Rob, butterfly at 10:38 AM --

LOL !

Posted by: BklynSoFar at February 18, 2010 9:36 PM in response to Norah Jones Window Count Reaches Three

Thanks to Montrose for identifying the wallpaper. Someone can change it and the furniture will be gone. I'd like to say that this is a great location. I have logged many stroller-pushing miles and hours from living almost across the street. It is close to the subway, the museum and 7th ave. shopping. Also have admired the facades of these Romanesque buildings together. Perhaps a Google employee will buy this house (as was mentioned about the house at Carroll and PPW). :-)

Posted by: BklynSoFar at February 15, 2010 9:25 PM in response to House of the Day: 946 President Street

1. Quote:

It's not like it is something completely off the wall, it's just windows.....

Posted by: STARGAZER 12:07 PM

LOL and QOTD

2. Then Minard gets to the structural issue here (quote):

as anyone who is familiar with these houses knows, the sidewalls hold up the floor joists, however the joists do not reach the walls where the chimneys are. The loads from those joists are picked up by a lateral beam and distributed to the joists on either side of the chimney. The chimneys are one of the structural weakpoints of most historic rowhouses. In this picture it looks like the new windows are being cut out from the bearing wall on either side of the chimneys. Where are loads being redirected? The chimney masonry? This looks so perilous. All the loads are being channeled into either a very thin area between the window and the chimneys or perhaps to the chimneys themselves. I hope someone really thought about this. The LPC does not look into those issues, it is up to the Department of Buildings to make sure the work will not cause a collapse.

Posted by: Minard Lafever at 1:13 PM

Minard, thanks again for your knowledge.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at February 8, 2010 10:39 PM in response to Norah Jones' Windows Coming In

Hello, Nostalgic On Park.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at December 9, 2009 9:06 PM in response to Walkabout: My Favorites - Commercial and Civic Buildings

NOP and Morris, do you know if the Williamsburg Houses referred to by NOP are the same ones where the famous "Williamsburg Murals" were re-discovered, restored and shown at the Brooklyn Museum?

Quote from a link about the Williamsburg murals (leading to more links):

"Fascinating - in 1988, a group of abstract murals were discovered in the basement of the Williamsburg Houses. The murals, which "are thought to be the first and among the most important abstract wall paintings in the United States") according to this Times article), ..."

http://www.brooklyn11211.com/11211side/2009/04/williamsburg-murals
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/07/20/arts/long-lost-brooklyn-murals-are-being-restored.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brooklyn_museum/3439311310/

PS- my previous post was lost so hope stuff doesn't post twice.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at December 9, 2009 8:42 PM in response to Walkabout: My Favorites - Commercial and Civic Buildings

Does anyone know if the general public can access the Montauk club?
Posted by: Joe from Brooklyn at December 8, 2009 10:37 AM

Joe, one afternoon in June, I just walked in there and looked around. There were some people attending some music lectures. Maybe whoever was there thought I was part of the group. I walked into all of the public spaces and up the stairs afterwhich certain doors were closed and one surmises off-limits to the public beyond that. I was encouraged to do this by two elderly neighborhood people who told me they were members there, and going in and looking around would be okay. This was after expressing my curiosity to them about the building. One would have to look around anyway if one was thinking of joining the club.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at December 8, 2009 8:52 PM in response to Walkabout: My Favorites - Commercial and Civic Buildings

M. Morris, how about the Rosario Candela building on Plaza W., at Union, the one sometimes called the Flatiron of Brooklyn. I have wondered what room is at the pointed triangle part of the building where there is just *one window*, if it is a hallway or closet, etc, :-). Does anyone know anything of the floor plans? This curiosity comes from walking by it almost daily and the quote below. From the top view on Google maps, the building looks like a fleche or an arrowhead.

A very short google search yielded this clue:

"An admirer of cryptology, codes and puzzles, Candela sometimes incorporated these things into his interior blueprints."

