2006 Dec
2006 Dec Vol. 26, No. 12
Focus on...Safety&Security
Urban Mass
Located in the Northeast corner of the Bronx, in the area known as Baychester, sits the largest housing cooperative in the world. Co-op City is home to about 50,000 people; if it suddenly decided to secede from Bronx County, it would be one of the 15 largest cities in the state. Read More
A Necessary Amenity
Many years ago, when I was living on the Upper West
Side, a neighbor of mine was notified over his scratchy intercom system
that a UPS carrier had a package for him. Without hesitation, he buzzed in
the deliveryman and opened his front door. Instead of receiving a new
package, the neighbor was met by an intruder pointing a gun. Tragically, my
neighbor was shot and killed.
Read More
The Golden Age of Wireless
A few years ago, a commercial aired that featured a hip-looking fellow plugging away at his laptop—checking his e-mail, surfing the Web, downloading music. What was different about this guy was that he was on the roof of a skyscraper, and there were no wires connecting his computer to anything. Read More
There When it Matters
On October 22, several hundred hurricane evacuees descended on Brooklyn’s New York City College of Technology. The school had been temporarily converted into an evacuation center, where refugees were screened before being sent to shelters that had been set up in two nearby Department of Education buildings. And all this occurred despite the fact that there was no hurricane anywhere near New York City this October. Read More
The Sale of the Century
Stretching from 14th to 20th Streets between First Avenue and Avenue C on Manhattan’s East Side, the 110-building Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town high-rise complexes comprised a vast middle-class, largely rent-regulated city-within-the-city. In both communities, renters who wanted to stay in Manhattan could live a safe, secure life within a development containing modern elevator buildings, its own security force, and 80 acres of lawn and playground space. Read More
Planning for Emergency Evacuation
It is essential that co-op and condo boards or management companies have an emergency plan in place for situations like fires, power blackouts, hostage situations, or terrorism. While good planning is a major factor in keeping residents safe, hardware like emergency lighting and signage also play a key role in emergencies. To that purpose, let’s examine the various products, technologies, and laws relating to the safe evacuation of your building in the case of an emergency. Read More
Breaking the Mold
Molds are naturally occurring organisms that are present almost everywhere. While molds need both moisture and nutrients to grow, moisture is the primary factor that promotes indoor mold growth. Therefore, whenever there is a water leak in a home or residential building, there is the potential for a mold-related legal claim. Read More
Ain't Misbehavin'
Living in a co-op or condo building is a lot like living in a small town. When everyone abides by the rules, life flows along smoothly. If that stops, though, and one person disrupts the flow, those smooth waters turn rough and trouble can ensue, causing hardship for everyone involved. Read More
Safe and Sound
It’s official. According to an analysis of FBI data by the Associated Press, New York is the safest big city in the United States, with roughly one crime reported for every 37 residents per year. Read More
Better Safe Than Sorry
Even though crime statistics are lower in New York City today than they have been in decades, the fact remains that in an urban metropolis such as this, crime is a reality. It only takes one break-in or personal assault to focus everyone’s mind on crime prevention and their own personal safety. Even buildings that already employ a doorman, a super, and maintenance staff may still consider hiring a security guard. Read More
Visitors and Guests
In a real ad posted on craigslist, a popular website for free classified ads, someone is looking to rent out their 22nd Street apartment in Manhattan. It’s a 625-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment with a doorman, air-conditioning, laundry room and more. No pets are allowed in this apartment. It doesn’t say why this person wants to sublet—it could be because he is traveling for an extended period of time, or perhaps he has been relocated due to his job, but he needs someone to move in and continue the payments and care of his dwelling. Read More
Safety in Numbers
The transformation of New York City from one of the nation’s perceived most dangerous places to one of the safest, if not the safest, big cities in America is an old story by now, but it still continues to amaze both longtime New Yorkers and visitors alike. It seems like only yesterday that the crack epidemic was in full swing, the subway was considered unsafe at night, muggings and apartment break-ins were commonplace, drug dealing went on openly in city parks, entire blocks were boarded up or burned down, and every subway car was defaced by graffiti. Read More
