Reuse. Rehabilitate. Restore. Architectural salvage and repurposed pieces for the home.
The new GreenCore hybrid air conditioner automatically switches between solar to battery power. It’s less expensive to run and eco-friendly all rolled into one unit! There’s also an optional heating componet. The mobile or fixed units can cool (or heat) rooms up to 600 square feet.
Via Leed Pro
From 1985-1988 The Holiday Cocktail Lounge on St Marks Place my living room. I was an employee at The Metropolitan Museum at the time and a group of us would go after work every night of the week. We would grab a falafel at Rakka or a slice of pizza from Stromboli’s on the corner when we got hungry or swing for dinner at Dojo’s beforehand. We always shut the place down at 1am and if we felt like staying out, the Blue and Gold, St. Marks Bar & Grill or The Gold Bar were happy to have us. It made sense that I met my husband in The Holiday since this is where I spent all my time.
It also made sense to revisit The Holiday for our 20th anniversary. Stefan, the owner, is about 90 years old and we doubt his sons are going to keep the place going once he’s gone. The bar opened in 1965 and was a hangout for beatniks and commies. By the time I discovered it in the 80’s, it was a bustling dive bar. Many of the old timer regulars (drunks) have since come to an early demise.
Beer was $1.50 and mixed drinks: $2.00. 2008 prices are $4.00 per drink. Apart from the prices and Stefan, the jukebox is just about the only thing that has changed. The black booths are held together with duct tape, but more than one of us remembered them being red, so maybe they have been replaced in the last 20 years. Bathrooms: same. Christmas lights: same. Shadows on the wall from people leaning: same.
If you want to experience a real NYC dive bar, better get to The Holiday soon. I’m not clued in to any changes, nor am I psychic, but I’m glad I got to see The Holiday one last time before it goes the way of CBGB’s. Just a hunch even though Stefan owns the building.
Our first timer friend knocked down a clock that had probably been there since opening day.
Tourists from the past. Geez, we’re older than the bar itself.
Related: NY Press
Workalicious launched last week! It’s the brainchild of Justin and Gregory from Materialicious, the blog that is so informative it makes my head explode. If you can’t figure out what Workalicious is about from the title, I’m not going to tell you. But I will say it’s about design. In the work place. Check it out for yourself!
So our new tenants moved in less than 24 hours after the old tenants left. We knew we would have some work to do, but we worked out a deal with the newbies: Their labor in exchange for rent. Seemed like a good idea at the time until we realized the state of the apartment.
The former tenants left the place broom swept. We actually did take some money off their deposit because one roomie was living there with his head up his ass. I dunno…he must’ve been having some wild parties in his bathroom. Anyway, we didn’t expect them to do a thorough cleaning and we were prepared to hire cleaners. We thought we would have time to schedule cleaners of our choice, but it was too disgusting for the newbies to live there for one day, so we needed emergency cleaning help. (No, I wasn’t going to touch it!)
I called the place we used for our post renovation cleaning, Today’s Maid. I was thoroughly happy with them last time. Two people spent 4 hours cleaning windows, cabinets, dusting down molding, etc. It was $350 which was actually less than some of the other prices I was getting at the time. Today’s Maid said they would see if they had someone available and get back to me. I waited about an hour and then called back. “No, we can’t help you today.” Well, thanks for letting me know! Ok, that’s it for Today’s Maid.
So I resorted to Craigslist. I called and called. Finally one woman said she would do it. It was $125 and the job she did was worth about $25. At least she scratched the surface. They got some grime up so the guys could live there for a few days. Oh, PS: They sounded awesome from the posting….organic, green, cleaning supplies, essential oils. Total scam!
Newbie tenant got a referral from a co-worker for Good Impressions Cleaning so we had high hopes for the second cleaner. And hey, whaddya know? They did a great job! Windows, stove (Woo, it needed it!), scrubbed grout, the works! The price? $140. They’re based in Staten Island, but service all five boros. $140 for a move out? A weekly cleaning must be totally affordable!