Quote from: http://sfctoday.com/features/29-brooklyns-very-own-flatiron-building.html

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by: BklynSoFar at November 25, 2009 10:26 PM in response to Walkabout: Our Favorite Brooklyn Buildings

Dtimas - thanks for your Montauk Club link. Do you remember when brownstoner had a "condo of the day" in the Montauk?
http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2009/02/
condo_of_the_da_132.php#comments

Posted by: BklynSoFar at November 25, 2009 9:43 PM in response to Walkabout: Our Favorite Brooklyn Buildings

"Houses with central lateral stairs did not have hallways but they usually had doors that would seal the parlor off from the stairs. That way one could heat the room and not have all the heat go up the staircase. WHen people blow out the doors and partitions and then complain that their heat escapes up to the top floor, they should realize that these houses were designed in a very green manner to be heated one room at a time.

Posted by: Minard Lafever at November 25, 2009 2:19 PM"

Minard, again thanks for your knowledge of how brownstones are actually built. On a site called brownstoner.com, your detailed and historical descriptions get at the heart of the subject and are of great value.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at November 25, 2009 9:24 PM in response to House of the Day: 481 4th Street Revisited

Minard, thank you for this complex and detailed answer. It is fascinating. I'd like to reply to you Friday or on the weekend, if you have time to check this thread again. Right now I just became tired (!) to explain why I asked. So thank you so much for your time and educated answer. (Actually don't know if I can post on Friday, so more like the weekend.)

Posted by: BklynSoFar at November 5, 2009 10:28 PM in response to Walkabout: Italianates, the Ornamental Imperative

"she may likely just stay on as a holdover and not pay rent. *You will then be forced to evict and bring her to Court, a major pain in the neck.* She will try to argue that the place was unihabitable - you didnt fix problems etc etc. So you need to document everything you have done and are doing for the tenant to demonstrate that the apartment and building is quite habitable."

Posted by: saminthehood at November 5, 2009 2:25 PM

Tater, saminthehood has a valid point of how it could go; something I've seen before. Even with all the validation, photos, and contemporaneous notes you take, she could hold you up in court for an entire year and you could lose an entire year's rent. People who know how to play the system can do this. Her lawyers can keep you held up in court for a long time with delayed appearances, etc.

As mentioned by a few posters, nicely raise the rent and she may go easily. One can do this without seeming antagonistic (read all above posts). Why sign another lease, though, as you ask for increased rent? You don't need to do that and it would be counter-productive to what you want if she accepts (her gone).

Even if you go with the suggestions that she no longer has a valid lease and legally has to go -- please see again the paragraph by saminthehood. It could go like that, a legal quagmire for a year to prove everything and whatever and you lose a lot of money, with nothing ever being proved (proven?) A long time and a lot of lawyer games.

The tenant may have a disorder similar to bipolar or something and I say that with no disrespect. This sounds difficult.

Reread -- northridger at 2:44 PM: " ... months to get them evicted with lots of pain all around." It is similar to saminthehood. Of course reread Vinca.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at November 5, 2009 10:12 PM in response to Help with Demanding Tenant?

Thanks Montrose for this enlightenment. I will look at doors and adornments differently.

As you wrote (above) of the 6-inches of Brownstone over brick, what do you know about the row houses that are just brick with no brownstone over the brick, such as those at Cobble Hill by the water? As in, are they just as durable without the further 6-inches of brownstone?

And do you or someone here know exactly how thick is the brick between the row houses? I ask that for a particular reason that I would explain later. Thanks, Montrose.

Thanks, too, Minard for your additional comments.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at November 5, 2009 7:29 PM in response to Walkabout: Italianates, the Ornamental Imperative

Mr. and Mrs. B -- so sorry about the side-swipe with 3 kids in the car. Once I was side-swiped by an enormous truck when I was in a small car (waiting at the intersection). The truck driver was horrified to have hit my small car as his vehicle slid sideways somehow. It smashed my passenger side door with a light touch and I was completely unharmed. That seemed like a miracle. The truck company was most helpful with insurance. Even when one is unharmed, it can shake one up quite a bit.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at November 5, 2009 6:41 PM in response to Mrs. B Side-Swiped In The Heights

Yes, Martha Stewart's photos are great publicity for Mr. B.'s flea!

