Yunk, Yunk, what is your point? Let's let the renovater renovate without all the negativity...

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at November 20, 2009 7:45 AM in response to All Systems, Go — Away?

wasn't there an article about a few months ago in the times about a violin repair shop in a residential space and how a complaint to DOB got it evicted. The fact that studios exist in residential spaces doesn't make them legal

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at November 19, 2009 2:03 PM in response to Illegal Business Next Door

Rob - we are not letting you have a gun. I for one think you should not have a computer. Lotsa hate on this thread. Disgusting.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at November 18, 2009 11:06 AM in response to Shooting In Boerum Hill

Why possibly would you want her to go month to month without a rent increase? It doesn't jibe with your story.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at November 5, 2009 7:35 PM in response to Help with Demanding Tenant?

come on guys, bkplebe is just trolling and seeing if it can get a rise out of you.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at November 5, 2009 7:25 PM in response to House of the Day: 119 Fort Greene Place

You can move. You can stop paying rent and make him evict you. But that would make you a bad person. You have no moral or legal right to get a equal rent with him. Nor does he have to let you know what he pays. Unless he promised you something different - in which case he is a liar, but that still doesn't change your rights.

Do you like the apartment, your situation? Then just deal.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at November 4, 2009 7:29 AM in response to Sublet/Share Legal Issue

Yes people should not pop babies - or slap them for that matter.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at November 3, 2009 11:45 AM in response to $21 Million Grant for Coney Affordable Housing

Can we please trade Rob out for "the What." Jon if you are creating these people to keep the site interesting, how about someone who just posts in French?

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at November 3, 2009 11:43 AM in response to The Gingerbread House Hits the Market

huh?

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at November 2, 2009 10:47 AM in response to Creative Use of Leftover Floor?

Imagine that - a wood fence in Brooklyn! Next you will be telling me you plan to barbeque as well. Seriously looks great...

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at November 2, 2009 10:34 AM in response to Excellent Landscape Designer!

Actually not Denton. Because the leaves fall off the trees in the fall. Of course it takes a while for a tree to grow to any size to accomplish these goals. It would be your gift to the future. (That said the cherry tree I planted in my front yard 7 years ago has doubled in size and now is a privacy screen for my scond floor parlor.)

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at October 27, 2009 8:37 PM in response to Trees in Bed Stuy?

Is this the only problem with the house? Probably pretty easy to fix.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at October 21, 2009 1:04 AM in response to Water in Tub

Glad to see work beginning on this. The previous owners emptied it of lifelong residents in order to sell it, then got bogged down in family dispute and let it decay - the pipes burst and flooded two other house's basements. According to my partner who is tending the homefires while I work in Nepal for three months (thus missing the noisy construction?) the owner has left notes for all the neighbors with her name and that of her contractor if there are any problems. More considerate than I thought to be when I did my work seven years ago.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at October 9, 2009 8:23 PM in response to Reno Action at 50 Putnam

Would have thought they would have mentioned PS261 instead of or in addition to PS 38. Much more popular and draws kids from out of zone (including my son from Clinton Hill).

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at October 5, 2009 9:41 AM in response to Boerum Hill: In a Nutshell

Uh, perhaps you might want to talk to your landlord first? If s/he is renovating downstairs (perhaps for his or her use) the renovation may not be complete.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at October 3, 2009 12:34 AM in response to Sketchy Wall

The salvation army on Quincy in Clinton Hill has old mattresses for sale. I imagine they accept them.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 25, 2009 4:39 PM in response to Recycling an Old Mattress?

Welcome to the neighborhood!

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 23, 2009 6:36 PM in response to Windows We Are

Yeah, I ended up refinancing with my same lender to avoid same fees/taxes. From their point of view they want to create incentives for you to stay with them. Letter sounds polite at least!

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 22, 2009 3:50 PM in response to Bad Mortgage Lending Practices?

Since there already is an awesome French-African place (Kush) on Putnam and Fulton, I vote for something different. I remember when I was having dinner in the then Liquors looking at what was to be Loulou's. The waiter was evidently opening Loulou's and when he told me that I said "I hope it is anything but French." He, somewhat flustered, told me it would Be "Breton" and fish-oriented, not the French I was used to in the neighborhood.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 22, 2009 3:22 PM in response to New Restaurant/Bar for Fulton Street

I myself hate the design. Why are we so intent on making every part of Brooklyn look like a disneyland version of the past? However the lamposts looked in 1880, they look grotesque in their 21st century proportions. And is there no room for modern design in this city? These Franken-lamps are a symbol of our aesthetic bankruptcy.

