Can't you get a larger one-bedroom in a better neighborhood for about 25K more these days? Prices still seem really, really high to me for the area/square footage.

Posted by: Heather at November 5, 2009 10:57 AM in response to Price Cuts at 156 Pulaski Street

So, wait. You all "SHOULD" be paying $500/month and instead 4 of you are paying $700 and the leaseholder is paying $200? Math is not my strong suit and I wasn't paying close attention, but wtf. Yes, $200 can seem like a lot of money when you're young and broke and in the city, but for christ's sake, the guy isn't even LIVING there most of the time... so... who cares if he pays less? He still has responsibility. He still has the lease. He still put down the initial money with the landland and built the place.

And, frankly, as I discovered when I was young and broke in the city, it's an amazingly common story. And the moral is simple: get your own lease, probably at another apartment.

If you want the bad karma and potential repercussions, then by all means, stop paying rent and move out. Not that big a deal. When John assumed the lease, he assumed the risk that you all would do that. So give him 2 months notice and do so.

Posted by: Heather at November 4, 2009 6:13 PM in response to Sublet/Share Legal Issue

Chinese restaurants and drug dealers offer delivery instead of just take out.

Posted by: Heather at November 3, 2009 5:07 PM in response to Closing Bell: Gentrification Indicators

Chinese restaurants and drug dealers offer delivery instead of just take out.

Posted by: Heather at November 3, 2009 5:04 PM in response to Closing Bell: Gentrification Indicators

Stella and diet soda are only the harbingers. Once real gentrification sets in, they will vanish too, to be replaced by artisanal brands made without high fructose corn syrup. First you get imported beer, then diet soda, then the Utz brand chips vanish, the organic milk comes in all three flavors (skim, 2% and whole), and then the fresh flowers and fage.

And I dunno what a giedo is, Santa, but if it's like a Chav, I'm okay with that.

Posted by: Heather at November 3, 2009 4:31 PM in response to Closing Bell: Gentrification Indicators

Organic milk, stella artois, and diet soda at the bodega.

Posted by: Heather at November 3, 2009 4:04 PM in response to Closing Bell: Gentrification Indicators

More4less too. And Rob, riff raff we may be, but we're still the riff raff without the scary facist co-op.

Posted by: Heather at November 3, 2009 3:33 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 126 Greene Avenue, #2W

vanderbilt between gates and greene.

Posted by: Heather at November 3, 2009 3:06 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 126 Greene Avenue, #2W

I live a block away too :)

Posted by: Heather at November 3, 2009 2:58 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 126 Greene Avenue, #2W

I love this so much. Love the way the layout gives options, love the prewar, love the location (of both the kitchen and the apartment). I think it will go for asking and I wish we had it.

Posted by: Heather at November 3, 2009 2:37 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 126 Greene Avenue, #2W

I have been thinking about this some more. Not, like, obsessively, but just randomly. The pink kitchen. I admire it. It is a bold choice. But that wall mural is so godawful faux warholian that it makes my teeth ache. Still, I want to know the rest of the narrative. Is this Shalom Harlow's apartment and she's checking into rehab? Getting married and buying a tudor in Greenwich? An art director at Cookie or Domino who got canned?

Not that it's important, I just wonder. I mean, okay, I admit it, except for that mural, I actually like the decor.

Posted by: Heather at November 2, 2009 8:28 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 85 North 3rd Street, #207

I am just confused. Is this a swinging bachelor pad for someone who thinks they are Warren Beatty in Shampoo? Or is it a woman's apartment? Or a gay man? Honestly, the line is so metrosexually blurred with the cultural signifiers, I can't tell.

And for some reason, it bothers me.

Posted by: Heather at November 2, 2009 7:05 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 85 North 3rd Street, #207

Actually the froyo place has pretty good coffee, and for a while they opened an hour earlier than Provisions. But I think they discontinued that.

Posted by: Heather at November 2, 2009 6:03 PM in response to Streetlevel: A Beauty Salon for Fulton

There were only 30 akitas in 1924? Wow.

Posted by: Heather at October 26, 2009 5:19 PM in response to Open Thread

ENY, Chows are actually very smart. It's just after being the national dish of China for several thousand years, they are a little suspicious of people. Anyways, they are a serious dog, unlike the namby pamby French bulldog.