Posted by: BklynSoFar at October 28, 2009 10:52 PM in response to The Incredible Brooklyn Flea Market!

>The word “gargoyle” is from the French word “gargouille”, which means >“throat”. A real gargoyle is a waterspout, projecting from a gutter,

Wondering if we also get our word "gargle" from similar associations. Just askin'

Thank you for this study and also for your previous one.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at October 27, 2009 11:57 PM in response to Walkabout with Montrose: In the Throat of Terror

Fun and beauty! Thank you for all of this.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at October 27, 2009 9:06 PM in response to Closing Bell: Greenpoint Convent Goes to the Artists

Fabulous photo, A_Love.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at October 21, 2009 11:24 PM in response to Wednesday Blogwrap

For me, the feel of the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood is like no other. It has a specialness difficult to describe, and atmosphere is an inadequate word. Spending some time there would probably dispel the notion of Manhattan wannabe.

As for 135 Willow St, mentioned above, I've been in a couple of apartments that were quite nice. 135 was built before Bk Hts was named a National Historic Landmark in 1965 (?). Photos by Berenice Abbott are available on Google of what Willow Street looked like before 135 was built.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at October 21, 2009 11:21 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 2 Grace Court, #4T

Jenny,

"She is on the fourth floor btw."

Jenny, your friend may be just one floor too low to escape the train vibrations :-)

Here is a quote about *wine and the fifth floor* -- a New York hotel story that may amuse your friend:

" ... the Waldorf Astoria is built above the railway tracks of the nearby Grand Central and the hotel stores its wine on the 5th storey so as to escape the train vibrations." ("New York", by Travel Bugs, 1994)

Perhaps the people at the Waldorf are onto something!

Posted by: BklynSoFar at September 13, 2009 10:05 PM in response to Subway Vibration

bryanx -- I am so sorry that happened to you. Owwww. I hope you are out of pain and better now.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at September 13, 2009 9:38 PM in response to Friday Links

" ... it could have been much much worse believe me."

Yes, here is only one of the many things that could have been worse --

Wasn't one reason the fountain in the middle of the Grand Army Plaza was redone is that it was *sinking* into the subway below?

:-)

Posted by: BklynSoFar at September 11, 2009 5:10 PM in response to Subway Vibration

i wish NYU would get the hell out of downtown and move to clinton hill.

*rob*

Posted by: Butterfly at September 11, 2009 2:16 PM

Rob, I was reading along this thread in dead seriousness (not good :-), then your post appeared and has me LOL.

If anyone hasn't realized this by now, Rob is a genius at turning things around. Maybe could get a job writing for late-night tv. This meaning is subtle and almost indescribable which is part of its genius. I cannot explain it anyway, why this is so funny. Something about the Clinton Hill gentrification conflict, etc., (?) a very in-house thing at Brownstoner for many reasons. Really effective comedy is unexplainable, I have read.

Oy, everyone here has a valid point of view here.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at September 11, 2009 4:24 PM in response to Pratt: Not In Our Front Yard

Benson, Benson, Benson -- after Mr. B. again, tsk, tsk. I hear the anger toward Mr. B. yet don't quite understand it unless it is something personal that strikes a chord where there has been some personal hurt before.

For one thing, Mr. B., despite opposition and vitriol, allows dissenters to post on his blog, gives people a chance to use his Forum for valuable advice, etc.. Benson, I think I'd like you, and we also might have some things in common. Yet I don't understand the anger at Mr. B. (as I interpret it).

So Mr. B. grew up on the upper east side, so he has an education in something. So what? I didn't grow up on the UES, but everyone has to be born someplace and into certain circumstances (perhaps that is a 'God thing', if one believes in Providence, and many do not).

As I see it, we profit from the hospitality, contacts, resources, and daily hard work of Mr. B.

