z's Profile
- z
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Author's Posts
April 20, 2009
Selling Backyard to Neighbor
I'm looking for information on selling some or all of a rowhouse back yard to a neighbor (i.e., so the buying neighbor ends up with a double-width yard and a sort of L-shaped lot, while the selling neighbor ends up with a smaller yard or no yard at all). Are there any tricky legal issues? How did you deal with air rights/FAR? What is a fair price for half of a backyard? For all of a backyard? Assume that there is no landscaping to speak of and both yards are basically blank slates.
February 23, 2009
Baby Gates and Brownstone Stairs
I'm looking for a way to make a child safety gate work with a brownstone staircase. The gate would fit at the top of the stairs, where there is a large newel post. The issues are (i) i'd prefer not to drill into the newel post, for obvious reasons; (ii) i don't want to use pressure-mounted gates, as those aren't very safe for staircase use and they don't really fit right anyway; (iii) the stair-friendly gates i've found so far don't work with big newel posts (i.e. they come with clamps that can't fit around anything wider than a skinny post); and (iv) our stairs are relatively narrow so some gates don't fit at all.
i'd appreciate advice, experiences, etc. on dealing with this sort of situation. thanks in advance!
November 19, 2008
Hartford loops, banging pipes, and leaky valves
we recently had our oil boiler serviced by our fuel-oil company. they left us a note saying that the "hartford loop" is too high, which apparently can result in radiator banging, boiler flooding, and water leaking from air valves. (this is our first winter in the house using this boiler.)
over the last few weeks, our pipes/radiators do indeed make banging sounds; there are frequent and very loud hisses from the valves; and one radiator sometimes leaks/sprays water from its valve.
i'd appreciate recommendations for a plumber who can do a full audit of our system and fix these issues relatively quickly. it should be someone who can deal with oil boilers (a couple of the mainstays on this site i called only service gas boilers). thanks in advance for any advice you can provide!
October 26, 2007
Source for Salvage/Remnant Countertop Material?
We're doing a kitchen renovation and are wondering whether anyone has recommendations for a source for salvaged or remnant stone for our countertops. We are very much open to mix-and-matching different types of natural stone on the 3 different counter surfaces we will have.
Author's Comments
i once dropped off a van full of stuff at a waste center called atlas located in east new york, i think on essex. they charged around $100, which i think is the minimum.
Posted by: z at December 3, 2009 11:33 AM in response to Hauling My Own Garbage?
this is gross. but for a little bit of perspective, remember that 100 years ago, the streets were lined with piles of horse crap taller than your head. brownstones were built with stoops to rise above the poops!
Posted by: z at November 30, 2009 10:49 AM in response to Craptacular Thanksgiving on Adelphi Street
i'm pretty sure you won't get away with this pathetic scam more than once or twice, if at all.
Posted by: z at November 16, 2009 4:56 PM in response to 10% off in Lowes
this place sprung up virtually instantly, and it shows.
Posted by: z at November 16, 2009 4:51 PM in response to Development Watch: S#!tbox on Underhill
if it's true that dob is passing the buck to landmarks - what a bunch of weenies. just cite the 40-foot R6 rule and deny the application for a curb cut. case closed. instead, a landmarks review process of dubious authority is about to begin.
Posted by: z at October 27, 2009 11:54 AM in response to 97 St. Marks Avenue Update
this house has a beautiful view of the police station right across the street.
Posted by: z at October 14, 2009 1:49 PM in response to House of the Day: 58 6th Avenue Revisited
the directory is a neat idea, although to be really useful it should include user reviews, sort of like the restaurant guide. otherwise it's just plain advertising.
by the way, i gotta gripe about the current layout of the front page. not sure if it changed in the recent update or if i just didn't notice it earlier, but the front page is now almost entirely consumed by the title bar, navigation bar, banner ad, and sidebar ads. i just loaded the front page and exactly two lines of actual blog content (plus the associated image) were visible without scrolling down. the sidebar content is also getting lost in a sea of ads. my screen resolution is 1280x1024, which i think is pretty typical and allows most sites to show quite a bit of content.
i know these are trying economic times and advertising revenue is probably more important than ever. just wanted to register my opinion that the clutter is making the site harder (or at least less pleasant) to peruse.
Posted by: z at October 7, 2009 11:18 AM in response to Brownstoner Directory Launches
"The fact is if I do win, most homeowners except you will be thankful to the new property line law due to Slade vs NYS."
oh yeah, it would be terrific if every few steps of sidewalk were owned by a different person! just imagine the fun of walking to the subway and navigating a gauntlet of "no trespassing" signs and fenced-in sidewalk patios. i can't think of anything better for the city than handing over our pedestrian thoroughfares to private property owners.
