yes, I would l love to contact whoever did the work.
tx

Posted by: rubytoday at January 4, 2008 4:49 PM in response to Attractive Fire Escape Gate?

sorry, "guest"

that was NOT an advertisement. I am a real person who just bought a coop and had the locks changed. If you doubt any and every post that praises work well done, you are defeating the purpose of this community, which is to share information, both good and bad, so that people can get good services and avoid bad.

If you still doubt, I can send you a PDF of my bill.

Posted by: rubytoday at January 18, 2008 6:34 PM in response to Found a Good Locksmith

thanks for the names/numbers. but I can't tell if the poster of this info actually used these guys, or if these guys posted their own info.

Posted by: rubytoday at January 18, 2008 6:35 PM in response to Can You Recommend a Tiler?

I just bought a small coop apt. The windows are really crappy. Would like to replace them with something economical.

any suggestions?

also, I'm replacing ugly bifold mirrored closet doors, but I can't find anything I like. All those louvered doors look the same to me. Any creative suggestions or nice doors that you've found?

Thanks!

Posted by: rubytoday at February 12, 2008 4:04 PM in response to Pocket Shutters

I don't know...I saw a pretty amazing brownstone condo in park slope for $900k (with back patio and yard...) and another 2 stories w/ basement for around that same price

sounds overpriced to me...

Posted by: rubytoday at February 12, 2008 4:09 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 101 Lafayette Avenue, #1K

it's just taking forever...

Posted by: rubytoday at February 12, 2008 4:29 PM in response to any advice for stripping paint?

yeah...do you have any suggestions for sending them out? thanks!

Posted by: rubytoday at February 12, 2008 5:05 PM in response to any advice for stripping paint?

could you tell me the dimensions of this range, and the price you expect for it?

Thanks.

Posted by: rubytoday at February 20, 2008 4:49 PM in response to Old Slattery Gas Stove for Sale

I think the loss here is Nancy Nancy. It's the old mom-n-pop model that used to define Park Slope. That woman has been running that store pretty much by herself for years, offering a somewhat creative product. Far better than that stupid eyesore of a clothing store on the corner of Union and 5th, banks and cell phone stores

Cocotte tried hard. It's sad; this is someone's dream.

Sorry, Biscuit had their chance. Why do restaurants think the recipe for better business is higher prices and mediocre food?

And Hollywood? Who's cryin' over that one? not me!

Posted by: rubytoday at February 20, 2008 5:08 PM in response to Closing Time on 5th Avenue

my question was really are there alternatives to TW...

Posted by: rubytoday at February 20, 2008 5:31 PM in response to Internet in Sunset Park

I've used Earthlink DSL since 2001 or so. No real problems, except that when there's a problem with the phone line (provided by Verizon) I have to call Earthlink, who calls Covad, who, in turn, contacts Verizon. This can be a little slow. Fortunately, it only happens about once a year and Earthlink provides dial-up service as a slow, but adequate, back up.

Posted by: Bob Marvin at February 22, 2008 1:02 PM in response to Internet in Sunset Park

This person is a friend who is doing you a favor.

IMHO, tipping acknowledges a power relationship, usually in a courteous way, but sometimes (as denton notes) a tip becomes insulting.

Unless your friend is a waiter or bartender serving you, or if they are a hairdresser cutting your hair in a salon (not at home) I say no tip for friends.

You should give gifts to friends who do you great favors like this. I think a nice bottle of something he would never buy himself is a great gift.

I also think that in this situation, where you are paying laborers, I think it's generous to tip them a nominal amount (say $20-$40 each) for a job well done. I would not tip a percentage of what you've paid them.

Posted by: guest at March 2, 2008 1:02 PM in response to Tipping Contractors

If you feel like showing some appreciation to somebody just go ahead and do it.Hopefully you are smart enough to know how.
Laborers for example give them cash.
Contractors for example give them a nice bottle.
Denton is right America runs on Mexicans, but is wrong about showing appreciation to a contractor.
I know as a fact that when you treat people with respect you'll be respected.
That said do what your heart tells you.

