The difference between a residential building that is successful and one that is troubled can be the level of communication between the building’s shareholders and its board members. Although not commonly discussed, this is perhaps one o…
What could be nicer than being safely home on a winter’s day, enjoying a cup of hot chocolate while snow falls outside your window? That is until you hear the drip, drip, drip more often associated with a rain event and find that the pr…
As we city dwellers go about our busy lives, we often forget about the plain facts of life here on this spinning globe: gravity creates an unceasing tension in the materials we assemble into buildings and other structures. Whether or n…
Media room, game room, common room, party room—regardless of what you call them, the purpose of these shared spaces in co-ops and condos is to give residents a place to gather; to hold an in-house meeting, throw a graduation party or sc…
As the last few years have demonstrated, winter can be an unpredictable time in New York City. Some years, temperatures remain fairly mild and we barely get any snow, while other years are bitterly cold, with howling winds and epic sno…
The age-old adage from Benjamin Franklin perhaps says it best: nothing is certain but death and taxes. And without some assistance on the legislative front, taxes are likely to increase significantly for New York City co-op an…
Legendary funny man Benny Goodman once said, “I don’t want to tell you how much insurance I carry with the Prudential, but all I can say is: when I go, they go too!” The comedian hits on all-important issue: how much insurance is too muc…
Keeping the trash chutes and collection rooms of multifamily buildings clean, sanitary and stench-free is a big job, and an important one. Poorly-maintained chutes are not just gross—they're breeding grounds for pests, bacteria, and oth…
With the price of gasoline rising, daily traffic snarls, a desire to live a healthier life and the responsibility to lessen the effect of one's carbon footprint, there are many reasons to own a bike. Buying the bike is just the beginni…
In your own household, you have money coming in and money going out. You have things you want to save up for—say, a new cool high-def, flat screen television or the latest iPad. Yet you owe your car company and your creditors. To keep i…