December 2008 Vol. 28, No. 12
The December 2008 issue of The Cooperator newspaper focuses on Safety & Security.
In this issue, you can read about building doormen as security, fire safety and prevention, avoiding toxins, safety during construction and security technology.
Visit our archives to see other articles that were published in 2008.
News Briefs
- 01.06.09 For those New Yorkers who wondered what the Manhattan real estate market might be like without the ever-rising bonuses of Wall Street’s elite, the answer is now emerging: an abrupt decline in transactions, tottering prices and buyers who are still looking but unwilling to sign a contract. Those are some of the conclusions in a series of market reports on the fourth quarter of 2008 released on Monday by brokerage firms, appraisers and other real estate analysts.[NY Times]
- 01.02.09 Enter the lobby of the Platinum — a sparkling glass-and-steel popsicle of a condominium that rises 43 stories above the circus lights of Eighth Avenue — and you may think you’ve stumbled into the lair of James Bond’s latest big-screen foe.[NY Times]
- 12.19.08 With the recession taking firm hold and the number of jobs lost in New York City expected to grow by as many as 150,000, co-op boards across the city are doing what they can to help keep costs down for shareholders. [NY Times]
- 12.19.08 With sales of co-ops and condominiums in New York City slowing to a virtual trickle in recent weeks, many brokers suspect that would-be buyers are sitting back and hoping to time their apartment purchases to coincide with the exact moment that the real estate market finally hits bottom. [NY Times]
- 12.15.08 NO one in New York has any privacy. But would you be willing to share a bathroom with that guy down the hall to save a buck? [NY Times]
- 12.12.08 Rent-to-own options, which come in many variations, have become increasingly common for developers in areas where home foreclosures are high, like Nevada, California and Florida. [NY Times]
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11.24.08 The Federation of New York Housing Cooperatives & Condominiums is having a free educational workshop, Wed., Jan. 13th, 2009, on group rates for health insurance, pollution coverage and the insurance industry crisis, at 6 pm, SHIRO of Japan, Atlas Park, 80-40 Cooper Ave., Glendale, NY. A light dinner will be served; parking is free. RSVP since space is limited. Call Mona Shyman at 718-423-4438.
Featured Articles
New Equipment for a Safer Community
Over the past two decades, New York City has become a safer place than it once
was. But events in recent years, both at home and abroad, have made Americans
more aware of security—how much they have, how much they’d like, and how much security they really need in order to feel truly safe in
their homes. The answer to those questions involves assessing and adding up the
costs and benefits of a security program, and tailoring that program to one’s particular building, community or home.
Read More
Look Out Below...and Above
Falling bricks. Rickety scaffolding. An errant nail and an unsuspecting foot.
Things can go wrong during renovation and restoration projects no matter what
the size and scale of the work at hand. Whether the job is tackling a new façade on a high-rise or putting new shingles on a townhome, anything can happen.
That’s why state and local governments put so much effort and energy into ensuring
the safety of passers-by and why co-op and condo managers turn eagle-eyed and
protective of their residents when large projects loom.
Read More
Avoiding Toxins in Your Building
Some building hazards—things like cracked sidewalks, broken windows or crumbling masonry—are obvious to even an untrained eye, making it easy to conduct repairs and
prevent further deterioration and potential injury.
Read More
Educating Residents to Save Lives and Property
Whether it affects a small portion of one unit or the entire association, a fire
is easily one of the most devastating and destructive events that can happen in
any multifamily building. New technology and current regulations have made
fires easier to prevent, control and extinguish, but residents and building
staff still must be educated about what to do in an emergency situation, as
well as how to prevent a fire from occurring in the first place. Read More
Building Doormen as Security
Jane Jacobs, the late, legendary urban planner whose grassroots activism
prevented Robert Moses from turning Battery Park into a series of bridges,
highways, and on-ramps, wrote at great length of the importance of well-used
sidewalks keeping neighborhoods secure. The more eyes on the street, she said,
the safer that street.
Read More
