Heather's Profile
- Heather M.
- 1990
- Brooklyn
- Fort Greene
- Rental
- stroller mom
- Female
Author's Posts
June 21, 2008
Ventless Dryer or washer/dryer?
Our apartment has a washing machine hook-up and a 220V plug but no vent for the dryer. I've been looking at LG, Thor and Bosch for options. A friend also mentioned that I should look for a warehouse sale and try to buy a "scrath and dent" machine. Does anyone have any experience with these options, and can anyone recommend a vendor that would also handle the installation?
February 20, 2008
Corco Sets Up Shop in Williamsburg
The real estate market is alive and well in Williamsburg. Or not. Sandwiched between bagels and hardware, Corcoran's latest office—their fourth in the borough, first in the Burg—opened yesterday in a L-shaped space that runs through from a storefront at 241 Bedford Avenue to an entrance on North 3rd Street (above). Under the watch of broker Eric McFarland, the office has room for 42 brokers and is currently about 2/3 full. The office launches with a couple of big projects already under its belt, 349 Metropolitan and 100 North 3rd Street. Whether this is a prescient call that will position the Big C to cash in on the thousands of units slated to come online in the area in the next few years or a case of being the last one to board a sinking ship remains to be seen. Either way, it can't be good news for the likes of Apartments & Lofts. GMAP
February 11, 2008
Development Watch: 196 South 2nd Street
This baby's been a long time coming. We took a look at the 10-unit, Scarano-designed development back in September of 2006 when it appeared to be well on its way. From what we can tell, there was some kind of DOB audit that took place last April, most likely in connection with Mezzanine-gate, which probably explains the hold-up. (The plans now reflect that three of the four floors include mezzanines.) We've seen Scarano buildings similar to this before, but those small mosaic windows are a new touch. Thumbs up or down?
Development Watch: 196 South 2nd Street [Brownstoner] GMAP DOB
February 6, 2008
Streetlevel: From T-Mobile to Comics on Metropolitan
This storefront at 540 Metropolitan Avenue (between Lorimer and Union) has had an interesting past. After years as an Italian bakery, and then a T-mobile store, it is now slated to become Williamsburg's first indie comics shop, Desert Island. What's nice is that they've kept the original signage and that curved window intact. And let's face it, getting your Fantagraphics and Drawn and Quarterly fix locally seems like a no-brainer. Desert Island will also carry zines, artist's books, and limited edition silkscreens. Owner Gabriel Fowler hopes to use the dramatic window space to showcase up-and-coming print artists. "Specific titles include Robert Crumb's 'Zap' comics and Chris Ware's 'Acme Novelty Library' (contemporary favorite), and tons of other obscure delicacies." Desert Island will open for business in about three weeks. GMAP
February 1, 2008
Development Watch: 186 Grand Street
Just down the street from Karl Fischer's controversial proposed Grand Street towers, ground has been broken on a smaller smaller project that is likely to go over better with the locals. The plans for 186 Grand Street call for a 4-story, 15,000-square-foot residential building "consistent in scale and style with existing neighborhood." A local architect, Philip Toscano, is handling the job and there's a rendering of the proposed building posted at the site. Considering that most recent construction in the 'Burg is mainly of the Scarano and Bricolage schools, this could be a welcome addition; plus, since the site itself was a former parking lot (albeit one with a very nice willow tree in the back) there's no destruction of the neighborhood's former industrial heritage to bemoan. Anyone heard any chatter about this one yet? GMAP P*Shark DOB
Author's Comments
Is that an old building that was renovated, or a new building that was built by an insane architect, like the one on Fulton and Classon? I have been wondering for a while.
Posted by: Heather at November 16, 2009 10:45 AM in response to Goldstein Offered Less Than What He Paid for Condo
I've seen this layout on a higher floor... the long hallway makes it feel larger than it is. Personally, I hate the island in a living room that size, but these are really nice.
Posted by: Heather at November 11, 2009 12:59 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 110 Livingston Street, #8O
I think this is about to be in contract. Maybe.
Anyways, I remember this one. The kitchen layout is actually kind of nice and workable. Put in some funky wallpaper and leave it alone.
