Say your building has some extra, unused space—perhaps in the basement, or on the ground floor near the doorman’s station. What to do with it? Two words: Storage. Lockers. If you already have storage lockers, install mor…
In 1906, the dashing and amply-mustachioed Stanford White was shot dead by one Harry Kendall Thaw during a show at the Madison Square Roof Garden. Thaw was the jealous husband of one of White’s old flames, and the press dubbed the resul…
Last November marked the completion of a two-year, $20 million renovation of the lobby of the Empire State Building—a pretty hefty sum just to retrofit such a particular space. While the cost was certainly of large proportions, it is no…
The Cooperator's Co-op & Condo Expo celebrated its 25th anniversary show in fine style with hundreds of exhibitors and educational opportunities for co-op and condo boards and residents throughout the tri-state area. Since 1987, the Exp…
Q I own a cooperative apartment in Brooklyn and I’m hoping you could offer an opinion on a plumbing issue. In my bathroom I have two water valves protruding from the wall that control the hot and cold water flow to the sink and the tub.…
Q I am a shareholder in a newly formed co-op in Harlem. About six or eight months ago, the super was fired and a new one was hired. The fired super still lives in his apartment (provided by the co-op) and has filed a discrimination l…
Q A board member had dormers installed in his apartment which required a permit by the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB). As the project was ending, he told the architect he did not want to do what was necessary to have the DO…
For years, the hospitality industry has been fighting a chemical war against bed bugs. Now, with the growing menace of pesticide-resistant bed bugs and increasing documentation of human injury from harsh chemicals, the question to consi…
The good news is, after a fallow period in the depths of the recession, the construction industry in New York City is starting to come back. However, with that activity comes the potential for disputes and property damage, especially w…
It’s not necessarily to the degree of the Hatfields vs. the McCoys, the famous mountain clan involved in a decades-long blood feud, but living side-by-side in a co-op or a condo can, needless to say, get pretty heated on occasion. …