ishtar, i'll explain the mezzanine scam:

according to NYC building code, there are technically 3 types of mezzanines:

1: floor to ceiling height measures 5'-0" or less, can be used for storage only. not allowed to use it for habitation purposes and not counted as physical square footage to the building.

2: floor to ceiling height measure 5'-0" to 8'-0", still can only be used for storage, still cant be used for habitation purposes, but it is counted as additional square footage.

3: floor to ceiling height measures 8'-0" and above, you can use the mezzanine for storage, habitation, etc. and it is counted as square footage.

what scarano did was call out the construction of mezzanine 1 or 2 on his plans, then the contractors would actually build mezzanine 3 with a raised fake floor, so it would actually look like mezzanine 1 or 2 to pass inspection. after it passed inspection, rip out the fake floor, increasing the height from floor to ceiling and voila! u have mezzanine 3.

Posted by: aj at March 4, 2010 5:02 PM in response to Scarano Barred by DOB

bklynsteve, citibank is on montague street between court and clinton.

Posted by: aj at February 3, 2010 8:43 PM in response to Aeropostale Landing on Fulton Mall

funny how everybody complains about their tax money going towards public housing, but nobody says shit when the govt "borrows" from social security to fund wars to find one guy in the wilds of afghanistan...and still cant find him...we dont even know if we will get SS by retiring age...and wtf is a FICA anyway? i still dont know and have been working since a senior in high school...i think there's more legitimate beefs on where my tax money goes....if you want to really point a finger, blame le corbusier and his crappy designs that isolated the poor. take chicago for example, knocked down most of the "tower in the park" style projects and recplaced them with mixed income developments, maybe NYC should do the same? but this "my taxes go to public housing" crap is ridiculous.

Posted by: aj at December 10, 2009 8:17 PM in response to Delays and Problems at Ingersoll and Whitman Houses

fringe = no thai restaurants within walking distance

Posted by: aj at December 10, 2009 8:04 PM in response to Avalon More Than 20% Rented and 10% Occupied

i dont do 1st floor apartments

Posted by: aj at November 23, 2009 1:18 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 160 Henry Street, #1B

dittoburg, no i didnt get her number, but it was interesting to find out that she had a daughter my age - i was 21 when i went to that place, almost 8 years ago.

rob - no go on the party....i think the place only holds like 10 people, seriously. its the smallest bar i've been to in my life, strippers or no.

Posted by: aj at November 22, 2009 12:55 PM in response to 868 Metropolitan Sells Out in Less Than Two Months

i went to pumps once....very small club....there was a spanish stripper and she was 41, but her body was better than most 20 years out there.

Posted by: aj at November 20, 2009 1:23 PM in response to 868 Metropolitan Sells Out in Less Than Two Months

@THAL: why is it a bad idea that a bail bonds be on the ground floor of a condo building one block away from Central Booking? you and others who invested should be happy that the lone commercial tenant will be able to pay his lease. people are always going to need a bail bondsman, people are always in jail. that service isnt going away so to me it sounds like a stable tenant. and if nobody has a problem with it being there, then whats the big deal about not being told about it? "its ok but u still could have said something." :::shakes head:::: i dont get it....

Posted by: aj at November 12, 2009 1:45 PM in response to StreetLevel: New Bail Bonds Office Closed Til Next Year

They want how much? $419,000? No gentrified person will feel safe in this area....and $1000 a month common charge is way too high for this place, is there a swimming pool on premises? :::puzzled::: can somebody do the math on what the total monthly amt would be for this place?

Posted by: aj at November 12, 2009 1:31 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 40 Clarkson Avenue, #4F

The beginning of the end was with WaHi, or Washington Heights...it sounds like internet access....live on West 176th Street and get free WaHi....lol

Posted by: aj at November 9, 2009 1:21 PM in response to Creative (Desperate?) Neighborhood Rebranding

29 DOB violations...

Posted by: aj at November 3, 2009 7:14 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 126 Greene Avenue, #2W

nobody mentioned thai restaurants???? shocked.

