Category: Buildings

In 2016,  The Cooperator ran a piece on the business of condominium units existing within a larger hotel property. The article was inspired by news that the iconic Waldorf Astoria had been purchased by the Chinese company Anbang Insura…

A conflict appears to be brewing between a local preservation group and New York City’s Department of Buildings over an Upper East Side condo tower project that the latter approved. According to a piece last December in Crain's New Yor…

Like any homeowner, co-op owners are always planning improvements to their homes.  But one major difference between a cooperator and a homeowner is that the cooperator just can’t do whatever and whenever he/she wants.  For example, if if th…

On an otherwise uneventful January 8th evening, with a run of major holidays in the rear view, the denizens at 2186 Cruger Ave., in the Bronx still had something to celebrate. Some 20-plus shareholders in the 72-unit building congregated in…

Significant change rarely manifests without those who are willing to lead by example. In an era when climate science is increasingly under scrutiny , it's becoming more and more important to tackle this dire issue at a local level. …

One of the facts of life that apartment dwellers live with -- particularly those in older buildings -- is the window-unit air conditioner. Certainly the upside of having one is that it gets you through the airless, sweaty nights during the …

The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) recently passed new rules affecting many multi-family dwellings in the city. As reported in Habitat last month, duplexes and triplexes were required to install reflective signage on apartme…

The Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) is an agency dedicated to retain the rich history of New York City, including its residential architecture. Boards of landmarked condominium or cooperative properties have a more strict set of rul…

In March  2015, an illegal tap on a gas line caused an explosion in a residential building in the East Village. Two lives were lost and three buildings were leveled. In the aftermath, it became clear that while the city required ins…

High-end residential development has hit New York City over the last five years in ways both shocking and profound. At the far West Side development called Hudson Yards, a new neighborhood is being created that will house thousands. And in …