Showing posts with label reader mail. Show all posts
Showing posts with label reader mail. Show all posts

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Reader question: What is that black smoke coming from Village View?



Via the EVG inbox...

What is the black smoke pouring out of the chimney on the Village View apartment complex on First Avenue? No other building in the neighborhood (with many oil burners) is sending out as much. Hmmm — burning trash on a Sunday morning?

The reader thought that burning trash in buildings was a thing of the past. Unless this is something else entirely.

Thursday, April 11, 2019

Reader mailbag: 'Ever hear sirens and wonder?'



On Monday night, there was a report of a fire in an apartment at 70 E. Seventh St. between First Avenue and Second Avenue. Thankfully the damage was minimal, though the tenant had to temporarily relocate.

This incident prompted a building resident to share this public service announcement:

If you were home, it was scary. Smoke. Flames. Lots of firefighters.

There is only one fire extinguisher (by the trash) for the entire building, which is basically all wood construction with a brick shell. One kitchen accident, faulty appliance, overloaded outlet or untended candle – and it all goes.

Even if the fire is small, smoke and water damage would make at least half or all of the building inhabitable. Bye-bye apartment.

Picture coming home to everything gone or evacuating in minutes (like those of us who were home thought we might have to Monday night) and not being permitted to return, and you know it’s time to — get a fire extinguisher for your apartment!

Saifee Hardware, First Avenue at Seventh Street, has a good selection ... as well as Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, Amazon, etc.

Residents believe a faulty hot plate was the culprit for the fire scare, which led the resident to offer another tip: Check outlets, stove and unplug appliances — like hot plates — not is use.

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

From the reader mailbag: What is this on 11th Street?



An EVG reader shared these photos of a "mysterious device" that arrived on 11th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue over the weekend...





The reader asked: What is this?

Updated 2 p.m.

Thanks for the responses about this traffic data collection thing... see comments.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

You have mail! (but not here)

Via an EVG reader...

Has anyone else in 10009 found this kind of notice in their building?



The mail carrier could not gain entry into the building... and, "until further notice," residents will now need to pick up the undelivered mail from the USPS retail outlet on East 14th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue.

I haven't been to this USPS location in awhile. Do they have more than one person working at the counters now?

Friday, March 4, 2016

Reader mailbag: What is this on East 10th Street?


[Photo by Lola Sáenz]

Since it arrived late last year after some Con Ed work on East 10th Street between First Avenue and Second Avenue (roughly outside The New Theatre Building) ... several readers have asked what that air raid-looking thing is ...

There's also one on Great Jones near Lafayette...



So! Anyone know what these are? (Excluding popular comments beer store! and Amy Schumer)...

Updated:

Thanks to the readers for the answers! it's a Con Ed pipeline pressure regulator/vent.

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Reader mailbag: What's with the burning wood smell?

From the EVG inbox...

Has anyone written to you to say there has been a burning wood smell in the East Village since this morning? I opened the windows in the back of my apartment late this morning, and I got a big whiff of the smell. I have been out for a few hours and just got home, and now my whole apartment smells like burning wood! But I don't hear or see anything in the back of the building.

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Reader mailbag: Can my landlord legally convert a 1-bedroom apartment into a 3-bedroom unit?

An EVG reader asked the following …

The landlord of my small, rent-stabilized building just converted a one bedroom into a three bedroom/two bath unit and put it on the market for $5,900 a month — probably from less than $1,000 a month.

Is this huge jump legal?

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We often get reader queries ... asking for help with, say, donating clothes or books ... or finding an East Village-based caterer... If you have a question for the masses, then try the EV Grieve email...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader mailbag: Places to eat that have that old East Village vibe (45 comments)

Reader mailbag: What do I do about my new neighbors who smoke pot all the time? (52 comments)

Reader mailbag: Where is a good place to get a cup of coffee in the East Village before 6 a.m.? (25 comments)

Reader mailbag: What has happened to the Cooper Station Post Office? (41 comments)

Reader mailbag: Can the landlord 'drill' the lock to gain access to my apartment for simple repairs? (15 comments)

Reader mailbag: Should we receive a rent abatement for having sporadic heat and hot water?

