A landlord has the right to charge whatever s/he wants. And I have the right to think s/he is greedy. Last I checked, calling someone greedy is not synonymous with calling for commercial rent regulation.

Something to think about....the more vacant storefronts (while waiting for exorbitant rents) the more blighted an area appears and often becomes. All the greedy landlords that want to sit and wait it out as Shoots and Leaves explained, you never know, depending on where it is, you're vacant storefront (and those of your fellow greedy landlords) could end up making sure you can only get an even lower rent.

Posted by: aysataba at November 23, 2009 11:22 AM in response to Greedy Landlords Causing Storefronts to Sit Empty?

Sort of messed up that they say what the funds are doing "might seem an act of charity" and then two sentences later say that it "enables the funds to pocket sizable profits." Sounds to me like taxpayers are being forced into "an act of charity" with the government enabling foolish acts of corporate welfare towards undeserving hedge funds. IMHO, thats really messed up!

Posted by: aysataba at November 23, 2009 9:57 AM in response to Monday Links

smeyer418, think you are misinformed in your claim that commercial rent control has not been tried. Berkeley had it for a short time in the early 80s.

Posted by: aysataba at November 23, 2009 9:52 AM in response to Greedy Landlords Causing Storefronts to Sit Empty?

Shoots and Leaves "While there obviously "greedy" landlords out there, it's unfair to compare a tenants current rent at the end of what could be a 10 year lease compared to what the Landlord now wants. "
Ok, so sure it makes sense for the rents to go up after 10 years. But, they are obviously going up too much if the greedy landlords are not even able to get new tenants at this new price.

Posted by: aysataba at November 23, 2009 9:33 AM in response to Greedy Landlords Causing Storefronts to Sit Empty?

Went on Friday night. I loved it. Great addition to the neighborhood. I ended up speaking with one of the owners (Saul's wife?). So...for those who are wondering if the menu will be changing, she said it will change seasonally, about every couple months. Also, for those that have already been, she said the menu this past weekend was not the full menu for this season. It was a pared down version to assure that opening went smoothly. Sometime soon, it will expand and then each season change typically with more choices than this passed weekend. That said, between me and my boyfriend, we must have ordered 8 or 9 plates because we could not choose between the what we thought were many great choices.

Posted by: aysataba at October 28, 2009 2:32 PM in response to Brooklyn Food & Drink Round-Up

Sorry for so many comments... I'm looking to buy something very similar to all of the apartments mentioned in this thread. How do you appropriately value different types of outdoor space? One has a deck, one has roof rights, one has a semi-private backyard, one has a deck and private backyard. All are of similar size, 3 of the 4 have almost the same layout even. All in the same neighborhood, all look to be in the same condition. None have exorbitant maintenance fees. However, their prices range from $539K to $825K. What gives? I'm willing to pay more for outdoor space. But, how much more for which types of spaces? I'm so confused!!

Posted by: aysataba at October 27, 2009 5:23 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 100 Underhill Avenue, #2

I have "semi-private" outdoor space now - shared with just one other apartment. I'd pay a premium for private outdoor space. But...I guess it is still better than nothing.

Posted by: aysataba at October 27, 2009 4:59 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 100 Underhill Avenue, #2

What do you all think of this similar apartment in the neighborhood? I definitely think its overpriced but I am just wondering how people think it should be priced relative to the other similar apartments.

http://www.corcoran.com/property/listing.aspx?Region=NYC&ListingID=1869603

Posted by: aysataba at October 27, 2009 4:04 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 100 Underhill Avenue, #2

fsrg, I got a good laugh out of your typo! :-)

Look, I get your point about Thompson taking campaign donations from fund managers. I agree that is wrong. I also agree that they City's campaign finance laws are terribly flawed. Not sure that you said that but you certainly seem to imply it.

There is a difference here though. I am not talking about the money Bloomberg (or Thompson) spends for conducting regular campaign functions (TV ads, mailings, etc). That is what the money Thompson is spending is going towards. The paper trails on it are public and out there.

I am talking about the money Bloomberg is spending, completely outside of that being reported as his campaign spending and completely outside of that which goes to function of a campaign, to buy silence and submission. Any elected official or hopeful can and does promise to reward elected officials, community groups and leaders or others with some sway over public opinion that endorse or support their candidacy. This sucks but it’s not unique to anyone and its generally reported on. For example, when DC 37 endorsed Thompson, Bloomberg dismissed it and the press reported it by saying that Thompson probably promised more. Not an impossibility. And if it happened, its certainly not right. But, when Colin Powell endorsed Bloomberg was anything reported pointing out that Bloomberg could have promised Colin Powell fundraising help (his own $ or connecting with his wealthy friends) if he ever intends to run for office? That's something any savvy politician would be angling for. Bloomberg's people know this and are not afraid to make use of it. It’s a possibility at least as likely as the DC37 promise. I don’t know anything about what was behind the Colin Powell endorsement. But, having been actively involved in NYC politics for my entire life, there’s not a potential candidate out there that wouldn’t think about that.

