Car (or Van) Sharing
Want to take a drive to the country for the weekend? Beach for the day? How about obtaining a van for renovations? Car rental companies can be pretty pricey in New York, so it’s no surprise that car sharing options such as ZipCar have gained in popularity.
Disclosure: I’m just doing some internet research because I’ll soon be needing a van for renovations. I’ve never actually tried a car sharing company. If you have, please comment with some feedback!
It would seem that the daily price of car sharing is comparable to rentals; however, gas and insurance are included in the share. We all know that insurance is what can double the price of that rental. Let’s also remember that location, location, location is everything. Looks like car sharing may be a tad more convenient than schlepping to a rental company to pick up a car. Also, if you only need it for an hour to two, that’s cool.
If you only intend to use the car once or twice a year, car sharing may not be worth it as there is a membership fee involved.
Let’s have a look at some local companies, shall we?
ZipCar is the best known. You’ll be spending $85 to participate. $60 for the annual fee and $25 application fee. Hourly weekend rates are $14 or $125 per day.
Hertz didn’t get to where they are by making bad business decisions. They’ve entered the game with Hertz on Demand and it’s pretty competitve. There are no membership or application fees. Insurance and gas are included and weekend rates run from $8 per hour or $108 per day.
Mint Cars on Demand waives the membership fee for the first year and charges $40 annually after that. Weekend rates for an economy car are $12 per hour and $107 per day with the first 180 miles free, then .45 cents per mile after that. As with the other companies, gas and insurance are included.
Carpingo just launched in Brooklyn. Like this month. Since they are quite new, the information isn’t really out there yet, but here’s what I came up with: The founders are Brooklynites whom have been in the NYC car rental industry for 30 years. They do have cargo vans as well as cute little cars like the Fiat 500. Don’t know if this is a start up offer or they are keeping these rates, but membership is free and the application fee is waived. Gas, insurance and 180 free miles included. I see $8 per hour on a postcard I received but I don’t know if that’s weekday or weekend. Also, the postcard announces $75 in free driving if you join now. Coupon code CPG100.
Then, for my purposes, there’s always UHaul or big box hardware store truck rentals starting at $19.95 per day plus expenses. Or….man with van including a helping hand. The problem with that is getting someone reliable enough.
There are also ways to earn money by sharing your own car and of course you can rent from the following places as well. Personally, I’d feel kind of awkward messing around with someone’s privately owned vehicle rather than a large faceless company.
From what I gather, the car providers must have OnStar and the rates vary according to owner. It’s the Air BnB of car sharing.
If you are interested in offering your own car or renting someone’s private vehicle, check out these companies:
Antique Kitchen Cabinets
There’s no need to spend $3000 on cheapo Home Depot cabinets or $20000 for nicer ones that still look like dreck. Get yourself to an antiques shop or flea market and buy some mismatched pieces of history for your kitchen!
Can’t you see an entire red-cabinet kitchen to match the single painted piece above? Or how about multiple colors? You can have similar styles co-exist with just a few coats of paint and some matching hardware. Tip: Make sure it’s a durable paint or seal it with poly as this is for everyday kitchen use.
Ok, so this one isn’t dirt cheap flea market price, but it’s not easy to find a Hoosier with matching side cupboards. It retails for $3975 at an online antiques shop.
There’s a whole story behind this old hutch. You can read about how it was saved from certain death at Bearfort Lodge.
Need some spice storage? This antique Chinese apothecary doesn’t come cheap at $4500 but it will surely be the centerpiece of you kitchen. A less expensive and almost-as-cool alternative for spices might be a library card catalog that can be picked up for a few hundred bucks.
Keep in mind that vintage mid century cabinetry is pretty awesome and you can pick up entire sets, but this post is about ANTIQUE, not vintage. Just so you know.
Incredible Brownstone: $675k
Head’s up! Anyone looking for an inexpensive (relatively speaking) brownstone in an up and coming area of Brooklyn? Before I tell you about the house that’s available, check out Reno Dakota’s (yes, like the song) full Victorian restoration (above). Yes, someone actually lives like that.
Envious? Me too. But what does that ever solve? Do something about it! The house right next door is for sale for a mere $675k, listed with Urban View and hopefully still on the market. It’s got every bit the detail that Reno and Kei’s house has.
