Marble columns, iron grillwork, decorative cornices, brass details on doors; these are extra touches that make a building unique. When marble is polished and clean, ironwork and cornices free of rust, and brass buffed to an impeccable s…
As surely as kids dread the back-to-school season every fall, so too must co-op boards face the budget season. A building really has only one shot at establishing income for the whole next year, and while many of you may be far from nov…
Everybody wants to show themselves and their home in the best light possible - literally. How you light a room gives it added definition and character, and enhances both the space's contents and its inhabitants. When it comes to interior…
Co-op and condo boards are charged with maximizing the value of their shareholders' and unit-owners' real estate investments. Year after year, these boards diligently replace aging equipment, refurbish lobbies, clear up code violations, …
Apartment-dwelling New Yorkers have a tendency to spoil their trash. That is, they allow it to stink. "When people think of garbage rooms, they think of having to tolerate bad smells because it comes along with the territory," says …
The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) receives more complaints against home improvement contractors than any other category - Period. If you engage an unlicensed, unregistered contractor to carry out an improvement project…
Four years ago, the co-op at 430 West 34th Street in Manhattan was in trouble. The 17-story, 168-unit vanilla brick building needed money - and needed it quickly. A couple of major capital projects, including new window installation, grout…
Your home is supposed to be a sanctuary - your family's protection from the hazards and harms of the outside world. Unfortunately, what should be a haven can often be full of hazards, especially for children, whose curiosity can be thei…
Nearly two months into Mayor Michael Bloomberg's suspension of glass and plastic recycling - a move designed to trim $40 million from the city's budget - New Yorkers are slowly getting used to the idea of tossing their Pepsi and beer bottl…
Kermit the Frog once sang, "It's not easy being green." In truth, New York-area co-ops and condominiums are discovering that "going green" is easier and more cost-effective than ever before. No, you won't be seeing a rash of high rises…