In the last election, when the Bloomberg campaign got word that organizations that received Bloomberg’s philanthropic donations employed people who had donated to his rival’s campaign or were publicly supporting his rival, Bloomberg’s aides actually called the organizations to say the philanthropic (supposedly not political) grants were in jeopardy. After that election, the Times reported this regarding arts and cultural organizations. After the election, his staff also admitted it publicly and on the record with regard to all types of organizations and people. This time around, it’s no wonder he’s gotten countless endorsements and Thompson is having trouble fundraising. Thompson, or any non-billionaire candidate, would never be able to buy support, submission and silence on this scale.

And Bloomberg has the gall to suggest campaign finance reform during campaign season!?!? Campaign finance reform that would further stifle his opponent's ability to fundraise while leaving his silencing of the public to happen without restraint, and without public disclosure. He has done a few great things as mayor but power has corrupted him. He is not above the law. He should not be able to buy his way out of being held to the same standards and criticisms almost all politicians rightly receive.

Posted by: aysataba at September 16, 2009 6:35 PM in response to Democratic Primary Results

Here's a link with the preliminary numbers.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/19807685/2009-Primary-Results

Once they are verified, they will be posted on the City's Board of Elections website.

Posted by: aysataba at September 16, 2009 5:13 PM in response to Democratic Primary Results

People often talk about how because he is self-financing his campaign he does not owe any one anything. The problem I see here is that, instead of fundraising, he is giving his throwing his money around in exchange for lack of opposition/support. He has hired every top campaign staffer, many whom behind closed doors admit that they aren't even voting for him but he's not that bad and the money is great so they don't work for Thompson. But, when I talk about buying support, I am not just talking about the however many millions he is spending on his campaign. How many nonprofits doing great work but struggling to meet their budgets have active community leaders that would be active on behalf of Thompson but are staying quiet because of the funding Bloomberg either does provide or they hope might someday provide their organization? I know of more than I care to even think about. His money, or the promise of it, buys loyalty and support. Example - Patty Harris, one of his deputies that had the courage to disagree with him on the term limits extension, was hesitant to leave his administration to go to his campaign. What does Bloomberg do? Donate an exorbitant amount of money to her alma mater and have them name a building after her. Guess what she does? Goes to his campaign. I'm not saying all of his supporters have been bought. But, I am saying that the immeasurable value of donations that he provides (and regularly references his willingness to provide to worthy organizations in the future)undoubtedly taint and skew the perspective of any person or nonprofit that might ever be doing any sort of fundraising, basically anyone that does any government or nonprofit or community advocacy work.
I find that really troubling, almost frightening (a bit too melodramatic of a word but heading that direction). This and his term limits decision show an utter lack of respect for basic principles of democracy. How can we put out trust and elect a leader with such disregard for democracy?

Posted by: aysataba at September 16, 2009 4:37 PM in response to Democratic Primary Results

Change that first sentence to - I tend to agree with bxgrl on most things but have to disagree on this.

Not sure where my head was when I left out the rest of that thought!!

Posted by: aysataba at September 1, 2009 1:20 PM in response to Mapping Slumlords

I tend to agree with bxgrl. On this conversation between fsrg and bxgrl, to me the question of whether he is just showing his family or exploiting them seems to lie in the use of the ads. I live in Prospect Heights (City Planning's Community District profile says is 78% black) and have gotten multiple mailings featuring DeBlasio's family. My sister lives on the Upper East Side (3.2% black) has received completely different mailings - none of which feature his family. If he is just showing himself as a family man, why so prominently in some neighborhoods and not at all in other neighborhoods???

Posted by: aysataba at September 1, 2009 1:12 PM in response to Mapping Slumlords

BHO says "Excuse me, HAKEEM. Too much 'Coming to America'." What is that supposed to mean? And, what does it have to do with this thread??

Posted by: aysataba at August 31, 2009 12:22 PM in response to Forte Officially Goes Back to the Bank

Mopar or anyone who wants to answer,
I have questions in follow up to your comment to Rob about finding condos that take FHA loans. How do you do that? Do you just look at condos that you like and ask if they accept FHA loans? Or is there some list somewhere of all the condos that accept FHA loans?
Thank you!!

