I am talking about the big heavy cables that run along the back of properties connected by those tall wooden poles. Am I understanding correctly that it may be possible to get these bundled more tightly and lowered so they are less unsightly, or even buried underground completely?

Posted by: New Guy at November 17, 2009 12:58 PM in response to Removing Unsightly Wires?

Brokestone, how can we mobilize to stop the rezoning? Sounds like you have a good handle on this whole thing -- how do we contact you?

Posted by: New Guy at August 4, 2009 5:33 PM in response to Lefferts Place Threatened by Healthcare Developer

I take it from what everyone is say ing that ... it is in fact possible to grow grass in Brooklyn? Everyone I have ever spoken to has told me not to bother trying, it won't take in this area

Posted by: New Guy at September 17, 2008 3:26 PM in response to Removing small rocks and twigs for soil

I hear what you're saying sam, but I have to agree with Petebklyn. At what price would this house be a steal if it is not already? Surely the absolute rock bottom is somewhere in the 1.5-1.8 range. It is just too impressive to go for less. I believe it is already discounted in price to take into account the neighborhood. If you transported it over to Park Slope what would it go for? 3MM+ ???

Posted by: New Guy at August 12, 2008 3:26 PM in response to House of the Day: 100 Lefferts Place Revisited

The nay-sayers are so short-sighted. Look around you. This neighborhood has all the ingredients to be highly desirable: superb brownstones waiting to be renovated; excellent transportation links (subways and Atlantic Avenue); Fulton Street being restored with public money; leafy streets with mature trees. Yes the downturn is definitely going to slow the process down, and there continue to be negative elements that others in this string have already noted. But the trend is what matters. The process of rejuvenation is inexorable. Whoever buys this beautiful house will do very well in the medium to long term.

Posted by: New Guy at August 12, 2008 3:04 PM in response to House of the Day: 100 Lefferts Place Revisited

Brownstoner, your choice of photo to represent Lefferts Place is misleading ... the shot you have taken is of probably the least attractive corner of the entire three blocks ... why this choice?

In any event, even this scruffy corner displays the great promise of the block ... most of those brownstones have great potential, and will eventually be restored, as other homes on the block have already been

Across from these brownstones between Classon and Franklin is a wonderful pre-Civil War mansion on a double-sized lot that has recently been restored ... it sits beautifully between a cherry tree and a magnolia ... someone thinks that Lefferts Place is worth investing in big time ... voting with their $

I can tell you that all three blocks have very active block associations ... there are many families that have lived in these brownstones for generations ... there is a neighborhood feeling which has been lost in most other parts

Posted by: New Guy at May 2, 2008 11:50 AM in response to Clinton Hill:Lefferts Place okay to move to?

Brownie how does this compare to the mansion being renovated just down the street at 161?

Posted by: New Guy at March 20, 2008 2:12 PM in response to House of the Day: 100 Lefferts Place

Putnamdenizen I think you are talking about 161 Lefferts Place; they are doing a beautiful job -- that house is a mansion on a double lot with a huge wrap-around garden. It was ready for demolition and the new owners have saved it from the wrecker's ball. Very unusual; there can't be many properties like this in all of brownstone Brooklyn. The block has great potential and clearly some people think it is worth investing in for the long term.

Posted by: New Guy at February 27, 2008 12:20 AM in response to House of the Day: 110 Lefferts Place

No, they are referring to this product: http://www.mosquitomagnet.com/

1:45: is this the product you used?

Has anyone else used this with success in Brooklyn?

Posted by: New Guy at February 6, 2008 12:02 PM in response to Mosquitos in brownstone gardens

Is anyone familiar with the garlic spray products? Or alternatively the machines that suck in the mosquitoes with carbon dioxide? Does either work?

Posted by: New Guy at February 5, 2008 6:18 PM in response to Mosquitos in brownstone gardens

This is months later...i realize that. However, I think I should post, as a person with current experience in Clinton Hill.

I moved here two days ago. I heard some bad things about this place, that it was ghetto, but I like to give places and people a chance. I've lived in many places around the world, and throughout this country, and have never judged people on their income or nationality/ethnic background. That is irrelevant. However, I will make an assessment of my environment based on my personal experiences. So here it is:

Within moments of stepping out of my apartment (Monroe and Franklin), I was sexually harrassed by men. I was harrassed all the way to the subway, on the subway, and on my way home from the subway. Let me make something very clear, I'm not a wimp. I'm not a pushover. I do what I want, when I want, and based on my last few days here, I'll I have to say is "FUCK this place!"

