Gay:

I am curious to know how the study of the history in an area has anything to do with obsessive introspection. Clearly, none of the people reading this post (or writing it) were contemporaries of Mr. Morris. So, how does learning about the work of someone else, and the social climate in which that work was performed constitute "naval-gazing?" Perhaps you can enlighten me.

Posted by: stoep2conquer at November 19, 2009 11:27 AM in response to Walkabout: Montrose Morris - Full Circle

But such an ugly, tiny house...is NEw York really that much better?

Posted by: stoep2conquer at November 19, 2009 11:10 AM in response to Brooklyn Sales: Under a Million

Actually, I find the history - social and architectural - to be a nice subject matter to read about, and quite relevant since I am interested in purchasing an older home and maintaining it with a nod to its history.

It is also relevant to those who feel history runs in cycles and want to evaluate the potential and longevity in Brooklyn neighborhoods.

@Gay:

Try not to tear down. It reflects poorly on you.

Posted by: stoep2conquer at November 19, 2009 10:54 AM in response to Walkabout: Montrose Morris - Full Circle

This isn't the one that leaks, is it? Just asking...

Posted by: stoep2conquer at November 18, 2009 1:55 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 85 8th Avenue, #3R

brucef.

you're suggesting a ship's ladder, i believe.

Posted by: stoep2conquer at August 18, 2009 12:41 PM in response to Building a Roof Deck

Oh, I do hope you're kidding, AtlanFran. Mind your rationale, please.

Posted by: stoep2conquer at February 17, 2009 10:31 AM in response to Crime Rose in Most Precincts in 2008

His vision is not a stretch, in my opinion.

Posted by: stoep2conquer at February 17, 2009 10:28 AM in response to How Bad Could It Get?

This is the MOST racist, classist post ever!! You are such a bougie white-boy to post this and NOT FOCUS on ALL THE CRIME AROUND THE WORLD TOO.

Shame on you, SHAAAAME!

j/k :)

Posted by: stoep2conquer at February 17, 2009 9:42 AM in response to Crime Rose in Most Precincts in 2008

hey BS,

What percentage of ad revenue do we get per photo?

Posted by: stoep2conquer at February 6, 2009 2:47 PM in response to Bring Your Camera With You This Weekend

I am thiiis close to giving up on trying to buy a home in NYC. How can people find such value in these houses? It's crazy. 5.4M for a townhouse? 1.8M for Gravesend?!

I guess I was foolish to think there would be some reasonable deals to be made after the credit crisis an bank collapse. *sigh*

Posted by: stoep2conquer at January 21, 2009 11:36 AM in response to Last Week's Biggest Sales

SIB,

Sounds like you did alright with your offer. I agree with those who said you should stick. You valued the house at 550K and that is what it is worth to you. When the seller finds someone who shares the same value as they do, the transaction will happen. That's how a market economy works. You even did a little work for them, in explaining your bid. The fact they didn't counter signals they are unsure of their selling point, or they are not familiar with rules of negotiation. First rule: sellers ask too high, and buyers bid too low.

As for the post who called your bid an insult, I think you can disregard that. They clearly didn't pay attention to your reasoning.

dittoburg: all my realtor friends think it is definitely a buyer's market. From my own stand point, looking for an apartent in Manhattan for a year, it seems this is the case. That said, would you mind explaining why its a stretch to imply a seller in this market is motivated?

Thanks in advance.

Posted by: stoep2conquer at January 20, 2009 4:20 PM in response to Aggressive Offer Rejected

I wonder if the insurance pay out covers the back mortgage payments...

Posted by: stoep2conquer at January 5, 2009 10:25 AM in response to Fire Guts Newly-Renovated Townhouse at 67 Cranberry

fsrq:

May I ask, where is your house and what is your asking price?

Posted by: stoep2conquer at January 2, 2009 12:32 PM in response to Another Mugging in Fort Greene

I am amazed at the vitriol in your reader's comments to this simple and brief post. Seems like crime is a sensitive issue for Brooklyn property owners these days...

