How many can live in 1 family house
Is there a limit on how many people can legally occupy a one-family home in NYC? There is a house on my block that has an extended family of about 15 adults and 9 kids. They do all appear to be family so I am certain that they are not running a rooming house, just…
Is there a limit on how many people can legally occupy a one-family home in NYC? There is a house on my block that has an extended family of about 15 adults and 9 kids. They do all appear to be family so I am certain that they are not running a rooming house, just wondering about saftey.
Van Buren Proud and Traditional Mod. Well said.
“I have read about homes catching fire and many of these homes where there are fatalities were homes with lots of people.”
Those tragic fires happen all the time in overcrowded houses, and it’s the children who die because they freeze in fear in a fire; also children are often crowded all in one room together, often in dangerous attic and basement spaces. Or even walk-in closets serve as kid’s rooms in these situations. The reasons why there are regulations on how many people can sleep in each room are the same as those for a theater or club’s max capacity laws — it’s about how quickly people can exit a space in a fire. They don’t make these regulations just to get all up in people’s business, Bxgrl. There are one of these very kinds of fires in crowded houses several times a year in NYC or nearby cities. I remember seeing one happened just within the last couple weeks in a nearby city, where several children died.
You know, I was just talking to my next-door neighbor last night about how difficult it is to find the right balance between being nosy and letting your neighborhood lapse into awfulness.
I live on a block in Bed Stuy that has had a strong block association and sense of community since forever. And a large part of that is being nosy. Looking at your neighbors and seeing who’s selling drugs, and getting the police involved. Walking up to someone and demanding that they get the car on blocks out of their yard. Asking someone if they need help planting something nice in their garden.
Sometimes this attention to others goes too far. I have gotten the talk-to for leaving dog poop in my front yard on a cold rainy day when I didn’t have a bag, and I landscaped my front yard much sooner than I wanted to.
But I wouldn’t have it any other way. My block is so much nicer than the surrounding neighborhood–it’s really an oasis. It’s got way more trees than surrounding blocks. It only had one crack house in the 80’s. It’s a place where everybody knows everybody else’s name. It’s the safest place I have ever lived.
In that context, I think Just Wondering raises legit questions in a basically thoughtful way.
I think it’s really easy for folks to try to have it both ways: to assume that you can buy a home in a neighborhood with poor people in it without impacting poor people’s choices. But homeowners on an urban block are in a position of leadership, and *should* care about unsafe situations like twenty people living in an apartment, or even ugly situations like a makeshift garage with a couple of cars on blocks in front of someone’s illegal curb-cut. There’s no reason to be callous or haughty, but it’s important to be interested and aware, and have standards that you hold your block to.
It’s a balancing act. And I think Just Wondering is doing a good job of balancing. I think anyone here who’s giving her grief should step off.
But it’s not offensive to tell Caribbean Americans they don’t exist because the US census doesn’t say so? You may have an issue with choosing, but there are others who don’t.
Trust me I have plenty in my life besides brownstoner. More than enough that I don’t have to sit and count how many people live in the house down the block. Seems I’m not the only one who should get a friend or a drink or something. You and Chaka have a good night and a good life.
If you read that post and subsequent posts on any other thread you will see that I am all of those things. I don’t like having to check anyone of those boxes because I could fit into any of those cultural designations. It is offensive to me to have to choose between my Asian, African or European heritages. You really need to go to bed, get laid, have a drink or something. Chill. Get a friend or a job that you like. Something.
And one last thing, dear- why don’t you take a look at Just wondering’s last post on that Crown Heights thread before you go defending her. “‘Caribbean’ vs African American? Most of them are Black i.e. African-American! There is no ‘Caribbean’ American category on any census or other type of form requiring a racial/cultural distinction. I never even understood the term ‘Hispanic.’ I know ‘Hispanic’ people that are Black, White and one who would technically qualify as Asian.”
If that’s not offensive, IMHO, I wonder what is in yours?
right- because I asked for more information on a thread posted by someone asking for opinions? Right. You have issues. I don’t need them foisted on me, thanks.
You have a good night dear.
Yes while that is true bxgrl, your post preceding that one did take a very accusatory and IMHO, a wrong turn.