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an article last sunday about living in cortlandt_manor , n.y. , misstated the price of a two bedroom apartment in the wild birch farms condominium . recent prices have averaged 297 , 500 , not 160 , 000 .	has a location of america
there are certain risks inherent in buying a house . finding a tombstone in the cellar is n't normally one of them . in watertown , two couples who went in together to buy a 249 year old farmhouse and its 23 1 2 acres of land , with plans to tear the house down and build new ones on the property , soon discovered there was a mystery in their basement a tombstone dating from 1802 was cemented into the floor and state law blocked them from doing anything to the house as long as a body was underneath . at first , the couples thought it was a joke . when they bought the property , they had n't bothered to go into the basement . there was no electricity and the basement was dark . ''we did n't really care what the house looked like , '' cristina francisco , one of the buyers , explained , ''because we planned to tear it down . '' they found out when they applied to mary greene , the zoning enforcement officer , for approval to demolish the house . ''she said o.k. , but then she asked us what we would do about the tombstone in the basement , '' mrs . francisco said . ''that was the first we had heard about it . we asked if she was kidding ? she said no . '' armando and dunia rodrigues , pedro francisco , his cousin , and mrs . francisco , bought the property on nova_scotia hill road in mid july . they had to post a sign informing citizens of the impending demolition for at least 30 days and then allow anyone who believed the structure had historic value to file objections . the ramshackle farmhouse , dating to about 1750 , was found to have no historic value , but susan zuraitis , a member of the zuraitis family who sold the property , called florence crowell , watertown 's historian , in august and informed her that a farmhand was buried in the basement . the farmhand was levi peck , who was born in 1748 and died in 1802 . according to records , his entire estate , valued at 9 . 15 , was distributed in april 1803 . items included glass bottles , earthen pots , spoons , a bible , a saddle and several chairs . how he might have ended up in the basement is unclear . although nicholas bellantoni , the state archeologist , said that while finding bodies in the basement was rare , bodies had turned up in odd places . ''we 've found tombstones in people 's patios , '' he said . four years ago in danbury , mr . bellantoni said a work crew cutting a trench near main_street turned up a cast_iron casket dating to 1870 . after some research , he narrowed it down to belonging to one of two men . ''the body was sealed in a metal coffin and was well preserved , '' mr . bellantoni explained . ''charles ryder and henry taylor both died about the same time . both had been in st . james episcopal_church cemetery . in 1934 35 , the church had a court order to excavate , give the land over to school development , and move the graveyard to wooster street . i guess they missed this one . '' an exact identification was never made . in new london , where the third burial ground was established from 1835 to 1890 , relatives were later asked to retrieve their loved ones' bodies and move them to cedar grove . some relatives responded and some did n't . ''in every building project there , bodies have come up , '' mr . bellantoni said . real_estate law requires sellers to disclose material facts things like leaky roofs and toxic_waste . they are not bound to tell buyers about things that might have happened on the property that could ' 'spook'' potential owners . sellers are also required to sign a title_insurance affidavit to disclose other things that might not appear in a title search , such as whether a cemetery or family burial ground is on the site . joseph diblasi , the real_estate agent who represented the owner of the watertown property , alice zuraitis , would not say if he knew about the tombstone . mrs . zuraitis , who had lived in the house with her husband , joe , until his death two years ago , never believed a body was under the stone . ''i just think someone made that up , '' mrs . zuraitis said . ''she thought it was a joke , '' mrs . crowell explained . ''she told the grandchildren she 'd send them to the basement to levi if they did n't behave . '' a mother and sister , judy , of joe zuraitis also used to claim that the house was haunted . ''the story was that someone used to come in and kiss judy good night , '' mrs . crowell added . joke or no joke , before the couples could go ahead with the demolition of the house , they had to find out if levi was indeed in their basement . state statutes prevented them from disturbing any human remains without first notifying the chief medical_examiner and state archeologist . mr . bellantoni , the state archeologist , came to the house to conduct ground penetrating radar tests in the third week of august . when he got indications that there was something under the cellar floor , the next step was to start digging . so on the foggy , overcast morning in late august that mr . bellantoni arrived to dig up the tombstone , about 20 people were huddled in the cramped basement to watch . ''there 's no such thing as ghosts . i know that for a fact , '' said mr . rodrigues , a cement worker who used his jackhammer and pry bar to break the gravestone loose and pry it from the cellar floor . maybe so , but when the gas powered generator failed , leaving the cellar in darkness , everyone got out of there and moved into the backyard until the generator was fixed . mrs . crowell came armed with her research and the belief that the middle of the cellar floor was a strange place for a tombstone . ''i had the feeling they would 've gone in the corner to bury him , '' she said . the fact that levi peck existed was demonstrated by mrs . crowell 's research . the census , which has been taken every 10 years since 1790 , listed a levi peck in litchfield that year , with three males under 16 and eight females in the home . he appears again in the 1800 census , but not in the 1810 census . mr . peck apparently died , if the tombstone is accurate , in 1802 . mrs . crowell took her research to the mormon genealogical library in salt_lake_city where they had records of a levi peck born june 23 , 1748 , in litchfield . further records indicated that land , belonging to heirs of mr . peck , was sold nov . 16 , 1802 , to a john parker . however , even with all these details , there is no record of where levi peck is buried . mrs . crowell joined the crowd for the excavation , believing that levi peck 's body was n't there , but knowing full well that it was n't unusual to bury a body in the cellar during winter or inclement weather , disinterring it later for a proper burial . ''like many other families they could have had their own private cemetery , out back of the house , '' mrs . crowell said . ''there was a bryan family cemetery in watertown once and all the stones were removed to pave a basement . i do n't know how many other cemeteries have just disappeared . '' mr . bellantoni knew that the radar could have hit rocks or a coffin that was no longer intact . once mr . rodrigues lifted up the gravestone and loosened up the hard packed soil , mr . bellantoni and his assistants set to work sifting through layers of dirt . they dug down three feet and found nothing but dirt and rock . ''it was hard packed glacial soils , never disturbed , '' mr . bellantoni said . ''i can look at feature stains which are indicative of burial shafts . that kind of activity would change the soil color and this was completely intact strata . ''levi is simply not in that basement , '' mr . bellantoni said . ''he 's probably in watertown , maybe in an old grave , with no marker . we 've seen lots of gravestones in strange places before . also , this stone says he was 55 years old , but he was actually 53 , and there was a quarry nearby the farmhouse . this gravestone could have been a reject that ended up in the basement . '' the dig did turn up a section of iron_ore , perhaps what had shown up on the radar , but even a metal_detector turned up not so much as a coffin nail . so just where exactly levi peck is resting is still unknown , although his tombstone is now on display at the watertown historical society museum . now that it 's clear that he 's not in the basement , the couples are free to tear down the house . mrs . francisco said that if she buys property again , she plans to be more careful . ''now my attorney is buying property in watertown , '' she said , ''and i told him to be sure and look in the basement , too . ''	has a location of america
in the early 1970 's , when ranne warner and her husband , ray , lived in new york city , they were among the very few to call tribeca their home . far from the chi chi , coveted enclave it is today , back then the neighborhood was all but deserted an area of artist studios , warehouses and manufacturers . by the mid 1970 's , the couple had moved to boston , where ms . warner pursued an m.b.a . at harvard and a career as a real_estate developer . she and her husband , an architect , renovated town houses in boston , and starting in 1980 , she developed commercial property . in 1995 , the warners moved from their beacon_hill town house , where they were raising their son , to suburban lexington , mass . but they never gave up their dream of once again living in a loft , surrounded by a vibrant creative community . ''my idea was that i would find a great building and get all of my friends , many of whom are artists of one sort or another , to come and we could all live together , '' ms . warner said . ''would n't that be fun ! '' in 2000 , she began to search for a mill in boston to convert into residential space . but there were none to be found . so when , in november 2001 , a business acquaintance suggested that she check out a 100 , 000 square_foot mill in pawtucket that sits on the banks of the blackstone river , she jumped . ''it was love at first sight , '' despite the fact that , she recalls , ''the windows were either boarded up or covered with plaster , and the fire escape was so rusted and unsound that it looked as if it was about to fall off . '' ''nonetheless , '' she said , ''it was beautiful . i call the building one large window surrounded by bricks . it was in excellent structural condition . i could just see what an amazing space it could be . '' following her instincts , in early 2001 ms . warner agreed to buy the building for 550 , 000 , and her husband helped with the redesign . she has since named it riverfront lofts . by then , she was committed not only to the mill but to the city of pawtucket , which dates back to 1793 , when john slater built the country 's first cotton processing mill . ( the slater mill , which sits across the blackstone river from the riverfront lofts , is now a museum and historic_landmark . ) pawtucket flourished in the 19th and early 20th centuries , but by the 1960 's the mills began to close down . by the mid 1990 's , pawtucket was known as the home of the minor_league team for the boston_red_sox , the rhode_island department_of_motor_vehicles and not much else . ''we had kind of a dormant , moribund type of city here , '' said james doyle , the mayor of pawtucket . ms . warner agreed that pawtucket had a bad reputation . ''everybody called it 'the bucket . ''' but she saw magic in the city 's raw_material , which includes a prime location along the interstate_95 corridor , 45 minutes from boston and 10 minutes from providence . ''this was a very wealthy city in the 19th and early 20th centuries , '' she said . ''during that time , the mill owners built very beautiful buildings the mills , the library , the armory , the y.m.c.a. , the city hall , the churches and post_office . '' ms . warner was also attracted to pawtucket 's commitment to the arts . in 1998 , the city created a 307 acre arts and entertainment district , with tax incentives for artists either living or working in downtown . ''we have latched on to the artist community and embraced them and brought them in as fast as we can , '' mayor doyle said . ''and the best way to describe it is that it has started a kind of renaissance . '' that may be , but in 2001 the banks that ms . warner approached for construction loans to finance her 15 million renovation were skittish . before one bank would give her loans for the riverfront lofts , with 60 condominiums , it required that she first have commitments from buyers worth 4 million . by the time she closed on the loan , she had 18 units signed for , with a value of 4 . 46 million . ''buyers had to commit to purchasing the units before any construction was started or even final finishes were selected , '' she said . those buyers definitely had vision . ''we arrived at riverfront and the place was a disaster , '' says dr . steven cohen , a surgeon who lived in providence with his family for more than 30 years and was one of the early buyers to commit to riverfront . ''there were holes in the windows , holes in the floor , pigeons flying through the building , '' he said . ''it was just disgusting . but we fell in love with it . '' his wife , linda cohen , said , ''there was nothing good about it except it was a fabulous building , next to a fabulous river , next to a gorgeous stone bridge . it sounds so absurd that we are talking about depressed , blue_collar pawtucket . our friends were appalled that we would move to pawtucket . they thought we had taken leave of our senses . '' another buyer remembers how he first heard about the lofts . ''i was having brunch with a friend who told me about the riverfront project , and i said , 'no way am i moving to pawtucket , ''' said brian w . casey , an assistant provost at brown_university . ''then i saw this absolutely beautiful building . it has this sort of gravitas about it . '' buyers like mr . casey and the cohens were also attracted to the price . units at riverfront lofts go for 190 to 215 a square_foot , versus 265 to 300 in providence and 500 to 600 in downtown boston . to date , ms . warner has sold 51 units . the buyers are coming from all over boston and its suburbs new york city nantucket , mass . arizona oregon san_francisco long_island tennessee and st . louis . and , as ms . warner had envisioned , all but a few are actively involved in the arts . owners include architects , painters , sculptors , designers and writers . meanwhile , things continue to look up for pawtucket . currently , according to herbert weiss , pawtucket 's economic and cultural affairs officer , 684 , 027 square_feet of mills and commercial buildings are being used as studios , live work lofts and performance space . fueled by the success of the riverfront lofts , another project , the bayley lofts , is well under way , with plans for 25 residential loft units . ''pawtucket feels a little bit like a frontier , and ranne paved the way for us , '' said peter gill case , one of the developers of the bayley lofts . ''we had no trouble getting the banks to finance us . at first , people had cold_feet , but ranne warmed their toes . she blazed the trail . '' mayor doyle agreed . ''ranne is kind of the daniel boone of the area , '' he said . ''her project has been the watershed in major residential development here . she has improved the economic climate of the city . '' and she ca n't wait to call pawtucket her home . the warners plan to move into their 4 , 700 square_foot space at the riverfront lofts this summer . ''we are thrilled to go back to loft living , '' she said . ''it feels like we have come full circle in our lives . '' national perspectives	has a location of america
kevin asadi , a law student here , admitted he knew little about the referendum on tuesday 's ballot calling for a state constitutional_amendment to allow the names , addresses and photographs of sex_offenders to be posted on the internet . then he read the ballot question and he still knew little about it . ''it 's a little wordy , '' said mr . asadi , 22 , who was out walking near seton_hall law_school , where he is a first year student . ''i 'd have to take another look at it to get the gist . '' the ballot question is one of two almost incomprehensibly legalistic proposals to amend the state constitution that new jersey voters will be asked to decipher today . the other asks whether the state should dedicate hundreds of millions of dollars a year in sales_taxes and taxes on wholesale petroleum products to state transportation projects over four years . in recognition of the difficulty voters may have with the questions' legalese , each is followed by an interpretive statement a translation , in effect from the state attorney_general , john j . farmer jr . constitutional amendments are necessary for both measures , though some critics have questioned whether even an amendment will allow the state to distribute information on sex_offenders more widely . the state supreme_court has already ruled that widespread dissemination of that information originally proposed under the state 's so called megan 's law would violate the offenders' privacy rights as currently protected by the state constitution . the united_states_supreme_court has also agreed to review the law , after a federal appeals panel ruled that it runs counter to the constitution 's protection of privacy . ''regardless of any amendment to the state constitution , the federal right to privacy still exists , '' said lenora lapidus , legal director of the state chapter of the american_civil_liberties_union . steve cook , chief of staff for senator peter a . inverso , the middlesex county republican who sponsored the amendment , said that he believed that the united_states_supreme_court would allow the posting of offenders' names , and that a state amendment would simply expedite the process of putting the information online . ''we 're just putting the ducks in a row , so to speak , '' he said . it has not been decided exactly which sex_offenders would have their names posted online . gov . christine_todd_whitman , who proposed the amendment in march , prefers that information be posted only about offenders belonging to the two most dangerous of the three types classified under the notification law , said her spokeswoman , jayne o'connor . an associated press poll on the ballot question found that most residents planned to vote for it . and although he opposes it on privacy grounds , prof . frank askin , founder of the constitutional litigation clinic at rutgers_university , also predicted its approval . ''people do n't like megan 's law offenders , '' he said . the transportation initiative introduced by the senate president , donald t . difrancesco , who is planning to run for governor next year is a departure of sorts for new jersey , which typically finances large scale projects by issuing bonds . it would dedicate 100 million in petroleum taxes to transportation projects in its first year after passage and 200 million a year after that . sales_taxes would provide 80 million in the first year , then 140 million in the second year , and 200 million annually after that .	has a location of america
until recently , a tenant that wanted to buy its way out of a lease was pretty much out of luck . with prime real_estate going begging throughout the recession ravaged city and with financially troubled tenants demonstrating a tendency to default on their rents few landlords would let reliable bill payers out of their lease obligations . the few that did asked such high prepayment penalties that tenants went scurrying after sublessees anyway . times are changing . as the real_estate market continues to firm up , more and more landlords are letting tenants out of leases , for as little as half their remaining obligation . in fact , many actually welcome the chance to accommodate new tenants who are likely to stay well beyond the original tenant 's lease expiration_date . and many welcome even more the opportunity to combine the departing tenant 's space with other space in the building to create a larger , and thus more marketable , block of contiguous floors . " lease buyouts are a classic win win situation , " said robert constable , a managing director at the real_estate firm edward s . gordon . " the tenant gets to avoid risk and consolidate its balance_sheet and the landlord reduces downtime between tenants . " examples abound . the cigna insurance_company had two years left on a floor at 1185 avenue of the americas , at 47th_street . w m properties , the building 's manager , was having no luck renting the vacant floor below cigna . so anthony e . malkin , w m 's president , let cigna buy its way out of its lease and began marketing the two floors together . " we actually had two tenants compete for the two floor block , " mr . malkin said . gerald w . griffin , a partner at cooper dunham , helped get the two floors for his law_firm . mr . malkin , who has done several lease buy out deals at w m properties in stamford , conn . , wants to do more at 1185 . he will probably take back cigna 's remaining floor , as well as a floor from another tenant that wants to give up space , and again market them as a two floor block . management at 199 water street , near fulton_street , went through similar maneuvers to attract the big news_agency reuters . it let lloyds_bank buy its way out of 30 , 000 square_feet , even though lloyds was paying more than 50 a square_foot and had 10 years left on the lease . the reason reuters was looking for 90 , 000 square_feet and the building had only 60 , 000 square_feet to give it . " if reuters had n't been in the wings , lloyds would still be looking to sublet , " said mr . constable , who represented lloyds . sometimes a departing tenant has enough space on its own to make a lease buyout palatable . quantum chemical , which had two years left on a lease for 72 , 000 square_feet at 99 park_avenue , at 40th street , was making no bones about its plans to move to cincinnati . " it seemed a good time to find a credit worthy , long term tenant , " said bruce mosler , a vice chairman at galbreath riverbank , who handles the building 's leasing . he let quantum out of its obligations for half of what its remaining cost would have been and rented the space to r.r . donnelly , the printing firm , for 15 years . not everyone is enamored of the buyout concept . many tenants either do not have the cash to make a large upfront payment or do n't want to confront their shareholders or boards with that prospect . some landlords are equally reluctant to confront their lenders or investors with deals that terminate a stable source of cash_flow . " i have a fiduciary responsiblity to get every dime of cash_flow i can get , " said joseph t . wright , a senior vice_president of jmb realty , which manages 1211 avenue of the americas , at 47th_street . indeed , most tenants whose leases are winding down now are paying above market rents . yet most landlords believe manhattan rents are creeping up again . many cannot see the logic of letting a tenant who is paying , say , 40 a square_foot in a building that commands no more than 30 now , end its lease when chances are good that , when the lease term ends , the space can be rented out for more than it can be today . moreover , by waiting , they can also put off paying for tenant improvements , broker 's commissions and other costs of doing a deal . " i'm still better off getting cash_flow now and putting off new deals until concession packages are down and rents are up , " said caleb d . koeppel , vice chairman of koeppel tener real_estate services , which manages 26 broadway , at beaver street , and 575 lexington_avenue , near 51st street . still , arguments for buying space back seem to outnumber those against . tenants with a few years left on a lease have little chance of subletting . those with a more marketable term often do not want the headache of being a sublessee 's landlord or the risk of having the sublessee default . and commissions and tenant improvements can be as costly in a sublet deal as they are when a landlord is renting space direct . sometimes tenants can even spread out the cost of buying out their lease . mitsui fudosan , which owns 1251 avenue of the americas , at 49th_street , took back 226 , 000 square_feet under lease to coopers_lybrand , the accounting firm , to provide kidder peabody with the 350 , 000 square_feet it wanted . no cash changed hands the japanese owner sublet back much of the accounting firm 's space , thus reducing the rent paid rather than exacting a lump payout . one reason mitsui was so agreeable kidder is paying several dollars a square_foot more in rent than coopers was paying . no one involved would say whether mitsui took a large profit or whether it gave the departing tenant a deal on a sublet . barry gosin , the newmark company chief executive who handles the building 's leasing , said simply , " it was a winning situation all around . " generally , landlords try hard to hide from existing tenants the fact that they need the space for another deal . tenants , for their part , like to pretend they have sublessees ready to move in . whoever 's bluff gets called generally bears the lion 's share of the costs . mr . wright recalls one tenant at his building who paid dearly to get out of the six years left on its lease . less than a month later , jmb had rerented the space . " the first tenant did not realize i already had another tenant on my arm , so we got a real home_run deal , " mr . wright said . many landlords are settling for single base deals as well . those with a disturbing number of leases rolling over at the same time often want to write a new lease in an off year , thus easing the risk of sudden high vacancies . others want to appear to be actively seeking deals . ( " brokers who see you as proactive will ask if you can make space available , rather than just rely on what you 're actively marketing , " mr . malkin noted . ) . and some owners just do n't like to gamble . after all , no one can be sure that a new tenant will show up when an existing lease runs out . as for rising rents well , everyone knows what happened to hapless owners in the mid 80 's who gambled that the real_estate boom would last forever . in fact , some of the more conservative owners are letting tenants buy out of some space in exchange for agreeing to stay longer in the space that remains . james b . frederick , a principal at colliers abr , recently represented a tenant that wanted to shed 10 , 000 of its 70 , 000 square_feet . the tenant 's space was on low floors that the owner knew he would have trouble re renting . so he let the tenant turn back the small fraction of space , in return for extending its lease for an extra five years on the remainder . " the owner felt that keeping a large credit worthy ) tenant in the building 's base would add to the building 's financial stability , " mr . frederick recalled . sometimes landlords will agree to lease buyouts because it lets them remeasure the space . first city securities , a financial_services firm , had three years left on a lease for what , 12 years ago , had been rented as a 6 , 450 square_foot floor at 767 third avenue , at 48th_street . since then the owner had remeasured the building and is now renting the floors at 6 , 850 square_feet . he found a new tenant for the " larger " floor , and let first city buy out for what came to about 60 percent of its remaining obligation . " the change in the way the space was measured , combined with the strengthening market , made the deal work , " said mr . frederick , who represented first city . chances are that , as the market continues to strengthen , landlords will need fewer and fewer extenuating_circumstances to agree to lease buyouts . in fact , some are even considering letting existing tenants out of leases before new tenants show up . " two years ago i would have needed a new tenant 's signed lease in hand before i 'd even consider letting an old tenant off the hook , " said peter di capua , a senior vice_president at atco corporation , which manages several manhattan buildings . " in this market i 'm more likely to bet on the come . "	has a location of america
lead to the editor to the editor i am writing to comment on christopher gray 's ''time erodes unity of a 1 , 665 unit city within a city'' on oct . 30 , which focused on the 60 year history of london terrace , chelsea 's largest apartment complex . he outlines its ownership complexity while concluding that recent facade maintenance has improved the building 's general appearance . i take exception to his approval of the new replacement windows . as a chelsea resident , i have many times walked the perimeter of london terrace and enjoyed the tension of its design its ability to be both massive and picturesque at once . unfortunately , the original multipaned windows , an important ingredient of its current charm , are now being replaced by large single paned casements of the kind common to modern suburban homes . no doubt the new windows meet certain economic and energy requirements , but they hardly warrant mr . gray 's measured endorsement of the improved facades as''fresh and spiffy . '' with or without their interior clip in grids ( meant to resemble muntins ) the new windows are insensitive to the architectural unity of the original facade . special as it is , london terrace is not high on the priority list of historic buildings warranting protection . ironically , it was built at the expense of another group of landmark buildings , dating back to 1845 , which previously occupied the same site . these residences , with their stripped down greek_revival facades and expansive front lawns and gardens , were a draw for tourists as well as something of an artist 's colony . in 1988 , we tend to question more frequently buildings destroyed or disfigured in the name of progress . the current exterior work on london terrace should be given a second look . pamela belyea manhattan	has a location of america
