Last year

I’m making an emergency visit down to the folks in Florida. My father, whom has been bedridden with Parkinson’s for nearly 2 years now, is back in the hospital. He’s actually recovering from the infection that put him there this time, but it’s touch and go.

I may do a post or two this week if I feel up to it. Maybe I’ll take some pictures that have nothing to do with housing, design or renovation. We’ll see.

At any rate, if you don’t hear from me, have a good Memorial weekend and I’ll be back for sure by Tuesday the 27th.

  posted @ 5:32 am Comments (7)

Just in case yesterday’s Park Slope Hating post was too negative for some tender souls, here’s a more positive interview I did earlier this month. From Creative Times. Scroll the main page for what others had to say.

  posted @ 5:31 am Comments (0)

Oy. That’s the last time I give an interview. I spoke to writer Lynn Harris months ago for an article she was doing on Park Slope. “Where Is the Love” appeared in yesterday’s NY Time’s style section. Now I’m getting emails from friends asking me why I lied.

I didn’t lie so much as I was coerced into confession and creative editing was used. My whole paragraph from the article: “Many locals, and ex-locals, I talked to swore that something else has also changed. Phyllis Bobb, 42, lived here from 1990 to 2002, when she moved to Bed-Stuy because, she said, “there were too many yuppies moving in.” People on her block stopped sitting on stoops; a guy in the park kicked her dog. “It wasn’t a community anymore,” she said, and she’s still steamed. “I feel like a jilted lover.”

Still steamed? Nah, it just saddens me that a neighborhood I once loved has become unrecognizable to me. I never said I hated Park Slope. I just choose to ignore it these days. It’s no longer my cup of tea. The jilted lover comment is meant to describe the way we (Park Slope and myself) have both changed and grown apart. We’ve both moved on and we’re in different relationships now. There was a time I loved Park Slope, that was probably mid 80′s-2000. But I look at it now and I can’t believe I lived there for so long.

I did not move from Park Slope to Bed Stuy in 2002. That was some careless editing! I moved upstate and then partially returned to Brooklyn (Bed Stuy) in 2005.

Yes! Someone really did kick my dog. That happened ages ago, so I don’t know how she got that out of me when I was talking about the recent changes in the Slope. But it happened and I hope the guy read the article and knows he will go down in history as “the dog kicker of Park Slope”. The incident occured in Prospect Park one morning during off leash hours. This schmuck walks right through the “doggy circle” and gets knocked down by a running pack of dogs. Ok, gets knocked down by MY dog. I tried to help him up, apologized, etc….and then he kicks my dog! That would never happen in Bed Stuy! Because people are terrified of my dogs there.

Neighbors on my old PS block didn’t STOP sitting on their stoops. The new people moving in didn’t take part in the stoop festivities. It was getting less friendly.

And let me just squash this whole jealousy theory (elsewhere in the article). See, that’s the reason I hate….I mean choose to ignore Park Slope. Not everyone wants to live in a suburbanized, homogenized community overrun with kiddies. It’s not because we can’t afford to, it’s because we simply don’t want to!

Fact: My marriage to Park Slope from 1994 to 2002? I bought my house for under $200k. I could’ve stayed forever if I was still in love with the neighborhood. But I wanted out of the relationship. And the financial settlement was just fine, thank you.

  posted @ 8:20 am Comments (9)

Neighbor Stacey of Amazulu was prepared for rain

We experienced sun yesterday morning for the very first time at the Brooklyn Flea. The double wide experiment was doing quite well and we were on a roll. And then the heavens opened up. And the afternoon was a wash out. At least we got rid of some big pieces so we didn’t have much to load up in the rain.

I did get to walk around while the weather was nice. FDR to JFK (no website), booth B14 had some very cool, kitsch vintage wares. Colorful, fun little goodies. They are there every week.

