streetwise- i got one of those noise things
not sure it worked but you are welcom to borrow it
mg @ rumur dot com

Posted by: filmmer at November 16, 2009 1:19 PM in response to Animal Living in the Wall

streetwise
i picked up one of those noise things- and you are welcome to borrow it
917-513-3180
i had a rat coming in a window- fixing the screen fixed the problem so i don't know if the sound ran it off- but i still have it.

Posted by: filmmer at November 16, 2009 1:18 PM in response to Animal Living in the Wall

i read this piece and thought- that's awesome- what an exciting journey- what a lucky guy -

maybe i'll just have to accept the fact that i'm a lousy low life hipster.

feel free to hate me as well if it makes you feel better.

Posted by: filmmer at October 8, 2009 11:27 PM in response to Closing Bell: a Bike, a Voyage

i've been using the kent route daily and it makes me feel much safer to have a buffer lane of parked cars. at the same time it starts in the middle of kent so there's no safe/easy way to get to the bike lane.

people complain that bikers act wild and erratic and therefore don't "deserve" bike lanes- my sense is that if bikers have no safe place to be they are going to aggresively try to find the safest place- which sometimes means going on sidewalks when the car travel lanes are too thin and too populated by agressive bikers. I have also seen that when the bike lanes are put in place they quickly fill up with bikes- especially during rush hours.

build them and bikers will come.

Posted by: filmmer at October 2, 2009 6:03 PM in response to Prospect Park West to Get Bike Lane

i too want to compliment that awesome photo

Posted by: filmmer at July 27, 2009 7:29 PM in response to Monday Blogwrap

i dumpster dived a gate when a neighbor put in new one- it's an old one- with rounded top- spikes- if you need it you can come get it- i wasn't really planning to replace mine- just hated to see it go away to the landfill

call me at 917-513-3180 if you want it

Posted by: filmmer at July 24, 2009 10:49 AM in response to Front Gate Stolen

i highly recomend giving green demoltion in bethel a call.

http://www.greendemolitions.com/newappliances.html

they have a lot of high end appliances at 1/3 of retail- they get last years models donated.
we got a viking cooptop and kuperbush oven
the viking has been a little wanky- but seems to fix itself-
the oven is pretty fantastic - the oven lists for 3800 but the gave it to us for 800. - it was missing the handle (new- but had not handle-) but they called the company and got it for us.

they don't list the brands on their site but they will give you good info over the phone

we got an entire kitchen from them - including cherry cabinets- granite counter- sink- faucet- 18 inch dishwasher- and the viking cooktop for 1500- and then rented a truck to bring it to brooklyn.

Posted by: filmmer at July 13, 2009 3:42 PM in response to Range Suggestions

i think that the developer is the same person who built out the restaurant Il Torchi (now avanti) on myrtle. If this is true then all indications would point towards a beautiful job- that place is really beautiful on the inside - great taste

Posted by: filmmer at July 11, 2009 10:22 PM in response to Development Watch: 2 Lefferts Place Gets Windows

is anyone else even slightly uncomfortable with the fact that Greg Atkins, director of development for the project, was formerly Marty Markowitz's chief of staff- during the downtown rezoning.

Posted by: filmmer at July 8, 2009 11:12 AM in response to Another Hotel for Duffield Street

the fourth major piece of news was that Mr. Sweeting of the IBO also pointed out that despite the fact that the area is "blighted" land valuations have tripled in the last couple of years- pointing to the same kind of shenannigans used to make PILOTS work for Yankee Stadium.

Posted by: filmmer at June 1, 2009 10:50 AM in response to Recapping the State Senate Hearing on Atlantic Yards

you can also get a retractable frameless one at lowes- it's a bit of pain to install but you can find directions on line.

Posted by: filmmer at May 26, 2009 11:22 AM in response to screen door recs for narrow door

While i personally didn't feel welcomed into the school by the principal at 20 I feel like this kind of poll is in bad taste. It feels vaguely threatening- and unfair. If people want to discuss the situation with the school board i think that information is only relevant if people put their names to it.

In terms of test scores- on an objective level there are a lot of parents that want a school that is test/ clearly goal oriented- and for these parents the style of the principal and school works. A principal has much sway over how a school acts and feels - and in this situation I think that a lot of the people who go to the school like what he is doing with it. A lot of these parents might not be reading or commenting on brownstoner so a poll like this is even less useful- and quite possibly divisive. I think that the problem here lies less with the principal than with parents freedom and ability to choose where they send their children

In terms of test scores at 20 vs 11 - i think a lot parents- rather than being interested in seeing a school test well- or even their child test well- are more concerned that their child is learning in less test oriented way- as they feel that in the long run the children will be more successful in terms of their ability to think on a deeper conceptual level. Parents should have more ability to choose where their child goes- rather than test scores - school desirablity - or in other words- market forces - would be an even stronger indicator of school success.

