Page 12 - NY Cooperator October Expo 2019

12 THE COOPERATOR — OCTOBER 2019 COOPERATOR.COM traction as time goes on and new residents move into multifamily communities. As younger owners, particularly millennials, enter co-op and condominium buildings, will they find a way to adapt their already considerable social media habits to the lives of their buildings? Woofter thinks so. He suggests that the first place where social media may show up in the life of residential real estate outside of sales and marketing is in new, ultra-luxury build- ings with very young populations. From there it might spread to co-op and condo communities. But that’s still a ways off; with many young professionals putting off home- buying thanks to crushing student loan debt burdens, whether or not a condo as- sociation has a Facebook page or Insta- gram account is pretty far down the list of priorities for both current and would-be residents. In the meantime, keep check- ing under your door for those notifica- tions, because you won’t likely be receiv- ing a tweet about the Summer’s Over BBQ on the roof this Saturday. n A J Sidransky is a staff writer for The Coop- erator and a published novelist. CO-OP/CONDO... continued from page 11 the building could do about its unsight- liness. “Officially,” explains Graeff, “we couldn’t do anything, but we did write a letter to the director of the school, and the school was very responsive. They wanted to do something to improve the situation. We offered to help.” Initially, the school appealed to local nurseries for proposals to improve the overgrown lot. One offered a $3 million plan. Clearly, that was out of reach. A more modest plan to plant six dogwood trees was enacted. Four of those trees survived and continue to grow, but that approach didn’t address the problem sufficiently. Graeff and Proops, both of whom had interest in botany and horti- culture, attempted seeding the lot with wildflowers to begin rehabilitating the space. They literally pitched seed bags over the fence – and lo and behold, the seeds took, eventually carpeting that sec- tion of the trashy lot with free-growing wildflowers. Life finds a way. Graeff and Proops didn’t want to create a formal garden, though. Their approach was to create a less labor-intensive, more natural environment. “Our botanical ap- proach to rehabilitate the yard is to create a ‘meadow’ by introducing plants, flow- ers, ferns, and shrubs that grow wild in the Northeast and will spread on their own,” says Graeff, “doing battle with the project has encouraged outreach to other community, the individual shareholders, weeds, slowing erosion of the slope, and co-ops and rental management compa- eventually not needing any upkeep. As we nies to clean up their properties along by having more greenery and flowers to clear a section of weeds, we are introduc- ing wildflowers of the area; black-eyed Susans, cone flowers, shasta daisies, tiger lilies, ferns, lily of the valley, and asters. row Court at 565 West 169th Street, also the look and feel of the area, and the peo- These plants serve as pollinators and food in Washington Heights, for nearly two ple who call it home. One can only hope sources for bees, butterflies and birds. It decades. She founded the Washington that not only will these types of projects will take several growing seasons to see Heights Gardening Club (WHGC) 19 continue, but that the idea of community what plants thrive and spread, and com- pete successfully with the weeds. This ing the neighborhood. approach is different from a manicured garden which needs constant tending to area around Woodrow Court with the in- retard weeds, enrich the soil, kill bugs, stallation of wrought iron fencing around give extra water, add mulch, etc. The the tree pits that dotted the sidewalks near boulders and severe pitch of the property the building, and the small park immedi- make that kind of gardening unrealistic.” Graeff goes on to say that “Current- ly, when frost kills the plants in the fall, the tree pits, the WHGC collected gently the slope remains barren all winter. The used clothing and other items which they school orga- nized with a nursery to plant evergreen trees along the con- crete fence, so eventually they will cover much of that area. This fall, 2019, we are planting holly and coast- al azalea shrubs that don’t lose their leaves in the winter along the bit of apart- ment wall fac- ing the property that has invited graffiti.” The project also offers an educational extended their beautification efforts up opportunity. “We were invited to a pre-K into the 170s along both Broadway and class, and integrated making a meadow St. Nicholas Avenues, despite the cost of behind their school with their April em- phasis on plants and water,” Graeff says. the years. “When we started the cost was “We read the book The Curious Garden by Peter Brown, about a boy who encour- ages plants in his urban neighborhood to grow, thus transforming urban ugliness greater community as well. “We work in into a green and colorful place that the conjunction with Uptown Dreams, a boys neighbors are proud of. In addition, we and girls organization run by Coach Dave helped the students make ‘seed rockets’, Cranshaw,” Hockenbury continues. “The which are dirt and seeds spooned on to project gives young people a chance to toilet paper and tied with a string, which both work within their community and to they threw over the chain link fence from experience gardening in an urban envi- the playground in mid-April. Now, from ronment.” Columbia Presbyterian Hospi- their playground, they will see wildflow- ers growing in the meadow they helped responded to the WHGC’s work, adopt- to create.” The project has also gotten other fencing and planting in their part of the shareholders from 736 and the adjacent neighborhood, to the south of Hocken- co-op at 45 Overlook Terrace, as well as bury’s co-op. The hospital’s efforts are other neighbors, involved in the project. centered south of 168th Street, while the They weed, dig in the dirt, and contribute club focuses north of 168th Street. funds. One neighbor working in the gar- den even became reacquainted with her shareholders and co-op buildings is clear- elementary school teacher, who happened ly alive and well in Washington Heights, to still be living in the neighborhood. The and the benefits are clear. The co-op Overlook as well. A Neighborhood Facelift Dana Hockenbury has lived at Wood- years ago with the intention of beautify- The project started in the immediate example to others to dig right into what ately to the west of the property. To raise the funds to pay for the fencing around sold ‘flea-market’ style in the little park. The co-op provided a space in the building to store the items as they were collected, as well as garden- ing equipment. In addition to providing the fenc- ing, the club plants the tree pits with annuals in the spring and bulbs in the fall, which provide a welcome dash of color when they bloom. Over 19 years, the club has the fencing for the tree beds rising over about $550 per bed, now it runs about $850 per bed,” Hockenbury says. The project now reaches into the tal, a major presence in the area, has also ing the same style and design for tree bed Community involvement on the part of and the neighborhood benefit – not just break up the monotony of concrete, but by getting to know their neighbors, and knowing that those neighbors care about involvement in the greater community will increase, that these projects will be an their larger community needs. n A J Sidransky is a staff writer/reporter for The Cooperator, and a published novelist. BEING GOOD... continued from page 1 “Community involvement on the part of shareholders and co-op buildings is clearly alive and well in Washington Heights.” a gym in the prewar building. Other Options Co-op and condo buildings are look- ing into other amenities as well. “Stor- age,” says Marsh, “has become more of a requirement than an amenity.” Marks notes that many buyers today are inter- ested in solar panels as a long-term en- ergy component to their investment. She also notes that package rooms, even in non-doorman buildings, are sought after more and more. Community rooms are also in high de- mand. Susan Lauren, Principal of Lauren Interior Design in Manhattan, installed one in a former commercial space at a West End Avenue co-op that functions both as a meeting place and recreation spot for residents, as well as a potential party room that can be rented to resi- dents or outsiders. It has a separate street entrance for non-resident events. Marsh and Sacks also note that com- munity rooms are popular options in buildings with young communities and older residents, who often take over the space for card parties and reading. All in all, existing co-op and condo buildings need to consider the following factors when adding on amenities. First and foremost, what do the existing resi- dents want? Second, what will make the building more competitive in the mar- ket? Third, do you have the space and the budget to achieve your goals? If yes, add on that amenity. n AJ Sidransky is a staff writer at The Coop- erator, and a published novelist. WHAT’S HOT... continued from page 6 MANAGEMENT