Posted by: Heather at November 10, 2009 8:03 PM in response to House of the Day: 615 2nd Street Revisited
But if you're on west 181st, that'd be HoHi.
Posted by: Heather at November 9, 2009 1:38 PM in response to Creative (Desperate?) Neighborhood Rebranding
I'm still proud of DuBQE (down under the BQE), or Dubuque.
Posted by: Heather at November 9, 2009 11:20 AM in response to Creative (Desperate?) Neighborhood Rebranding
Can't you get a larger one-bedroom in a better neighborhood for about 25K more these days? Prices still seem really, really high to me for the area/square footage.
Posted by: Heather at November 5, 2009 10:57 AM in response to Price Cuts at 156 Pulaski Street
So, wait. You all "SHOULD" be paying $500/month and instead 4 of you are paying $700 and the leaseholder is paying $200? Math is not my strong suit and I wasn't paying close attention, but wtf. Yes, $200 can seem like a lot of money when you're young and broke and in the city, but for christ's sake, the guy isn't even LIVING there most of the time... so... who cares if he pays less? He still has responsibility. He still has the lease. He still put down the initial money with the landland and built the place.
And, frankly, as I discovered when I was young and broke in the city, it's an amazingly common story. And the moral is simple: get your own lease, probably at another apartment.
If you want the bad karma and potential repercussions, then by all means, stop paying rent and move out. Not that big a deal. When John assumed the lease, he assumed the risk that you all would do that. So give him 2 months notice and do so.
Posted by: Heather at November 4, 2009 6:13 PM in response to Sublet/Share Legal Issue
Chinese restaurants and drug dealers offer delivery instead of just take out.
Posted by: Heather at November 3, 2009 5:07 PM in response to Closing Bell: Gentrification Indicators
Chinese restaurants and drug dealers offer delivery instead of just take out.
Posted by: Heather at November 3, 2009 5:04 PM in response to Closing Bell: Gentrification Indicators
Stella and diet soda are only the harbingers. Once real gentrification sets in, they will vanish too, to be replaced by artisanal brands made without high fructose corn syrup. First you get imported beer, then diet soda, then the Utz brand chips vanish, the organic milk comes in all three flavors (skim, 2% and whole), and then the fresh flowers and fage.
And I dunno what a giedo is, Santa, but if it's like a Chav, I'm okay with that.
Posted by: Heather at November 3, 2009 4:31 PM in response to Closing Bell: Gentrification Indicators
Heather wrote a review about Bahia on November 3, 2009 4:07 PM
I miss this place. We would order steak and puposas and milkshakes. Yum...
Organic milk, stella artois, and diet soda at the bodega.
Posted by: Heather at November 3, 2009 4:04 PM in response to Closing Bell: Gentrification Indicators
More4less too. And Rob, riff raff we may be, but we're still the riff raff without the scary facist co-op.
Posted by: Heather at November 3, 2009 3:33 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 126 Greene Avenue, #2W
vanderbilt between gates and greene.
Posted by: Heather at November 3, 2009 3:06 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 126 Greene Avenue, #2W
I live a block away too :)
Posted by: Heather at November 3, 2009 2:58 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 126 Greene Avenue, #2W
I love this so much. Love the way the layout gives options, love the prewar, love the location (of both the kitchen and the apartment). I think it will go for asking and I wish we had it.
Posted by: Heather at November 3, 2009 2:37 PM in response to Co-op of the Day: 126 Greene Avenue, #2W
I have been thinking about this some more. Not, like, obsessively, but just randomly. The pink kitchen. I admire it. It is a bold choice. But that wall mural is so godawful faux warholian that it makes my teeth ache. Still, I want to know the rest of the narrative. Is this Shalom Harlow's apartment and she's checking into rehab? Getting married and buying a tudor in Greenwich? An art director at Cookie or Domino who got canned?
Not that it's important, I just wonder. I mean, okay, I admit it, except for that mural, I actually like the decor.
Posted by: Heather at November 2, 2009 8:28 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 85 North 3rd Street, #207
I am just confused. Is this a swinging bachelor pad for someone who thinks they are Warren Beatty in Shampoo? Or is it a woman's apartment? Or a gay man? Honestly, the line is so metrosexually blurred with the cultural signifiers, I can't tell.
And for some reason, it bothers me.