Posted by: filmmer at April 9, 2009 12:48 PM in response to Time for PS 20 Principal to Get The Boot?

colenel austin

we are zoned for 20 and i wanted to have my child attend. I went on the tour 3 times. i tried to like the school. i went to sign up and waited for over an hour to be seen. After an hour of waiting i couldn't do it- and went to 11. I had no desire to fight the administration. Instead i wanted to be inspired by them. I don't expect the school to open the doors to people who want to observe- but instead to those who want to help. At 11 the sense is the more parent involvement the better- the more parents there are to help the teachers the more time the teacher has to focus on teaching.

so yes- a principal who doesn't want parents involved in the school isn't going to bring in parents that want to be involved.

Posted by: filmmer at April 7, 2009 1:40 PM in response to The Shifting School Equation

Rob nailed it. The overwhelming evidence from ps 11 is that parent involvement and strong leadership can lead to a school that improves rapidly. in the 2 years that our child has been at 11 we have seen the mood of the school improve dramatically- and it wasn't bad when we first went. I'm not talking about test scores, I'm talking about general vibe and sense of focus. I have seen the virtual Y improve and the after school enrichment program expand dramatically with great results.

I'm not writing this simply to toot ps 11's horn but to verify what Rob had to point out- and point out that it doesn't have to take years and years for a school to improve.

I can see that my involvement in the classroom, as well as that of other parents has a powerfully positive effect. Spending time in the class allows me to know my child's friends, and observe her interactions with them.

To piggyback on the idea of going to a local school- in pre-K we didn't get a spot at 20 or 11 so went to 282 in PS. it was a good school and a great class with a great teacher. But it was a hike and that made it difficult for our daughter to see friends afterschool. It's made a profound difference to go to a school that is walkable.

Posted by: filmmer at April 7, 2009 11:20 AM in response to The Shifting School Equation

no secrets- just two kids yelling at me as i tried to post this
100 obo

Posted by: filmmer at March 23, 2009 7:43 PM in response to mirrored mantle piece for sale

7.25 inch
24.25 inch
46.25 inch

Posted by: filmmer at March 23, 2009 6:51 PM in response to mirrored mantle piece for sale

I am very happy to call Sander Hicks a friend. He has a lot of them. There are a lot of negatives being thrown at Sander on this thread so let me just tell you about the last time I hung out with him and his son.

We had gone to the children's museum with our kids and were coming back up Myrlte Ave. As we crossed Franklin we spotted a disoriented looking man standing on the corner in the light rain. There was blood spouting (with each heartbeat a little spritz joined the misty rain) out of his head and all of the people on street were taking pains to avoid him. Sander pulled over - dialed 911- leapt out of the car and took the man in his arms - applied direct pressure to the bleeding until the cops arrived. It seemed that the man has been drinking with a friend who bashed his head in. The cops slowly put on gloves and frankly treated this guy like a bag of crap. Sander continued to comfort and support him until the paramedics arrived. They too saw a drunk mexican rather than a person in need and took their sweet time taking over from Sander. Sander didn't seem to notice- he just stayed focused on making sure that the man was calm and comfortable.

Yes- Sander might not be the most organized business person. I'll tell you this though- If you opened a pro-life coffee shop on Cortelyu he'd come in and buy a coffee the first day to help you get your business off the ground. He'd pop back by the next day to see if you needed any other help.

Posted by: filmmer at March 16, 2009 12:04 PM in response to Vox Pop Teeters On The Edge

I am a filmmaker - and for the past two years i have been documenting the process of working on the building. I have stayed out of the conversation but do want to make one point. Arthur is an astoundingly talented and creative artist

Most people are only familiar with his work on the Broken Angel. His son has docuemented a lot of the inside- as well as his paintings at www.flickr.com/onebadapple

In the course of shooting I have seen some unbelievable paintings as well as countless mind blowing inventions.

I recently created a petition at his behest to gather signatures in support of his work. One signer commented that Arthur blew his mind with the cover of Todd Rundgren's "A Wizard a True Star". in my two years of filming i found out many amazing things that Arthur has done- but this isn't one of them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Wizard,_a_True_Star

who knew?

BTW- in the 30 years that Arthur was in the building not one person was hurt in it or by it.

petitiononline.com/brokena

michael galinsky

Posted by: filmmer at March 4, 2009 6:39 PM in response to Latest Chapter in Broken Angel Saga

we have been working on a documentary about arthur and this process for the last couple of years.

here's a long trailer for that film.

rumur.tv/brokenangel

Posted by: filmmer at January 7, 2009 10:34 AM in response to Broken Angel Up For Sale

or they recognized that the cost would be too high to be as inclusive as they wanted it to be- and that in the falling real estate market that it might be smarter to not jump in at such a high point. frankly it sounds like a good decision in terms of making this work for them.