Posted by: Heather at October 26, 2009 4:46 PM in response to Open Thread

Again, here's what I don't get. BrookylnGreene, if the coop is so successful why not expand? If people are coming there from all over Brooklyn, wouldn't it make more sense to open more stores in different neighborhoods? I've heard that's an idea that has been discussed, but for some reason keeps getting shot down. Why?

Posted by: Heather at October 26, 2009 4:38 PM in response to NYT: Food Co-op Exile's Story Demands 2,000 Words

Yeah, she had chow chows? That was the one thing I have always liked about her. French bulldogs are not the same at ALL.

Posted by: Heather at October 26, 2009 12:18 PM in response to Martha Does The Flea

So this is good news for the Spencer street owners, right? I hope so.

Posted by: Heather at October 26, 2009 12:16 PM in response to Mendel Brach Barred from Condo Business

I have said it before: the coop would be better served if it expanded and added locations than how it is now. But it won't do that. So instead it is this cultish thing. I had no idea that missing shifts added to your work hours, though. That is insane.

And from my one trip inside (as a guest, and yes, both the member and I had to show id), I have to say it was so damn crowded on a Tuesday afternoon that I have no idea how anyone can shop there who has a normal 9 to 5 job.

Posted by: Heather at October 26, 2009 12:14 PM in response to NYT: Food Co-op Exile's Story Demands 2,000 Words

Tower was there forever and ever too. It was the cool place to hang out for teenagers, even visiting teenagers like me from the sticks of Philadelphia. Then Philadelphia got its own Tower Records, eventually and we were all impressed.

Now, get off my lawn! I must find the geritol.

Posted by: Heather at October 22, 2009 2:32 PM in response to Ho! Ho! Ho! The Flea Takes Manhattan (For a Month)

I just realized I know him from college, lol. Going to drag family there at some point.

Posted by: Heather at October 22, 2009 2:03 PM in response to The Vanderbilt Officially Opening Tomorrow

I hear you, I was frustrated with my apartment search over there too. That's how we ended up in Clinton Hill. Or Fort Greene. (I think we're on the Clinton Hill side of the street.) You should look over here, I see postings in the 1600-2K range in the parent website messageboards all the time. It is also, actually a lot nicer here -- although I miss the restaurant options.

Posted by: Heather at October 20, 2009 6:08 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 55 Berry Street, #5D

Ugh, dh, that sucks. I'm basing it on the fact that when we were looking for a new place in 2007 that much space on the northside was at least $4500 and we quite literally couldn't even find a 2-bedroom for $3K or under. (We did want under, a lot under.)And not just new construction, there wasn't anything much in the old construction, non-renovated railroad apartmentland either.

But a neighborhood like Williamsburg will probably always have strong demand at the lower end of its rental market, so there's probably more pressure there to raise the rents -- even if stuff in the higher end isn't moving at all. There will always be another recent college grad looking to pay $1200/month for a share. That's probably in the city charter.

Anyways, I guess I really have no idea.

Posted by: Heather at October 20, 2009 2:51 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 55 Berry Street, #5D

I think most people play WoW on the easily concealed laptop these days, Maly. But yeah, no idea why you'd BUY this for $800K-plus when you could rent it for $3200. And speaking of that, wow (no pun) but rental prices in Williamsburg seem to be falling quite impressively.

Posted by: Heather at October 20, 2009 2:04 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 55 Berry Street, #5D

Oooo, fancy kids store in the hood. Should do well. Copy Area kids' inventory more than Courderoy Kids or Acorn... you need to have some lowish ticket items for foot traffic.

Posted by: Heather at October 6, 2009 4:25 PM in response to Kids Clothing and Toy Store Opening on Clinton Ave.

Ooo, Bergen street is gorgeous. I want it. Price looks great. What is the catch?

Posted by: Heather at October 2, 2009 5:13 PM in response to Open House Picks

Oh, wait, no it's not next to the cadmium factory... it's just by the school. Bah, humbug. I bet the bathrooms are enormous and the environmentally-conscious kitchen island takes up a third of the living room.

Posted by: Heather at September 30, 2009 5:13 PM in response to Development Watch: 170 North 5th Street

And that building's on a brownfield next to an old cadmium factory. So, keep that in mind!

Posted by: Heather at September 30, 2009 5:10 PM in response to Development Watch: 170 North 5th Street

Help that is coming when those burned out hulks of stores are renovated. I agree, it's not the most savory stretch of Fulton. Head a few more blocks in either direction and Fulton gets nicer. But I'd blame that more on the fact that those buildings are burned-out hulks and that there are drug dealers, not the people getting methadone. I'd blame people actually using illegal drugs -- and yes, pot does count, by the way. Please remember that, even if your guy delivers.

Sorry, like I said, I get that it's not the most savory corner. I can see that. But you chose to live near it. And it is improving. Generally, I think you do a fair job of being pretty even-keeled, Mr. B. But save your ire for the dealers, not the people trying not to use the dealers. Shouldn't they get some respect for trying to turn their lives around?

Posted by: Heather at September 29, 2009 1:02 PM in response to 925 Fulton In Turnaround

What exactly are they doing besides standing around talking and smoking cigarettes, Mr. B? Because that's all I ever see them doing. And I'm okay with that.

Posted by: Heather at September 29, 2009 12:44 PM in response to 925 Fulton In Turnaround

My kid and I walk by them almost every day and they don't bother us. I am more bothered by the homeschooling freaks in the neighborhood who feel compelled to make excuses about why they do so in Salon.com.

Posted by: Heather at September 29, 2009 12:36 PM in response to 925 Fulton In Turnaround

Eh, yeah, I guess. All of the above is true, but you may want to do a lot of research on the location and quality of the construction you're buying. Williamsburg was the land that time forgot for some good reasons: one of them is that there are some highly toxic industrial sites. I wouldn't buy near Macarren, or the BQE strip for that reason.

Posted by: Heather at September 28, 2009 5:45 PM in response to Williamsburg - To Buy or Not?

It depresses me that most of the people I know who live in Bed Stuy I've met in Fort Greene playgrounds... honestly, if I lived there, I'd be at the playground nearest to my house. Fort Greene/Clinton Hill has 4 (at least) wine shoppes, all within a half mile of each other. The ratio in Williamsburg was even more insane. While I love Olivino, (the closest one to me), I do think this is excessive.

Very good point, orestes.

Posted by: Heather at September 28, 2009 1:55 PM in response to Bed-Stuy, a Harbor in the Tempest?

Is it zoned for ps 9?

Posted by: Heather at September 24, 2009 6:37 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 475 Sterling Place, #3I

I love Never Let Me Go. It's one of those premise novels that shouldn't work... and yet it does.

Posted by: Heather at September 24, 2009 1:53 PM in response to Thursday Links

If you had been to the Williamsburg post office, you would not complain about the one on Fulton.

Actually, the one on Fulton seems amazingly nice to me. They never lose my packages. The line isn't bad. The workers are even nice.

Posted by: Heather at September 22, 2009 12:01 PM in response to New Restaurant/Bar for Fulton Street

If I have to live on a highway, I'd prefer Atlantic or Flatbush. They are at least centrally located. 4th avenue and 11th is convenient to nothing except Park Slope and:

a.) It is Park Slope.
b.) it is up a steep hill.
c.) No matter how much they market this as Park Slope, it is on a charmless highway at the bottom of a steep hill from Park Slope, next to a brownfield.

On the plus side, close to Lowe's and the place where Whole Foods will never be built!

Posted by: Heather at September 16, 2009 7:52 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 500 4th Avenue, #PHG

Lafayette with a stroller is really bad, BrooklynGreene. There's that one spot... anyways, there were a few times last winter when I was just getting over the broken ankle and pushing the stroller and the snow banks on the curb prohibited me from going in the street and that damn tree... well, I quickly learned to use the other side of the street.

However, all of Fort Greene beats Williamsburg for its construction-clogged sidewalks. There's a few buildings there (finished now) that I want to go back and egg. Or smash windows. Or create artistic graffiti. Or something.

Posted by: Heather at September 15, 2009 6:51 PM in response to Street Clutter in Brooklyn?

I think FSRG's statements were even more distasteful, so you're good, snark.

Posted by: Heather at September 15, 2009 6:45 PM in response to The Novo Sells Out

Yes, exactly. Sometimes luxury should really just be the square footage to be able to afford to buy some stuff.

Posted by: Heather at September 15, 2009 6:36 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 84 Front Street, #8C

I don't mind wealthy people as long as they have the good taste not to put enormous islands in the middle of their kitchen floors. It's like, if you really want to "entertain" while you're sauteeing, just get a portable table island.