Designer Jill Malek was there with her beautiful-and-not-extremely-expensive hand screened wallpaper. Although they use virgin paper, the inks are recycled! Hey, it’s something. Looks great on the website, but wallpaper is one of those things you have to see in person to appreciate.

  posted @ 7:02 am Comments (0)

Bob Vila has teamed up with Lumber Liquidators to give away $4000 worth of flooring. Deadline is June 6th. Submit a new entry everyday for the Spring Floor Makeover Giveaway. No purchase necessary.

  posted @ 7:02 am Comments (0)

I no longer work on my house. All I do is refinish furniture now. Shame, that. Anyway, wanna see what I’ve been up to this week?

This bed has been sitting in my garage since winter (obviously). It just wasn’t doing it for me. It has nice lines, but it needed some umph.

Too much umph? Actually, I love it. But then I like bright, shiny things. Just like a little kid. The sanding was the easy part. The gods weren’t smiling on me when I was painting outdoors this week. Between the wind blowing the friggen pollen, the bugs and the rain, it took me forever to paint. I’m going to have to charge $20k for all the time I put in.

From lemons you make lemonade. I ripped this painting when I got frustrated packing the van one day. No, I didn’t do it purposely, but I was careless. Anyway, not wanting to throw anything out, I figured I could recycle it as a table. Am I a genius or what? Ok, so I haven’t actually done anything yet, other than place the painting on top of the base and snap a picture. I’ll put a wooden back on it for support and mounting purposes. Then I’m not sure if I’m gonna go with resin or tempered glass. I’ll figure it out last minute….like everything else I do.

  posted @ 6:43 am Comments (2)

For anyone who’s ever had paint left over….watch this video! Eric from Green House TV fills us in on paint calculators (Too logical for me), kitty litter and newspaper.

  posted @ 6:43 am Comments (0)

Stone Ridge is an Ulster County hamlet located less than 2 hours from NYC. It’s a place where stone houses line the main street and people say hello.

Pros

Easy access to Minnewaska State Park, Sullivan County and Kingston. Stone Ridge sits right on Route 209.

Climb The Gunks, Skydive the Ranch, pick your own apples or hike the rail trail nearby.

Amenities. Stone Ridge is home to an extraordinary supermarket(Emmanuel’s), specialty pet supplies, a well stocked wine shop, a local hardware store, a gym and a post office.

Restaurants. Although I prefer the High Falls “restaurant row”, you can grab a great meal in Stone Ridge too. Check out The French Corner. The French trained chef combines ingredients from his homeland with local Hudson Valley produce.

Enjoy your stay! Stay at the pricey-but-worth-every-penny Inn at Stone Ridge, an 18th century stone mansion or one of the more affordable historic B&B’s in the area.

Cons

NYC bus service only goes to nearby Rosendale or Kingston.

Although the town is walkable, it doesn’t feel very walker friendly. There are sidewalks in most, not all of town and Stone Ridge is very spread out. Some of the shopping is in a strip mall. A very nice strip mall, but a strip mall nonetheless.

The hamlet is more upscale than neighboring towns. Home prices reflect that.

Could use more restaurants! It’s only a few miles to other towns though.

Marbletown
Ulster Tourism
Ulster County Blog

  posted @ 6:51 am Comments (5)

$265k: Ranch on 5 acres

$299,900: 4 BR

$335k: 2400 sq ft on 2 acres

$395k: 1790 stone house

  posted @ 6:51 am Comments (0)

Hello. My name is Phyllis and I’m a 42 year old Real World junkie. Yeah, that’s right, I love to hate those nutty kids. They get worse as the years go on….those modely looking, self absorbed little twits. But it keeps me coming back.

So how excited was I when I heard the news that season 21 of the series will be filmed in Brooklyn? Ooh, I can’t wait! Shooting starts this summer and the one hour episodes will air in early 2009.

No decision yet as to what neighborhood. Hey Bunim-Murray, my tenants are leaving in August if you want a Bed Stuy brownstone! Better yet, would you be willing to audition a 42 year old? I can be the token native!

Via Observer
Via Curbed

  posted @ 6:09 am Comments (2)

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