BTW I've asked the whores on Putnam Avenue to dress like Victorian street-walkers...

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 22, 2009 10:33 AM in response to Flatbush Streetlamp Project Draws Criticism

1. It seems unlikely that Agent A was your broker. The same firm could not be both your agent and that of the seller. Both were agents of the seller and as such were getting the best possible offers for the seller, even if it meant jerking you around. No legal obligations on anyone's part until contract is signed.

2. Let it go. The broker is important - it is the house which you care about. Either up your offer if you believe there really is another offer and you want the house or tell broker you've given best and final offer. You always have to be prepared to walk away.

3. Are you sure you aren't offering too much? Sounds like you are close to asking price.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 21, 2009 9:09 PM in response to Worst Broker Experience Ever

You can "ask" him not to raise it by offering to pay the current rent and get a good reference. Then s/he can either agree or rent it to someone else who will pay more. You are more likely to be successful if you are willing to walk away from the apartment or if the landlord thinks s/he will have difficulty renting it immediately.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 18, 2009 11:09 AM in response to Signing 1-Year Lease

And yet two other people suggest otherwise...hmm.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 18, 2009 11:06 AM in response to The Upstairs Thumping Floor

I have been underwhelmed by the home inspectors I have met, perhaps someone could recommend a good one?

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 17, 2009 9:38 AM in response to Starting to Consider a Reno

I think you have to describe better what you mean by basement. Any floor which is not more than 50% above curb grade is considered a cellar and is not allowed for sleepng (I am assuming you are not creating a whole apartment down there but just fixing up a sweet room). That said, if you have a room with a window and two safe exits (up stairs and out basement door?), I don't see the moral implications as being as bad as some do.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 17, 2009 9:13 AM in response to Live-in help in two family house

Wow - wouldn't the transaction costs involved in buying and selling two apartments buy you a lot of car service rides to school?

I assume you are selling a co-op, since if it were a condo couldn't you just use the internet to look a recent sales for comparable units? Also when I was selling my apartment I had a number of different brokers come in to pitch their services and give me their estimates.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 17, 2009 9:05 AM in response to Appraisal for FSBO?

Is this a house you live in or a rental property? What are you goals? While I appreciate architects in a major renovation, I am not sure this a major renovation. Seems to me the order should be shoring up the wall; replacing windows; renovating the kitchen and bath; then stoop.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 17, 2009 9:00 AM in response to Starting to Consider a Reno

2. Call them and thank them for their time.
3. Call them and say "I really appreciated your time and I felt comfortable with you, but quite frankly your bid was quite a bit higher than others I received, which were X and y less than your bid. Can you match those bids? "

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 17, 2009 8:55 AM in response to Permits and Estimates

1842 - we ignore Rob - by evidence is that he is mentally ill.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 16, 2009 8:33 PM in response to Money Starting to Flow to Fulton Street

Miss Priss - five years is actually not all that long; I say that not to diss you but rather for you to take heart. When I moved to the area in 98 Fort Greene's Fulton was just as boring (if somewhat prettier) than Clinton Hill. Places like Outpost, Kush, Olivino, Michael Allen's have all appeared in the last few years. The drug transactions tolerated inside and around many of the bodegas are a drag, but this too shall pass.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 16, 2009 3:30 PM in response to Money Starting to Flow to Fulton Street

Perhaps it can be more like Fifth Avenue in the Slope? I was just remarking how much nicer it is than Seventh. i keep saying (much like BHO I have great faith in the power of repetition) that once the strip livens up with legitimate and diverse businesses the other stuff won't bother me so much. [And kudos that we are all just ignoring Rob - oops I blew it!]

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 16, 2009 12:49 PM in response to Money Starting to Flow to Fulton Street

refinancings cost money, time, and energy. Why not get it right the first time?

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 14, 2009 1:15 PM in response to Conforming or Jumbo?

