roads, Ditmas Park, Brooklyn:
Awe-inducing Victorians make this a splendid street to come home to, especially given the small-town feeling that’s absent in most of the city. This is a neighborhood on the rise; pioneers will reap future rewards.

Score:29
-with a 6 for the Aesthetics, but a puzzling 3 for the tree icon (Green factor)
There ARE lawns in front of the houses, and plenty of green. And lots of back yards with trees and vegetable gardens.
Country Living with in the City was the founding principal of the whole area.

#1 South Portland Avenue between DeKalb and Lafayette Avenues, Fort Greene, Brooklyn
Score:40
-with a 6 for the Aesthetics and a 6 for Green factor .
Sure Fort Greene Park is right there, but the actual block is not as green as some others. *puzzled*

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at October 12, 2006 12:16 PM in response to TONY: So. Portland Best Brownstone Block. Period.

You can see close up photos of the statues at
http://www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com/bigmap/brooklyn/prospectpark/grandarmyplaza/index.htm

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at October 9, 2006 5:17 PM in response to Monday On The Record

I used Flat Rate and did not have problems. They did a great job of wrapping up my antique furniture and were careful with all my fragile glass and china. They noted all the existing scratches and chips on my furniture and we inspected the furniture when it arrived to see if their was any damage.

They did totally under estimate how many boxes I would have. The estimate was for around 60 and I had well over 100 by move day. But since the quote was for the flat rate, I was not charged extra. If you use a pay per hour movers, a couple of extra hours really increases the price (ever move I have done, it takes several hours more then they think it will).

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at October 9, 2006 5:10 PM in response to Moving Estimates

my photos are linked over at http://brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2006/10/open_house_new.html#comments

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at October 9, 2006 5:03 PM in response to OHNY This Weekend: Lots To Do in Brooklyn!

The Command Busses are now part of NYC transit express bus systems and the price has gone up to $5 per ride. It's only marginally faster to take the bus then the subway and the stop in the morning let's me off on the wrong side of Manhattan, so have to walk cross town. And I don't work just in the Wall Street office every day. I'm at different company offices for morning meetings, and the bus doesn't stop near those other offices.

But some of my neighbor that are also coworkers ( and that only work the Wall Street office) do use the express bus and like it.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at October 6, 2006 1:40 PM in response to Victorian Flatbush in Vivid Color

Make sure to triple check with ConEd about the new meters. One dept. will tell you they can be installed in the basement and another dept. will come along later (after they are installed in basement) and insist that the meters be installed outside the building! They have no idea in each section what the other section is doing.

Good Luck!

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at October 6, 2006 12:41 PM in response to Quoi d'Autre?

Anon 10:03 AM, Just who the heck are you to be telling anyone (including me a 25 year Brooklyn resident) that they need to move to SI if they don't like the AY? As Brooklyn residents we are allowed to have opinions on the future of the borough. I like the smaller scale and historic neighborhood of Brooklyn and that is why I have lived in Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, Carroll Gardens and Ditmas Park.

The scale and population density of the proposed AY project is woefully out of sync with Brooklyn.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at September 29, 2006 10:24 AM in response to On Last Day of Public Comment, Objections to AY

Eeeeehhh, it looks like the new construction is trying to swallow the old building. I can not imagine any cladding of the block that would redeem this hideous perversion.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at September 27, 2006 2:24 PM in response to Real Photos of Carroll Gardens Bastard

Getting back to talking about the actual house.
If you checked that Archive link http://brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2006/08/open_house_pick_77.html
that Brownstoner posted, you can see what I posed about 1410 Beverley Road when I went to the FSBO open house.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at September 25, 2006 1:33 PM in response to Open House Picks: Townhouses

The new siding and shingle work on the Ditmas and Rugby is really nice looking, as I have noticed when walking past the house. I think the idea is the new owner can paint it to suit their taste and level of multi coloring they want.

I'm a cozy spaces with doors kind of person, so having the whole space as one big loft just does not do it for me. For my taste, the reno went to modern.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at September 15, 2006 2:31 PM in response to Open House Picks: Townhouses

Is that the house with details to die for, but was used as an SRO and is trashed and needs all new plumbing, electric, kitchens and bathrooms?