Posted by: aj at November 3, 2009 7:09 PM in response to Closing Bell: Gentrification Indicators

bklyn20, as long as architects/engineers are HONEST, then the self-cert system works just fine. its not flawed.

Posted by: aj at November 3, 2009 1:33 PM in response to DOB: A Challenge for All Times (and Mayors)

bxgirl, FYI, fire escapes are an outdated means of egress and you will NEVER see a new building constructed with them. you are allowed to replace an existing fire escape, but not put a brand new one on the building if it never existed. it has nothing to do with sprinklers.

Posted by: aj at October 10, 2009 12:07 PM in response to Last Day of the Sukkahs

royal rib house was great....i remmeber when i used to work downtown bklyn, me and my co-workers would order our lunch there and one of us would have to take a cab to halsey to pick up the food and come back downtown.....sometimes we ordered $160 worth of food....good times

Posted by: aj at September 20, 2009 7:49 PM in response to Bed Stuy Restaurant Suggestions

i can see these lights from rockaway

Posted by: aj at September 11, 2009 10:55 PM in response to Friday Links

calcutta right in the heart of the stuy....magnificent

Posted by: aj at September 11, 2009 10:54 PM in response to No Water for Two Months in Bed-Stuy Building

hey i'm all for it.....just let people know where to send the application and paystubs to....

Posted by: aj at August 25, 2009 10:46 AM in response to Mystery Downtown Development Going Affordable

i can think of one big difference....no public housing (NYCHA) in clinton hill...the stuy on the other hand...

Posted by: aj at August 24, 2009 1:35 PM in response to An Italian's New York Dream

screw that its still brooklyn....who leaves their bike unlocked anywhere? whatever bernhard deserves, bernhard goetz....

Posted by: aj at August 20, 2009 7:03 PM in response to Closing Bell: No Reward Is Its Own Reward

thats sucks....welll at least you dont pay tax in 2010 and for the rest of 2009....i still love the space though.

Posted by: aj at August 20, 2009 1:15 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 145 Park Place, #2G

DitmasSnark, the listing says $674 for maintenace...where did u get $1131 from?

Posted by: aj at August 20, 2009 1:06 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 145 Park Place, #2G

i love this place.....prime location, nice finishes, and layout....i would live check-to-check to be here....i would even waive my 3rd floor and above requirement...

Posted by: aj at August 20, 2009 12:59 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 145 Park Place, #2G

acrownheights lady, your pronounciation is of kosciusko is how they say it in the stuy

Posted by: aj at August 20, 2009 12:51 PM in response to Rental Picks: Bed-Stuy Edition

11217, real estate for the most part is a sad story nowadays, hence my frowning....

Posted by: aj at August 20, 2009 12:49 PM in response to Brooklyn Sales: Under a Million

more4less, i did not look at the listing, but i also frown upon apt conversions.....anything to make a buck these days...

Posted by: aj at August 20, 2009 12:29 PM in response to Brooklyn Sales: Under a Million

lol @ crownheightslady thats how the hood says it....i did the polish pronounciation.

Posted by: aj at August 20, 2009 11:26 AM in response to Rental Picks: Bed-Stuy Edition

tybur6, phonetically its said like "ka-shoos-ko", and if you're from brooklyn you say "troop"

Posted by: aj at August 20, 2009 11:19 AM in response to Rental Picks: Bed-Stuy Edition

rob, he probably wont come on this thread. no listings for studio apartments.

Posted by: aj at August 20, 2009 11:18 AM in response to Rental Picks: Bed-Stuy Edition

dittoburg, but its a 3 family bldg. $243K per unit.....sounds fair to me. i'm liking that clinton hill price but i dont do the first floor of apartment buildings...3rd and above suit me.

Posted by: aj at August 20, 2009 11:17 AM in response to Brooklyn Sales: Under a Million

1500 for kosciusko and throop? i'm sorry i cant condone this crap. not when there's like stray dogs and M80s going off. throop ave is like one of the worst streets in bed-stuy...