Posted by: guest at March 2, 2008 1:19 PM in response to Tipping Contractors

The wood has been taken.

Posted by: lizpic at March 2, 2008 2:27 PM in response to Curb Alert: Free Red Oak Flooring

Tip the laborers.

Don't tip your friend. Give them a generous gift certificate to a restaurant or favorite store, etc.

Posted by: guest at March 2, 2008 4:18 PM in response to Tipping Contractors

We had a great experience with our contractor whose price was very low and we just got him a $150 gift card to Home Depot.

Posted by: amp156 at March 3, 2008 12:14 PM in response to Tipping Contractors

I've always preferred those ones with vertical and horizonal bars, with some scrolls on them to add some design, with a door that opens in easily. Once you paint them white (and the hardware store you order from will do this), they aren't nearly as ugly as the accordion ones, as there's a lot less metal in them, so they block the light a lot less.

You can also get custom arty designs on the door ones that look better if you want to spend some bucks, as long as the opening mechanism is the same - it is the ease of opening that the fire department cares about. (Yours probably meets their code just fine - they just want it not locked and thus openable in a fire - they don't care about how well it keeps out burglars.)

Though how easily some of them actually open is a debatable issue. The ones I find hardest to open are the accordion kind with smaller holes rather than larger ones, where the latch is in a little box under a flap you have to flip up. This is likely what you already have on a fire escape window, as the slightly-less-ugly accordion ones with bigger holes in them don't have the jimmy-proof locks, and are usually secured with padlocks, which is a fire department no-no on a fire escape window.

For a fire escape, I find the ones with the door in them easier to open than the small-hole accordion ones. And they are less ugly.

I meant to replace my ugly accordion one in my place with one of those door ones, but I relized that the door wouldn't open very far without bumping into the radiator, which sticks out partly in front of the window, so I left the accordion one. Ugly. But as it is in my bedroom, where I hardly ever open the blinds anyway, I just leave the blinds covering it closed so I forget about it. (I have another window in the room for a window AC and occasional opening of the blinds and/or window for air and light.) That's the easiest option - dress your window.

If it was in the living room, I'd have replaced it by now with something less ugly, even if I had to have it custom-made at some expense. There are lots of good iron guys in Brooklyn who do this stuff.

Many people take the gate off completely and go with alarms, but I like the safety of a gate, especially on a fire escape, as they are just too much temptation, especially if you sometimes leave the window open while you sleep, or are not in the room. But then, I have been burglarized, more than once, in Park Slope, by people coming down the ladder from the roof to a previous top floor place, even where they risked falling to the ground, standing on the sill of a window with no fire escape to open the window and crowbar off the 2 padlocks on the accordion gate on that window. So I'd go with a nicer gate if I were you.

Posted by: guest at March 3, 2008 2:22 PM in response to Fire escape security gate

Hard to tell, but that looks like common Florentin glass to me.

Posted by: Brooklynnative at March 4, 2008 7:31 AM in response to original door with venetian frosted glass

I think brooklynnative is right, this is called florentine glass, not venetian, sorry for the confusion, here is how it looks: http://petchhouse.blogspot.com/2007/02/this-is-spooky.html
To rubytoday: the window panes are 24 by 24, same glass.

Posted by: sunset101 at March 4, 2008 8:09 PM in response to original door with venetian frosted glass

I got a gate last year from a locksmith in Windsor Terrace. White, with sort of sunburst pattern, fire dept approved. Looks good ( as gates go). And a lot better than the old accordion gates. Locksmith installed it - friendly professional guy, good work. They have a website at http://www.allsecurity.tv/index.html - dunno if I'd recommend them for website design, but they are good at locksmithing!

Posted by: guest at March 5, 2008 11:04 AM in response to Fire escape security gate