Butcher block countertop available

I will say one thing- the parlor floor kitchen seems almost half done. All the details are really nice but I've lived in rentals with more counter space. I realize that you can add more cabinetry but at this price I'd hope my microwave would not be living on a cart.

Posted by: kensington gal at February 9, 2010 4:08 PM in response to House of the Day: 449 6th Street

Check out the zoning text at the City planning section of NYC.gov as well. That lot looks like it's probably in zone 7B and would be an extremely rare circumstance that would allow an extension to go all the way to the back lot line. The norm for that district is no smaller than a 30' backyard must be maintained. You do have to check the address of the lot against the zoning map to make sure of what zone it is. Rules may be different for the lots really close to PPW.

Posted by: kensington gal at February 4, 2010 2:05 PM in response to Distance from Property Line?

Actually, I'm pretty sure this is not one of the vendors from the flea. The Flea couple runs Brooklyn Brew Shop and they are the ones selling the one gallon kits. This couple does sell kits for all the ingredients but I think only the 5 gallon size. They do have equipment kits but not the little one gallon variety. The product list seems to cater to a bit more serious brewer and they also sell ingredients individually for those who want their own unique brew.

As far as economy, if you brew often enough, it's cheaper than buying microbrew but as someone said never as cheap as PBR. My friend turned an old chest freezer into a kegerator with at least 6 taps for 1/6 kegs. He brews often enough to have offset the cost of equipment. If you enjoy doing it, then it's worth it.

Posted by: kensington gal at February 3, 2010 7:26 PM in response to Streetlevel: DIY Beer Brewing Store in Gowanus

I think most brewers in NYC use the internet for supplies because there hasn't been a great area supplier since Little Shop of Hops closed many years ago. They had 2 Manhattan locations but got priced out rent-wise, I think. My upstate brewer friends definitely frequents a brick and mortar store for all his bulky supplies because of shipping costs.

Brewing is pretty easy and if you are brewing ales, you don't even need fridge space. You can make do with a cool, not necessarily cold, area in the cellar big enough for a 5 gallon bucket. We did all our brewing in our apartment but did have cellar access to keep the bucket in for a couple weeks. I do agree about the one gallon kits being a lot of work for the return. It's pretty much the same work to brew 5 gallons as one but using a one gallon kit would be a way to try it out in a small apartment.

Posted by: kensington gal at February 3, 2010 2:51 PM in response to Streetlevel: DIY Beer Brewing Store in Gowanus

I use Safari and this site was crashing big time yesterday and the day before, but not so far today. I did download and install the latest version of Safari yesterday to see if that helped and got one or two more crashes but nothing since. Of course, now that I have said this I am sure to have jinxed it.

Posted by: kensington gal at January 28, 2010 2:27 PM in response to Browser Crashing?

Sparafucile- The Foodtown, despite the upgrade, is still not a nice grocery store. The last time I was in there (recently, post upgrade) it still smelled like funky meat. If you are going to drive to a store, might as well go to Fairway or Stop and Shop because that ShopRite is dirty and I've wound up bring home packaged food that turned out to have mold on it more than once. The restaurants and shops around Church are fine but there just not as many choices as CIA and the east. Not sure what "snob appeal" is to you, but I don't think that Cinco de Mayo, Bahar, Medina and Cafe Tibet and the ton of other restaurants that appeal to the neighborhood's diverse population are upscale establishments. Some of them are just good food, like the ones to the west. Having the other "snob appeal" stuff just means there's more choice.

Besides that, the best part about living in the east part of Kensington is that it's as close to the Q as the F train. And that pretty much means I never have to be stuck with one train choice, especially if that's the F.

Posted by: kensington gal at January 27, 2010 5:08 PM in response to House of the Day: 125 Cortelyou Road

The block is not bad as in dangerous, it's just boring. This end of Cortelyou is definitely lacking in the amenities department. It's a hike from a grocery store and the liquor store there is kinda lame. I haven't checked out much of the other businesses on that stretch of Cortelyou because I have similar stuff closer to me. I can tell you that the "Miami Cafe" bar is one of the few places I've been to that I felt I was getting stared right out of- and I go to some serious dive bars. The other thing that may be a consideration is that it's close to a few mosques and the call to prayer five x a day might interrupt sleep for some folks really sensitive to noise. The area is very ethnically mixed, so you'll be getting the Shabbos sirens as well. Between all that, the train and the endless cement trucks rumbling down Cortelyou, it's just kinda noisy at that particular location. I'd pass- there are better blocks in Kensington.

Posted by: kensington gal at January 27, 2010 3:03 PM in response to House of the Day: 125 Cortelyou Road

We have a similarly aged house not too far from you and I think we definitely had something closer to Brenda's budget to work on it. Probably even less, actually, but with a lot less structural work to do. We have the same horrifically textured plaster walls, and some really questionable design choices going on around here. We are doing a bunch of the work ourselves so it's taking FOREVER, or as quickly as time and $$ allow. It will be nice to watch you do a job from start to finish the right way. I can show this to hubby and exclaim "See, that's what we were supposed to do."