Given the regressive income tax structure and the loopholes available only to the rich, I would argue that the targetted class are already well supported by the government. Get back to me when we institute steep progressive confiscatory taxation of the wealthy. Then I'll cry you a river...

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 11, 2009 11:38 AM in response to Still 25% Down to Go?

Infinitejester- I still don't get what you meant by linking libraries (interior space) and, er, oublic outdoor space. Your example, not mine. I guess I am not aware of what "the Closing of the American Campus" was/is.

I would hope that a university would be more nuanced than slapping a community in the face merely to give the impression of safety when it is pretty clear it accomplishes no such thing. Again, just a PR disaster with no added safety.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 11, 2009 11:35 AM in response to Pratt: Not In Our Front Yard

Infinitejester: how did you get from children and community members being prohibitted from playing on the lawn to porno-viewing pervs in the library? Are they really the same in your mind?

Chortik: not sure how a street assault of a Pratt student will be avoided by preventing me and my family from sitting on the grass. And since I will still be allowed to walk through the campus, this doesn't really address safety on campus.

If Pratt were really worried about safety, it would simply close its campus altogether. The problem with that is that Pratt occupies several blocks right in the middle of a neighborhood, including some "demapped" streets. A Fortress Pratt gives an incorrect and hostile impression to Pratt members and neighbors alike. Clinton Hill is not that dangerous, and Pratt should be going in the other direction, inviting the community in rather than turning its back on the neighborhood. What a PR disaster with very little gain. Again, given that the fences will be open (good), but the stays brief (bad?), it is not clear what Pratt gains but a black eye.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 11, 2009 11:10 AM in response to Pratt: Not In Our Front Yard

Actually glass makes sense here. Because it slipped in before rezoning, the views from the building will be unobstructed. What I don't get is the grey brick. Could it be uglier? I remembering hearing about how the mayor of Tirana, Albania, repainted buildings bright colors there. Wouldn't it have been better to have a huge mosaic of a tree or even a blown up representation of a brownstone looming over Clinton Hill. Or maybe a rainbow...

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 10, 2009 6:29 PM in response to Development Watch: 163 Washington Gets Glassy

Seems to me that we are in a transitionary time vis a vis biking in NYC. Enough bike lanes and riders to make biking far more of an issue to traditional transit, but not enough to result in a shift of mindset of both bikers and non-bikers to taking their rights and responsibilities seriously. Seems to me they are going to have to put in metal (or plastic) columns to protect the bike lane there. And maybe get rid of the street parking.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 9, 2009 12:36 PM in response to Possible Perils of the Sands Street Bike Path

The bf and I have been bike riding as of late, and has been stunned by the variety and beauty of the public spaces in New York City. There has been so much great work done on the waterfronts.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 8, 2009 3:37 PM in response to Brooklyn Bridge Park's Spiral Pool Taking Shape

Hard to judge Bed-Stuy house without pictures of kitchen/bathroom/floorplan. But four bedrooms only? And over 1 million? Seems way out of line.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 4, 2009 4:17 PM in response to Open House Picks

Tyburg - I hope you aren't saying you throw trash on the sidewalk or out your car window. Because no one I know does that. Obviously enough do it such that the rest of us have to sweep up after them (I regularly patrol my block and fill a garbage can a week with refuse). But I would hope that anyone who can spare time to read a blog can be bothered to walk the half block to a public trash can (at least NYC has them unlike so many other cities).

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 3, 2009 12:38 PM in response to Dumping on Vanderbilt Avenue

One year the student workers putting together the Yale admissions brochure decided to use photos of people of color only.

And personally - I find black guys with white beards much more exciting than sharks. I guess this makes this TMI week...

