Regarding the bamboo: BlueBerry has it right -- the most important part of the equation is choosing a bamboo that spreads in clumps instead of by runners. The internet and/or your garden center can help you figure out which varieties fit the criteria.

We wanted to use the bamboo to create a 'scrim' between the sunny kitchen garden and the shadier deck area, to make the garden feel like a series of outdoor rooms. Even clump bamboo is very aggressive, so when it went into the ground, we advised the homeowners to plant it right in the pots and to prune it mercilessly every year. You can't be too precious with a plant like that!

In response to the question about some of the plants not in the ground, yes, that's a progress shot, as are all of these shown here. Below are links to the project description on our firm website, and a few pictures of the garden that we shot this season that show how it has filled in. The majority of the plants are native to the coastal dune ecosystem so they are right at home here at the oceanfront, and they have done really well under the care of BlueBerry's Green Thumb.

http://www.localofficelandscape.com/aquatic.html
http://www.localofficelandscape.com/Aquatic08

Posted by: gowanusaurus at July 22, 2008 6:22 PM in response to Garden of the Day: Rocking in Rockaway

That is the proper process for DIY street tree planting, but alas, you have missed the spring planting window (March 15-May 15). The fall planting season is October 15 - December 15.

Posted by: gowanusaurus at May 21, 2008 5:03 PM in response to Street tree planting - Do it yourself!

You can also apply for a permit to plant the trees yourself. Contact the Parks Department and they will send an inspector to determine the type of trees and where to plant. They have specifications that cover everything from how deep to excavate, what type of soil to use, staking the tree, fertilizing and watering, mulching and installing block pavers around the edges of the pit. All said and done it is rather expensive to do the work yourself; and trees can only be planted for two months in the spring and two months in the fall. Otherwise, you can get on the list for the city to do the work for you, but have patience -- it takes anywhere from 6 months to 3 years.

Posted by: gowanusaurus at May 17, 2008 5:55 PM in response to Can I plant a few street trees?

If you go the vine route, and want something that will come back every year, the only vine that I have seen reliably survive the winter on chain link is Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus cinquefolia). All others will freeze at the attachment point (to the metal) and die back so you'll have to re-plant every year. Anyway, it's gorgeous stuff -- lush, feathery texture in the summer and brilliant vermillion fall color.

Posted by: gowanusaurus at May 17, 2008 5:46 PM in response to dressing up chain link?

The pros just want you to think 'snaking' (it even sounds scary!!!) is beyond your capacity. It's actually ridiculously simple. I think the tool cost me about $10. Just poke the end down the drain and crank it all the way out and then all the way back in, and voilà, gross stuff will be pulled out. You can attach it to your power drill for particularly stubborn clogs.

Posted by: gowanusaurus at March 11, 2008 2:25 PM in response to Vinegar / baking soda vs. Drano?

I also have the LG WM3431 and I love, love, love it. (I am far too lazy for a two-machine laundry process, or to cut a dryer vent into my wall.) The LG plugs into a regular 110 outlet and fits under my kitchen counter. 8:43PM -- I have noticed that the clothes don't get badly wrinkled if you pull them out right away when the machine stops, and if you don't stuff the machine completely full. Also those silly blue "dryerballs" actually seem to help alot.

Posted by: gowanusaurus at January 28, 2008 5:57 PM in response to BEST non vented washer dryer combo

I haven't done this as a landlord, but when I was a renter the big management companies always made me pay additional security when the rent increased. I guess if you trust your tenants and you're happy they're renewing, maybe it's not such a big deal. If you're increasing the rent because you've made improvements that are at risk of damage, obviously you should collect the extra security.

Posted by: gowanusaurus at January 15, 2008 2:02 PM in response to Security Deposit increase or not?

I'm usually a roll-up-my-sleeves and do-it-myself kinda person like 4:10 above, but sewage was just not something I wanted to tackle on my own when I had the very bad luck of a backup in my basement. Also, by some miracle, my homeowner's insurance covered the cleanup -- it's worth checking into, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Anyway, I used Milro Services -- 516.379.6100-- they did a great job, but I think their prices are probably pretty steep if you're footing the bill yourself. You could save some $ by using them for the cleanup only, and then buying a de-humidifier and blower from HD/Lowes rather than renting the equipment from Milro. Presuming you have storage space and future use for them... but, if you have a basement then I guess you have both.

Posted by: gowanusaurus at January 15, 2008 1:57 PM in response to Cleaning Sewage out of a Basement

Definitely secure an accepted offer first -- you don't want to be shelling out $300+ for structural inspection and $150+ for termite inspection for every house you consider. Once you have the contract in hand, your lawyer will guide the rest of the process. He/she can help you negotiate the terms of the contract based on what you find in the inspection. Look for a lawyer with experience helping first-time buyers who are purchasing a house as opposed to coop/condo. A good lawyer will make all the difference in answering your questions, protecting your interests and guiding the process.