Reader mailbag: How often does your mail get delivered?

Reader mailbag: Where can I get my Mac fixed now?

Random photo found on the Internet

Friday, June 26, 2015

Reader mailbag: How many wall renovations does one school need?



From the EVG mailbag…

Can anyone explain what these workers have been doing outside East Side Community School on East 12th Street for the past month or more, besides spending millions of tax dollars? This is the second time in five years they've reconstructed this wall. Cheaper to tear down the existing structure and replace it with a state of the art school, no?

The school had to be evacuated on September 2012 when the wall was found to be separating from the rest of the structure. The emergency renovations displaced the students for four months.

Friday, May 29, 2015

Reader report: Con Ed enjoys digging up East 6th Street



From the EVG inbox this past weekend...

So, this is at least the fourth time since January that Con Ed has torn up East Sixth Street between Avenue A and B in front of our building. Jackhammers, heavy machinery, later tar and mechanical stompers. CRAZY NOISE! They obviously can’t find the problem.

My issue is they invariably show up at 6 p.m. on Friday to start the work. Start jackhammering about my son’s bedtime at 8. Now it’s a holiday weekend so its probably triple time. I think its a kind of boondoggle. There is no reason that this work always starts at 6 on Friday.

It makes the apartment uninhabitable. Of course, if there is a leak then they are simply incompetent. They were here two weeks ago and ripped the sidewalk in front of our building. I don’t know what’s worse, the noise or the fear they are incompetent.

Is there anything to do about it?

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Reader mailbag: What is the story with these pink flags in East River Park?



Via the EVG inbox…

I'm seeing these pink flags all over East River Park. Near the running track and the baseball field. I'm wondering if you have any information on what they are and if it's safe to walk your dog through here?

No one is answering the number on the flags at the moment…

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Reader mailbag: What's the deal with the film crew parking?



An EVG reader asked the following yesterday upon seeing this scene on East Sixth Street between Avenue B and Avenue C…

I'm curious about the legality of these crews taking over the street hours before the time posted on these no parking posters. For example, this poster says no parking after 10 p.m. on Tuesday. It's only just after noon and already the cones are blocking drivers from parking on the street and there's a parking guard out here directing people away. What gives?

Friday, September 19, 2014

Reader mailbag: Running out of hope in a moldy apartment


[Generic mold photo from the Internet]

From the EVG reader mailbag ... a rather complicated question:

I've been in my rent-stabilized apartment for about 15 years now. The first day of move-in I became immediately and seriously ill with flu-like symptoms. I was diagnosed with asthma, which I never had before.

In the first or second winter (I cannot remember) we realized that there was a serious roof leak that led directly to our bedroom ceiling. Anytime snow melted on the roof, we'd get the leak.

By 2005, it was sort of "fixed" but again, whenever the show or rains were serious, we'd get the leak.

A few years ago, while making the bed, I leaned my hand against the wall where the leak was. It collapsed into a hole about the size of a human head. I covered it immediately with duct tape, in several layers, because the smell of mold was so bad.

I've told my landlord about the problem in writing several times as well as over the phone. He refuses to fix it or even look at it. Neither he nor the super will help me.

Because I am constantly behind in rent (I've not been fully employed as an editor since 2010), I have not pursued the matter. While I'm currently making some strides in paying back rent thanks to eBay, I'm always in the hole for at least $2K...and I'm running out of stuff to sell.

I'm broke. I have no money or resources to move. I went through my 401(k) and savings paying for rent years ago. No health insurance now. No social services of any kind ... and no family to help.

What can someone like me do? I have no legal representation. I'm afraid that the expense of a gut renovation in this unit will force the rent beyond the current $1,630. I cannot afford a penny more. What I'd love would be to go to court and seek an abatement for the use of my bedroom for the past however many years and apply that money to the money owed as well as removal of the mold (or cleaning) and new sheetrock.

Currently, I'm thinking of moving the bedroom into the living room and closing off the bedroom and then calling the inspector. Is this the best solution to both solve the problem while keeping me in my home? I really have no other place to go.