Let’s move on to the larger issue at hand: the roaches. It was infested. No, INFESTED! We had no idea because the roomies never said anything. And why should they? They invited them in by leaving food around. Luckily, the other apartments didn’t get any.
So newbie called the exterminator. I don’t trust exterminators. First, I’m a DIY person. Second, I believe those stories about them creating more pests so they can stay in business. (But I also believe the aliens killed JFK, so don’t take my word for it.) And third, see my mosquito post for how I feel about killing living creatures.
The exterminator was called Absolute Death. He used a non toxic bait and poison because of the cats in the apartment. It’s a fructose based gel injected on surfaces and in cracks that attracts the roaches. They eat it and carry it on to the other roaches who eat their feces and carcasses, so it keeps working. I’m not sure of the exact poison he used, but it looks like it might be Maxforce.
A less expensive way (and perhaps more pleasant?) to kill roaches is to leave some cheap wine around. Supposedly, they drink it and die. I don’t know if this works, it’s just something I saw online.
If you don’t want to kill them and just want to send them over to your neighbors, some natural repellents include garlic oil, catnip or bay leaves. Roaches also don’t like light, heat and air flow. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the scattering cockroach dance once the light is turned on.
FYI, did you know the cockroach is related to the cricket and grasshopper? I never thought about it, but it makes sense. I can see the resemblance.
The NY Times interviewed high end Manhattan contractor Stephen Fanuka. His average job is $350k and he has quite a few going at once.
He spoke about materials and their practical uses. I’m kind of liking this glossy ceiling, although I wouldn’t use it in my Victorian homes.
What’s hot right now? Glass, especially in bathrooms. But you’ll need a good installer because the glue shows through if not done properly. I installed some glass mosaic I nabbed from craigslist and lemme tell you, it was a bitch to do! He also mentions white milk glass laminate on walls. Ooh, that sounds suh-weet!
See more here.
And here.
The quaint town of Marburg, Germany is on the cutting edge of the green building movement. So cutting edge, in fact, that they are forcing all homeowners currently undergoing renovations and heating upgrades to install solar systems.
Sounds like a good idea until you consider all of the historic buildings in the town. And the cost to homeowners who may not be able to afford it. With the added expense, some homeowners are opting out of reinsulating their homes altogether.
Those caught not doing the solar panels will be fined 1,000 euros. Here’s what gets my goat: Why not offer incentives instead of dictating what people must do? The town of Marburg is a great model for renewable energy. They have windmills and solar and use hydroelectric power. It all seems like the perfect town until you consider that their residents don’t have free will.
Via NY Times
I do the Etsy. I shop. I sell. But I don’t often have time to really explore the site. This morning is no exception, but since I needed to come up with a quickie blog post, oh, I explored baby!
I love The Storque! The blog posts how to tips, reviews, multi-media, event listings, blah, blah, blah. (Like my quickie post?)
Check out the woodcarving how to article! And I found Barkers for Barack on Storque too! Hmm, but the same seller has “McCainine” scarves. Grrr.
You know what? I don’t even know the price of this Gruppo Atma bathroom furniture on Trendir. I can only assume it’s out of reach. I love it! But I’m one of those people who says “I can do that myself.”
Seems easy enough. Take a plain, boring (used) cabinet…even Ikea will do. Get some old frames. They may have to be new frames if you can’t find matching. Search antiques/salvage shops for legs. Paint the whole thing and bam! You’ve got yourself a fancy cabinet for a fraction of the cost. Best of all….you did it yourself.
And what do we think of this mirror vanity below, also from Trendir? I’m not sure about it.
Our 20th wedding anniversary is coming up on 8/8/08 and on our invitation I wrote what was going on around the time we were married. My research (and faded memory) brought up the following which may be of interest to you:
*Tompkins Square Riots
*Medical waste washes up on NYC beaches
*Jennifer Levin’s family sues Dorian’s Bar in the Yuppie Murderer case
*Central Park Zoo reopens after renovations
*Temperature hits 88 degrees in NYC on 8/8/88
*Winning lotto ticket is 888 day after 8/8/88
*A New York court indicts Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos
* Brooklyn native Jean-Michel Basquiat dies of a drug overdose at age 27
* Madonna on Broadway in David Mamet’s “Speed the Plow”
* Boro movies of 1988 include “Working Girl” , “Coming to America” and “Big”
*An illegal bike messenger from Dublin marries an art dealer’s assistant from Brooklyn. For the green card.