a 110 , 000 square_foot building in new rochelle , n.y. , next to the new roc city entertainment complex , has been reconfigured from office space to luxury rentals . the decision to change the use of the building , known as summit at new roc , came after an unsuccessful two year effort by its owner , cappelli enterprises , to find a single commercial tenant for the four floor structure above a six story parking_garage . joseph v . apicella , a vice_president of cappelli , which is based in valhalla , n.y. , and also developed new roc city , said that market_research , along with data from avalonbay communities , a real_estate_investment_trust that has built 500 luxury rental_units in new rochelle and is planning to build more , indicated the need for more luxury rentals . because summit at new roc was originally designed as an office complex , it features apartments with 11 foot high ceilings and hallways wider than usually found in apartment buildings , mr . apicella said . the units , 70 percent of which look out on long_island_sound , range from a 402 square_foot studio to a 1 , 835 square_foot , 2 bedroom , 2 1 2 bath apartment . monthly rents range from 975 for a studio to 5 , 000 for a 1 , 166 foot two bedroom penthouse . sharon hart , executive vice_president of cappelli 's multifamily division , said that a third of the 50 units already finished had been rented .	has a location of america
lead in heightened efforts to prevent overdevelopment and to preserve the character of suburban communities , several nassau_county municipalities have recently revised their zoning codes , and in most cases , the amendments provide more restrictive requirements for single family homes , two family housing , parking_lots and building heights . in heightened efforts to prevent overdevelopment and to preserve the character of suburban communities , several nassau_county municipalities have recently revised their zoning codes , and in most cases , the amendments provide more restrictive requirements for single family homes , two family housing , parking_lots and building heights . on jan . 11 , the four member rockville_centre village board unanimously_approved a revision of its zoning code . a village trustee , jeffrey greenfield , said that under the new amendments , the minimum lot size for single family houses was increased to 8 , 000 square_feet , from 6 , 000 square_feet , with a garage now required . tighter restrictions for two family houses include a minimum lot size of 9 , 000 square_feet , a two car garage and four parking_spaces . the maximum height for any new commercial building was lowered a full story , from 72 feet to 60 feet for high business areas and from 60 to 48 feet for lighter business areas . in addition , business must now provide one parking space for every 250 square_feet of office space . ''this was the first major rewrite of our zoning code since 1941 , '' said mr . greenfield . ''we wanted to rewrite the entire code , but there was too much controversy within the community so in order to satisfy the residents , we decided to focus on the most important points . it was vital , in order to protect the residential character of rockville_centre . '' minimum lot size has been a major concern in village development , said another trustee , eugene yourch . rockville_centre has many oversized homes on large lots , he said . ''we 've seen outside developers and speculators buy a lot , then knock down one house in order to build two or three in its place , '' he said . ''residents wanted to stop this policy . what if a builder took down 20 houses , and put up 35 ? it would destroy the character of our community . '' the community supported the zoning revisions , said mr . yourch . the concerns of several residents who have side yards on which they had planned to subdivide and build on were addressed by a provision that the zoning board of appeals could approve such construction if it was consistent with the flavor of the specific neighborhood . ''in essence , we are saving property values and preserving the community , '' mr . yourch said . the zoning revisions are directed against land speculators and profiteers , said mr . greenfield . the southside civic_association of rockville_centre , concerned with the increasing development in the village , supported the zoning revision . ''people bought their homes in the suburbs so as not to be closed in , '' said the president of the association , ray ventura . ''we 're trying to avoid sandwiching in homes between others . we do n't want to see a queensification of this village . '' zoning restrictions will go into effect 30 days after the board 's approval . in a similar action , the hempstead town board voted jan . 12 to amend its zoning code . a town spokesman , anthony santino , said the changes , effective immediately , would limit the number of homes that could be developed on each parcel of land . single family homes will require 6 , 000 square_feet , with a minimum street frontage of 60 feet , increased from 40 . ''the town is trying to eliminate shoehorn or spot developing , and thereby preventing crowding , '' mr . santino said . a complete revision of the 1982 zoning code of valley_stream was recently submitted to the nassau_county planning commission . a series of public meetings was held , and the response was positive , said the village attorney , michael hopkins . highlights of the valley_stream zoning revision include contraction of its commercial district , expansion of its residential district and requiring building heights to be lowered and lot coverage reduced from 90 percent to 75 percent . ''reducing the percentage of lot coverage is especially important for areas where residential and commercial zones abut , '' mr . hopkins said . ''it provides a buffer state between them , stabilizes these blocks and prevents intensification of use . '' in the city of long_beach , sweeping changes in zoning were enacted last summer . ''the city_council and residents were on the same side to get a hold on development and protect the quality of life , '' said the long_beach supervisor , bruce nyman . ''the only opposition came from developers . '' zoning amendments lowered the heights of high rise buildings along the shoreline , increased minimum lot sizes for residential homes and off street parking requirements for multiple dwellings in shorefront and residential areas . zoning changes in several other municipalities lynbrook , old westbury , freeport , great_neck , and designated areas of unincorporated villages in the towns of north hempstead and oyster bay have been primarily the result of concern over the splitting of lots , said donald lister , planner with the nassau_county planning commission . most of the zoning revisions have increased the size of lots and frontages , he said . but housing advocates have expressed concern that increasing lot size would have a negative effect on affordable_housing . ''high density housing is not necessarily incompatible with the suburban quality of life on long_island , '' said jim morgo , president of long_island housing partnership inc . , which promotes establishing more affordable_housing . if a municipality revises its zoning code without providing an affordable_housing plan , it is not making sufficient housing available for the many young couples who are trying to buy homes on long_island , he said . but if the municipality enforces zoning amendments and makes plans in other parts of the community for high density housing , then it would create a more realistic balance . mr . morgo said it was possible to have high density housing , especially cluster zoning , and keep the nature of open space . cluster zoning provides for putting four or five housing units on an acre and keeping the several surrounding acres open . the five houses , which might be attached , have their own front yards but share a rear lot . ''if a builder can put more units in a smaller area , costs can be kept down , '' said mr . morgo . ''this type of housing is compatible with suburban , even rural , settings . '' ''what is needed is a balance , '' he said . ''intelligent long range planning will bring about a balance that will create affordable_housing and still retain the suburban nature of our two counties . '' the deputy director of the nassau_county planning commission , jack follis , said the size of single family lots was not related to the issue of affordable_housing . ''irrespective of the size of the lot , we 're still putting expensive houses on it , '' he said . ''when we talk about affordable_housing , i ask affordable for whom ? everything is relative . ''	has a location of america
lead closings in the week ending may 28 manhattan clinton 307 , 500 344 west 38th street 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 1 , 700 sq . ft . postwar co op large dining_area , hardwood floors , hudson_river view maintenance 650 , no tax_deduction ( broker sinvin realty ) greenwich_village closings in the week ending may 28 manhattan clinton 307 , 500 344 west 38th street 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 1 , 700 sq . ft . postwar co op large dining_area , hardwood floors , hudson_river view maintenance 650 , no tax_deduction ( broker sinvin realty ) greenwich_village 169 , 000 81 bedford street 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 550 sq . ft . postwar co op windowed_kitchen , hardwood floors , 125 sq . ft . terrace maintenance 342 , 67 tax deductible ( broker thompson realty ) murray_hill 143 , 000 132 east 35th street ( murray_hill house ) 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 575 sq . ft . postwar co op 24 hr . doorman , concierge , dining_area , roof_deck maintenance 490 , 48 tax deductible ( broker a.j . clark ) upper east side 178 , 000 370 east 76th street ( newport east ) 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 700 sq . ft . postwar co op 24 hr . doorman , dining_area , pool , new kitchen_appliances maintenance 457 , 45 tax deductible ( broker_bellmarc_realty ) upper east side 345 , 000 515 east_79th_street ( asten house ) 1 bedroom , 2 bath , postwar co op 24 hr . doorman , concierge , dining_room , terrace , east_river view maintenance 780 , 58 tax deductible ( broker sulzberger rolfe ) upper west side 660 , 000 60 riverside drive ( 78th st . ) 2 bedroom , 2 bath , 1 , 250 sq . ft . postwar co op 24 hr . doorman , dining_area , terrace , hudson_river view maintenance 1 , 100 , 50 tax deductible ( broker hahn gifford ) bronx riverdale 96 , 000 555 kappock street ( riverpoint towers ) 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 800 sq . ft . postwar co op 24 hr . doorman , dining_area , partial hudson_river view maintenance 386 , includes gas and electricity , 50 tax deductible ( broker marilyn morris b . sopher ) west tremont area 110 , 000 2023 morris avenue 3 family , attached , brick house 3 bedrooms , 1 bath , large kitchen in each unit full basement , 21 by 100 ft . lot taxes 1 , 700 ( broker albert r . bryan real_estate ) brooklyn brooklyn_heights 230 , 000 54 willow street 2 bedroom , 2 bath , 1 , 000 sq . ft . co op in a recently renovated prewar co op dining_area , fireplace , c a , high ceilings , washer dryer maintenance 439 , 50 tax deductible ( broker barbara d'erasmo ) park_slope 250 , 000 331 16th street 3 family , 3 story , semiattached , brick house 2 bedrooms , 1 bath , large kitchen in each unit full basement , 20 by 100 ft . lot taxes 855 ( broker john p . barry realty ) queens forest_hills 96 , 000 69 10 yellowstone boulevard ( mayflower ) 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 750 sq . ft . co op in a recently renovated prewar building part time doorman , entry_foyer , dinette maintenance 317 , 52 tax deductible ( broker kraham realty ) queens village 190 , 000 101 06 224th street 4 bedroom , 1 1 2 bath , single family , detached_colonial_dining_room , large kitchen , den , finished_basement , detached 1 car garage , 40 by 100 ft . lot taxes 1 , 000 ( broker john e . miller realty ) staten_island eltingville 190 , 000 702 barlow avenue 3 bedroom , 1 1 2 bath , single family , semiattached house dining_room , large kitchen , 30 by 100 ft . lot taxes 1 , 572 ( broker century 21 papp realty ) westerleigh 178 , 000 291 wardwell avenue 3 bedroom , 2 bath , single family , detached , side hall colonial_dining_room , large kitchen , 2 enclosed porches , above ground pool with deck in backyard taxes 1 , 090 ( broker george k . wonica )	has a location of america
it was a challenge to the zoning laws of mount_laurel , n.j. , in the 1970 's that led to a statewide requirement that all communities open their doors to low and moderate income residents . among the projects helping mount_laurel meet its own affordable_housing obligation is the commons at stonegate , a condominium complex being developed near the intersection of i 295 and route 38 . the developer , the orleans company of huntington valley , pa . , plans to build 440 homes there over the next three years , completing 48 by the end of the summer . the architect is the murphy architectural group of westchester , pa . the homes , priced for the budgets of first time buyers , range from 78 , 990 for some two bedroom units to 111 , 000 for the largest three bedrooms . those set aside for qualifying low income buyers will be about one third below market rate .	has a location of america
in the following reports , the ''listed at'' price is the asking price when negotiations began that ended in the sale . time on market is from most recent listing to contract . manhattan east_end avenue 138 , 000 55 east_end avenue ( 82d st . ) 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 750 sq . ft . postwar co op 24 hr . doormen , concierge , terrace , east_river view maintenance 860 , 55 tax deductible , listed at 142 , 500 , 4 weeks on market ( broker charles g . brophy ) battery_park_city area 510 , 000 71 warren_street 2 bedroom , 2 bath , 1 , 500 sq . ft . condo in a loft building elevator , exposed_brick_walls , 10 ft . ceilings , washer dryer , 2 exposures common charge 377 taxes 7 , 464 , listed at 515 , 000 , 8 weeks on market ( broker corcoran group ) inwood 70 , 000 62 park terrace west 3 bedroom , 1 1 2 bath , 1 , 200 sq . ft . duplex elevator , dining_area , renovated_kitchen and bath , 500 sq . ft . terrace , hudson_river view maintenance 1 , 035 , 34 tax deductible , listed at 79 , 000 ( broker new heights ) upper east side 475 , 000 26 east 63d street 1 bedroom , 1 1 2 bath , 830 sq . ft . prewar condo concierge , marble baths , c a , 11 ft . ceilings , west exposure common charge 575 taxes 3 , 500 , listed at 495 , 000 , 26 weeks on market ( brokers walter samuels douglas_elliman ) upper west side 415 , 000 201 west 72d street ( alexandria ) 2 bedroom , 2 bath , 1 , 100 sq . ft . postwar condo 24 hr . doormen , concierge , dining_room , 3 exposures , health_club and pool common charge 582 taxes 2 , 700 , listed at 425 , 000 , 22 weeks on market ( brokers sumitomo bellmarc ) bronx city_island 185 , 000 620 minneford avenue 2 bedroom , 1 bath , 50 year old detached ranch dining_area , eat in kitchen , deck , finished_basement , attic storage , 30 by 100 ft . lot taxes 1 , 300 , listed at 185 , 000 , 6 weeks on market ( broker_jacqueline_kyle_kall ) riverdale 252 , 500 525 west 238th street ( fieldston gardens ) 4 bedroom , 2 bath , 2 , 300 sq . ft . prewar co op dining_room , center courtyard , 3 exposures maintenance 766 , 43 tax deductible , listed at 299 , 000 , 2 years on market ( broker sopher ) brooklyn clinton_hill 345 , 000 137 clinton avenue 2 family , 130 year old attached brick house 3 bedrooms in primary duplex 2 bedrooms in other 2 baths , dining_room in each 25 by 150 sq . ft . lot taxes 1 , 456 , listed at 375 , 000 , 8 weeks on market ( broker realty on the green ) fort_greene 330 , 000 428 clermont avenue 2 family , 4 story attached brick house 4 bedrooms in primary unit 2 bedrooms in other 2 baths , dining_room , marble mantels in each 21 by 100 ft . lot taxes 1 , 736 , listed at 339 , 000 , 4 weeks on market ( broker cole ) park_slope 300 , 000 188 17th street 2 family , 3 story brownstone 4 bedrooms , dining_room in primary duplex 1 bedroom , eat in kitchen in simplex 21 by 100 ft . lot taxes 1 , 100 , listed at 300 , 000 , 4 weeks on market ( broker warren lewis realty ) queens forest_hills gardens 169 , 000 20 continental avenue ( inn apartments ) 2 bedroom , 2 bath , 1 , 400 sq . ft . prewar co op part time doormen , dining_area , h w floors , 2 fireplaces , health_club maintenance 1 , 036 , 48 tax deductible , listed at 195 , 000 , 22 weeks on market ( broker sarah jones ) staten_island lighthouse hill 444 , 000 280 edwinboro road 4 bedroom , 3 bath , 44 year old detached brick contemporary dining_room , fireplace , jacuzzi in master bath , 140 by 100 ft . lot taxes 3 , 600 , listed at 499 , 000 , 21 weeks on market ( broker kingsley ) new jersey fair_lawn 158 , 000 1 19 lambert road 3 bedroom , 1 bath , 52 year old cape_cod finished_basement , eat in kitchen , new bath , 1 car garage taxes 3 , 441 , listed at 164 , 900 , 22 weeks on market ( brokers century 21 property place weichert ) oakland 345 , 000 44 wilson street 4 bedroom , 2 bath , 30 year old lakeside expanded ranch fireplace , finished_basement , 2 car garage taxes 7 , 100 , listed at 354 , 900 , 10 weeks on market ( broker abbott caserta ) perrineville 327 , 005 5 graham place 4 bedroom , 3 bath , new colonial_dining_room , eat in kitchen , walk in closets , full basement taxes 7 , 488 , listed at 309 , 900 , 6 months on market ( broker prudential new jersey ) park ridge 255 , 000 86 fourth street 4 bedroom , 1 1 2 bath , 50 year old colonial den , 1 acre , enclosed_porch , full basement taxes 5 , 012 , listed at 269 , 900 , 4 weeks on market ( brokers prudential_higgins re max r.e . associates ) connecticut greenwich 1 . 51 million 1 indian knoll place 4 bedroom , 3 1 2 bath , 15 year old postmodern house vaulted_ceilings , c a , kitchen with center island , 2 car garage , 4 acre lot taxes 9 , 408 , listed at 1 . 598 million , 40 weeks on market ( brokers william_pitt real_estate coldwell_banker greenwich ) norwalk 287 , 000 6 devil 's garden road 3 bedroom , 2 1 2 bath , 13 year old colonial_dining_room , country kitchen , family room , hot_tub , 1 car garage , . 51 acre lot taxes 4 , 100 , listed at 295 , 000 , 10 weeks on market ( brokers_coldwell_banker norwalk william_pitt darien ) stamford 470 , 000 244 shelter rock road 5 bedroom , 4 bath , 32 year old ranch eat in kitchen , family room , 2 fireplaces , 2 car garage , 1 acre lot on lake taxes 6 , 500 , listed at 469 , 000 , 2 weeks on market ( brokers wolfe mehlman coldwell_banker ) westport 549 , 000 10 lyndale circle 5 bedroom , 3 1 2 bath , 27 year old colonial kitchen with built in barbeque , fireplace , pool , deck with hot_tub , 2 car garage , 1 . 61 acre lot taxes 5 , 858 , listed at 599 , 000 , 34 weeks on market ( brokers william_pitt country living ) long_island jericho 363 , 000 4 montgomery place 4 bedroom , 2 bath , 32 year old high ranch_dining_room , eat in kitchen , den , attic , 2 car attached garage , pool , deck taxes 5 , 800 , listed at 379 , 000 , 12 weeks on market ( broker era gatewood ) oakdale 230 , 000 127 edgewood avenue 5 bedroom , 2 1 2 bath , 32 year old colonial_dining_room , eat in kitchen , den , 2 car garage taxes 6 , 400 , listed at 259 , 900 , 16 weeks on market ( broker century 21 bay 's edge ) old bethpage 251 , 000 24 sherman road 4 bedroom , 2 bath , 31 year old high ranch_dining_room , eat in kitchen , den , deck , 2 car garage taxes 5 , 800 , listed at 259 , 990 , 4 weeks on market ( broker prudential long_island ) oyster bay 200 , 000 45 sampson street 3 bedroom , 3 bath , 7 year old colonial_dining_room , eat in kitchen , pantry , basement , enclosed_porch taxes 4 , 000 , listed at 204 , 500 , 9 weeks on market ( brokers cruse oyster bay ) westchester bedford hills 260 , 000 82 crescent terrace 3 bedroom , 1 bath , 65 year old colonial breakfast nook , barn , flagstone patio , fireplace , . 25 acre taxes 5 , 762 , listed at 276 , 000 , 15 weeks on market ( brokers prudential_ragette houlihan_lawrence ) mamaroneck 185 , 000 175 maple avenue 4 bedroom , 1 1 2 bath , 66 year old colonial den , dining_room , eat in kitchen , fireplace , powder_room , attached 3 car garage taxes 8 , 213 , listed at 195 , 000 , 31 weeks on market ( brokers houghton banks ) waccabuc 490 , 000 4 five ponds drive 4 bedroom , 2 1 2 bath , 10 year old contemporary entry_foyer , dining_room , fireplace , cathedral ceiling , 4 acres taxes 12 , 722 , listed at 509 , 000 , 9 weeks on market ( brokers houlihan_lawrence frances billingsley ) white_plains 265 , 000 12 gene place 3 bedroom , 1 1 2 bath , 67 year old colonial center hall , brick fireplace , dining_room , family room , deck taxes 3 , 228 , listed at 269 , 000 , 11 weeks on market ( brokers century 21 wolff nelson vrooman )	has a location of america
few people ever noticed the anonymous one story building running along the franklin d . roosevelt drive from 49th to 51st streets , its southern end at the foot of the majestic co op at 1 beekman_place , which was built by the rockefeller family . now the unusual structure a 460 foot long garage whose origins reflect a civil war era height restriction is largely demolished . and the co op has hired the architects fox fowle , otherwise known for their new times_square skyscrapers , to rebuild it . the new garage wo n't have pulsing screens or high tech metal and glass , as do the fox fowle designed conde_nast and reuters buildings in times_square only a plain brick and rubble stone wall , in keeping with the super quiet character of this low profile co op . the beekman family , colonial era merchants , built a riverfront mansion near the foot of east 50th_street in 1764 . many sources say that the patriot spy nathan_hale was first arraigned there after his capture by the british in 1776 . by the mid 19th_century the east_river waterfront had fallen far from its resort status , and coal yards , lumber mills and other industries dotted the shoreline , at least where there was good river access . perhaps because the beekman mansion 's grounds were on a high , rocky bluff without good water access , the house remained standing until the 1870 's . but in 1865 the family sold off much of its land around the newly established beekman_place , including most of the river facing lots between 49th and 51st street . to protect the light and air of the brownstone row_houses that soon went up at 13 39 beekman_place , the beekmans promised to restrict the height of future buildings on their remaining waterfront strip of land , directly below the houses , to no higher than that of beekman_place itself . by the turn of the century bigger and bigger factories were crowding the shoreline among them the huge cremo cigar factory on the current site of river house at 52nd street and the once genteel private houses were filled with boarders . still , a clipping from the new york sun at the museum of the city of new york , undated but probably from the 1910 's , painted a bucolic picture of the clifftop houses looking down on the rocky shore below ''mothers in the neighborhood take their knitting and embroidery every afternoon and bask in the shade . . . . even coney_island and rockaway have nothing on the beach at beekman_place . '' by this time the beekman family estate was trying to void the 1865 height restriction on the waterfront strip with a free hand , it said , it could have wiped out the beach and replaced it with a giant steam plant . in 1920 the new york times reported on what had been a six year fight to remove the restrictions , which the row_house owners on beekman_place had fought strenuously to keep . the beekmans' lawyer , herbert l . fordham , said that radical changes in the area should void the restriction because it was ridiculous to hang on to the ''half forgotten vision of terraces and gardens . . . in the midst of towering steam plants , electric light plants and coal pockets . new york needs its waterfront for business . '' by 1922 the beekmans gave up the fight and leased the waterfront strip 460 feet long , stretching from 49th up to 51st , and including the empty plot on beekman_place now occupied by 1 beekman_place . the lease was acquired by a development group that announced plans for a studio_apartment on the beekman_place frontage , and a one story garage on the waterfront strip . the studio_apartment was not built , but the garage , designed by john j . dunnigan , later a state senator from the bronx , did go up . it had simple rubble stone walls and a curved , wood truss roof . the garage entrance was at 49th_street . perhaps the beekmans should have held out , because just as they surrendered , fashion came to beekman_place , and house after house was turned into elite occupancy . the natural outcome , for the empty plot at the south end of beekman_place , was the luxurious 16 story co op at 1 beekman , built in 1930 by a syndicate headed by david m . milton , the son in law of john d . rockefeller jr . milton 's wife , abby , was called by the new york times ''the wealthiest young woman in america . '' the times reported that the couple were taking an 18 room triplex with a 33 by 25 foot living room . the building had 335 rooms divided among 24 apartments , most of which were duplexes . milton 's syndicate reached an accommodation with the garage operator and reduced the southerly section of the garage to a narrow driveway encased in the building and running through 1 beekman 's waterside complex of tea room , gym , swimming pool , squash courts and additional duplex apartments . early tenants at 1 beekman included the diplomat david k . e . bruce , william j . donovan who founded the office of strategic services , the forerunner of the c.i.a . the miltons and john d . rockefeller iii . the architects were sloan robertson , with corbett , harrison macmurray . the latter firm was also designing rockefeller_center , for john d . rockefeller jr . rockefeller lent his son in law 1 million to build 1 beekman , and the contractor was webster b . todd , whose father , john r . todd , was working with rockefeller on the plans for rockefeller_center . the younger todd also took an apartment in the building his daughter , christine_todd_whitman , is the governor of new jersey . partly because it is tucked away on beekman_place , the building has had a low profile and is far less well known than river house , 10 gracie square and comparable structures . photographs of the garage in the 1930 's show that people still sat along the water 's edge , and it was not the beekmans but the east_river drive , completed in 1939 in this section , that finally wiped out the quiet river view , although a small park , reached from 49th and 51st street , was inserted between the garage and the highway . although now the traffic noise is almost overwhelming , over time the park has grown in , and the garage structure was surrounded by weed trees and vines , many growing out of the clifflike retaining wall rising above the garage up to beekman_place . from the park the garage was mysterious the southern third in the polite georgian style of 1 beekman_place incongruously joined to the northern two thirds , a primitive , anonymous structure . now the northern portion is demolished almost to ground level , and work crews are stripping off the vines and weed trees , some of which are more than a foot thick . fox fowle declined to comment on the reconstruction . metropolitan planning and management , the construction consultant for the 1 million project , said that the roof of the garage had been leaking and that except for a flat roof with some plantings , the building was being put back almost the way it was , keeping in place the lower half of the rubble stone wall and adding brick above .	has a location of america
lead a 14 unit condominium apartment development is nearing_completion on the former site of the rectory of christ church of bay_ridge in brooklyn near shore road park and the narrows . called the ridge terrace condominium , the 2 . 3 million project at 228 74th_street near third avenue is due to be completed next month . a 14 unit condominium apartment development is nearing_completion on the former site of the rectory of christ church of bay_ridge in brooklyn near shore road park and the narrows . called the ridge terrace condominium , the 2 . 3 million project at 228 74th_street near third avenue is due to be completed next month . the four story structure has eight one bedroom and six two bedroom apartments ranging in size from 675 to 1 , 000 square_feet and in price from 175 , 000 to 260 , 000 . monthly_maintenance charges range between 110 and 190 . all the units have either balconies or terraces . the price of each unit includes ownership of one space in the building 's underground garage . some of the units and the building 's elevators have been designed to facilitate movement by the handicapped . none of the units has been sold . the architects for the project are di fiore , giacobbe and associates of brooklyn . the project was undertaken by joseph a . jabour , a civil_engineer turned developer who has built two other condominiums in brooklyn . the church , which is nearby at 7301 ridge boulevard , sold the rectory building and its land three years ago . the building was subsequently demolished . church officials and its rector have declined to publicly discuss the reasons for the sale .	has a location of america