My husband said “Let’s sell our house and move there.” I’m tempted but I like my part of southwest Bed Stuy, plus I can’t keep moving every few years. The part of Bed Stuy this home is located in is “Stuyvesant Heights East” near Ocean Hill. It’s clean, quiet and has lovely tree lined streets, but it’s closer to the Bushwick border than Clinton Hill…not that there’s anything wrong with that. The price reflects the eastern location. Homes in the western part of Bed Stuy have been hitting the million mark, so a gorgeous house like this seems like a steal. Plus, it’s getting tougher to find a place with so much detail. Seems like the flippers have gotten to many of them first and ripped out all the beauty.
Personally, if I was in the market for a house in Bed Stuy, I would check this one out ASAP!
Under Delancey
Under Delancey Street sits an unused trolley terminal. The Delancey Underground project aims to create a subterranean public park called “The Lowline“. Get it? Because it’s the opposite of the High Line.
It could be the coolest thing in the world, but it may never see the light of day (Literally. There will be daylight streaming in.) if it doesn’t get the funding.
Watch the Kickstarter video to learn more about it.
Someone Screwed Up
Oooh, a single family house with a front porch, lawn, deck and pool on the Lower East Side for $299k! I’ll take it! I grabbed the Streeteasy screen shot yesterday because I thought the mistake would be corrected by the time I posted this. As of now, “Lower East Side” has been changed to “Manhattan”. The broker’s link correctly locates the house in Port Jefferson, LI.
Block Party Season
Block party season is here. This usually means I complain about people barricading an entire street for a few kids to play. If I’m around when it’s my own block, I go inside to my A/C and kvetch about the loud music.
But this year I decided to join in the fun. And guess what? I had a good time!
I grew up in apartment buildings on busy streets, so there were no parties on my block when I was young. I do remember going to my best friend’s block parties on E. 28th Street back when the neighborhood had lots of children of the non-Hasidic persuasion. There were rides and bouncy houses and entertainment. They don’t seem to go all out like that these days.
This block party reminded me that I live in a “neighborhood” of which I’m part of . Although I am friendly with my neighbors and often stop to schmooze with them, I never fully participated in the whole “block” experience.
Now they are not just my friendly neighbors. They are friends.
So, the next time there’s another dumb block party on your block, join in! You might actually enjoy it.
DIY Home Security:Webcam Surveillance Systems
Guest post by Jeremy Kushner, a home security and automation enthusiast who blogs on topics related to crime, security, home improvement and automation. You can find more of his posts at his blog, Home Alarm Systems.
Do you ever wonder what happens at home when you aren’t there? Would you like to be able to view your front door, back yard, home office or check in on your pets from your cell phone or office computer? Home video surveillance systems are becoming more affordable and smarter.
You’ll need these things to get started.
– Computer with good processing power and internet access
– Web cameras
– Surveillance software
Webcams
Since webcams are inexpensive and easy to connect, it’s a great place to start with a DIY home surveillance project. Select cameras based on where you want to place them and what you want them to capture.
Better quality video makes it easier to view facial features clearly. It is best to use a higher resolution video such as digital 720p or 1080p. Lower resolution cameras also work well and may be just fine for most locations, they are also less expensive.
A few top rated webcams that support both Mac and PC include the Logitech HD ProWebcam, and Webcam C525, Creative Live! Cam Socialize HD AF. Microsoft’s LifeCam Studio Webcam does not work on a Mac, but is a good camera. These webcams range in price from $40 to $99.
Surveillance Software
Depending on the type of features you desire, you can find free or low-cost software for managing your cameras under $70.
Freeware – Free downloadable software
Two free, easy webcam software, Yawcam, short for Yet Another WebCam, and Vitamin D are basic and easy-to-use. Both support live video streaming and still shots and are perfect for use at home.
Vitamin D supports one camera and offers a search view with thumbnails and color coded frames with people in them. It has unique video clip rules such as detection of unknown objects or people inside or outside of a set area; it can even detect loitering. It will record, send an email or play a sound when a video clip rule is broken. Both Yawcam and Vitamin D feature motion detection. Yawcam’s features also include a built-in web server, text and image overlay and FTP image uploading for safe storage.
