New York City’s Department of Buildings wields great influence over how structures in the city are built and maintained, presiding over everything from building inspections to permits, building codes and materials. While that area of go…
Almost a century ago, if you lived in The Ansonia, a residential hotel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, you had access to a variety of very interesting amenities, including a menagerie on the roof that included a huge flock of chickens a…
When co-op developments throughout Eastern Queens received their assessment valuations this past January—the values upon which property taxes are based— many were in for a rude shock. According to Bob Friedrich, president of Gl…
For many, the idea of getting a new mortgage on a home or apartment is enough to cause even the heartiest soul to break out in a light sweat. Now imagine refinancing a mortgage for a multimillion-dollar co-op building, and the light sw…
Buying an apartment in New York can be a smooth process—or as smooth as smooth can be when the number of attorneys present at the closing are enough to field a N.Y. Urban Professionals Basketball League team—or it can be a harrowing roll…
Employment figures may be up, and the economy may be showing signs of life after the long winter of the Great Recession, but the real estate market is still shaking off the chill. New York City in 2010 saw few building permits issued, …
The real estate market in New York City isn’t what it was in the recent past—a fact that troubled many brokers, but which for buyers was a good thing. Across the market, prices are still well below their height of a few years ago, and s…
It’s time to turn our attention to The Cooperator’s 2011 Co-op & Condo Expo, a must-attend event for the tri-state area’s property managers, board members, real estate professionals, shareholders and unit owners. Now in its 24t…
Kew Gardens in Queens seems to be just another urban neighborhood when you emerge from the Union Turnpike subway station. For instance, there is the long stretch of Queens Boulevard that is always busy with traffic. Lining the boulevard…
The buzzword in energy today is “sustainability.” More than the installation of the sexiest new technology, sustainability is a melding of renewable energy and energy efficiency. It’s a blend that forms the foundation of the Northeast Su…