when the rev . stephen s . garmey , the vicar of calvary episcopal_church , arrived 33 years ago , ''not a single person'' lived on park_avenue south between 17th and 23rd streets , he recalls . the strip was all commercial , an urban canyon of skyscrapers and office buildings , busy by day , a little gritty by night . the residential incursion began slowly , with some converted lofts just around the corner on side streets , and picked up speed in the 1990 's as destination restaurants and trendy hotels opened one after another , often side by side . another spike came after the sept . 11 attacks , when young downtown professionals decided to move uptown , but not that far uptown , and found they could get almost anywhere from park_avenue south by public transportation . today , the avenue is in full renaissance , not just to 23rd_street but on up to where ' 'real'' park_avenue addresses begin at 32nd . several major residential conversions of commercial space are under way , restaurants continue to multiply and a youthful energy infuses the street at all hours of the day and night . ''it 's definitely all changed now a whole new life and for the better , '' mr . garmey said , noting that the neighborhood now has its share of small nursery schools as well as the eating places that make this one of the best restaurant neighborhoods in the city . park_avenue south stretches from union square to murray_hill and nudges against gramercy_park , the flatiron_district and rose hill , and it has never been identified as a prime residential area , but that is what makes it such a find today , said pamela huson , a douglas_elliman sales agent . ''there are sleeper buildings in the area that are better priced because people do n't think of it as a neighborhood , '' she said . in the current market , one bedrooms , about twice as common as two room apartments , are ''where a lot of the deals are , '' she added , after calculating a median price of 416 , 000 for one bedroom co ops , up 3 , 000 from last year . conversion from commercial space often means unusual floor plans and loftlike apartments with soaring ceilings and windows to match . even rear windows at the new bullmoose condominum , above the gramercy tavern at 42 48 east 20th street , invite the sunlight . although occupancy is not projected until late fall , 21 of the 24 units , developed by alchemy properties inc . , are under contract . priced from 807 , 000 to 2 , 225 , 000 , the one and two bedroom loftlike apartments come with top of the line kitchens and high speed internet_access , but they also are seeped in history . bullmoose recalls the political_party established by theodore_roosevelt , who was born a few doors away . the 1890 's beaux_arts building once housed a military badge manufacturer . a block north , max capital management plans to convert two former office buildings into a residential tower with a doorman and more than 100 high end units starting at 850 to 900 per square_foot . sales are to begin early in 2004 . the buildings , which are at 260 park_avenue south and 48 east 21st street , until recently were headquarters of the united_federation_of_teachers . every building along the street has its story . ''what 's nice is that you can look out and see history , '' said david mandl , an architect who lives and works on park_avenue south . he recites the building names like an architectural tour guide , beginning with the hotel w new york union square . it is the former guardian life_insurance building , which was germania life before anti german sentiment in world_war i caused a name change . jim naureckas , an editor at fairness and accuracy in reporting , has researched the street for his online guide to new york city , home . nyc . rr . com jkn nysonglines 4av . htm , starting at 14th and working north . among the lore he has collected the tiffany glass and decorating company had design offices and manufacturing facilities at nos . 333 335 from 1871 to 1905 the dionysian at no . 303 was named by isadora duncan , who lived there in 1914 1915 the n.a.a.c.p . was founded at no . 287 in may 1909 the velvet underground played at no . 213 when it was home to max 's kansas_city , where andy_warhol and david_bowie could be found inside but patti smith and robert_mapplethorpe were not cool enough to get in tammany hall was at 17th street . the rooftop pyramid on the new york life building , built in 1928 , remains a landmark , but mr . naureckas reminds web visitors that the site at east 27th street had earlier been the home of an early train depot , p . t . barnum 's hippodrome , the original madison_square_garden and its replacement designed by stanford_white , who was shot and killed in the roof_garden by his lover 's husband . the street today seems to change character at 23rd , with most of the energy pulsating to the south . virginia juliano , a publishing executive who has worked at 27th street for 14 years , can remember when streetwalkers , drug dealers and fleabag hotels coexisted with office workers and insurance executives . but things have changed of late as the restaurant scene marches north . dos caminos , chango and park_avenue country club opened north of 23rd , joining pioneers like huston 's . at 25th_street , owners of sushi samba plan a 9 , 000 square mediterranean restaurant called barbounia , to be designed by karim rashid . a new alchemy properties project is planned for the northern section . this involves five adjoining brownstones on east 29th between park_avenue south and lexington that formerly housed the sheltering arms children 's services . the length of the street has become a mix of tourists dropping by to visit gramercy_park male and female models represented by top agencies in the neighborhood celebrities like kate hudson spotted walking with her mother , goldie hawn and insurance executives on business lunches . but perhaps the most surprising addition has been the nannies and young mothers pushing strollers home from nursery schools . real_estate agents and developers say that schools are rarely a prime concern for people moving in , but the new conversions are attracting young families . diana schmitter , an advertising vice_president and creative director moving into the bullmoose with her husband , a lawyer , thinks the neighborhood will be great for their 17 month old son , luke . they settled on their 1 , 704 square_foot , two bedroom apartment because of the greenmarket and newly redone children 's park at union square park and ''getting home from work much faster . '' fran shapiro , sales manager at an italian glass company , is buying a similar apartment , and for her , it is like coming home . she grew up on 21st and third , attended the friends seminary , a private_school on east 18th street . she and her husband , now a lawyer , were classmates at stuyvesant high . their daughter , ella , is only 18 months ago , but they are already considering public_school 40 , augustus st . gaudens school , with prekindergarten through fifth grade , at 319 east 19th street . insideschools . org , a web_site run by the nonprofit group advocates for children of new york , describes the school as ''a cozy neighborhood school where a love or reading and writing is combined with an appreciation of the importance of play . '' class size is 24 to 28 with more than three fourths of the students meeting english arts and math standards . slightly less than half of the students go on to public schools , most of them to middle high_school 104 , simon baruch school at 330 east 21 street . the nearest high_school is washington irving high_school at 40 irving place between 17th and 18th street . the neighborhood attracts the most urban of the urban young professionals to empty nesters who like being within walking distance of movie_theaters stage theaters indian food shops on lexington_avenue baruch_college , also on lexington and , of course , the restaurants and bars . ''the neighborhood is buzzing at night , '' said jessica duffy , manager of the citi_habitats office on east 22nd street . ''old rundown storefronts have been turned into hip , posh nightclubs with w hotel at the bottom of it all . '' from a real_estate standpoint , many rental_apartments have unusual configurations that make them attractive as shares . jeremy steinberg , 24 , a fox_news_channel account executive , and two friends converted a one bedroom apartment into a three bedroom . ''i 'm from los_angeles i wanted a real new york city living experience , and you ca n't get more new york city than this , '' said mr . steinberg whose block has city crab restaurant at one end , l'express at the other and sushi samba expanding in between , taking over the space that was occupied by a stationery store . patria is across the street . ''i like the vibes of the union square area . '' the distinction between park_avenue and park_avenue south can be confusing . early on , the bowery above cooper square was renamed fourth_avenue in an effort to improve its image . in the 19th_century when the new york harlem_line , the city 's first railroad , asked to extend service north of 14th , the granite ridge under what is now park_avenue south was blasted away to make room for the tracks . steam bellowing up along the line discouraged all but the poorest of the poor and a tough gang called the fourth_avenue boys . in the 1860 's , as the cut in the ridge was paved over , landscaped stretches to the north began calling themselves park_avenue . the remnant between 32nd street and union square was later named park_avenue south . it may be time for another name change . ''we need a name for our little neighborhood , '' says josh baron , a public_relations consultant , who has lived on upper park_avenue south since the mid 90 's , choosing the rental apartment , which has since been converted to a co op , for its location and good value . ms . huson , the real_estate agent , agreed . ''it has its own little niche , '' she said . ''it just does n't have a name . '' if you 're thinking of living in park_avenue south	has a location of america
lead closings in the week ending april 30 manhattan gramercy_park area 143 , 000 330 third avenue ( 23d st . ) 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 600 sq . ft . postwar co op 24 hr . doorman , hardwood floors , southern exposure maintenance 391 , 35 tax deductible ( broker klara_madlin_real_estate ) closings in the week ending april 30 manhattan gramercy_park area 143 , 000 330 third avenue ( 23d st . ) 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 600 sq . ft . postwar co op 24 hr . doorman , hardwood floors , southern exposure maintenance 391 , 35 tax deductible ( broker klara_madlin_real_estate ) greenwich_village 470 , 000 69 bank_street 2 bedroom , 2 bath , 1 , 400 sq . ft . condo in a recently renovated prewar building dining_area , fireplace , tiled terrace , high ceilings common charge 397 , 100 tax abated ( broker_ambrose_mar_elia ) madison square area 400 , 000 45 east 25th_street 2 bedroom , 3 bath , 1 , 200 sq . ft . postwar condo 24 hr . doorman , dining_room , balcony , windowed_kitchen common charge 100 , taxes 600 ( broker molk associates ) upper east side 1 million 29 east 64th street 2 bedroom , 3 bath , 2 , 000 sq . ft . prewar co op 24 hr . doorman , dining_room , large kitchen , high ceilings , hardwood floors , central_park view maintenance 1 , 075 30 tax deductible ( broker m.j . raynes ) washington_heights 108 , 000 870 west 181st street 2 bedroom , 1 bath , 1 , 200 sq . ft . prewar co op dining_area , windowed_kitchen , high ceilings maintenance 377 , 47 tax deductible ( broker c uptown realty ) bronx riverdale 138 , 000 601 kappock street ( presidential ) 2 bedroom , 2 bath , 1 , 150 sq . ft . postwar co op part time doorman , dining_area , terrace maintenance 570 , includes gas , 50 tax deductible ( broker marilyn morris b . sopher ) wakefield 235 , 000 4054 edson avenue 4 bedroom , 2 bath , single family , detached ranch_dining_room , large kitchen , den , full basement , 89 by 100 ft . lot taxes 1 , 640 ( broker sterling realty ) brooklyn cobble_hill 295 , 000 327 clinton street 3 bedroom , 2 bath , 1 , 500 sq . ft . duplex co op in a_4 story brownstone building dining_area , fireplace , high ceilings , roof rights maintenance 635 , includes heat and hot water , 60 tax deductible ( broker dowling peltz ) park_slope 590 , 000 552 4th street 4 bedroom , 2 1 2 bath , single family , attached 3 story brownstone dining_room , large kitchen , deck , four decorative mantels , original moldings and details , 17 by 100 ft . lot taxes 1 , 499 ( broker f.j . kazeroid ) queens kew_gardens 247 , 500 82 14 austin street 4 bedroom , 2 1 2 bath , single family , attached , brick tudor_dining_room , large kitchen , fireplace , front and rear gardens , 18 by 100 ft . lot taxes 1 , 000 ( broker_terrace_realty ) jamaica hills 62 , 000 164 20 highland avenue ( highlander hall ) 500 sq . ft . postwar , alcove studio part time doorman , separate kitchen maintenance 272 , 50 tax deductible ( broker glenjay realty ) staten_island oakwood 175 , 000 319 chesterton avenue 3 bedroom , 1 1 2 bath , single family , semiattached , frame house dining_area , large kitchen , full basement , 24 by 100 ft . lot taxes 1 , 300 ( broker kingsley real_estate ) port richmond 165 , 000 87 palmer avenue 3 bedroom , 2 bath , single family , detached , colonial_dining_room , large kitchen , den , full basement , 50 by 100 ft . lot taxes 900 ( broker george k . wonica ) snug_harbor 405 , 000 5 bedroom , 2 1 2 bath , single family , detached center hall colonial_dining_room , large kitchen , fireplace , 1 car detached garage , 130 by 109 ft . lot taxes 1 , 700 ( rand properties )	has a location of america
lead closings in the week ending jan . 23 manhattan gramercy_park area 154 , 500 102 east 22d street 2 bedroom , 1 bath , 640 sq . ft . co op in a recently renovated prewar art_deco building fireplace , original moldings and details maintenance 603 , 53 tax deductible ( broker h.h . closings in the week ending jan . 23 manhattan gramercy_park area 154 , 500 102 east 22d street 2 bedroom , 1 bath , 640 sq . ft . co op in a recently renovated prewar art_deco building fireplace , original moldings and details maintenance 603 , 53 tax deductible ( broker h.h . kleigerman associates ) greenwich_village 150 , 000 49 west 12th street 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 700 sq . ft . postwar co op 24 hr . doorman , dining_foyer , new windows , roof_deck maintenance 500 , 50 tax deductible ( broker buchbinder warren ) tribeca 650 , 000 105 hudson street 2 bedroom , 2 bath , 2 , 800 sq . ft . loft co op in a renovated prewar building 3 exposures , high ceilings , partial hudson_river view maintenance 750 , no tax_deduction ( broker interiors real_estate ) upper east side 1 . 09 million 1049 park_avenue ( 87th st . ) 3 bedroom , 3 bath , 2 , 000 sq . ft . prewar co op 24 hr . doorman , concierge , formal_dining_room , maid 's room , central_park view maintenance 1 , 900 , 47 tax deductible ( broker corcoran group ) upper west side 275 , 000 275 west 96th_street ( the columbia ) 2 bedroom , 2 bath , 980 sq . ft . postwar condo 24 hr . doorman , concierge , dining_area common charge 514 , taxes 360 ( broker charles h . greenthal_residential_sales washington_heights 100 , 000 17 chittenden avenue ( chittenden house ) 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 750 sq . ft . co op in a prewar building sunken_living_room , roof_deck , garden , hudson_river view maintenance 355 , 25 tax deductible ( broker c uptown realty ) bronx riverdale 195 , 000 555 kappock street ( riverpoint towers ) 3 bedroom , 2 bath , 1 , 350 sq . ft . postwar co op 24 hr . doorman , dining_room , terrace , c a maintenance 706 , includes gas electricity 40 tax deductible ( broker stephen eldridge realty ) wakefield 142 , 000 830 east 231st street 3 bedroom , 1 bath , single family , detached_house dining_room , large kitchen , aluminum sided , 1 car garage , 25 by 114 ft . lot taxes 823 ( broker sterling realty ) brooklyn midwood 275 , 000 2612 avenue j 2 family , semiattached , stucco frame house 2 bedrooms , 1 bath , formal_dining_room , large kitchen in both units 2 car garage , 35 by 100 ft . ft . lot taxes 1 , 482 ( broker dwork korn ) park_slope 267 , 500 322 4th street 2 family , attached , brick house 2 bedrooms , 1 bath , large kitchen in each unit full basement , 16 by 100 ft . lot taxes 810 ( broker century 21 joseph t . king ) queens forest_hills 92 , 000 102 32 65th avenue ( the richards ) 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 750 sq . ft postwar co op dining_area , remodeled_kitchen maintenance 360 , 44 tax deductible ( broker gala realty ) neponsit 360 , 000 214 beach 148th street 4 bedroom , 2 bath , single family , detached ranch dining_area , large kitchen , 80 by 100 ft . lot taxes 1 , 600 ( broker mitchnick kramberg real_estate ) staten_island eltingville 182 , 000 61 thorneycroft avenue 3 bedroom , 1 1 2 bath , single family , semiattached , frame house dining_area , large kitchen , rear_deck , 28 by 85 ft . lot taxes 1 , 300 ( broker victoria realty ) west brighton 200 , 000 482 bard avenue 6 bedroom , 1 bath , single family , detached , colonial formal_dining_room , large kitchen , open front porch , 1 car detached garage , 50 by 100 ft . lot taxes 1 , 213 ( broker rand properties )	has a location of america
lead downtown white_plains is getting something city officials have wanted for a long time medium priced condominiums in the midst of a half dozen new , large office buildings near the railroad station . downtown white_plains is getting something city officials have wanted for a long time medium priced condominiums in the midst of a half dozen new , large office buildings near the railroad station . the foundations for the project a 316 unit , 17 story condominium apartment house at martine and south lexington avenues called the seasons are now being poured . martin berger , president of the robert_martin company , developer of the project , said the one bedrooms 80 percent of the total are tentatively_priced from 140 , 000 to 190 , 000 , with the remainder , all two bedrooms , priced at 200 , 000 and up . mr . berger who called his project affordable said prices would be somewhat higher when the seasons is ready for occupancy late next year . the most recent available figures , gathered by the westchester multiple_listing_service for the first quarter of 1987 , show that the median sale price of condominiums was 171 , 000 and would require an income of 55 , 214 . the study reported the median_family_income in the county as 39 , 000 . the seasons will be one of the tallest apartment houses in westchester with the largest number of units in a single building . it will have its own three quarter acre park , with a swimming_pool with a retractable_roof , at sidewalk level , something of a novelty in the middle of a business_district . the building will adjoin the area 's only other apartments a 124 unit rental building , plaza 25 , that was completed last summer and was the first nonsubsidized apartment building built in westchester in more than a decade . the apartments rent for 1 , 000 and up a month , and the building is about 65 percent rented . the developer of the rental project also is the robert_martin company , a major westchester developer that has concentrated on office buildings for the last 15 years . one office project is the westchester financial center , two buildings with a total of 600 , 000 square_feet of space adjoining both apartment buildings . mr . berger said the condominium tower will have a_12 , 000 square_feet of retail space and 3 , 800 square_feet for a restaurant to serve residents of the seasons and draw other people to the area . the new building is two blocks from the new railroad station , completed last year after three years of construction . the station , which is next door to a transportation center , adjoins a parking_garage for 1 , 200 cars and a bus station , both of which opened recently . work is being completed on a ''kiss and ride'' section of the transportation center , a dropoff point for commuters using the station . mayor alfred del vecchio and the common council have for several years been urging construction of residential buildings near the railroad station to bring to life an area that is deserted at night when several thousand office workers go home . the section is the white_plains urban_renewal area , which has been under reconstruction for 20 years . the condominiums are being built on a 2 . 3 acre site that the city sold to robert_martin for 361 , 560 a price set 10 years ago when the company was designated as developer by the city . mr . berger acknowledged that the price would be considerably higher if it were negotiated today . the developer was ready to go ahead in 1978 , but held off at the request of the city , because the lot , which was in the middle of a sea of construction , was needed for parking until the new municipal garage was built . at that time , the developer was planning larger units and fewer of them , in line with the market of the 1970 's . but today , with higher costs , the developer is keeping prices down ''by virtue of the fact that the units will be small . '' the one bedroom units , for example , will start at 675 square_feet , and 25 percent of the units will sell at 150 , 000 or less . ''this kind of design is like what is being built on the east side of manhattan for yuppies , '' mr . berger said . ''it has small living space . it has the same number of rooms as any one bedroom apartment living room , bedroom , kitchen and bath and you can build them as big as 1 , 300 square_feet . but here we 're providing small living space and major recreation space , with the pool , a jogging track and a health_club . '' mr . berger said that the two residential buildings are the beginning of a new emphasis by his company on residential construction after years of building mainly office parks . it is also the beginning of a trend away from the the luxury market . ''you ca n't keep building cadillacs and rolls royces you 've got to build some fords and buicks , '' he said . ''there are many , many alternatives in the 350 , 000 town house world , but not many at 140 , 000 . '' the company has built its share of cadillacs , most recently an all suite hotel a few blocks from the new , more moderate priced housing . the hotel was la reserve , completed four years ago , and every suite consisted of a bedroom , living room , bath and a small kitchen area . the suites were designed for the executives visiting large corporations in and around white_plains , or for house hunting visits by corporate employees being transferred into the area . they rented at 150 per night and up , and there were two penthouse suites that rented at 800 per night and were generally used for cocktail parties and wedding receptions . the company is now selling off half of the 140 suites as condominiums , at 150 , 000 and up , with the penthouses on sale at 750 , 000 , while retaining the rest as rentals . mr . berger said he hoped that his new condominiums , and others he said he hoped to build , will help ' 'refuel the office market . '' he said that there are occasions when office tenants will not come to westchester because of the shortage of reasonably priced housing for their employees .	has a location of america
lead time equities , the real_estate investment company whose investments in renter_occupied cooperatives have been hurt by a slow sales market , is synonymous with one individual , francis greenburger , 41 years old , who founded it 20 years ago . time equities , the real_estate investment company whose investments in renter_occupied cooperatives have been hurt by a slow sales market , is synonymous with one individual , francis greenburger , 41 years old , who founded it 20 years ago . it was and still is one of new york city 's leading co op conversion companies , devoting itself to this activity almost entirely until three years ago , and reaching a point where it reportedly owns about 3 , 000 renter_occupied apartments . the company 's sales are believed to have reached 5 , 000 apartments in the 1980 's . mr . greenburger said he believes co op conversions also help new york city housing , bringing new investment and value to rental buildings hobbled by rent_regulation . in the 70 's , his purchases of buildings for conversion probably saved them from abandonment and foreclosure , he said . but even before the market slowdown in the city in the last two years and the difficulty in reselling vacant apartments at the prices he had counted on , mr . greenburger had begun looking to other sorts of ventures . he began buying and renovating office buildings in new york and acquiring industrial properties in the middle west . critical of tax policy he made no secret of his feeling that government policies were forcing him out of the business of buying rental buildings for conversion . he said , for example , that the state was taxing sponsors' profits on resales too heavily by refusing to allow them to deduct their true costs of business from their capital gains on the sales . the undeductible costs include the interest on money borrowed to hold onto the renter_occupied apartments and the costs of marketing them . the city and state saw conversion as a revenue source and taxed it heavily , he contended in letters and public statements . this was acceptable when the market was strong , he said , but not when the market turned down , as it did . personally , mr . greenburger is almost the antithesis of the stereotypical real_estate operator . he speaks slowly and carefully and is deliberate in mannner , and so serious most of the time that one colleague said , ''he has always been 70 years old . '' classical_music plays in the background at time equities' offices at 55 fifth avenue , at 12th street , and paintings adorn the walls . a prodigy mr . greenburger has a reputation among his colleagues as one who strived for purity in his dealings with the attorney_general 's office , the internal_revenue_service and the innumerable tenant committees with which converters must deal . accordingly , time equities kept free of the troubles with regulators that some converters encountered . he was a prodigy in real_estate . born in forest_hills , queens , he was barely in his 20 's when he was leasing commercial space in manhattan and subdividing it to sublease portions to others . at that time he was in the business of selling book remainders . his late father , sanford greenburger , ran a literary agency , which mr . greenburger took over at his father 's death . but real_estate dealmaking was his love . with an older partner , philip rudd , handling the management , he built up a portfolio of 65 smaller manhattan properties before the 70 's ended , and in the 80 's started bigger ventures , sometimes with partners . mr . greenburger is married and has a 2 year old son .	has a location of america
lead tomorrow morning in the high bridge section of the bronx , worlds away from bedroom views of the statue of liberty , work will begin on the first city owned shells to be renovated using surplus battery_park_city revenues . tomorrow morning in the high bridge section of the bronx , worlds away from bedroom views of the statue of liberty , work will begin on the first city owned shells to be renovated using surplus battery_park_city revenues . the two year project by lehrer , mcgovern and bovis , a construction firm , will create 895 apartments for homeless and low and moderate income families . a ceremony to mark the occasion will be held at 11 a.m . in the 1512 townsend avenue courtyard , the first time that once pleasant spot will be filled with people since no . 1512 , like the 13 other apartment houses being rebuilt , was abandoned a decade ago . the 65 million project is the first use of 400 million in bonds issued by the state last year . eventually , 1 . 2 billion will be spent on such housing . built in the 1930 's for middle_class families , the bronx buildings are scattered throughout a four block area on townsend and walton avenues between jerome and mount eden avenues . first occupancy is expected in the fall of 1989 . the nonprofit operator of the completed project , settlement housing fund , is seeking private contributions to create a community center and garden .	has a location of america