Low-Cost Downloads
For more features, WebCam Monitor by Deskshare allows you to monitor, preview and record one camera at a time. It’s ideal for monitoring a small area such as a home office or playroom. WebCam Monitor is available as a free trial and costs $69.95 to purchase.
WebCam Monitor not only offers motion detection, but sound detection too. This is a nice feature not found in many low cost monitoring software systems. The system also starts recording before motion is detected, capturing the event immediately, without delay. Recording can be scheduled at set time intervals to capture time sensitive activity. The system sends email alerts, and has audible alarms.
If you’re looking for multiple camera support, try Security Monitor Pro, the professional-grade version by Deskshare.
Another affordable download is the Willing Webcam by Willing Software. This too has a free trial and can be purchased for $39.99.
Not just surveillance software, Willing Webcam enables you to use it for video capture and distribution. You can stream live video or time-lapsed images from your webcam or other video sources to a web site.
Willing Webcam’s surveillance features include motion detection, email, text or image alerts, remote access and management that allow you to view and control the system while you’re away from home. Add date stamps to images and video and archive them safely via FTP upload.
Willing Webcam comes in both a “Lite” and full-featured version. The Lite version doesn’t offer some of the convenience features such as email or image alerts, remote management, FTP upload or video streaming.
Once you choose your software, you’re ready to go. After you have your system up and running, you’ll find it useful for things like being alerted about break-ins, yard and porch thieves or misbehaving pets taking it out on your furniture and ensuring your peace of mind while on vacation.
Ooh La La Bed Stuy
Oh great! A new French creperie just opened on Nostrand and Macon, right on the way to my gym. Now I can grab some pastries to nosh on while on the elliptical.
I stopped into Le Paris Dakar after my work out this morning. Keeping fit is overrated anyway.
Yes, the owner is really French! You know what that means? Great croissants! Not that Balthazar crap you find in every cafe in the city. They have plain, almond, chocolate and raisin. I inhaled my plain but I did pick up on the awesomeness of it while doing so.
Disclosure: I only tried the croissant and was too gross and sweaty to do a real interview with owner Mouna, so any info I give you from here on in, I stole from articles in Bed Stuy Patch and Bed Stuy Gateway.
Le Paris has made to order crepes and yummy looking pastries. You can pretty much have breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert here. They offer sweet and savory crepes (with a vegetarian section!), omelette crepes, salads and sandwiches. The “Dakar” comes in to play with the refreshing drinks. The menu also states that they will occasionally serve Senegalese specials. Mouna is of Senegalese ancestry.
The website is still under construction but you can follow them on Twitter and Facebook for updates. They are certainly open for business right now and will really get rocking by September.
Save the Arctic
Have you seen the powerful video from Greenpeace’s “Save the Arctic” campaign? Grab a tissue and your check book.
Curb Appeal: Window Boxes
How do you accessorize the front of your house for not a lot of money? Well, window boxes would be a good start! The bright box shown above has a DIY tutorial on the Lowe’s website.
I like this interchangeable plant idea because you can never get bored. Stephanie Lynn lists ten window box DIY project plans in her post!
The Polished Pebble posted Pottery Barn planters. Pleasantly pretty.
It’s not all about the box. For folks like me who can’t maintain live plants, this is a great idea! Bottle holder window box. Personally, I’d make sure those bottles are secure in there, knowwhatimsayin?
Who says you even need a real window? This reclaimed wood window box is for sale from Aunt Debbie’s Country Store for 24 bucks. For that price, I wouldn’t even bother taking the time to make it myself. Just order it.
Filmed in Brooklyn
Seeing Saturday Night Fever the other night just gave me a warm fuzzy feeling about Brooklyn. So fuzzy that I had to come up with an entire list of movies filmed in my favorite boro. Check out my NYC list of films here.
By the way, this isn’t in any particular order. That would take too much effort. It’s what comes into my mind first. I tried to pull up some under-the-radar films that aren’t necessarily the best, but at least you won’t see them on every other list.
1. Saturday Night Fever. A classic. I refused to see it for about 15 years after it came out because I cringed at those type of guys. Oddly enough, I kind of miss them now that they’re not so prevalent. Great Bensonhurst/Bay Ridge memories. And yes, I’m old enough to have danced on that 2001 floor.
