Greenpoint Parks:
1. McCarren Park -- very large park
2. Winthrop Park (as we natives know it) aka McGolrick Park
3. American Park (on Franklin St)
4. one down by Commerical Street & the water -- don't remember the name

Posted by: Spunky123 at October 29, 2008 3:46 PM in response to Price Hikes in Greenpoint? Say What?

Absolutely right about greenpointproperties.com - They just sold a property 21.6% below their asking price. Their asking prices are still from a time and place that is now a distant memory.

Posted by: Spunky123 at October 29, 2008 10:49 AM in response to Price Hikes in Greenpoint? Say What?

what software did you use for the pictures?

Posted by: Spunky123 at October 10, 2008 3:37 PM in response to considering open floor plan for our place

My experience....I used Tamer and Tamer. Nice guy. Decent work, but hard to coordinate with and slow to finish. Something to keep in mind if you come across him.

Posted by: Spunky123 at September 25, 2008 9:28 AM in response to seeking rec for brownstone door

Now that I think about it.....that sales price looks very strange. I have to go back and check what the asking was - around $2M if I remember correctly.

Does anyone know who 137 Oak Management at 1624 Webster Ave Bronx, NY 10457 is? The son or daughter of the previous owner perhaps?

Posted by: Spunky123 at September 24, 2008 2:54 PM in response to Residents of Greenpoint Home for the Aged Get Organized

It's a wonderful property that needs TONS of work inside. The current residents are SRO and VERY DETERMINED NOT TO MOVE. I went to look at it and got a very unfriendly greeting.

The low price will be made up in buy-outs and legal fees. It's for someone with deep pockets and lots of time.

Posted by: Spunky123 at September 24, 2008 2:46 PM in response to Residents of Greenpoint Home for the Aged Get Organized

I second the removal of the picture. It freaked me out more than pictures of Lehmann employees carrying boxes out of the office over the weekend.

Posted by: Spunky123 at September 17, 2008 10:48 AM in response to New York's Dirtiest Restaurants

I recommend a licensed plumber. Process and cost is more complicated if hot water return system. Will cost around $300 to have one taken out.

Space is a great reason to take one out.

Consider how that loop will get closed off and what the impact is to the flooring underneath and ceiling below.

Posted by: Spunky123 at September 8, 2008 11:15 AM in response to REMOVING AN OLD RADIATOR--??

Absolutely get landmarks approval before you embark on something like this. You are asking for trouble otherwise. If you need a DOB permit, your building will show up as a landmark property so no way to get around it.

Posted by: Spunky123 at September 2, 2008 4:26 PM in response to Backyard Terrace building

why would you want a bee hive?

Posted by: Spunky123 at August 26, 2008 2:35 PM in response to Green on Brownstoner #1: Salvage on a Budget

Good luck and keep us posted!
I'm interested in how the spray foam insulation works out & costs.

Posted by: Spunky123 at August 26, 2008 1:11 PM in response to Green on Brownstoner #1: Salvage on a Budget

I saw Lorimer st when it first came on the market. It's way overpriced for the work that needs to go into it - kitchens, bathrooms, electrical...

While it's a nice quiet block close to the subway, you will always look out the front windows and see the barbed wire in the back of the Rite Aide.

There are 3 other houses for sale within 1 block of that house. One of them no longer has a sign up and may have been taken off the market. The others languish as well.

I don't believe they will get that price given today's market, increased costs and tougher lending requirements.

Posted by: Spunky123 at August 25, 2008 3:10 PM in response to Open House Picks

The big building across fron 997 Lorimer is the back of Rite Aide (formerly Genovese, formerly a roller skating rink(the '80s), formerly a movie theater (back in the day)).

Posted by: Spunky123 at August 22, 2008 1:45 PM in response to Open House Picks

I'm soooo glad the music events will end (movie nights are fine). I could hear the music from BLOCKS away. Won't miss it at all.

Much prefer an actual pool.

Posted by: Spunky123 at August 1, 2008 1:14 PM in response to Draining the Pool of its Party

OP here - thanks!!!

Posted by: Spunky123 at July 31, 2008 5:15 PM in response to Bathroom fan

Looks good. Really CAN'T wait to gut mine!!!

From where did you get the cabinets? Are they Ikea?

Posted by: Spunky123 at July 30, 2008 6:04 PM in response to Lower Level: Kitchen Updater

The garden looks great! Care to share the contractor's name?

Posted by: Spunky123 at July 28, 2008 12:34 PM in response to Garden of the Day: On the Edge of Carroll Gardens

LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

Posted by: AnneReal123 at October 10, 2008 4:40 PM in response to considering open floor plan for our place

Wasn't sure whether you were just looking for comments on how it looks (great) or needed some advice on doing it. You need to get an architect & engineer to determine which walls are loadbearing and how to remove them. After that its just sheetrock and flooring!!!

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at October 10, 2008 4:48 PM in response to considering open floor plan for our place

It really depends on how deep the space is...the rendering is hard to understand the scale. If your house is relatively compact anyway, opening it up will be worth it despite the drawbacks of having one giant room. But if you have depth (more than 40 ft?) then I think its creates too much of a bowling alley look and limits some of the practical function of having a seperate space for cooking, watching tv, etc..

Posted by: MrsLimestone at October 10, 2008 6:14 PM in response to considering open floor plan for our place

i think Mrs. Limestone makes a good point. your home is wide and long by brownstone standards. we opened up our ground floor. there are 2 wood columns, which cover the load bearing steel beams. the only seperation is the bathroom, and its back wall hide the small kitchen. you don't know the kitchen is there when you walk in and you can see straight to the back of the house -to the yard. it does create alot of light. we were going to open the parlor also, then decided to keep it more traditional.

Posted by: bkny at October 10, 2008 8:22 PM in response to considering open floor plan for our place

One way to "define" spaces is to have a dropped ceiling say, over the dining area. Then the floor could be different as well to further define the "room".

And you could install a dozen recessed lights ;).

Posted by: cmu at October 10, 2008 8:28 PM in response to considering open floor plan for our place

We will be doing something similar on our parlor floor.

I agree wholeheartedly about the flooring.

Posted by: vanburenproud at October 11, 2008 1:50 PM in response to considering open floor plan for our place

I'm a traditionalist so I'm not so keen on this design. I do like the open floorplan concept. But this feels like a loft to me. And having a loft in a brownstone just feels off. I think it's possible to open it up but I like the idea of having half walls or beams to add some sort of delineation of the functional spaces.

Posted by: TJR at October 12, 2008 5:10 PM in response to considering open floor plan for our place

I dunno, TJR, I've seen loft style spaces in brownstones, often in garden and basement levels, and it's really cool. The look suits its purpose and doesn't feel "off" in those spaces in the context of the house. But I agree for the parlor level unless the historical details are already gone or were never there or all that special, it feels very suburban townhouse to do the open layout on the parlor level. In general I'm with BH76, I don't understand the appeal of seeing the mess in the kitchen from the LR and DR, or getting the noise back and forth from kitchen to LR. But that's a rarity. Most people love open layouts. So they can watch the kids and have togetherness and whatnot.

Posted by: traditionalmod at October 14, 2008 10:25 AM in response to considering open floor plan for our place