Call for submissions from artists, designers and architects to put Rockaway back together again. MOMA PS1 started work on the temporary Rockaway dome that will house proposal exhibitions. Dome is set to open to the public in April. Progress, peeps!
Posts categoriezed as Rockaway
Rebuilding Gutted Rooms
It’s been six months since renovations started on the Rockaway house. Yeah, I thought I’d be finished within three. Although most of the big, nasty damage was dealt with immediately, I ignored the worst problem until recently.
The rear deck was built into the house without thought of water infiltration. One stair stringer was supported by the house with vinyl siding cut around it and caulking to fill gaps. Gutters on the second floor were not properly cut and pulled away from the siding. Both the first and second floor rear mudrooms had mold and wood rot.
It’s not that the problem was ignored so much as put off. The two rooms were gutted and the deck was repaired to a point months ago. The tough thing was figuring out what to do with those stairs that were part of the house. Just patch it up the way it was?
Nah. Here’s where I needed an experienced company to come in. This wasn’t a DIY or jack of all trades handyman job. After a few phone calls, I went with Topline who does windows, siding and doors. We agreed that the best thing to do would be to take the stairs out completely and redo the entire back wall of siding and gutters, then rebuild self-supported stairs.
(Funny story. I left the room for 10 minutes and my husband created a “skylight”. Totally rotted ceiling/side replaced.)
But this isn’t about the vinyl siding or deck stairs. This is about the two mud rooms that can finally be dealt with because there are no longer leaks.
The entire house was not gutted. Probably should have been, but there were things I wanted to salvage, such as the floors. Anyway, whatever WAS gutted, we took great pains to repair properly.
What does that mean? It means replacing rotted wood. It means adding extra support where there wasn’t any before, including wall studs and flooring joists. It means new insulation.
It’s almost easier to rip everything out and start from scratch but if I did that, I would have to call this blog “Newly Renovated Home” rather than “Reclaimed Home”, now wouldn’t I?
Are You Ready for the Summer?
It’s far from from being back to normal but after struggling through the devastation of Sandy all winter, it looks like there will be a light at the end of the tunnel for Rockaway come this summer.
The summer brings only temporary fixes. The beach won’t be secured to ensure flooding doesn’t happen again. This band aid method makes residents nervous but at least the area will experience “life” anew, whether temporary or not. It will bring business to the shops that remain open despite residents not being able to spend the way they once did. It will be “alive” with surfers and children playing in the sand, people walking their dogs on the boardwalk. Think of it as a summer vacation before going back to properly rebuilding the area.
Not only will the boardwalk and concessions be up and running but the A train will be repaired by June. Any yes, as God(dess) is my witness, my house will be ready by then too!
*BTW, how much do I love that photo above with the ghost of Rockaway past looking upon the future? It gives me goosebumps.
It’s Always Something in Rockaway
It’s always something. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. Rockaway has been through Sandy and the ongoing aftermath. Now the streets are being ripped up to install what I assume is new sewer lines. Totally not complaining about upgrades! If they are needed, then of course we should all be grateful.
It’s just sort of bad timing, is all.
Take yesterday for instance. I had a guy coming to reglaze a clawfoot tub in the morning, then I was going to buy a bunch of molding and studs for the house.
Guy starts stripping tub and sez he worries it won’t be warm enough to paint. I try to turn the heat up but wait…what happened to the heat? So, I borrow an electric heater from the neighbor so tub guy can get started and I begin the quest for firing up that boiler.
Batteries in thermostat are ok. I go outside to ask the crew digging up the street if they shut gas lines. No. Go back in to see if I have hot water. No water at all. Go back out to ask if they turned off water. No. “But your pipes may be frozen.” Let me say here that they were very helpful! Came in and told me they would put a torch on my lines to heat them up. I said I can do it with the heat paint stripper. So, Miss Wit and I sat there like schmucks in the freezing basement for nearly an hour heating the pipes. Nothing.