It is funny, though, after 6 years of working on various parts, what gets done and what doesn't end up on the priority list. The easy things we thought we'd be doing right away haven't happened, like changing out some truly atrocious lighting choices I still cringe at everyday.

Good Luck with your project!

Posted by: kensington gal at December 16, 2009 11:05 AM in response to Bids Are In!

I lived in this building for 13 years and I found the people in the building to be very nice and really decent hard-working folks. The super was great. The coop board was relaxed and low key. The maintenance wasn't that high for the area and I believe when we were leaving that the relatively small underlying mortgage was either being refinanced or paid off to be much more favorable terms. The reserve fund was always decently stocked. However, I can't say I disagree with a few of the comments about the block.

If the 'eclectic pink haired' woman is the same one who used to hang out her window on the first floor nearer to Smith- she's leaning out that window dealing. It was pretty obvious. There was another guy in one of the middle buildings that got hauled out in handcuffs for the same thing. The noise level in summer nights was unreal-we bought a white noise machine. The hydrant thing was annoying to me because no matter how many times the FDNY gave the kids a sprinkler cap, it disappeared. When the jail was open, we'd get catcalled by the inmates using the exercise yard on top while we used the roof deck. So, there were downsides.

But I can tell you it had improved greatly over the 13 years we lived there. At least one of the buildings across the street changed hands and the new owners were determined to get the "bad apples" out. People on the block went from being fairly insular to greeting newcomers and organizing a yearly block party for all. Some of the old ladies in the RS buildings knew I liked to garden and would give me cuttings of their plants. They also knew when we got home at night so I always knew they were looking out for the folks they knew. Change takes time and takes a little effort on the part of the people moving to a neighborhood, not just the existing folks.

We have a house now and are happier with the space and our own yard but I do miss some of that neighborhood and definitely some of the folks from my building/block.

Posted by: kensington gal at December 16, 2009 12:44 AM in response to Co-op of the Day: 251 Pacific Street, #2

It's just not that well thought out an idea. The question of what happens in the winter is valid. There are plenty of attractive, evergreen, low maintenance plants that could be used that would enhance the area year-round. Corn is not that attractive (sorry, just because it's green doesn't make it pretty) and it's not hardy. It also needs to be grown in much larger masses to pollinate properly and get a decent number of ears on it. Not that you'd eat it due to the toxins. Also needs a fair bit of water- and tree pits tend to dry out without a little bit of help.

I have a theory that the choice of corn is part of the "artistic statement" of juxtaposing something rural with city streets but it's really a one trick pony and not going to be an enhancement at all times and really ugly if no one bothers with watering.

Posted by: kensington gal at October 8, 2009 11:38 AM in response to Corn Porn in BoCoCa

We have similar problem and were told sistering the joists in our case would be OK. But, I'm sure OP would still love a name to do that actual work because I know I would. Thanks!

Posted by: kensington gal at October 1, 2009 3:48 PM in response to Basement Structural Work

I second that. I live next to an intermediate school and I would never buy a house this close to a school again. henrycurtis is right - Picking up the garbage, soda bottles and snack food bags is a full time job and all the neighbors here have found kids up on their porch at least once. We've has stuff thrown at the house and kids climbing all over our fence to access the roof terraces of the apartment building next door and our backyard shed broken into shortly after dismissal time.

On a positive note, the principal here is not the same as the one that was in place when we first moved in 6 years ago and things have definitely improved as far as getting the kids out of here at dismissal time. He deserves props for that. But I'd still never buy here again because of the garbage alone. It's a real PITA.

Posted by: kensington gal at September 22, 2009 1:41 PM in response to Living Across from High School

It's actually a Callery Pear, not Calgary. That species of tree is not supposed to be hardy enough to survive Calgary let alone be named in reference to it.

Posted by: kensington gal at September 15, 2009 3:41 PM in response to House of the Day: 434 4th Street

I second what tyburg says. The point of digging down the 10 inches as Juno suggests is to create a stable base for the bricks with the aggregate (stones) and sand. If your existing concrete is fairly even, it already creates that base but you will need the sand to sweep in the joints of the brick or pavers. The layer of sand between depends on your concrete's condition. If it's in great shape, you may not need it. You can see a job of pavers being laid over concrete on the Greenwood Heights reno on the Brownstoner site in the entry titled:

Stone and gravel galore: days five and six.

Laying pavers is really easy- it's just heavy work. Wear gloves- it really roughs up the hands. My husband and I have done it a few times. Having the concrete base will make the job go way faster than dealing with the stone base. The one drawback is that it's not permeable and the stone base is much more so. It does help with runoff. As far as getting rid of some of the concrete for planting areas, you can rent a concrete saw to cut the shape for the beds and a jackhammer to break up the concrete you don't want. Just know that cutting curves with a concrete saw is difficult.