Posted by: z at September 25, 2009 5:25 PM in response to DOB Posts Letter of Intent to Revoke on St. Marks Ave
i gotta agree (w/ i_disagree) that deliberately posting false information in an effort to "get people all worked up" over the homeowner's plans was a dick move that makes your other comments in the thread puzzling to say the least.
Posted by: z at September 24, 2009 10:36 AM in response to A Curb Cut on Landmarked St. Marks Avenue? Really?
on reflection i agree a little bit with bxgrl. the stuff about the old lady tenant was extraneous and unreliable gossip. as i said before, posting her facebook photo was not good form, and speculating about the owners' state of mind is kind of silly. but i still think the core of this post -- namely, that someone is on the verge of doing something that will break the law and (more importantly) tarnish a landmarked neighborhood -- is a good thing, particularly since a lot of people in the neighborhood (including me) wouldn't have known about it otherwise. and i don't think it's a "witch hunt" to talk about that.
Posted by: z at September 23, 2009 4:17 PM in response to A Curb Cut on Landmarked St. Marks Avenue? Really?
"a curb cut does not mean her life should be exposed or destroyed"
hyperbole much? what exactly is being "exposed" about the homeowner, and what aspect of her life is being "destroyed"? except for the facebook stuff (which i agree was dirty pool), this thread is just making people aware of an illegal action that threatens to harm the character of an historic neighborhood. i thought you were down with that sort of thing.
Posted by: z at September 23, 2009 3:02 PM in response to A Curb Cut on Landmarked St. Marks Avenue? Really?
New York Zoning Regulations
25-633 -- Prohibition of curb cuts in certain districts
R4B R5B R6B R7B R8B
"In the districts indicated, curb cuts are prohibited for
residential developments on zoning lots having a width of
less than 40 feet along a street and existing on the effective date of establishing such district on the zoning maps."
Posted by: z at September 23, 2009 2:25 PM in response to A Curb Cut on Landmarked St. Marks Avenue? Really?
PHer, terrific catch! for those who didn't open the PDF, it's the lpc's overview of the prospect heights historic district, which cites this property as the "best preserved example" of one of the neighborhood's architectural styles. the whole purpose of landmarking was to prevent a building like this from being mangled.
Posted by: z at September 23, 2009 11:47 AM in response to A Curb Cut on Landmarked St. Marks Avenue? Really?
ok, so to recap:
1. this may violate general zoning laws that do not allow curb cuts for rowhouses less than 40 feet wide; and
2. this likely violates landmarking restrictions since prospect heights was calendared for landmarking in july 2008, before any dob application to perform this work was filed.
Posted by: z at September 23, 2009 11:38 AM in response to A Curb Cut on Landmarked St. Marks Avenue? Really?
eman is a plumber who doesn't understand the new technology and fears becoming irrelevant.
Posted by: z at August 25, 2009 6:27 PM in response to Film crew for Passive House Reno
let's see, which of the following is most likely:
1. a chase bank appraiser became so agitated by this story that she registered for a brownstoner account just to post twice about how awful the property owner must be.
2. ms. awaye finally decided to try some damage control, creating a new login as an alter-ego "appraiser" to post a fantasy version of the story and make wild, desperate accusations about the property owner in an effort to distract from her own misconduct.
pretty pathetic, ms. awaye.
Posted by: z at July 12, 2009 12:56 AM in response to Awaye Realty Caught Lifting Listing from Owner
sorry, but pena's is pretty disgusting. look behind the counter some time and you'll see a bottle of roach killer on the same shelf as stuff they use to make sandwiches, along with all kinds of other filth. nice people, nice cats, and decent cold beers in a pinch, but that's really about it.
Posted by: z at July 2, 2009 1:27 AM in response to Streetlevel: Unnameable Books Re-Opens on Vanderbilt
denton, how much did the design work cost? (or can you give a ballpark if you don't want to give the exact #?)
Posted by: z at June 15, 2009 2:41 PM in response to Backyard designer
I see tiny windows.
Posted by: z at June 15, 2009 2:38 PM in response to Development Watch: 330 Clifton Place
UNIQUE BUSHWICK RENTALS! Studio apartment of your own in hot Bushwick area. Cozy, fully-customizable sleeping area. Great sunlight. Stunning wrap-around terrace adjoining community garden! Steps from co-operative kitchen, shower and bath. Pets welcome. Promotional rent of only $100/month (seriously)! Sorry, no regulatory or law-enforcement staff.
Posted by: z at June 15, 2009 11:25 AM in response to It's Hard to Beat the Tent Rent
it's fascinating how many people on this site make up fictional "friends" to bolster their arguments.