Posted by: aysataba at August 27, 2009 3:43 PM in response to Brooklyn Sales: Under a Million

An interesting and relevant quote from Joyce Purnick's Bloomberg biography due out this fall

"Ed Koch had cracked the eggs, Giuliani made the omelet, and then Bloomberg appeared, and served it."

For those who don't know Purnick, not only was she most definitely here during all these times/Mayors we're talking about, she was closely following and reporting on them. During Koch's mayoralty, she headed The New York Times City Hall bureau. She went on to become the Times Metro Editor, was a member of The Times's editorial board, and wrote her Metro Matters column for 10 years. She left The Times in 2008 to devote full time to writing a biography of Michael Bloomberg.

Personally, I agree with those believe he is out of touch with us common folk. The way he is known to treat the press, I sometimes think he has a distinct disdain for regular people.

Posted by: aysataba at August 26, 2009 5:26 PM in response to Bloomberg Opines on Atantic Yards, Coney Island

I LOVE Red Lipstick on Vanderbilt!! Stacey, please please please keep both open!! Red Hook is great but so inconvenient!!

Posted by: aysataba at August 11, 2009 11:22 AM in response to Red Lipstick Opening in Red Hook

Also useful is www.ridethecity.com
It goes one step further with the maps will give you bicycle directions from one point to another throughout the city. You can choose "most direct" (least bike paths/lanes), "safe" (more bike lanes/paths but still), "safer" (as many bike lanes/paths as possible).

Posted by: aysataba at August 6, 2009 4:13 PM in response to Closing Bell: Brooklyn Bike Maps

According to the City Charter, the community boards play an advisory role in zoning and other land-use issues, in community planning, in the city budget process, and in the coordination of municipal services. Most boards typically hire a full time district manager and other staff to run a district office that receives and works to resolve residents' service delivery problems.

As others have said, some function better than others both in terms of dealing with municipal service delivery issues on behalf of the residents and businesses in the area and in terms of their ability to actually act as the voice of the community rather than politically appointed puppets. The effectiveness of the board to act as a voice for the community is very much dependent on the involvement of the community - each board has 50 appointed volunteer members and all meetings are open to the public.

While all boards prepare a statement of district needs (rehab this park, put a computer lab in this school, etc) during budget time each year, my experience has been that these are not as effective in getting things done in the district as are separate community groups advocating for a specific budget request (for example,a PTA organizing to advocate for a computer lab).

However, typically, for any discretionary land use item (all those that come up for a vote in the City Council and the City Planning Commission or even sometimes the Board of Standards and Appeals but the BSA is too much to get into here)for any discretionary land use item, both the local Council Member and the Council Zoning and Land Use Committee Members as well as the City Planning Commission almost always look to the community board position to determine what action to take.

That said, I think that community boards are extremely important as the structure intended to bring a voice to the community on issue that effect our everyday lives. I think rather than doing away with them and completely denying a voice for the people (which I personally think seems to be Bloomberg's m.o. in general), we should be making them more effective and respected.

The staff that is hired to deal with constituent complaints about delivery of municipal services are probably not necessary at this point - those same types of staff people exist in the council member offices, the mayor's office, and through 311.

I think we'd be better served if those staff were instead people with some expertise relevant to the other community-wide roles of the community boards - land use and budget - rather than individual constituent services.

For example, community board 4 in Manhattan was able to lead the successful fight against the West Side stadium. They have local community board members with the time, funds, and expertise to mount that sort of a fight. For example an urban planner that took this on *instead* of her regular full time job. However, community board 4 in the Bronx, did not have any community board member with zoning expertise able to quit their job and put their life on hold to do this. Nor should they have to! And, of course the result there was quite different.

Regardless of where you stand on either of those stadium issues or on Atlantic Yards, my point here is that community boards are an important part of democracy, a part we should be strengthening and making more effective.

Sorry for the long post, with Bloomberg trying to buy a third term and Golisano have just bought a coup in Albany, I am feeling a little bit voiceless today. It makes me very sad/angry that the voice of us regular people seems to matter less and less in New York's supposed democracy.

Posted by: aysataba at June 10, 2009 10:48 AM in response to Rally to Oppose Community Board Budget Cuts

This article says she was connected to the shooter and the "shootee" (not a word but you know what I mean).
http://newsone.blackplanet.com/nation/black-students-subject-of-rumors-profiling-in-recent-harvard-murder/

Posted by: aysataba at June 3, 2009 12:34 PM in response to Wednesday Links