@BrooklynRowHouse

In January 1999, I said goodbye to my downtown loft and moved into an old row house.  While I got it at a terrific price, it took almost a year to close the deal.  Sellers were dying, powers of attorney were dying, people were falling off roofs and my mortgage commitment was days away from expiring.  It was a fitting prologue to the story.

I liked the style of the house but the initial attraction was the attached garage for my bikes. Almost every house on the street, except this one, was well cared for.  The neighborhood was quiet and there was a pretty park at the end of the block, not that I would have time to actually visit it over the next few years.

The house had great bones but suffered from decades of neglect.  I questioned whether or not I had bitten off more than I could chew.  This wouldn't be a rip-and-replace for one thing.  In my youth, I had worked on gut rehabs, which were essentially new construction. My prior home was a 5000 square foot factory space that I'd converted into a residential loft.  I'd designed and built a couple of commercial recording studios.  I had some cabinet and furniture making experience. But I wasn't really sure what to do with an old house, except what I saw on TV.
Recent posts

My doorbell rang this afternoon. It was Kevin, my postman, and he had a certified letter for me. Certified letters are always bad news and I could see on the envelope that this one was from DOT so I knew it wasn't Publishers Clearinghouse telling me about my windfall. Kevin said that every house on the block, except one, got certified letters from DOT....read more  

Posted 1 day 8 hours ago.

Sunday morning, a neighbor down the block called the fire department for what was apparently a minor fire.  I saw FDNY parked down the street as I returned from walking the dogs.  One of the firefighters was flushing out the hydrant as another rolled up the hose.  They weren't there long. The water pipes in the street here are very old and they also supply those hydrants.   Whenever one of tho...read more  

Posted 7 weeks 1 day ago.

I never thought I'd be doing a product review for an electronic cat litter pan.   A table saw or compressor, yes.  Well, until I get back into construction mode at BRH, I've got to fill the blog with something. Seriously though, regulars to this blog know that I don't accept direct advertising and that I generally steer clear of product reviews.  I usually spotlight a product only when it real...read more  

Posted 16 weeks 2 days ago.

The old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon show had a series of interstitials with Bullwinkle attempting, and failing, to pull a rabbit out of a hat and Rocky increasingly skeptical that he would ever succeed. As tortured an analogy as that may be, it's how the Bay Ridge community has regarded announcements of the opening of the prodigal Key Food supermarket on Bay Ridge Ave (69th St).    It was alm...read more  

Posted 20 weeks 5 days ago.