Here’s where I have the problem. Just like the plumbers who installed my boiler and couldn’t admit there was a gas leak (even though they actually fixed it), these guys would never acknowledge that they made a boo-boo. “Oh, it’s doubtful it’s on our side. We insulated the pipes as soon as we dug up the trench.” Finally, they knock on the door and tell me to keep my water running because they are starting to heat the main line coming into the house. Viola! Five minutes later I have water. And heat.
So, day wasted running around trying to get heat. Finally got to pick up some molding. Had to park in the middle of the torn up street up the block and run it into the house. Thankfully, Miss Wit was there to help.
Although this renovation definitely has more hiccups than any of my others, the whole episode yesterday was kind of just another day in the life of renovations. Unfortunately.
And yet. I live for this stuff.
Walk a Mile in Our Shoes
There’s a big Sandy relief walk going down this weekend all around the boroughs and on Long Island and New Jersey. “Walk a Mile in Our Shoes“. Join in! So much info that it was easiest to just copy the press release. Please click on neighborhood links for walk info.
From the press release:
ROCKAWAY BEACH, New York (January 09, 2013) – Coastal communities devastated by Hurricane Sandy will gather this Saturday, 12 January 2013, in a day of action to call upon elected officials and government agency leaders to “walk a mile in our shoes.” The goal of these community walks is to show solidarity and urge immediate passage of a comprehensive Hurricane Sandy relief package by Congress. Once any relief package is passed, Sandy-affected communities call for swift and effective follow-through by Federal, state and local government agencies to deliver desperately needed funds into hard-hit neighborhoods.
“It is a crime that Congress will have failed to act until 78 days after Superstorm Sandy in providing the desperately needed funding to jumpstart this recovery,” says Michael Sciaraffo, co-founder of the “Walk a Mile” community events and founder of The Sandy Claus Foundation. “People are suffering and lives are at stake. Funding for Katrina victims was passed within 10 days after the storm. Why are we any different?”
After Hurricane Sandy slammed into the east coast in October 2012, millions of affected Americans expected swift federal government action would be taken. Yet the 112th Congress came and went without passing a comprehensive relief package.
Originally Governors Cuomo, Christie and Malloy had asked for a combined $83 billion in aid, but only $60 billion was ever proposed as a relief package by Congress. The new 113th Congress passed an initial $9 billion to replenish the FEMA Flood Relief Insurance fund, but then adjourned without further action. Now, the House is reportedly poised to hold a vote for Sandy disaster relief on 15 January 2013 — 78 days after the initial disaster. And the Senate will only get the bill a week later. Meanwhile, the prospects for disaster relief passage is not certain; hurdles and challenges remain. Even if Congress passes the anticipated package of $51 billion in aid, it is far short of the original governors’ combined request, and it could take months, or a year or more to deliver funding on a local level.
Sandy-impacted communities are concerned they are being forgotten. Neighborhoods, towns, and whole counties along the New York and New Jersey coast still bear the scars of shattered homes and shuttered businesses. While much of the disaster’s impact is immediately obvious — with swaths of communities washed away or burned to the ground — other aspects of the disaster are not readily apparent. Gutted and mold-ridden homes conceal their damage on the inside. Emptied savings accounts, bankruptcies and unemployment cannot be seen from a casual street view.
“It is like these neighborhoods are suffering from a kidney punch. There’s a terrible amount of internal hemorrhaging. A relief bill would be life-saving to these communities,” says “Walk a Mile” co-founder Peter Corless. “Much needed Community Development Block Grants could stabilize local economies and save jobs and households. Shorelines are dangerously compromised in the face of future storms. Billions in promised aid could directly lead to smart rebuilding, sand replenishment and flood mitigation projects.”
In the long run, once the day of action passes, “Walk a Mile in Our Shoes” will lead to a program of “Walk a Mile Ambassadors” from each of the Sandy-affected areas. These volunteers have offered to guide future visits by leaders from government, volunteer agencies or businesses who wish to see for themselves the damage that Sandy wrought, and to understand how best to direct aid where it is needed most. Volunteer recruitment will occur at each community walk.
To learn more about the “Walk a Mile in Our Shoes” Sandy Recovery Community Events, see: https://www.facebook.com/SandyWalkAMile. Links for additional information for community-specific events is provided below.