2. The Warriors. Come out to play-ay? What more can I say-ay? Only that my friend’s dad wrote the novel. And it features Coney Island.
3. Do The Right Thing. This summer, as hot as it is here in Bed Stuy, I keep saying I’m gonna throw a garbage can through Saraghina’s window. If you don’t get the reference, you need to rent your ass this movie. Actually, most of Spike Lee’s movies celebrate Brooklyn, but this one is my favorite.
4. Laws of Gravity. A little known 1992 indie film. Was it great? That’s to be debated, but it could be a great cult classic. Filmed in Greenpoint and my high school buddy Arabella was in it, so it gets the friend plug.
5. Dog Day Afternoon. “Attica! Attica! Attica!” Pacino at his finest right there on Prospect Park West in Windsor Terrace.
6. Moonstruck. An ode to Carroll Gardens. And the moon. Cher is awesome. Norman Jewison, the same guy who did Fiddler on the Roof, directed this movie, proving that there’s no difference between Jews and Italians. We’re all loud and like to eat.
7. The Sentinel. Horror movie that scared the bejesus out of me back in 1977. Mostly filmed indoors, but the sentinel looks out over the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.
8. Requiem for a Dream. Another Coney Island backdrop! And a shout out to another fellow Murrow HS alum Darren Aronofsky.
9. Last Exit to Brooklyn. A disturbing look at the seedy side of 1950’s Red Hook. But a great film!
10. Boardwalk. Gosh, I only saw this movie once and I really don’t remember it. I do remember seeing Ruth Gordon and Lee Strasberg filming it on the boardwalk back in the late 70’s when I was a young-un. Oh, how I loved Ruth Gordon.
11. Over the Brooklyn Bridge. Oh boy, I pulled this one out of my you know what. Don’t remember if it was any good. Was Margaux Hemingway IN anything good? Elliot Gould, a Jewish deli owner in Brooklyn. Shelly Winters, Sid Caesear, Carol Kane…ring a bell? I think I have to rent it.
12. The Chosen. Never heard of it? Two words. Robby Benson. Six words. Robby Benson plays a Hasidic Jew. Nuff said.
Curb Appeal:Fences
Your typical black picket fence.
Looks like a pain in the arse to build but it’s gawgeous!
This is very modern and sleek, but you can also use reclaimed discolored slats to give it a more “used” look.
Got some old skis lying around? How about other sports gear?
Yes, it’s beautiful and a very cool idea, but how practical is a glass fence?
Need a Bestie?
Badass Brooklyn Animal Rescue pulls dogs from kill shelters in the rural South and brings them up here. Why? Because the shelters down there are even worse than here.
Badass is having a huge adoption event this Saturday, July 14th from 11am-2pm at NYC Pet in Williamsburg (475 Driggs). Please come to show some love. If you can’t give a pup a forever home, nothing is stopping you from volunteering, donating or fostering, now is it?
Brooklyn Summer Concerts n Stuff
The season is upon us! Outdoor concerts, performances and movies.
Celebrate Brooklyn is already in full swing but take note that the best reminder of Brooklyn’s 1970’s embarrassing roots is showing this Saturday, July 14th. Saturday Night Fever is playing at Prospect Park! Long before Jersey had The Situation, Brooklyn had Tony Manero.
The Coney Island Seaside Concerts appeal to my 1980’s nostalgia much better than any other (free) concert venue. Do you know the line up yet? Are you ready for this?
Squeeze. But don’t go. I don’t want it to be too crowded. I need my dancing space. If you insist on going, that show is July 20th with The Romantics.
Sorry, let’s backtrack a bit. The Coney concerts start off this Thursday on July 12th with a tribute to Donna Summer. Gloria Gaynor, The Village People, The Trammps and Rose Royce! But that’s the night that rock defeats disco in my world.
August brings us Joan Jett AND The Blackhearts for more 80’s and Gladys Knight and The Commodores for you 70’s fans.
Get your funk on with Bootsy Collins and S.O.S. Band on July 16th at Wingate MLK concert venue. Public Enemy plays with Salt and Pepper (Ok, Salt-n-Pepa) on July 30th.
Full calendars: