Construction Workers at WTC
This Hits Home
The death count for Hurricane Irene is now up to 40. We joked that it was non-event here in the boroughs, but looking at the damage she caused elsewhere, we should thank our lucky stars it wasn’t worse.
This NY Times photo struck a chord. This poor woman was in the middle of restoring her 200+ year old house. You know she loved that house because she took the time to scrap the paint and brighten it up instead of slapping on some siding. I can sympathize with her loss because I know how I’d feel if I put in hours of work for nothing.
People’s homes and businesses are damaged all the time in natural disasters. As long as everyone survives (pets included), it’s just a building. And possessions. Hopefully, insurance covers enough so that people don’t end up with nothing. But you can’t replace the intangibles. The memories. The time spent working to make it yours.
Memories fade and time passes no matter what. Money comes back. It must hurt to have them stolen in a single day though.
The Morning After
Tree down in Bed Stuy.
Hurricane Irene hit parts of the East Coast pretty hard and it caused some damage to the outskirts of the city. At least 21 deaths have been reported as a direct cause of the storm although some were caused by camping and surfing during a hurricane. Still, for the most part, borough New Yorkers were disappointed in themselves for believing the hype.
Here we all were home on a Saturday night with nowhere to go, tweeting and facebooking about the damn hurricane. “Oh, tornado watch!” What’s with that? We woke up to some leaves on the ground and maybe wet basements, yet the media was still telling us to stay indoors. Urban dwellers called the hurricane boring and lame while everyone else in it’s path was relieved their power was only out for one day.
On Sunday morning, we went to Coney Island to walk the dogs, thinking it was safer than the park because there are no trees on the beach. Coney was pretty tame. There were plenty of downed trees along the way and many that are now leaning in dangerous positions which will need to be seen to. So be careful out there. I’ll bet there is still some danger.
One thing is for sure, many people on the East Coast put on a few extra pounds this weekend after staying home eating and drinking. Wonder if the shops are taking returns on all the batteries and candles that won’t be needed?
New York City vs. Lady Irene
Ready for downed trees in Prospect Park.
After all this fuss, it looks as if Irene will be a tropical storm by the time it hits New York. Not that it’s going to be pleasant. And not that I’m complaining. Still too soon to say, but perhaps people are freaking out over nothing more than wet basements.
The real problem here in the boroughs is that we’ll be without our precious amenities for most of the weekend. This will cause New Yorkers to become cranky, but at least we’ll be stuck in our homes only to take it out on our families and roommates.
Right now it’s raining. Public transit is shut down and many stores are closing shop early today. Outdoor activities have been canceled as well as some indoor events.
In Prospect Park this morning the doggie circle stayed until the rain started because we know our dogs may not have the option to go outside tomorrow. Make sure to give them a nice walk tomorrow morning. Speaking of pets, please do something nice for the strays in your neighborhood!
A Facebook friend posted that he experienced the longest line ever at his local Manhattan bagel shop this morning and the only bagels left were plain. What will New York become without the everything bagel?
Prospect Heights. Yeah, that’s gonna help. Have fun removing that duct tape from your car.
Brokelyn has an ongoing list of what’s opened and closed. You can send updates to them.
Just a last minute list of tips from Reclaimed Home….
If the power goes out, that means ATM’s are down. Get your cash out today as any shops that are open may not have credit card machines.
Got your alcohol? What better excuse than a hurricane to get drunk in the middle of the day?
Got birth control? What better excuse…..
Take in your garbage bins, outdoor plants and other stuff that can fly away.
You may not have to board your windows, but you probably don’t want to leave them wide open.
Move non-water-proof items out of the way on ground floors if flooding can occur. Not only the flood zones. There will be a lot of rain. Expect to get flooded everywhere.
Don’t forget to have extra water around. Fill pots and maybe the tub. If there’s a power outage, the water pumps and water heaters may not work…especially pumps in highrise buildings.
Do a laundry and your dishes today.
Charge your cell phones and laptops. God forbid we should be without Facebook and Twitter for a day!
Matches, candles, batteries, flashlight, blah, blah, blah.
Anything I forgot? What’s going on in your neighborhood? Add it to the comments.
Have fun and stay safe!