Diana
Fun City Design

Posted by: kensington gal at September 8, 2009 3:51 PM in response to How to Brick a Patio?

There's a couple coop buildings closer to Cortelyou around e7th and e8th that I'd consider before this one for no other reason than to be almost the same distance from the F and the Q, just for the choice. The Q has been the better of the 2 trains, in my experience, and the walk home from the Q train along Cortelyou. And you would be stumbling distance from Sycamore...

Posted by: kensington gal at August 19, 2009 3:02 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 414 Albemarle Road, #6D

It really is NOT a myth that cats hold their territory. I think it depends on the cat (s) but I have one core feral in the backyard that the neighbors had TNR'd well over a year ago. He allows one other TNR cat in the yard that was part of the neighbor's original trapping effort and that's it. This is down from numerous cats in the yard and kittens born under our shed 1-2x per year. He really does chase the others out. Seen him do it many times and he's quite aggressive about it. We've also received numerous dead mouse 'presents' on the stoop so I know he's hard at work. He's friendly enough to put flea stuff on him and he likes our dogs, so I can honestly recommend the whole TNR thing.

Posted by: kensington gal at July 7, 2009 12:01 PM in response to Feral Cats—Help!

Thanks for the kind words, Denton.

I am Diana at Fun City Design. Just to clarify, I base my pricing on an hourly rate and do my proposals based on what the individual job requires. The <$500 that Denton quoted is a little bit misleading only because he uses the word 'plans'. These were not fully articulated CAD plans with accurate measurements and dimensions indicated or full planting plans. What we worked on together was really just the very initial phase of a full project, just the rough, hand done concept sketches with verbal suggestions for materials, etc. to explore ideas because he is not ready to start his project in full. And pricing will always depend on what each client needs for their particular project so it's really hard to ballpark without knowing the details. I am always happy to discuss anyone's needs and answer any questions to that effect.

funcitydesign.com

Posted by: kensington gal at June 16, 2009 2:39 PM in response to Backyard designer

The guy in the article lives in Kensington, so not necessarily in an area known to have problems. But high levels could be due to coal ash which would be common everywhere that used coal for heat. I am not as wigged out about lead as others may be since I've probably been exposed to a lot of things I'm unaware of and I'm pretty darn healthy. The great gardening reality is that the areas around all of our houses used fill on site which has a great deal of clay in it. Clay is not that great for growing the vegees (and a lot of other things) anyway and top soil and compost would improve the vigor of anything you chose to grow. Raised beds would solve the need for good drainage that is a problem in clay soil. So, for the sake of getting the best vegetables in the smallest space, raised beds are the way to go no matter what your worries about soil may be.

Posted by: kensington gal at May 14, 2009 3:55 PM in response to Brooklyn Ground Zero for Lead Soil Problems

rob, bxgrl-

I'm looking for a vet, too. We use Cobble Hill but the original vet, Dr. Maddox, sold the business and I'm not sure I'm loving the new guy that bought it. Let's just say the bedside manner could use a bit of work. Dr. Maddox used to take his time to explain things and really make recommendations that made sense for everyone. He was of the mindset that there was no sense paying for an expensive procedure if the dog didn't have long to live and was honest in helping you gauge things like that. The new Doc tells you a list of all the things you can do and doesn't make strong recommendations about the truly best course of action would be in his opinion. We have to ask a lot more questions to get any answers.

Just figured I'd let you know before Rob checked him out or bxgrl decided to take pets back to him.

Posted by: kensington gal at May 12, 2009 11:48 AM in response to Open Thread

I've done the tour 3 times and the bulk of the houses were not for sale. There was 2-3 out of 15 or so houses on the market each year, but definitely not the majority.

Posted by: kensington gal at April 30, 2009 12:39 PM in response to Victorian Flatbush House Tour in Jeopardy!

oblinax: There is a 6' height limit on fencing in 1-2 family residential areas. Anything else would require a permit. I don't know the exact reason but that may be due to the fact that it would harder to escape your backyard in case of fire. And anything higher would infringe on the neighbor's light and air.

Running Bamboo can be contained in root barriers but must be maintained as it gets full and new shoots removed to prevent the jump over the barrier. The reason why it's more rampant in the south is that it likes the conditions much better-winter's less harsh and so it has more rapid growth and very little die back. Clumping bamboo varieties don't spread as much, but aren't as hardy and don't get as tall.

IMBY- I would seriously give some thought on the light and air flow issues involved with erecting a 20' "wall of vines", as others pointed out. You might end up with something unsightly, brownish and sparse in winter while blocking light and breezes of your non developer neighbors.

Most evergreens are notoriously slow growers and need full sun. With the nearby large building, do you have sun enough for that?

Diana
Fun City Design

Posted by: kensington gal at April 23, 2009 4:55 PM in response to twenty foot tall fence?