Posted by: Heather at November 2, 2009 7:05 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 85 North 3rd Street, #207
Actually the froyo place has pretty good coffee, and for a while they opened an hour earlier than Provisions. But I think they discontinued that.
Posted by: Heather at November 2, 2009 6:03 PM in response to Streetlevel: A Beauty Salon for Fulton
There were only 30 akitas in 1924? Wow.
Posted by: Heather at October 26, 2009 5:19 PM in response to Open Thread
ENY, Chows are actually very smart. It's just after being the national dish of China for several thousand years, they are a little suspicious of people. Anyways, they are a serious dog, unlike the namby pamby French bulldog.
Posted by: Heather at October 26, 2009 4:46 PM in response to Open Thread
Again, here's what I don't get. BrookylnGreene, if the coop is so successful why not expand? If people are coming there from all over Brooklyn, wouldn't it make more sense to open more stores in different neighborhoods? I've heard that's an idea that has been discussed, but for some reason keeps getting shot down. Why?
Posted by: Heather at October 26, 2009 4:38 PM in response to NYT: Food Co-op Exile's Story Demands 2,000 Words
Yeah, she had chow chows? That was the one thing I have always liked about her. French bulldogs are not the same at ALL.
Posted by: Heather at October 26, 2009 12:18 PM in response to Martha Does The Flea
So this is good news for the Spencer street owners, right? I hope so.
Posted by: Heather at October 26, 2009 12:16 PM in response to Mendel Brach Barred from Condo Business
I have said it before: the coop would be better served if it expanded and added locations than how it is now. But it won't do that. So instead it is this cultish thing. I had no idea that missing shifts added to your work hours, though. That is insane.
And from my one trip inside (as a guest, and yes, both the member and I had to show id), I have to say it was so damn crowded on a Tuesday afternoon that I have no idea how anyone can shop there who has a normal 9 to 5 job.
Posted by: Heather at October 26, 2009 12:14 PM in response to NYT: Food Co-op Exile's Story Demands 2,000 Words
Tower was there forever and ever too. It was the cool place to hang out for teenagers, even visiting teenagers like me from the sticks of Philadelphia. Then Philadelphia got its own Tower Records, eventually and we were all impressed.
Now, get off my lawn! I must find the geritol.
Posted by: Heather at October 22, 2009 2:32 PM in response to Ho! Ho! Ho! The Flea Takes Manhattan (For a Month)
I just realized I know him from college, lol. Going to drag family there at some point.
Posted by: Heather at October 22, 2009 2:03 PM in response to The Vanderbilt Officially Opening Tomorrow
I hear you, I was frustrated with my apartment search over there too. That's how we ended up in Clinton Hill. Or Fort Greene. (I think we're on the Clinton Hill side of the street.) You should look over here, I see postings in the 1600-2K range in the parent website messageboards all the time. It is also, actually a lot nicer here -- although I miss the restaurant options.
Posted by: Heather at October 20, 2009 6:08 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 55 Berry Street, #5D
Ugh, dh, that sucks. I'm basing it on the fact that when we were looking for a new place in 2007 that much space on the northside was at least $4500 and we quite literally couldn't even find a 2-bedroom for $3K or under. (We did want under, a lot under.)And not just new construction, there wasn't anything much in the old construction, non-renovated railroad apartmentland either.
But a neighborhood like Williamsburg will probably always have strong demand at the lower end of its rental market, so there's probably more pressure there to raise the rents -- even if stuff in the higher end isn't moving at all. There will always be another recent college grad looking to pay $1200/month for a share. That's probably in the city charter.
Anyways, I guess I really have no idea.
Posted by: Heather at October 20, 2009 2:51 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 55 Berry Street, #5D
I think most people play WoW on the easily concealed laptop these days, Maly. But yeah, no idea why you'd BUY this for $800K-plus when you could rent it for $3200. And speaking of that, wow (no pun) but rental prices in Williamsburg seem to be falling quite impressively.
Posted by: Heather at October 20, 2009 2:04 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 55 Berry Street, #5D
Oooo, fancy kids store in the hood. Should do well. Copy Area kids' inventory more than Courderoy Kids or Acorn... you need to have some lowish ticket items for foot traffic.