I know I went to one open house last year in that nab and the place did have intact details, but it also had peeling walls, decaying haunted house vibe going. The floor plan looks familiar, the house I'm thinking of had cute shaving closets and butler pantries.

Or is this another "diamond in the rough" kinda place?

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at September 11, 2006 7:57 PM in response to House of the Day: 81 Bainbridge

On any given day I have no clue where my check book is. All my payments are made auto or online including rent.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at September 8, 2006 12:21 PM in response to Help! I hate my tenants!

I recall seeing an experimental house on the SUNY New Paltz campus years ago that had double layered windows. During the day they could be clear to allow sunshine in and at night a layer of insulation would blow in to reduce heat escaping. I'm sure that the technology has improved over the years and they could do something even niftier now a days if the architect and engineers actual gave a toss about making a green building.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at September 8, 2006 12:13 PM in response to Domino Sugar Factory Proposed for Landmarking

Your Security Deposit is held against damages to the space and you can't use it lieu of rent, don't know why people are advocating this.

And if you have such a "good relationship" with your LL, then why are you trying to bail on your lease, that is not what good tenants do.

And BTW: don't sign a legal document that you have not read and/or understand.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at September 7, 2006 12:36 PM in response to Question for landlords

Buy a self inflating mattress and a basic desk. Just keep the rest of the stuff in boxes for a while. It takes a while to get the feel of the new place, so don't be in such a rush to furnish it NOW. I moved in Feb. and still have not picked out some of my furniture. I'm waiting to find some stuff I love and can have a lifetime, not just disposable stuff. I did by some temporary shelves, but they will end up in the basement or garage, so it's not a waste.

Added bonus, if stuff stays in the boxes long enough you will discover you really didn't need it anyway and can donate it to charity or trash it.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at September 7, 2006 12:23 PM in response to Moving Tuesday but Have no Furniture!!

Isn't the house that was torn down on Stratford on the block that is kind a DMZ between BSW & DPW ?

What nab do houses between Cortelyou and Dorchester belong to? Per this map they have no nab. http://www.marykayg.com/html/vic_flatbush.html

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 31, 2006 9:31 AM in response to LPC Putting Vic Flatbush Nabes on the Calendar

I use low watt compact florescent (CF) bulbs in all the lights in my apartment. (one of the first things I replaced when I moved in, the previous tenant must have been paying a fortune to light the whole floor with regular light bulbs)
And the stairs of the building also have CF bulbs. The basement lights are mostly on motion detector (which is great when your toting a laundry basket), the front porch light is dusk to dawn and the stairway lights are on round the clock.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 30, 2006 1:56 PM in response to Common Area & Front Door Light

Land marking status for any and all sections of Victorian Flatbush can't come quickly enough. Every week is seems someone get the "bright" idea that a wonderful wood frame Victorian would be much better off clad in brick (or stucco) or even knocked down to put up an apartment building.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 30, 2006 1:26 PM in response to LPC Putting Vic Flatbush Nabes on the Calendar

If you type in dip and strip on the search box (-> over on the right) you will find previous posts and some $$ estimates for smaller projects:
http://brownstoner.com/forum/archives/2006/06/stripping_paint.html
http://brownstoner.com/forum/archives/2006/05/stripping_wood_1.html
http://brownstoner.com/forum/archives/2006/01/stripping_wood.html

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 23, 2006 6:29 PM in response to Cost of stripping wood

If you type in stairs on the search box (-> over on the right) you will find previous posts about stair questions including:
http://brownstoner.com/forum/archives/2006/07/stairs_1.html
http://brownstoner.com/forum/archives/2006/04/restoring_stair.html
http://brownstoner.com/forum/archives/2006/04/us_stairs.html
http://brownstoner.com/forum/archives/2006/03/how_did_you_cor.html

and you will Soxco mentioned just about any time someone says stairs.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 23, 2006 6:23 PM in response to Making inside stairs prettier

Well good luck with finding that house with all new kitchen/baths, electric, plumbing, etc..., minimum seven bedroom, single family use only, plus all original detail preserved.