Weekend Events and Miss Irene
*UPDATE. Ok, so this was a stupid post. All outdoor events have been canceled.
Some of these events are outdoors, so please check to make sure they haven’t been canceled before venturing out. Even if it’s not dangerous, it may prove to be pretty unpleasant this weekend. Then again, less crowds to compete with.
Check with MTA before getting on the subway. If all hell breaks loose, subways will be shut down. If asked to evacuate and you don’t have a car…well, looks like you’re screwed. Enjoy!
The Afro-Punk Festival was supposed to be this Saturday and Sunday at Commodore Barry Park near the Brooklyn Navy Yard. A couple of bands this old lady has heard of…Fishbone and Janelle Monae, were to play on the 28th. Alas, the show is canceled according to Brooklyn Vegan.
Restaurant Week has been extended through September 5th. Get lunch for $24.07 and dinner for $35.00 at some of the finer dining establishments this city has to offer. Every day through the 5th except for Saturday.
Shop til you drop at Barney’s Warehouse Sale. Started yesterday. Ends September 5th.
Battle of Brooklyn Reenactment. Yup, you think those reenactors are only in the sticks? Saturday 12-3pm in Dumbo.
Free Opera Summer Festival at Lincoln Center. Seats are first come, first serve. For full schedule, click on link.
Vegetarian Brooklyn: The Grocery
Brooklyn has it’s fair share of vegetarian restaurants, but when it comes to better dining options, the menus tend to be more carnivorous. If we want a nice meal at a place where we can choose from more than one option, we usually head into the city.
Well, that all changed this week. We tried The Grocery on Smith Street. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays are Green Plate Special nights. A four course vegetarian meal for 40 bucks. We ordered one tasting menu (which was actually vegan, not just veg) and shared an appetizer and entree from the menu. We started off with complimentary chilled corn soup and potato croquettes followed by tomato based mango gazpacho, bulgar and cucumber salad, barbeque tofu with succotash and fancy schmancy onion rings and then yummy peach cobbler for dessert. That was just the tasting menu. Our main menu starter was a cold noodle salad and entree of choice was a crispy farro cake minus the bacon.
Now, you know how sometimes you’re blown away by the appetizer at a restaurant and then the main course doesn’t hold up? Not the case here! Every. course. was. perfect. For reals.
When I called for reservations earlier in the day, I spoke to chef Charles who informed me that he and his staff would be happy to accommodate any vegetarian requests I might have. They did as he promised. So, no worries going back there on a weekend when the menu offers more flesh.
The atmosphere is totally laid back and the service impeccable. And I don’t often use words like “impeccable”. In fact, never. Ew, I’m kind of hating myself right now.
Reservations are suggested for indoors, but the garden seating is on a first come basis.
Earthquake in Sensurround
*Warning. Some scenes may be reminiscent of 9/11.
Didjya feel it yesterday? Did you freak out? I was sitting on the garden level working away at my computer when the house started rattling. Sometimes I hear the rumble of the A train underground but the house never shakes. I stood on the landing where the parlor floor stairs meet the basement steps and wondered if my house was crumbling.
Then I was like “Wait. WTF? This is an earthquake.” Everything started waving around like a B movie dream sequence. If it wasn’t for the rattling, I would have thought it was a bout of vertigo.
I was about to run outside and ask my neighbors if they are feeling it, but then I remember this is 2011 and the internet has taken the place of real people. I ran back to my computer and looked at Twitter and Facebook. Sure enough.
Funny how New Yorkers are. We dubbed this “The NY Earthquake”. It’s all about us. The epicenter was in Virginia and it was felt up and down the east coast, but we weren’t going to let that steal our thunder.
So, what to do in case of an earthquake?
Well, I just stood there confused and waited to see if it was going to get worse. Correct move not to panic since this in New York and massive earthquakes just do not occur here.
But what if? It’s possible.
I did think of grabbing the pets and running down to the basement but I was confusing earthquake with tornado. And tornadoes are so last year.
So, I looked it up.
- Stay away from large objects that could topple over.
- Stay away from windows or anything that could shatter.
- Get to the ground and cover your head.
- Get under a table or piece of furniture. If you’re old enough, this may remind you of those Cold War duck and cover drills they had in some schools up until the 70’s.
- If outdoors, stay clear of buildings that can fall. A bit difficult in NYC.
- If driving, pull over.
I’ve not yet checked my foundation and brownstone facade to see if there are any new cracks. I don’t think I want to know.
Buying a Country Home. Or a Commune.
Here we go again! It’s a vicious cycle for me. City home. Country home. City home. Country home. After losing my shirt on the Beacon home during the market downshift, I vowed never to invest anywhere other than the 5 boroughs again. I also vowed that would be my last renovation.
But I am an addict. I’m itching for a renovation even though I know it’s bad for my physical, mental and financial health. And right now, upstate New York is one big bargain basement!
Good thing I don’t even have the savings for a bargain right now.
But…
Now is the time to buy. There are plenty of second homes on the market. The economy is depressed. Towns are even more depressed. Interest rates are as low as they get. Passing through Stone Ridge last week, it looked as if every other house was for sale. In once completely unaffordable Rhinebeck, there were actually a few places under $200k. People are nervous and can’t do the second mortgage and high taxes. They are purging.
Ah, we didn’t get to see that Millbrook property I wanted to look at. Decided not to schlep to Millbrook when we saw that there’s already an accepted offer. Somebody is making a good move.
What *I really want is an entire bungalow colony. A house? Been there. Done that. Borrring. I need more of a challenge. I’m bringing back the Catskills, baby! (*Notice I say “I”, not “we”.)
We looked at two abandoned colonies in Ellenville (see below for listings). The town didn’t seem as run down as it did a couple of years ago, but maybe that was my rose colored glasses. There were some active colonies that had been taken over by Hasidic Jews. It was nice to see some life up there even though those people wouldn’t play with me. My idea is to make a colony for the oughts. I hate to say it, but a hipster colony.
The reason the Catskills faded was that people were able to fly to distant destinations. Although that still remains true, the staycation has become more popular since flying is a pain in the ass now. Less money, less time, more responsibilities means staying closer to home looks better.
The idea is exciting. Probably a helluvalot more exciting than actually restoring an entire colony. I have some peeps who may be interested in doing this with me and we’ll probably look into it more seriously come September. A cooperative thing would be easier than going it alone.
Ping me if you want in. What’s the worst that can happen? You’ll learn to renovate and have a place to go for the summer.
Camp Road. 21 units on 7 acres. $284,999.
Katzman Road. 13 units on 35 acres. $218k.
How I Spent My Summer Vacation
We took our dog friendly vacation in Red Hook, NY this past week. After giving up our upstate home connection last year we reckoned it would be easier to rent a place whenever we felt the need to get out of the city. Dog friendly vacation rentals are plentiful enough. We just have to worry about the extra clean up and damage that our mutts may cause.
The dogs had an awesome time, of course. Long hikes and paddles in creeks. Chasing down invisible creatures. This vacation really WAS for them. I had a nice time too. At least I think I did. The fact is that, oddly enough, after 7 years of country living, I still feel completely out of my element there. I try though. And I do enjoy it to an extent. Really!!
When we first arrived at the house in the woods we were greeted by Sari of the management company. Her truck pulled into the driveway just before us…a big pick up with an American flag on the rear window. Hubby said “That must be her.” I was like “No way. She has a 212 exchange on her cell phone.” Sure enough, it was her and sure enough the truck was just a loaner while her Jeep was in the shop. After screeching and jumping from frog, Sari explained that she was a born and bred Manhattanite who had only moved up there three months ago. We spoke about city-girl-life-in-the-country and my husband worried that my words might send her packing.
Anyway, here’s what we did during the week. Click on links as they are recommendations or places to avoid….
The house was lovely. It’s actually located in Gallatin, which is how we got the wooded seclusion. A bit remote, as it’s about 10 minutes into Red Hook or Tivoli. It sits on about 4 wooded acres. There’s a bit of a landing with some seats if you wanted to hang out in the woods, but we stayed on the deck. We were able to keep the dogs confined up there so they wouldn’t run off chasing deer. There was a table and chairs and lounge chairs. And oh yeah, a hot tub!
The house is perfect for shares because the 2 bedrooms are set up on either side of the kitchen/living room and each has it’s own bathroom. The driveway is shared with other neighbors who we saw from time to time.