Currently events are planned for eight communities throughout New York and New Jersey. All except Coney Island will be held Saturday 12 January 2013, starting at 9 am. The Coney Island event will be held on Sunday 13 January at 1:30 pm. Event organizers are interested in hearing from other Sandy-affected communities to coordinate similar efforts in the future.
NEW YORK CITY
- Rockaway Beach
- Coney Island – on Sunday 1/13 @ 1:30 pm
- Gerritsen Beach
- Staten Island
NASSAU COUNTY
NEW JERSEY
Well, They DID Recycle!
I didn’t come up with the name “Reclaimed Home” for nothing. I love salvaging old materials and restoring neglected homes that were once full of life. Yesterday I was reminded why I torture myself with endless renovations.
You may look at the photo above and say “Meh, it’s a rotten old sign.” Indeed, you would be correct, but this find had me jumping up and down. I discovered it as I took up the rotten bathroom floor. (We’ll chat more about that later.) The previous owners or someone before them used it as subflooring. The writing was not facing up so I didn’t know it was there until I actually started taking up the floor.
Unfortunately, the sign is in bad shape as the bathtub and toilet were leaking for years causing rot all the way through to the joists. Yes, the hole in the second photo was what the bathroom fixtures were sitting on. At any given time, someone could have ended up in the kitchen below while bathing or taking a dump. BTW, this is NOT the first old house I found such rot. Live in an old home? Pray they did the right thing when “renovating” as they often just cover things up. Enjoy your bath.
Anyway, back to the cool find. It seems to be more than one sign because I see “Library” and I also see “Club”. Actually, I’m guessing that perhaps they were the destination signs on the boardwalk? Anyone have a clue?
Whatever the case, even though they crumble in my hands, they will most definitely stay with the house as part of the reclaiming process. Right now, I’m thinking of embedding the edges in a plaster or concrete wall.
But it was nice to see that folks were reusing salvaged material even back then!
Similar:
NYC Hurricanes Past
I’m old enough to remember Hurricane Gloria in 1985. I lived in Coney Island with my parents at the time and went to the beach beforehand to catch some action but I wasn’t too impressed. Wasn’t born yet when Donna hit (Yay, I’m not completely ancient!) but this 8mm footage below is pretty amazing.
Two Steps Back. One Forward.
As of last weekend, we finally hit the reset button on the renovation. The house has heat and electric. The basement is cleaned out. Now, where were we before the storm?
Oh yes, I was down in the basement painting the kitchen cabinets I intended to recycle. Ok, so those were trashed. I ended up finding 2 cabinets to recycle at a PA ReStore and then I caved and bought new unfinished ones at Lowe’s. The good news is that I don’t have to clean maple syrup and mouse shit from the insides of the cabinets. New has it’s charms. So I’m doing the cabinets again. How deja vu.
As mentioned, twas only our basement that flooded, so all of the new sheetrock was fine. I say “was” because since we had licensed competent plumbers over to install a new boiler, we had them run new gas lines throughout the house. That means cutting into some sheetrock. We hate doing sheetrock but we’re not getting the schmuck back who did it in the first place. That didn’t end well. It never does. That’s why we DIY.
So where’s this step forward? Got a clawfoot tub! Yay! It needs some work. “Some” is an understatement. Oh, and I finally bought some bathroom tiles. New slate. No overstock or discounts but like $1.48 per square foot. Not bad. Again, Lowe’s. So much better than Home Depot. The bathroom will be ready to tile once we re-frame and sheetrock that pipe area we demolished.
Funny. Don’t know if I ever mentioned that this house is my project and the hubby wanted nothing to do with it. Now here I am all “we” this and “we” that. Guess I dragged him into it, huh?
Somewhat Habitable
After a slight hurricane setback on the Rockin’ Rockaway Rehab house, things are back on track. As you know, we were without heat and electric for a solid three weeks but it’s all good now.
The basement was gutted and cleaned up immediately. It took LIPA (LI Power Authority) ages to get people back to normal. There were rumors that nobody’s electric would be turned on until each and every home was inspected. Nah, they couldn’t do that. Folks needed to get a licensed electrician to certify the panel or it had to be okayed by LIPA for that individual home to get powered up. I was lucky enough to be around the day LIPA came by to inspect. They okayed me even though, between you and I, I knew that the panel had to be changed, which it was before I turned my power on.