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at September 1, 2009 9:16 AM in response to Tuesday Links

Your only real leverage is an expressed willingness to move out. So find another apartment for lower rent, and be prepared to take it. As someone who dropped the rent considerably for a new tenant, I understand the wish by a tenant to get a market rate rent at the time of moving in. On the other hand, I haven't raised rents for ongoing tenants, so I might be disinclined to lower rents for a tenant who I think is going to stick around no matter what.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at August 31, 2009 10:16 PM in response to Average Rent for Carroll Gardens

I don't know why you would bother with brokers in that price point. While there will be fewer apartments available in November than the summer, you will have less competition then too. Craigslist (obviously) will have most owner-leased apartments. As far as supers (and this is more from back in the day when friends would rent apartments in Washington Heights and Harlem by this method) - you ring the bell labelled "super" and ask if any apartments are available or about to be available. Pretty labor intensive, and the opposite of using a broker.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at August 27, 2009 3:17 PM in response to From Boston to Brooklyn by 11/1

Another comparable is a fairly recent apartment of the day at 328 Clinton Avenue #3 - which was listed as a 3 bedroom duplex at 860k; also a (much bigger) one bedroom apartment where additional bedrooms had been shoe-horned in. That apartment had been bought at one-tenth that price in 97 and sold for 330k in 2001.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at August 27, 2009 3:11 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 269 Clinton Avenue, #D2

long-term performance piece = the slow repetition of the same point again and again and again draining what meaning there may have been out of the words leaving us only to wonder god dear god when will this be over are the people sitting next to us enjoying this they can't be enjoying it can they yes yes I've heard you say it before you ask a question but there is no wish for an answer.

Of course that could be applied to pretty much this entire site now.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at August 26, 2009 2:19 PM in response to What to Have in the Contract?

I guess it would be accurate if the apartment were rent-stablized, no

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at August 24, 2009 11:36 AM in response to Rental Picks: Prospect Heights

It is a lot of work! The heat gun didn't work for me because I think the stone acts as a heat dump and prevents the paint from getting hot enough. The challenge with chemicals (which I used) is having the right tools to get in all the crevises, etc. Be careful with lead paint and always scrape when wet, never dry.

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at August 24, 2009 9:03 AM in response to stripping a marble fireplace

Auto generated photo? Huh? Spam alert...

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at August 21, 2009 9:46 PM in response to Crown Heights Condo

Put 3k more down? Buy another house? Walk away and see if seller caves?

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at August 21, 2009 9:39 PM in response to Home Appraisal

I too tire of our worship of all that is nineteenth century. If we citizens tolerate the disney-fication of our streetscapes and don't demand better up-to-date designs, then are we surprised there are no new attactive designs. This country is woefully behind east Asia and Europe when it comes to basic infra-structure - spending money on "ye olde" lamp posts is just a sign of degeneracy. Okay, back to my vacation reading...

Posted by: Putnamdenizen at August 19, 2009 1:29 PM in response to Heights' Lights

If asking my neighbors to keep the volume down was a solution, this would have been solved years ago.

They basically took their mom's old house, gutted it, and put in a recording studio. Nobody actually lives there. The backyard is filled with garbage and bags of cement that have turned solid. The back of the house looks like it's going to collapse. Chunks of the roof are blowing off. They had to clear their studio out for a couple weeks this spring when it turned out the tarp they'd had on their roof for three years didn't work as well as actually fixing their roof. There's a derelict car with four flat tires that's been sitting out front for five years, poking out into the sidewalk.

That being said, they drive new cars and have tons of expensive equipment. I've seen the owner's name on music websites. They definitely have pro clients and money to spend. They just don't spend it on soundproofing or building maintenance.

I'm not dealing with responsible, considerate guys here.

Posted by: madison_st at November 19, 2009 4:05 PM in response to Illegal Business Next Door

Hm Bentley is an ostentatious car. I wander how is best to communicate with Bentley owner in record industry. :)

Posted by: bobjohn at November 19, 2009 7:32 PM in response to Illegal Business Next Door

I sympathize, I have a Trust Fund DJ living next door who illegally sub divided the house to accomadate tenants. A single family house now used as a two family. The noise was unbearable, like living in a bass drum. I banged on his door(non-working bell) and told him that my lawyer advised me to speak to him about the volume and persistence of his music and could he please lower it so we both could avoid legal issues. That has worked some. DOB never showed up, the PD never showed up, five to ten calls to 311. If you tell the FD that the roof has holes and the back of the building is in danger of collapse and your worried about the fireman's safety, you may get the FD to send a report to the Buildings Dept.(an A-8). Complain, complain, complain the squeaky wheel gets the grease in this city. Document, document,document, time called, date called, person spoken to, etc. finally, get a lawyer.

Posted by: Grumpy at November 19, 2009 9:19 PM in response to Illegal Business Next Door