Posted by: Heather at October 6, 2009 4:25 PM in response to Kids Clothing and Toy Store Opening on Clinton Ave.
Ooo, Bergen street is gorgeous. I want it. Price looks great. What is the catch?
Posted by: Heather at October 2, 2009 5:13 PM in response to Open House Picks
Oh, wait, no it's not next to the cadmium factory... it's just by the school. Bah, humbug. I bet the bathrooms are enormous and the environmentally-conscious kitchen island takes up a third of the living room.
Posted by: Heather at September 30, 2009 5:13 PM in response to Development Watch: 170 North 5th Street
And that building's on a brownfield next to an old cadmium factory. So, keep that in mind!
Posted by: Heather at September 30, 2009 5:10 PM in response to Development Watch: 170 North 5th Street
Heather wrote a review about Foodswings on September 29, 2009 1:15 PM
From what I could tell the few times I ordered from here, everything was soy. And isn't soy supposed to be bad? Nonetheless, it seems popular. I didn't like the milkshakes.
Help that is coming when those burned out hulks of stores are renovated. I agree, it's not the most savory stretch of Fulton. Head a few more blocks in either direction and Fulton gets nicer. But I'd blame that more on the fact that those buildings are burned-out hulks and that there are drug dealers, not the people getting methadone. I'd blame people actually using illegal drugs -- and yes, pot does count, by the way. Please remember that, even if your guy delivers.
Sorry, like I said, I get that it's not the most savory corner. I can see that. But you chose to live near it. And it is improving. Generally, I think you do a fair job of being pretty even-keeled, Mr. B. But save your ire for the dealers, not the people trying not to use the dealers. Shouldn't they get some respect for trying to turn their lives around?
Posted by: Heather at September 29, 2009 1:02 PM in response to 925 Fulton In Turnaround
What exactly are they doing besides standing around talking and smoking cigarettes, Mr. B? Because that's all I ever see them doing. And I'm okay with that.
Posted by: Heather at September 29, 2009 12:44 PM in response to 925 Fulton In Turnaround
My kid and I walk by them almost every day and they don't bother us. I am more bothered by the homeschooling freaks in the neighborhood who feel compelled to make excuses about why they do so in Salon.com.
Posted by: Heather at September 29, 2009 12:36 PM in response to 925 Fulton In Turnaround
Eh, yeah, I guess. All of the above is true, but you may want to do a lot of research on the location and quality of the construction you're buying. Williamsburg was the land that time forgot for some good reasons: one of them is that there are some highly toxic industrial sites. I wouldn't buy near Macarren, or the BQE strip for that reason.
Posted by: Heather at September 28, 2009 5:45 PM in response to Williamsburg - To Buy or Not?
It depresses me that most of the people I know who live in Bed Stuy I've met in Fort Greene playgrounds... honestly, if I lived there, I'd be at the playground nearest to my house. Fort Greene/Clinton Hill has 4 (at least) wine shoppes, all within a half mile of each other. The ratio in Williamsburg was even more insane. While I love Olivino, (the closest one to me), I do think this is excessive.
Very good point, orestes.
Posted by: Heather at September 28, 2009 1:55 PM in response to Bed-Stuy, a Harbor in the Tempest?
Is it zoned for ps 9?
Posted by: Heather at September 24, 2009 6:37 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 475 Sterling Place, #3I
I love Never Let Me Go. It's one of those premise novels that shouldn't work... and yet it does.
Posted by: Heather at September 24, 2009 1:53 PM in response to Thursday Links
If you had been to the Williamsburg post office, you would not complain about the one on Fulton.
Actually, the one on Fulton seems amazingly nice to me. They never lose my packages. The line isn't bad. The workers are even nice.
Posted by: Heather at September 22, 2009 12:01 PM in response to New Restaurant/Bar for Fulton Street
If I have to live on a highway, I'd prefer Atlantic or Flatbush. They are at least centrally located. 4th avenue and 11th is convenient to nothing except Park Slope and:
a.) It is Park Slope.
b.) it is up a steep hill.
c.) No matter how much they market this as Park Slope, it is on a charmless highway at the bottom of a steep hill from Park Slope, next to a brownfield.
