Ya know, it’s not only Brooklyn and Manhattan that have brownstones. Look at these…all under $600k. Ok, it was slim pickins and they actually look more like brick than brownstone. But they exist!
589k: Glendale, Queens
595k: Jersey City
Form A Drain
Form A Drain from Certainteed is a 3-in-1 solution for foundations.
1. The lineal sections form the basement footings. Unlike wood forms, they can stay in place permanently after the concrete is poured. Which means….
2. They act as a drainage system. Use these instead of perforated pipe. Because they are used around the perimeter of the foundation, this is also good for reduction of…..
3. Radon.
Via Materialicious
Weekender: The Berkshires
So, we did our little vacation romp in The Berkshires last weekend. I followed the advice of readers from a previous post and booked this place in Great Barrington. Actually, it was in Housatonic, which is outside of Great Barrington.
The town of Housatonic actually reminds me of Beacon. It has that whole ‘abandoned factory by the river with train tracks running through it’ kind of thing going on. Housatonic is fairly small, although there are a couple of galleries and restaurants as well as a convenience shop and liquor store. When we first arrived at the house I was pretty disappointed that it wasn’t a hidden country retreat. Definitely more of a suburban feel. But the area does have some glorious old homes, many of which are under renovation.
Great Barrington is pretty crunchy, as promised by my readers. Restaurant menus offer plenty of vegetarian options, there was a food coop in town and even a new age shop.
We only stayed for a few days (the in-laws are still there) so we didn’t get out all that much. The two restaurants we did get to try were both exceptional. We had a “4-birthdays” dinner at Xicohtencatl, a colorful Mexican restaurant just outside of town. Although the frozen margaritas didn’t live up to my mother in law’s first margarita experience (I got her drunk at some Tex-Mex joint in Park Slope about 15 years. She has never found a margarita that compares to her first time.) they were GOOD. As was the food and service.
Our second meal out was Siam Square on Main Street in Great Barrington. Again, excellent choice, even though it was a last minute decision once we discovered the Indian take out no longer existed.
There’s no shortage of outdoor activities in The Berkshires. We hiked up Monument Mountain twice with the dogs. Well, got to the peak only one day. It’s about an hour plus to the top and fairly strenuous (Although I should let you know that I haven’t worked out in months).
Our other great outdoor adventure was a kayak trip down the Housatonic. We rented from the Main Street outfitter, Adventure US. The very nice man who drove us to the water waited with us until the rain stopped. Unfortunately, it started again once we were in the middle of the river. We took shelter under a tree for about 15 minutes, but then decided to go on. The water was high and mighty because of the rains. I tried so hard to keep dry because it was pretty chilly that day. Then we hit the mini “rapids” and I got soaked. It was FUN though!!!! Better than kayaking on still water. Next I’ll have to try white water.
We visited The Clark Museum in Williamstown one day. They have a very impressive collection and if the spouse gets bored with the art as my husband tends to, send him outside to stroll around the grounds. The in-laws visited The Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield the day we kayaked through the storm. The little one (3 years old) loved the place and the adults seemed quite satisfied as well. It’s kind of like The Met, Natural History and NY Aquarium rolled into one.
The one thing I didn’t get to do which was at the top of my list was to go antiquing. I just didn’t find the time. I suppose that says a lot about a place, when you can’t find time to do what you love most!
Related: Boston Globe article
Tourist much?
Berkshire Listings
2 BR post and beam set on over 2 acres. At this price, it almost makes me wish I was in the market for a second home.
1740’s saltbox colonial on 1.2 acres. Wide plank floors, exposed beams, rear porch that looks like maw and paw should be out there smoking pipes. And best of all…it needs work! Now who amongst you wouldn’t want to restore this baby?
$695k: Housatonic
This lovely Victorian lady was around the corner from where we stayed. We saw the for sale sign and guessed at the price. I said $500k and my husband said $700k. Guess he was right. It sits on 2 acres. I really wish there were some interior photos because it’s breathtaking from the outside.
Uses For Plywood, Part II: Walls
The plywood counter top post I did yesterday got me thinking about how versatile plywood is. It’s no secret that I sometimes get lazy with my renovations midway through. I’ve often asked the hubby if we can just do something fun with plywood rather than sheet rock the walls. The answer is always no. But that doesn’t mean I can’t write about it.
For our Kingston “country” renovation, we chose to go with board and bat walls. We did actually do board and bat, but afterwards our neighbor came in to see it and asked why we didn’t just use plywood under the batten? D’oh! We totally could’ve gotten away with that since we were going with a pickled white anyway. It would’ve saved hours. Actually, days. So, plywood under horizontal or vertical strips of wood could work. Or even raised panels, as in raised panel wainscoting? Are your creative juices flowing yet?