I for one, never read the various small newspapers. I can barely choke down the political clap-trap that the NY Times has become, much less smaller rags peddling low entertainment for the subway ride. So, I appreciate hearing about about the occasional crime in Ft. Greene, or other neighborhoods that may or may not be within the jurisdiction of the much-maligned 88th precinct.

It is curious to me the correlation between posts that refer to the 88th precinct and the ones who 'found' a reference to someone's race, ethnicity, or class, for that matter, in what you wrote. Even the links did little more that identify the players by age, though the 'punks' reference was amusing. I imagined pale, waify kids with Doc Martens, blue hair and skinny jeans trying to act menacingly. Too funny.

Lastly, I want to encourage you to post the items that you think are relevant to your perceived audience. The people criticizing you here demonstrate very little respect for, or even familiarity with, reason.

Posted by: stoep2conquer at January 2, 2009 11:25 AM in response to Another Mugging in Fort Greene

I always thought the Italian word was "orto"...

still, sounds tasty!

Posted by: stoep2conquer at December 16, 2008 2:51 PM in response to Streetlevel: Ortine Restaurant Tomorrow in Prospect Heights

Also, the orientation of the sun, to my eye, points to an East-facing house on a North-South street. Harlem seems less likely for that reason.

Posted by: stoep2conquer at December 12, 2008 12:54 PM in response to I.D. This Photo, Win a Book

SJ,

You read my mind. The windows and the stone base on these houses, along with the widow's walk are all features I associate with the Back Bay neighborhoods. Also, that shadow across the front looks a lot like a pitched roof, which I don't see all that often in BK, though that is inconclusive.

My guess is Boston, Back Bay.

Posted by: stoep2conquer at December 12, 2008 12:52 PM in response to I.D. This Photo, Win a Book

I think Equatorial Guinea is a marvelous place to raise a family. helluva commute, tho.

Posted by: stoep2conquer at September 22, 2008 1:37 PM in response to House of the Day: 147 St. James Place

Dizzy: I totally agree! Kids are kids!

And if i see some kids "disrespectin'" (Gawd, they have no clue, do they?) an adult like that, they are getting a helluva whuppin' from me. Better they learn now that people can defend themselves, rather than assuming they can get away with it.

Posted by: stoep2conquer at September 16, 2008 10:34 AM in response to Wild Teens Trash Court Street B&N, Assault Manager

I haven't read the particular law, but the stoop, or whatever, up to the property line is private property. The police have no business doing anything other than responding to private complaints on private property.

Someone, please correct me if I am wrong, otherwise, lets get an organized group going to fight this overstep.

Posted by: stoep2conquer at September 16, 2008 10:19 AM in response to More Tickets for Stoop Drinkers

Considering the long history of Crown Heights, 'stoner, you pose an open-ended question. The architecture reveals the bourgeois residents who built their "weekend" homes here. The old Union League Club house had a grand address and control enough to erect the statue at Rogers and Bedford.

In the 80's and 90's it became an uneasy neighborhood, with West Indians and the Hasidim clashing occasionally, and harassing one another regularly. Even today, I witness or am occasional victim of such harassment by neighbor kids who assume I am Jewish, hurling street trash and epithets at me.

Today, though, the predominant threat to the peace along Franklin Avenue is a thriving drug trade. Mostly comprised of non-residents, the traffickers here are brazen, loud and deal openly in the streets. My building housed a very lucrative marijuana merchant for the first several months I lived there. I gave detailed information to the 'undercover' police operating here, and it stopped, thankfully.

So, will Crown Heights remain Crown-Heightsy? I sincerely hope not. Bless the communities here, and bless the architecture left behind, but I would very much like to see a return of law and order along Franklin Avenue. The wonderful people living there deserve it. And residents-to-come will require it.

Posted by: stoep2conquer at September 12, 2008 11:33 AM in response to Williamsburg Comes to Crown Heights?

Chime,

The best and most honest work is physical labor. It has done wonders for my soul and sense of self worth. It grounds you with a sense of humility which fosters an appreciation of those who do more complex jobs. I see no danger of "acculturation" particularly. There is no such janitorial culture. work is work.