Posted by: Heather at September 14, 2009 2:50 PM in response to House of the Day: 591 2nd Street

King's Pharmacy is so great though, and I'm pretty sure they sell cigarettes too?

Posted by: Heather at September 14, 2009 2:46 PM in response to Streetlevel: Kent Ave. Duane Reade Opening Saturday

I do not like kitchens with big honking islands in the middle of them. That island is enormous, it's taking up a third of the floor space.

Posted by: Heather at September 14, 2009 2:06 PM in response to House of the Day: 591 2nd Street

Yes, infinite, but then you realize you're a New Yorker when you are in those places and can't stop complaining about all the stuff they don't have like New York.

Phoenix is almost as scary as Fresno.

Posted by: Heather at September 10, 2009 5:02 PM in response to Sitting Down with Prospect Park West Penner

I actually thought her New York Press column was amusing, (being about the same age probably helped), but those two pages excerpted in gawker really turned me off. I think the description of the subservient nanny is what really got to me.

Now, I am reading "A Fortunate Age" and trying to decide if a paragraph-by-paragraph redux of Mary McCarthy's "The Group" set in mid-nineties Williamsburg is brilliant or absurd. Still can't decide, but it's an improvement over Sohn.

Posted by: Heather at September 10, 2009 1:45 PM in response to Sitting Down with Prospect Park West Penner

I guess that's true about the kitchens, but one thing I actually loved from the floorplan and pictures was the way the kitchens didn't have islands and take up most of the living room floor space.

Posted by: Heather at September 9, 2009 6:40 PM in response to Checking In On 587 Washington Avenue

I'm pretty sure a lot depends on how much you're charging the tenant. Our sublettees were accused of "rent-gouging" us because we were paying $650 a month for a 2500 square foot loft in Hell's Kitchen and they were only paying $350/month. There is some percentage of what you pay over rent you're allowed to charge... but it's very, very small, like 10%.

That being said, a roommate situation is a little different. I know someone who is barely in her apartment (has lived in multiple places over the last decade) whose roommate pays a larger percentage of the rent than she does, but has managed to hang on to her apartment.

If I were you, I'd try and have some semblance of residence: have some mail coming there, stop by occasionally, maybe keep some clothes in the closet. It makes it much more of a gray area.

Posted by: Heather at September 9, 2009 12:14 PM in response to Questions About Subletting

Size and price looked great, I was watching these and kinda wishing we were looking.

Posted by: Heather at September 9, 2009 12:05 PM in response to Checking In On 587 Washington Avenue

did you seriously just call me buttface? hahah. i KNOW the subtenant (psoter) has no liability to the owner, but heather made an excellent point. it's an absentee roommate essentially who pays less. duh of course they should pay less! case closed. and yeah like she said it's very very very very common, it's essentially how the rental share market works for people who HAVE to have roommates and cant get their lease. im in a good situation now where it's 50/50 but it was never always that way.

*rob*

Posted by: Butterfly at November 4, 2009 6:56 PM in response to Sublet/Share Legal Issue

I'm just answering the question without the predictable agendas many on this blog have.
OP was looking for any "rights" he might have, not moral navel gazing or a spanking. I personally don't think there's much of a screwing going on here.
Did I call you buttface? Do you turn your head whenever you here some kid shout out, "Hey Asshole!"?

Posted by: modsquad at November 4, 2009 8:04 PM in response to Sublet/Share Legal Issue

Just bite the bullet and talk to the landlord. Tell him what's been going on- considering the economy, I'm sure he's much rather have tenants than not. That said, and I am not sure if it applies in your case, tenants are not allowed, by law to make money off of a rental. That is- the leaseholder is not allowed to make money on a landlord's property. So john is essentially using the lease to make money.

Check the lease to see if there is a residency requirement. Does a tenant have to be in residence in order to keep the lease? In some situations- such as rs/rc, they do.

In any case, stop paying John and start paying the landlord directly. Don't expect to see any money back from John- and once you settle your situation you can tell him he can pick up his stuff or you will assume he has abandoned it and you'll do what you want with it.

Posted by: bxgrl at November 5, 2009 10:30 AM in response to Sublet/Share Legal Issue

less white people??!?!?!!

Yes that's EXACTLY what Bed Stuy needs more of:
more intolerance, fear and xenophobia.

THAT will make things better.

Posted by: bryanx at November 6, 2009 2:04 PM in response to What Does Bed Stuy Need?