2001 Sep
2001 Sep Vol. 21, No. 9
Focus on...Energy Consevation
The Dump is Dead--Now What?
On March 22, 2001, after 53 years of accepting New York City’s trash, Staten Island’s Fresh Kills Landfill received its final shipment. Fresh Kills was originally intended to serve as a temporary storage site, but over 400,000 garbage barges later, it now stretches as far as four Central Parks and towers as high as the Statue of Liberty. Read More
Fighting the Good Fight
If New York City co-op and condo owners have a superhero, the Council of New York Cooperatives and Condominiums (CNYC) is the one wearing the big, red cape. Founded in 1975, the non-profit organization serves as a purveyor and distributor of information for and about co-op and condo owners. It also stands tall as a powerful force in city government, lobbying for tax relief and attention to the needs of the co-op and condo community. Read More
Something for Everyone
Home to residents from more than 70 countries speaking more than 40 languages, Jackson Heights, Queens stands as a truly international community. And it is a community in every sense of the word; It’s not unusual to see a Peruvian shop owner dining side-by-side with a Long Island-born accountant in a Taiwanese restaurant, or a Bangladeshi shopper perusing crates of fruit imported from South America. This diversity is part of what attracts residents to Jackson Heights–and more importantly, it’s part of what keeps them there. Read More
Bringing Calm to Chaos
The time has come to ask yourself some tough questions: Do I find myself constantly sneaking my clothing into my partner’s closet? Am I running out of drawer space because my bureau is overflowing with items I can’t fit into my tiny closet? Is my linen closet or pantry so cluttered and disorganized that I can’t locate what I need when I need it? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are probably in need of a closet remodel. Lack of closet and storage space is a problem that many New York apartment dwellers face. The average apartment cannot accommodate growing families and changing needs–at some point, the average closet will have to be modified. Read More
Pushing the Right Button
In New York City, elevators are to vertical transportation what taxis and the subways are to horizontal transportation: ubiquitous and necessary, but not always safe. While newspapers eagerly report on subways that derail or on the latest taxi-jacking, elevator accidents don’t seem to grab as many headlines. Consequently, we ride assuming that this particular mode of transport, now nearly 150 years old, will take us safely from point A to point B. Read More
Preparing for the Big Chill
In the midst of all the sunshine and warm temperatures of late summer, it seems cruel to have to acknowledge the coming of winter. In a city where our warm days are limited to a precious few months of the year, it’s tempting to ignore winter until it comes up and bites you. Read More
Window Repair and Replacement
In the depths of a New York winter, few things are as uncomfortable and uneconomical as drafty, rattling windows. Icy wind howling around your building is one thing–you can always appreciate the austere beauty of the drifting snow from a cozy perch on a window seat or armchair–but icy wind howling around inside your apartment is another matter entirely. Aside from the heartbreak of chilly feet and goosebumps, rickety windows can drive your heating costs through the roof. After all, it’s costly enough to heat the inside of the building without paying to heat the courtyard and sidewalk as well. Read More
Energy-Efficient, Environment-Friendly
It’s difficult to imagine life without the appliances and technological perks to which we’ve become accustomed. But the scores of appliances found in a typical home create a huge demand for energy and costs for both the consumer and the environment can be significant. According to the New York State Energy Planning Board, New Yorkers spend more than $33 billion each year on energy–roughly $1,800 for every person living in the state. Becoming aware and integrating energy-saving appliances in your home can help defray the cost of modern conveniences, lowering your energy bills and helping to preserve the environment. Read More
The Energy Star Program
Government spending may get a bad rap, but there is one federal program that saved consumers $4 billion last year and benefited the environment as well. It’s called Energy Star, and it’s a voluntary labeling effort that identifies both products and buildings that exceed minimum federal standards for energy consumption. Purchase of Energy Star-labeled appliances and use of the program’s analysis tools has already helped many consumers save up to 30 percent of their utility costs. Read More
