Backsplashing and the Memorial Day Sales

Happy Memorial Day!!  I have contributed to the economy this weekend by buying kitchen appliances.  So far, I've purchased an Energy Star refrigerator and dishwasher, and a gas range and over-the-range microwave.   Neither gas ranges nor microwaves come in Energy Star models yet. 

I still have two more apartment-size refrigerators, two over-the-range microwaves,  and a 20" gas range to go.  Sadly, smaller refrigerators tend not to have the Energy Star rating.  Because they are smaller, though, they do not consume that much energy anyway.  

Downtown Brooklyn is Featured in the NY Times' "Living In..." Section

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/20/realestate/downtown-brooklyn-living-in-to-the-heights-and-the-slope-add-downtown.html?ref=realestate

The New York Times has a little piece about Downtown Brooklyn in its "Living In..."  section.  The slide show is particularly nice.  See link above.

I'll Soon Be (Sort of) Homeless

You would think that when you own a 3 family house, you wouldn't have to worry about where you'll sleep next week.  Well, I've learned first hand that this is not so.  As the old song says, "A house is not a home" and I've got to make some important decisions, quickly.
 
The studio where I'm staying has been rented, and the new tenant's lease begins on May 25.  So, it's time for me to leave.  But, as those of you have been following the blog well know, the house is not ready yet.

I'm all packed, and don't have many things in the studio anyway.  I reserved a U-Haul van for Wednesday morning, and a small storage space about a block away from the house.

The question, though, is where to sleep until the renovations are done.  I have a little bungalow upstate, but there are so many things to do in town that I need a place to stay in the city, too.

Here's my tentative plan for the times in NYC:  I'll squat at the house on Duffield Street while the last of the work happens.  There is a functioning toilet, and I can shower at work and eat out or order food delivered.  Plus, all my things will be a a block away in storage.   And, I'm planning to spend most of my time upstate anyway.

I'm hoping my sleeping there will "inspire" some of the people supposedly working there to finish.

EnCountering Language Problems: Italian and Chinese-Style

Three of the four counters are now installed.  The counter on the parlor floor, above, had my Dad fuming mad at the Chinese men who installed it.  "I told them the sink should be to the side, not centered like that!  But they don't speak English!" he complained in a heavy Italian accent.  He said he'd send it back if I didn't like it, but it looks OK to me.  Also, why waste the resources for a small thing like that?

The last counter, which will be for the wet bar in the basement, will be salvaged from another location.  The same people will be carving out a hole in it.  You can bet my father will be really pissed if the hole for the sink isn't in the right place!

NYC Bike Share Station to be Around the Corner

http://a841-tfpweb.nyc.gov/bikeshare/

If the draft of the map of bike stations for the Citi Bike Share program is approved, there will be a bike station around the corner on Concord Street, between Flatbush Avenue Extension and Duffield Street.  Click on the link above for more information about the Citi Bike Share Program.

There will be both long-term memberships (1 year) and short-term rentals.  A yearly membership will run about $95, weekly will run $25, and 24-hour membership is $9.95.  You pick up your bike and drop it off at any of the stations on the map.  If you go over 30 minutes for a ride, you pay an additional fee, so the program is really meant for short trips, like commuting to work.

After 5000 Page Views: A Look at This Blog's "Audience"

In the two years since I first started recording my green renovation of a house on Duffield Street in Downtown Brooklyn in this blog, the blog has had over 5000 views, not including mine.  My "audience"  comes mostly from the US, with Russia coming in second, followed by the UK, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Poland, France, and, lastly, China. 

Thanks, everyone, for "tuning in" to the blog.  Special thanks are due to my brother, Angelo, who views the blog religiously, and warns me about any potential legal issues with my posts.  Thanks for saving me a nasty court battle, Angelo!  Thanks, as well, to my friends Mary Ann and Diana, who are my only two official followers.  Spasibo to my Russian followers!  I hope you doing some green renovation out there.  If you happen to know any Russian billionaire who wants to move to Brooklyn, I've a got house for him or her!  (Just kidding! After all this work, I'm not leaving. You can bury me in the backyard next to the pear tree.)  

    

There's a lot more renovation taking place in the next month or so, so stay tuned!  I'm hoping to move in next month, but that doesn't mean the renovations are over.  I have a feeling this blog has another couple of years to go.

Freecycling Around Town

I have received my first item on Freecycle, the online community in which people offer items that they no longer need, and others request items that they do need.  The only real rule to Freecycle is that there be no money exchanged between parties.  This terracotta pot was given to me by a very nice woman, Ginneth, who no longer needed it.  It will be placed on the porch, or in the backyard and will hold some flowers.

My father grumbled when he saw it, saying that you could get the same pot in the store for $5.00, so it was a waste of time to bother with Freecycle.  But, to me, that wasn't the point.  The point was that someone was going to  toss something in the trash that I could use.  There is a nice symmetry to Freecycle.  Now, no one has to feel guilty about trashing some perfectly usable item, and people who need things can often get them for free.

Here is a link to Freecycle's main website:

/http://www.freecycle.org/

Happy Freecycling!

Letting it (Low) Flow: Inexpensive Faucets that Conserve Water

I need to install four bathroom faucets, three kitchen faucets, and a faucet for the basement wet bar.  Now you might say it doesn't matter if you spend a bit more on faucets, given that you use them every day, and they are not a major investment in the big scheme of things.  But since I have to purchase eight faucets, whatever extra is spent gets multiplied by eight.  Also, my one real "must have" above aesthetics and price is that the faucets conserve water.  These are sometimes called "low flow" faucets.

So, I've been shopping around and have seen some very inexpensive faucets that use about half the normal amount of water at IKEA.  There is even a $20 faucet that reduces water consumption.  Here's the link to it:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70085029 

There are also more stylish models for about $50.

I'm leaning towards the mid-range faucets at IKEA, but still worry about how durable they are and how easy it is to get replacement parts for them.  If I buy them, and they fall apart in a few months, I'll let you know.

"This Borough is Your Borough, This Borough is My Borough"

Woody Guthrie tribute to highlight annual Brooklyn Folk Festival

There will be a folk festival a few blocks away in the middle of Downtown Brooklyn, with a special tribute to Woody Guthrie (see link above).  I might stop by on May 20 and hum a few lines of "This Land is Your Land..."

Pear Tree Arrives, Still Awaiting Partridge

I picked up the pear tree I reserved through MillionTressNYC over the weekend.  It's a beautiful, slim tree that is about ten feet high, and will grow to between twelve and twenty feet.  Bartlett pear trees are self-pollinating, so I may see a few pears in a few years, if all goes well.  The tree will be planted directly in the ground and is the first piece of "landscaping"  that is happening in the backyard.  Next on the agenda is a potted little ornamental tree for the front area near the stoop.