Posted by: z at June 12, 2009 2:42 PM in response to Open House Picks: Six Months Later
by my quick calculation, grace court alley is asking around $1,650/sf. yowza!
Posted by: z at June 12, 2009 1:27 PM in response to Open House Picks
shit sandwich.
Posted by: z at June 10, 2009 7:00 PM in response to Condos of the Day: 707 Carroll Street
you can switch attorneys pretty much whenever you want. when we bought our place, the seller switched attorneys before contract because the original attorney was a complete nitwit (creating problems for both parties).
that said, switching at this point could be costly. your old attorney probably will demand payment for the work she did, while the new attorney will probably want to take a fresh look at everything. it would be best to negotiate fees in advance of any switch to make sure you aren't paying twice for the same work.
just make sure you aren't being overly demanding of your attorney's time -- what do you consider a "quick reply"? it's not reasonable to expect responses within, say, an hour, but you're entitled to hear back within a day or two on most matters. also, some attorneys don't function well via e-mail, so try picking up the phone to see if you get a quicker response.
based on what you said, if you're confident that your attorney is doing a good job on the substance of the transaction but just isn't communicating promptly, i probably wouldn't switch at this point. if the communication is so poor that you are unable to judge whether you are being well represented, you should probably switch, since this is such a big transaction for you.
good luck.
Posted by: z at June 9, 2009 10:55 AM in response to Switching attorneys?
this is a nice addition to vanderbilt.
i did notice when walking by over the weekend that there is a sign inside that says "Please Don't Steal the Books." this does not strike me as the right way to get people in the neighborhood feeling warm and fuzzy about your store.
Posted by: z at May 26, 2009 2:06 PM in response to StreetLevel: Bergen's Loss is Vanderbilt's Gain
a single-family, 5,500 square-foot home?
*whistles*
Posted by: z at May 22, 2009 3:59 PM in response to Development Watch: 315 Vanderbilt Avenue
cost: $200,000 to $600,000, depending on finishes, fixtures, appliances, structural work, restoration/details, etc.
time: six months to 3 years, depending on speed of plan approval, skill/attention/coordination skills of contractor or construction manager, etc.
and yes, this has been asked and answered many times before -- try a search for "gut" or browse posts in the category "renovation."
Posted by: z at May 20, 2009 5:03 PM in response to Ballpark on a Gut Reno
z wrote a review about Chavella's on May 19, 2009 12:13 PM
chavella's is our favorite take-out restaurant in the area, and it's a nice place to sit down as well (although a little cramped). my only complaint is that it's getting too popular -- my last two delivery orders took 75-90 minutes to arrive.
my favorite motto on a dollar store sign i saw recently:
"every item 99 cents or higher!"
Posted by: z at May 18, 2009 2:33 PM in response to Streetlevel: Former Dollar Store to Become...a Dollar Store
so long as a permit system is revenue-neutral or positive (i.e., the fees it generates are sufficient to at least cover the administration costs), i don't understand why anyone without a car (such as myself) has a rooting interest in this. it's just one group of polluters against another.
Posted by: z at May 18, 2009 1:35 PM in response to Residential Parking Permits Pushed for Brooklyn Heights
"Why shouldn't we all care about decisions that make our neighborhoods uglier and destroy the borough's architectural heritage?"
oh, come on. the rest of the block is a random mishmash of styles and chopjobs and chainlink fence, so this isn't destroying any of the area's cultural heritage. it's an ugly facade job. nothing more than that.
Posted by: z at May 15, 2009 10:40 AM in response to Horror Show Friday: Mutant Facade Repair
nice job, eman -- you're really helping your business-generation efforts by criticizing users' tastes.
Posted by: z at May 14, 2009 12:48 AM in response to Reluctantly Selling Chandelier
this is a tough one. the house is huge and the price/sf ($500) is actually pretty good for such a nice block in this area. but i agree that a 5-family is a big challenge.
it doesn't help that the ugliest kitchen is right on the parlor floor.
Posted by: z at May 13, 2009 1:34 PM in response to House of the Day: 129 Prospect Place
a related point - i know it's popular these days to hang flat-screen tvs over fireplaces, but the viewing angle can be literally painful. a 15-degree viewing angle is generally recommended, which means the tv is at or a little above sitting eye level. if the fireplace is just brick at this point (i.e. no mantels etc.), i'd try to hang it as low as possible.
Posted by: z at May 13, 2009 1:01 PM in response to installing a flat-screen TV
"A gut renovation would have cost between 100 to 200k."
maybe in 1985.