I thought that once I had lights and outlets working I could get back to the renovation, but I wasn’t too happy working there in the cold. I hired the boiler replacement plumbers the same way I hire any contractor….went with the only one who showed up. Kew Forest Plumbing came, supplied an estimate and started work the day after I agreed to the price. Again, luck was on my side that I have a steam system. Hot water boilers are on back order, so there are plenty of folks still waiting for heat. Got me a new water heater too. Too bad we haven’t installed a shower yet.
Have I ever mentioned that we’ve had the gas turned off since August? Every time we turned it on, we discovered a new leak. It was at leak number five and at this point I’m totally freaked out by those old pipes. While the basement is open and while the plumbers are around, I’m having them run all new gas lines. Take that, Sandy. I meant to do it anyway!
After all this time, we finally set up a temporary sink on the first floor! There is a lone toilet sitting in a demoed bathroom on the second floor. We were running down to the basement sink to wash our hands. Or not. A sink in the living area? Only 1 flight from the toilet? How luxurious. And there’s warm water. What a concept. Living the good life!
Progress
Phyllis here. Thanks to Deb for posting all that amazing info on where to give and receive help. If you’re able bodied and have some free time on your hands, you better be doing your part! People are still without power and food.
It’s been two weeks since Ms. Sandy came tearing through. If you haven’t been visiting or living in the A Zones, it looks like everything is back to normal. Subways are mostly running. Even the gas lines seem to be fine now. Yippee!
Not so back to normal in the hardest hit areas. I can only personally report on Rockaway since that’s where I’ve been working. The good news is that it doesn’t look like the war zone it did the days after the storm. The piles of personal lives on the street have gone down. The sidewalks and roads are less cluttered with sand and trash. There are street and traffic lights working in many areas and some residences even got their power back.
But not too many. LIPA has been as awful as one can imagine. Pretty much non-existent. They finally started coming around this week and I’m happy to report that they actually came into my house to check out my electric panel. I’m ok for power if/when they ever turn it on!
The FEMA checks are rolling in. Not for me because I don’t qualify, but the neighbors are pretty happy with FEMA. Insurance agencies, well, I don’t see anyone singing their praises. Volunteers have been coming around offering food, clothing and cleaning supplies as well as helping hands.
Still, people are living in cold, dark houses. Personally, I couldn’t do it. I would get the fek out of there. But good for them. Some have generators. They barbeque outside and share beers. They all help each other. It’s what a community SHOULD be. It’s almost….pleasant. Yes, I understand I wouldn’t feel it’s so pleasant if I had to spend the night.
Looking forward, with the clean up nearly finished and power about to be restored any day now, methinks that’s when the real rebuilding gets going. Anyone can volunteer to clean but it takes skilled workers to rebuild a house and not everyone can afford that. There will be contractor rip offs and crappy work going on big time.
If you are a contractor or material supplier, I know, I know, you stand to make a killing. But please do your part for society and offer discounts or volunteer time to communities in need. If anyone wants to step up by emailing me or posting in comments, consider the free advertising you’ll get here as payback for your good deed.
Also, peeps in need, don’t forget NYC’s Rapid Response set up through FEMA. You will need a FEMA ID to register.
On the “Me” front, my own Rockaway basement is gutted and cleaned. Will need boiler, water heater, washer, dryer, walls and some kitchen cabinets, tools, yada, yada. No FEMA, no flood insurance. Still feeling like a lucky punk. Found some black mold in the basement walls that was not Sandy related so it’s probably a good thing the basement was gutted. I’m just waiting for power so I can get back to work on the house.
I’ve made the decision to rent it out instead of sell it this year, because really….who the hell is gonna buy a house in Rockaway now?
Rockaway. The Aftermath.
Day 1: Left Behind
Yesterday I just went over to the house with the dogs to clean up the bathrooms and kitchen, shop for essentials and figure out what I’m doing. I spent over an hour changing a lock and scratched my head quite a lot over the configuration of the house.