Just about any house that was on the Flatbush Open House tour that had details plus the new kitchen and bath were only that way because the owners had bough a building in really really bad shape but still had details and then worked their buts off to reno the house. And many of the houses on that tour lacked details as you moved to the upper floors.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 22, 2006 6:10 PM in response to Open House Picks

The newest restaurant is called The Farm on Adderley http://www.thefarmonadderley.com/
see reviews here:
http://events.nytimes.com/2006/08/09/dining/reviews/09unde.html
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/310173?user_name=&query=the+farm+adderly

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 22, 2006 6:00 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: Westminster Road 2 BR

Even though the add lists 1410 Beverly Road as a 7 bedroom house, from what I recall, it has 4 bedrooms on 2nd floor, 3 bedrooms on 3rd floor (using one 3rd floor BR as dining room). Plus a bedroom in the basement. So that's 8 bedrooms with out having to touch the existing 3rd floor kitchen.
The living room of the basement apartment could easily be used as a home office or a playroom and the basement bedroom for the au pair or as guest room. Or if you are looking for a more formal office space, there are twin parlors on the first floor in addition to the formal dining room. One of those spaces with all of the fantastic period details would make an impressive home office if you have clients that visit.

I'm just hoping that who ever buys this house respects and cherishes all the period details and does not alter or remove any of it.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 22, 2006 3:09 PM in response to Open House Picks

Q:what did they make this such an odd shaped apartment?

I will swing by the building and see if it has to do with the shape of the actual building.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 21, 2006 3:31 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: Westminster Road 2 BR

HOTD= House of the Day

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 21, 2006 1:35 PM in response to HOTD: If You Can't Do It Yourself, Ask Corcoran

Stopped by the 1410 Beverly Road FSBO open house.

The house is classified as a one family and the owner has extended family occupying parts of the house.

The siding is faux wood, but because of the color comb and style, it does not scream vinyl siding.
The house is brimming with beautiful dark woodwork, parquet floors, stain glass, fireplaces galore.

The first floor kitchen has an attached breakfast area. The kitchen is not updated, you could either reface the cabinets an put in new appliances, or reno the kitchen, depending on you taste and budget.

The basement is full finished with a supper clean looking boiler and hot water heater, it's gas and installed about 7 years ago. Whole house is on one set of meters (since it's classed one family) There is a slop sink and hook up for washer dryer. The basement also contains an apartment with separate rear entrance, a stacked washer dryer unit. The kitchen and bath are quite new and there is a Jacuzzi tub in the bath.

The second floor has several bedrooms some with shaving closets with original marble sinks. Again great woodwork, parquet, and fireplaces. The main bathroom is quite spacious, but has pink tiles that might not be to everyone's taste.

The third floor (only accessible by main stairway) is set up as apartment. It has a kitchen plus washer dryer set up. Across the hall a room is set up as formal dining room. Then couple of bedrooms and bathroom off central hall. There is trap door to attic which can be used for storage.

Back yard is half covered with the brick/cement deck. There is 1 car garage.

The house's strong point is all the intact details on all 3 floors. Yes the kitchen and bathroom could use some updating, but that is something you just toss money at. You can't just toss some money and make period details appear.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 21, 2006 1:32 PM in response to Open House Picks

I may just swing by the 1410 Beverley Road open house. I'm not loving the brick railings, but there are details that I would like to check out in person.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 18, 2006 12:28 PM in response to Open House Picks

What is the big deal, you set up a TypeKey account, pick out a fun name, and post away.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 14, 2006 8:47 PM in response to To Register or Not to Register

"The critics argue it is illegal for private condos to be built on public parkland, but state planners argue the land under the condos will no longer be considered parkland so it won't break any laws."

Huh???? Just declare it NOT parkland and build away. Hope they don't get the same bright idea for Prospect Park and Central Park.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 14, 2006 8:43 PM in response to Monday Linksta

"I think CHP is the new Upton Sinclair. I think I just saw the Jurgis Rudkis family move into 1067 Fulton.
Posted by: Anonymous at August 12, 2006 02:41 PM

who the hell are they?
Posted by: Anonymous at August 12, 2006 05:13 PM"

To anon 08/12 at 5:13 this is who Upton Sinclair and Jurgis Rudkis(Jurgis Rudkus) are:

Upton Beall Sinclair (September 20, 1878 – November 25, 1968) His novel "The Jungle" was written 100 years ago. The story follows Lithuanian immigrant Jurgis Rudkus and his family.
Details here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upton_Sinclair
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jungle

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 14, 2006 6:24 PM in response to The Shame of Fulton Hitting Market

The Mansion tax should not be an arbitrary dollar amount but a certain percentage above the average price for a house in that area.