Benson, I will tell you that I also had immigrant parents and grandparents who worked hard. That doesn't make me hate Mr. B., nor would my family dislike Mr. B.. They are intelligent, artistic people (as are you) and they wouldn't like all developers, nor all types of architecture, either.

I had meant to address you before, after the Green Church thing. Maybe I'll write to you again. My sincere best wishes to you. It sounds as if you are doing well and you are most professional.

And admittedly Che Guevara (on flea market bags) is controversial. I must say I do not know the depth of that story although it has been on PBS. I think it was before my time. People don't really understand the negativity of that subject as Che may have been rather touted in the 1960's. Well, this part is over my head now. Good luck in everything.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at September 7, 2009 1:06 AM in response to Closing Bell: Fair Weather Flea

NOP, thank you for your answer. Actually I had a reason for asking and I intend to reply. At the moment, I am blogged out! :-/ :-\ Thank you so much for your time and your answer. Later . . .

Posted by: BklynSoFar at September 3, 2009 7:18 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 125 Eastern Parkway, #5E

Dear Nostalgic O.P.A. at 2:40 PM

1. " . . . appears symptomatic of the street's decline."

NOP, regarding your knowledge of the history of this area --were you around there when the area went into decline in the late 1960's to early 1970's ? If you have time to answer I'll check this thread later and get back to you.

NOP, what do you think of the street now?

2. For anyone considering this place, it appears to have light and be on the 5th floor. I'd like to know what side of the building the windows face (must not be Museum or they would say so as an incentive).

As NOP said, this does not seem to be Turner Towers. There was much written about T.T. on Brownstoner a couple of months ago. Someone had knowledge that T.T. needed extensive plumbing and elecrical work due to the building's age. I wonder how this building would fare with those concerns. An interested party may consider checking into that. This close to the subway is a great asset.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at September 3, 2009 5:28 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 125 Eastern Parkway, #5E

This appears to be near the intersection of Grand and Lexington where the Pratt Institute architect student was brutally assaulted, as reported in Brownstoner Aug 12.

http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2009/08/crimes_down_we.php#comments

Posted by: BklynSoFar at August 26, 2009 10:49 PM in response to Clinton Hill Development Sites on the Market

re post at: August 18, 2009 1:25 AM

I can tell that "The Egg" is a promising artist!

Posted by: BklynSoFar at August 22, 2009 8:23 PM in response to Renovation on the cheap

Wonderful photo.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at August 21, 2009 8:49 PM in response to Tuesday Blogwrap

Beautiful photo.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at August 21, 2009 8:41 PM in response to Thursday Blogwrap

I believe it was immigrant displacement in SoHo. One may Google the "SoHo Effect" of gentrification for what happened there. Possibly it was Polish immigrants. Sorry I don't have time to research this further or if this is slightly off-topic (not Brooklyn, etc, and it was more about art).

Posted by: BklynSoFar at August 21, 2009 1:38 PM in response to Immigrant Groups Fight Sunset Park Rezoning

Chicken, this kitchen is beautiful -- and the other rooms also. I like your sleek design. (Are pictures on the fridge by the little chicken ?) Thank you for sharing these photos.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at August 17, 2009 8:52 PM in response to Renovation on the cheap

Chicken, this kitchen is beautiful -- and the other rooms also. I like your sleek design. (Are pictures on the fridge by the little chicken ?). Thank you for sharing these photos.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at August 17, 2009 8:51 PM in response to Renovation on the cheap

I hope the fiancée (Ms.)is reading Brownstoner today.

northsloperenter at 11:19 AM, has a real point -- that is echoed by mopar at 5:24 PM. I can see that she has more emotional considerations to make than just the property. Women, nevertheless, need to protect themselves. She could stand to lose much more than a few dollars (as in possibly everything).

Posted by: BklynSoFar at August 17, 2009 7:58 PM in response to The Emotional Undercurrent of Buying and Selling

Dave, this is cool !

