All the snarking back and forth about these neighborhoods makes me realize they're just another way for people to accessorize. Thanks to the few people who just gave an honest take on how they see the neighborhoods, without derision.

There are pluses and minuses to both, good people and not so good people in both, and there's always an inherent risk involved with living anywhere in New York. Neither place is Compton, but neither place is Walla Walla. Figure out your price range. Figure out how you would get from each neighborhood to all the places you need to go. Go visit each neighborhood a time or two for a good couple hours, talk to a few people, look around and see if you like what you see and hear and if you feel comfortable. Then make your decision. And then ignore anyone who would tell you what kind of person you must be for picking your new neighborhood.

Posted by: GoGoMrPoPo at February 6, 2008 10:20 AM in response to clinton hill/park slope

Went to an OH there last weekend. I rent in the neighborhood and had been intrigued by the building, knowing that there were so many units for sale inside, and so was excited to check it out. I was thoroughly disappointed by the building in and of itself, and the studio we saw was a bit of a joke, but the 1-BR up on the 11th floor was awesome.

The building was pretty dingy and unimpressive - ugly drop ceilings and sterile fluorescent lighting in the hallways, and some of the floors reeked of that mix of cigarette smoke and sanitizer. And the studio we saw was nothing special, space-wise, and didn't even have a full refrigerator. It was basically a glorified dorm room.

But the 1-BR we saw was gorgeous, high up with great views, good space, great kitchen, and the light in the bedroom was amazing. I was definitely jealous of the folks who get to wake up in that room on lazy Sundays.

All in all, it has its pros and its cons, and I guess how hot the neighborhood is drives the price up (having lived there for 2 and a half years now I can safely say it's no longer a well kept secret), but I'm not convinced that what you get is worth what people are paying for units in this building, even relative to the crazy NYC real estate market. Keep your wits about you out there, people!

Posted by: GoGoMrPoPo at February 12, 2008 1:22 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 101 Lafayette Avenue, #1K

Could be right, 1:29. I only saw two floors and the lobby. But I did see another dismal 1-BR in a different building in Ft. Greene (two blocks away from the Griffin, above retail space), and it was also wayyy overpriced. I love Ft. Greene and spend plenty of time in the park, but we saw MUCH nicer recently renovated 1-BR's in gorgeous buildings closer to PROSPECT Park than the Griffin is to Ft. Greene Park, right off Prospect Park West, and they were only about $50-$75K more than the crappy studio we saw in The Griffin, and cheaper than the 1-BR in Ft. Greene. It's just hard for me to fathom the sizable price gap.

Posted by: GoGoMrPoPo at February 12, 2008 1:45 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 101 Lafayette Avenue, #1K

I can't say this with 100% certainty, but the overhangs (at least in building 1, maybe building 4 as well) look to me like shading mechanisms. A lot of newer green buildings employ this feature to keep direct sunlight from beating down through the windows when it's at its highest point in the sky while still allowing for morning and afternoon light/warmth to enter. Helps to keep spaces cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter and reduce HVAC energy demands.

Even though I'm in the biz and will advocate building green until I'm blue in the face, I will admit they are distracting, but I'm not yet sure if it's because I really don't like them or they're just so new. Either way, I'm afraid energy use issues are far more important than aesthetics at this point, so I plan to get used to them right quick. Not saying they've perfected the design here, but I think we should welcome them as a useful and valuable feature for a new building when done right.

Posted by: GoGoMrPoPo at June 20, 2008 10:53 AM in response to The Latest (And Not So Greatest) On Bedford Avenue

I have a question about the flea market I want to ask, but I guess this isn't forum for it? I could have sworn the post was about the flea...

Posted by: GoGoMrPoPo at July 14, 2008 9:53 AM in response to Closing Bell: Fair Weather Flea?

Has anyone worked with Guaranteed Roofing before? My landlady has got them working on the house I live in right now, but we live in a historic district and yet they don't seem to care about that fact. So far they've just been painting, but we don't have a finalized contract with them and we need some repointing and minor structural work done.

They have proposed using red cement to cover the exterior wall of the parapet, above the cornice that runs around the facade about 3 feet down from the top of the four-story red brick house, and also to install metal brackets to hold up the sagging cornice. I worry about running afoul of the LPC and also just that these guys are a bit shady and my landlady didn't really shop around at all. Anyone have any info or suggestions?

Posted by: GoGoMrPoPo at August 5, 2008 9:27 AM in response to Roof and brick pointing work--contractor recommendations

I've been using McFar Contractors and have found them to be the best company that I have used so far (and in 12 years on 30 buildings, there are a lot of companies I have used)

They do a lot in your area as well.

http://mcfarcontractors.com
516-873-9080

Posted by: mblevine at August 10, 2008 10:22 AM in response to Roof and brick pointing work--contractor recommendations