The Brownstone Mailbox Dilemma
During our renovation, we were too busy worrying about things like plumbing and flooring to even think about a mailbox. And now here we are, almost a 18 months after moving in, and we still don’t have one. We’ve been keeping an eye out for something antique but haven’t found anything. We just can’t bring…
During our renovation, we were too busy worrying about things like plumbing and flooring to even think about a mailbox. And now here we are, almost a 18 months after moving in, and we still don’t have one. We’ve been keeping an eye out for something antique but haven’t found anything. We just can’t bring ourselves to put up one of these metal boxes either. Granted, they look better when they are recessed into the stoop but we have to believe there are better options out there. What have some of you done? Our tenant is getting tired of wet mail.
smith and hawken
We had the same problem. In fact, when we bought our house, the mailman had been putting the mail under the gate under the stoop and our mail was stolen, wet etc. We put a slot in the door and it works great. We also went down to the post office on a saturday to make sure our mailman did not mind, which he did not and it and was a good chance to meet him.
Get a key keeper!
Yes it will be a battle to get the USPS to OK it, and come and install their part of the key.
But it is so worth it. The mailperson will be able to access the vestibule and not only leave
mail (in a mailbox recessed into the wall) but they can leave packages there too.
This eliminates having to go to the post office to pick up the package.
Before I put in a new mailbox I asked the post office if they can just put it through the door. They told me that they must deliver it to the same place they always did. So, since our box was under the stairs, we had to keep it there. I just bought a nice big single box online and leave a key nearby for tenants to get it and sort through it. The remaining mail for other tenants goes on a lovely antique peice (don’t know what they’re called: coat hooks, mirror, counter) in the hallway.
we don’t have tenants anymore, but we’ve never had a problem with the mail carrier walking up the stoop to drop the mail thorugh the mail slot onto our hall floor. When we had tenants, we sorted and dropped it off downstairs in the internal hallway. Is it just rumor that USPS is going to stop the up-the-stoop climb or really fact? I never even knew this was a potential problem…
We got one large locking stainless steel mailbox (black) online for everyone’s use. It’s reasonably attractive and holds plenty of mail–and keeps it dry. All the tenants have a key and it’s worked out well.
i grew up in a brownstone on the upper west side and it had recessed mailboxes at the top of the stoop in a small foyer before a second door (never had problems with people sleeping in the foyer).
and unlike brooklyn, the mailmen never seemed to have problems walking up the stairs.
Whatever you do, make sure the mailbox locks securely. We suspect stolen mail as the source of a nasty case of identity theft that took over one year to untangle.
We bought our current mailbox at Pintchik Hardware on Flatbush and mounted it on our stoop gate.
I have two quests: a decent looking protected mailbox (my mailcarrier drops all mail rubberbanded on to the floor of my downstairs entrance. Needless to say its often wet or frozen) and a decent looking ceiling fan.
All of the larger mail boxes legal for NYC use are hideous with gold colored eagles or some kind of icky doodads on them with extra ugly “colonial” touches. (Did you ever wonder exactly what “colonial” connotes? Opression?)
All of the ceiling fans are cutesy with crappy looking brackets and fussy lamps. A million years ago – before it was easy to find ceiling fans in the US – a friend brought back a very plain one from Mexico and re-wired it. The blades were beautiful – twisted like a boat propellor directly from the shaft without superfluous decoration.
Anybody seen either? Can we custom make em?