On the way up we stopped in Beacon for lunch and a hike. Dennings Point is where we used to take our dogs all the time (Lyme Disease warning) when we lived there. It was an easy hike in which we knew the trail and we wanted the dogs to calm down before arriving at the house. While there, we also noticed that Long Dock is finally taking shape. They’ve built a kayak rental kiosk down at the riverfront. It’s not up and running just yet but it looks like it won’t be long. Also of note is the Roundhouse at the other end of town.
Two of the better hikes we took near Red Hook were the Stissing Mountain Fire Tower and Ferncliff Forest. The Walkway over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie is definitely worth doing. The dogs had to stay on leash for that one, but the humans enjoyed it. We missed our beloved Poet’s Walk this time but we made it to Minnewaska which was pretty crowded. Hated Mills Norrie State Park in Staatsburg. Manicured lawns and paved road, but the few trails we found were not maintained and didn’t go very far. Maybe we were missing something?
The most fabulous hike was up near the Berkshires (less than an hour from the house). Bash Bish Falls can be an all day affair even though we only spent a couple of hours. The park is great for picnicking, hiking, swimming and camping. The falls are amazing and even though swimming is no longer permitted because of several deaths, people do it anyway. The deaths were caused by stupid people diving off the rocks into the water, not just swimming in the hole.
We actually had some minor difficulty renting kayaks locally during the week. The kayak companies ran tours but didn’t want to just rent them out. We ended up renting on the more laid back west side of the river. Kenco on Rt. 28 in Kingston rents kayaks for $55 apiece or $65 for a tandem. You’re on your own from there. They’ll give you a map and some suggestions but they don’t bring it down to the water for you. We ended up with a tandem because that’s all we could fit on our car. We put in on The Rondout in Kingston. It was an interesting urban trip where we saw old boat yards, shipping containers and other industrial ruins. Pretty cool. Only not so cool because shade was hard to find. My biggest complaint was the sun. There were several beaches to pull into for a picnic.
We spent our evenings more civilized like. Upstate Films has a second location in Woodstock now where we saw a great Oirish fil-im called “The Guard“. American Don Cheadle was an executive producer and supporting actor. Go see it!
Dined at some good restaurants, both old and new to us…
Terrapin in Rhinebeck. Good vegetarian selections on menu.
Luna 61 in Tivoli. Completely vegetarian and always awesome.
Rosendale Cafe. Nowhere near Red Hook, but if you’re in this neck of the woods, it’s the best vegetarian place around. The backyard is very dog friendly too!
Red Hook Curry House. Popular Indian buffet.
Red Devon. In Bengall? Met friends for dinner here. It was really good and not all that far but it seemed like it was in the middle of nowhere. It was busy enough and yes, it was worth the trip.
Portofino. Another schlep! This one in Staatsburg. You drive through a completely rural area and then all of the sudden….hello…there’s a restaurant! Family style Italian. It was good and the waitress was a hoot, but she and the kitchen gave me shit for trying to get a cheeseless eggplant dish, so I dunno.
That was the enjoyment part. Tomorrow I’ll fill you in the real estate bit.
Small Home Investment
Small Home investment means greater sustainability for our earth.
It’s a common theme in homebuyers to look for the house with the most space. Understandably, the biggest house tends to offer the most amenities and certainly yields a status symbol, right? Traditionally, most experts would say yes. But…
People don’t yearn for that extra room or large basement anymore because it’s simply too expensive. And as of late, it’s highly encouraged to invest in a small or modular home for many reasons, not just money.
It’s true that investing in a smaller house or property will result in lower mortgage payments, but what a lot of home buyers don’t realize is that less space = less occupation and therefore less energy consumption. Congruently, this all means that utility and cleaning costs will be much cheaper. And although it’s also encouraged to invest in pre-built homes, many companies (i.e. – Excel Homes) have already jumped on the bandwagon and plan to introduce what they like to call “Prairie View” homes.
Much like the kit style homes of the 1950’s, the prairie view homes are split or two level ranches with a couple of bedrooms that sit just under 100k a year. And much like their affordability, all environmental standards are met, and then some.