lead working and middle_class people have long been stoical about the lack of consideration they receive from various levels of government . working and middle_class people have long been stoical about the lack of consideration they receive from various levels of government . in particular , they are expected to , and do , pay the taxes that make the country work , while they collectively receive less in return than any other group . nevertheless , nothing done in the past equals the deliberate slap in the face the new york state court of appeals has just given working and middle_class families . in the recent baer vs . brookhaven decision , the court of appeals has voided any restriction on the number of unrelated individuals residing in a single house . this means every neighborhood in new york state is now a rooming house neighborhood , and the premise of local zoning control that has existed throughout american history has been gutted by the court . the court 's ruling amounts to a calculated dismissal of family and community values . working and middle_class people in this state have generally had to work and save for years before owning their homes . they have paid some of the highest home prices in the nation and their property_taxes are the nation 's highest . with one contemptous stroke the court of appeals has jeopardized middle_class new yorkers' most important investment . no home can maintain its value if the surrounding area can be rendered rooming house territory at the whim of any individual . consequently , the court of appeals has expropriated at least part of the real_estate value of every homeowner 's residence . this state directed theft opens the door to challenges of real_estate tax assessments throughout new york . if taxes are based on the value of property and property values shrink because of this court mandated downzoning , the taxes paid must be reduced as well . in the end local and state governments will suffer along with the citizenry . the court 's ruling belittles the primacy of the family in a manner unprecedented in american law . according to published reports , the court decided that towns can not limit the number of unrelated individuals since it does not regulate the number of related individuals . in tradition , common_sense and cultural self interest , the needs of families have always received special consideration . no society has ever survived and flourished that has not recognized the primacy of the family . by treating families like some shifting group of individuals , the court has struck a major blow against the community cohesion that allows the nurturing of young people . by permitting rooming houses in any area , the court has undermined neighborhood stability and promoted transiency . whether the roomers are college students , workers , the handicapped or one of the many types of halfway houses currently proposed , placing such rooming houses in family neighborhoods has typically led to a decline of neighborhood standards . crowding and garage problems ensue and a safe environment for children is jeopardized . it is no secret that crime is on the increase in new york state . any moves that increase transiency will make crime detection and control even more difficult . while not all renters are unconcerned about the appearance of their place of residence , many are indifferent , and rental neighborhoods are frequently less well maintained than those in owner occupied areas . the green_light given to rooming house situations is likely to lead to a general decline in the physical appearance of the neighborhoods involved . not only will this make current single family areas less pleasant to live in , but will also accelerate property devaluation . at a time when there is general agreement that more land use planning is needed , the court 's decision is a regressive action . had the court wished to aid the establishment of halfway houses for specified groups of people in need , which was the origin of the brookhaven case , this could have been easily done without destroying any reasonable standard of zoning control . in particular , the court could have supported the clear interest new york state and the nation has in the maintenance of a viable middle_class . the court 's decision is unfortunately so blind to the interests of the majority of the most productive group in this state as to constitute contempt . middle_class and working_class taxpayers and property owners must reply in kind . although the arrogant court of appeals implied that there was no recourse to federal courts , there is actually good reason to apply to the supreme_court . one can only hope that the town of brookhaven will do so . all the towns , villages and municipalities in the state should join brookhaven in this issue . additionally , every voter in new york state must contact his state representatives and the governor to express outrage over the judicial pearl_harbor the court has launched on its citizens . if need be the court itself can be changed . court of appeals judges serve 14 year terms after nomination by the governor and confirmation by the state_senate . citizens can contact both cuomo and their state senator demanding that the middle_class receive the rights and protections so extravagantly proferred to every special interest group in the state . if nothing results from these protests , it is time to take a few scalps . no redress , of course , will happen unless the citizens of this state act . failure to do so will cost them their investments , their neighborhoods and a culture that respects work and commitment . long_island opinion	has a location of america
being smack in the middle of new jersey , less than an hour 's drive from either new york or philadelphia , is both a blessing and a curse for the middlesex county township of north_brunswick . it makes two major employment centers accessible to residents and keeps taxes among the lowest in the county by attracting large corporate ratables , such as johnson_johnson and bristol_myers squibb . on the other hand , it makes the township a natural corridor , chopped up by three major highways routes 1 , 27 and 130 . the tree lined residential streets , with their large lots , reflect the township 's once rural character , but the noise of traffic , which can be heard in most of north_brunswick , is a reminder that those times are no more . " our major problem here is getting people from one side of the township to the other safely , " said mayor paul j . matacera . " for years , the township has been discussing constructing a recreation center , " said superintendent of schools edward j . leppert . " but because the town is so divided no one could decide where it should be located . " until the early 60 's , most of north_brunswick was farmland . then the first large developments indian head and brunswick knolls were built and , said mr . leppert , he bought a four bedroom , one and a half bath split level in brunswick knolls for 20 , 000 . today , similar houses in both developments sell for 165 , 000 to 200 , 000 , depending on how much they have been upgraded . luxury housing came in the late 60 's with the innovative , 1 , 500 unit hidden lake development in the northwestern section . that development , which includes 3 , 000 square_foot one family homes , town houses , patio homes and apartments , more than doubled the population of the township . even today , hidden lake accounts for nearly 20 percent of north_brunswick 's dwelling units . housing prices in hidden lake range from 110 , 000 for some one bedroom condominium apartments up to 350 , 000 for some one family houses . from its earliest days , north_brunswick drew from the large cities to its north and south . its first settlers arrived in 1761 from new amsterdam . some of them are memorialized in the names of streets or sections . the north_brunswick government and community complex , for instance , opened in 1992 on hermann road in the berdine 's corner section . berdine is a corruption of the last name of nicholas bodine , a blacksmith and early settler , whose shop was near the corner of what is now route 130 ( also known as georges road ) and hermann . by 1784 , records show , more than 1 , 400 people lived on 137 farms in what is now north_brunswick . there were also 19 stores , eight taverns , five mills and a brewery . of the three major highways routes 27 and 130 follow old leni lenape indian trails . the section of route_1 that passes through the township was built as an entirely new road , called the trenton new brunswick turnpike , in 1804 . the builders , the trenton and new brunswick company , charged a toll of one cent a carriage per mile and half a cent per mile for a horse and rider . the abundance of water made the township an excellent site for mills , the most famous of which was the parsons snuff mill along the lawrence brook . according to a township history , the mill produced 125 , 000 pounds of snuff , worth 80 , 000 , in 1872 . today , farrington lake , fed by the lawrence brook , is the site of the township 's largest and most expensive homes . according to gloria r . zastko , president of gloria zastko realtors on route 130 , four to six bedroom houses on lakefront lots there sell for up to 1 million . similar homes two blocks away , without lake views , go for less than half that . the least expensive one family homes are in the older northeastern section of town three bedroom , turn of the century colonials there sell for as little as 135 , 000 . the township has about 3 , 000 apartments , mostly around the highways . one of the large garden apartment complexes , north village apartments , off route_1 , has 490 one and two bedroom units starting at 705 a month . among the newer residents are victor r . stankiewicz and his wife , maribeth , both 30 years old . the couple moved from a condominium apartment in neighboring new brunswick last may into a_37 year old custom built four bedroom split level on huff road in the colonial gardens section . mr . stankiewicz manages food service for a philadelphia law_firm and mrs . stankiewicz works in the finance department of gmac in linden . " one of the reasons we chose north_brunswick was its centrality , " mr . stankiewicz said . " it 's an hour 's commute to both new york city and philadelphia . we plan to live here for a long time and raise a family here . so its being between two employment centers was very important . " the couple , who are expecting their first child in january , say they investigated the school system and township activities for children and were satisfied that they were excellent . " we also noticed , " mr . stankiewicz added , " that there is a lot of turnover in the housing on our block and in the township in general , with the older folks selling their homes to younger families . " the school system has a total of 4 , 300 students , reflecting a growth of 1 , 000 in the student body since 1986 . in the same period the number of dwellings in north_brunswick increased by more than 30 percent . the district consists of four k 6 elementary schools , the 680 student linwood middle_school and the 1 , 200 student north_brunswick township high_school . the largest elementary_school is judd school , which has 680 students . there is a computer laboratory in each of the elementary schools and in the middle_school the high_school has two computer labs . according to mr . leppert , 35 percent of the teachers have master 's degrees or higher and 88 percent of the graduating_seniors go on to higher_education . along with the high_school , judd is in the 25 acre veteran 's park between routes 1 and 130 . the park , one of three large ones in the town , has five baseball fields , four tennis courts and three soccer fields . all its facilities are also used by the schools as part of a relationship between the township and the school system . it is also the site of the annual heritage day , one of the efforts the township makes to draw the population together , despite the divisive highway system . this year , it will be held on sept . 18 . there are clowns , ethnic bands , pony rides and other events , and one of the traditions of the 11 year old event is that the mayor sits in a dunking chair as his political rivals and others throw balls at a target to raise money for the fire department . if a ball hits the target , the mayor gets dunked . " i started this 11 years ago , when i was 34 , " the mayor said , " and i do n't know how much longer i can still do this . " the township has three supermarkets , a large shopping_center on route_1 and an abundance of strip centers along the three highways . the closest regional mall is the brunswick square mall , five miles away in neighboring east_brunswick . among the better known restaurants are the hearth ( american ) on route 130 . ferraro 's ( italian ) off milltown road , whalebones by the sea ( seafood and meat ) on church lane and sir john 's restaurant ( continental ) on washington avenue . although no buildings in north_brunswick are on the national_register of historic places , it has many historical structures . one of the oldest is the georges road baptist church , circa 1843 , on old georges road . the structure was built on a foundation of logs and has the original stained_glass_windows .	has a location of america
an article on aug . 15 about the financing of commercial projects in philadelphia misstated changes in federal tax benefits for renovating historic buildings . benefits have been reduced , but not eliminated , and restrictions have been placed on eligibility . the article and an adjoining picture caption also referred incorrectly to the packard building at 15th and chestnut streets . it is not the former headquarters of the packard motor car company it was named for charles s . w . packard , a banker .	has a location of america
acting gov . donald t . difrancesco recently signed a law that would make internet stalking a crime under the state 's harassment and stalking laws . previously , the stalking law included written and verbal threats . it now includes threats made by electronic means , even if indirect . the law was needed because ''advances in technology have given stalkers new tools to reach their victims , '' said norman m . robertson , a republican from clifton and one of the bill 's sponsors . anne ruderman briefing n.j . law	has a location of america
part of the reality of running for office these days is that for every action , there is a reaction , particularly on the internet . usually it 's chatter on web_logs , or blogs , but politicians must now confront web_sites , too , set up for no purpose other than to mock or taunt them , as c . virginia fields and gifford_miller , two democratic candidates for mayor , have learned . the web_site virginiafields . com is certainly curious . it repeatedly scolds her as a do nothing , ineffectual borough_president of manhattan , complete with unflattering pictures , including one with her hands held high and hips swiveling as she plays with a hula hoop . ''virginia fields would be a terrible mayor , '' it says . ''help her get a job in the private_sector , where she ca n't hurt anyone . '' but the site tacitly raises the question if she is such a zero of a politician , as the web_site depicts her , who would be so exercised to unload on a woman whom even opponents are reluctant to attack ? the creator would prefer to remain anonymous , but all indications point to a well known west side gadfly . the phone_number on the web_site 's registration , which like all others is available online , matches a business number for john fisher , a hell 's kitchen community advocate and a past critic of ms . fields 's . the man who answered the registry phone_number called back from a number that matches a directory listing for mr . fisher 's home . he declined to discuss the web_site unless granted anonymity and , when refused that deal , denied he was behind the web_sites . the web_site includes a link to an anti miller web_site , gifmillermanofaction . com , which describes the council speaker as a tool of the mayor who was ''nurtured on a strict diet of waffles . '' that site 's registration matches the one for the anti fields web_site . spokesmen for mr . miller 's and ms . fields 's campaigns shrugged off the sites , which were reactivated last night after a period of dormancy . ''there can be more constructive ways to make your voice heard , '' said nick charles , ms . fields 's campaign spokesman . off the trail	has a location of america
when robert stidham , an executive at a chicago company , relocated to long_island last year , he had no chance to learn about the area . having moved several times , he knew the difficulties involved in settling in a new location disconnecting and reconnecting utilities , finding an insurance_broker , a mover and other service_providers that he hoped would be reputable . ''i knew nothing about the area , '' said mr . stidham , recently employed by dunhill staffing systems in hauppauge . ''it was important that i hit the ground running and begin work . it 's such a hassle . '' the problem was compounded when he found that the house he had bought in selden required oil delivery and a connection for satellite_television . he was unfamiliar with both services . within a short time , mr . stidham , who bought his new house through the daniel_gale agency in stony_brook , said he experienced ''an unexpected pleasure . '' the agency had just begun a service that offers a range of free personal assistance available before , during and after the move and for as long as he owns the house . as part of the service , which is guided by a computer program called home link , the agency arranged for oil delivery and the satellite hookup . ''i was a bit leery at first when i was told that someone else would handle all this for me , '' mr . stidham said . ''but , as time went on , i saw what a great job they did . '' services that schedule and arrange assistance with the chores involved with moving and home maintenance are gradually becoming popular with real_estate companies . with many prospective home buyers turning to the internet for real_estate information , agencies are trying to offer clients added value . while at most independent one office real_estate agencies the agents still personally recommend local services to clients , many national agencies , as well as larger long_island based brokerage_firms with a number of offices , are establishing referral programs and hiring employees trained in dealing with utility companies , contractors and moving companies to run them . ''it is a new concept in realty services , '' said barbara franco , marketing manager for coldwell_banker sammis in huntington . more than two years ago , it began offering what is commonly called concierge service to its long_island offices . ''we are no longer the keepers of real_estate information people can get it online , '' ms . franco said . ''and , everyone is so busy . we definitely have to offer something more to our clients . this service is one of the best tools we have . it 's a win win situation and has been well received in the community . '' in the last two years , other large real_estate companies have either established a home service program or are looking into setting one up . national homefinders signature properties inc . in ronkonkoma , with 10 real_estate brokerage offices on long_island , established a home services program last year . prudential long_island , with 35 offices , ''is in the process of investigating with a few companies'' that have the service , said dorothy herman , its owner . ''it 's a great concept , '' she added . ''however , it 's a lot more difficult to do than meets the eye . '' the programs are basically organized in the same manner , with the service being free to the client . providers of such services as fuel delivery , carpentry and landscaping pay a fee to be on the agency 's referral list . they are recommended by company agents familiar with the area , receive a background_check and must be licensed and insured . in each agency , one or two employees coordinate the service with the individual agents and their clients . the service coordinator , working with the agent , contacts a service provider requested by the client . if the client uses that particular vendor , the coordinator monitors the service . the real_estate agencies themselves generally require that home buyers sign documents absolving the agency of any liability as a result of the service_providers' actions . the computer program used by the daniel_gale agency to manage the service , called home link and developed by the company of the same name , based in shelton , conn . , helps agents keep track of all aspects of the sales process . ''people are taking advantage of the program like crazy , '' said marie montchal , director of home link services for the gale agency , which has 11 offices on long_island . ''people are busier now than ever in their personal and work life . they appreciate people who will stay on hold with a utility service , follow up and make sure the work is done and that they are satisfied . '' each client is registered in a separate portfolio in the computer program , ms . montchal said , which contains his or her data along with continuing information about the sales process and home needs . ms . montchal works with two ''personal move coordinators , '' donna etergineoso and janet m . silver . a sales account manager , william byer , develops the list of service_providers and monitors their performance . home link service_providers have a choice of two programs . currently , there are 29 vendors , including doctors and antiques dealers , who pay a fee , which ms . montchal declined to specify , to be listed in the service directory , which is available on home link 's web_site , and in its quarterly magazine . an additional 20 vendors pay a higher fee and are directly referred to customers seeking the type of services they offer , ms . montchal said , as well as being given advertising space on the web_site . these are usually companies that address typical home needs , like movers and insurance agencies , she said . there are a few services for new homeowners that the agencies cannot arrange . for example , some water districts will not allow a third party to arrange for hookups , ms . montchal said . ''so , we get all the information and advise the client what to do . eventually , we 'll convince the water districts we can do a better job , that we would call during their downtime and make their job easier . '' the only problem that the national homefinders agency had with a vendor was when one did not respond to the client within 24 hours as required , said kathy ash , director of the program . ''if someone does n't meet our quality standards , '' she said , ''i have no problem eliminating them from our list . '' the home service at coldwell_banker sammis , which has 16 offices on long_island , has 65 vendors , with carpenters being the most popular , according to carol leite , the agency 's concierge representative . at the national homefinders agency , ms . ash , director of its signature home services division , works with one coordinator who sends a mailing to the agency 's clients . the mailing includes a checklist of services offered and a self addressed , stamped envelope . ''the response is unbelievable , '' she said . ''then they get a personal phone call from us , and we hook them up to a vendor . '' the 40 vendors , referred by the company 's 300 agents , pay a referral fee and in turn get advertising on national homefinder 's web_site and in the agency 's offices , as well as being referred to buyers in need of their services . contact with home buyers is not made directly , however , but comes through the coordinator at the real_estate agency . margy hargraves a broker at the daniel_gale agency who has been selling houses for 30 years , is enthusiastic about the home service program . ''it 's like a giant present to agents from the agency , '' she said . susan verdu , an agent with coldwell_banker sammis in smithtown who specializes in serving older clients , said the program was especially popular with older people and with buyers being relocated from out of the area . she also noted that it relieved a burden from agents , many of whom had been referring contractors and other services on their own for years . ''for 10 years we 've been putting together packets for corporations and seniors , '' she said . ''we were already doing it on a certain scale providing lists of elder attorneys and contacts we knew that have a good reputation . '' small independent realtors say they can handle the competition by continuing to do what they have always done . owners of one office agencies , like the 20 year old atanas realty corporation in williston park , say their agents offer referrals constantly . ''i have built up a four star list with a wide variety of services , including landscapers , doctors , restaurants and termite control people , '' said the owner , evelyn atanas , who has lived in the central nassau_county area all her life . ms . atanas does not charge vendors to be on her list , she said . ''i refer people i know who are good at their occupation , and i call around for other recommendations , '' she said . ''all i want is a job well done , or i 'll drop them . i 'm a stickler about them being good , and i know who is expensive , who is not , and who is good and who is not . ''	has a location of america
as the conversion of old industrial buildings to residential use continues and new apartment buildings rise in the dumbo area of brooklyn , the number of developers active in the neighborhood has also been increasing . one of the more active in dumbo , or down under the manhattan bridge overpass , is boymelgreen developers of brooklyn . the company , along with partners , has five residential projects in various stages of development that by 2005 will yield 268 apartments , mostly new condominiums but including some conversions of industrial or office buildings into apartments . several other developers plan an additional 500 apartments in that period , said richard mauro , a principal of dexter haven realty in dumbo . among them is two trees management , a pioneer in dumbo 's rejuvenation and its major property owner . mr . mauro said other developers included the kay organization , which plans to develop 50 to 60 condo apartments in a conversion and new construction project involving the old kirkland soap factory and an adjacent industrial building at bridge and plymouth streets . guma construction , he said , has started site work on a_12 story condo building at 133 water street that will also have 50 to 60 apartments , and cara construction has begun work on a 30 story mixed use tower on jay street between york and front streets that is to have 200 condos . dumbo began to take its current residential form in 1997 when two trees started to convert four of its industrial buildings into 131 rentals . a fifth structure , one main_street , was turned into 124 condo apartments that went on sale in 1998 and stamped the area a neighborhood . since then , additional housing has been created , new shops and restaurants have opened and more are anticipated , said jed walentas , a principal of two trees . christopher d . thomas , president of the brooklyn office of the william b . may residential brokerage company , said that because demand had so far remained in balance with supply ''there was no trouble absorbing'' the first wave of residences . and since they were in buildings closest to the east_river with views , sales prices were high but have now leveled off , he said , noting that prices were 500 to 700 a square_foot on average . but he said future prices might be closer to the lower end of that scale because many of the remaining buildings are far away from the water and offer lesser views . mr . walentas said that next year two trees planned to convert to housing 70 washington street , when the artists' studios and light industrial tenants in the 13 story structure move as their leases expire . he said the building , a few blocks from the water , would be converted into more than 200 condo apartments . in the last 18 months , the company has transformed the sweeney building at 30 main_street into 87 condos with 1 , 500 to 1 , 600 square_feet on average . all but two of the apartments have been sold for an average of 650 a square_foot , or 1 . 143 million , according to toby klein , executive sales director of two trees . sara mirski , a developer for boymelgreen , said that her company entered dumbo roughly three years ago and that its current projects represented a total investment of 150 million . the company 's first development , bridgefront , a 21 apartment condo , is nearing_completion at main and front streets . in the three months since sales began , all but one of the 10 story building 's 1 , 010 to 1 , 700 square_foot apartments have been sold for 600 , 000 to 1 . 15 million , ms . mirski said . boymelgreen has also begun work on an 11 story glass and chrome condo building with 44 apartments at 84 front street . the company is also converting two interconnecting , 1920 's commercial buildings at 57 front street to 33 one and two bedroom rental_apartments . residential real_estate	has a location of america