Posted by: gowanusaurus at January 15, 2008 9:06 AM in response to house buying process (for older home)

Those look like wheelchair access ramps, rather than driveways. Is there any chance they're for a disabled person and not a car? I'm guessing not, given the steep stairs to the front door... But just wanted to raise the question before we all march over there with torches and stakes.

Posted by: gowanusaurus at December 17, 2007 10:07 AM in response to Off Street Parking

I cannot say enough good things about Movers Not Shakers, 718-243-0221. The move was completely stress-free, nothing got lost or broken or even the teensiest bit scratched up, and those guys packed my stuff to survive the Armageddon. I would have paid them twice what they charged me.

Posted by: gowanusaurus at October 17, 2007 6:14 PM in response to recommendations for movers

Is it possible that you don't have to pay PMI if you put down less than 20% of the PURCHASE PRICE, but your appraisal comes in high enough that you have 20% or more EQUITY? A mortgage broker suggested this to me at some point in the stupifying process of shopping for my house and financing...

Posted by: gowanusaurus at October 17, 2007 11:11 AM in response to Threshold for Mortgage Insurance?

The good people of ConEd told me about a year ago that they're planning to upgrade all of Brooklyn to a remote sensor metering system, similar to KeySpan's. This would allow me to keep the meter inside my house, because they can read it via remote from the street. Supposedly they are making their way through the neighborhoods of Brooklyn right now installing the sensors... has anyone out there witnessed this or at least heard something about it? Or am I waiting for the Great Pumpkin?

Posted by: gowanusaurus at October 17, 2007 11:01 AM in response to bringing in new con ed service

This happened to me as well when I was buying. I had an accepted offer, but because someone had backed out of the deal right before I came onto the scene, the broker was very jumpy and kept showing the place, and even held one more open house, until the contract was signed. It wasn't fun for me -- I don't think I slept at all until I got the executed contract back from my lawyer -- but if I were the seller I probably would have done the same thing.

Posted by: gowanusaurus at October 12, 2007 9:40 AM in response to Making an Offer and the Shady Real Estate Broker

One night, very very late, unable to sleep and driven to madness by the incessant buzzing and biting, I turned to the internet in desperation of a solution. As a result my home is now a lab for testing the half-dozen different devices that I ordered on that dark night. The best thing I found is called "DynaTrap", available on Amazon, it has an eery ultraviolet light and a fan that sucks them in and dehydrates them without any chemicals or unsavoriness. It's not as cheap as it seems like it should be (maybe $100+), it probably only works well because I'm using it indoors instead of outdoors, and that glowing light takes a while to get used to... but it's much easier to sleep through than a skeeter attack.

Posted by: gowanusaurus at October 8, 2007 7:05 PM in response to Mosquitoes

Q: How can you tell if a broker is lying?
A: If their lips are moving.

Posted by: gowanusaurus at October 5, 2007 1:56 PM in response to Putting in an offer

I definitely endorse collecting First, Last and Security (equal to one month, or more if you allow pets). Learned this the hard way: our last tenants -- of course they seemed like the nicest, most trustworthy people in the world -- gave us less than a week notice that they were vacating the unit and we were left scrambling to fill the apartment and missed out on a month of income. Even though they were clearly in violation of their lease, after looking over the laws we realized we couldn't keep their deposit because they hadn't damaged anything in the apartment. If we had collected the last month's rent in advance we would have been covered.
Requiring 3+ months cash upfront also seems to help separate out the people who can't quite afford to rent your apartment, so you don't have as much work trying to determine which tenants are qualified.

Posted by: gowanusaurus at October 2, 2007 10:04 AM in response to Security deposits

You can definitely live large in a narrow house! My husband grew up on a boat and I in a trailer; we were fated to buy a 12-foot-wide house in Gowanus.

Ours has the center, winding staircase which keeps both the living room and the master bedroom (directly above) normal in their proportions -- 12x16 but oriented the opposite direction of most houses. The central position of the stairs also helps avoid the railroady feel inherent to this kind of house. Even if your staircase runs lengthwise, you can use a floating stair (treads only, no risers) to create a perception of properly proportioned space in the first floor room -- my neighbors did this and it looks great, but they still have the railroadiness and narrowness problems in the second-floor bedrooms.

If you have a frame-construction house it's shockingly easy to add windows. We’ve been putting in huge windows throughout and skylights on the second floor, so the place feels spacious despite its narrowness. People are often shocked to hear, after seeing our house, that it's only 12 feet wide because it feels very light and airy. Narrowness is actually an advantage in this regard, because natural light can easily reach the center and sides of the room through even a single, small window. High ceilings also make a big difference -- we have ripped out layer after layer of heinous dropped ceilings -- all the way to the original fir beams in the first floor rooms where ceiling insulation isn’t necessary.