Petunia and vinca are right- sometimes plants don't make it and the variables are great. What is under watering to some plants is too much for others. The fact that this winter was harsher and colder than most also makes it tougher for plants in containers. They are at much higher risk of just not making it. I gardened on a roof for 14 years and I lost some things that I had had for many years after a particularly tough winter. Could also depend when you planted them- woody shrubs planted later in the season have less established roots.

You really do have to water a transplant more than an established plant but none of us here can know whether your pot was draining right. The plant could look perfectly fine all season with the water it got, but never had enough water to get a great root system or so much that the roots were starting to rot a bit but not that apparent in the growth of the plant. Rhodies like an acidic soil and don't like their roots too deeply covered. Some are a bit less hardy than others in this area, would do reliably well in the ground but might be a bit touchy their first winter in a pot where the conditions are harsher than in regular the ground.

I know some landscapers that will guarantee their plants, but not if they're not the ones installing it. Some garden places will guarantee but will definitely grill you a bit on the return. The box stores kill so much of their own stock through lack of watering that they better offer a guarantee because half the time the stuff there is already a bit stressed when you buy it. Mail order usually guarantees because they sell much smaller plants and know that because they ship, there is the higher risk that bad things happen.

I've got a really good track record but plants have died on me from all sources when I've done everything the plant is supposed to require. I've been gardening for 20 years and have studied at the NYBG- sometimes things happen. Liberty should try to offer you something for customer service sake but not necessarily a replacement if that's not their policy.

Diana
Fun City Design

Posted by: kensington gal at April 10, 2009 1:20 PM in response to My Plants Are Dead

I've actually gone to the DOB during one of those Open House nights and asked this question before we put our fence in. We were told: The fence can be no higher than 6 feet, doesn't require a permit and belongs to and is the responsibility of the person whose lot it sits on. If it straddles the line, both parties share responsibility. I would assume especially in the cases where the fence is old and no one remembers who put it in. If a neighbor did put one on your property, then that's a whole other kettle of fish. Your title may tell you where the fence sits- ours did. In reality, if we all were so dependent on our neighbors choice to right or left, no one would be able to have a uniform fence. That may have been custom, but is not code.

The fence/retaining wall code in vinca's post may refer to instances where the retaining wall would make the grade change high enough to warrant a fence for safety according to code. Something like the reasoning for a deck railing even if the deck is only a few feet high. I believe this is why in the title of the article in the code the fence is referred to as a "protection fence" and only later refers to it as a partition fence, which it still is. You can see numerous examples of protection fences on retaining walls in her link to retaining walls.

However, the code that vinca links to about protection fences has been revised as of 7/08. If you go to that link, all the text has a strikethrough and tells you to refer to the revised code. Not sure what the new code is on that, but the DOB guy told us you are responsible for anything on your lot. Not that they've always been right.

Posted by: kensington gal at April 10, 2009 12:13 PM in response to Backyard Fence Question

You would be wise to wait until at least April 15, which is the frost date in this area. Planting small plants before that date may result in transplant shock as the nights are still too chilly for plants that were probably grown in a greenhouse or down south. Nurseries at this point really don't have a lot of stock in yet to choose from, either.

I agree with eman and vinca- those nurseries are nice. If you have a car or a friend with one, check out these:

Tony's in Westchester (Scarsdale, I think). Large selection, plants in good shape.

Sprainbrook: http://www.sprainbrook.com/ Large selection. Plant stock kept in excellent shape. Some unusual and difficult to find things.

Martin Viette : http://www.martinviette.com/ Some real specialty items here. Helpful staff. Not cheap but they often have things I don't see elsewhere.

As far as the ground cover as lawn, you can do it but you really can't have kids or dogs running back and forth on it often or before it's really established. It does tend to work out better if you have stepping stones or a clear path to take the bulk of the foot traffic. Most of the "stepable" ground covers will not hold up as well as grass because they don't have roots that form that tenacious mat like grass does so having kids running on it and serious back and forth foot traffic would have to be a relatively occasional thing.

Posted by: kensington gal at March 23, 2009 8:13 PM in response to Ground cover for shady backyard

I am the garden designer featured in the Greenwood Heights garden reno featured on Brownstoner that Action Jackson gives a link for. I don't install but rather provide plans for the home owner to follow with whatever contractor they choose. Having a plan lets you do the garden over a few years, if necessary and as money permits. I happily consult about nurseries, plant selection and how to plant with those who wish to do some or all of the work themselves.

As a rough guide, last year one of the contractors I've used quoted $16/sq ft for pavers laid out on a concrete base. (You can find someone to do that for less if not with a concrete base) Obviously, if you do the work, rent any equipment, and handle getting all the materials, you can save money but it is a job- a heavy, sweaty one.

You can view my website and get contact info at www.funcitydesign.com

Diana

Posted by: kensington gal at March 23, 2009 2:51 PM in response to How Much to Create a Garden?