in the following reports , the " listed at " price is the asking price when negotiations began that ended in the sale . time on market is from most recent listing to contract . manhattan chelsea 255 , 000 22 west 26th_street 2 bedroom , 1 bath , 1 , 780 sq . ft . co op in a loft building part time doorman , elevator , dining_area , common roof_deck maintenance 1 , 124 , 40 tax deductible , listed at 289 , 000 , 1 year on market ( broker silverman group ) tribeca 262 , 000 39 white street 1 , 869 sq . ft . open loft co op elevator , 12 ft . ceilings , 1 bath , 2 exposures maintenance 1 , 000 , 80 tax deductible . listed at 275 , 000 , 3 months on market ( broker elise ward i.b.c. ) upper east side 925 , 000 630 park_avenue ( 66th st . ) 3 bedroom , 4 bath , 2 , 000 sq . ft . prewar co op 24 hr . doorman , concierge , manned_elevator , maid 's room , dining_room , 2 fireplaces maintenance 1940 , 40 tax deductible , listed at 1 . 025 million , 1 year on market ( broker key ventures , inc . ) upper west side 810 , 000 175 west 88th_street 2 family , 4 story town house 3 bedrooms , 2 baths , 2 fireplaces in each unit finished_basement taxes 6 , 191 , listed at 875 , 000 , 11 weeks on market ( broker vandenberg real_estate ) bronx city_island 117 , 500 346 william avenue 2 bedroom , 1 bath , 50 year old cottage family room , living room , full basement taxes 800 , listed at 125 , 000 , 1 week on market ( broker_jacqueline_kyle_kall ) morris park 178 , 000 1729 white plains road 2 family , semi_attached brick house 3 bedrooms , 1 bath , dining_room in each unit finished_basement taxes 1 , 300 , listed at 185 , 000 , 4 months on market ( broker marland real_estate ) brooklyn brooklyn_heights 285 , 000 22 pierrepont street 2 bedroom , 2 bath , 1 , 400 sq . ft . co op in a brownstone elevator , study , fireplace , terrace maintenance 759 , 50 tax deductible , listed at 325 , 000 , 7 weeks on market ( broker william b . may ) prospect_heights 283 , 500 273 prospect place 2 family , 52 year old , attached , brick house 4 bedrooms , 2 baths , eat in kitchen and sitting room in primary triplex 1 bedroom , 1 bath in other renovated baths , new floors in each taxes 1 , 275 , listed at 295 , 000 , 5 months on market ( broker cole cole realty ) park_slope 320 , 000 544 8th street 2 family , 3 story limestone 3 bedroom , 2 bath , dining_room , eat in kitchen in primary duplex 2 bedrooms , 1 bath in simplex original moldings in each taxes 1 , 600 , listed at 345 , 000 , 1 week on market ( broker f.j . kazeroid realty group ) queens forest_hills 195 , 000 95 24 72d street 3 bedroom , 1 1 2 bath , 62 year old , wood frame colonial_dining_room , eat in kitchen , finished_basement , 1 car garage taxes 1 , 400 , listed at 225 , 000 , 3 months on market ( broker dix realty ) forest hills gardens 545 , 700 92 greenway north 5 bedroom , 4 bath , 70 year old , brick , center hall colonial_dining_room , eat in kitchen , solarium , fireplace , 1 car garage taxes 3 , 964 , listed at 549 , 000 , 1 week on market ( broker_terrace_realty ) staten_island grasmere 215 , 000 136 providence street 3 bedroom , 2 baths , 30 year old , detached , raised ranch_dining_room , eat in kitchen , full basement , 1 car garage taxes 1 , 700 , listed at 229 , 000 , 4 weeks on market ( broker coldwell_banker desimone realty ) great kills 150 , 000 60 lindenwood road 2 bedroom , 1 bath , 65 year old ranch dining_area , eat in kitchen , new roof , windows and siding taxes 1 , 200 , listed at 165 , 000 , 6 weeks on market ( broker linda nasta realtor ) long_island commack 173 , 000 32 schuyler drive 3 bedroom , 1 1 2 bath , 35 year old colonial_dining_room , eat in kitchen , finished_basement , den , fireplace , 1 car garage taxes 4 , 300 , listed at 179 , 000 , 5 weeks on market ( brokers coach real_estate associates re max one ) . jericho 379 , 250 21 hunt court 4 bedroom , 2 1 2 bath , 4 year old condominium town house dining_room , eat in kitchen , finished_basement , fireplace , pool , tennis taxes 10 , 000 , common charge 392 , listed at 395 , 000 , 6 months on market ( brokers east brook realty eldon realty ) . muttontown 635 , 000 98 sterling court 5 bedroom , 3 1 2 bath , 18 year old ranch_dining_room , eat in kitchen , den , basement , fireplace , 2 car garage , 1 acre taxes 10 , 000 , listed at 685 , 000 , 3 months on market ( brokers sterling properties east brook realty ) . west_islip 162 , 000 78 parkwood road 3 bedroom , 2 bath , 37 year old ranch_dining_room , attic , fireplace , 1 car garage taxes 5 , 000 , listed at 167 , 000 ( broker the prudential long_island realty ) . new jersey denville 259 , 000 10 whitman drive 4 bedroom , 2 1 2 bath , 32 year old raised ranch 1 . 25 acre lot , 2 fireplaces , 2 decks taxes 4 , 387 , listed at 269 , 900 , 1 month on market ( broker prudential new jersey realtors ) lawrence township 361 , 000 54 fackler road 4 bedroom , 3 bath , 30 year old colonial 2 fireplaces , french doors , flagstone terrace taxes 5 , 139 , listed at 379 , 000 , 1 month on market ( broker richard a . weidel realtors ) lower township 59 , 000 713 winslow avenue 2 bedroom , 1 bath , 37 year old ranch handyman special , eat in kitchen , laundry room taxes 1 , 110 , listed at 59 , 900 , 27 weeks on market ( brokers demusz real_estate ) wyckoff 325 , 000 468 meer avenue 3 bedroom , 2 bath , 30 year old ranch c a , fireplace , 2 car garage taxes 4 , 886 , listed at 335 , 500 , 11 weeks on market ( broker_weichert realtors ) westchester peekskill 186 , 000 626 cardinal road 3 bedroom , 2 bath , raised ranch family room , eat in kitchen , dining_room , 2 car garage taxes 4 , 910 , listed at 188 , 400 , 5 weeks on market ( broker chris markatos associates ) pelham_manor 761 , 500 49 hillcrest drive 8 bedroom , 6 1 2 bath , 75 year old colonial modern eat in kitchen , family room , sauna , gym taxes 17 , 825 , listed at 825 , 000 , 2 years on market ( broker mcclellan company ) mamaroneck 330 , 000 1041 taylor avenue 5 bedroom , 3 bath , 32 year old raised ranch family room , fireplace , deck , 2 car garage taxes 11 , 253 , listed at 375 , 000 , 13 weeks on market ( brokers_coldwell_banker , reality 3 real_estate ) somers 166 , 250 1 dellworth drive 3 bedroom , 2 bath , 11 year old ranch entry_foyer , eat in kitchen , playroom , pool taxes 3 , 229 , listed at 179 , 900 , 14 weeks on market ( brokers_coldwell_banker michael st . george realty ) connecticut darien 290 , 000 1 old stone road 3 bedroom , 2 bath , 47 year old cape_cod eat in kitchen , fireplace , recently remodeled , 1 car garage , 0 . 50 acre taxes 2 , 612 , listed at 309 , 000 , 2 months on market ( brokers preferred properties prudential connecticut ) fairfield 180 , 000 528 old field road 3 bedroom , 2 bath , 90 year old colonial_dining_room , eat in kitchen , family room , solarium taxes 2 , 830 , listed at 205 , 000 , 38 weeks on market ( brokers ravis real_estate century 21 coastal realty ) greenwich 1 . 025 million 87 perkins road 5 bedroom , 4 1 2 bath , 25 year old colonial_dining_room , family room , library , entrance hall , eat in kitchen , c a , 3 fireplaces , pool , screen porch , circular driveway , 2 acres , 2 car garage , full basement taxes 7 , 100 , listed at 1 . 135 million , 3 months on market ( broker coldwell_banker_schlott realtors ) stamford 491 , 000 76 ridgecrest road 4 bedroom , 2 1 2 bath , 25 year old brick colonial finished_basement , 2 fireplaces , remodeled baths , pool , 2 car garage , 1 acre taxes 7 , 146 , listed at 535 , 000 , 16 weeks on market ( brokers_coldwell_banker schlott_realtors william_pitt real_estate )	has a location of america
when the city_council decided last week to sever the contract that gave xanadu properties associates exclusive rights to build a luxury residential colony on davids_island , the developer had gone as far as he could go , he said , in reducing the density of the project . " you reach a point where a project cannot be further downsized , " said james m . kozak , a vice_president of the xanadu partnership . " to further reduce the plan 's density would be to end up with a scheme that no bank would finance . " the city , for its part , had concluded that the 1 billion project would win neither the necessary two thirds vote of the county board of legislators nor approval by the secretary of state in albany . so reluctantly , at least for three of five members of the city_council , xanadu 's request for a contract extension was rejected tuesday night . mayor timothy c . idoni , who had been in favor of extending xanadu 's exclusive rights for another five years , changed his mind after a six hour public hearing monday_night . he praised the plan , nevertheless , as a proposal of " exceptional quality " before joining the rest of the council in rejecting it . he also said that " environmental concerns have been carefully and thoroughly addressed " by the developers , in what amounted to their third major version of the plan , and that they had produced " real public_access " to the island , a sore point that arose when the original plan barred the public . mr . kozak said , " everyone wanted public_access and parks , but no one was giving us abatements . " " there must be a balance between economics and the environment , " he said . " our plan struck that balance , but it was on a razor 's edge . if the plan was downgraded any further it would have been no longer feasible . " 'they left the door open for us' gordon marshall , a xanadu partner , said he was " gratified that they left the door open for us , " referring to the mayor 's stated intention to " open the process to new proposals from other developers , including xanadu . " but mr . marshall said it would be improper to approach gail s . shaffer , the state secretary of state , " or anyone else , without being the designated developer . " " if the city should reopen the process , we would like to participate , " he said . he said his partners had been having discussions with ms . shaffer " and felt we were on the right track " when the city_council acted . he said there was no way of knowing how any new proposal would differ from the most recent version . he had some words of caution for any interested developer . " i do n't think there is an understanding of what has to be done before you can develop that island , " he said . " people think it is a bucolic island that only needs to be built on . " " davids_island has the remnants of fort slocum , which it took the army a year to build , " he said . " buildings are burned out and the former gymnasium , which had a metal arched roof , looks like a pile of metal spaghetti . it would cost 60 million just to dismantle the buildings . " the bridge , which became a focus of disagreement at many levels , " would have cost 40 million , " mr . marshall said . " we spent over 20 million for all the studies , " an investment that other developers would have to repeat " because we consider our results to be proprietary . " " then there 's another 10 . 35 million we would owe the city upon closing , " mr . marshall added . " so that 's a total of more than 130 million , " he said . " how many developers are prepared to spend that before a shovel goes into the ground ? " any return to negotiating over davids_island might be delayed , meanwhile , in the wake of last week 's vote . mayor idoni said , " davids_island will still be part of our development process , but downtown has to be our immediate interest . " many proponents of granting xanadu an extension cited the poor economic condition of new rochelle 's downtown as underscoring the need for new ratables , or taxable property , that davids_island promised . robert angarola , president of the school board , put it this way " new rochelle is in dire need of development , and it needs it now . some say the developer has inflated the property taxes the project will produce , but any new revenue is acceptable . " the process is called the problem richard syracuse , a builder and developer , said , " you wo n't get another developer in this current economic situation and with new rochelle 's viability in question . " the process is the problem , not the developer , he added . mayor idoni , speaking after the vote rejecting xanadu , was more optimistic about the chances of improving the city 's long stagnant downtown . " we are negotiating with the starrett housing_corporation for the construction of 300 rental_units and could have a preliminary agreement next month , " he said . " in addition , we are one of four finalists as the site of a new headquarters for unicef , " he said . " two others are in new york city , and the other is in new jersey . " the mayor said he hoped new rochelle would be favored because it " sits astride i_95 , " the new england thruway . unicef is now situated near united_nations_headquarters in manhattan . mayor idoni said the proposal would bring 700 to 1 , 000 unicef employees to new rochelle . they would work in a new 20 story building near the metro_north tracks opposite a mall on huguenot street . a development framework sought the mayor suggested another reason for delaying resumption of davids_island activity . he thought it would be useful if city officials sat down with interested parties at the county , state and even federal level to agree on a framework in which a developer could work . stephen p . tenore , the chairman of the board of legislators and the new rochelle representative on the board , said , " i see an opportunity for the county , the secretary of state and the city to jointly establish what is acceptable to all before we deal with another developer . " " we should become pro active instead of reactive , " he said . mr . tenore had warned that only 1 of 17 county legislators had indicated support for the proposed bridge to davids_island , and that warning did as much as anything else to kill xanadu 's extension . " my own interest , " mr . tenore said , " would be less density , much less height in the apartment buildings and complete public_access to the island . he had also objected to a projected 800 boat marina " that would be only 1 , 000 feet from glen island beach . " lack of an escape clause cited he also objected to " the fact that the projected extension for xanadu provided no escape clause , " which would mean the city " would be unable to act for five years even if xanadu 's proposals were rejected by albany . " the disagreements over xanadu 's proposal covered several aspects of the ambitious plan to turn the desolate island into a luxurious community of residential towers with only two apartments on a floor , scores of town house units , a yacht club , a marina , a heliport and a 3 , 465 foot bridge . the developers first introduced the concept of residential exclusivity , with the public barred from the island . ms . shaffer , among others , found this to be elitist and said that turning publicly owned coastal land into private use was unacceptable . xanadu then offered a half acre site near the bridge 's island terminus that would be open to the public during daylight hours . that , too , was rejected . the final version contained 19 acres of public promenades and parks , with access extended to a crescent shaped rocky jetty protecting the marina . residents protested loss of view as for density , the original plan called for four 50 story apartment towers , with other families living in town houses on landscaped grounds . mr . marshall said the city had hoped for a_4 , 500 unit colony but that figure was cut to 2 , 000 and then 1 , 750 . shoreline residents in new rochelle and the communities to the north on long_island_sound bitterly protested that the plan would adversely_affect their view . building heights were cut to 31 stories and , finally , to one tower of 19 stories and three of 15 stories . environmentalists and others were most strongly opposed to the bridge and to a waste treatment plant that they said would pollute the atmosphere and the fragile waters of the sound . xanadu changed its original plan , which provided secondary treatment , to a promise to build a more effective tertiary treatment plant . experts hired by the developers said the tertiary process would reduce the introduction of harmful nitrogen into the sound to a negligible four parts per million . the federated conservationists of westchester_county said the developer 's study of sound waters overlooked information generated by the long_island_sound study , a five year effort . bridge stirred heated debate the argument over the bridge was probably the most heated and the least likely to be resolved because it hinged less on esthetics , which the developers recognized with a slimmer , more graceful design , than on the fact of the span itself . the environmentalists said ferry_service was an appropriate alternative . xanadu said ferry_service would be hazardous in the busy waters between the island and the mainland . the developer also said that automobiles moving across a bridge would produce less pollution than 100 cars starting up cold at the ends of the bridge . a ferry would require construction of a huge parking_lot in south new rochelle near the shore facing the island . eight homes would have to be removed from that area for construction of a bridge , the developers said .	has a location of america
last month , when swiss bank announced it would leave new york for stamford , conn . , it was big news in both cities . new york , still smarting from the defection of small but high profile mastercard to westchester , now faces the prospect that 1 , 300 swiss bank jobs and 700 planned new ones will vanish up interstate_95 . stamford not only gets the jobs , but also a new office complex in a seedy part of town . stamford officials and landlords profess delight , but not surprise . after all , connecticut gave swiss bank tax breaks that could amount to 120 million over 10 years . and , they note , swiss bank is just the latest albeit the largest company leaving new york for stamford these days . " swiss bank is just an exclamation mark to what is happening here , " said h . darrell harvey , president of the ashforth company , a stamford real_estate concern . indeed , stamford is going through a renaissance . according to christopher p . bruhl , president of the business council of southwestern connecticut , more than 300 companies have relocated to fairfield_county most to stamford in the last five years . very few of those , mr . bruhl notes , were given incentives to come . " those relocations are n't because of incentives or cheap rents , " mr . bruhl said . " if you want cheap , you go to brazil or north_carolina . we 're about value . " stamford afficionados predict even more newcomers in swiss bank 's wake . " all the service companies that will follow , the accounting firms , the legal firms , even the messenger services , will gobble up the remaining space , " said michael j . cacace , a partner in cacace , tusch santagata , a stamford law_firm . apparently , investors believe that , too . in the last few years zell merrill_lynch has spent 132 million to buy five office buildings . equity office properties has paid 146 . 45 million for another five stamford buildings and has been renovating them . " we feel all of these buildings are undervalued assets and that the stamford market has hit bottom , " said patrick lerch , equity 's northeast regional manager . stamford 's nascent revival is being actively nurtured . local officials persuaded the state to put a university of connecticut campus in downtown stamford , at the site of a closed bloomingdale 's . a new cultural center has opened . so have nightclubs , discos and restaurants that cater to a young , lively crowd . the train_station will be getting a 50 million overhaul next year , which will double its capacity for trains by 1998 . but all that is nothing compared to stamford 's overhaul in self_image . over the years , the city has gradually metamorphosed from an old line manufacturing center into a service industry hub . the business council 's statistics show that employment in finance , insurance and real_estate the so called fire sector in the greater stamford area has grown 45 percent in the last five years . " this area has a tremendously well educated , highly professional labor pool , " said mr . harvey . " those companies that can afford to tap into it are getting the best . " the new service emphasis has been a wrenching change for stamford . during the 60 's and 70 's , stamford evolved into a corporate campus city , a place where industrial companies like olin , xerox and combustion engineering built palace like headquarters . lawyers , accountants and others looking to serve the industrial behemoths soon followed . well paid executives for those companies moved nearby , to parts of stamford and to such neighboring communities as greenwich , new canaan , darien and westport . for no small reason is fairfield_county known as connecticut 's gold_coast . but in the late 80 's the lagging economy forced many corporations to cut staff , and thus space . many others subscribed to the growing belief that american corporations had too many layers of management . they , too , began pruning their staffs . the effects of downsizing , as well as of the highway congestion that had accompanied the earlier expansion , rippled throughout stamford . many downtown stores closed or moved to the stamford mall . the f . d . rich company , for decades stamford 's premier office building developer , lost its buildings to its lenders one by one . " by 1991 stamford real_estate was dead in the water , " said anthony e . malkin , president of w m properties , which owns two class a office buildings in the city . the aftershocks continue . according to the edward s . gordon company , the real_estate concern , the international_business_machines corporation , olin and abb combustion engineering returned more than 650 , 000 square_feet to the fairfield_county market in the second quarter of 1994 . cummings lockwood , perhaps the area 's largest law_firm , champion international and lone star industries each put big blocks of space on the market for sublet . gte and other companies that are not looking for sublet tenants have nonetheless shrunk enough to rattle around in their buildings . but the good news has been considerable , too . stamford never relied heavily on now beleaguered industries like military contracting . ge_capital , now its leading corporate citizen , has expanded to several buildings and is buying olin 's 277 , 000 square_foot headquarters . a few other large companies are looking at stamford with renewed interest . brokers say elizabeth arden is looking for 100 , 000 square_feet and that two computer related companies are also looking for large chunks of space . swiss bank is expected to rent more than 100 , 000 square_feet of interim space while its new downtown complex is being built . and stamford has been enjoying the same " flight to quality " that buoyed much of manhattan 's midtown during the recession . small companies found they could move into a premier stamford building like metro center or the general reinsurance building for annual rents in the low 20 's per square_foot and operating costs that , at about 8 to 10 , are half what they are in midtown . " twenty dollars will buy you a lot more here than in manhattan , " said michael trolle , a first vice_president of the cb commercial real_estate brokerage . " stamford has become a place where 5 , 000 square_foot deals are the norm and where a 30 , 000 foot tenant can drive a hard bargain , " said michael siegel , an executive director of edward s . gordon . the influx of smaller companies has lent a new aura of stability to the market . " in the 80 's , four tenants moving could mean 600 , 000 square_feet of vacant space , " said mr . malkin . " today , you 'd have to lose 30 tenants before you had a 150 , 000 foot vacancy . it 's the end of the corporate elephant as the dominant factor . " indeed , owners are actively courting smaller companies . realty venture_capital associates recently bought a 140 , 000 square_foot stamford office building from its lenders . harold siegelaub , a general partner , says he thinks the going market in town for space in a property like his is about 22 a foot . " but , " he says , " i 'll do 3 or even 5 a foot better for a software company , a marketing firm , any company in a business that i feel will grow with us . " and tenants , do , indeed , grow . jmw consultants moved from about 5 , 000 square_feet in midtown_manhattan to 15 , 000 square_feet in metro center in july . " we came because of real_estate values , but we love it here now , " said one jmw employee . thompson publishing 's information publishing group moved from park_avenue , where its corporate headquarters was , to metro center in 1989 because " there was no business reason to be in new york city , so why pay twice the rental , " said gerald d . tenser , a vice_president . since then thompson has brought over an operation from teaneck , n.j. , and is about to move its headquarters staff to stamford . " yes , there 's an energy level , excitement , work pace in new york that we do n't get here , " mr . tenzer concedes . " frankly , it 's boring . but it costs less , and the quality of life is just terrific . " indeed , even shrinking companies seem disinclined to move out . savin corporation , an office machine company , emerged from bankruptcy in december . it has moved from a total of 37 , 000 square_feet in two stamford buildings into 26 , 000 square_feet in a third stamford building . " we 're in a building with a health_club , a sundry shop , a cafeteria , and we even got an incentive from the state to stay , " said a savin spokeswoman , louise stix .	has a location of america
the brooklyn_bridge is not for sale , but how about a short term monthly lease , one day less than a year , on a parking_lot underneath it on the northeast corner of pearl and dover streets ? a gavel pounding auctioneer will be looking for a minimum opening bid of 15 , 900 a month for the lot at a city public lease auction to be held in the second floor auditorium at 125 worth street on sept . 14 at 10 a.m . the 10 , 500 square_foot unimproved lot ( parcel 8 ) , owned by the city since 1886 , is among 22 city owned vacant_lots and commercial properties available for short and long term leases . " this is the first time we are holding an open bid lease property auction , " said charles v . walker , spokesman for the city 's department of general services , which manages the properties . " we think it 's fairer and increases competition . " although there are advance requirements and limitations on use pre auction paperwork , proper licensing , zoning regulations anyone in good standing can participate . translation no scofflaws or anyone in default on a loan . the 10 parking_lots in the auction include two on the future site of the bronx criminal court complex , on which construction is scheduled to begin in 1998 they require minimum monthly bids of 15 , 000 each . also available is a_20 by 60 foot billboard on the henry_hudson_parkway , north of west 146th street the billboard requires a minimum bid of 6 , 500 a month , and no tobacco advertisements are allowed . for information , and to obtain a required bid packet , call ( 212 ) 669 8888 .	has a location of america
traditionally , the gold_coast towns of fairfield_county barely flinch when the rest of the state may be in serious economic pain . in the current economic slowdown , there is softening in the support for high house prices , but many real_estate agents say that wall_street 's problems have affected them very little . most towns had fewer homes for sale between may 1 and july 31 than they did in the corresponding period last year . but prices have risen . some brokers attribute the increase to a shallow inventory , while others say that multiple_bids for well maintained homes in desirable neighborhoods keep driving prices up . however , more buyers are negotiating down than up . amounts have varied_widely from 2 , 700 off on a house listed at 134 , 900 in bridgeport to a 50 , 000 reduction on a 1 . 095 million new canaan house . multiple bid situations , and the consequent nudging of prices up rather than down , have not disappeared , however , agents from a number of real_estate offices around fairfield_county say . last month , elayne jassey , an agent at prudential connecticut realty in stamford , had four multiple bid situations . since may 1 , 141 homes have been contracted for in stamford at prices averaging 603 , 013 . last year , there were 237 contracted for or sold in the same time period at an average price of 534 , 793 . ''young couples are coming from manhattan , where they are spending 3 , 000 a month on a one bedroom apartment , '' ms . jassey said . ''we also have people from westchester . taxes of up to 30 , 000 in scarsdale on a 1 million house are about 10 , 000 to 13 , 000 here . '' in greenwich , where prices rarely fall , 269 contracts from may through july of last year averaged 1 . 8 million , according to figures from preferred properties . this year , 295 contracts in that period dropped to an average 1 . 76 million . two homes priced at more than 6 . 5 million one at 7 . 9 million and the other at 16 . 8 million were contracted for this year in the may july period , down from nine sales in that price range last year . the high ranges ''are suffering'' in norwalk , said carol ann falasco , a sales agent at coldwell_banker . ''there are more 500 , 000 to 700 , 000 homes staying on the market longer , '' she said . ''anything you can find in the 300 , 000 's or 200 , 000 's goes right away . people are going back to condos . they ca n't afford houses any more . '' last year 's total of contracts on 164 homes from may through july dropped to 143 this year . attractive lending rates , down to 7 . 375 percent from 8.5 percent last year for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage , are stimulating the market . renters and people priced out of the lower fairfield_county market are becoming buyers in bridgeport . ''we have been signing contracts and closings on about 150 homes a month since may , '' mark greengarden of century 21 in bridgeport said of the local market . ''foreclosed properties start at 40 , 000 and the upper end is around 319 , 000 . we are 20 percent up in sales from last year and 27 percent up in prices . '' the usual influx of corporate transferees has dwindled with the contraction of corporations but has not completely dried up . starwood hotels moved thomas conophy , an executive his wife , jody and their two daughters from texas to new canaan in march . ''the house went for 1 . 456 million , over the asking price of 1 . 435 million , '' said denise gannalo , a vice_president at william_raveis real_estate , which represented the seller . there have been 80 new canaan homes for sale on which binders have been signed this year , up from 78 last year . westport 's coldwell_banker office tabulated 132 contracts this year , with an average sale price of 909 , 772 . last year , 149 homes were contracted for and sold at an average of 862 , 841 . ''everything under 1 million continues to sell , '' said gino kelly , who owns kelly associates real_estate in darien . ''we had 114 transactions from may through july at an average of 1 . 022 million . last year , we had 100 homes contracted in that period at an average of 956 , 970 . '' summing up the market , casey jones , a managing partner at william_pitt real_estate , said ''last year , the market was white hot . what we 're looking at now is a return to normalcy . we 're operating at 1999 levels and the good news is pricing has gone up since then or held . last year , there were boatloads of money around . this year , there 's just a lot of money around . ''	has a location of america
