I went there this morning and I find it to be disappointing. When it was being built the white subway tiles and the floor looked like it would be an old school deli. Now there are flat screens everywhere. They have a vintage Brooklyn picture in the back. It would be nicer if they scattered those around.

You order in one spot, via a girl at a computer, another person in front of another computer makes your sandwich and finally you pay at another spot. I paid 8 dollars and waited ten minutes to get a sandwich that was a plop of meat, crusty cheese and stale bread.

Corner bodega - you have Boars Head too and you are half the price? Here I come...

Posted by: Caitrus at October 22, 2008 10:56 AM in response to F. Martinella Finally Open

My parents moved into an old house 15 years ago and it has always had a very woody, musty old house smell. At first it was overwhelming because it was a new smell but over time the house is lived in and you sort of get used to the smell and don't notice it. I haven't lived with my parents for about 10 years but I still smell the smell.

Maybe it just ever goes away.

Like the smell of library books - inherent to the character of the books or in your case the house.

Votivo makes really strong scented candles -- those help too.

Posted by: Caitrus at October 15, 2008 5:21 PM in response to old house smell?

Jack- When you walk down Court Street do you notice how dirty it is and notice the people that you encounter? social service offices (Housing, Parole, etc) while they provide people with assistance don't always make a great neighborhood. It is a pleasure to walk down Clinton Street. Put social services like this on that street and into a school no less not only are you destroying a community, I would think that the appeal that neighborhood and that stretch of Clinton attract would ultimately leave people with a bad taste in their mouth and destroy what Clinton St. now is.

And seriously not to knock on cops but how many of them are on their cell phones, chatting with each other or reading the paper while sitting in their car not paying attention while on the job?

Maybe they are taking a break but you can't count on the cops being in the area and paying attention to the sex offender that is oogling at your kid which by the way isn't a crime but leaves you with such a feeling of being coated in slim that you want to bathe in hydrogen peroxide.

Posted by: Caitrus at July 16, 2008 3:26 PM in response to Federal Probation Officer Defends Proximity to St. Ann's

This is probably not it, but pull off the summer covers on your fireplaces and see if the smell isn't stronger up in the chimney. If there is moisture and a lot of accumulated old soot, that could give off a musty old house smell. You may want to at least rule it out. But don't let me stop you from lighting up the, er, sage leaves.

Posted by: slopefarm at October 15, 2008 5:31 PM in response to old house smell?

We do have old gas lines in our lighting fixtures, but I thought they were capped and shouldn't smell. You think they could be leaking?
Otherwise, I will try the, er, sage. No, really, the sage. And I guess is that doesn't work I will learn to like it.

Posted by: WTbound at October 15, 2008 6:39 PM in response to old house smell?

Is there a dumbwaiter or old heating grates? There may be a dead rodent at the bottom or something.

Posted by: mh at October 16, 2008 12:53 PM in response to old house smell?

Definitely check all radiators.
Vacuum as much of the sut from inside the cast iron rings as you can.
Check if you have any exposed wood that is not lacquered, especially that custom piece. what is the condition of the hardwood floor? It may need to be sanded and laquered as well.

What is the condition of the walls and ceiling, are any beams exposed?

Posted by: Gosha at October 16, 2008 1:09 PM in response to old house smell?

Do you have oil heat? We just moved into a new (for us) brownstone. I have never had oil heat before and the smell drives me nuts. I am seriously considering converting to gas but haven't yet run all the numbers...perhaps I will poke around elsewhere on this site for that!

Posted by: suto2 at October 19, 2008 6:47 PM in response to old house smell?