I wasn't suggesting the OP put something up to tick off the neighbors. Sounds like OP's neighbors are tired of looking at a busted down fence. Vinca, I'm not you-I want to look at what I want in my backyard and one of those things is not the neighbors rusty chain link, arbor or not. That also includes the piles of plastic kid stuff and the giant pit bulls. I'm not into telling them how to live-they're free to do as they wish and I'm happy for them. Since many people today don't consider what they neighbors have to look at in their yard, I chose not to look at it. For some a garden is a sanctuary and it's a way to have your own small space. And my garden's doing plenty fine with our privacy fence. It's been garden of the day. It'll be more impacted by the giant building just erected next door, not a fence that conforms to DOB code. As much as a little more air flow might be nice, it's nicer not staring at the cars that will be parked next to my lot. There is no one "best solution".

My neighbors in back thanked us for the privacy fence we put in to replace the broken down one we inherited because it was a nice quality cedar and they got the benefits of something more attractive without paying for it. All I'm saying is if the OP's neighbors are insisting that the fence be fixed but won't pay for it, then OP gets to be the one to decide what he wants as a fence. Their attitude doesn't sound like they are interested in meeting in the middle.

Posted by: kensington gal at March 19, 2009 4:39 PM in response to Is this my fence???

I think that if you do put a new fence in, the goal would be to pick out what you really want to look at for the next bunch of years. That and I would question whether you'll want to see your neighbors pit bulls through chain-link, barking and drooling while you grill out on the patio.

If you are paying for it, it would be better for you to make sure that it is on your side of the property line, esp if you get something nice looking. If it straddles the line, your neighbors can complain about your choices and if you end up getting something nice, paint their side some god awful color if they wish. That doesn't sound like a big deal but the easiest way to maintain a fence without having to spend time in the neighbor's yard is to re-stain your side and then remove the panel, flop it, rehang and re-stain the second side. You won't want to deal with their paint job if all you wanted was a stained fence. Just a thought...

Posted by: kensington gal at March 19, 2009 1:56 PM in response to Is this my fence???

Simple park for humans? Humans play volleyball. Lots of them and in a city with a real lack of places to play.

I'm looking forward to the volleyball courts. There is a seriously large and dedicated group of volleyball enthusiasts in the city, with at least 2 separate well attended indoor leagues with thousands of participants. Many of those also travel great distances to play outdoors. Many players used their hard earned cash to rent court time on the Pier in Manhattan near the mini golf when that was open because of the lack of available free facilities. Those are now gone. If the park chose to allow a group to rent the courts for a day tournament or party on occasion, the courts could pay for themselves.

There are very few places the Parks Dept will let you set up a net and generally speaking those areas in Central Park are devoid of grass and dangerous to play on. Plus, permits are technically required whether or not the rangers bust you on it. And they will if you've got too many nets or a large enough group playing. Softball and baseball dominate CP and PP, and the courts in CP have hours of wait time to play. So, there's a need. A few courts won't hurt the park and I think you'll be surprised at how high the level of usage will be.

Posted by: kensington gal at March 18, 2009 1:03 PM in response to Wednesday Links

Oh, besides getting the insurance and indemity, it may also be in your best interest to make sure any scaffolding or catch platforms have the proper plans/permits. I know the catch platforms used in our case didn't the proper plans filed and they collapsed on our house. I had even had the DOB out to check on that but the guy never checked to see if the plans were on file or that what they were doing was legal. DOB said they looked "safe enough" but the platforms filled with hundreds of pounds of mortar collapsed 2 weeks later. Cover your a** is all I can say.

Posted by: kensington gal at February 19, 2009 2:00 PM in response to Help with developer's scaffold

Nesdus and jfss are right. They need to ask permission and you should work out some terms for you and your property's protection ahead of time.

What some here seem to think is that this is something between neighbors while the OP clearly stated it was a developer doing the work. I can definitely tell you that a developer is NOT a neighbor and that there's nothing neighborly about them. They do not work with the best interests of their building sites neighbors or the communities at all. They don't tend to live in your neighborhood and know they'll never see you again when the job is done so they have a lot less reason to be considerate. Their only concern is to get their job done at the cheapest cost and leave their, in some cases poorly built, creation as quickly as possible. If that's at the expense of the neighbors in terms of damages incurred, so be it. They'll make you spend your money to recoup damages unless you spend the time now to set up terms about all that upfront. That and you may have the DOB giving you a summons for "failure to maintain" once your property is damaged.

I had over 20K worth of damages incurred by the developer next door so I do have a pretty good idea of how it works. We wish we had been way more clear with them in the beginning and set terms up establishing even better protection for our property. Our neighbors to the other side chose not to deal with the developer but rather the project owner and they are still fighting over damages.

Posted by: kensington gal at February 19, 2009 1:53 PM in response to Help with developer's scaffold

There are pics. If you click the link that says "6 floorplans available" it takes you to a page of floorplans with links for each unit that have pics. But, yeah, finishes are cheap, fugly and odd because of the mix of style. They are pretty anemic looking.

