There comes a time in every New Yorker’s life when they are faced with a situation so grave, so urgent and so daunting, it can make even the toughest East Coaster crumble and cave: Laundry Day. Many have the tools to survive ev…
By and large, a board and management company can expect payment from residents for monthly fees to be received on time and in full. These all-important funds keep day-to-day operations moving forward without delay. There are situations,…
Ask people to list the household chores they dislike most, and chances are, doing laundry will consistently rank among the top ten. The need and appreciation for clean clothes gets overshadowed by the inconvenience of constantly having to …
Suffice to say, parking is a big deal in New York City. On any given day, you will find hoards of people swarming the densely populated city streets in hopes of getting a good parking spot—or any spot, for that matter. Tourists circle madl…
Olivia Pope, the main character on ABC’s Scandal,is a professional fixer. If you have a problem—any problem—she can fix it. Over the past two seasons plus, she’s rigged elections, covered up murders, employed professional hit men, exposed …
Time was, a nice spacious condo unit with a good location, a decent view and several basic amenities like a laundry room, a doorman and a gym or pool were what New York City buyers wanted when they went home-shopping. However, as more buil…
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unique and challenging situations to each of us. Our cooperative and condominium clients, and their managing agents, have been working diligently to keep pace as this crisis unfolds. First and foremost, we …
Budgeting is never easy, not for a family of four and certainly not for a co-op or condo community of hundreds or thousands of residents. That fact is made all the more difficult by the lingering effects of the recession, which continue…
NOTE: The following is content submitted to The Cooperator from a professional contributor, and reflects that contributor's opinions, experience, and expertise. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unique and challenging situations to each…
One thing denizens of condominiums and cooperatives alike agree on is amenities; they just gotta have them. The more the merrier even. But while celebrated luxuries like pools or mainstays like lobbies are unlikely to ever fall out of favor…
By its very definition, insurance coverage is planned protection against both the expected and the unexpected. Life insurance clearly provides financial security in the event of death, which of course is an eventual certainty. But at the sa…
Seward Park Cooperative on the Lower East Side of Manhattan (where this author has lived for the last 15 years, and has served on its board of directors for the last six) is a remarkably diverse community of 5,000 or so New Yorkers that pri…
Most people don’t usually think of New York City for its ample greenery. Crowds, traffic, and tall buildings--there’s a reason why it’s usually referred to as a “concrete jungle”. While the Big Apple has its lovely parks, including the most…
Seward Park Cooperative on the Lower East Side of Manhattan (where this author has lived for the last 15 years, and has served on its board of directors for the last six) is a remarkably diverse community of 5,000 or so New Yorkers that pri…
One of the biggest perks of modern multifamily living is the all-inclusive, amenity-rich building or HOA. Depending on your own building’s offerings, you can go to the gym, swim, have a spa treatment, entertain your kids in the community pl…
Without a doubt, storage space is a supreme luxury in New York City. With small living spaces selling at high prices abound, unit owners commonly require additional capacity for bikes, out-of-season clothing, suitcases, business files and …
Your co-op or your condo unit may be your home, but to many others, your building is a workplace. Whether they’re managing a small, tight-knit walk-up building in Manhattan, or a sprawling co-op development in Queens or Staten Island, pro…
Attractive communal gathering spaces are one of the many perks often found in co-op and condo living – both in the city and in more suburban communities. Rooftop patios, resident libraries, screening rooms, clubhouses – these amenities are …
As New York City enters Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plans during the COVID-19 pandemic, residential buildings must determine how, when, and even if they will resume certain functions and services that were shut down or curtailed in…
For the board members and managers handling the successful operation of a co-op or condo community, one of their biggest responsibilities revolves around their fiduciary duties. They are, after all, dealing with people’s biggest assets: the…