In 1863, when a tenant at 97 Orchard Street came home from work, he entered a pitch-dark hallway and had to feel his way up the stairs to his apartment. He most likely felt his way with one hand while carrying a bucket of coal for the s…
Saving money is always a top concern of any co-op or condo board, so when energy deregulation first offered customers the opportunity to choose their energy provider in 1998, it seemed that lower energy bills were on the way. But in the…
Once upon a time, like many cities across the nation, New York City had a government-regulated energy market. There was one number to call to make all the lights come on: Consolidated Edison of New York (or, more familiarly, Con Ed). Th…
Kermit the Frog once sang, "It's not easy being green." In truth, New York-area co-ops and condominiums are discovering that "going green" is easier and more cost-effective than ever before. No, you won't be seeing a rash of high rises…
Nearly two months into Mayor Michael Bloomberg's suspension of glass and plastic recycling - a move designed to trim $40 million from the city's budget - New Yorkers are slowly getting used to the idea of tossing their Pepsi and beer bottl…
Thanks to the city's preservation efforts, most of the buildings lining Columbus Avenue from 67th up to 82nd Streets are first-generation developments. These designated landmarks, with their original storefronts intact, elicit memories of …
New Yorkers are a famously busy bunch, always looking for ways to maximize their time. Buying or selling an apartment can be the most time-consuming process imaginable, and city dwellers are always eager to try out ways of moving things al…
Your home is supposed to be a sanctuary - your family's protection from the hazards and harms of the outside world. Unfortunately, what should be a haven can often be full of hazards, especially for children, whose curiosity can be thei…
Ever wonder how that frisky pug got the penthouse window seat in a "pet-free" building? Or how that tabby from 4C manages to saunter down the hall like he owns the place? Thanks to New York City's "pet law," many co-op and condo owners h…
New York has been dubbed "The Greatest City on Earth" for a myriad of reasons - not least of which is the Big Apple's sheer architectural impressiveness. Legendary buildings and neighborhoods like the Empire State Building and Harlem are …
The Cooperator is proud to announce the launch of its new-and-improved Web site - www.cooperator.com - which went live this spring to deliver the same helpful, informative content contained in our print version, plus the entire contents o…
Four years ago, the co-op at 430 West 34th Street in Manhattan was in trouble. The 17-story, 168-unit vanilla brick building needed money - and needed it quickly. A couple of major capital projects, including new window installation, grout…
The eyes may be the windows of the soul, but windows are the eyes of your home, looking out onto the world and letting in air and light. More than just plain old sheets of ordinary glass, today's windows are loaded with features designed t…
The New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) receives more complaints against home improvement contractors than any other category - Period. If you engage an unlicensed, unregistered contractor to carry out an improvement project…
Apartment-dwelling New Yorkers have a tendency to spoil their trash. That is, they allow it to stink. "When people think of garbage rooms, they think of having to tolerate bad smells because it comes along with the territory," says …