Posted by: kensington gal at January 14, 2009 11:37 AM in response to 228 16th Street Hits the Market

To anyone interested, we just sold it. Thanks to the Brownstoner forum folks.

Posted by: kensington gal at December 30, 2008 9:38 PM in response to Butcher block countertop available

311 can only help you if the tree is a street tree. If the tree is in your yard, you and the neighbor need to contact an arborist. I would obviously make sure it is indeed the tree causing the foundation problems so you'll have to work out whom to call with your neighbor. An engineer may be necessary to determine that kind of damage. An arborist can tell you if your tree species is the type to cause problems. If it is causing problems then you probably are responsible for the cost and some trees can definitely cause those kind of serious problems. I've seen bowed foundation walls and roots in the basement, so it is possible.

I have said this on the forum before and I'll say it again: Many trees that were planted all those years ago, though beautiful, were NOT good choices to plant. I've had arborists tell me that there are common street trees varieties that never should have been widely used and are a constant source of trouble and damage. There were less varieties back then and a lot less thought as to what the tree would become. They were often planted too close to homes, are notoriously weak limbed, disease prone or were varieties with an aggressive root system. Some can be root pruned periodically and some don't tolerate that well at all. Unfortunately, not every tree is appropriate for the site it is in and you can't expect your neighbor to have his foundation compromised to save the tree if root pruning won't work in this case.

Trees are fairly tolerant. You'll probably come to a good solution, but if proper action to prevent damage to the foundation will badly compromise the tree you will have to talk to the arborist about more suitable replacements. I am in favor of doing what you reasonably can to save the tree and you need to explore all the options with an expert. But you may need to accept that the tree may actually be inappropriately sited.

Posted by: kensington gal at December 1, 2008 11:43 AM in response to Tree roots crossing boundaries

I had plenty of acorns from the neighbor's tree. Couldn't tell you if there were less than last year but probably since I thought last year was a bumper crop. Don't worry about the squirrels. There's enough garbage in NYC to keep them going. They are pretty resourceful.

Posted by: kensington gal at December 1, 2008 11:11 AM in response to Have you seen any acorns?

Raccoons are not any more dangerous than any other wild animal, cute as they are. For the most part, they'll amble off when they see you. Raccoons, while not exactly shy, will usually walk away or climb a tree unless they've been fed by some well-meaning idiot and associate humans with food. The park is loaded with them, as is GreenWood due to ample places to nest and a great food supply.

The ones to be concerned about are ones that act aggressive, confused, unsteady or way too interested in approaching you or other danger. That could be an indicator of rabies. They also can carry canine distemper and roundworm. Their poop can spread roundworm eggs in the soil so if you've seen them around, wear gloves while gardening (probably a good idea, anyway.) Keep pets away from them because they can get pissy with other animals.

They like to nest in chimneys and under porches and are hard to remove when they've got a nest started- a job for a professional only. Those claws are long and the rabies factor should dissuade you from live trapping them on your own and releasing them elsewhere. They are also not kind to gardens. They'll dig up stuff-bulbs, your lawn looking for grubs and they'll also steal any vegetables you grow. Don't leave your garbage open or leave pet food out after dark. this encourages them. It's not legal to just lay out poison (poisoning wildlife in NY is illegal) so a live and let live policy( with some steps of discouragement) is best.

Posted by: kensington gal at November 14, 2008 11:35 AM in response to Raccoons Take Clinton Hill

It depends on the company you go with. The more reputable ones like Wayside and White Flower Farm ship quality stuff but aren't the cheapest way to go. Great stuff and, often not seen at nurseries. I've had good luck with those two and Bluestone perennials. The cheap guys online often have small or poor quality merchandise. You can see reviews of online sellers at http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/.

I go outside the city for my shopping: Try Sprainbrook and Tony's in Westchester and Hicks, Atlantic, and if you really want specialty (but not cheap) try Martin Viette on Long Island. The online stuff seems cheap but when you throw in the shipping on your various items, sometimes it's comparable to just making one trip to a really good place. You will get smaller plants online that need a bit more TLC so it depends on whether you are willing to baby things.

Posted by: kensington gal at September 30, 2008 2:49 PM in response to Buying Outdoor Plants Online

bmfesq,
Having been through the experience of a giant condo going up next to my small frame house and dealing with developer promises, I can tell you it's not the same as a neighbor patching their roof. Despite clear instructions to stay the hell off my property and promises that they would not need to be on our lot at all, I've found workers there stealing water from my tap, jackhammering into my cement walkway, tossing their lunch garbage into my yard, working after hours, doing illegal asbestos abatement and demo. All of this for the last 2 years- 2 summers of not being able to enjoy the yard that we bought the house for. All that in addition to the bigger issue of shoddy construction practices that led to damage to our roof, siding and entire patio. Then came the scaffolding in my yard for months rather than the 3 weeks as promised.

