Looks really nice. Ryan, could you share where you got the pendant lights in the kitchen? Thanks!

Posted by: hangonsloopy2 at September 4, 2008 10:40 AM in response to Green on Brownstoner: Creative Reuse in Kensington

That sign has been there for at least 2 years. I think maybe 'Stoner even did a post about it? Wish it were coming, but it seems unlikely. Sorry, Lisa.

Posted by: hangonsloopy2 at August 18, 2008 2:06 PM in response to Streetlevel: Jamaican Cafe Coming to Fifth Ave.

Have you considered selling and buying a smaller place, perhaps an apartment that requires less upkeep? I ask because we just left Park Slope and bought an apartment further out due, in part, to the relentless upward trend of rents. I suppose they could go down, but if your concern is a financial one I think it might make more sense to lock in your housing cost with a mortgage on a smaller place instead of subjecting yourself to the whims of landlords and the rest of the hassles of the Brooklyn rental market.

Also, look around at what apartments of the sort you'd like to rent are renting for *now* - not, say, what your friends pay who have been in their place 3 years. I thought my rent was expensive until I started looking at other similar places - turned out we were wayyyy under market for where we were - we were just lucky that our landlord liked us!

Posted by: hangonsloopy2 at August 18, 2008 1:57 PM in response to Selling My House

Check it out - it appears there are not one, but TWO corner sinks. Wierd.

Posted by: hangonsloopy2 at August 15, 2008 4:35 PM in response to Crown Heights Condos

Chaka: do you mean Visions or Bar 773? Just curious.

I like the name Victrola. It suggests both a tucked-inside quality, which from what I've seen of this bar fits with the sort of lobby-leading-to-inner-room nature of its interior design, and a vague reference to the word Victorian (tho I think the Victrola was introduced in 1906), which pays homage to Victorian Flatbush.

Otherwise they should name it after a flower. Or just, "Barflower."

Posted by: hangonsloopy2 at August 15, 2008 4:09 PM in response to Streetlevel: A New Bar Coming to Cortelyou

Not sure if the above is true for coops - since you're buying shares, the purchase price isn't always listed in the public records. I think maybe Property Shark is moving toward having that info, but they might not have it yet. I could be wrong, but I had a hard time finding this info out when I was buying.

Posted by: hangonsloopy2 at August 13, 2008 5:04 PM in response to Finding previous purchase price

Maybe try talking to the folks who own Palo Alto, on Union Street in Park Slope. They've presumably been through it. And yeah, like Steve said, check your zoning first. Good luck!

Posted by: hangonsloopy2 at August 13, 2008 5:02 PM in response to Restaurant on garden floor

I would recommend *not* trying Advanced. They manage our building and are useless. They NEVER return phone calls, and we've had 3 different property managers in as many years. They also screwed up countless things related to our purchase of our apartment - pretty much anything that was their responsibility, they flubbed.

Posted by: hangonsloopy2 at August 13, 2008 10:26 AM in response to Management Companies

Oops, forgot the contact for Gil:
http://www.reitmaninsurance.com

Posted by: hangonsloopy2 at August 11, 2008 1:45 PM in response to Advice for condo buyer

There's a garage at the bottom of that block - northeast corner of 2nd and 4th Ave - see if they'll rent you a bike space. Definitely don't leave your bike on the street there. Nice area, yes, and therefore an easy target.

As for insurance, we really like Gil Reitman. An insurance guy of the old school. He deals with various companies but is very familiar with nyc housing (as opposed to just calling Geico direct, who clearly had no idea what a coop is when I called about insuring ours. I imagine it's a little easier with condos, but still, great to have someone local).

Posted by: hangonsloopy2 at August 11, 2008 12:54 PM in response to Advice for condo buyer

I think Brooklyn Properties had this listing for AGES, and they were looking to get close to 500K for it. So, I'd guess it needs plenty of work and maybe whoever owns it (I don't think it's a sponsor sale?) needs it to move after sitting around for too long with too high an ask.

Posted by: hangonsloopy2 at August 11, 2008 12:47 PM in response to For those who think there are no deals left in Brooklyn

Noklissa, sounds nice, do you by chance remember the name of the bar? Hoping to get to Isla one of these days, that sounds like my speed!

Posted by: hangonsloopy2 at August 7, 2008 10:52 AM in response to Garden of the Day: Gardening Through Weather Woes

Denton - I think A&S's building is owned by the daughter of the original owner, but the guys who currently own the business aren't related to her. They bought the biz from the original owner, who then died and left the building to the daughter. Or at least that's what the Daily News article said.

