2009 Sept
Focus on... Energy & The Environment

Energy Conservation Harvesting Winds of Change
2009 Sept Harvesting Winds of Change

Thirty-three years ago, during the summer of 1976’s energy crisis, 40 people gathered on the rooftop of 519 East 11th Street in Manhattan’s East Village, beers in hand, determined to create their own power source. With enthusiasm, flavo…

Read More
Energy Conservation How Far Can You Go on the Green Scale?
2009 Sept How Far Can You Go on the Green Scale?

 Talk of “green” homes and buildings these days often evokes images of roof gardens, solar  panels, and even wind turbines humming in the background. For most co-ops and  condos however, “going green” comes incrementally, in much smaller m…

Read More
Energy Conservation The First Step to Energy Efficiency
2009 Sept The First Step to Energy Efficiency

New York City is actively pursuing measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions citywide. Achieving this goal will take the combination of numerous initiatives, but in order to make significant strides, the city must address its biggest…

Read More
Neighborhoods Long Island CIty Comes Into its Own
2009 Sept Long Island CIty Comes Into its Own

 There was a time when Long Island City’s waterfront area wasn’t exactly a hot residential neighborhood. With its looming industrial buildings  with a few small residential buildings thrown together near the East River, the  area was more …

Read More
Energy Conservation How To Go Green in Hard Times
2009 Sept How To Go Green in Hard Times

 Saving money by going green sounds great, but who has that initial capital in  these tough economic times? The average person may not be able to afford a hybrid car or a solar panel  array, however, there are many energy-saving changes yo…

Read More
Q&A Q&A: Marijuana Smoking Shareholder?
2009 Sept Q&A: Marijuana Smoking Shareholder?

Q I am a member on the board of directors of a co-op in Nassau County, New York. We are experiencing a problem with a shareholder, who we believe regularly smokes “pot” and also entertains fellow smokers in his apartment. The odor pe…

Read More
Q&A Q&A: Superintendent's Salary
2009 Sept Q&A: Superintendent's Salary

Q My question concerns the various forms of compensation our building’s super receives and the shareholders’ right to know the exact sum of his monthly income, as an exact cost to the building. Our super has a fixed salary, which is di…

Read More
Q&A Q&A: Unexplained Maintenance Increases
2009 Sept Q&A: Unexplained Maintenance Increases

Q I’ve lived in my Manhattan co-op for nearly 20 years. We elected a new board  president a little over a year ago, and in that short time our board has raised  the monthly maintenance three times. Can a board just keep raising our  ma…

Read More