squaredrive's Profile
Author's Posts
November 1, 2008
insomnia
We are first time owners of a small apt in a Prewar Coop building. We love our apt, but have discovered that the noise from the apartments above and below is mind-boggling. We don't expect silence by any means, but the floors are crazy leaky.
The specific difficulty of this situation is that the TV in the downstairs apt is on 24/7. It is loud enough that we can aften hear what channel they are watching.
I have asked twice (nicely) for the TVs to be lowered. There has been some improvement, but we still wake up to a subtle drone of TV noise at 4 am almost daily, despite running fans to cover the noise.
We're going to talk to them again, but thinking ahead, what are the options between earplugs and selling to hearing-impaired friends? Do coop boards have jurisdiction over these kinds of things? Or are we just at the neighbor's mercy here?
October 7, 2008
No Honking Signs / Fines?
Do "No Honking" signs exist in Brooklyn (as they do in Manhattan) on residential streets? Is it possible to lobby the city for these succesfully? Any experiences?
July 31, 2008
Typical Square Footage Calcs
What is the conventional means of calculating square footage for real estate purposes? Include exterior walls or exclude or something in between? Include interior walls or exclude? Is there a standard?
July 29, 2008
Oil-based poly, how bad?
We are moving into a coop within a couple of weeks, and the floors are in serious need of refinishing. I see that the oil v. water poly debate has been well covered here. After talking to friends and contractors, the consensus seems to be that oil lasts longer and is less expensive.
We are trying hard to be good neighbors and sensitive to those around us, especially being new to the building. My question is this - how much will the odor of the oil-poly affect our neighbors, and how long will it last? (Prewar apt building.) I realize this is difficult to answer - but first hand anecdotes or knowledge is appreciated. Thanks.
Author's Comments
nybk01
You should still be able to do the horizontal railing - as long as the building permit was/is filed before July 1, 2009 under the old code. The new code was enacted July 1, 2008, but there is a 1 year overlap where you can choose which code to file under - old or new.
That said, the code is changing for a reason...to my knowledge NYC was one of the last jurisdictions to allow this type of rail, largely to prevent kids from climbing them like a ladder.
Posted by: squaredrive at November 25, 2008 7:40 PM in response to Brooklyn Modern #2: Gut Renovated in Boerum Hill
When was the priced reduced to $475,000? It's listed at $569,000 on streeteasy. (And if streeteasy is wrong, that's not helping you either.)
http://www.streeteasy.com/nyc/sale/356464-coop-588-henry-street-carroll-gardens-brooklyn
According to this link, the price on this place was reduced to $569,000 2 weeks ago. Unless that info is incorrect, it's misleading to suggest that this "won't sell" if it has been reasonably priced for less than 2 weeks.
This post just seems like creative real estate advertising to me - getting everyone worked up about how a great place 'won't sell' at a reasonable price.
Posted by: squaredrive at November 21, 2008 12:39 PM in response to Advice for a Freaked Out Apartment Seller
Thanks very much for all of the comments and advice - it's very helpful to hear about similar experiences and ideas for making it more bearable.
The neighbors do seem friendly, so hopefully there is a good chance we'll be able to work something out. Things just seem pretty drastic at 3am when you are awake and can only focus on the noise...
Posted by: squaredrive at November 1, 2008 10:57 PM in response to insomnia
Hey it's fine with me if you think the signs are ridiculous and ineffective. I am not really interested in that argument. I was just simply looking for information on the procedure/ governing body/ precedent in Brooklyn, and thought someone here may have experience. Thanks.
Posted by: squaredrive at October 7, 2008 7:26 PM in response to No Honking Signs / Fines?
For future searches, from NYtimes 04/20/2008:
"Horn-honking complaints and sign requests are made through 311, community boards and elected officials, said Michael Saucier, a spokesman for the city’s Department of Environmental Protection, the agency that pays for the signs."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/nyregion/thecity/20fyi.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
and older,
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9401E5D8123AF933A15756C0A9679C8B63
Posted by: squaredrive at October 7, 2008 6:59 PM in response to No Honking Signs / Fines?
Ahhhh, message boards, the place where everyone gets a chance to release their inner smartass. Very constructive.
Anyway, back to the original question, anywhere else that these exist in Brooklyn?
Posted by: squaredrive at October 7, 2008 5:49 PM in response to No Honking Signs / Fines?
I agree that the parking situation for 2 wheeled vehicles in this city is horrific and needs to be addressed as part of any solution for reducing traffic congestion. i digress....
I'd say try leaving a note - this will save you time and the threat of tow will like produce results. Much better for the motorcycle owner as well, who may not know that their spot is troublesome to you.
Posted by: squaredrive at October 5, 2008 11:49 PM in response to motorcycles parked on sidewalk
"overpriced by at least 20%-25%" - kdabrowski
I completely disagree. 25% off of asking would be $413K. I've been looking for months and I have not seen anything resembling a renovated 2 BR with 1.5 bathrooms for 413K in this area of Brooklyn.
Also 700 SF is not an "average-sized 1BR". Out of hundreds of listings I've looked at, I've seen very few that size in this part of brooklyn, unless you go over 500K.
I think this is a very fair price based on my research over the past 4-5 months.
Posted by: squaredrive at September 5, 2008 4:14 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 422 State Street, #20
Recently obtained a 30yr fixed putting down 10% through a mortgage broker. Very good credit scores. No signs of trouble, though it was noted to us at the beginning that an interest-only loan would not be an option. (we did not want to pursue this anyway...)
Posted by: squaredrive at July 17, 2008 2:40 PM in response to Who is trying to get a Mortgage and what problems you are facing?
The trend is interesting in what it says about the increasing desirability of Brooklyn, but the comparison would be much more interesting if you were comparing, side by side, individual apts renting at the same price. You undoubtedly get a great deal of additional square footage and probably a much nicer place in Brooklyn for the same rent.
Posted by: squaredrive at November 26, 2008 10:31 AM in response to Wanna Save Money? Leave Brooklyn For Manhattan