Posted by: aj at August 20, 2009 11:14 AM in response to Rental Picks: Bed-Stuy Edition

actually patchen and gates is still bed-stuy, tybur6. east of broadway is bushwick.

Posted by: aj at August 20, 2009 11:07 AM in response to Rental Picks: Bed-Stuy Edition

some of these are on some pretty crap blocks in bed stuy. $2,375 for throop ave and hart street? ugh.

Posted by: aj at August 20, 2009 10:43 AM in response to Rental Picks: Bed-Stuy Edition

what is the big hype about this building?

Posted by: aj at August 20, 2009 10:25 AM in response to Finger Length, Again

i like that fact that the building has a parking garage...interested to see how quick these rentals go

Posted by: aj at August 20, 2009 10:24 AM in response to Clermont Greene Adopts Hybrid Model

http://a810-cofo.nyc.gov/cofo/B/3P0/008000/B3P0008095.PDF

2.2M for a 2 family townhouse? F outta here....i'm selfish with my property, prefer a 1 family thank you

Posted by: aj at August 19, 2009 1:51 PM in response to House of the Day: 180 Washington Park

they should put back all the SRO's....that was vintage Brooklyn Heights

Posted by: aj at August 19, 2009 1:43 PM in response to Heights' Lights

i like the yard: looks awesome to throw parties and bbqs

Posted by: aj at August 19, 2009 1:41 PM in response to House of the Day: 180 Washington Park

11217, same reason why nobody wants to buy a room

Posted by: aj at August 19, 2009 1:34 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 414 Albemarle Road, #6D

11217 you're pulling our chains here

Posted by: aj at August 19, 2009 12:49 PM in response to All Is Revealed at Avalon Fort Greene

decent starter apartment....nice neighborhood, pre-war, and right near commercial. price i think is a tad high however....i would price it at $220K and it would get snatched up

Posted by: aj at August 19, 2009 12:46 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 414 Albemarle Road, #6D

@fsrq: not being hostile at all, i just think that that kind of apartment isnt worth the money...i believe in bang for your buck...and whats the point of living with 2 roommates...if i'm making that kind of money, surely i can find a studio or 1 bdrm for $2000 in a decent area. not that downtown brooklyn isnt decent, but i highly doubt that the people moving into this building would even brave going to a store on myrtle avenue.

i'm an owner by the way. not stating it to sound snooty or anything but just wanted to clear any assumptions.

Posted by: aj at August 19, 2009 12:38 PM in response to All Is Revealed at Avalon Fort Greene

and a driveway too

Posted by: aj at August 19, 2009 10:38 AM in response to All Is Revealed at Avalon Fort Greene

i am not renting anything for $5,000 a month. i can easily own for that amount. and dont throw location or anything like that in the mix....i'll get a 3 bdrm with finished basement and backyard for that price in queens, staten island, the bronx, or another part of brooklyn.

Posted by: aj at August 19, 2009 10:38 AM in response to All Is Revealed at Avalon Fort Greene

this is good for the neighborhood i remember when lincoln road was cool only to buy firecrackers in the 80s.

Posted by: aj at August 19, 2009 10:15 AM in response to StreetLevel: New Lure in PLG

fisher-price my first ALT1

Posted by: aj at August 19, 2009 10:14 AM in response to Development Watch: Third & Bond Shows Itself

im digging the sunken living room....floor plan is ok...that door that goes from the "bathroom hallway" to the foyer needs to go..eastern exposure is cool with me too

Posted by: aj at August 18, 2009 1:01 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 145 Hicks Street, #B37

at least there's 1 less hole in the ground in this area

Posted by: aj at August 13, 2009 8:00 PM in response to Development Watch: Atlantic Terrace Plods Along

if i was a single buyer, or married with no kids, i would hop all over this place. i'm not afraid to get off at president street and walk down nostrand avenue at night...i dont know how others would feel about doing that.....and you might as well shop at costco or bj's the weekend before labor day, because if you are unfamiliar with how brooklyn behaves that weekend, you will not want to leave your house.

Posted by: aj at August 13, 2009 7:53 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 345 Montgomery Street, #3O