Because if you plunk down one million dollars in some place, you could get acres of land, a pool, and a huge house. But in some other places you get a building (with almost zero yard) that you have to gut reno just to live in it.

That said, the Mansion tax is unfair, but I can't advocate trying to find ways to evade it. Remember that they nailed Al Capone for tax evasion, not for murder (or any of his other crimes).

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 10, 2006 3:07 PM in response to Skirting Mansion tax?

I would totally love a modern house (proper electric, central heat/air, wired for cable, fully finished basement, etc.) with all the details and charm of an old house (room with doors, carved wood trim, high ceilings, tons of molding and plaster details, etc.)

I loath modern builds will their lack of details, huge open 'great rooms'.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 10, 2006 2:42 PM in response to Introducing the New Old House

Is "The Lace Room" still over on Atlantic Ave? They had some great stuff last time I was there.

And will second recommendation for J.R. Burrows http://www.burrows.com/ , for lace and William Morris Wallpaper.
I have met Mr. Burrows at several Vintage dance events and teas and he is a charming and dapper gentleman. http://www.burrows.com/john.html

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 9, 2006 2:13 AM in response to Lace Curtains

So let me get this straight. People need to drive their cars to AY so they can bring their babies and toddlers to a Nets game, drink lots of beer and then get back in their cars and DWI their way home with baby in the back seat.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 8, 2006 1:30 PM in response to Learning to Oppose the Atlantic Yards Project

I totally don't understand people obsession with cars and their insane desire to drive a car to a destination (like AY) that sits on top of a MAJOR transportation hub.

I have no car, no drivers' license, and have survived my entire adult life in Brooklyn using only public transportation, occasional taxis and occasional rides with friends/family.

I also use public transit extensively when I travel. Often I get strange looks when I ask for directions, and I say that I will be walking and/or using public transit to get to my destination.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 8, 2006 11:11 AM in response to Learning to Oppose the Atlantic Yards Project

I much prefer php forums, where a topic with recent replies bubbles to the top.

The way the Brownstoner forum is structured, only topics that were posted recently get any replies. If your topic slips off the main page, it's dead. And even if you search back for an already posted topic and add a question, or response, no one sees it.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 4, 2006 12:57 PM in response to New Place for FSBO Posts and Salvage

My question is why do they have to knock down a historic house to put up something new?

Is there any answer but greed?

There are empty lots, abandon buildings, and down right frugly buildings that can be found all around NYC. Until the stock of empty lots or abandon buildings has been exhausted, any historic building (or ones with potential historical designation) should be left alone. And if/when the empty lots and abandon buildings are gone, then start demolition with the frugly building first.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 4, 2006 12:43 PM in response to Deets on 70 Lefferts, Wrecking Ball for #96

The Warehouse photo reminds me of a Mayan Temple ruin in Uxmal:
http://www.mylittlehomepage.net/img/amerika_mexiko_uxmal_gr.jpg
http://www.inah.gob.mx/zoar/bime/za2602b.jpg

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 3, 2006 6:48 PM in response to Thursday On The Record

Can you be a bit more specific as to what style of drapes you are looking for and what budget range.

Example: If I point you to a place to see mucho expensive Victorian drapes with tons of tassels, that would be useless if your looking for sheer panels and a low price.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 3, 2006 2:53 PM in response to Curtains/Drapes

Keep the log in.

If your really determined to troll, you just keep setting up new accounts.

But at least the regulars can post under their own screen name w/o the trolls claiming to be them.
(but watch the spelling of the those names when you are reading a post, as some people have picked variants)

But I think you can still post anonymously in the forum, and after some of the lame comments there, I think the forum needs sign in to respond to posts.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 3, 2006 2:43 PM in response to What Do You Think of Restricted Commenting?

Those interior photos are the exact same ones that were up in June. I remember this one, it has great dark wood details.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at August 1, 2006 2:48 PM in response to House of the Day: Revisiting Glenwood Road

"I forgot what the phenomenon is called but it happens with people buy stocks too - they can't accept the idea that they are selling it for less than what they paid so they hold onto it until the price diminishes to nothing (I did that during the dot com boom, fortunately only with a BS ameritrade account)."

