Category: Community Living

Once prevalent as a residential alternative in the suburbs, solar energy is having a bit of a moment in New York City. The New York Times recently chronicled how solar is making headway in the city proper, amid the vast high-rises t…

A panel of emergency preparedness experts told board members and managers how to prepare their buildings to weather coastal storms, like 2012’s Hurricane Sandy, safely. In the recent installment of Argo University for Boards at Manh…

There’s much to consider in choosing a co-op or condo in New York City. No one would dispute that school assignment is at the top of that list. While you can renovate a bathroom or kitchen, you can’t change the public elementary school to…

Condominiums and cooperatives are first and foremost hubs for communal living. Residents work together on or with the boards of their associations to keep their properties functioning seamlessly day-in and day-out. So then why wouldn'…

In a city that has been referred to on more than one occasion as a 'concrete jungle,' it should come as no surprise that flashes of lush plant life are rare, at least when compared to suburban enclaves, and often relegated to parks and othe…

Imagine if you can actually buy a co-op in New York City and not have to be in front of the building's dreaded board for approval. Well, there is an option for buyers to consider in the form of a sponsor unit. It's a term that you've probab…

According to a story in the New York Daily News on August 18, a construction worker died after apparently hanging himself from a fifth-floor window at a Queens condominium complex. By any estimation, this event was tragic, and surel…

In a city like New York, no one—including co-op and condo owners—is immune from the sounds of noisy construction work. With such things as loud jackhammers and buzzing saws going on, it's enough to drive anyone mad. Whether the construction…

Second of a two-part article. Trees have their own natural enemies, but perhaps the most devastating for co-op, condo and HOA communities are invasive species of insects like the emerald ash borer (EAB). Originating in Asia, this …

You can screen potential residents before letting them buy into your co-op or purchase a condo unit all you want, but that doesn’t mean you’ll catch everything. Sometimes things just go undiscovered during the initial screening process for …