janamartin's Profile

Medusa 12120 --

I lived in DUMBO, and I don't think Walentas owned the building in 1993. From what I remember the clocktower was some kind of office building for a while. Then it started going residential, but most likely without a C of O. None of those buildings had C of Os, though many were lived in. But even the loftdwellers who were grandfathered in (and therefore theoretically protected from eviction) wound up getting pressured/bought out/kicked out/harassed (though not by Walentas, by Josh Guttman, the other big landlord) to leave. I'm sure the place was a mess. It was probably fixed up by the tenant herself, who was probably an artist, who was risking a whole lot to live and work there, most likely illegally, and didn't have money to blow at ABC. And yes, Walentas has developed his buildings into pretty swank places. No artists there. So to say that what an artist's loft needs is to be turned into a 25 million dollar apartment -- I know what you mean (a good looking loft is a delicious thin), but there are so much people whose lives got turned upside in the process. Just something to remember. Apologies for my speech. And yes, I too got evicted. But what happened in DUMBO displaced an incredible community, which I sometimes really miss.

I agree with everyone who loves this tour -- I just -- LOVE this tour. It's calming just to look at the gallery. Anyone have experience using that kind of gray on wood paneling? sounds nuts, maybe, but might it work?

Love them. Amazing, like a movie set: remnants of an old gilded age, salvaged.

it would actually be so much more interesting if the NYT found people who actually live up here and not only weekenders. forget calling it the catskills. just not the city. or, if they need to finesse it, they could call it NoBro (north of the bronx). How about D16 after all? So many great places beyond the moneypolitan area that aren't just decor-orated for Saturday Sunday.

Anna at D16 is so right -- where they live, well it ain't the catskills by any stretch. and, if I'm not mistaken, this is kind of a mess of a renovation. not because of its looks: it's gorgeous, though there are a few too many country living decoration cliches for my taste. but yes, that's a great green -- as baileyb said. but those walls of windows are a heating nightmare. a contractor would just shake his (or her) head. and how much did they insulate when they were doing all that drywalling?
cause in the real catskills, the bottom line is: sure, make it pretty. but you've got to make it warm.

hey, not to be annoying, but are budgets so tight that you have to put an apostrophe on the word? I love the ideas-- some really cool ones! but misplaced apostrophes, not so much.

Want to second the plug for a good quality brush: learning how to run an edge is one of the great joys of learning how to paint. Thought it was funny that "we" did not agonize over colors as "we" would have it was, um, "our" house we were painting instead of "our boyfriend's." On a more serious note, if you (and I use that in the plural sense) do ever remember the color of that gray (maybe it was Mormon Gray? or Polyamorous Gray?), do let us know. It's a nice color.

just to weigh in here -- considering that we found out last year that some "faux fur' lining the hoods of our hoodies, and coating our groovy throw pillows, actually came from dogs in china -- is it not better, if you're really after the hide thing, to go with the real thing -- if you do your research, as Hollie says?

I knew I'd written about this before. Months ago. So enough thought already, right? Shouldn't I just take the plunge and buy the garnet chaise lounge already for my mythical new house?

Tonight I made it for dinner. It was DELISH. A few minor tweaks: I used organic bacon and not 2 strips, but 6. I used yellow and orange bell peppers for sweetness. I threw in some chopped shallots. Mixed a tiny bit of hot pasta water in when I mixed in the ricotta. Very creamy, rich, filling, good. Thanks!