So… what might be the most careful course of action to take if you need serious and potentially costly repairs (permanently fixed leak, mold removal and cleaning, new sheet rock) in a rent-stabilzed place where the leaseholder account is in arrears and you fear being evicted?

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We often get reader queries ... asking for help with, say, donating clothes or books ... or finding an East Village-based caterer... If you have a question for the masses, then try the EV Grieve email...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader mailbag: Places to eat that have that old East Village vibe (45 comments)

Reader mailbag: What do I do about my new neighbors who smoke pot all the time? (52 comments)

Reader mailbag: Where is a good place to get a cup of coffee in the East Village before 6 a.m.? (25 comments)

Reader mailbag: What has happened to the Cooper Station Post Office? (41 comments)

Reader mailbag: Can the landlord 'drill' the lock to gain access to my apartment for simple repairs? (15 comments)

Reader mailbag: Should we receive a rent abatement for having sporadic heat and hot water?

Reader mailbag: How often does your mail get delivered?

Reader mailbag: Where can I get my Mac fixed now?

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Reader mailbag: Where can I get my Mac fixed now?



From the EVG reader mailbag:

My MacBook Air is on its last legs and needs repair. Any sense where our neighbors are taking their machines in for repair now that Digital Society on East 10th Street has left us? They were so awesome. The folks at Tekserve can be obnoxious — a bit too much testosterone. And I'd rather take sandpaper to my [redacted] than go to an Apple store.

Sandpaper! Anyone with Mac-repair advice?

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We often get reader queries ... asking for help with, say, donating clothes or books ... or finding an East Village-based caterer... If you have a question for the masses, then try the EV Grieve email...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader mailbag: Places to eat that have that old East Village vibe (45 comments)

Reader mailbag: What do I do about my new neighbors who smoke pot all the time? (52 comments)

Reader mailbag: Where is a good place to get a cup of coffee in the East Village before 6 a.m.? (25 comments)

Reader mailbag: What has happened to the Cooper Station Post Office? (41 comments)

Reader mailbag: Can the landlord 'drill' the lock to gain access to my apartment for simple repairs? (15 comments)

Reader mailbag: Should we receive a rent abatement for having sporadic heat and hot water?

Reader mailbag: How often does your mail get delivered?

Thursday, July 31, 2014

A letter from a 21-year-old NYU student: 'We are not all the same'


[Rather random photo of 2nd Avenue by EVG the other morning]

From the EVG inbox...

I am a dedicated reader and appreciator of your blog. I am also 21, have lived in the neighborhood for less than two years, and am, in the eyes of many, part of the East Village's central problem. I have always wanted to voice my opinion on this matter, as it is one on which I feel very strongly, and such a feeling is only ever heightened after I read the many user comments on Grieve.

I recognize fully how the influx of young, yuppie college students and 20-somethings has dramatically altered the neighborhood, but I want to defend myself and say that while I can easily be grouped into this category (and I'm not arguing it — 21-year-old NYU student living in an over-priced apartment that still happens to be cheaper than living in an NYU dorm), I have found myself resenting this more and more.

Before I moved into an apartment (versus a dorm) in the East Village, I did my research. I investigated the shady and unlawful landlords, corrupt management companies to avoid, the best small businesses around the apartments I was considering, and the like.

As an 11th Street resident, I protested 7-Eleven when it arrived, I devote all my business to the local deli beneath my apartment, and I agree that many things happening in this neighborhood regarding rent, landlords, what have you, are truly absurd.

However rambling this may seem, I just want to give a voice to those younger residents who consider themselves to be on the same page. We are not all the same — I don't get belligerently drunk and hang off of fire escapes, I don't scoff at the rent-stabilized tenants in my building, I don't ignore my super and the other supers on the block. In fact, it's quite the opposite. I recognized immediately upon moving here that in order to make the most of the two years I'd be spending on this street, I would have to earn some respect by developing relationships with the people who've been here the longest and are truly residents of this neighborhood.

I also recognized that this is, in many ways, just how the growth of a city unfolds. My entire family grew up in a building on Christopher Street beginning in the 1940s, and they were priced out far before gentrification was a term being thrown around. While I did not live through the gentrification of this neighborhood, I can appreciate the good and bad it has done.