When it was all happening, all we heard was "we'll pay for it, no problem" but when the time came to fork over the money there was great discussion as to what would actually be paid for. And yeah, after all that BS, why would I rip up my entire patio and half my siding to replace it with something I wasn't keen on just because that was there before. Those are the kind of jobs you only want to do once, so if the yard was going to be ripped up, I better like what's going back in. In the case of the siding, they couldn't have patched it if they wanted to and been able to match the color.

He paid for replacement, and like tikihouse, we paid for some upgrades but you have to consider the fact that it didn't need to be done originally and it was money we wouldn't have spent just then. These were not priority items before they became damaged. Not to mention time taken from work to interview and oversee numerous contractors and time spent having to do demo to cover costs not paid for in settlement. In all, we wound up on the short end by 4K and had to do some things ourselves which is not the way most people choose to spend their hard earned vacation time. I'm not getting compensated for that. The money it would have cost me in lawyer fees to draft an agreement with the developer or fight him in court would have been more than the difference in what we wanted and what we got so that line of attack would have been pointless.

It's not a fun thing to have your property damaged. A little more care while working and less haggling over the money would've been just good business practice but many of these guys operate on the principle that they can do whatever they want and wear you down in haggling later. At the end of all of it, you do walk away with the feeling you should be getting a little something out of this because of the endless hassle.

Posted by: kensington gal at September 18, 2008 10:49 AM in response to Messing with the bull, get ready for the horns!

I live a block away and I would say that block definitely has a lot of kids but is pretty quiet at night. Don't know anything about shady folks- not sure how you are defining that but I've never had any problems walking that block. I know what you mean by the housing but that's Kensington in general. All the blocks are either hit or miss, some tidy some not. Definitely makes a difference owners vs renters as renters do not tidy up and small rental properties are not cared for as well as owner occupied. But that's kind of the way it is all over.

Neighborhood has definitely gotten better in last 5 years and that end of Kensington has proven to be a bit more convenient for us with proximity to the amenities across CIA, the Q train and express bus. Not having to rely only on the F is a good thing.

Posted by: kensington gal at September 9, 2008 11:00 AM in response to East 9th b/w Ave C and Cortelyou Rd?

No offense taken, I haz TWO toilets. I hear you- Kensington for us was the place we could stay in the city and get the house we always wanted while trying to keep the commute time down to under 40 minutes (express bus). We figured on having so little left over after buying the house that we wouldn't be eating out much anyway, which has come to pass. It has it's own charms and pluses but as for the amenities, there are days I think I might as well be in Buffalo. But I do have to say it has gotten a little more lively here. I'm fortunate to live on the east side of K, closer to the Q train and the restaurants and stuff on Cortelyou so I get to glom off another neighborhood's niceties.

Posted by: kensington gal at August 27, 2008 12:27 PM in response to Can't Cut It In Brooklyn? Try Buffalo.

I know two teachers that just moved to Buffalo and got a huge house in the best section of the city for less than $300K- loaded with details, recent upgrades, etc. Some of the houses in Parkside are truly amazing. I grew up outside of Buffalo and I miss some parts of it but not others. My bro moved to the above mentioned East Aurora a couple years ago and he would've had to get an advocate or a lawyer to get the same level of education in the NYC school system for his autistic son that was readily available for free there. It was such a fight with bureaucracy here but very easy there.

It all depends on what you are looking for- if you follow the advice of others here it's better to stay in NYC but move farther out. Well, you don't necessarily get the restaurants and amenities there either. Since I left the Buffalo area, I've seen a ton of changes for the better but I don't think it will ever be what we consider a world class city. A lot of people would trade world class for a life with less struggle if you can get a job you like well enough. The thought of dealing with a lot less BS just to get to work in the morning is sometimes appealing.

By the way, Buffalo has a lot less snow than it ever did when I was a kid and it rarely shuts the place down. And 11214, the BarBill is the best for the Beef on Weck, which I miss most. I get some every time I'm home.

Posted by: kensington gal at August 26, 2008 4:39 PM in response to Can't Cut It In Brooklyn? Try Buffalo.

There is also the Old Brick Cafe- a place run by folks from Montenegro (former Yugoslavia). The food is good and the people are nice. Some really good stew- type dishes. It's on E. 5th and Church. That stretch of Church is a little lacking. I live closer to CIA and Ditmas so we eat at the Cortelyou road places and some of the Pakistani places on CIA. Medina has good food.

Posted by: kensington gal at August 25, 2008 10:42 AM in response to Kensington

Our neighbor used Family Tree Service to cut down a very large tree. Since it was partially on our property, we had to deal with them as well. They were courteous and professional and did a good job of getting it out and cleaning up. They were charging $2500, I think, plus whatever for stump removal. Not sure about $$ because I wasn't the one hiring them.