The biggest issue I have run into is closet space -- my house narrows to 9' around a lightwell setback for the rear 20' of its length -- so the closets are either improperly dimensioned/oriented or non-existent. I've actually been removing them altogether as I renovate room-by-room. Like you, I'm a few years away from sharing my house with the next generation, so at this point I favor using armoires and storage furniture so I can keep the space as flexible as possible and not limit future options for furniture placement and built-ins (who knows what my spoiled little brats might need!). I've had to stick to a disciplined regimen of donating things I don't use and rotating my clothes seasonally to basement storage space -- but it's well worth it for the gain in space and flexibility.

Good luck and enjoy the process! I would love to exchange photos and more ideas as you get into it.

Posted by: gowanusaurus at August 21, 2007 4:19 PM in response to Narrow Space Living

How big is the room/area to be skim-coated? We did a small bedroom (8'x14') walls and ceiling for $300 -- one guy, one day solid plus a few hours the next day to touch up -- and we provided all materials, which came to about $80. So your quote sounds fair.

Posted by: gowanusaurus at August 13, 2007 12:49 PM in response to plaster workers

Love it! I have only one complaint -- where is 'Gowanus' in the list of Brooklyn neighborhoods for my profile? We may be the seedy underbelly, but our canal built this borough! And our Lowe's and Home Depot are building many of your homes.

Posted by: gowanusaurus at August 10, 2007 1:52 PM in response to Brownstoner 2.0 Coming At You Today

I'm a renter and when our landlords raised our rent (pretty minimally), WE suggested we should match the raise on last month & security deposit. It just made sense. We want to stay in our place a long long time. And when we finally leave, we won't have to worry about what amount we're supposed to get back -- we'll just always keep it pegged to our current rent. Yes, we'll lose a few bucks on interest, but we love our landlords -- it's a good gesture & it keeps the books current. Maybe I'd feel differently if I was renting from a giant management co.

Posted by: guest at January 16, 2008 4:49 PM in response to Security Deposit increase or not?

To 4:49pm
If you were renting from a giant management company, you would have to pay the raise for the rent and security deposit.
They do it to keep the accounts straight.

It is all very impersonal.

Posted by: Ysabelle at January 16, 2008 5:26 PM in response to Security Deposit increase or not?

what about vrbo.com

Another alternate source o' lodging, ala the harmonycity

Posted by: guest at January 24, 2008 12:37 PM in response to Visitors from Out of Town

The East Village Bed and Coffee gets favorable reviews on the internet, and I believe it was only $100/night, tax included, when I last checked it a year and a half ago. I've never been there, though.

Posted by: guest at January 24, 2008 3:44 PM in response to Visitors from Out of Town

If they like hostels a new one called Crown Brownstone at 958 St. Mark's Avenue, Brooklyn is open and taking reservations. I was there and they have a couple of private rooms and everything is new. They are located a a quiet street about three blocks from the train.
More info here http://www.hostels.com/en/availability.php/HostelNumber.24727

Posted by: guest at January 24, 2008 3:46 PM in response to Visitors from Out of Town

The best low-price (relative to NYC) hotel is the Cosmopolitan in Tribeca. The lowest price room is around $160 a night. Word has spread among European tourists, so the place gets fully booked up several weeks in advance. You see all Europeans when you go there. The rooms are small but it's a very clean hotel and the location can't be beat. It's right outside the Chambers Street 2/3 entrance, and near all kinds of restaurants, and there's a Starbucks on the ground floor.

Posted by: guest at January 27, 2008 1:12 PM in response to Visitors from Out of Town

Oh I meant to say I tried the enzyme drain clearers, not cleaners, in my post at 1:53. But they didn't work.

The only enzyme CLEANER that's worked for me is the original one, Oxyclean which I use on whites and stains. I tried Bioclean detergeant for entire loads and it doesn't clean well enough at all. Use it on sheets if you change your sheets every few days diligently. Or on delicate things. But on socks and underwear and towels, no way, it's not enough.

Posted by: guest at March 11, 2008 2:27 PM in response to Vinegar / baking soda vs. Drano?

I had a science book once that had alternatives to cleaning products. From that I took and have been using salt with boiling water (you'd need like 2 cups of salt, and about 6 quarts of water), works for me.

Posted by: guest at March 11, 2008 4:35 PM in response to Vinegar / baking soda vs. Drano?

I'd like to know more about this baking soda/vinegar stuff. On the surface, it makes no sense. From a ph pov, BS is a base, and vinegar is an acid. They cancel each other out. Or is the foaming supposed to clean drains? I don't get it.

Posted by: denton at March 11, 2008 5:02 PM in response to Vinegar / baking soda vs. Drano?

I've had great luck with good old fashioned lye.

Posted by: guest at March 11, 2008 5:27 PM in response to Vinegar / baking soda vs. Drano?