Posted by: BklynSoFar at August 16, 2009 11:55 PM in response to DIBS Refinishes His Facade

Snappy -- so sorry to hear about your job. You are a professional, I can tell by your posts. Perhaps Morris will send up some prayers for your next job.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at August 13, 2009 8:48 PM in response to Open Thread

Quickly browsed the Upstate posts. Does anyone know about Woodstock -- because family still has interest there.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at August 13, 2009 8:46 PM in response to Open Thread

OP mentions, "The building is rent controlled . . ."

Possibilities:

1. This happened to a friend in a rent controlled building -- the landlord purposely let things happen so the tenants would move and the rent-control status would be removed. (This isn't legal but some people find a way.)

2. When one can't get response from owner who lives far away: the landlord may be having troubles of his/her own and not dealing with business right now. We had once instance of this where the "super" was drinking and not taking care of the absent owner's business. The landlord had personal problems and was in no position to check on the super.

3. About lightbulbs -- we also had an instance where light bulbs were disappearing. Drug dealing tenants were removing them so light would not shine on their activities.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at August 9, 2009 8:55 PM in response to Landlord Neglected Building

For more about Bubbles: go to Google and choose "credit bubbles in history", if one chooses to.

About Bubbles and incoherence, here is what the Jerusalem Post says:

"In short, bubbles play out in la-la-land - and nowhere else."

Jerusalem Post: Bubbles and Blame
--Updated Jul 24, 2009 4:19

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1248277878609

More from above:
" ... an entire civilization, loses its collective rationality, detaches itself from accepted behavioral norms and willingly suspends its natural disbelief in absurd concepts. In short, bubbles play out in la-la-land - and nowhere else."

"The basic fact about bubbles is that they are not economic or financial phenomena but rather stem from processes belonging to the fields of sociology and mass psychology."

If interested read more.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at July 31, 2009 11:46 PM in response to Open Thread

What -- have a good trip! I appreciate you. Some people here do not like it that cobble and I communicate with you. What, whoever you are -- you have a dynamic quality about you. Best to you.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at July 31, 2009 10:14 PM in response to Open Thread

Hello, dibs, re: daveinbedstuy at July 31, 2009 10:12 AM

Thank you dibs, I like you. That is only partly true about foreign languages -haha. Dibs, I wonder if you were reading past 5 pm :-). I cannot get online earlier, nor read every post.

I'll find more accurate quotes of the bubble thing and get back to whomever.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at July 31, 2009 5:15 PM in response to Open Thread

Please, What, tell us what is going to happen.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at July 30, 2009 1:26 PM

Dear Dave the finance guy, This is what is going to happen: There are still more financial bubbles up in the air (banking schemes and scams). When one more of these bubbles pops it will set off a chain reaction of other bubbles, also up in the air. Meaning it will not just be one bubble, to hit one other bubble; but a multiplied effect. Some bubbles depend on others for support. When one goes, many others may go. Wasn't that taught in finance school? Maybe you did not go to the school of such a crooked economy as exists today.

About 3 months ago it was predicted that this would happen in about 6 months (predicted albiet by the "gloom and doomers", nevertheless, the "gloom and doomers" also predicted the sub-prime mortgage fiasco). So let us prepare for the worst and pray the big collapse does not happen.

We don't want to think about this or talk about it much. Too horrible.

Love ya, Dave, and love the What too.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at July 30, 2009 9:23 PM in response to Open Thread

Rob, hope you are on the upswing today. Sometimes it takes awhile.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at July 29, 2009 6:59 PM in response to Open Thread

Hello, Rob. I'm this late getting to read brownstoner, and don't know if you are even awake by this time. I am sad that you are feeling sad. I want to make a post to you as soon as I can. Now I have to go -- big family things going on taking up much time. I only read about the first 12 posts of this thread. Bless you.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at July 28, 2009 11:24 PM in response to Open Thread

Chicken, if you are reading, I posted an answer on that other thread. We will await your good news!

