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New Pool Safety Mandate in Effect
It sounds like an urban legend—something that supposedly happened to your cousin’s friend’s cousin. A little girl was at a barbecue party at a friend’s house, frolicking in the pool with friends. She swam to the drain at the
bottom of the pool and sat on it. The drain’s suction was so strong, it sucked the girl onto the aperture, trapping her
under the water. Once the adults on the scene realized what was happening and
rushed to help, it took two grown men 10 minutes to free her from the drain—which broke in the process—but it was too late to save her.
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Fighting Grime Brick by Brick
New York City’s co-ops and condos might vary in their architectural styles, but over time
every exterior—from the ornate historic landmark to modern glass-and-steel fishbowl—experiences exterior wear due to the elements and the simple passage of time. As
years go by, most facades and exterior surfaces will begin to lose their
luster, and require occasional deep-cleanings, with regular maintenance to keep
things looking good in between.
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Doing it Yourself, and When to Call a Professional
No matter how conscientious your residents, no matter how dedicated your super
and support staff, it’s inevitable: your building’s common areas are going to take a beating. Foot traffic can damage flooring,
and everything from luggage to people’s hands can add wear-and-tear to walls and fixtures. There are steps your
building’s staff can take, however, to lessen the potential for damage done, and to
repair it once it happens. Here’s what you need to know, and when you’ll need to call in the professionals to keep your common areas looking their
best.
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What They're Doing Up there
When you walk around busy areas of Manhattan, Brooklyn and elsewhere in the city these days, it's hard to miss the large number of structures stretching above the sidewalk, made up of huge sheets of wood resting on thin metal poles. Most people call them scaffolds, but they are actually known as sidewalk sheds (a scaffold is actually a work platform erected above a sidewalk shed). Read More
Electrical Demands Call for Building Upgrades
A few generations ago, even the largest residential buildings had basic electrical needs, such as lighting the building and running some washing machines. Residents back then generally only had a TV, a radio, some lamps and a few kitchen appliances. Until not long ago, older residential buildings that were constructed more than a century ago and electrified later were able to provide enough power for their residents' needs. Read More
Surface 101
The facades of New York City's residential buildings are part of what gives the city its character. From historic brownstones to modern high-rises with glass-curtain walls, New York City's buildings are recognizable to people around the world and give a face to each of the five boroughs. But in addition to providing a distinct look to New York's buildings, every façade must be able to hold up to the elements and withstand damage and leaks. An understanding of the materials used and city laws is crucial to ensuring your building's facade receives proper maintenance and routine care. Read More
Installing & Maintaining Laundry Facilities
Clean laundry. It’s one of those basic things without which we would go mad but which we rarely
stop to consider. Within New York’s co-op and condo complexes, laundry room facilities are an integral part of a
happy, functioning environment. Over the last decade, those facilities have
evolved to suit changing needs and expectations from residents and managers
alike. As a result, many laundry room service providers are offering new
options that put them squarely at the forefront of customer service, both for
individuals and the buildings as a whole.
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Stopping the Usual Suspects
Years ago, when I babysat for a young boy, I watched him create a multi-story
building out of empty cardboard boxes. The lad then ran around his proud
creation, flexing his muscles and crowing, “My house is indy-structible!” (He then proceeded to crash bodily through the cardboard doors, kick the walls
in and lob toys at the roof. It took him a while to destroy his structure, but
he enjoyed every second of it.)
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More Than Just Scratching the Surface
Whether a building is old or new, built of stone, brick, glass or some other
material, trouble with or damage to its façade is a serious emergency. Telltale signs of building breakdown on the outside—a growing crack or crumbling mortar for example—is unintentionally advertising to potential residents that the building is,
sadly, being poorly maintained. Anyone who can see the deterioration on the
exterior will rightly wonder how well management is taking care of the
interior.
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Do's and Don'ts of Exterior Signage
To paraphrase the 1948 film, and later, television series of the same name, The Naked City, there are eight million stories in the naked city. And probably ten times that many signs. They are everywhere, all asking for our attention. There are billboards and banners, blinking neon letters and twinkling LEDs. Go to Times Square and there's probably at least one example of every kind of sign ever devised. It wouldn't be surprising to find a few tablets cut in stone, or parchment scrolls tucked away in some corner, advertising psychic readings or after-theater dinners. In short, signs are all around us. Read More
Management in Crisis
Every property manager has a horror story or two—or three, or four, or forty-seven—about the sub-zero winter night when the boiler in a 400-unit high-rise went kaput, or what happened when the sprinkler system decided to turn on for no discernible reason and drenched several newly-remodeled hallways, or the spring rainstorms that helpfully revealed the dire condition of the building's World War II-era roof by flooding the penthouse owner's collection of Picassos. Even the best-maintained buildings sometimes experience what might be called maintenance meltdowns, and when disaster strikes, it's up to the management, board and building staff to get things under control and back on track as quickly as possible. Read More
Your Roof-Lounge or My Library?