If you really want to go the cheapest, fastest, easiest route, consider just slapping that plywood up there with some paint or stain. The photo above is Cafe Macchiato in Newburgh, NY. Although I didn’t ask, I’m under the impression they just did a quick stain job. To me, the end result looks like a faux leather technique. Whether it was intended or not, it doesn’t look half bad! Consider bright stains and washes such as reds or purples. Could look very cool!
The fact is, you can’t really do much to screw up plywood. If you don’t like it and want to change to sheet rock, it won’t get destroyed when you take it down. And you can always use it elsewhere for all of your building needs.
Doghouse For Those Dog Days of Summer
From Instructables, a step by step guide to building this lovely outdoor doggy retreat. Turn up the volume and dance! The best part about this video is the disco beat.
HV Materials Exchange Reopens In New Paltz
The Hudson Valley Materials Exchange, formerly located at Stewart Airport in Newburgh, has finally reopened in their new home at the New Paltz recycling center. A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place tomorrow, June 25th at 12pm.
If you’re not aware of the HV Materials Exchange, that’s the place where you can buy used building materials as well as art supplies. Cash and material donations are always welcome! HV Materials Exchange is a not for profit warehouse.
Plywood Countertop
This month’s quick, cheap and easy DIY counter top choice comes from The Hardware Aisle.
What is it? Plywood! There’s no need to remove your existing counter top to feed the landfill. Furniture grade veneer can be affixed to existing material. Edges should consist of solid wood and surface can be coated for protection.
Full DIY here.
My own input? I doubt this will last forever, so why not make it look as nice as possible while it’s there? I’d add trim around the edges to fancy it up a bit. You can caulk it, but water will eventually find it’s away between the top and trim. If you plan on keeping the counter top for a long while, you should stay on top of the sealer and caulk! But remember that bars often have wood counter tops and they seem to last just fine.
Related:Charles and Hudson
Home Renovation Guide
Home Renovation Guide underwent an overhaul and recently relaunched. The Toronto based company covers the US as well. There are DIY tips, contractor searches and inspiration guides. Check it out, but not too closely. I want you to come back here!
In the editor’s own words:
“The Home Renovation Guide was originally created as a directory for qualified contractors, but in its new incarnation, the Home Renovation Guide is filled with tons of useful resources for the homeowner – everything from articles about home maintenance to personalized advice from experts to before and after galleries of home renovations (complete with full details). As an online publication, the Home Renovation Guide takes advantage of the immediacy of the web with sections like Hot Products for the latest and greatest, and the Home Improvement Blog that covers topics ranging from news in the renovation world to DIY projects happening at home. You may also notice a decidedly environmentally friendly slant, as we try to encourage the use of green products and concepts as much as possible.”
Monday Linkorama
Reclaimed Wood By State: Green Eco Service
(Go to 6/17/08. Direct link not working)
LEEDing in Bushwick: BushwickBK
Video: How To Sweat Pipes: Shakhammer
Felt Is Over. Lighting Is In.: Renovation Therapy
Bringing Sunlight to Dark Rooms: True Gotham
Open Houses: Manhattan Under $300k
This doesn’t look like one of those shoe box studios. It actually has some light and space to it. 425 sq ft of space. The pre-war apartment retains a bit of detail although it has been renovated.
This one IS a shoe box studio @ 250 sq ft. But what is it they say? Oh yeah, “Location, Location, Location”. Indeed, it’s right in midtown in a lovely building. But can you fit more than 1 person in here?
$299k: Morningside Heights 1 BR
This would be my choice (sight unseen, of course). A 500 sq ft 1BR pre-war with 10 foot ceilings near Riverside Park. Maybe I’m just a sucker for French doors, but it looks like something you wouldn’t outgrow 6 months from now.
Weekender: Hot Fun in the Summertime
It’s not too late to find that last minute weekend rental upstate! Or just take a day trip. Get out of the city! Enjoy! Life is short! Live a little! You get the point?
My husband took the day off work last Tuesday to spend time with his visiting family. We had it all figured out where we would take them. Go up the west side of the Hudson and hit Catskill Animal Sanctuary, then Opus 40. Swing down the east side to Millbrook Winery and Wing’s Castle. Stop for lunch at the Culinary Institute if we lasted that long. Someone (me) made the wise decision to check operating hours first. And guess what? Most of these places were closed on Tuesdays.
We thought we’d do a Brooklyn day, but our Astroland destination didn’t have summer weekday hours yet. You can’t go to Coney Island without riding the Cyclone. Brooklyn Museum was also closed.
The sister in law started bitching about America. The brother looked as if he was starting to get comfortable in the house. The 15 year old went upstairs to play computer games. We had to think fast. I said “Kayaking and swimming holes?!” And they went for it. Whew!
I would’ve thought renting 5 kayaks last minute would be a tough task. But Peak Performance in New Paltz came through for us. We drove up unexpected before they opened their doors and within 20 minutes they had us outfitted to go. There are a few places to put in, but we decided on the Rondout Creek in High Falls because we could go for a swim there as well.