All I am trying to say in the end is that I want to enjoy and appreciate the East Village's quirks and unique charm as much as those who have resided here for decades, not drunkenly puke all over them in the early hours of a Saturday morning.

Sincerely,
Olivia
11th Street Resident

We asked Olivia why she finally decided to write this. The post Monday about the "obnoxious drunk girl" who threw up in her lobby and left a note and the post from July 20 about the game of truth or dare that ended with a fall helped inspire her.

Friday, July 25, 2014

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Reader mailbag: I need a small kitchen space for my business


From the EVG reader mailbag:

I'm an East Village resident looking for a very tiny kitchen space (without a storefront) in the area, something hopefully the size of where Otafuku used to be (236 E. Ninth St.). I just need to fit an oven, a refrigerator and a table for rolling out dough. I deliver pastries throughout NYC and I ship them nationally but I want to move on from using a shared space kitchen in Brooklyn.

It's kind of an odd request because of the lack of storefront.

There you go.

Any recommendations? You may send any credible leads to the EV Grieve email

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We often get reader queries ... asking for help with, say, donating clothes or books ... or finding an East Village-based caterer... If you have a question for the masses, then try the EV Grieve email...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader mailbag: Places to eat that have that old East Village vibe (45 comments)

Reader mailbag: What do I do about my new neighbors who smoke pot all the time? (52 comments)

Reader mailbag: Where is a good place to get a cup of coffee in the East Village before 6 a.m.? (25 comments)

Reader mailbag: What has happened to the Cooper Station Post Office? (41 comments)

Reader mailbag: Can the landlord 'drill' the lock to gain access to my apartment for simple repairs? (15 comments)

Reader mailbag: Should we receive a rent abatement for having sporadic heat and hot water?

Reader mailbag: How often does your mail get delivered?

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Reader mailbag: Where do I get a flat tire fixed in the neighborhood?


[Random flat tire photo from the Internet]

From the EVG reader mailbag:

What happened to all the auto tire repair/flats fixed places? Are there any left? I need a tire repaired.

Let's see. Downtown Auto & Tire left the Bowery two years ago. The BP station on Second Avenue is gone now.

Um. I thought there was one on East Houston between Clinton and Attorney. Nope! The Mobil station on East Houston and Avenue C? Nope! No tire service.

So anyone know where you get a flat tire fixed around here? Seemed as if there were several around here not that long ago...

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We often get reader queries ... asking for help with, say, donating clothes or books ... or finding an East Village-based caterer... If you have a question for the masses, then try the EV Grieve email...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader mailbag: Places to eat that have that old East Village vibe (45 comments)

Reader mailbag: What do I do about my new neighbors who smoke pot all the time? (52 comments)

Reader mailbag: Where is a good place to get a cup of coffee in the East Village before 6 a.m.? (25 comments)

Reader mailbag: What has happened to the Cooper Station Post Office? (41 comments)

Reader mailbag: Can the landlord 'drill' the lock to gain access to my apartment for simple repairs? (15 comments)

Reader mailbag: Should we receive a rent abatement for having sporadic heat and hot water?

Reader mailbag: How often does your mail get delivered?

Thursday, June 5, 2014

Reader mailbag: How often does your mail get delivered?



From the EVG reader mailbag:

I know everyone agrees that the Cooper Station Post Office has sadly gone downhill.

I'm also wondering if other people in the neighborhood are having problems with their home mail delivery? As in sometimes it doesn't even get delivered?! About half the apartments in my building turn over very quickly, with college or just post-college students staying for a year and then leaving.

This results is a lot of mail for people who no longer live here. The mail delivery people lately just leave it on the floor or on the radiator and it gets strewn about the entry area. This is annoying in itself, but also sometimes I find my own mail on the floor, or mail for other people who are definitely residents. (If I know they live here, then I rescue it and slip the mail under their doors). This makes it really obvious when the mail has been delivered that day.

The second issue is that sometimes it seems like mail isn't delivered at all. In addition to there not being new mail on the floor/radiator, the mailboxes have little slots, so you can see when they're all empty. Recently this has happened more and more often -— twice a week or so. This is a lot, especially when one is waiting for a check to arrive! What the Hell?

