When I was growing up in the ‘60s, our large rental building in Queens was like a village. My mother played mah jong once a week with several neighbor ladies, and Tuesdays were Dad’s poker nights. We kids played freely in the halls, practic…
New York is an expensive town–on that point there can be little debate. Regardless of your means, sometimes it can feel as though everybody from the waitress at your favorite coffee shop to the person who sacks your groceries is trying to g…
In the aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks, much has been said about the massive recovery effort and the grievous loss of life. While work crews continue to toil around the clock to recover and clean up, a lesser crisis has been pla…
It’s a common enough occurrence: Jane, who has served on your co-op’s board of directors since the Hoover Administration, makes a surprise announcement at the monthly meeting: she’s selling her apartment and retiring to Florida. This does n…
It appears we’re living in the age of the consultant. There are financial consultants, construction consultants, security and management consultants, and those that get you rebates on your building’s taxes and utilities. There are experts t…
Even the best-running engine–or the most well-built house–needs an occasional tune-up or a fresh coat of paint. So too with governing documents which are so vital to the operation of the place you call home. As times change and people come …
We all live and work in co-ops or condos; most of us have lived through some form of havoc wreaked by a board member. This person may be earnest and well intentioned, but projects an argumentative and contentious demeanor that is disrupt…
Remember the adage that 80 percent of the work is done by 20 percent of the people? The same appears to be true of boards throughout the city. In many cases, board members–and even certain shareholders–feel that being on a board is puni…
It’s 3:30 in the morning and your upstairs neighbor can’t seem to get enough of the new Cher album. It’s not just the techno beat that’s getting to you, it’s the volume. It’s making your china collection rattle in its hutch and your teeth h…
Call a real estate consultant a "know-it-all" and he or she will probably just smile wisely. For a consultant, that term is far from insulting. It’s simply a statement of fact. These "Jacks-and-Janes-of all trades" serve a diverse clie…