Posted by: BklynSoFar at July 25, 2009 9:50 PM in response to Open Thread

oneasternparkway -- I think I remember the address of your building from a previous post you wrote (won't mention it here). I just did some googling because I heard this is a global situation and the bugs are traveling with people in hotels and luggage. You have much information now from above posts. Here is another of many sites:
World Travel:
http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/story?id=5865148&page=1

Posted by: BklynSoFar at July 25, 2009 9:08 PM in response to Bed Bugs and Rats

What, also I believe it possible that Dibs has been escalating name-calling and insults to you to provoke a meeting. I'd not trust it under those circumstances - just my thinking. Insults do not usually result in friendship.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at July 23, 2009 11:00 PM in response to Open Thread

What, thank you for your letter above. What, would you please consider taking it easier on Mr. B.? Oh, What, I hope you don't get too mad at me for bringing this up. Believe me, I have read your posts and am understanding your views on gentrification and (believe I) understand that that is non-negotiable with you. But Mr. B gives us a platform here, a place to discuss all kinds of things. It is as if he invites us into his cyber living room when he has no obligation to do so. He isn't a bad guy and we can still say our views. Oh, What, you might be getting angry at me now, but I do not mean anything negative by this :-).

Posted by: BklynSoFar at July 23, 2009 10:50 PM in response to Open Thread

Chicken, thank you for giving me the picture of the whole world as fiat currency (didn't know every country is fiat). Thanks too, for writing in layman's language. I am afraid to ask exactly what you do, because then I may be too intimidated to write to you! :-). Must be in financial systems. What a wonderful subject to be educated in.

So you are from Zimbabwe, yes?

It sounds as if the world is one big "floating crap game" (pardon the language) right now. Big gamble, as in "hedge your bets" (hedge-funds); divert your dirivatives (move things around). Lots of non-existent money (?). Bubbles going up then coming down.

Or, from what you wrote me, I have an image of one big loose rubber band around planet earth (a few feet from the ground) that represents its financial situation (or atmosphere). In some places the rubber band is stretched thinner and more precariously than at others. Over the USA it may be close to breaking, no? Then the locations of the stretching band may shift and change for better and worse.

Thanks for the lessons. I am also reading a book and coincidentally, I randomly open the pages and find things similar that you are telling me. I must learn more about inflation movements. So now we put this together with trade (I think you wrote that). Hope this doesn't all sound too dumb.

The What, I see you are busy posting today (23rd). Will await predictions.

Not much time to write now as we are dealing with a family situation -- an elderly person. Bye for now.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at July 23, 2009 9:45 PM in response to Open Thread

Thank you again, Chicken. I have printed it because it is late. I will read it and get back to you.

Thank you also, What. I will try to get back to both of you tomorrow.

I didn't get to check Wed. July 22, OT, thread either, over 600 comments!

Posted by: BklynSoFar at July 22, 2009 10:56 PM in response to Open Thread

Chicken, thanks about euro currency. Yes, she says maybe she would end up paying $250.00 for a hamburger! Well, she has lived in enough different countries to be thinking along these lines.

Your letter was not *rambling*. I am amazed at how well you know this and can explain it so fast. Again I am printing your answer. I consider it a blessing that I can write this and boom!, out of cyber-space comes this explanation from a virtual stranger (the chicken)!

As far as Iceland, where I think you go often, I read that it is one big hedge-fund fund now, in danger of going to euros and kaput with krona currency. About fiat and the USA, I hear plenty of people are worried about what is going on at the G-20 meetings as far as tanking money. Someone made a joke that the G-20 is not something going on at Fashion Ave. :-)

etson - thanks for comment.

Posted by: BklynSoFar at July 21, 2009 10:20 PM in response to Open Thread

Remodeling on a budget is not easy nice job.Remodeling Jobs

Posted by: Contractorguy2 at January 31, 2010 10:24 AM in response to Renovation on the cheap

Nice sharing of info. Thanks.

Russel Lyndon
http://www.spacify.com/

Posted by: russellyndon at March 3, 2010 7:16 AM in response to Bed Bugs and Rats