One of my favorite parts of a renovation is discovering things unearthed in the demo. Well, since I didn’t really start demo yet, here are some items the seller left behind.
No, not the dog and not the whiskey. The whiskey was a gift from the selling broker. I’m gonna need it.
Affordable NYC: Rockaway Beach
The Rockaway Peninsula consists of neighborhoods that range from skid row to exclusive. Since this is a post about “affordable housing” in the area, we’re not here to talk about Belle Harbor.
Rockaway Beach was once a summer destination for city dwellers. The bungalows that lined the shore were torn down to make way for public housing in the 50’s and 60’s. That’s about the time urban blight set in and it’s still very visible in areas of neighboring Arverne that have not yet been rebuilt.
But the fact is, Rockaway Beach has been rediscovered. And the new developments at Arverne by The Sea are a big F U to urban decay.
Once upon a time, Rockaway Beach was known as The Irish Riviera. Now it’s the Hipster Hamptons. There are still plenty of working class Irish American families whom have been rooted in the area for generations. Now it’s a diverse mix of old timers and new.
During the summer months, this is fast becoming THE place to be. The concessions open up on the boardwalk, hipsters flock here to surf, swim and be all hip-n-shit. Rockaway Taco has 2 hour lines. For a friggin taco. Winter months are fairly quiet. The dedicated surfers are out there all year, but you’ll notice less of a scene and more of a community in the cold weather.
Surely, if you are a beach person or a boater (the bay is on the other side of the peninsula), you can’t do much better on a budget than Rockaway Beach. This stretch of the peninsula is walking distance from shore to shore, so you have the best of the beach and the bay. But let’s talk about off season. People haven’t been surviving out there for generations on nothing!
Are there restaurants? Yes. Thai Rock and Bungalow Bar next door are on bayside and have outdoor seating in the warmer weather. They have live performances as well as food and drinks. There are plenty of established restaurants near 116th Street (a main shopping district) or across the bridge in Broad Channel.
What about bagels? Yeah. They even deliver.
Hot yoga? Of course!
Dog park? Fantastic dog park! Tested on my own dogs. They loved it!
Supermarkets? The Stop and Shop on Beach 72nd Street in Arverne is worth the 20 block (or so) trip.
Those are all pros. So, what are the cons?
Well, it’s a schlep. The A runs about 10 trains during rush hour. Other hours, you have to switch for the shuttle at Broad Channel to get out to Rockaway.
Hit or miss areas. Like any neighborhood in transition, some blocks are nicer than others. You do see people fixing up their homes across the street from an abandoned burnt out shell.
Safety? Look at the statistics and judge for yourself. Personally, I can’t comment on how safe I feel there yet because I haven’t spent enough time there. I don’t think I’d want to walk around near the Hammel Houses at 2am with my ear buds, but then I wouldn’t do that in most neighborhoods. Just to be clear, there are plenty of great families living in housing projects, not just the “bad elements”. The elevated train line does give the feeling of being isolated from the more pleasant beach side of town.
Schools? Don’t have kids. Again, check it out. I will say that the high school I pass along Beach Channel Drive looks nice with their tennis courts and all.
All in all, I think it’s a pretty great investment and a wonderful place to live. You can still pick up a small fixer upper for less than $300k but act now. I swear there were more listings in the $200k’s when I started looking and was less than impressed. My how things have changed so quickly.
Packing for the Beach House!
It’s been some some since I spoke about the new project. That’s because it’s taken forever to get a closing date and there were times I thought it wasn’t going to happen. Well, I’m finally getting the keys on Monday afternoon!
Most ladies get excited when they pack their bikinis for their beach houses, but I was psyched to pull out my trusty work boots and painting clothes.
Wanna see my packing list for the first week of demo? Sure you do!
1. Sledgehammer
2. Sawzall
3. Crowbars
4. Tool Bucket (Hammers, Chisels, Bear Claw)
5. Screw Guns
6. Extension Cords
7. Work Light
8. Ladders
9. Shovels
10. Shop Vac
11. Safety Mask
12. Gloves
13. Goggles
14. Contractor Bags
15. Floor Protection