On the plus side, close to Lowe's and the place where Whole Foods will never be built!
Posted by: Heather at September 16, 2009 7:52 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 500 4th Avenue, #PHG
Lafayette with a stroller is really bad, BrooklynGreene. There's that one spot... anyways, there were a few times last winter when I was just getting over the broken ankle and pushing the stroller and the snow banks on the curb prohibited me from going in the street and that damn tree... well, I quickly learned to use the other side of the street.
However, all of Fort Greene beats Williamsburg for its construction-clogged sidewalks. There's a few buildings there (finished now) that I want to go back and egg. Or smash windows. Or create artistic graffiti. Or something.
Posted by: Heather at September 15, 2009 6:51 PM in response to Street Clutter in Brooklyn?
I think FSRG's statements were even more distasteful, so you're good, snark.
Posted by: Heather at September 15, 2009 6:45 PM in response to The Novo Sells Out
Yes, exactly. Sometimes luxury should really just be the square footage to be able to afford to buy some stuff.
Posted by: Heather at September 15, 2009 6:36 PM in response to Condo of the Day: 84 Front Street, #8C
I don't mind wealthy people as long as they have the good taste not to put enormous islands in the middle of their kitchen floors. It's like, if you really want to "entertain" while you're sauteeing, just get a portable table island.
Posted by: Heather at September 14, 2009 2:50 PM in response to House of the Day: 591 2nd Street
King's Pharmacy is so great though, and I'm pretty sure they sell cigarettes too?
Posted by: Heather at September 14, 2009 2:46 PM in response to Streetlevel: Kent Ave. Duane Reade Opening Saturday
Responses to Author's Forum Comments
An amendment to my post from July: although I didn't like living near the BQE personally, I know plenty of people who have absolutely no problem with it. So go for it! There are lots of folks happily and healthfully living on the many blocks near the BQE.
Posted by: rabbit at November 17, 2009 2:25 PM in response to Enviromental Impact of BQE?
Call 311 and report it. Otherwise you are going to be thte bad guy in pushing for it to be fixed. The fact that they are running unvented gas dryers is very dangerous. The building needs to hire an architect and get it all filed and corrected with the department of buildings. Easiest is to put in non-venting dryers, but without the high voltage type they take a long time to dry. Otherwise, if the dryers are installed in the same location on each floor install a shaft to dump the exhaust or side wall vent. If the intent is to keep the gas connection then there are clearances that must be met from windows and such.
Posted by: jockdeboeraia at November 21, 2009 9:39 AM in response to Dryer Venting Help
what crazy advice.
-ventless dryers do NOT "vent" that's why they're called "ventless", they condense the mosture and dump the water out. Bosch is one brand. Get a 220v model. You do not have to get a combination washer/dryer, just a dryer.
-call 311 on your own apartment? shoot yourself in the foot?
-obviously if the situtation has existed for 30 years, it's not 'toxic', 'dangerous' or an emergency. Needs to be fixed, yes.
Posted by: cmu at November 21, 2009 10:29 AM in response to Dryer Venting Help
Call in a licensed, insured plumber. They have no duty to report you and will not report you. They can create a vent to an outside wall. Ask them if it needs to be filed, if they will file it, and how much it costs. Get a written contract. Without seeing your building, who knows, but assuming you have an outside wall to vent to, it could cost somewhere around $2,000 -- maybe a lot less.
Posted by: mopar at November 22, 2009 3:04 PM in response to Dryer Venting Help
My estimate is for one location -- say, if all the dryers are together in the basement. If these units are in individual apts, just use ventless.
Posted by: mopar at November 22, 2009 3:06 PM in response to Dryer Venting Help
We have a ventless LG washer/dryer that I love like a family member, but for some reason they've stopped making them, I think. Anyways, the ventless machines take longer, and leave clothing a bit wrinkled, but I think the all-in-one combo machines make up for that a bit in being all-in-one. It taking 3 hours to do a load of laundry is somewhat offset if you don't have to move the load from one machine to the other...
We live in a building with no dryer vents and most of our neighbors actually have opted for the bucket venting system. From what little research I did, it didn't sound safe or good. Sometimes I wonder about this.
Posted by: Heather at November 20, 2009 8:53 PM in response to Dryer Venting Help