When I first saw the images of the Montauk Monster, I thought it was a hoax. It’s been nearly a week since the creature washed ashore and people are still befuddled as to what it is. I must confess, I’m kind of fascinated.
If it’s an alien from Mars (where there IS water, so it’s possible), THE MAN would’ve hidden it from the public. I think it was just left to decompose. One video had some guys playing with the skeleton. I don’t know if it’s the same creature.
Witnesses are now saying that they saw “monsters” elsewhere, some alive. More practical opinions: a water rat, a turtle without the shell, a dog. Ok, dogs don’t have beaks. I’m going with turtle. Or hoax. What say you?
Biodegradable Poopy Bags For Dog Walkers. There goes my excuse not to pick up when they go off the trail. See, I had good reasoning. The poop is biodegradable, so why waste a plastic bag? I’m not talking about city streets. I’m talking just off the trail upstate. Am I a bad person? Alternative Consumer
20 Tips To Prepare The Kitchen For Resale. The Kitchen Designer has been slacking off lately. Oh she’s working alright, but I guess she’s been too busy to post daily. Keeping us hanging. Nice to see Susan back with this highly informative post. The Kitchen Designer
Dad Labor. Hallie in Hudson has a series of posts on all the work her father did when he came to visit. What a dynamo! As regular readers know, I just lost my own father back in May. But may I speak frankly? The man couldn’t even change a light bulb! (Seriously, my mom changed the bulbs.) My father would sit back and ask under his breath so nobody could hear him “Need help?” I’d like to adopt Hallie’s dad, please. Holy Hudson
Snot And Barefeet At MOMA. Not kidding. Jean fills us in on how disgusting people can be. Treating the pre-fab home exhibit as if it’s their own living room. Actually, I doubt snot lady would do that in her own house! Should’ve taken a picture and put her in the hall of shame. Renovation Therapy
After breezing through About.com’s Brooklyn trivia quiz linked by OTBKB, I decided to create one of my own. I spent hours building a lovely scored one, wrestling with the html, only to discover it wasn’t showing up at all in Explorer. So, you’ll have to guess at these and I’ll post the answers later. In the meantime, feel free to leave your guesses in the comments section…but no cheating!
1. What is Weeksville?
a) A week long trip to the Catskills organized by Big Brothers Brooklyn chapter
b) A Sheepshead Bay senior development
c) One of the nation’s earliest free African American communities
d) A row of 1700’s stone houses located in Bay Ridge
2. What is Plum Beach?
a) A private beach for the inhabitants of Coney Island’s Sea Gate community
b) A neglected beach near Sheepshead Bay
c) The rocky area under the Brooklyn Bridge
d) A nickname for Prospect Park’s boat house launch area
3. Which celeb is NOT from Brooklyn?
a) Larry David
b) Adam Sandler
c) Denzel Washington
d) Anne Hathaway
4. Off leash hours in city parks are as follows:
a) Dusk to dawn
b) Before 9am
c) There’s no such thing as an off leash law
d) Before 8am
5. Following the death of disco, Saturday Night Fever’s 2001 Odyssey became a:
a) Gay strip club
b) Supper club
c) Catering hall
d) Punk rock venue
6. Who was Stacy Moskowitz?
a) The original owner of The River Cafe
b) Ed Koch’s deputy mayor
c) Miss Brooklyn 1985
d) The Son of Sam’s final victim
7. Which Brooklyn restaurant has been around the longest?
a) Peter Luger
b) River Cafe
c) Monte’s Venetian Room
d) Patsy Grimaldi’s
8. Which of these is NOT a diner?
a) Caravelle
b) Vegas
c) Moonstruck
d) Dizzy’s
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