As to the folks calling the OP an "idiot", unless you know the circumstances for wanting the tree removal, you really don't need to comment on the validity of it. I spoke to the tree guy the neighbors used (and I've completed the landscape design program at NYBG so I'm a little knowledgable) and he told us that a great number of trees in Brooklyn were nearing the end of their life span, hastened by years of owner neglect. They were also planted at a time when little thought was given to the size the mature tree would be. Back in those days tree species were planted that would never be recommended now due to size, tendency for weak limbs, invasive roots, etc. Getting rid of a tree that endangers your house or sewer or cannot be anything other than ratty looking due to years of neglect and disease is not a crime. And evergreens can look very misshapen and sparse if not cared for over the years. They don't regenerate growth like some deciduous trees. Their needles really require constant cleaning out of gutters. He could be surrounded by neighbors with trees, that when added to his own, completely block all light. For all we know, the OP could be planning to plant a more size appropriate tree that will be safer for his property, more attractive and give them more of the light he wants to enjoy HIS backyard. His right and depending on circumstances, could be the smartest thing to do.

I hope OP talks to whatever arborist he chooses and gets a recommendation for a new, more appropriate tree as a replacement. It would a greener, more neighborhood friendly thing to do and add value to his property, but it is HIS choice. I wouldn't be all that keen on a backyard completely in shade because some well meaning but unknowing person 50 years ago made a really stupid choice in tree species. Calling the OP names is rude.

Posted by: kensington gal at August 5, 2008 10:23 AM in response to Tree removal

The sprinkler is called a Water Scarecrow and it does work, on both squirrels and cats. We used to have 5-10 cats roaming through the yard on a regular basis. We put ours in a pot and move it around the yard. It does have a range and if you move it, the animals will never know where they will get sprayed. Of course that means you'll forget where you put and will get nailed, too.

On the other hand, our neighbors trapped 7 cats and had them neutered. One seemed to pick our yard as home and seemed amenable to the idea of being tamed. We provide some food, he "hold his territory" and keeps other cats out. We have had so few squirrels this year digging in the yard we have not used the water thing. He has left us presents in the form of mice and birds and seems always ready to stalk something. I put Repel down around areas I really don't want him to dig in. So, no pests, only 1 cat and a lot less yowling at night. Not a bad trade off.

Posted by: kensington gal at July 21, 2008 3:37 PM in response to Wood fence

Here's a link to a review of that nursery on the Dave's Garden website.
http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/c/1707/

Dave's Garden is a great site-reviews thousands of mail order plant places. What I can't figure out from the Greenwood site is whether they ship bareroot trees or container. I'd wait until spring to plant bareroot.

Also check out Sprainbrook Nursery in Westchester. Great selection of trees, better prices than Chelsea. We bought a flowering plum there and it is doing very well. Also consider getting a "treegator"- one of those green plastic bags you see around some newly planted street trees. You fill it once or twice a week for recent transplants and it really ensures adequate water. Easier than standing and watering and it lets the water out very slowly so the ground can absorb it all. That's something that's hard and time consuming to do with a hose. New trees really must be watered regularly if you want them to do well.

Posted by: kensington gal at July 17, 2008 10:23 AM in response to Brooklyn tree nursery

Answers to questions:
- Ground cover is creeping phlox "Emerald Blue" and "Candy Stripe" and the white is Candytuft (Iberis).

-Not sure what rose you are referring to since the pics here only have a shrub rose but the flicker pics have a far away shot of a hybrid rose and a climber that's not in bloom. The pink shrub rose is "Baby Blanket", the climber on Flickr is "New Dawn" and the hybrid rose is a mystery. The previous owner of the house said she bought it at the supermarket. We also have a "Coral Dawn" climber in the front that can't be seen. I know that there are more disease free roses than what we have as these are older varietals, but we chose these because they DIDN'T have their thorns diminished through breeding. We were looking for a deterrent for kids climbing on our fence and these act as nature's razor wire.

Posted by: kensington gal at July 8, 2008 11:15 AM in response to Garden of the Day: Kensington DIY, Four Years On

Thanks for the kind words. The pergola is our fave thing and was also pretty much one of our 'vacations'. Instead of a slide show, we just walk people around the yard.

11:40- it is wider than 20'. We have a detached house on a 30' lot so definitely get a little extra room that way. We have a 100' lot and the house is around 35' so the depth is whatever is left, minus the front yard. The little blue flowers are lobelia that we planted that year to fill in a little as the daylillies grew in better.

Action- we definitely wanted to break up the space to create a more private area and keep the area by the house for dining because it's pretty shady and cool there at lunch and dinner. We did it for visual interest as well- I like not being able to see the whole yard at once and giving a visual reason to walk through the whole space.

Posted by: kensington gal at July 3, 2008 1:26 PM in response to Garden of the Day: Kensington DIY, Four Years On

Actually just signed up on the other board. Been a part of this one for awhile. Forgive the copy/paste.

Posted by: kensington gal at June 30, 2008 8:41 PM in response to WANTED: Backyard landscape design on a budget