I'm actually listening to a lovely couple fighting, viciously, outside. Fantastic environment! NOT!!!!

Needless to say, I'm on my way, First-Class tomorrow, back to California where men act like men, not animals.

If you are a good-looking female, avoid this place! That is, of course, you enjoy being verbally/sexually devoured by a group of rampid, uneducated, presumptuous animals!

Cheers!

Posted by: akrob at September 5, 2008 9:17 PM in response to Clinton Hill:Lefferts Place okay to move to?

not true....once the soil is prepped properly (which I failed to do with the sod) and you don't under or overwater, you can definitely have grass in Brooklyn. I'm still learning, but I'm sure next spring my outcome will be better than this year.

Posted by: faithful at September 17, 2008 4:41 PM in response to Removing small rocks and twigs for soil

I used to have a great Brooklyn lawn:

http://www.brooklynrowhouse.com/house/backyard

It was a lot of work and it can be a heartbreaker during the hotter summer months if you don't keep up with watering, the weeding, the feeding, the fungus, the bugs, etc.

After I got two energetic, digging puppies I gave up.

Posted by: Steve at September 17, 2008 7:38 PM in response to Removing small rocks and twigs for soil

Right now's the perfect time to seed. I reworked my back lawn in early spring, mixing in lots of dead leaves from over the winter with starter fertilizer and peat moss. Let it sit for a week, and the started seeding. The problem I ran into was flooding. We had a few storms that inundated my yard with water, and killed all the young grass. I had to plant shade tolerant seed to start with, so it was pretty fragile.

I'm going to try again this weekend and hope for the best. I'd like to have grass, but I have a feeling I should start researching into alternative ground cover that's less labor intensive.

Posted by: Fort Greene Place at September 18, 2008 5:01 PM in response to Removing small rocks and twigs for soil

I've been gardening in Bed-Stuy since 1992. Mosquitos were always a minor nuisance. This year was terrible! I use a eucalyptus based spray to keep them at bay but I have only had limited success. Here it is September and I am still getting bitten.

Posted by: Lynne at September 22, 2008 6:48 PM in response to Mosquitos in brownstone gardens

Hi everyone...I just joined this forum! Although I'm not exactly in the boroughs, I'm on the south shore in Nassau county, close in to Bklyn and Queens...I have lived a good part of my life in Bklyn (born there) and in Queens before ending up on the *Island*!
This mosquito thread is really pulling me in due to my severe mosquito problem that I'm experiencing this summer for the FIRST time in the 28 years I'm living in this house..
these little bastards are out in daylight hours and are making it almost impossible for me to garden or enjoy the birds that I feed and water...(6 different bird feeders and 4 birdbaths). I keep the feeders clean and change the water daily or close to it. I don't think this is the cause of these millions of daylight biters....but...what could be going on here???
sharadacats

Posted by: sharadacats at September 30, 2008 7:20 PM in response to Mosquitos in brownstone gardens

We buried our wires during our renovation, going straight into the cellar & then up from there. Still have neighbor's ugly wires each side...

Anyone with a utility pole in their back yard? Do you have any record of it on your title deed? If no record (easement?), is there any ability to arm twist the utility to clean up their mess etc

Posted by: going4broke at November 17, 2009 1:00 PM in response to Removing Unsightly Wires?

Has anyone ever had any luck getting rid of a telephone box on the back of their house? I have two, with festoons of wires coming out and spreading across the back of my house to the neighbors'. Looks like hell. One box was there when I bought the house many years ago, another was added later over my protestations. We're planning work on the back wall of the house and will need to get rid of the boxes. I'd appreciate any information about remedies that are open to us.

Posted by: Silvermax at November 17, 2009 3:44 PM in response to Removing Unsightly Wires?

i've had wires moved and made neater every place I bought by simply getting a manager to come out. they'll do the work.

good luck.

Posted by: wine lover at November 17, 2009 4:29 PM in response to Removing Unsightly Wires?

I called Verizon and told them that the cables they draped across my backyard fence were fast becoming my sons' favorite climbing toy and should I be worried about that? They came within 2 weeks to do a survey of how to bury the wires and though it was months later, and took a lot of follow up, they got it done.

Posted by: jlo at November 17, 2009 5:51 PM in response to Removing Unsightly Wires?