Well, we would have posted this sooner, but the P.O. just delivered the EVG reader mailbag to us yesterday. (It was postmarked Feb. 6!)

But seriously. What the Hell? At the apartment home of EVG, someone shows up to deliver the mail maybe four times a week. You?

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We often get reader queries ... asking for help with, say, donating clothes or books ... or finding an East Village-based caterer... If you have a question for the masses, then try the EV Grieve email...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader mailbag: Places to eat that have that old East Village vibe (45 comments)

Reader mailbag: What do I do about my new neighbors who smoke pot all the time? (52 comments)

Reader mailbag: Where is a good place to get a cup of coffee in the East Village before 6 a.m.? (25 comments)

Reader mailbag: What has happened to the Cooper Station Post Office? (41 comments)

Reader mailbag: Can the landlord 'drill' the lock to gain access to my apartment for simple repairs? (15 comments)

Reader mailbag: Should we receive a rent abatement for having sporadic heat and hot water?

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Reader mailbag: What is going on with this construction in my building?



An EVG reader woke up the other morning to the sound of construction coming from inside this building on East 10th Street. There aren't any posted work permits ... and when asked, the workers shrugged and said that they didn't speak English.

So...

"I have emailed my apartment's management company asking what's going on with the building, and when we can expect it to be completed, but received no response ... based on experience, I will probably never receive a reply no matter how many times I follow up or call. Our super does not live in the building and I have never had any contact with him.

As of the end of the day, there are holes in the walls on every single floor in the building, as seen in the above picture. How do I find out if I am going to be woken up every morning by construction until the lease ends or not? Does anyone recognize, based on the picture, what this construction process could possibly be the start of? To my knowledge, the building doesn't have any structural or plumbing issues that need to be fixed."

Anyone have any ideas what these repairs might be related to?

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We often get reader queries ... asking for help with, say, donating clothes or books ... or finding an East Village-based caterer... If you have a question for the masses, then try the EV Grieve email...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader mailbag: Places to eat that have that old East Village vibe (45 comments)

Reader mailbag: What do I do about my new neighbors who smoke pot all the time? (52 comments)

Reader mailbag: Where is a good place to get a cup of coffee in the East Village before 6 a.m.? (25 comments)

Reader mailbag: What has happened to the Cooper Station Post Office? (41 comments)

Reader mailbag: Can the landlord 'drill' the lock to gain access to my apartment for simple repairs? (15 comments)

Reader mailbag: Should we receive a rent abatement for having sporadic heat and hot water?

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Reader mailbag: Where's a good place to house a bike?



So an EVG reader just bought a new bike, which is all good. But lugging it up many flights of stairs to a small apartment isn't the best option. The reader met a cyclist from another neighborhood who pays $40 a month to store her bike in a parking garage.

To the reader, who did some research:

"The thing is, I haven't found a garage in the East Village that has anything near those prices. The garage on East 11th between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue charges nearly $140. The one across from Whiskers on East 9th Street is $90+ and the one under Bowlmor is a whopping $175/month. The only place that's reasonable in our neighborhood is the Edison garage on Lafayette and Grand, which charges $20/mo and $1/day for storage outside."





So, anyone have any suggestions on bike-storage options … that don't include taking your chances and locking it up outside?

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We often get reader queries ... asking for help with, say, donating clothes or books ... or finding an East Village-based caterer... If you have a question for the masses, then try the EV Grieve email...

Previously on EV Grieve:
Reader mailbag: Places to eat that have that old East Village vibe (45 comments)

Reader mailbag: What do I do about my new neighbors who smoke pot all the time? (52 comments)

Reader mailbag: Where is a good place to get a cup of coffee in the East Village before 6 a.m.? (25 comments)

Reader mailbag: What has happened to the Cooper Station Post Office? (41 comments)

Reader mailbag: Can the landlord 'drill' the lock to gain access to my apartment for simple repairs? (15 comments)

Reader mailbag: Should we receive a rent abatement for having sporadic heat and hot water?