lambretta76's Profile
- 1998
- 2007
- Brooklyn
- Boerum Hill
- Rental
- Male
- 31
Author's Posts
March 23, 2009
Commercial demo recommendations
We signed a lease a couple of years ago for an office space that was built out with walls, essentially dividing the space into 10 offices. We're now leaving and are required to return the office empty.
My question is, since the walls are just curtail walls - they're not "structural" and are not wired - do you need a construction permit to remove them?
If we're going to need a demo permit, what could someone expect to pay for about a 1,000 square foot office with 15 foot ceilings?
December 24, 2008
Tipping in rental buildings
I have a question for you all - I live in a rental building that is partly rent-stabiliazed/partly market rate. (I'm of the former group.)
Having never lived in a full-service building before, I was wondering what the amount of tips should be. Following the $50 per doorman/$100 per super rule would run close to $700. I don't want to insult anyone, but that amount is unaffordable at the moment.
Opinions?
Author's Comments
Didn't they do this a few years ago? If I remember correctly, the MTA and Bob Diamond had a falling out and they ripped up all of the tracks that had been laid.
This is still a brilliant idea, and Atlantic would be awesome with streetcar tracks running up it. Jay/Smith St is even wide enough to accommodate it heading into downtown.
Posted by: lambretta76 at August 18, 2009 11:06 AM in response to Resurrecting Red Hook's Trolley Tracks
lambretta76 wrote a review about Miso Sushi on August 4, 2009 1:14 PM
I agree with the Yelper - you eat there because the lunch options in Dumbo are so dire. (However, while more expensive, the sushi at Foragers is much better.)
Market-rate townhouses were always part of the plan. In fact, there were supposed to be 13 in total I believe - here's the original rendering:
http://www.jamesmccullar.com/StateRenaissance.html
Anyways, this block of State (and the one between Hoyt and Smith) are probably the two best blocks in Boerum Hill.
For comparison, most of the 14townhouses went for close to 3 million after they languished on the market at 2 mil. But that was a different market. I think that those clocked in between 3,200 and 3,900 square feet, but most of it seemed wasted from the tour of one of the buildings I took. (I do like the aesthetics of those buildings, and they do fit in with a historic brownstone nabe while being modern and interesting.)
Posted by: lambretta76 at July 28, 2009 11:23 AM in response to Six More New Brownstones for State Street?
Isn't it against the rent-stabilized agreement to own or rent another residential space in New York state while you're currently in a rent-stabilized apartment?
Posted by: lambretta76 at July 20, 2009 2:42 PM in response to Renting Out Entire Brownstone?
Biff, totally agree. Wow I'm indifferent about either St. Viateur's or Fairmount's "plain" (sesame seed) bagels, I believe that Fairmount's everything (with fennel seeds) is the gold standard of that style.
For the time being, the chef of Sheep Station is Quebecois and the poutine there is quite tasty.
Posted by: lambretta76 at July 10, 2009 2:33 PM in response to Streetlevel: A Taste of Montreal for Hoyt Street
lambretta76 wrote a review about Kellogg's Diner on June 3, 2009 4:43 PM
Probably the worst restaurant I've ever been to. And I was drunk. And starving. And I only ate one fry. (It was so bad, cooked in ancient oil.) Never again. Thing is - I know people who love this place and go out of their way to go there. So sad.
Enjoy Praiano - it's a great, quiet town. Try and make it to La Africana and don't let the church bells of St. Luca keep you up all night.
And for a great meal, try Armandino's down by the beach - http://www.trattoriadaarmandino.it/
Posted by: lambretta76 at May 21, 2009 5:23 PM in response to Closing Bell: Amalfi Coast, Here We Come
The prices seem to be on par with the Key Food (above Pathmark, below bodegas), although I just briefly checked it out while enjoying a rather great cup of coffee this morning. (The Intelligentsia blend they use is very nicely balanced and, in my opinion, much better than the single-varietal blends used at Clover.)
