Security is a big issue no matter where you live, but in a sprawling urban environment like New York City, it's toward the top of residents' list of concerns. For co-ops and condos, addressing this means not only providing residents a …
Just this past September, a tornado hit Park Slope, Central Brooklyn and parts of Queens, doing substantial damage in a few short minutes. It left people in other parts of the city wondering, “Could it happen here?” But the tornado—and …
There are some eight million people living in the five boroughs of New York. A sample size that big is bound to yield some bad apples. Most every New Yorker knows how to avoid the garden-variety, shady-looking miscreant on the street—th…
If they have a mind to, an unscrupulous person in possession of someone's personal information can cause a lot of damage. Their mischief can range from opening charge cards and other lines of credit, running up huge charges in the vict…
The big secret regarding energy efficiency in co-ops and condos is window glass, which compared to insulated walls and ceilings, can be a source of serious energy waste. While we expect that energy-conserving walls and ceilings will dr…
Occupying the southernmost tip of Manhattan, New York City’s Financial District is the center of wealth and power for both the city and the nation, but until just a few years ago, the area was a ghost town after office hours. That began…
There have long been organizations that strive to strengthen and clarify the roles of owners, residents, and managers within the cooperative housing environment. But one essential player in the game—the superintendent—was the last to fi…
Last summer’s heat wave is just a fading memory, and it's that time again: time to get your building’s boiler operating and ready for the colder months. Before the first snow falls however, some maintenance and housekeeping to your buil…
You may have a roof over your head—but if that roof isn’t doing its job, you may as well be living on the cold, wet streets of New York City. Roofs serve as the first line of defense against whatever the skies throw at your bu…
“...We gather here today at the human resources department of Acme Property Management Company to bring together John Smith, property manager, with the building and board located at 123 Anywhere Street. If nobody objects to this arrang…