Mayra David
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Room For Improvement: Better ceilings and a guest bedroom please
By Mayra David
September 20, 2013 - 11:08 AM
Custom-made apartments, seeing less of the neighbors, and seeing more of nature. We asked five New Yorkers to share what they would change in their city dwellings, if only they could, and here's what they had to say:
•Less neighborliness: I love my building, but sometimes the neighbors are too much. I’m very much the new person on the floor (six apartments per floor) so maybe I just need to get used to this co-op neighborliness. I don’t mind people asking for sugar, or asking to come in and see what I’ve done with the place. But the other day, I discovered that a note had been taped next to the building’s key pad: it was asking the FedEx or UPS person to just ring my apartment in case my neighbor wasn’t home! I don’t recall giving permission for them to do that! -Stephen, Harlem
Read More NYC Renovation Chronicles: What to do about those ugly popcorn ceilings
By Mayra David
September 18, 2013 - 08:55 AM
Popcorn paint. Whoever invented it has some explaining to to do.
Popcorn paint became a popular way to cover cover up cracks and thin or uneven ceilings all across the country starting in the 1950s. It is sometimes called stucco or cottage cheese. (Yes! People really call it that). Personally, I think cottage cheese is the most apt description of my bedroom ceiling: just a gloopy-looking, bumpy, white mass. What’s in it, however, can be far less benign. Popcorn paint used to be made with white asbestos fibers. Though asbestos was banned in the manufacture of ceiling treatments in 1978, suppliers were still allowed to sell their existing inventory, which lasted well into the 1980s.
Builders and DIYers liked the material for several reasons, and by “several” I mean two: cheap and easy.
Read More Would you rather live in a penthouse or a townhouse?
By Mayra David
September 13, 2013 - 11:08 AM
'Penthouse or townhouse' is a choice most of us will never be faced with, but it's still fun to think about. We asked seven New Yorkers to imagine that money was no object and they could choose between a full-service penthouse and an all-to-themselves townhouse. Here's what they had to say.
Read More Veteran NYC renters speak: Their best advice
By Mayra David
September 10, 2013 - 08:59 AM
Many things are said about the process of finding a decent rental in the city and living happily ever after (many of those things are said, in fact, right here on BrickUnderground)--and for better or usually for the worse, most of the crazy/frustrating/outrageous bits are true.
To help smooth your way, we asked a few veteran New York City renters to share their best tips on conquering one of the most competitive rental markets in the world.
Read More NYC Renovation Chronicles: 3 DIY projects worth trying yourself
By Mayra David
August 28, 2013 - 11:21 AM
After marshalling our resources and prepping our apartment, we were finally ready for our various DIY renovation projects. Reinstating the French doors between the dining and living rooms, refurbishing the radiators, and refreshing a dining hutch were at the top of our list.
Read More Would you rather live above the Second Ave subway construction or a Subway sandwich shop? Read More
By Mayra David
August 28, 2013 - 09:02 AM
The sound and fury of a subway line construction, or the smell of $5 footlong subs all day long? We asked these new Yorkers to pick their poison when it came to their neighbors: Would you rather live above the Second Avenue subway construction or on top of a smelly Subway restaurant?
- Second Ave subway I've actually been in apartments along the Second Avenue subway construction and they're all high rises, and you can't hear a thing. So I wouldn't mind living there.