Posted by: z at May 12, 2009 4:27 PM in response to Price Cut at 355 Degraw Street
i am frequently disappointed by the removal or omission of cornices, even from new buildings that aim at being contextual. adding a cornice provides huge bang for the buck when it comes to juicing up a building's character. to take an example, while the "14 townhouses" project on state street in boerum hill is nice enough, the lack of cornices on the homes -- even a "modern" version of some sort -- is a real missed opportunity.
Posted by: z at May 12, 2009 11:51 AM in response to Walkabout with Montrose: A Progression of Cornices
montrose, i wasn't ridiculing you, i was just taking issue with a couple of your points. if public urinators and the like don't show up in the registry (and you don't deny that this is the case), then they don't have any bearing on the merits of a sex-offender registry. if you have information suggesting that the registry does in fact include minor offenses, then that's different, although as i said above, by law the registry excludes "level 1" offenders, so it seems unlikely that's the case.
Posted by: z at May 11, 2009 4:16 PM in response to Brooklyn Nabes Topping City-Wide Sex Offender Ranks
"the asking price of $345,000 feel[s] a bit on the high side"
i'd say $863 per square foot is more than a bit on the high side.
Posted by: z at May 11, 2009 12:52 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 101 Lafayette Avenue, #17C
"'Sex offender' is a blanket name attached to a very, very wide range of offenses and offenders, and range from the most awful and reprehensible, to someone urinating in public, and everything in between."
public urinators are not tagged on the website. nor are any "level 1" sex offenders -- those unlikely to commit the same crime again -- tagged on the website. only the more serious offenders are identified. also, i have never heard anyone identify someone who peed in public as a "sex offender" until you did just now.
"Some stupid kid texting nude pictures of him/herself to friends can be prosecuted as a sex offender. (Yes, I watch Law and Order.)"
i don't know whether this is true in the real world. i do know, however, that a perusal of the registry does not reveal a single stupid kid who texted nude pictures of him/herself. it does, however, show adult rapists and child molesters.
i'm not a big fan of these registries myself, but it's misleading to suggest that the rolls are filled with stupid horny kids and drunk people peeing in alleys.
Posted by: z at May 11, 2009 12:29 PM in response to Brooklyn Nabes Topping City-Wide Sex Offender Ranks
this is a great deal for the size and location, even in this market.
a lot of people are reflexively putting numbers in the widget at some percentage below asking without paying attention to whether the asking price is fair (sometimes it is -- hard to believe, i know!).
Posted by: z at May 7, 2009 1:38 PM in response to House of the Day: 100 St. Mark's Avenue
it's like a house tour with commercials!
Posted by: z at May 6, 2009 10:21 AM in response to Corcoran Serving Value Meals in Brooklyn in May
yes, because a few outspoken posters to an internet group are obviously representative of all of park slope.
Posted by: z at May 5, 2009 5:00 PM in response to How'd You Miss This?
geekspice beat me to it!
Posted by: z at May 5, 2009 3:42 PM in response to House of the Day: 481 4th Street
many of you are too easily influenced by a home's staging. it's the lack of furniture and decoration in these photos that is prompting comments like "boring" and "no character." i'd wager that if this place were staged well with nice furnishings and a little color, you wouldn't be having the same reaction.
that said, i agree the listing desperately needs a floorplan and some kitchen pics.
Posted by: z at May 5, 2009 3:41 PM in response to House of the Day: 481 4th Street
the utility of this layout depends to a larger extent than usual on the needs of the occupants.
for a single person or couple that wants an extra room for a home office, this is actually a pretty nice setup.
for roommates or a family with one or more kids, the layout is not optimal given the distance between the second bathroom and second bedroom.
Posted by: z at May 5, 2009 2:21 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 225 Park Place, #2G-H
if it has a myspace page, it's gotta be good.
Posted by: z at May 5, 2009 2:13 PM in response to StreetLevel: A Supper Club for 3rd Avenue
these balconies actually look usable. they seem like extensions of the main living space rather than the afterthought bike storage/smoking break ledges most new buildings seem to have.
Posted by: z at May 5, 2009 11:31 AM in response to Checking In On Hello Living Sydney
hey east new york, you kinda seem to be saying, "this place is for white people, who buy stupid crap." maybe that's not actually what you mean, but that's the impression your comments give.
Posted by: z at May 4, 2009 7:12 PM in response to Streetlevel: Skateboards, Flowers and Dry Goods
what sweetser said. i was at the botanic garden last weekend during the sakura matsuri events, where i saw a huge number of black teenagers and early-20s-types wearing japanese pop culture clothing and gear (i.e., they were dressed sort of like anime/manga characters). it was an interesting cultural intersection that served as a good reminder that one should avoid making broad assumptions about the preferences and tastes of any particular group or community.
