2013 April
Focus on... Real Estate Market/Expo

 All you need to know you to efficiently manage and maintain co-op and condo  properties in the Greater New York area, you will find at The Cooperator’s annual Co-op & Condo Expo, which is now in its 26th year as the premier event for educ…

 According to many observers, the worst of the recession is over. We’re now several years out from the collapses and near-collapses of Lehman  Brothers, Washington Mutual, Countrywide, Bear Stearns, AIG and other big-name  financial firms.…

 Despite what people mutter about real estate being in a down cycle in other  parts of the region, in New York City, people are spending tens of millions on  jaw-dropping properties throughout the city, with record-breaking sales being  lo…

 Little by little, the world seems to be getting greener, and the Bloomberg  administration has made greening the city one of its priorities in helping to  reduce New York City’s carbon footprint. As part of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s Gr…

 The words “housing crisis” still have the power to send shivers down the spines of homeowners who are  still feeling the effects of the collapse of the market in 2008. That collapse  was itself triggered for the most part by the writing o…

 New York City is not exactly known for year round sunshine and palm trees. At  first glance greenery, lawns and lawn care, may seem a non–issue for many New Yorkers, but like most Americans, New Yorkers have a  long-running love affair wi…

 New York City is not generally known for its biodiversity. Surprising pockets of  nature like the Jamaica Wildlife Refuge give a glimpse of the incredible  ecology that once existed in the area, but the development of a massive  metropoli…

 Whether you live in a towering mid-block high-rise or a sprawling suburban  development, landscaping not only helps a co-op, condo or HOA increase and  retain property values, but has a positive impact on residents themselves—beautiful, f…

 The signs “Post No Bills,” “Active Driveway” and “Alternate Side Parking” are all fairly common and relatively self-explanatory in urban settings. Other equally common signs we see in suburban communities throughout the U.S.  related to p…

 Whether indoors or out, few design elements are as dramatic and arresting as a  waterfall or fountain. According to the blog The Bowery Boys, the very first  decorative fountain in New York City was the City Hall fountain, unveiled on  Oc…

 On July 1st, about 10,000 New York City buildings must start phasing out their  use of high-polluting fuel oil. Under the city's “Clean Heat” mandate (a part of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s Greener, Greater Buildings Plan New York initiat…

 While essential to the successful operation of all cooperatives or condominiums,  the contents of governing documents are often only glossed over by otherwise  well-intentioned boards members and managing agents leading to potential  pitf…

 Purchasing a co-op in New York City can be a real odyssey. Even with thousands  of options on the market, securing a place that fits your lifestyle and budget  can leave you with only a handful of viable choices. Factor in each building’s…

 Abraham Lincoln once said, “Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can.  As a peacemaker, the lawyer has superior opportunity of being a good man. There  will still be business enough.”    Certain…

 You may live in the most well-run and self-sufficient building in the city, but  no building is an island, not even in developments from the sprawling  Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village in Manhattan to Co-op City in the Bronx to  the s…

 Most co-op and condo buildings in the city have a laundry room for residents to  use that is more than just an amenity; it’s practically a necessity. Nearly all of these co-op/condo laundry rooms are  maintained by laundry contractors who…

 Who wouldn’t want to be on the board of directors of their co-op or condo, watching over  their most precious possession and probably their most significant investment—their home?  Most people, actually. It’s a rare co-op or condom…

 Twice a week whether it is on Tuesday and Thursday or Monday and Friday, in  every neighborhood throughout the city, you can hear it. Usually before first  light you are roused from a sound sleep by the rumbling, beeping and crushing  sou…

 Thirty years ago, Cats won the Tony Award for best musical, setting it off to  secure its place as the second longest running Broadway musical in history. New  York City streets were filled with women in torn sweatshirts and leg warmers  …

 New Yorkers are a resourceful bunch—we pride ourselves on being able to snag a cab during rush hour, get from the  Upper West Side to Greenpoint in less than three subway transfers, and show no  fear as we battle the crowd at a hot design…