under fire from democrats and tenants' groups for not playing a more active role in resolving the fight over new york state 's rent laws , gov . george e . pataki said yesterday that his staff had begun talks with both tenants and landlords about a possible compromise . but when pressed by reporters for details about those talks , mr . pataki repeatedly said that he did not know much about the discussions and was not at liberty to release what information he had . later , mr . pataki 's director of communications , zenia_mucha , said she did not know what the administration was doing to spur talks over the rent rules , which limit rent increases on more than one million apartments in new york city and its suburbs . the current laws are scheduled to expire after june 15 . billy easton , executive director of new york state tenants and neighbors coalition , the state 's largest tenants' group , also said that no one from the administration had contacted his group to discuss possible solutions to the rent fight . mr . pataki has said for several weeks now that he wants to keep his position on the rent laws purposely vague so he can act as a mediator between senate republicans , who want the laws to be phased out , and assembly democrats , who want to maintain the laws unchanged . metro news briefs new york state	has a location of america
lead on the east side of manhattan , from 96th_street north , empty lots still outnumber condominiums , boarded up windows are more common than ''for sale'' signs and trash far exceeds brass . nonetheless , people who live there are worried that the neighborhood is getting trendy . on the east side of manhattan , from 96th_street north , empty lots still outnumber condominiums , boarded up windows are more common than ''for sale'' signs and trash far exceeds brass . nonetheless , people who live there are worried that the neighborhood is getting trendy . given the grisly condition of the area known as east_harlem or el barrio and the neighborhood 's bleak statistics on poverty , drug abuse and crime , such fears might seem premature . and though community leaders have been alarmed by property speculation and private development in the neighborhood , especially in the blocks just above 96th_street , they agree that there is no ''land rush'' surging through east_harlem . still , the ' 'discovery'' of east_harlem , just across 96th_street from the northern limits of the glitzy upper east side , seems inevitable . what community leaders aim to do by acting early is to control the redevelopment they are certain is on its way so that it comes as a benefit to current residents , not at their expense , as has been the case in other parts of new york . city officials and urban planners think that a number of unusual conditions set east_harlem apart and make it possible to achieve there what has so far proved elusive in new york a balanced regeneration that provides economic opportunity and housing improvements both for newcomers and for residents who have managed to survive the bad times . ''it 's an area where the opportunities are greatest'' for that kind of a mixed community , said peter marcuse , a professor of urban_planning at columbia_university . mr . marcuse said the most confounding problem is achieving a balance between not enough private investment and too much . ''what you want is investment that benefits current residents , '' he said . east_harlem 's strengths are obvious . it has a setting of great beauty , bounded on the north and east by the east and harlem rivers and on the west , in part , by central_park . institutions such as mount_sinai medical center exert a stabilizing influence on the neighborhood . on the south is 96th_street , with its sparkling new condominium towers on the edge of the upper east side . but east_harlem 's limitations are equally obvious . its housing stock is among the oldest and most rundown in manhattan one out of every three buildings is a turn of the century tenement and there are few elegant brownstones . publicly assisted housing_projects loom over the neighborhood from almost every angle , and act as breakwaters against surges of redevelopment . thirty eight percent of the population receives public assistance , and the median_family_income at the time of the last census was 9 , 102 . rents are too low in many occupied buildings to support much in the way of remodeling and upkeep . the city owns most of the vacant buildings and nearly a quarter of all the land is empty . ''this is going to be a tough area to gentrify , '' said eugene sklar , director of the east_harlem settlement house , a nonprofit_organization that has served the community since 1895 . ''but it 's an area where we have a great opportunity to create a mixed community . it has the potential of becoming an interesting place , rather than being ripped to shreds by redevelopment . '' the potential may be present , but achieving any sort of equitable mix will require strong political , economic and social will . so far , even the community itself cannot agree on just what kind of a mix it wants to see . some argue that all the city owned property should be used for low income families . others claim there is room enough for some moderate income units , including opportunities for working_class families to own their own homes . the city so far has supported both approaches , but it has also come to rely heavily on east_harlem as the receiver for some 1 , 700 units of housing for the homeless , with still more to come . the current flashpoint over redevelopment of east_harlem is the area just north of the 96th_street dividing line , where developers have renovated old tenements , many of them vacant , into market rate condominiums . east_harlem community leaders expect this type of development to continue , creeping up slowly from the south . but they think it will be contained by the substantial wall of housing authority projects and other subsidized_housing complexes that begins at 97th street and second avenue and spreads unevenly throughout the area . the private developers who have so far undertaken the scattering of redevelopments believe east_harlem is making a strong comeback , but their enthusiasm , which burned brightly a year or two ago , has cooled over the last few months . ''east_harlem is a good area to work in , '' said victor politis , a developer who sold 34 apartments at east 102d street last year . even so , mr . politis said he does not have any current projects in the neighborhood and probably will not begin any for another year or two . ''with all the development on the upper east side and the changes we 've seen in the market lately , i personally think it 's going to take a little longer than anticipated for east_harlem to come back . ' mr . politis said that after the stock_market came unglued last oct . 19 he began sensing ''a bit of hesitation on the part of first time homebuyers in certain areas . '' he also noted that so many new apartments have come on the market in the more established area between 86th and 96th streets that units in east_harlem are hard pressed to compete . before oct . 19 , he said , he had considered converting the old public_school 168 on 104th and 105th streets , between first and second avenues into 108 condominium units . however , he said , the current owner had increased the price beyond what he was willing to pay ''especially in a risky neighborhood . '' the old school building is a good example of what the anticipated rebirth of east_harlem has done to property values in some areas , even before the streetscape changed in any way . triple action realty of carmel , n.y. , purchased the school building in 1981 at a city auction for 121 , 500 and sat on it for five years before selling it to harry skydell for 2 . 5 million . mr . skydell , who was involved in some of the earliest renovations in the east_village , another up and coming neighborhood , has done no work on the elaborately detailed building . last year , when he planned to enter a partnership with mr . politis , its value had risen to 5 million . mr . skydell said he now is negotiating with other potential partners on the school project and is trying to arrange financing for several other redevelopments in east_harlem . ''the school is a big , very visible development like the christadora in the east_village that will have a positive impact on the overall development and perception of the area , '' mr . skydell said . mr . skydell and his partners converted the christadora , a vacant 16 story building across from tompkins square park in the east_village , after it too had been bought and sold several times at progressively higher prices . the project helped set the tone for east_village redevelopment four years ago . in spite of the condition of p.s . 168 , some projects have moved forward nearby . across east 105th street from the old school , david scharf , who has done rehabilitations in the east_village and the upper west side , recently renovated two tenements into 36 one and two bedroom condominiums selling for 135 , 000 to 144 , 000 . the project , at 319 east 105th street , between first and second avenues , optimistically called renaissance east , has been on the market since last fall four units have been sold . ''it 's a little slower than it was two years ago , '' mr . scharf said . ''unfortunately , we opened in a very slow sales period but over the last two weeks things have picked up quite a bit . '' john g . tiralosi , a midtown_manhattan accountant , is buying a two bedroom unit at renaissance east . mr . tiralosi said he and his wife have rented an apartment on east 106th since june and both feel safe in the neighborhood where his mother in law has owned a tenement building for 11 years . ''i had more problems with my car when i lived in park_slope than i do in this neighborhood , '' said mr . tiralosi . he added that he can get taxi_drivers to take him to 106th street , and that ''as far as safety goes , we have n't felt unsafe yet . '' two years ago , mr . scharf completed another conversion at 307 309 east 105th street , but most of the purchasers were from outside the neighborhood and many who bought apartments do not live there . diana finch , an attorney , purchased a 1 , 000 square_foot duplex there in december 1986 for 85 , 000 and she rents it out for about 1 , 000 a month . ms . finch , who works for the bedford stuyvesant restoration corporation in brooklyn , said she had some difficulty at first renting the apartment because ''people were skeptical of safety in the neighborhood . '' but she said her tenants seemed to have ''adapted easily , '' and though their apartment has been broken into , they have not been physically harmed . she said she considers east_harlem still to be a good investment and she is looking at other projects in the area . ''although the physical condition of the neighborhood is daunting at first , '' she said , ''anyone who gives it a chance will be impressed . '' the low prices attracted most of the buyers . a spot check of other real_estate offerings shows that prices are now beginning to come closer to the rest of manhattan , though they remain far below the choicest areas . a four story brownstone at 344 east 120th street , on a block with a junior high_school and several vacant city owned buildings still boarded up with the bizarre painted curtain panels put up a few years ago , is on the market now for 269 , 000 though the agent at rivera realty said the price was ''negotiable . '' a brick tenement on lexington_avenue and 104th street that a local community group purchased in 1979 for less than 10 , 000 was sold in 1984 for 160 , 000 . george e . calvert , executive director of hope community inc . , the community based organization that sold the lexington_avenue tenement , said he believes that ' 'speculators have hit their peak'' in east_harlem . he said that investors came in buying buildings for around 100 , 000 anticipating that prices would escalate the way they did on the upper west side . ''but they found they had eight unit buildings that needed 400 , 000 in work that they could n't sell or rent . '' mr . calvert said his group is working on or planning to undertake the construction or rehabilitation of some 600 apartments throughout east_harlem . at least 400 of the apartments , he said , will go to low income families in the neighborhood , but others would be offered for rent or sale at levels that middle_income and working_class families could afford . for instance , hope is rebuilding 12 apartments on 104th street that will range in price from 41 , 500 to 87 , 500 , including reductions of 13 , 500 per unit through state subsidies . monthly_maintenance and debt service on the condominiums would be roughly 450 to 900 , depending on the size of the apartment . hope also is involved in renovating city owned buildings using city and federal funds . in these buildings , 75 percent of the units will be reserved for low income families , with the rest renting at market rates of about 560 a month for one bedrooms and 790 for two bedrooms . mr . calvert maintains that mixing the income levels targeted for the new apartments is not a problem ''except for the political bosses who are terrified to pieces . '' he said east_harlem ''has always been diverse , '' and that many neighborhood residents over the last few years have raised their incomes , which has improved their economic standing and made them ready for home ownership . other community leaders are more cautious . john vaughn , director of east_harlem interfaith , a coalition of religious groups , said he agreed that a mixed income community was potentially a valid goal for east_harlem , but ''we do n't want to get caught in all the things that happened on the upper east side there used to be diversity there , too . '' he considers the spillover of more affluent people at 96th_street and the potential for redevelopment along the upper reaches of fifth avenue to be warning signs that east_harlem has caught the development community 's eye . he said people in the neighborhood are scared to death they will be thrown out of their apartments , and are ' 'reacting to that happened in other parts of the city where officials said redevelopment would be mixed but it did n't turn out that way . '' in a community where the city owns or controls so much of the land and building stock , uncertainty over the city 's intentions is a constant source of fear and anxiety . ''the city 's housing policies in east_harlem have been idiotic , '' said carolyn b . maloney , the councilwoman representing the area . ms . maloney said the city owns 60 percent of the property in east_harlem , and the housing problems in the area are ''tremendous . '' henry calderon , an east_harlem realtor who is president of the local chamber of commerce , said ''the city has in its hands the fate of east_harlem . '' in such an atmosphere , limited city actions such as the proposed rezoning of upper fifth avenue are seen as just the opening gambit in a broad attack on the neighborhood , in spite of city protestations to the contrary . the proposed rezoning would end the special park improvement district that covered fifth avenue from 59th_street to 110th_street since 1974 . in the district , developers were allowed to build bigger buildings if they contributed to a special improvement fund for central_park . the city removed that bonus in 1982 . now the city planning commission has approved a plan to make that stretch of fifth avenue a contextual zone in which new buildings mimic the exterior characteristics of existing buildings , at least to a certain height . the new zone will permit bigger residential buildings than the previous zone , and it will also give developers the chance to build even higher if they agree to construct or rehabilitate apartments within the community for needy families . mr . vaughn fears that when developers construct expensive apartment buildings facing the park , rents and prices in adjoining areas will rise and cause the displacement of current residents . daniel perez , the housing specialist at community board 11 , which covers east_harlem , said he opposes the zoning change because no one in the community could afford to live there . ''we do n't want high rises , '' said mr . perez . tracy greer , an associate with general_atlantic realty , a developer that converted a former nursing home on fifth avenue and 107th street into market rate apartments and owns an adjoining lot , said her company was committed to making east_harlem ''a real , true mixed income community . '' using the new zoning bonus , general_atlantic could build a 26 story luxury apartment building containing 180 units . in exchange for the 20 percent increase in space , the developer will renovate 21 apartments on madison_avenue in east_harlem that would rent for less than 300 a month . officials at the department of city planning deny the community 's assertions that they are encouraging gentrification and displacement . ''this not only assures the continuation of a certain number of affordable units , '' said robert e . flahive , director of the planning department 's manhattan office , ''but it means there will be a mix of incomes , too . '' the rezoning was voted down by the local community board , but approved by the planning commission . it now awaits action by the board of estimate . a spokesman for david n . dinkins , the manhattan borough_president , said mr . dinkins has not yet reached a conclusion on the issue . meanwhile , as the community awaits the board of estimate vote , it also has submitted a second application to the state for designation of park_avenue , from 111th to 125th streets , as an economic_development zone in which light_industry and small manufacturing operations in the shadow of the elevated railroad trestle gain tax advantages . when the state turned down the initial request last year , some people in east_harlem concluded that there had to be some comprehensive long range planning about the community 's future so that other opportunities would not be wasted . that led local political and religous leaders to the door of east_harlem 's biggest land holder the city of new york . robert esnard , deputy_mayor for policy and physical development , said that several city agencies , along with planning consultants , are now going through all the city 's holdings in east_harlem in order to develop an overall land use plan for the neighborhood 's future . ''the objective will be to get as much housing as we can possibly get , '' mr . esnard said . he added that because there is so much land , there should also be room for industry and business programs . although he is aware of the split in the community over which economic group should have priority over any new housing , mr . esnard said the city will have to make the private_sector play a role in east_harlem 's reconstruction . ''i do n't think gentrification is a bad thing , '' he said . ''it adds other people to the community and its adds a richness , not in the sense of money but diversity . '' mr . esnard said that to the extent the private_sector gets involved , the government can use its limited resources elsewhere . ''we could never rebuild the whole city by ourselves , '' he said . ''eighty to 90 percent of the current housing stock was built by the private_sector . to assume we can rebuild it all is a mistake . '' correction february 7 , 1988 , sunday , late city final edition	has a location of america
an entry in the ''on the market'' column last sunday for a 649 square_foot condominium with one bedroom and one bath in a gated_community in greenburgh , n.y. , misstated the price . it was 249 , 500 , not 629 , 000 .	has a location of america
the roads have names like flying cloud and top gallant . the directory of owners lists the house number , the children 's names and the name of the family boat , with separate symbols for types of boat a silhouette of a sailboat next to one family , a silhouette of a power boat next to another . kelly and bob ramsden say they picked the dolphin cove development a 22 year old enclave of 107 houses in stamford , conn . because it reminded them of florida , where they lived before hurricane_andrew wiped them out a year ago last august . " coming here was like a tonic , " said mr . ramsden , head of information systems for saks fifth avenue in new york city . " it 's not really like the northeast . it reminds me of the midwest or maybe the south . people are sophisticated , but they 're consistent and friendly . it 's very refreshing . " before the ramsdens moved into the large gambrel with the dock off the backyard last october they lived in south miami , near biscayne bay , " right where the north wall of the hurricane struck , " mr . ramsden explained . " by the time it was over , " he said , " the birdcage was sitting in the pool , the plantings were wiped out , the ceilings were down . we had installed a circle drive on friday we never even had a chance to drive on it . we were sailing in tampa_bay and could n't get back . " the hurricane was not the only reason the ramsdens decided to leave florida , they said , but it was the catalyst . once they decided to move , ms . ramsden , who is a senior personnel executive at the manhattan office of arthur_andersen and company , the national accounting firm , looked over 50 waterfront houses from westport , conn . , to larchmont , n.y. , in 10 days . not surprisingly , one of the first things they looked at was how the neighborhood had stood up to the major storm that struck the northeast on dec . 11 , 1992 . " dolphin cove went through that big storm with virtually no damage , and that was important , " ms . ramsden said . the couple looked at several houses within the development and chose the 2 , 911 square_foot natural cedar clapboard house on a corner lot , at 1 flying cloud road . they paid 572 , 000 for it . the house has a dock large enough for their 30 foot lippincott sailboat , named " pathfinder , " and their 31 foot searay power boat , " playray . " according to lorraine leonard , the william_raveis real_estate agent who listed the house , the price is not high for dolphin cove where two houses sold last year for more than 950 , 000 largely because the ramsdens' view is a " boater 's view " rather than an open long_island_sound view . " boaters want to look at their boat , " she said . " they can walk right out their door to do their maintenance . normally if your boat is in a marina , you feel you have to clean and pack up every time , but when it 's right there , you tell your guests you 'll do the dirty dishes tomorrow . people really get a kick out of that . " after they bought the house last summer , the ramsdens embarked on a massive renovation that brought the gambrel closer to their ideal , a florida house . " we just sort of waved our hands around , and the architect figured out what we wanted , " mr . ramsden said . the ramsdens ripped out the rear of the main house and built out as far as building codes would allow 3 feet along the back of the living room and 10 feet along the rear of the master bedroom . they replaced the windows and sliding glass doors with french doors and built an 11 by 28 foot deck on the second floor , off a large recreation room over the garage . in the rear wall of the master bedroom ms . ramsden added a round window as " a surprise for bob . " " she made it into a ship 's wheel , " said mr . ramsden . " it 's fitting that every time i come up from the dock i see it . "	has a location of america
in warmer_weather , when alan hochberg looks out his window he can see a tractor tilling the land on a farm across the street from his home in hartsdale , a hamlet in the town of greenburgh . " it 's amazing to me that i 'm living in southern westchester and i 'm right near a farm , " said mr . hochberg , administrator of the scarsdale synagogue tremont temple . he and his wife , faye , a lab technician in the bronx , moved from that borough 13 years ago . it was always our dream to come up here , " he said , " and it 's been everything we 've dreamed of . " hartsdale has a 17 acre and a 15 acre working farm , both on secor road and both operated by westchester greenhouses and farms , a local company that sells produce and flowers from a roadside stand . " i do n't know of any other farms in the area , " said joseph chiocchi , the company 's owner . " there are other nurseries , but no one else who cultivates their own produce and flowers . " the farms are in a section called poet 's corner , whose 26 streets , all named for poets , are lined with single family homes . the majority of the houses are cape_cods , ranches and some colonials , built mostly in the 50 's and 60 's , with a scattering from the 20 's . the presence of farms lends a sense of spaciousness to what would otherwise be a traditional suburban community . hartsdale has several similar neighborhoods of single family homes scattered throughout its two square_mile area . around its train_station are several apartment buildings , most of which have been converted into co ops . the hamlet also has condominium complexes and a highly diverse population . mr . hochberg says much of hartsdale remains unchanged from when he first arrived . " the essence of hartsdale is the beautiful mix of people , " he said . " and everyone works hard to maintain our quality of life . " paul j . feiner , the town_supervisor , added " people do n't say i live in greenburgh . they always identify with the section , whether it 's hartsdale or elmsford another hamlet . in fact , most people think of hartsdale as a village . " its central_business_district near the train_station is a collection of small , mostly local shops . some have been there for more than 30 years . hartsdale liquors , for instance , has been at its present location on west hartsdale avenue , the hamlet 's main_street , since 1933 . richard o'leary has owned and operated the store since 1959 . " since the apartment buildings went co op , there 's not as much turnover , " mr . o'leary said . " it 's a more stable customer_base . and recently , there been an increase in the number of asians . they 're excellent customers . " but last year 's closing of the area 's only supermarket , gristede 's , mr . o'leary said , " has definitely made a difference it 's been a hardship for the people who live in the apartments . " while the hamlet has been a magnet for the japanese in particular , reflected in the number of japanese shops and restaurants , " just about every ethnic_group is here , " said dorothy jensen , president of dorothy jensen realty . ms . jensen opened her real_estate office in hartsdale in november , after selling in the hamlet for years at another office . so far , she said , business has been " phenomenal . " she had sold six houses by late last month . " buyers come up primarily from the city to find a single family home , priced between 225 , 000 and 250 , 000 , " ms . jensen said . " most people who buy here have incomes in the 65 , 000 to 85 , 000 range . " the fact that hartsdale is a moderately_priced community makes it vulnerable to market fluctuations , said stephanie w . bellino , president of blum bellion realtors , in hartsdale . " many of our customers are in middle management , which makes them uncertain about their job_security , " ms . bellino said . " when interest rates come down , everybody comes in . but if they blip up , they 're all gone again . " ms . bellino has two current listings that represent the range of houses available . one is for a two bedroom , one bath ranch for 179 , 000 and the other for a four bedroom , three and a half bath colonial on a half acre for 376 , 000 . " that 's about the range , " she said . " most sales fall in the middle . " in addition , there is a wide range of co ops and condominiums . most co ops are within walking distance to the train , ms . bellino said . their prices can range from 50 , 000 for a one bedroom , to 219 , 000 for a three bedroom . condominiums , which usually offer amenities like pools and tennis courts , are priced from 139 , 000 for a one bedroom to 329 , 000 for a three bedroom , ms . bellino said . hartsdale was once part of the manor of philipsborough , presided over by frederick philipse , a dutch merchant . after the revolutionary_war , the third and last lord of the manor , also frederick philipse , a great grandson of the first lord of the manor and a tory , fled to england . the state confiscated all of the family 's 90 , 000 acres stretching from the bronx to the croton river and later resold it at auction to tenant farmers and other buyers . one of the successful bidders was robert hart , and what is now the intersection of central_park avenue and west hartsdale avenue was once hart 's corner . ( it is now known as the four corners ) . in the 1870 's , the surrounding area became known as hartsdale . in the 1800 's , the hamlet was made up of several large estates owned by prominent new york families . the woodlands junior senior_high_school , for grades 7 through 12 , is on 190 acres of the former 500 acre estate of felix warburg , the financier . in 1956 , his widow , frieda schiff warburg , donated the land to the school_district . in addition to the woodlands school , the greenburgh central school_district no . 