My point about A&S is that it's a small, family-operated business that is unique and provides a valued product to people in the neighborhood. The same is true of many of the stores in downtown Brooklyn. And yes, I do advocate creating subsidies as well as incentives to keep such places in business, since they contribute to vibrant street life and sense of community. Whether it's talking over the counter in A&S about how to best cook their sausages, or chatting with the woman who's been making your wigs for the last 10 years, these kinds of personal interactions will soon be vestiges of a time gone by when shop owners knew their customers and weren't just bland corporate suits. And I'll repeat - the city gives HUGE subsidies in the form of tax breaks to major corporations to entice them here and make them stay, and they should do the same for smaller businesses, which also have a role to play in our city.

Posted by: hangonsloopy2 at August 1, 2008 1:52 PM in response to DoBro Redevelopment Not So Great for Everyone

I'm on a bit of a rant about small business closings lately, after learning that A&S in Park Slope is closing because their landlord is more than doubling their rent. Having witnessed the uber-gentrification of 5th Ave over the last 7 years, and having recently moved to a much-less-gentrified but still gentrifying neighborhood, and recognizing that our family plays a clear role in that gentrification, I'm beginning to feel really strongly that the city needs to take steps to balance growth in its neighborhoods. No one wants to live in a place that only has check cashing places and bodegas, but no one - or at least not me - wants to live in a place full of repeats of the same bland, overpriced restaurants, boutiques, banks, and chain stores.

Small, locally- and/or minority-owned businesses are great things for neighborhoods, as others have said above, and there should be a way to preserve the diversity of types of business that you see in 'hoods that have seen some improvements but aren't totally over the top.

The city should provide tax credits to landlords who rent to local-owned or minority-owned businesses at less-than-market rates, and they should provide assistance to those businesses to help them stay in business. That will help curb the leaps-and-bounds growth in commercial AND residential rents, which in turn will help keep middle and working class people from being pushed further and further out. It will also create and maintain businesses that serve the myriad residents of neighborhoods instead of just the affluent new arrivals. And as for paying for such things, maybe the city could cut back on the giveaways to the Goldman Sachs and the Bruce Ratners a bit, in favor of preserving some of the vibrancy that gives (gave?) this city its soul.

**Steps down from soapbox**

Posted by: hangonsloopy2 at August 1, 2008 10:58 AM in response to DoBro Redevelopment Not So Great for Everyone

Thanks so much to all of you for posting and giving me SOUND advice - Seriously - I appreciate this all so much!
Also, thank you to all who emailed me off the board inquiring about the house and sharing their personal stories - if I do decide to sell it will be in mid-late Fall. - I will keep in touch

Posted by: gemini10 at August 19, 2008 1:30 PM in response to Selling My House

Another possibility would be dividing the building you currently own into two condo units. You'd have to consult with a lawyer, which wouldn't be cheap, and--if you like your current tenants and they are viable financially--you'd have a built-in probable purchaser. I think you'd get a decent return--but it would allow you to stay in PS.

Posted by: Minmin at August 19, 2008 1:54 PM in response to Selling My House

Minmin- that's a VERY interesting idea - I never thought about that...
hmmmm - will def. contact my lawyer and see what would be involved.

Posted by: gemini10 at August 19, 2008 2:17 PM in response to Selling My House

If there be 2 duplexes, why not sell 1 duplex for $600k & pay off your mortgage. Make sense, no?

Posted by: PropJoe at August 19, 2008 3:27 PM in response to Selling My House

Beware of the condo coversion. I thought it would be a good idea as well, and am just finishing one that was started in 2005. It was an absolute nightmare and cost a fortune.

Posted by: egypt at August 20, 2008 10:42 AM in response to Selling My House

I just bought an 1898 Victorian in Bay Ridge for under 1 Mill...I have a huge back yard...big enough for an inground pool that we will put in next Spring!

Posted by: nybk01 at August 20, 2008 12:21 PM in response to Selling My House

Egypt--If you don't mind, could you give us a ballpark figure on how much the "fortune" was in your condo conversion"? Also, what made it a nightmare? Was this just the lawyer's fee or did it involve any renovations as well. I don't know anybody who did this in NY, but I do know people in California who bought as "tenants-in-common" and then did the condo conversion. I would think that that could be a trickier situation, since both 'T-i-C' would probably want to maximize their investment. Gemini10 already has an apartment in her house, so renovation costs would probably be minimal.

Posted by: Minmin at August 20, 2008 8:48 PM in response to Selling My House

Hi,

My company is very active in the area. We are a small - medium sized company with around 26 buildings, mostly Coops. You can check us out at www.ebmg.com (Excel Bradshaw Management Group) or give me a call at (516) 333-7730 x.201. We have a Brooklyn office that can be reached at (718) 266-1110.

Posted by: mblevine at August 21, 2008 10:16 PM in response to Management Companies