But, the similarities to Key Food end at the prices. It has a fishmonger, a butcher area, a cheese counter, and tons of prepared food. It looks beautiful, the produce - allbeit trucked in - is merchandised nicely and they have a good variety. (I was surprised to see chermoyas.) Supposedly they will have local produce when in season. The people working there (at least on opening day) were quite nice. The baked goods - trucked in from Ft. Greene - are also very good. They also have a beautiful dessert case - I don't know if they're made in-house or not.
It's not fully up and running, but it will likely change life for us downtown dwellers. (The last supermarket here closed back in '98 or '99 - anyone remember that C-Town deathtrap?) It has a good mix of upscale items, fresh foods, and general supermarket items and should do a good job of serving a very diverse clientele.
Posted by: lambretta76 at April 22, 2009 1:11 PM in response to Brooklyn Fare Launching Today
I should have been clearer - what should we expect to pay to have someone do the full demo for us, as I imagine they won't give a demo permit to just anyone.
Posted by: lambretta76 at March 23, 2009 12:14 PM in response to Commercial demo recommendations
lambretta76 wrote a review about Taro Sushi on March 13, 2009 12:07 PM
Best sushi restaurant in Brooklyn, hands down, and the best value sushi bar in NYC. (There are better sushi bars in NYC, but they cost $$$$.) Go on Fridays and Saturdays, when the selection of fish is at its best. (Much is flown in from Tsukiji.) The ankimo (monfish liver) is outstanding, and many of the rolls are the same quality as you would pay 3x more for in Manhattan.
lambretta76 wrote a review about Trinidad Ali's Roti Shop on March 10, 2009 3:04 PM
Oh, Biff - there's a place in Downtown Brooklyn - Justin's - that does a decent (though not amazing) Guyanese version of roti. It's at 144 Lawrence St., between Fulton and Willoughby.
I don't know the difference really between Guyanese and T&T, I just know that Ali's is better.
lambretta76 wrote a review about Trinidad Ali's Roti Shop on March 10, 2009 12:42 PM
A couple of notes:
Ali's sometimes has boneless chicken. Not always, but I've heard people ask for it on occasion, with about a 25% success rate.
The potato and channa roti costs between $3 and $4 (there's no real set pricing on anything here) and is the big value item in my book. Brilliant stuff - chickpeas and potatoes in a mild island curry sauce, tucked inside a roti skin. (And their roti skins are one of the best in the city.) If you want it spicy, as for "peppah", if you want it sweet, ask for "tamarind" (I usually go for "tamarind and peppah").
As for doubles, skip them here - the ones from A&A Bake and Doubles around the corner on Nostrand are far superior.
Pick up a Peardrax, a wonderful pear soda, to wash it down.
And just to help you out, when you enter, order from the right window and speak loudly (the woman taking the order is about 15 feet away behind a steam table). Pick it up on the window to your left. Enjoy.
lambretta76 wrote a review about Ba Xuyên on February 2, 2009 2:01 PM
The gold standard in NYC for banh mi dac biet (or whatever they call the "#1"). Saigon on Mott St. in Chinatown and, surprisingly, Baoguette in Curry Hill are my 2 and 3. Avocado shakes are good, too.
I, too, love the look of the Toren. I'm sure it's polarizing, but aside from Richard Meier's On Prospect Park, this is probably the most ambitious new development I've seen in Brooklyn in the past decade.
I'm glad the developer of the Toren is being rewarded for his vision with brisk sales in a recession.
Another current favorite new construction building of mine is the future artist/formerly homeless high-rise going up on Schermerhorn in Boerum Hill, across from the whelming Be@Schermerhorn.