Posted by: filmmer at December 18, 2008 11:45 AM in response to Fort Greene Co-Housing Deal Falls Apart

MARP - myrtle ave revitalization project is responsible for the work on myrtle. i'm not sure of what their relationship to PACC is but i want to make sure credit goes where credit it due. marp.org

Posted by: filmmer at December 9, 2008 12:20 PM in response to Fulton BID Gaining Momentum

just to be clear- i was neither confirming or denying what was written in the flier- it was not something that i wrote- simply received- questions were asked about the objections- and i was passing them on.

Posted by: filmmer at December 8, 2008 7:18 PM in response to Fulton BID Gaining Momentum

here is some information from an anti-bid flyer i was given

What is the Fulton Street BID?

It is Fulton Street from Rockwell and Ashland Places to Classon Avenue. NYC and Pratt Area Community Council (PACC) decided to make this stretch into a BID to be able to collect a new tax from property owners, residential and commercial. Property owners will pass the tax on to tenants.

How much is the BID tax?

$1 a year for homeowners. The properties that make up a BID must be contiguous to be legal, and since there are no businesses on Fulton from South Elliott to Vanderbilt, the homes at Atlantic Commons on Fulton must be charged something: the $1 a year to the homeowners makes possible the heavy tax on the stores, which, for 2009, will be $80 for every 20 feet of frontage on Fulton. Every month. Corner businesses will be charged another $120. The Met Supermarket, for example, will pay about $500/month; Master Sabu Humble Martial Arts, $500/month; Sister’s Hardware $120/month, and so on. The stores will pass the tax on to their customers in higher prices.

Who will collect this money?

PACC.

What will PACC do with your money?

* Take a fee for themselves off the top.

* Appoint a District Manager at more than $50,000 a year, plus health insurance and vacation.

* Hire workers from the Doe Fund to sweep the sidewalks you have cleaned yourselves. The Doe sweeps will not stop the City from ticketing as usual.

* Hire an unarmed “guard” to stroll the street and drop in and out of stores a couple of times a week.

* Provide “improvements” and “enhancements” such as fancy garbage cans, flags, banners, holiday lights, etc. In 2009 the Fulton BID plans to collect $300,000 from you all and has the green light to install $3,000,000 of enhancements and improvements. Do the math. That leaves a $2,700,000 deficit. Who pays that? You’re right! YOU!

The BID tax can increase every year. You will have to pay. If you don’t, the City will put a lien on your property. In other words, the Fulton Street Business Improvement District can put you out of business!

Posted by: filmmer at December 8, 2008 5:48 PM in response to Fulton BID Gaining Momentum

it may be true that the what is rude and no one wanted to listen to what dow8000 had to say- but they were right. some people complain that the what simply cuts and pastes articles- well it seems he was pasting the correct ones to paste. so can we all please give it up for the what and dow8000- said in all seriousness.

Posted by: filmmer at October 9, 2008 5:22 PM in response to Dow Closes Down 679 Points

i have a 22 by 27 available
michael
917-513-3180

Posted by: filmmer at October 8, 2008 11:12 AM in response to Need Large Cast Iron Radiator

I am a very happy parent at ps 11. Clearly the grades are kind of nutty. A C for progress but an A for performance. I guess when you already get and A -progress is going to be hard to come by. I would also have to take issue with the idea that the environment is a C. The school is very welcoming, great art on the walls (an artist friend who I toured a ton of schools with always focused on the art- if it all looked the same she pointed out that the art teacher was stifling creativity- very diverse art on the walls at 11). Again in terms of environment I know that I felt an steady gain in positive energy last year and this year it's even better.

Posted by: filmmer at September 17, 2008 10:08 AM in response to Schools Report Cards Released

i had a tough time finding pieces myself- I ended up getting some from gardels whcih is now eing built on...
m

Posted by: filmmer at July 26, 2008 2:24 PM in response to extra garden slate?

oops- call 917-513-3180 for info

Posted by: filmmer at July 25, 2008 11:25 AM in response to 30's cabinets

i have the plumber- just explaining what the grille is for. I'm looking for the grille - thanks for the tip.

Posted by: filmmer at July 24, 2008 11:32 AM in response to metal worker

sorry- you can call me at 917-513-3180
michael

Posted by: filmmer at July 24, 2008 10:08 AM in response to 24 inch oven available

have you considered switching to gas? I switched a couple of years ago and my bills went down to about half of what they were- (about 700-800 everyt two months in the heart of winter.- so around 2500-3000 on the year) before the recent run up in prices- so probably more savings now- the conversion costs between 4 and 5 grand- typically and the two other benefits are no oil storage and no delivery.

Posted by: filmmer at July 23, 2008 2:06 PM in response to Heating Oil Company/Resources

I'm sure that you can get a snake at the local hardware store- non electric shouldn't be too much.

