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Acoustic Consultants?

August 22, 2008 RH 2 Comments

I didn’t know there was such a thing as an acoustic consultant, but Marketplace interviewed Alan Fierstein of Acoustilog and I’d imagine he does a pretty good business in these parts.

The interview focused on children, or rather one noisy little brat in particular. Not that it’s the child’s fault. It wasn’t the bouncing the ball on the ceiling or jumping on the bed that that lead me to believe the parents should take some control. It was when his mother said he was running around in the hallway. The hallway is a common area! Why is he out there playing??

But I digress. I’m sure we all think we can use some acoustic help, especially in these old rowhouses. And new buildings. And detached frame construction. I mean, I’m upstate right now and those damn crickets are driving me mad! But noise control isn’t only for our own peace of mind. Alan located Molly with his acoustic equipment, the cat that was stuck in the wall for two weeks before he entered the picture.

The company gets much of it’s business from restaurants, clubs and bars who hire them to keep the noise IN, but there are several residential tips on the site for folks to keep the noise OUT. It’s worth checking out!

Toxic Top Three In Your Home

August 22, 2008 RH

OTBKB posted an interview from Center for the Urban Environment (CUE) relating to non-toxic home environments. Alexandra Zissu who will be speaking at Green Brooklyn/Green City on September 18th, had this to say:

“I often give a talk to various groups that covers a “toxic top ten list” — ten home areas where people can make changes that will really make a difference in terms of minimizing their exposure to the bad stuff. Before I launch into the top ten, I always give three beyond simple changes anyone can do tomorrow to immediately reduce indoor air pollution. Once you’re feeling proactive, it’s easier to launch into those ten areas, I have found. These three tips include:

1. Take off your shoes before or just after entering your home. The residues on your soles — gas, pesticide, dog shit and so much more — should not be tracked into your home, especially if you have a crawling baby. One scientist I often interview at the NRDC says removing your shoes should be considered an “everyone-does-it” public health measure along the lines of handwashing. Apparently Brooklyn has the second highest pesticide use in all of New York State (thanks, roaches). Kicking off your heels couldn’t be easier and the results are dramatic and instantaneous.”

Ok, obviously this woman doesn’t have pets! What good is taking off my shoes when the shit is coming from inside the house? My cats track poop from the litterbox (when they decide to use it). My dogs drag their asses on the floor. My cats pee on the counter top. It’s called building resistance. I can lick a subway pole and it won’t get me sick at this point.

2. “This is particularly important among for urban working types: don’t dry clean your clothes. Wet clean or CO2 clean instead. The chemical used in conventional dry cleaning is a probable human carcinogen. For more information: http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/ask/wetclean”

Ok, I can deal with that. Simple. Keep buying crap clothes that don’t require dry cleaning. I’ll even go a step further. Don’t wash after every wearing. Just throw them on the floor and pick them up again when you want to wear them. It saves you the energy of putting them away and it’s less wasteful on the environment.

3. “Switch all of your conventional cleaners to green ones.”

I’m the Queen of Vinegar. Yeah, that’s easy enough. When I actually clean….

What’s Up With Jews and Diners?

August 21, 2008 RH 1 Comment

Thank you for your patience during my time off for my mother’s visit. I sent her packing back to Florida yesterday, hurricane threat and all. Two weeks, she was here. Two weeks.

These old Jews, all they want to eat is diner food. In Florida, they go to dinner at 4pm for their early bird specials. They fill up on the bread and salads that are out on the table. After eating the soup, they take a few bites of their huge meal and leave some room for desert, also included in the price. Then the entree gets boxed up and they get another meal or two out of it. Or sometimes, it sits in the fridge until the children visit a few months later to throw it out.

I’ve had diner food nearly every. single. day. that my mom was here. (I won’t bore you with my protein deficiency. I can’t do veggie burgers every night. I just can’t.) We ate at Junior’s on Flatbush, El Greco in Sheepshead, Alexis in Newburgh and Historic Village Diner in Red Hook to name a few. I’ve become a diner friggin connoisseur.

