If two people have a hard time agreeing on what movie to see, it would seem impossible that the residents of even the smallest co-op or condo building would be able to agree on a color scheme for the new lobby. But that's no excuse for…
How do you take a small kitchen, make it three times as large and make sure that it fits in with the rest of the apartment? Interior designer Gail Green would say very carefully. And that is exactly what she did for one family's kitche…
If you've just moved to a new co-op or condo, you probably feel as though you've been through a living hell. For several agonizing months, you and your trusty broker have schlepped from apartment to apartment in an endless, overwhelming s…
The co-op and condo universe can be divided into two types of properties: The vast majority that engage a professional management firm and those that choose to go it alone. All properties need the services that good full-service managemen…
What can a board do if its building is faced with extensive capital work while recovering from the real estate slump of the early 1990s? Assessments are unpopular and reserves are low. There's a desire to have construction operations com…
In Spring, 1996 New York State made it legal for small-volume users in the metropolitan area to purchase natural gas from sources other than the major utility companies such as Consolidated Edison (Con Ed) and Brooklyn Union Gas (BUG). Ho…
In 1988 Mayor Ed Koch announced a new program that would give homeowners and multiple-dwelling buildings ten years to switch over to water meters, a program that is scheduled for completion by December 31, 1998. With this change, all New …
What do you know about lead-based paint? Perhaps you know that it's a toxin that's espe- cially dangerous to children under the age of six, and that even fetuses can be affected since they can be exposed to lead through their mother's blo…
Even at the most stately Park Avenue address, relocation is a frequent activity as apartments are bought and sold and sublet tenants or roommates move in and out. More than 100,000 people hire movers every year in New York City. But while…
The hit musical Rent burst onto Broadway last year amid unanimous praise for its originality and high- energy performances. This tale of down-and-out New Yorkers struggling to pay the rent while they face issues of life and death has turn…