Posted by: filmmer at December 10, 2007 1:28 PM in response to Video: Fixing a Clogged Drain

thanks 7:22
you read our minds-
all of these are in the works

Posted by: filmmer at November 15, 2007 7:15 AM in response to Video: Anatomy of a Boiler Part 3

I just want to make a note that Tony has helped me with my house for 8 years. Sometimes he's rushed things and screwed them up- but for the most part he's saved my butt repeatedly. When I started out I didn't know a screw from a nail and he's taught me a hell of a lot.

Posted by: filmmer at October 30, 2007 11:31 AM in response to Video: Replacing a Window

we made the switch to gas and on an unscientific level it's a hell of alot cheaper.
i haven't crunched any numbers but I know we're paying a lot less and the burner is quieter, and no oil stink.

Posted by: filmmer at October 29, 2007 3:28 PM in response to Heating Costs

yes, my next door neighbor caught one in the act. he heard noises out front., came out and saw the thief trying to pry the gate loose. They want the old original gates.

Posted by: ClintonHillGal at July 24, 2009 11:02 AM in response to Front Gate Stolen

Yep Brooklyn's antiquities are worth a lot to some. No one is scraping your gate. It's being cleaned right now and you might find it at the flea or local antique shop.

The washer idea works. Any iron worker can pop in a lil stopper for dirt cheap.

Posted by: jack slade at July 24, 2009 11:32 AM in response to Front Gate Stolen

Brownstone chop shops.

***Bid half off peak comps***

Posted by: Brownstones Half Off at July 24, 2009 12:19 PM in response to Front Gate Stolen

its probably a contractor renovating a brownstone somewhere not too far that needed a gate for the reno. happens... when i wanted a new gate for my reno, i was asked what kind i wanted and presto, i had something similar to my wish soon after. wouldnt surprise me if it was ripped off some bed sty house...

same for the iron fencing stuff too...

Posted by: dinobot at July 24, 2009 12:54 PM in response to Front Gate Stolen

I recently had a welder come out and put a bar across the pin to prevent this from happening. Sometime over the past year, some guys came and took about 4-5 gates on Lefferts Place. Around the same time a crew were stopped on the Bridge with van or truckload of original Brownstone Fencing. The truck had Penn Plates and was owned by one of the drivers. Apparently these guys take fences and gates and balustrades and sell them over in PA. There must be a company over there that is interested in buying all sorts of stolen Victorian gates and ironworks.

Posted by: brokestone at July 24, 2009 5:21 PM in response to Front Gate Stolen

thanks for the feed back everyone. I hope that anyone who had the same thing happen or any other thing stolen from their property filed a police report, some people say whats the point in that, but if there is enough reports it would set off a few alarms in the PD that there may be a need for more drive rounds in the neighborhood. Maybe they would stop the guy with a cart full of scrap metal.

Posted by: ron1254 at July 25, 2009 1:11 AM in response to Front Gate Stolen

Saw on the phndc.org site that 4 gates were stolen recently from houses on Prospect Pl (Carlton/Vanderbilt). Clearly the neighborhood is being targeted. Don't expect the police to do anything.

Posted by: grand army at July 27, 2009 5:59 PM in response to Front Gate Stolen

I have had both the WOLF dual fuel (gas burner + electric oven) and VIKING professional (all gas). Both have serious fire power, but for small quality details I prefer the Wolf.

The WOLF dual fuel oven has useful controls to do stuff like turn off the pot roast at 5pm & or when the temperature probe hits 170F. The WOLF standard stovetop trivets are also better shape for sliding pots around (the flatter nicer trivets are an upgrade accessory with Viking), and the sealed gas burners are a winner for keeping crumbs and spills out. In addition to their signature red knobs, the cobalt blue oven interior makes everything that comes out of it look more delicious, in my opinion.

My best dishwasher ever was a Miele. Their sanitizing super-hot wash option for canning jars / baby bottles and ingenious top tray for cutlery are worth the extra expense for Miele alone, whereas my Viking DW doesn't seem to dry thoroughly and is not as quiet. However, in the gas cooktop department, the Miele don't seem to have enough BTU output unless you cook very lightly.

There are a lot of opinions on appliances on gardenweb's house forum, by the way.

Happy cooking

Posted by: vicki_vale at August 2, 2009 11:07 PM in response to Range Suggestions

streetwise- i got one of those noise things
not sure it worked but you are welcom to borrow it
mg @ rumur dot com

Posted by: filmmer at November 16, 2009 1:19 PM in response to Animal Living in the Wall

I think the plug-in sonic thing we found at a hardware store.

HDL, that sounds awful!

Posted by: BrooklynGreene at November 16, 2009 2:45 PM in response to Animal Living in the Wall