Posted by: z at May 4, 2009 4:24 PM in response to Streetlevel: Skateboards, Flowers and Dry Goods
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
This could be any type of wood. Even lighter (and also cheaper) woods can be stained in order to achieve the look of a Brazilian walnut or other darker woods.
Concerning Brazilian walnut flooring, here is a link that might be useful:
http://www.helpful-kitchen-tips.com/kitchen-blog/2009/11/30/brazilian-walnut-flooring-review-solid-and-engineered-walnut-floor-ideas/
Posted by: Svilen at December 1, 2009 5:03 AM in response to "dark" hardwood floors being used in modern condos/homes
If you have a good inspector, they should give you a detailed report on all the things that need to be fixed/updated, as well as a ball park estimate for what each job should cost. Once you hear back from the inspector, you'll have a more realistic idea of how much work really needs done and if you can handle it. If you need to consult a GC, try All Renovation(their link is on Brownstoner). They are very professional and can give you an extremely detailed estimate, broken down and priced by work and materials for each job of the project. Good Luck!!!
Posted by: Misty B at December 3, 2009 1:58 PM in response to Renovation Estimates
My sanitation guys will eventually take everything. Show them an Andy Jackson and help throw it in,....
Posted by: smeyer418 at December 3, 2009 3:23 PM in response to Hauling My Own Garbage?
Your estimates are too high. Also, new sinks will work with old pipes. Figure $200 per outlet. Figure about $60 for a non-licensed plumber to put in a new sink.
Anyway, don't worry, the inspector will probably find a billion things wrong. For instance, they invariably say you have to tear out all the plumbing if it's more than 20 years old. This is false. You only need to replace what is leaking.
Keep in mind that anything you don't see or that isn't working now might not be working. For example, dropped ceilings, panelling, linoleum floors, or wall to wall carpet could be hiding holes. You don't need to replace plaster unless it crumbles away at a touch.
Are people living there? That's a good sign.
Posted by: mopar at December 3, 2009 5:28 PM in response to Renovation Estimates
The sanitation workers are not allowed to take money directly from you. You might want to be a little slicker than waving it around.
Posted by: UnprotectedWrecks at December 3, 2009 8:14 PM in response to Hauling My Own Garbage?
I am more than handy, and I still leave electrical work to the experts - especially in older homes where the existing wiring can really be outdated.
If you are in fact ADDING a receptacle: what will you be plugging into it? That makes all the difference when branching off a circuit in the panel. The circuits have amperage ratings and you can only plug in so many electronic devices or else you will blow the circuits. In addition some devices and or locations require dedicated circuits, meaning that an appliance or the bathroom has its own circuit breaker.
It could cost $200-500 to pull BX to a new location and add a receptacle if the panel allows for it.
If you are changing out a receptacle, that is a different story altogether.
As for the plumbing, old and new sinks utilize the same plumbing, though pipe sizes (on the drain) may differ. If you are actually moving pipes in the wall to put in a different size sink a licensed plumber could charge around $500.
Good luck!
Posted by: masterbuilder at December 4, 2009 8:29 AM in response to Renovation Estimates
Thanks for the advice but it really is too much to put out in small amounts for the garbage guys. Besides I once tried to offer money to a civil servant to expedite and matter and did not get the response I hoped for. I find it rather amazing however that the city does not let people simply bring their own garbage somewhere themselves and forces us into the hands of private haulers. Yet another example of why it is so expensive and difficult to own private property.
Posted by: Phalces at December 4, 2009 10:01 AM in response to Hauling My Own Garbage?
Whatever you think everything will cost, double it - That way you will know the worst case scenario, then hope for the best. Only once you begin repairs do you uncover other problems that need addressing. This equation is almost always right.
I am a professional builder and contractor in Brooklyn with hundreds of jobs completed.
Posted by: Scrappalonk at December 5, 2009 5:01 PM in response to Renovation Estimates
J&M cleanouts (john) 718-496-2572
they were great, got rid of anything i wanted and did it fast!
Posted by: bootsbar at December 6, 2009 7:43 AM in response to Hauling My Own Garbage?
I bought a tree at the guy behind the lowes parking lot on 9th street. He had a lot of nice trees and in every shape and size
Posted by: charliesackett at December 16, 2009 12:35 AM in response to where can i buy a xmas tree in park slope? and one other question
take lnblog's recommendation with a grain of salt -- you will notice that his/her posting history consists almost entirely of plugs for bullfrog builders.
Posted by: z at December 3, 2009 11:56 AM in response to Renovation Estimates