Posted by: stoep2conquer at August 27, 2008 10:23 AM in response to Bed Stuy Program for Teens and Brownstoners

This is awesome. My heart goes out to them. I hope they find satisfaction in their labor and prosper in life. Now, what can we do to help/join/encourage?

Posted by: stoep2conquer at August 27, 2008 10:06 AM in response to Bed Stuy Program for Teens and Brownstoners

I love guys like this. If what you say is true and accurate, I volunteer to come with you to the meeting and make sure he understands he is an idiot in no uncertain terms. Thieves like this person absolutely outrage me.

Posted by: stoep2conquer at August 25, 2008 3:29 PM in response to mechanic lein

certainly not what i would call a classic layout. seems cramped. and decorated in the "80's boardroom style" who wants to watch Working Girl with me later?

Posted by: stoep2conquer at August 25, 2008 2:51 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 24 Monroe Place

'stoner,

especially when selling, many owners take the reasonable approach of building a low-to-mid range placeholder kitchen which has modern amenities but a very limited or subdued style. This acknowledges kitchen renovations as a thriving hobby. Bathrooms are also areas of particular, intense interest to home buyers. Why risk turning away buyers with an expensive, well-appointed kitchen or bath that they may be loathe to rip out, or to live with?

Posted by: stoep2conquer at August 20, 2008 1:14 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 123 Henry Street

DIBS,

John Crow, the former governor of the Bank of Canada? I'm not sure I get the reference.

to All:

We don't know what the grades mean, nor do we have any idea of the criteria. He could very easily weigh most heavily on trash, weeding and other annoying-but-expected house upkeep. And A could well stand for Awful, since the person included a grade of E (Excellent?) That would seem to make more sense if there was motivation top write this letter in the first place.

Posted by: stoep2conquer at August 20, 2008 1:07 PM in response to A Different Kind of Neighborhood Watch on E. 7th Street

bxgrl,

I think the point is that too many people believe that upkeep of their home - specifically the exterior of their home, IS their personal business. In fact, its a public affair that has an effect on the people who walk by every day as well as those who visit your 'hood. There is a limit on what you can lay claim to as 'personal' and expect people to respect those boundaries. I don't advocate for laws or regulations, I advocate for a better awareness of the impact of the sensory environment, and what your responsibility is to help your neighbors maintain it.

Posted by: stoep2conquer at August 20, 2008 12:57 PM in response to A Different Kind of Neighborhood Watch on E. 7th Street

LOL...well played, DIBS!

Posted by: stoep2conquer at August 20, 2008 11:42 AM in response to A Different Kind of Neighborhood Watch on E. 7th Street

I wish people spent more time openly talking about improvements and upkeep of their homes. It would deter greatly from vandalism, crime and vagrancy. People are too caught up in their day-to-day jobs and hobbies. They forget that their home is a symbol of their relationship with their neighbors.

For those you you who think this type of letter is creepy, I can see your point. Here you are, just now realizing that other people notice you, notice your conduct and your appearance. You do have a passive effect on everyone.

Posted by: stoep2conquer at August 20, 2008 11:19 AM in response to A Different Kind of Neighborhood Watch on E. 7th Street

Ainslie,

This idea is a different packaging of a New Urbanist idea that as population grows, we return to living in small, easily managed villages, where you do indeed have your own house, but that you lean on your community for resources.

The key difference here is that instead of saying hello to neighbors as you dust off your front step, you are dealing with a more diverse group of people in a time when there is less emphasis put on formal communication (parlimentary procedure, as an example.) So, there are more issues to discuss, less time in which to do it, and less respect for the person holding the floor in a public setting.

Posted by: stoep2conquer at August 15, 2008 12:21 PM in response to Brooklyn Co-Housing Moving Closer to Reality?

Good fences make good neighbors. Or as my boyfriend's father once declared: "Don't live with anyone you ain't screwin', they'll just piss you off." Ah, the poetry of Apalachia...

Posted by: stoep2conquer at August 15, 2008 12:09 PM in response to Brooklyn Co-Housing Moving Closer to Reality?