7 also includes three k 8 elementary_school . there are also two roman_catholic schools sacred_heart for kindergarten through eighth_grade and maria regina high_school and the state university of new york 's empire state college , an independent study institution . the woodlands senior_high_school was designated a new york school of excellence in 1995 by the state_department of education , according to elizabeth weinberg , district clerk . it offers advanced_placement courses in biology , calculus , french , spanish , english and american history . it also has a research projects room , funded by texaco , for use by science students . texaco employees serve as student mentors , ms . weinberg said . another estate , now owned by the archdiocese of new york , was once the home of jack gaisman , chairman of the gillette razor company from 1930 to 1938 . the manor of the 130 acre estate , now a residence for nuns , on ridge road , was built in 1913 , and serves as the focal_point of the surrounding residential area known as the estate section . patricia garner and her husband , melvin , have been living there for 21 years . " when we first came here , we both worked in the city and just came home to eat and sleep , " ms . garner said . after they had children , a son , now 19 , and a daughter , 16 , " we got more involved in the community , " ms . garner said , adding " the supervisor really gets people involved . if you 're upset about something or want something done , he says , 'you 're on that committee . ' " ms . garner is now co chairwoman of a downtown beautification program . " we want to spruce up the area , get coordinated signage and make it more inviting for shopping , " she explained . the closing of gristede 's last year dealt the central shipping district a severe blow , with business shrinking by 40 percent , according to a report prepared by the town planning department . " foot traffic has definitely fallen off , " said john falzarano , owner of the hartsdale beauty_salon , which has been in business for 35 years . " i think it will come back , we just need another food store . " between central_park avenue and the train_station , hartsdale is comprised mostly of co ops . " there are 2 , 500 families along that strip , " said michael paschkes , who is also on the beautification committee . " many of these people are senior citizens who used to walk for their groceries . what are they supposed to do now ? " a new supermarket should be in place by the spring , mr . feiner says . " i 've heard from four or five people interested in the location , " he said . the parent company of gristede 's , r.a . holdings , wanted to bring in a rite aid drugstore , which was opposed by the community . " there are already two local drugstores on the street , and it would have driven them out of business , " said ms . bellino . a greenburgh town judge recently ruled that under existing lease restrictions , the site could only be used by another supermarket . " the town believes that a grocery is not only vital for the large number of elderly residents who live in the area , " mr . feiner said , " but also serves as an anchor for other businesses along the avenue . " last summer , the town began operating a farmer 's market by the train_station , open from 9 a.m . to 1 p.m . on saturdays , from july through november . and large , full service supermarkets , as well as every other kind of shopping imaginable , is available within a five minute drive along central_park avenue . one of hartsdale 's main attractions is its ample recreational opportunities . there are 19 tennis courts and 7 pools at anthony f . veteran park , in nearby ardsley . residents can also swim at the fairview greenburgh community center , in white_plains . there is also ample open space with the 170 acre ridge road park , owned by the county the 86 acre east and west rumbrook park , half of which is a nature preserve the 25 acre secor woods park and the private scarsdale golf club . another celebrated feature is the hartsdale canine cemetary , on central_park avenue , which was created in 1896 by samuel johnson , a new york city veterinarian . more than 40 , 000 pets are interred there , including those of al jolson , george raft and irene castle . the cemetary has also accommodated birds , mice and even a pet lion , which was buried there in 1912 by a divorced russian princess , vilma lwoff parlaghy . on the market 3 bedroom , 1 bath colonial at 72 lawton avenue , 209 , 000 . 3 bedroom , 2 bath ranch at 8 keating place , 245 , 000 . 4 bedroom , 3 1 2 bath colonial at 10 hawthorne way , 376 , 000 . gazetteer_population 9 , 590 ( 1995 estimate ) . area 2 square miles median_household_income 62 , 275 ( 1995 estimate ) . median price of one family house 270 , 000 taxes on median house 6 , 500 . median price a year ago 267 , 500 . median price five years ago 235 , 000 . median price of 2 bedroom condominium 193 , 555 . median price of 2 bedroom co op 83 , 240 . median price a year ago 83 , 400 . median price 5 years ago 120 , 000 . median rent on 2 bedroom apartment 1 , 512 . public_school spending per pupil 12 , 050 . distance from midtown_manhattan 21 miles . rush_hour commutation to midtown 45 minutes by metro_north 's harlem_line 6 . 50 one way , 141 monthly . government town_supervisor ( paul j . feiner , democrat ) , elected to 2 year term 4 member town board , elected every 4 years . codes zip , 10530 area , 914 . revolutionary retreat the odell house , at 425 ridge road , was built in 1732 . it served as comte de rochambeau 's headquarters during the revolutionary_war and george_washington is said to have planned strategy there for the battle of yorktown with the french general . john odell , washington 's guide to westchester , purchased the house in 1765 . his descendants deeded it to the town in 1965 , and it is now a museum .	has a location of america
the story of vera coking 's property fight with the casino people is developing a mythic life of its own . two weeks ago , a new york weekly mentioned that not only had ms . coking turned down millions for her rooming house ( usually called ' 'dilapidated rooming house'' ) , but that she had also rejected a free luxury hotel room , with free room service , for the rest of her days . not true . neither is last week 's rumor that vera coking had died . died in that dilapidated rooming house , broke and alone , when she could have enjoyed her last years with riches and free room service . it gets curiouser and curiouser the other day , four women in bermuda shorts , casino tourists from king of prussia , pa . , stood in front of ms . coking 's house taking pictures of one another . asked why , one said , with an embarrassed giggle , ''well , that 's the house . '' as if it were the last one on earth . ms . coking 's is the only private house left on columbia place , the block between pacific avenue and the boardwalk and better known these days as the alley between caesar 's and trump_plaza . but it is not the only remaining building on the block that the state casino reinvestment development authority ( creeda ) has been trying for three years to condemn . creeda wants to seize ms . coking 's property and two others , a family owned bar restaurant and a pawn shop , claiming eminent_domain . why ? to hand it to donald j . trump to put up a few bushes and a limousine staging area for his newly expanded casino . ms . coking is the famous holdout because she 's the easy target . her white two story house stands empty and forlorn ( especially now that it is surrounded on three sides by a trump_plaza parking_lot ) . the balustrade , undoubtedly a selling point once , looks like a set of bashed in teeth . and the whole house needs paint . many would say she should take whatever money is offered . so officials point to her , as atlantic_city 's mayor , james whelan , has done , to show how a stubborn homeowner can use the courts to stymie progress . and so when a superior court judge ruled last year that creeda could not seize ms . coking 's house and the other properties to allow a casino to expand , an atlantic_county state senator , william gormley , drafted a bill that would give creeda the power to do just that . the bill has passed the legislature and gov . christine_todd_whitman is expected to sign it any day . james kennedy , creeda 's executive director , said once the bill is signed he expects an appellate_court to void the superior court ruling . robert m . pickus , a lawyer for trump_plaza , sounded even more definite . saying that the governor had already signed the bill , he said , ''the condemnation of the properties will proceed . '' this news stuns clare and vincent sabatini , who run sabatini 's restaurant on the corner of pacific avenue and columbia place with three of their sons . the sabatinis know too well that the vera coking saga has diverted attention from important issues . it obscures the fact that creeda wants to give private_property to a private developer . it makes ms . coking , who wants something like 2 million for her house and lot , sound greedy , a little crazy . when it is not crazy or even greedy in the free_market to expect that property a rich developer is clamoring to have must be worth quite a lot , no matter what it looks like . not least , the coking saga ignores sabatini 's restaurant , in business for 30 years . the sabatinis have been offered 700 , 000 for their life 's labor . after capital gains taxes , paying for a required environmental cleanup of the property and settling their lawyer 's fees , they would not be left with enough to open another restaurant . then there is peter banin , a russian immigrant who bought the golden island pawn shop , next to sabatini 's , three years ago . two months after he opened , he received notice that the property he bought for 500 , 000 would be condemned . he was offered 174 , 000 for his trouble . mr . banin , weary after an 18 hour day at the store , sounded betrayed by his adopted country . ''laws rewritten to overrule a court , '' he said , shaking his head . ''not even in russia would the government do something like this . '' our towns	has a location of america
lead while the justice_department has firmly insisted that yonkers comply with a court order to desegregate its neighborhoods , other communities have little reason to fear similar legal pressure , the head of the department 's civil rights division said this week . while the justice_department has firmly insisted that yonkers comply with a court order to desegregate its neighborhoods , other communities have little reason to fear similar legal pressure , the head of the department 's civil rights division said this week . the official , william bradford reynolds , who as president_reagan 's assistant attorney_general for civil_rights inherited the yonkers case from the carter administration , said in an interview that it was ''unlikely'' his department would again experience ''the kind of drawn out litigation'' and intense resistance encountered in yonkers . the reason , he said , was that yonkers stood out as a case in which the city ''was engaged in intentional segregation , '' there was ' 'sufficient evidence for the court to find liability , '' and there was a ' 'struggle in fashioning a remedy'' to the racial_segregation . mr . reynolds said he did not believe ''the same backdrop'' existed in other communities , even where the construction of public_housing had concentrated blacks or other minority groups in certain neighborhoods . 'intent' vs . 'effect' standard ''if the economics of the marketplace are what is responsible for the particular makeup of the neighborhood , there is no law on the books that says that is a violation of civil_rights , '' he said . mr . reynolds and the reagan_administration have been sharply criticized by civil_rights advocates for what they assert is a failure to enforce the nation 's civil_rights laws . critics have attacked the administration for its opposition to discrimination remedies like hiring quotas and school busing , and accused it of greatly weakening enforcement of fair housing and voting rights laws . ''the reagan_administration 's record on civil_rights has been the worst of any administration in the last half century , '' said ralph neas , executive director of the leadership conference on civil_rights , a coalition of 180 national organizations . ''in terms of fair housing , the justice_department has been woefully inactive in bringing good cases , '' he said . ''mr . reynolds has sought to apply the 'intent' standard , '' meaning that intentional discrimination must be proved , rather than the ''effect'' standard , requiring only a discriminatory effect , ''that federal appeals courts have said should be applied . '' municipality discrimination the yonkers case was unusual in having such strong evidence that a federal_judge concluded that the city intended to maintain the racial_segregation of its neighborhoods by placing , over four decades , virtually all of its subsidized_housing in one section of the city . mr . reynolds said yonkers had not fostered large numbers of complaints in other communities . ''we 've had housing discrimination'' elsewhere , he said . ''but i tend to think it 's not been driven by the elected officials . the discrimination that we are going to see , for the most part , is going to be done by owners or developers of housing_projects or by individual landlords . '' a spokesman for mr . reynolds said later that the justice_department had brought 86 suits under the fair_housing_act , but that they were normally brought against municipal housing authorities , landlords or builders . he said yonkers which actually was filed late in the carter administration ''was the only one brought against a municipality . '' 'no legal impediment' though justice_department lawyers have generally refrained from commenting on the yonkers case , mr . reynolds 's office reached out to explain the department 's position this month as the city , paying daily contempt fines for refusing to accept a housing desegregation plan , faced sweeping layoffs of municipal workers . hours before the city_council finally gave in and voted on sept . 10 to approve the plan , there was anger in mr . reynolds 's voice as he described the defiance of four councilmen as ''every bit as offensive as that of george wallace standing in the schoolhouse door . '' the justice_department would not discuss modifying the housing plan until the council gave in , he said then , and he was ''not willing to talk to people just to help them save face where they have demonstrated to me they cannot be trusted . '' he also indicated that he had been close to advising governor cuomo to intervene when the city_council finally acted . he said at the time that there was ''no legal impediment'' to mr . cuomo removing any or all of the four councilmen whose rejection of the housing plan that the council had approved six months earlier had prompted the judge to find the city in contempt . mr . cuomo had said he was reluctant to act until all legal appeals had been exhausted . yonkers resistence unusual ''we were very close to the point , '' mr . reynolds said , ''where it would have made sense for the governor and myself to get in the same room and take a hard look at where we were and where this was going , and to collectively try to determine where the best judgement would be for him to step in and do something . '' removing elected officials would have been ''a bad precedent'' to be used only as a last resort , he said , but ''you reach a point in some instances , and yonkers was pretty close to it , if not over the line , where a governor has to take that kind of extraordinary measure in order to save the city . '' mr . reynolds said yonkers 's resistance to the desegregation order had been unusual . where officials ''have engaged in these practices'' and justice officials ''came after them , '' he said , ''our general experience has been that we are able to come to an agreement fairly quickly . '' he discounted warnings by some people in yonkers and beyond that the yonkers case portended action against other communities with public_housing and concentrations of minority groups in certain neighborhoods . ''if we are going to move into a mode where we 're simply going to say , 'if your neighborhood is not proportional as to all races and all ethnic backgrounds , you 're in violation of the law , ' then the fear is a real fear , '' he said . ''but congress has not done that , in my view . ''	has a location of america
finally calming the partisan tensions that have buffeted it all year , the state legislature ended its annual session early this morning by forging a last minute deal with gov . george e . pataki on a handful of outstanding issues . the governor and the legislative leaders agreed on measures that would stiffen penalties for stalking and for blocking abortion clinics , expand the state 's database of dna specimens from criminals , and allow the construction of new power_plants . they focused on those bills after jettisoning others that proved too nettlesome , including one that would have permitted new york to join the multistate powerball lottery . while officials here hailed the late night compromise , it was reached nearly two months after the legislature had planned to adjourn , and the topsy turvy negotiations that dragged on throughout the day and into the evening on thursday could serve as a primer on the difficulties of getting things done in albany . in fact , the deal came together after the senate_majority_leader , joseph l . bruno , threw up his hands on thursday afternoon , broke off discussions with the assembly speaker , sheldon_silver , and ordered the senate closed for the session . but in a highly unusual spectacle , mr . silver kept the assembly working into the night and continued negotiating with mr . pataki , even though it was not clear how the bills could become law with the senate having decamped . shortly after 10 on thursday night , mr . pataki , mr . silver and mr . bruno announced a deal under which the assembly would approve the bills immediately and the senate would do so the next time it is in session perhaps as soon as next month , but more likely in late november , when the legislature plans to return for a short special session . the governor and the legislature had earlier agreed to extend a law that allows thousands of people to live in otherwise illegal loft apartments , mostly in lower_manhattan . the republicans had been withholding their approval in an effort to wring concessions from the democrats on other bills . the law had expired on june 30 , leaving tenants fearful of eviction . until late thursday night , the talks had yielded mostly grief , and the disarray on the lawmakers' last day of work had seemed an apt finale to one of their least productive sessions in recent memory . as with the state budget , which the legislature approved this week after missing the deadline by more than four months , all sides at times seemed more willing to dig in their heels than to hand a victory to the opposition . the session , which began in early january , had been scheduled to conclude on june 16 , but it was repeatedly extended because of the haggling over the budget . while the governor and lawmakers had attained some accomplishments by this morning , they had long ago abandoned bargaining over dozens of other measures , including one that would loosen the rockefeller era penalties for drug crimes and another that would change the rules regarding polluted industrial sites . ''this has been a frustrating and exasperating session , '' mr . bruno said before the compromise was announced . ''not just today and yesterday , but practically since we started the session . '' after negotiating well into wednesday night , mr . bruno , who is known for his impatience with albany 's penchant for delay and gamesmanship , gave up . he had the senate pass the latest drafts of the important remaining bills and send them to the assembly , adopting a take it or leave it approach with the assembly speaker . the senate then recessed . mr . silver , a manhattan democrat , rejected those versions of the bills , but then spent thursday evening cobbling together new compromises with mr . pataki . mr . silver 's spokeswoman , patricia lynch , acknowledged that the negotiations were unconventional . ''i have never seen it quite done this way , '' she said . the collapse in talks before the late night deal was caused largely by the longstanding albany strategy of linking unrelated measures to exert leverage . in other words , one side refuses to approve a bill until another agrees to endorse a separate measure . the connections can often become so convoluted that in the end , either all the measures are approved or none of them are . those tactics infuriated some supporters of the bills , who assumed that with the governor and the legislature in general agreement and seeking only to resolve minor disputes , the bills would easily become law . abortion rights groups had lobbied the senate republicans for months to support the clinic access bill and were jubilant after they dropped their opposition in june . but by thursday afternoon , the groups were despondent , only to rally again after learning of the compromise . ''i have never seen an issue that was this up , this down , this unsettled and then finally came out all right , '' said joann smith of family_planning advocates . blocking access to an abortion clinic is already prohibited under federal law , but the federal statute is not often used . a state law can be enforced by the local police . the assembly has passed the bill several times , and the calls for a state law gained urgency with the killing last year of dr . barnett slepian , a buffalo area doctor who performed abortions . mr . pataki has pressed for mandatory collection of dna ''fingerprints'' from all felons , a measure that had also been advocated in new york city by mayor rudolph w . giuliani and police commissioner howard safir . just as fingerprints collected from criminals can be put into a computer and matched to those found at crime scenes , a dna database would allow law enforcement officials to match hair , skin or blood samples left at a crime scene to the files of known criminals . the state already collects dna information , usually from a saliva sample , from people convicted of certain violent crimes , including sex crimes , or about 8 percent of all felony convicts . mr . silver had wanted to limit the new categories of criminals who would be subject to collection . under the bill , which was opposed by some civil_liberties groups , the state would gather specimens from all violent felons and those convicted of several other kinds of offenses .	has a location of america
lead closings in the week ended july 11 manhattan chelsea 405 , 000 7 east 20th street 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 1 , 117 sq . ft . loft condo in a renovated prewar building windowed_kitchen , high ceilings , living work area common charges 562 , taxes 1 , 716 ( broker closings in the week ended july 11 manhattan chelsea 405 , 000 7 east 20th street 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 1 , 117 sq . ft . loft condo in a renovated prewar building windowed_kitchen , high ceilings , living work area common charges 562 , taxes 1 , 716 ( broker_ambrose_mar_elia ) chelsea 277 , 000 7 west 14th_street 2 bedroom , 2 bath , 1 , 120 sq . ft . postwar co op in a renovated prewar building 24 hr . doorman , dining alcove , remodeled_kitchen , maintenance 934 , 38 tax deductible ( broker h.h . kliegerman_associates ) greenwich_village 475 , 000 37 west 12th street 2 bedroom , 2 bath , 1 , 700 sq . ft . co op in a renovated landmark prewar building 24 hr . doorman , dining_area , two exposures maintenance 1 , 017 , 50 tax deductible ( broker m.j . raynes ) inwood 80 , 000 75 park terrace east 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 750 sq . ft . co op in a renovated prewar building sunken_living_room , private garden , roof_deck maintenance 367 , 40 tax deductible ( broker c uptown realty ) upper east side 158 , 000 515 east 89th street ( gracie gardens ) 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 750 sq . ft . co op in a renovated prewar building 24 hr . doorman , dining_area , garden maintenance 633 , 52 tax deductible ( penthouse properties ) bronx riverdale 117 , 000 3777 independence avenue ( hudson towers ) 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 650 sq . ft . postwar co op 24 hr . doorman , dining_area , terrace , outdoor pool maintenance 373 , includes gas and electric , 40 tax deductible ( broker susan e . goldy ) williamsbridge 168 , 000 7 east 220th street 2 family , detached , aluminum frame house 3 bedrooms , 1 bath , large kitchens in each unit finished attic , semi_finished_basement , private driveway , 50 by 114 ft . lot taxes 836 ( broker j.a.v . realty ) brooklyn brooklyn_heights 172 , 000 35 pierrepont street 2 bedroom , 2 bath , 1 , 000 sq . ft . co op in a renovated prewar building manned_elevator , large kitchen , parquet_floors maintenance 600 , 48 tax deductible ( broker the markgraf group ) park_slope 230 , 000 409 third street 3 bedroom , 1 bath , 1 , 250 sq . ft . condo in a recently renovated prewar building laundry room , large kitchen , etched glass doors common charge 207 , taxes 394 ( broker barbara d'erasmo realty ) prospect_heights 215 , 000 295 st . john 's place 3 bedroom , 2 bath , 1 , 500 sq . ft . postwar co op maid 's room , dining_area , hardwood floors maintenance 627 , 47 tax deductible ( broker william b . may ) queens beechhurst 133 , 000 7 24 166th street ( le havre ) 2 bedroom , 1 bath , postwar co op dining_area , terrace , parking space , l.i . sound view maintenance 538 , 48 tax deductible ( broker century 21 weber rose ) south ozone_park 150 , 000 132 19 114th street 3 bedroom , 1 1 2 bath , single family , detached , frame house dining_room , large kitchen , full basement , 25 by 100 ft . lot taxes 800 ( broker glenjay realty ) staten_island hamilton park 235 , 000 11 harvard avenue 5 bedroom , 1 bath , single family colonial entrance hall , formal_dining_room , study , 1 car garage , 50 by 102 ft . lot taxes 850 ( broker rand properties ) todt_hill 870 , 000 70 milden avenue 5 bedroom , 6 bath , 8 , 200 sq . ft . single family house formal_dining_room , family room , sitting room , 4 zone heat , central a c , 3 fireplaces , 1 3 acre lot tax abated ( broker pearl foreman realty )	has a location of america
for years , joe asher has been dreaming of the day when tourists in las_vegas sit by the pool and place double or nothing bets on 38 black at the roulette table inside , or double down on blackjack hands while waiting in line at the buffet , by touching a button on a hand held wireless device . now it looks as if mr . asher , the managing director of cantor g w , the gaming division of the financial_services company cantor_fitzgerald , might finally see his dream come true . in march , after months of legal deliberations , political maneuvering and public hearings , the nevada gaming control board , which oversees las_vegas casinos , cleared the way for businesses to propose ways in which establishments can offer wireless gambling . for mr . asher it was the culmination of a process that began in 2004 , when he and his team first hashed out the idea of trying to persuade nevada to allow wireless gambling in the state . ''cantor has taken the lead on this from the start , '' mr . asher said . ''we went through the process of sitting with the gaming board , drafting a bill with our attorneys , then moving the bill through the legislature . '' the bill , signed into law last june by the nevada governor , kenny guinn , allows casinos to offer wireless gambling within certain sections on their grounds . numerous regulations are attached to the law , including strict security and identification measures , which will monitor who gets to use the wireless devices and where . many of those regulations will be ironed out over the next year , when the state gambling board starts to conduct field tests of the devices in a casino that has yet to be selected . barring any major technical snags , however , wireless gambling will reach las_vegas casinos early next year . wireless gambling or mobile gaming , as it is called by the industry has the potential to radically change how casinos do business . ( no casinos have formally announced plans yet . ) wireless gambling would allow players to free themselves from felt topped tables and slot_machines and multitask while they wager . they would be able to bet on a variety of games at once , perhaps while watching a show or eating dinner . gambling would become a continuous activity . which is exactly what casinos want for their customers to gamble as much as is humanly possible . it would work something like this a gambler turns in his credit_card to a cashier , who then provides a hand held wireless device . the amount of money wagered is charged against the card . any winnings are collected when the wireless device is returned . according to lee amaitis , the president of cantor g w , the company is well positioned to take advantage of the wireless gambling law . its research and development department has created java based software that can be used on virtually any wi_fi enabled device . ''cantor_fitzgerald processes over 40 trillion yearly in security trades , '' mr . amaitis said . ''this is just an extension of what we 've been doing for years . '' cantor is also a leading online bookmaker in britain , where the laws governing wireless gambling are less strict than in the united_states . ( internet gambling is illegal in the united_states . ) having taken care of security encryption issues with its various financial and gambling services , cantor officials say the company is eager to invest in mobile gambling in nevada and elsewhere . but cantor is hardly the only major player excited by the new law . other companies , including casino hardware manufacturers like shufflemaster and igt , are developing software and devices . shufflemaster , a nevada business that dominates the market for automatic card shufflers for casinos , has entered into a partnership with sona wireless to create a service it calls casino on demand . ''we will offer table , slot and sports services on our wireless platform , '' said kirsten clark , marketing director for shufflemaster . ''customers eventually will be able to watch sports in real time on their devices , and wager on them , as well . '' applying the same principles of most high tech slot_machines , the new wireless devices' games will use random number generators that spit out countless millions of different combinations . the number generators for wireless devices will be located on servers that are housed in the back rooms of the casinos that offer the service . the gaming control board wants to make sure that wireless bets can reach their destination without a hitch . ''the technical standards for the communication protocol are crucial , '' said mark clayton , a member of the nevada gaming control board . ''we will have a very strict protocol on what communication should be occurring between the devices and the servers . there has to be a high level of encryption in order to avoid hacking and other security breaches . '' there is also the issue of the devices' falling into the hands of under age gamblers , who , according to wireless gambling 's critics , will no doubt think of the pursuit as a natural progression from hand held video_games . ''wireless gambling provides a lot of additional risk factors , '' said keith whyte , executive director for the national council on problem gambling . ''enforcement is a big issue . if people are gambling on the main floor , they will be harder to spot , and what 's to prevent a parent from handing the device over to his child ? access is obviously a big issue . '' a number of identification systems have been proposed to the gaming control board , which is leaning toward a biometric scanner that can read the user 's thumbprint . shufflemaster has created an id system based on gambling behavior . if a low money wagerer suddenly bets 1 , 000 , the device will ask for an id to ensure that the same player placed both bets . ''this is a groundbreaking new element to gaming technology , '' mr . asher of cantor said . ''the technology itself has been sitting around for years without casinos taking advantage , so why not use it ? '' getting connected	has a location of america
