As a volunteer housesitter for the tour, and a five year resident of the neighborhood, this event has deepened my sense of community.

Posted by: Hal at October 8, 2007 3:04 PM in response to Crown Heights North Tour Open Thread

If you are at the eastern edge of Park Slope at Grand Army Plaza and Union Street, and walk east on Eastern Parkway, and cross Washington Avenue, you are at the western edge of Crown Heights. The distance is less than half a mile. (Google says .43 miles.) For some it's close. For others it's beyond comprehension. What do you think?

Posted by: Hal at October 8, 2007 8:41 PM in response to Crown Heights North Tour Open Thread

Assuming you have one-pipe steam, and are having problems with hammering (bang, bang, BANG), pitching the noisy radiators may help if the problen is indeed at the radiator. It's actually quite easy to do. The radiator should be pitched just slightly toward the valve end (not the vent end). The valve, which should always be either completely open or completely closed, has a knob on it. The valve controls whether or not steam enters the radiator. The vent at the opposite end allows air to exit the radiator just until the radiator is full of steam at which point the heat from the steam shuts the vent.

The radiator should be pitched toward the valve because water from the condensed steam needs to run back to the boiler through the same pipe the steam came up in. If the steam on the way up encounters puddles in the piping or radiator, the puddled water expands rapidly, exploding sort of, and making a racket.

Put pennies or wood shims under the legs opposite the valve (under the vent end) to get more of a pitch toward the valve. Use a spirit level to determine if the radiator is pitched in the right direction. In fact, check the pitch before you fiddle with it to be certain it's not pitched correctly in the first place. If your radiators are pitced correctly, and you still have noise, the problem is likely elsewhere in the system.

Posted by: Hal at October 17, 2007 6:15 PM in response to Radiators Pitch

I'm glad it's finally done.

The Brooklyn Childrens' Museum hoever, is another story. It's the story of a vital community and cultural resource that is the victim of vanity architecture. The bulging yellow blob is an insult to the surrounding historic district. How work like this gets approved is a complete mystery to me.

Posted by: Hal at October 19, 2007 2:20 PM in response to BPL Plaza Post-Renovation

Sunds like a niche. Pronounced 'nitch' in English, 'neesh' in French.

Now, why did the parlor become the 'living room'?

Posted by: Hal at October 23, 2007 7:43 PM in response to Top of the Stairs

Terrific! I furnished a studio apartment with stuff from 26th street.

I suppose tube socks with fleas might be appropriate ;-).

I don't recall there being ant tube socks at 26th street. They usually haunt the street fairs.

Posted by: Hal at November 5, 2007 4:45 PM in response to Brownstoner to Launch Weekly Flea Market Next Spring

"Newcomers Find Crown Heights Retail Lacking"

We moved here five years ago from a small Union Square studio and were well aware of the status of retail compared to Manhattan. We chose to sacrifice those amenities for a beautiful, spacious home. We had no expectation that we would soon have upscale markets and restaurants. We have a real kitchen that makes it a pleasure to cook, a modest, quiet and lush garden, a place in the cellar that stays cool enough to keep a few bottles of wine, and warm, generous and friendly neighbors. Our quality of life is improved from living in that tiny Manhattan studio.

The Wall street guy complaining about lack of amenities is not typical of the people we have met who are 'newcomers'.

Posted by: Hal at November 8, 2007 11:19 AM in response to Newcomers Find Crown Heights Retail Lacking

I like the elegant simplicity of this renovation. Personally I might have built a soffet for the plumbing, but I recognize the complication of recreating the crown moulding to maintain its continuity. Congratulations on a nice job at moderate cost. Indeed, as the word renovation indicates: to make new again.

Posted by: Hal at November 15, 2007 12:29 PM in response to Bathroom Reno #1: $3,000 Goes A Long Way

Replying to guest at 12:58:

In our house (1899 brownstone in Crown Heights) we discovered in the process of demolishing a bathroom that under the original half inch thick tile was a layer of "mud", or mortar, that was supported by rubble between the joists. The only wood was boards that had been cleated in between the joists to contain the rubble. So in this case there was no wood subfloor as such.

When we redid the tile floor we chose a pattern and colors that were similar to the original.

Posted by: Hal at November 26, 2007 2:22 PM in response to Bathroom Reno: Neighbor's Post-Gut

Short of a bidet, my wife and have the showerhead with six flow settings on the end of a flexible six foot hose.

This is a good opportunity to raise the issue of back door hygiene (SP?)with straight men. Get over the shame and phobia, and bring your sex life to the next level.

Posted by: Hal at December 4, 2007 3:05 PM in response to Bathroom Reno #9: Connected In Crown Heights