In a recent New York magazine article on sound and noise levels, an acoustics expert measured various sound levels throughout the city. Normal conversation is measured to be approximately 65 decibels. The National Institute o…

Unwanted sound is the bane of many a New York co-op or condo dweller's existence. Few things are as annoying as being awakened in the middle of the night by a car alarm, being forced to listen to a neighbor's stereo against your will, or…

Throughout New York City, some of the most sought-after apartments are located in prewar buildings (those built prior to World War II), such as the Central Park West's Dakota or the stately maisonettes located on the Upper East Side. On…

We've all done it: walking along a quiet street in the evening, our eyes are drawn to the lit windows overlooking the sidewalk-we crane our necks to catch a quick glimpse of the sumptuously-decorated apartment behind the curtains, and immed…

Everybody knows at least one person who can't seem to bear parting with anything, be it movie ticket stubs from 1978, scratched-up Tupperware, or their grandpa's back-issues of National Geographic. The tendency to hang onto every random …

"I was living on 93rd and 3rd in a railroad apartment, and I described it to my father as 'straight through with a bathtub in the kitchen,' and he thought I was joking. He said, 'Where's the toilet?' And I said, 'Out in the hall. I can take…

You only have one chance to make a first impression, and when it comes to co-op and condo buildings, your lobby is that first chance. The way a lobby is designed expresses what kind of building residents and visitors are walking into, both…

By now, you have already heard about the "dramatic" changes in the Directors & Officers insurance marketplace. You have also most likely heard about the increasing number of lawsuits against directors and officers, and why associations …

After a long winter, gardeners everywhere have much work to do to clean up and prepare for the spring season. Removing winter-kill and old annuals and pruning dead branches promotes clean growing conditions and reduces the opportunity for f…

New York City can be tough enough to navigate as a young, able-bodied person; it's even more difficult for the elderly or physically challenged to get around and go about their day. Imagine living with a physical disability in an apartment …