I doubt that the prices for NYC house with diminish to nothing during our lifetimes. (unless a tsunami, from one of the Canary Islands collapsing, wipes out most of the eastern seaboard.)

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at July 28, 2006 2:19 PM in response to Open House Picks

Didn't we just have this discussion?

http://brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2006/07/bushwicker_make.html

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at July 25, 2006 7:03 PM in response to Commentator Balks at Mayor's Housing Plan

"Organization (closets, pantries, built-ins, cabinets) are expensive".

If you considering using a closet systems, see these threads:
http://brownstoner.com/forum/archives/2006/04/closet_systems.html
http://brownstoner.com/forum/archives/2006/06/california_clos.html

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at July 17, 2006 3:29 PM in response to Finally, a plan

UPS requires signatures for all their deliveries (had a lengthy discussion about this with my UPS guy)
But FEDEX is signature optional(FEDEX had dumped several boxes of flat pack furniture in back of the house. Luckily it was a sunny day and no one stole the boxes).
I had no clue that FEDEX would leave such large/valuable packages out in the open. So now I make sure that the order is logged as signature required, and then have to arrange to be there for the delivery.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at July 14, 2006 12:54 PM in response to Home Depot /Kraftmaid Horror Story

Since it got a window, they can call it a bedroom.
But a door swinging into a room that is not even 10' x 10' would make it really cramped if you put a 5' x 6 1/2' bed in in that room.
Buyer would probably have to go with a loft bed, trundle bed, or the dreaded futon, if they wanted an adult to sleep in there, and still be able to swing a cat.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at July 14, 2006 12:25 PM in response to Condo of the Day: Greenpoint, Address Unspecified

This house is swoon worthy. I can't imagine how the owners could part with it after all that work and attention to detail, that went into it. You would think they would want to kick back and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at July 14, 2006 12:05 PM in response to Stepping Out On FG Park (For Almost $4 Mil!)

If it's really being built for his two sons (Noah and Daniel Shapiro) and their families, they why is it a 5 apartment plan?
If building design has 6 floors, then wouldn't it just be 2 triplex units? Sounds like it's not just for the two son's families.

And if the block has a five-story height restriction then why not build a 5 story with a finished basement?
Why not work creatively within the zoning laws, instead of trying to break them?

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at July 13, 2006 3:10 PM in response to CB6 Tells Architect To Shove It

Congrats!

And BTW: Can we please have someone ban using the phrase "DoBro". And I thought that BOCOCA http://www.brooklynnow.com/bococa/index.html was bad.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at July 13, 2006 12:56 PM in response to Guess Who Made The Latest Best Of List?

My comments window appears and disappears. It does seem to take some clicking around and a bunch of refreshes to get it to show up. I have to refresh the pages on the site quite often, as I seem to get cached versions of lots of the pages, and new posts and/or replies don't show up. (I can't seem to keep my IE setting to refresh "every visit to page" seems the corporate profile just changes it back to their default setting every time I log in).

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at July 13, 2006 9:44 AM in response to Using Typekey: Just a Little Patience

"He projects that completely deregulating the New York housing market would result in an average increase of $8 a month in rent, city-wide."

That hardly qualifies as rents "Skyrocketing" (per post by: cobblestoner).

And what about all the associated costs of enforcing Rent Regulations? How much tax payer money does NYC spend to keep regulations (that were supposed to be temporary back durring WWII) enforced. If rent control were eliminated, the money spent (running the regulations) could put into housing assistance voucher (or some sort of program) for the people that TRULY need help with their rent.

That way individual landlords would not have to subsidies peoples rent, and new comers to NYC would not be shut out of a program that only benefits those who were luck enough to land a rent controlled/rent stabilized apartment.

per http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/cr_34.htm
"Report finds that rent stabilization provides little benefit to residents of the outer boroughs and the lower and middle-income neighborhoods of Manhattan, while providing a substantial subsidy only to the residents of the relatively affluent areas of Lower and Mid-Manhattan....
...in the long run, direct government assistance along with deregulation is the favored alternative. Given that rent regulation disproportionately benefits tenants in affluent areas, direct financial assistance to poor and elderly renters is preferable to simply regulating rents."