Posted by: lambretta76 at January 30, 2009 2:19 PM in response to Avalon and Toren Rising
lambretta76 wrote a review about Grand Dakar on January 26, 2009 2:33 PM
I can't comment about here, as I've not been yet, but I had no idea that Pierre Thiam was the chef. I sorely miss the food and ambiance at his former joint over on Fulton, Yolele. That place had some great food and I loved the relaxed vibe - the accras, the cheb, and even his francophone desserts - were all a notch above most Senegalese in the city.
lambretta76 wrote a review about Nana on November 20, 2008 1:25 PM
It's a good neighborhood joint - nothing more. Everything is fine and it has it's place in most anyone's eating rotation (decent sushi, some interesting cooked dishes). They do make one of my favorite junk foods - their spicy orange chicken. Fried shredded chicken bits in a gloppy, sweet orange sauce. Everything about should make me run, but instead I find myself ordering it every time I go there.
Agreed with Schultz - they're doomed by location, but it's some of the most intriguing - and well designed - modern housing in the borough. They'd get $2 mil even in this market if they were in Boerum Hill or prime Prospect Heights.
Posted by: lambretta76 at November 13, 2008 12:17 PM in response to Price Cuts at Nzinga Townhouses
lambretta76 wrote a review about Tanoreen on November 10, 2008 12:32 PM
The best middle eastern restaurant in Brooklyn. It's not that cheap, though - an appetizer, entree, and dessert can easily approach $40. BYOB makes it a little bit better, but be warned that the closest liquor store is pretty weak; make sure you bring one from home or buy one elsewhere.
Yup - no wine, and their beer license is pending, though I'm hoping they have a very nice selection.
http://nyc.everyblock.com/liquor-licenses/by-date/2008/7/24/1509196/
On a side note, their Vintage Ale is made by Unibroue, the fantastic Quebecois brewery that makes La Fin du Monde and Blanche de Chambly, among others.
Posted by: lambretta76 at September 17, 2008 2:10 PM in response to Wednesday Food & Drink Round-Up
I've always been intrigued by it when I've ridden by on the B65, I'll have to make a point of stopping into the new location. They carry some nice brands.
Posted by: lambretta76 at July 31, 2008 4:59 PM in response to StreetLevel: Brooklyn Circus Expands in Boerum Hill
"Though I will note that a Ben & Jerry's around the corner on Atlantic didn't survive long."
Nor did the location on Court Street a few years earlier - I think it was where the shuttered UPS Store is now.
Posted by: lambretta76 at July 29, 2008 10:58 AM in response to Korean-Style Yogurt Pays Big Bucks for Court Street
I think those arkestairs are no longer allowed due to new building codes.
Posted by: lambretta76 at July 28, 2008 3:17 PM in response to Stairs to Roof Deck
lambretta76 wrote a review about Bonnie's Grill on July 21, 2008 2:04 PM
Wings are the best in the city, I'm a big fan of the beef on weck, and the burgers are pretty tasty. The chipotle mayo for the fries is incredibly addicting, although I have to admit it's not all that great.
I agree with johnife - I believe the first five floors were originally designed to be a hotel.
Posted by: lambretta76 at July 14, 2008 10:45 AM in response to Inside the Nu Hotel
I was there at 1:30 yesterday afternoon and there were about 40 people in line for the pupusas. I agree with 11:49 - it was the most crowded - with both vendors and customers - that I've seen the Flea.
That said, a lot of the merchants seem to sell the same thing, I would like to see about a 40/40/20 mix of "crafts", curated junk (not just random crap), and food.
Posted by: lambretta76 at May 26, 2008 12:12 PM in response to A Look at Yesterday's Flea
This building was open as a gallery during the Atlantic Art Walk and I went in to see the layouts. Awkward doesn't even begin to explain it; small rooms, poor quality finishes (although it may not have been entirely finished), definitely not "luxury" yet priced so. If I remember correctly, the "master bedroom" didn't even have a bathtub. (Granted, that isn't very "green", but the floor with the two bedrooms did.) Very disappointing and definitely not a showcase for green building.
Posted by: lambretta76 at September 25, 2009 12:38 PM in response to Listings Up For 93 Nevins Street