Sure, homes like the Prairie View offer less kitchen and living room space, but they come fully equipped with all the amenities of a regular home, including a yard. Most of the time, these homes are actually built on water front property, which is favorable amongst most buyers. It’s often said that small construction sometimes leads to obscure geometric design, thus leading to decreased efficiency in air circulation and heat loss. This is not the case however with these kit style homes as they are built with an open floor plan in mind.
These newer, modular homes are very much built with recycled and low embodied building materials that create an eco-friendly environment. Yet, it’s still just as much encouraged to purchase second hand homes as this supports the idea of renewal.
Nevertheless, yard maintenance, indoor cleaning and utility costs are amongst some of the things that are made easier by investing in small home. Small houses always use less resources, particular in their construction. As we progress farther into this green movement, it’s unreasonable for anybody to push for added space over quality or green standards.
Courtesy of Douglas Elliman, New York City Real Estate.
Exploring Lower Manhattan
Are you living in the US and thinking of taking an exotic getaway? Well, don’t! Why fly overseas spending thousands of dollars on air travel, food and entertainment when you can visit one of the largest, most extravagant cities in the world.
Certainly the most populous city in the US, NYC is filled with historical sites like The Museum of The American Indian and Battery Island. And these are amongst a huge handful of sites to see and activities to do:
• Brooklyn Bridge
• Federal Hall National Memorial
• Fraunces Tavern
• Governor’s Island
• Ellis Island (Statue of Liberty)
• Bowling Green
• City Hall
• Museum of American Finance
• Museum of Jewish Heritage
And much, much more! Despite budget, age or gender, NYC continues to enrich even it’s own inhabitants culturally, historically and financially. From Horse Drawn Carriage Rides to the Charging Bull, NYC will keep you busy around the clock.
Not to mention the abundance of tours. This includes walking tours, bus, water, air and self-guided. Amongst some of the most popular walking tours is the “Big Apple Greeter.” This tour is set up to help those that are new and unfamiliar to the city meet people. How it works: Newcomers are matched with a professional “New Yorker,” who will then guide them through subways, streets and local haunts. On the other hand, there is Helicopter Flight Services, INC, which takes approximately 20 minutes of your day to give you a magnificent view of Lower Manhattan.
Vacationers can find comfort at one of several accommodating hotels, like the Club Quarters on 52 William Street, or perhaps The Holiday Inn Downtown (138 Lafayette Street). And for families traveling with children, there are plenty of recreational parks, along with interesting museums to visit. Amid all of these really stands out Battery Park, along with The Children’s Museum of Arts.
Diversely split between Little Italy, The Financial District, Tribeca, Lower East Side, Soho, City Hall, Battery Park City and Chinatown, The city has a huge impact on global media, finance, art, research tech, education, fashion and more. For a more detailed list of the attractions and sites, feel free to visit Fodors.
Courtesy of Douglas Elliman Real Estate Company, New York Luxury Rentals.
Upstate This Week
It’s summer break time! We’re taking the dawgs and heading up to this vacation rental in Red Hook. FYI, VRBO is the easiest dog friendly rental search. Alls you have to do is look for the paw prints.
Anyhoo, the kind folks at Douglas Elliman New York have supplied me with two days of guest posts this week. Tomorrow and Wednesday are all theirs so be kind to them and read it, then go out and buy one of their eight million dollar properties.
I may cut out on you by Thursday and Friday or you may hear from me if the mood strikes. Ya never know.
See you next Monday, if not sooner!
NYC in Odorama
Why Hipsters Suck
*Update: The video has been removed by the user. Guess he realized what an eejit he looked like when he sobered up. You can still view it via the Gawker link below.
I know, I know. The whole hipster hatred thing is old. But they ask for it, they really do! Case in point. This video of their lame subway party. Now, call me an old curmudgeon but if I’m paying my subway fare I just want to get from Point A to Point B without having to put up with this shit. Are you friggin’ kidding me? Go to a bar! Have a house party! Leave us alone!
If I see any of these kids on my A train, I’m gonna kick their skinny jean asses right back to Ohio. But oooh, I WOULD love to see them hop the A train in Bed Stuy and ride it towards Queens. Come on guys, make my day.
Via Gawker