The diner list I posted here back in March still makes sense, although I wasn’t all that impressed with El Greco this time around. We both made the mistake of ordering falafel plates because we were exicited to see them on the menu. They were dry as fart and when I asked for tahini I got tsatsiki instead.

I’m sad to report on the passing of our much loved Sea Garden restaurant on Neptune Avenue in Brighton Beach. Rumor has it the place was shut down for violations PLUS non payment of rent or taxes. It was a pit, but it was OUR pit.

Also, in non diner related news, Mrs. Stahls on Coney Island and Brighton Beach Aves is gone! Apparently, it’s been gone for a few years now, but I just found out when we went looking for it. It’s a Subway now. And Brighton Beach Avenue has Starbucks and many, many new facades. Oh Brighton, what happened to you?

Whiner and Diner:Why Didn’t I Think of That?

August 21, 2008 RH 2 Comments

Sometimes I’m really impressed by things that are incredibly ingenious and other times it just aggravates me that I didn’t think of it first. Whiner and Diner pisses me off. It should’ve been me! I’m the one with an 8 pet household! I’m the one who makes reclaimed sh*t! Perhaps it’s because these brilliant pet accessories are made from wine cases. We can never buy wine by the case for fear of drinking it all at once. We’re a 1 bottle at a time household.

The pet beds and toy boxes are pretty straightforward. The beds are $225, which is semi affordable for the non DIY crew. (?) Ok, if you can’t spend the $225, just throw a damn pillow in a box. Viola!

But it’s the pet feeders that stole my heart. Singles start at $150 and doubles at $175. You can choose from stain colors or hand painted designs. I love them!
Damn you, Whiner and Diner!

Via Green Your Decor

Day Off. Maybe Two.

August 19, 2008 RH 5 Comments

Screw it. It’s August. Everyone but me is on vacation. My mom is visiting. I can’t think of anything to write about. I am not posting today! And I might even take Wednesday off too! What do you think of that?

Fun-O-Meter Home Projects

August 18, 2008 RH

The summer escaped us. Too much meshugas. Now all of those home projects have been pushed back to the fall. Exterior projects should take priority, but what’s another year? We tend to get to the more pleasant projects first.

Here’s my to do list based on the fun-o-meter.

So, what do you enjoy doing?

1. Strip paint from wainscotting. Re-paint. (Fun:0)

2. Paint shutters which are getting moldy in damp basement. (Fun:1)

3. Paint walls and decorative molding. (Fun:5)

4. Pick out new entry doors. (Fun:10)

5. Probably strip and restore entry doors. (Fun:0)

6. Replace rotted wood from front bay windows. (Husband’s job. Who cares?)

7. Paint new bay window wood. (Fun:4)

8. Pick out decking for porch. (Fun:10)

9. Pick out porch balusters. (Fun:10)

10. Help hubby install decking. (Fun:5)

11. Strip and repaint balusters. (Fun:-2)

12. Use porch before winter 2008. (Ain’t gonna happen, but would be high on the fun-o-meter)

Holy Mother Of God! Can I Borrow 4 Mil?

August 18, 2008 RH 6 Comments

This breathtaking mansion is sooo last week! But I didn’t spot it in The NY Times until this week so forgive me and my “old news” post.

I must’ve looked at the slide show a dozen times. Tears came to my eyes. I think I am in love. Both with the house and that cute old guy (Sorry, Pops) who looks like he’d feel just as much at home in a Florida condo. Hey guy, my mom is available!

The Astoria villa is on the market for $4mil. I think all of you moochers reading this blog for free should chip in and buy this house for me. My birthday is just around the corner as is the 1st anniversary of this blog. T’would make a lovely gift. Come on, let’s make this happen! Go, me!

But enough talk. Let’s just look at pictures and collectively drool.

He’s petting his pony! How cute is that? Does the telescope mean there’s a skylight for viewing? Oh, stop.

Geez, I was excited to uncover plain white marble mantles in my house. Plain marble, feh!

Ok, this is my favorite thing. If I could just rent out the basement, I’d be happy. A billiard room, a bar….and…a Roman bath. Oh, what cursed fate that I don’t have a Roman bath and pool table in my basement!

Slide Show

Tschotschke Clearance Sale!

August 15, 2008 RH

My storage space is full and I need to clear way for new inventory. I’ll be doing a BIG flea sale this Sunday. All tschotschkes must go! I’ve made $5 grab bags full of cute little goodies. Then I’ll have $5 and $10 bins. Clean me out!

Check out my flickr page and store and make an offer on larger items as well. I’m not so flexible on handmade or restored items. Just all that as-is stuff that I haven’t even dusted.

Brooklyn Flea, space C5, this Sunday 10am-5pm.

Weekender: Hudson

August 15, 2008 RH 5 Comments

Chances are you know more about Hudson than I do. That’s because I’ve only been there a handful of times. But that may be about to change. I took a trip up to Hudson yesterday with mom in tow, to seek out multi dealer antiques venues. I took a fancy to Armory Antiques so I may hook up with them.

The changes in Hudson since the last time I was there are so overwhelming, it’s difficult to convey in a single post. There’s a lot going on! The main shopping district on Warren Street can take a good few days to cover. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you know that many of the shops are antiques dealers. There are tons of art galleries and restaurants to keep you busy if you hate antiques.

Hudson is serviced by Amtrak and the town is completely walkable, so this can be a car free weekend destination. It’s within close proximity to Albany, The Berkshires and Upper Dutchess County. I’d give it a good 3 hours from NYC even though some like to say it’s only two.

I’ve been ignoring Hudson on this blog because I don’t think of it as being affordable. There are still some bargains to be had, but look into the real estate taxes before you leap. The homes around here are to die for!

Fun fact: The Wonder Years was filmed in Hudson.

Current cool Warren Street exhibit: Best in Show

Columbia Tourism, interactive guides

Hudson Listings

August 15, 2008 RH 2 Comments

$100k: Bank owned 4 family

What drew me to this house originally was the pink. But it looks like it’s been painted in Photoshop, no? Anyway, cool brick home for $100k. No interior shots leads me to believe this needs a tad TLC.

$345k: Detailed Victorian

The white exterior, perhaps vinyl siding isn’t thrilling me on this property. The interior shots tell another story though. Great detail and nice restoration work. Kudos to these folks!

$349,900: 4BR Arts and Crafts

All that woodwork! This home is solid looking and so sweet that I’m getting a tooth ache. I loouuve it!

$429,500: Former church

FYI, It’s my dream to convert a church. Also, barns, firehouses or any BIG OLD places. But back to the church….this one looks like a keeper! Who’s buying? I’ll do the work. And live there. All you need to do is put up the money. Not a bad deal, no?

Check Out Some Beacon Homes

August 14, 2008 RH

Photo by Bernie Kessler

I’m revisiting Beacon real estate this week because I keep hearing how dire the market is. The prices on these homes don’t seem particularly low, but it looks as if things have cooled off a bit in what was once red hot Beacon. The sellers would probably be asking at least $100k more if the bubble hadn’t burst. Whether they would get it or not is another thing.

There are definitely homes out there for under $200k in Beacon now. Plenty of them. I chose to look at the more interesting ones as the others didn’t do much for me. Get a load of some of these photos. You think city realtors can’t take pictures? These images are appalling, I tell ya. Simply appalling.

$349,500: 6 BR

Sorry the link doesn’t take you directly to the house. Not only can’t this broker take pictures, he is completely computer illiterate. I know because he’s the guy holding my license. He thinks his website looks good. Drives me nuts! Anyway, the house….3574 square foot Victorian on .31 acres. “Diamond in the rough” has some deets. The fact that someone took the time to strip the staircase and every single spindle has gotta be worth at least $200k. No, I’m serious. Really.

$389,000: 3 BR

Oh, how I’ve drooled over this house! It’s so friggen cute! Check out that 50’s breakfast nook! And the red couch. Bordello chic. Love it. Not so crazy about the location though. : (

$449k: 4 BR

Well, if you can’t afford the French chateau, here’s something that might do the trick for now. I love the crawlers and the fact that this house looks soooo haunted! 1900 square feet on 2 acres. It can be my Grey Gardens.

