Open Thread

Congratulations, MM. You will be one of the “most read” threads on the site.

1st

Has anyone noticed that many restaurants are serving lower than quality food? I eat out A LOT and I’ve noticed that everyone- from Chinese to Mexican to Arabic to delis to chi-chi trendy restaurants, from the Slope to Coney, from Williamsburg to Carroll Gardens are serving smaller portions and mediocre food.

The economy is killing food quality. Is it just me?

Posted by: Prodigal_Son at March 30, 2009 9:19 AM

TO: BAY RIDGE GIRL
RE: MIES VAN DER ROHE’S BIRTHDAY

There are traces of a Mies project in Brooklyn: University Terrace near Pratt Institute in Clinton Hill, a Mitchell-Lama project, originally planned by Mies.

Although the firm Kelly and Gruzen ultimately did the architecture, Mies’ “slab block” principles are still evident in the three towers that leave most of their superblocks open for lawns and parking lots, quite similar to the Colonnade Apartments in Newark and Lafayette Gardens in Detroit, contemporary urban renewal projects designed by the Great One.

I learned this when friends of my parents bought an apartment at University Terrace when I was a boy. I recall the project’s original name as “The Quadrangles,” no doubt referring to the Pratt campus, and appearing on maps of Brooklyn at the time.

University Terrace was definitely one of the better looking Mitchell-Lama projects. It was built by the Tishman group which, the project’s brochures proudly announced, were responsible for many of the “fine” cooperatives along Park Avenue.

Our friends’ apartment was quite nice and had a big, square living room in the corner of the building, unusual when most other new buildings had bedrooms at this location. This arrangement was similar to Mies’ Lake Shore Drive Apartments in Chicago, where as many living rooms as possible are located at corners to take advantage of the view. But the Brooklyn apartments had an advantage over the Chicago numbers: they had balconies extending the living rooms’ width.

I remember thinking University Terrace very sleek, with its plate glass lobbies approached by private driveways. I don’t know the condition of the project now, but in its day it represented The New for a segment of middle-class Brooklynites who didn’t move to the suburbs.

Nostalgic on Park Avenue

Posted by: NOP at March 30, 2009 9:20 AM

Today, let’s play “Educate Snappy!”
Last night I watched “Buying & Selling: 20 Best Kept Secrets” on HGTV. As a novice in this area, I have some questions for you seasoned home-owners out there. All of the questions below come from their ‘best kept secrets’ regarding selling. Answer one, answer none, it’s up to you ☺

1. Babs Corcorcan said you should under-price your house to get a quick sale and likely multiple offers. I couldn’t help but wonder how that jives with what many of you have said wrt her site (seriously price inflation to the point that many of you believed the broker and/or seller were smoking some green!). Yes, the seller gets the final say, but have any of you as a seller here ever felt you were being pushed toward pricing higher than you thought home was worth or the market could bear? What was the result?

2. Leave closets half empty to give the illusion of tons of storage. Anyone here ever done that?

3. Remove all signs of pets including food, litter, dog bed, etc? Is that realistic? Have any of you ever done that? Yeah, you can take dog out with you when you leave for an open house, but what the hell do you do with your cat? Has anyone ever walked by a bowl of cat/dog food and been sickened by the smell – enough to run you out of the house and take it off your list of homes to consider for purchase?

4. Don’t over-upgrade. I’m wondering what would be an over-upgrade in Brownstone Brooklyn? I don’t think anyone expects a soaker tub, granite counters and travertine floors in so-called “fringe” neighborhoods, but is there such a thing say in Park Slope or Brooklyn Heights for example? (For this one, I’m only asking about houses, not co-ops or condos.)

5. Under the category of what they called “making your home anonymous,” the advice was “Remove everything about your personality from your home.” Some of the examples given included a Star Wars collection and neon wallpaper (ok, I understand the neon wallpaper one!). Anyone here ever hired a stager? What did it cost you? Was it worth it?

Posted by: InsertSnappyNameHere at March 30, 2009 9:20 AM

NOP–saw your post over the weekend. University Towers is doing great actually. Still well maintained and good value housing comparable to other things in the neighborhood.

Posted by: wasder at March 30, 2009 9:22 AM

I was over commenting on topic in the Renter thread when randolph (he says he’s a he but his profile says “female”…what’s that all about???) came along and went off topic.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at March 30, 2009 9:23 AM

Can someone tell me how This Old House works? Is everything donated and then homeowners just pay gift tax? That’s how I assumed it worked, but I’m watching the Brooklyn series and don’t get it — they carve up the house a LOT for the rental income and then laboriously restore wood/plaster, get custom kitchen everything, and furnish it with oriental rugs and furniture from ABC.

I think normal mortals would choose to keep the top floor for themselves (that 5 year plan seems whack to me) and perhaps skip the pot filler, stain the wood without the artisan, and use the furniture from their old lives for a while.

I must be missing something here.

Posted by: Ringo at March 30, 2009 9:23 AM

Snappy…I think taking serious the advice from HGTV is akin to representing yourself in court when you’re not a lawyer.

That said, removing personal things is basically saying get rid of all the clutter.

In all my years of buying and selling I’ve never heard that someone should “underprice” their house.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at March 30, 2009 9:25 AM

Dave, Randolph likely did that just to take you off topic and then be able to complain

Mr. B, will you also be deleting the folks impersonating myself and the real Dave???

We were just alerted to the impersonator who posted above and have deleted the comment.