If you flip through the advertisements for new condo buildings in the real estate section of New York magazine or Time Out NY, you've probably noticed that more and more developers are including well-appointed libraries, residents-only social clubs, roof decks, and other social spaces in their building plans. They're calling them "resident lounges," "observatories," or "sun decks," and these spaces are intended to get the new unit owners out of their units and networking, socializing, and generally hanging out with each other—as well as fostering a feeling of exclusivity and privilege among prospective buyers. Read More
Elevator Safety & Inspections
Ever since the first hydraulic passenger elevator was installed in New York City
in 1870, the city has relied upon elevators to support its upward growth. Given
that few would care to contemplate living or working in a 20-story walk-up,
transporting people upward and back down again quickly and safely was a crucial
component to the Big Apple’s development into a world-class city.
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Historic Buildings Need TLC
In November of 2008, New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) designated seven new properties with
landmark status—New York University’s University Village, the Guardian Life Insurance Co. annex, the Morris B.
Sanders House, the New School’s former Baumann Bros. store, Pratt’s Manhattan Campus, an ex-FDNY firehouse, and a New York City Parks Department
pool complex. The new additions make bring the total number of landmarks in the
five boroughs to an impressive 1,212.
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The Role of the Super
The co-op we owned in Astoria was a huge brick prewar building. Three of its sides were either attached to other buildings or else sealed off by
high barbed-wire fencing. The only way into the building was the front door, and that meant going through
the lobby, past the super’s apartment. Read More
Don't Crack Under Pressure
As a child, we tried diligently to avoid stepping on the cracks in the sidewalk, because, after all, our mother's backs were hanging in the balance. As adults, we simply take sidewalks for granted, often not looking down and watching where we are going, until we catch our foot in a split sidewalk and are sent tumbling to the ground. Read More
Maintaining Efficient Climate Control
With winter kicking it up a notch, co-op and condo residents inevitably begin thinking about their heating systems. How can we save money in a time of soaring energy costs? What technology upgrades are available for city co-ops and condos that might help decrease these costs and promote energy efficiency? Read More
How to Deal with Urban Construction
Say that you and your neighbors have been living a quiet, peaceful life on your tree-lined city block for years and years. Suddenly, you see construction workers digging in that vacant lot next to your condo or co-op building. So you go down to the city offices—or these days, go online—and find out that some Read More
Keeping Your Curb Appeal
Curb appeal plays a large role in determining a property's value and it is the first thing anyone notices about your co-op or condo building. But beyond aesthetics, proper maintenance is necessary to protect residences, grounds and common areas from the elements. Consistent care also will prevent major problems from surfacing in the future. And a solid maintenance plan will help your community's bottom line, as you'll avoid costly problems altogether. Read More
The Many Faces of Chinatown
"Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.” An immortal line from a beloved movie, and perhaps a reflection of how many
Western urbanites over the years have viewed the large pockets of Asian
immigrants that have settled in their cities. Chinatowns dot the country from
coast to coast, but their residents have often been treated with suspicion,
discrimination, and outright hostility.
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Dealing with Building Violations
No matter how conscientious your residents, no matter how dedicated your super and support staff, it’s inevitable: your building’s common areas are going to take a beating. Foot traffic can damage flooring, and everything from luggage to people’s hands can add wear-and-tear to walls and fixtures. There are steps your building’s staff can take, however, to lessen the potential for damage done, and to repair it once it happens. Here’s what you need to know, and when you’ll need to call in the professionals to keep your common areas looking their best. Read More
Transitioning from Sponsor to Board Control
Building a successful enterprise from the ground up involves the talent and
commitment of dozens—if not hundreds—of people. It’s no different with a co-op or a condo, especially in the earliest days of its
existence when it makes that transition from sponsor-run to board-run.
Sometimes that transitional road can be bumpy, and it can be a challenge
turning the seeds of a co-op or condo into a full-grown, fully functioning
community—especially if the sponsor and the board in question don’t always see eye to eye. If all of the parties involved can maintain focus and
keep the greater good in mind, however, the effort ultimately will pay off. Read More
Beating "Sick Building Syndrome"
Want to hear a phrase that will scare away just about any potential homeowner—"Sick Building Syndrome." Read More
Dealing with Objectionable Behavior
Even before the landmark “Pullman” case in 2005—in which a co-op board and shareholders voted unanimously to evict an especially
troublesome and disruptive shareholder from their building—New York co-op residents have grumbled about “objectionable tenants” and how to deal with them. The term “objectionable” is subjective, and the behavior that can fall under that label ranges from
constant noise and offensive cooking smells to ranting at and even assaulting
neighbors or board members in the lobby.