It was a nice paddle, with some shady areas under trees. We turned around after about an hour because we left the sister in law on land with her 3 year old. She didn’t want to kayak, but she was itching for a swim. Just as we were about to enter the illegal swimming hole near the power plant we saw tons of people leaving. The cops were chasing them out. Strike two.
I’ll skip over the drive to our next destination and the hissy fits that ensued over our midday meal options.
We went to Split Rock at Minnewaska. There was a $9 fee per person to get in, but I think we were the only idiots who fell for that. Nobody else was wearing the bright yellow wristbands. Hey, it’s for a good cause! It supports the preserve! At least this is what we told the in-laws who were again bitching that you don’t have to pay to swim in Ireland. I don’t know what they were complaining about since we were the ones forking over the cash. After cries of “Is this all there is?” “It’s small for $9.” “The water is too cold.” a good time was had by all. I only wish I had brought the dogs like others had. At least they know how to enjoy themselves.
And finally Wednesday evening’s festivities got the thumbs up from everyone. The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival at Boscobel is not to be missed! Worth the drive or train ride up from the city! We go every year and are never disappointed. The performances are always top notch and unique. It’s never straight Shakespeare, always modernized, off center and very informal. I should say that this season’s “Cymbeline” was fairly straight Shakespeare, although it was well done. Past translations have included a western themed “As You Like It” and a space invaders “Mid Summer Night’s Dream”. I’m looking forward to seeing “The Twelfth Night” this summer.
As if a great performance under the stars isn’t enough, the highlight of Boscobel is the grounds. Central Park ain’t got nothing on this! Pack your picnic and enjoy your front row view of the Hudson before the show. And, um, leave the in-laws at home for a romantic evening.
We Love Reader Videos!
Thanks to readers Kevin and Christina for sending us the video of their 1200 square foot Upper West Side apartment renovation. It’s taken them nearly a year to get to this point.A bit of the old cut and paste to finish off my cheater post:
The reason for the huge delay is the co-op board shot our plans down 2 times, and would not let us do what we wanted to do, which was add a 2nd bath. They won’t let us do “wet over dry” … we closed in Aug. ’07 and should be ready to move in after Labor Day. We have been renting in Harlem for a year (and now we love brownstone living, of course).
To answer your questions:
1. That stuff was only out there for about 20 mins. As I was filming the truck pulled up, and took it all away! The bags were mostly the old linoleum floor, the rolls were old wall to wall carpet.
2. Yes, we recycled a lot, we gave it all away. Some of the old kitchen cabinets went to someone in the building (they were in awful shape). The appliances went to the night watchmen (we don’t have doormen). He hauled it to his apt (stove, fridge, microwave, washer-dryer). There are still 3 old doors in the apt and they are going to bignyc.org soon.
We have tried wherever possible to save money by using recycled things. We are reusing the bedroom doors by stripping them; we are stripping the radiator covers too. We bought 1920s bath fixtures and a door from Demolition Depot on 125th Street (love that place). We bought a 1930s light fixture at auction (Doyle New York).
– Kevin and Chrissie
Thatched Roofs
I see thatched roof cottages in Ireland all the time and always wonder why we don’t have more of them here. Is it a dying craft? Perhaps. But I did find one local guy who specializes in thatched roofs.
Master Thatcher Colin McGhee, from Essex, England started thatching at the age of 16. He’s been working in the US since 1991 and is based in Virginia (although his area code is 845).
European thatch dates back to the middle ages when the first villages were established. Here in the states, Native Americans were using thatch for generations before early settlers started to during the 60’s. 1560’s, that is.
Reed and straw are the two most common choices of thatching. Material has to be gathered, dried, bundled, and secured the roof in thick layers. It’s weather resistant, fire proof and easily repaired. The commonly used Norfolk reed has an R value of 40.
I’m not sure this is something I’d attempt myself on a house (maybe an outhouse or something) but there is a DIY section on McGhee’s site.
Hey, if a green roof dries out and dies, would it look like a thatched roof?
Reclaimed Home: So,What’s the Plan,Man?
Things have been sort of half-ass here for the last month or two due to family meshugas. No sooner did I get back from Florida than the Irish invaded my house. Don’t ask how that’s going. At least I have a few days to myself as they took a side trip to Niagara.
It’s been tough getting any work done while entertaining the in-laws, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. They leave at the end of June. Yes, it will have been a month since the first of them arrived! I’m only going to do once a month Brooklyn Flea for July and August. You know what that means? More time to work on the houses! Some DIY posts, salvage, materials, etc! I’ll be reclaiming my home!
Not participating in the flea every weekend also means I’ll have time to develop some new items and work on my online shop presence. But there I go again taking on too much. I have to remember two time consuming things coming up in August: My mom is coming to visit for 2 weeks and my tenants are leaving. And I don’t think mom will be much help getting the apartment ready to rent again.
Oy. It’s always something.