And note: I'm a renter, not a landlord. I have lived in a stabilized apartment, but for the last 15 years have been in a market rate apartment. In those 15 years, I had only 2 rent increases of 10% each (both to compensate for higher fuel costs). My landlord only raised rent when THEY had to, not because a law said they had to raise the rent.

If I was living in a rent stabilized/controlled apartment I would have had a larger cumulative % increase in rent.

per: http://www.manhattan-institute.org/html/cr_34.htm
"Between 1993 and 1999, the median monthly rent of stabilized housing citywide increased 24%, while the median rent of unregulated housing increased only 17%."

And what was the Rent Board 2006 increase? Over 7% I believe.

Rent Controls are not helping all the people they should help, and they should be eliminated in favor of program that provides assistance for ALL poor/elderly NYC residents.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at July 13, 2006 9:21 AM in response to Bushwicker Makes Top Ten Landlord List

Finally got the comment box to show up so I could post.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at July 12, 2006 10:42 AM in response to Site Registration for Commenting

See: http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-274.html

"Although rent controls are widely believed to lower rents, data I have collected from eighteen North American cities show that the advertised rents of available apartments in rent-regulated cities are dramatically higher than they are in cities without rent control. In cities without rent control, the available units are almost evenly distributed above and below the census median. In rent-controlled cities most available units are priced well above the median. In other words, inhabitants in cities without rent control have a far easier time finding moderately priced rental units than do inhabitants in rent-controlled cities.

This is because tenants in the regulated sector tend to hoard their apartments, forcing everyone else to shop only in the shadow market. Thus, rent control is the cause of the widely perceived "housing crisis" in rent-controlled cities".
-by William Tucker CATO Institute.

Posted by: ArsenicandOldLace at July 12, 2006 10:37 AM in response to Bushwicker Makes Top Ten Landlord List

Thanks for the warning! I almost ordered Kraftmaid through Home Depot... I already had been experiencing headaches from their not so brilliant "kitchen designers" but I figured it was a good a price... I want to flip and sell in a few months, but I didn't want to torture a future buyer with particle board. I figured Kraftmaid was a happy medium between the top of the line and bottom of the barrel. Plus I had already paid $100 for measurements. I read on some boards about how great Lowe's was, so I thought I'd take a quick look before placing an order. Boy, am I sure glad I did! The customer service was the best! Even though Home Depot had a 10% off special going on, it seems fishy because my quote from Lowe's was less - even though it was full price. (I think Home Depot just marked up 10% before the "sale"). Lowe's even credited my order $100 since I would have to pay $75 for their installers to measure themselves. In the end, they were just so glad to take a customer away from Home Depot, I actually felt like I was getting extra attention. Actually, I think I was just so used to the crummy ill-treatment of Home Depot that when Lowe's actually gave good customer service, I was in shock. I couldn't say enough good things about my experience with Lowe's. If you are thinking about getting kitchen cabinets, save yourself a big headache and just go to Lowe's. Thanks again for this forum -it's ben very enlightening.

Posted by: heavenlypennies at February 23, 2007 11:47 PM in response to Home Depot /Kraftmaid Horror Story

I'll admit I didn't bother to read all of the responses in this thread, only because I have just one thing to say about Kraftmaid (ie KRAPMADE). Unless you are looking to flush $20,000 plus down the toilet, DO NOT BUY KRAFTMAID CABINETS!!!!

I just hope this post will save someone else from the pain I have had to endure.

Posted by: Miker at March 1, 2007 9:46 PM in response to Home Depot /Kraftmaid Horror Story

What are your complaints about KraftMaid .. would you care to elaborate?

Ough yes and Hamilton Home depot is horrible.

Lowes practically across the street is so much nicer. The kitchen rep I dealt with is extremely nice and helpful.

Posted by: Chudilo at March 7, 2007 3:02 PM in response to Home Depot /Kraftmaid Horror Story

Thanks for the post. I just wish I found it sooner. I have my own horror story with Home Depot Cabinets.

http://homedepotcabinets.blogspot.com

Posted by: guest at July 22, 2008 9:04 AM in response to Home Depot /Kraftmaid Horror Story