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Preparing Your Local Law 11 Report
Local Law 11 inspection is a requirement of the New York City Department of
Buildings that every owner of a building higher than six stories must retain an
architect or engineer to inspect their façades. Based on this inspection, a report must be filed documenting findings and making
recommendations of any required repairs in order to maintain a building’s exterior in a safe condition. As part of the investigation, the architect or
engineer must perform at least one scaffolding drop on a street façade, which may require the assistance of a contractor. This inspection and
report is required every five years; the next cycle (Cycle 7) starts in
February 2010.
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When Repairs Need to Be Done
When you live in a Manhattan co-op or condo, one of the things that you need to
be aware of is what sort of building systems exist on the property, and more
importantly, which of these you are accountable for. Read More
Keeping Buildings Dry
Building owners are charged with the constant battle of keeping water out of the
building envelope, but sometimes the water that causes stains, mold and decay
comes from within the building envelope. Consideration to design, materials and use must be given during initial
construction and reconstruction projects. Read More
Ordering Supplies for Your Building
Along with big-ticket items like boilers, HVAC systems, and the like, residential buildings also have to purchase lots of little, everyday things like cleaning supplies, light bulbs, and paper products to keep up with day-to-day maintenance and operations. Though not necessarily expensive in and of themselves, costs for these small things can definitely add up over the course of a year. As the ones charged with ordering and inventorying these supplies, it’s up to managers and building staff members to keep a lid on costs and be conscientious about limiting waste. Read More
Preserving the New York City Skyline
New York City's skyline is like none other and has a blend of classic and modern architecture that defines itself as one of the world's greatest cities. Read More
From Dutch Traders to Wall Street Traders
In the late 1980s, seeking high-growth, low-risk investment opportunities, and
with an affinity for brick and mortar, European pension funds began to invest
heavily in the American real estate market. So much money poured into the United States, in fact, that the pension fund
managers decided to start a not-for-profit association for the non-U.S. real
estate investment community doing business here. The result was the Association
of Foreign Investors in Real Estate, better known by its acronym, AFIRE.
Read More
Sidewalk Care and Liability
No doubt about it, the Big Apple is a pedestrian town: according to the New York
City Department of Transportation (DOT), over eight million people tread the
city’s approximately 12,750 square miles of sidewalks each day.
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A Life in Exterior Maintenance
Wayne Bellet, of Manhattan-based exterior maintenance firm Bellet Construction, is getting a dose of his own medicine. At the time of this interview, it’s his own office that’s under construction, he explains over the racket of dueling hammers in the background. The commercial condo building that houses his company is currently experiencing gas line issues, and the repair efforts have made Bellet acutely aware of the inconvenience such work can impose on the tenants of the building, the majority of whom are medical professionals. Read More
Handling Sub-Par Maintenance
In most buildings—even otherwise well-run, well-managed ones—building staff and administration can sometimes get a little bit lax in their
day-to-day maintenance duties. Equipment doesn’t get serviced. Paint peels. Dust and dirt accumulate in the corners of the hallway carpets. Spiders claim ownership of hard-to-reach ceiling corners. And in the basement, where the expensive machinery sits, less obvious signs of
neglect can spell havoc for a building’s bottom line.
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Finding the Money
Taking the plunge and renovating an existing multi-family building to be more energy-efficient is an important and exciting endeavor. The long-term financial payback from increased energy efficiency in a building is well documented. These significant potential savings, while tempting, doesn’t always seem to be enough to encourage people to make the necessary upgrades to their own buildings. To renovate a building can require a considerable initial investment and capital expenditure that can easily dissuade people from choosing to go through with a project. Securing financing and paying for a project can be difficult and is getting more complicated as financial markets are tightening. Thankfully, there are options available to help a residential building finance a large construction project in the short term to allow them to take advantage of the long-term financial benefits? Read More
Passing the Pest Test
Few things inspire more disgust in an apartment owner than an infestation, be it bugs, rodents, or other vermin. Unfortunately, pests are often part-and-parcel of life in a sprawling metropolitan area. Roaches, mice, rats, ants, bedbugs and the occasional invasion of centipedes are some of the more common unwelcome "guests" in New York City buildings. Read More