Amazon Green

August 14, 2008 RH

I still prefer to shop locally and pick up things in person, but if I choose to shop online, Amazon the place to go. They just seem to have EVERYTHING and the prices can’t be beat (well, usually).

Smart cookies that they are, Amazon has launched Amazon Green, a cross-category program that includes a list of products that customers have selected as the best green products offered by them.

Top five at the moment includes:

1. 5 pack tote bags: $9.95 (Ok, so they’re $.99 apiece at Shoprite)

2. 13 watt fluorescent

3. 23 watt fluorescent

4. Push lawn mower

5. 48 pack of 7th Generation toilet paper: $47.99

Number nine on the list is a solar charging kit.

The Suburbs Blog Too

August 13, 2008 RH 3 Comments

So wait, you mean Brooklynites aren’t the only ones blogging about their neighborhoods? People from New Jersey have something to say (Sorry, Shore Chic!). That’s what a recent NY Times article says, anyway.

Baristanet out of Montclair is said to be the mother of all suburban blogs. Creative snob that I am, I couldn’t get past the boring design and photos of “those suburban types”. It wasn’t inviting me in. Of course founder Liz George gets the last laugh since she actually has a financially successful and well read blog.

Red Bank Green is more my speed, both in it’s writing style and design. It has a more young, hip feel. The writing reflects that as well. Yes, I do realize the irony. I am neithor young nor hip.

The Loop, serving parts of Westchester is both purdy and informative. They have rumor, rant and rave sections which is always fun.

Long Island is lacking in the blog department. That’s probably because the place is completely devoid of character and people are too busy getting manicures. I mean both men and women. Hey, any readers out there from Lawng Ieyland? Sorry! Love the place. Really.

Green Plug Slays Vampires

August 13, 2008 RH

My husband goes around unplugging electronics that are not in use. It’s a good habit, but I must admit, I’m too lazy to do it all the time. Fact is, leaving computers, phones and chargers plugged in wastes energy. Lots of it.

The Green Plug may be the key to slaying the energy sucking vampires in our household electronics. It’s a universal energy efficient power hub for electronic devices. Go to their website for all the boring technical stuff.

Unfortunately, compatible electronics probably won’t be hitting the shelves until 2009. Even then, you’re not going to go out and buy a whole new inventory of products. Not to worry. For those without patience, design kits are currently available.

Via Treehugger

Good Psychic on Long Island

August 12, 2008 RH 14 Comments

You just can’t seem to find a good psychic these days. When I was growing up, my mother’s BFF was gifted in this area so we kind of got spoiled. When she passed, we were on our own. I consider myself a skeptical believer. Skeptical of the psychics, not the afterlife. So I was really excited when I got 3 separate referrals (all from my family members) for psychic/medium Glenn Dove out on the Island.

My mother and I went yesterday. She went in first and had the better reading. My father dominated both of our readings and wouldn’t let anyone talk even though they were there (Glenn called them by name), but I guess Dad was excited to talk to us. For my reading, he kept harping on the same subject (work and business) which is something he did when he was alive too. I would’ve thought maybe he got some new material by now.

Of the three relatives who had readings prior to us, two were believers and one was a skeptical husband. None of them had had much experience with the other side, so I wanted to see for myself if this guy pulled the wool over their eyes. From what they were telling me, there was no way he could’ve come up with the personal relationship tidbits he was presenting to them.

And the same went for my reading. Yes, if he looked up my name and birth date, which he had knowledge of beforehand, he might have found out my brother’s name on some online family tree. But a-ha! How did he know that we’re like ying and yang and never got along?

Maybe I say my mother’s reading was better because she doesn’t have a blog. Many things he said about me, I was like “Well, he could have read that on my blog if he looked me up.” The “changing room colors”, “creative career” and the anniversary. But he was giving my mom little stories of things that only she shared with my father.

So my psychic meter gives this guy a high score and I fully recommend him. Glenn Dove is based in Baldwin but does phone readings as well. He charges a hefty $175 for a 40ish minute taped reading (bring your own cassette for $5 off) and throws in some numerology at the end of the session. He is also a Certified hypnotherapist.

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