lead facing contempt of court fines of 1 million a day , drastic employee layoffs and cuts in municipal services , yonkers yesterday ended its defiance of a court ordered housing desegregation plan and stepped back from the brink of fiscal and political crisis . here are some answers to major questions on how facing contempt of court fines of 1 million a day , drastic employee layoffs and cuts in municipal services , yonkers yesterday ended its defiance of a court ordered housing desegregation plan and stepped back from the brink of fiscal and political crisis . here are some answers to major questions on how yonkers came to this pass , and where it might go from here q . what is the trouble in yonkers all about ? a . on the surface , it is a confrontation between a federal_judge who has ruled that yonkers must build 1 , 000 units of low and middle_income housing in predominately white neighborhoods , and four city councilmen who last month blocked the plan and were held , with the city , in contempt of court . but underlying that dispute is a sweeping and historic battle over the judge 's ruling that yonkers for almost 40 years has racially segregated its housing and schools . while the focus in recent weeks has been on the legal fight between the judge and the defiant councilmen , the case is also a continuing struggle over deeper emotional issues the hope of civil_rights advocates to redress decades of racial injustice in yonkers , and the fears of homeowners there who regard public and subsidized_housing as harbingers of crime , slums , eroded property values and a breakdown of the neighborhoods they have worked all their lives to build . q . what are the origins of the case ? a . since world_war_ii , yonkers , a city of 194 , 000 on the hudson , north of new york city , has built 6 , 644 units of subsidized_housing , or 97 . 7 percent of city projects , on its southwest side , where most black and hispanic residents ( 19 percent of the population ) live . most of the city 's minority children have attended schools in that area , while neighborhoods and schools on the east and northwest sides have remained nearly all white . the school board repeatedly rejected plans for busing children and integrating schools . in the 1970 's , state and federal task forces investigated segregation in yonkers and began to document the case . school officials contended that they bore no responsibility for segregation caused by housing patterns . federal officials sought to avoid a trial by seeking a consent_decree to integrate the schools . but yonkers refused . in 1980 , the justice_department later joined by the yonkers branch of the national association for the advancement of colored people filed a lawsuit charging yonkers with intentionally discriminating against its black and hispanic residents . the suit , for the first time in the nation , linked housing and school segregation it asked that the schools be integrated and that subsidized_housing be built in white residential areas . q . with segregation extant in many cities , why was yonkers singled out for the historic lawsuit ? a . it is true that segregation afflicted many cities , but yonkers did stand out . in lima , ohio , and other cities , even new rochelle , white_plains and mount vernon in westchester_county , settlements were reached or officials voluntarily moved to integrate . in some other cities , the cases were less clear cut . in yonkers , the resistance was deep and the case was powerful links between segregation in housing and education were compelling , there was a clear record over decades showing elected officials had repeatedly rejected integration proposals to satisfy community sentiment , and there were formal complaints by minority groups on record with federal and state agencies . q . what were the main arguments of the yonkers desegregation case ? a . the city did not dispute that black and hispanic residents had been concentrated in the southwest sector . but it contended that it had not segregated them intentionally . it said that federal housing_and_urban_development officials had urged public_housing on the southwest side , that property there was cheaper and developers did not want more costly sites elsewhere and that minorities themselves wanted housing in the southwest . but in 1985 , after a 14 month trial that saw 84 witnesses and thousands of exhibits , judge leonard b . sand of federal district court in manhattan ruled in favor of the plaintiffs , saying in a 600 page decision that the city , in scores of actions over nearly 40 years , had concentrated nearly all its public and subsidized_housing in southwest yonkers to maintain residential segregation . he also ruled that board of education officials had enforced segregation by having children attend schools only in their own neighborhoods . the evidence , judge sand wrote , clearly shows that public officials , under community pressures , sought to ''preserve existing patterns of segregation . '' q . what remedies were proposed ? a . in 1986 , judge sand issued a housing remedy order that directed the city to establish a fair housing policy , to immediately construct 200 units of low income public_housing in white residential areas and to build 800 additional units of subsidized middle_income housing as part of a long term plan . he also ordered the city to create a program to break down school segregation . the orders were general guidelines that left city officials latitude to work out details such as where to put housing and how to integrate schools subject to the judge 's approval . q . did the city act on the judge 's proposals ? a . only in part . the school system began an integration plan in 1986 87 that included the busing of children to schools outside their neighborhoods , closing some schools and adding a ' 'magnet'' program of enriched curriculums to attract students to schools in different neighborhoods judge sand and school administrators say that program , now in its third year , is working . but there was no progress on the judge 's housing order . q . what did judge sand do about that ? a . the judge first proposed four building sites , then accepted another solution offered by oscar newman , a housing expert hired by the city at the judge 's direction . mr . newman suggested seven sites with smaller developments to reduce their impact on any one neighborhood . the city_council at first took no action . but when threatened with contempt citations and escalating fines it voted in july 1987 to approve the scatter site plan . the next step was to buy the sites , but it did not do so . mr . newman found nine sites , but the city objected , saying that buying the land was ''beyond the scope of an appropriate remedy . '' amid the new deadlock , the united_states court of appeals for the second circuit upheld judge sand 's 1985 ruling the supreme_court would later refuse to hear yonkers 's appeal . q . how did yonkers and the judge resolve the dispute ? a . again under a threat of crippling fines , the council voted 5 to 2 on jan . 27 to accept a consent_decree providing for 200 units of low_income_housing to be financed by the federal department of housing_and_urban_development these were designated as two and three story buildings on seven specific sites in predominantly white areas of east and north yonkers . the decree also committed the city to 800 apartments for families with median incomes now defined from 14 , 750 to 35 , 400 built in mainly white , middle_class areas over the next four years by developers , who would be given tax abatements and zoning incentives to price 20 percent of the units at rates affordable to such families . in effect that meant authorizing the construction of 4 , 000 housing units in yonkers , 800 of which would be set aside for middle_income families . all the council had to do was pass ordinances creating the incentives for builders and other details . after a seven year , 15 million legal struggle , the case appeared to be all but over . q . things were seemingly settled last january . what went wrong ? a . the suit might have been settled in court , but it was not in the community . the council 's acquiescence to the consent_decree infuriated neighborhood associations and others opposed to the settlement . council members received death threats meetings were drowned out by shouting . yonkers , with 25 percent of westchester 's population and 43 percent of its subsidized_housing , asked why neighboring bronxville and scarsdale had none . in march , yonkers officials asked judge sand to release them from a promise not to appeal the most controversial part of the decree , the 200 units of low_income_housing . he refused and the council moved further into retreat . on june 14 , the council declared a moratorium on all new public_housing in yonkers , and on june 28 it refused to reaffirm its commitment to the long term plan for 800 units and agreed to halt legal action to acquire one of seven sites for the 200 units , part of st . joseph 's seminary of the roman_catholic diocese of new york . judge sand , reacting quickly , had the justice_department and the n.a.a.c.p . draw up a timetable for the city to withdraw its resolution and begin carrying out the housing plan . q . how and why was the city held in contempt of court ? a . while the defiant councilmen called their opposition a legislative prerogative and claimed constitutional immunity from the court , judge sand noted that the council , in approving the consent_decree on jan . 27 had already agreed to the housing plan , and , far from a question of separation of powers , he viewed the council 's retreat as a test of the court 's right to enforce its own orders . in july , judge sand threatened the city and the councilmen with contempt citations , fines and even jail if they did not approve an ordinance to carry out the january order , providing incentives for potential developers of the 800 middle_income units . on aug . 1 , the council voted 4 to 3 to reject the legislation , the affordable_housing ordinance , a 27 page amendment to the city 's zoning law . the ordinance would have allowed tax abatements , increased the site density , discounted utility rates , changed the zoning of some sites and allowed developers to buy building materials tax free . those against the measure were councilmen henry_spallone , edward j . fagan jr . , nicholas v . longo and peter chema . those in favor were mayor nicholas c . wasicsko , charles a . cola and harry oxman . on aug . 2 , judge sand found the city and the four opposing councilmen in contempt . the councilmen were fined 500 a day and sentenced to jail after the 10th day the city 's fine was 100 the first day and , doubling daily , rising within 15 days to 1 million and thereafter into astronomical realms . q . what , briefly , has happened since then ? a . on aug . 9 the state 's emergency financial control board took control of yonkers 's finances , imposed a hiring freeze and blocked discretionary_spending . that same day , the federal appeals court suspended the fines pending an appeal on aug . 26 , the appeals panel affirmed judge sand 's ruling , but capped the city 's fines at 1 million a day and continued the suspension of penalties for a week pending an appeal to the supreme_court . the high_court on sept . 1 rejected the city 's appeal , and its fines were reimposed , but continued suspension of the councilmen 's penalties pending a possible hearing on their argument that , under the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers , a federal court does not have authority to order them to enact specific laws . the high_court majority did not explain its ruling , but two justices who dissented from suspending the councilmen 's fines rejected their main arguments . meantime , with little breathing room , the council and mayor last week entered into marathon talks in search of a way to accept the housing plan and escape the crushing fines . with the city 's fines reaching 1 million friday and the control board about to impose major cuts in city services and lay off one fourth of the city 's 1 , 900 workers , a compromise of sorts was found . councilmen longo and chema changed their votes early yesterday , the affordable_housing ordinance was passed and the fines and cutbacks were halted . q . what was the compromise ? a . judge sand had said no compromise could be formally discussed until the council unconditionally accepted the affordable_housing ordinance , and it did so . but in informal talks , the councilmen and the n.a.a.c.p . had agreed that , after the measure was passed , certain changes could be considered in the ordinance and the consent_decree . among these that instead of 200 stand alone low income units , there would be only 100 , with the rest to be in developments combining low , affordable and market rate housing that to reduce the density of low_income_housing , two of the seven sites , including the seminary of st . joseph , would be eliminated and others added elsewhere that the developments would not be managed by yonkers 's municipal housing authority but by a nonprofit agency that would include representatives from the minority community and the clergy . and to allay_fears of eroded property values , the city said it would consider offering homeowners insurance that would underwrite the value of houses , in effect making up the difference in a loss of value when a property was sold . q . in what ways is judge sand 's order likely to be modified ? a . while it is unclear to what extent the judge , the justice_department or the department of housing_and_urban_development will accept any of the modifications to be proposed by the council and the n.a.a.c.p. , it appeared highly unlikely that any substantial changes would be made in the scope and goals of the original consent_decree . judge sand has said repeatedly that he would only consider ways in which the housing plan could be carried out . q . is the settlement in yonkers likely to be a critical legal_precedent for resolving segregation cases in other cities ? a . civil_rights lawyers and fair housing advocates say probably not , partly because the yonkers case was so distinctive and partly because judge sand 's ruling a finding of conscious intent to discriminate set a standard that would be extremely difficult to prove in most other housing discrimination cases . civil_rights lawyers and supporters of integrated housing prefer to argue a less demanding legal standard that the effect of government decisions produced segregated housing , whether intentionally or not .	has a location of america
manhattan 's downtown financial district , where old office towers and factories are being reborn as residential buildings , remains perhaps not surprisingly in these days of enduring wall_street strength hot rental property , according to a survey by benjamin james associates , a real_estate brokerage company . based on the 116 leases that the company arranged in june , the benjamin james report found that the median rent in the area was 1 , 400 a month for studios , 1 , 897 for one bedrooms , and 3 , 222 for two bedrooms . three bedrooms in the area are rare , and the four three bedroom leases brokered in june ranged from 2 , 550 to 3 , 600 . the survey also reported that rent increases on vacated apartments in the downtown area are in the 10 to 12 percent range , and that existing leases are being renewed at increases of 10 to 12 percent . dividing downtown into smaller districts , the benjamin james report found that in the wall_street area , studio rents ranged from 1 , 400 to 2 , 000 , one bedrooms from 1 , 910 to 2 , 550 and two bedrooms from 2 , 700 to 3 , 695 . compared to the company 's deals in 1997 , the prices reflected an 8 to 10 percent increase over the initial leases in the converted rental buildings . in soho , where 4 , 000 a month ' 'dream lofts'' were common 18 months ago , the report said , 800 square_foot minilofts now go for about the same price .	has a location of america
dana hamel , a local interior_designer , works an average of 10 hours a day , eats in restaurants four nights a week and spends three months every year traveling to california on business . so when mr . hamel , who is 34 and originally from santa_monica , calif . , heard about a new building with hotel rooms , condos and stores going up in the south lake union neighborhood a few blocks north of the city 's downtown , he jumped at the opportunity to be part of a new lifestyle trend . ''i lead a hectic life , and having those amenities gives me some of my time back , '' said mr . hamel , who recently put down a deposit on a 450 , 000 , 950 square_foot condo in 2200 westlake , a joint project by the milliken development corporation and vulcan , the company founded by paul g . allen , one of the founders of the microsoft corporation . the amenities mr . hamel is referring to include valet parking , 24 hour concierge and maid services provided by the development 's five star pan pacific hotel , a whole foods market store accessible from his condo by elevator , and assorted shops and restaurants . mr . hamel said he is particularly looking forward to ordering room service from his sixth floor condo , which will be in one of 2200 westlake 's three residential towers . ''i actually fantasize about it , '' he said . ''the idea of getting up on a sunday morning , picking up the phone and having room service brought up to your house is pretty enticing . '' luxury developments combining five star hotels with condominiums have been available in east_coast cities and chicago for many years . a new concept in the seattle area , hotel condos have become all the rage , with five such projects scheduled to open over the next two years . one block from the pike place market and harbor steps , the seattle hotel group is developing a four seasons hotel featuring 150 hotel rooms capped by 30 condominiums . a few blocks south is 1000 first avenue , with 47 condominiums perched above a 120 room boutique hotel . next fall , the developer r.c . hedreen will begin construction on a 35 story tower with 350 hotel rooms and 190 condos . ''the seattle office market is not supporting development right now , '' said david thyer , hedreen 's president . ''so developers are looking to condos , and the market appears to be very strong . '' condominiums attached to high end hotels also sell for up to 25 percent more than regular condos , according to thomas callahan , a hotel analyst for pfk consulting in san_francisco . buyers have been snapping up the new condos several months before most of the sales offices officially open . ronald smith , a vice_president for the kemper development company , which is building a westin hotel topped by 148 condos in downtown bellevue on the shore of lake washington , said his buyers are mostly baby_boomers who look at their lives this way ''the kids are grown , the dog is dead and we 're tired of taking care of the yard . '' residential development in seattle 's downtown has lagged compared with its neighbors to the north and south vancouver , british_columbia , and portland , ore . concentrating new housing in the central core is part of mayor greg nickels 's plan to create a ''24 7'' downtown , built around walkable , mixed_use_development , light_rail and streetcars , and apartment and condo towers that would be allowed to exceed current height restrictions . expanding retailing and service amenities and dazzling civic institutions like the new seattle public library , designed by the architect rem koolhaas , are also attracting a growing downtown residential population . another reason to live downtown is terrible freeway gridlock . hotel condos raise the bar for the sophisticated urbanite , said pete de leuw , a partner in 1000 first avenue . ''it 's entirely about lifestyle , or the perception of lifestyle , '' he said . justin mohatt , a 31 year old physician , is concluding negotiations on a 1 , 450 square_foot condo at 1000 first avenue , where such units start at about 900 , 000 . in addition to an on site maintenance team , wine storage for residents , and sub zero and wolf appliances , mr . mohatt said , he liked the ''intimate scale'' of the project . ''it 's about a certain level of personal service , '' he said . ''it 's about having staff who know your needs and desires . '' richard pruner , who retired as seattle managing director of the investment_banking firm rbc dain rauscher , and his wife , sue pruner , are downsizing from a 5 , 500 square_foot home in nearby bellevue to a 2 million penthouse in 2200 westlake , a complex that don milliken , the president of milliken development , describes as ''a city within a city . '' the pruners , who like the convenience of the hotel and stores in the complex , own a boat they will moor on lake union , just seven blocks from the complex . the couple also expressed confidence in mr . allen , whose experience music project , an interactive museum designed by the architect frank_gehry , sits in the shadow of the space needle , a few blocks from 2200 westlake . ''richard and i both feel this will be the address to live , '' mrs . pruner said . the new building complex is part of a grander vision set forth by vulcan , which owns 58 acres in south lake union , a languishing commercial and industrial neighborhood that the company seeks to develop into a mixed use biotechnology hub . city officials are considering proposals to finance a westlake avenue streetcar and a south lake union park and rezone the community as an urban center . ada healey , a vice_president of real_estate for vulcan , said that ''2200 westlake is the gateway to south lake union , and it is a major flagship project for us . '' the design of the four seasons hotel seattle , which is about 10 blocks southwest of 2200 westlake , features a terraced , u shaped glass , stone and metal building , cascading greenery and a european style plaza that accommodates both pedestrians and automobiles . hotel condos enhance a sense of public place , said bill bain , a four seasons project architect . ''the character is much more energetic , the proportions are better , and the movement of cars , taxis and doormen animate the whole ground level . '' not everybody , though , is enthusiastic about seattle 's new housing trend . ''hotel condo is just another dimension of the trend toward gentrification , '' said john fox , coordinator of the seattle displacement coalition , an affordable_housing advocacy_group . ''it promises to accelerate the loss of low_income_housing and lead to greater disparity between rich and poor . '' the new buyers are undeterred . mr . hamel , who persuaded several of his friends to buy residences in 2200 westlake , said he considers himself something of a pioneer . ''everybody 's turned on by the concept of living in a hotel , '' he said . ''it has a glamour , a cool factor . '' national perspectives	has a location of america
to save the residents of a brooklyn building from drugs , prostitution and shootouts , the rev . hardy smallwood , a pentecostal minister and former professional boxer , decided he had no choice but to move in himself . searching for a superintendent , he tried to persuade a young man living in a similar building to take the job . " you 're getting shot at and you 're paying rent , " mr . smallwood told him . " in my building you get shot at and you do n't have to pay rent . " police officers at the 67th precinct in east_flatbush say the story is typical of mr . smallwood 's practical approach to helping people . and yesterday , at a ceremony at police headquarters in manhattan , mr . smallwood received the department 's first citizen of the month award , a newly created honor to recognize residents who work with officers , as the department implements its new philosophy of community policing . in presenting the award to mr . smallwood , the 58 year old pastor of holy tabernacle no . 1 at 610 eastern_parkway , police commissioner lee p . brown praised him as " a tireless ally of police officers who patrol some of brooklyn 's toughest neighborhoods . " he added that " cooperation " of residents is the " keystone " of the new approach , in which officers seek to prevent , rather than respond to crime . " when it 's there and it 's strong , " the commissioner said , " it can turn frustration and despair into satisfaction and security . " such cooperation is not a matter of theory to the residents of 2921 tilden avenue . before the ceremony yesterday , residents chatted in front of the six story brick building with mr . smallwood and two officers , jim murray and timothy acosta , about their common struggle to make the building safe . " the building has done a 180 from what it was before rev . smallwood , " said officer murray , the crime prevention officer of the 67th precinct . " in the old days , you were tripping over crack vials when you passed the building , and now you 're tripping over toys . " officer acosta , a beat patrolman , recalled that standing in the station house a block away , shots could be heard from the building . the police used to be called there four times a day now it is about once a week . allen watkins , who has lived there 10 years , said the tenants had tried before but failed to rid the building of crack peddlers and prostitutes . " i guess it was god 's will he came around , " mr . watkins said of mr . smallwood . when mr . smallwood moved in in april 1990 , at the request of its owner , the star realty corporation , half of the 54 apartments were empty . " the junkies had put holes through the walls , " he said . " it was a total disaster . " he moved about a dozen members of his own family in . then he and the precinct commander , capt . richard j . graf , and other officers and residents came up with a step by step plan clean the building up establish a police presence identify the good people and introduce them to individual officers appoint floor captains who can guide the police when they respond to a crime in the building , and create a tenant council . mr . smallwood , who lost an eye as a middleweight in the 1950 's his record was 27 and 9 said that he was scared , " but the grace of god kept me . " at the ceremony , he asked captain graf and the community officers to share the award . " i want you to understand , i 'm not superman , " he said . " i could n't have done this alone . it was police and community working together , so they deserve this award too . "	has a location of america
peter s . kalikow opened the newspapers one morning in february and found himself staring at display advertisements that were clearly designed for the sole purpose of infuriating him . there in the new york times and the new york post were what appeared to be legal notices listing more than 400 creditors from his personal_bankruptcy proceeding in 1991 . the ads suggested that he had misled the bankruptcy court about the extent of his assets . but the ads were not really legal notices . the bankruptcy had been settled years before , and there were no outstanding creditors . someone was trying to embarrass mr . kalikow , a prominent developer and the chairman of the metropolitan_transportation_authority , by bringing up a painful reminder of a time when his empire was in jeopardy . in the high powered world of new york real_estate , where dark , nefarious plots are a matter of course , mr . kalikow vowed to discover who was out to get him . the trail would take mr . kalikow from manhattan to florida and back again , and would expose to the world a caustic feud between two of the city 's wealthiest real_estate tycoons . ultimately , the answer lay only 18 blocks from mr . kalikow 's 25th floor office in his skyscraper at park_avenue and 41st_street . as mr . kalikow 's lawyer said in a june court hearing , ''the man behind the curtain is sheldon solow . '' mr . solow , a onetime friend and a developer ensconced in his own skyscraper aerie at 9 west 57th_street , was not an aggrieved creditor , the lawyer said , but someone who had concocted a plan to hurt mr . kalikow out of a ''bitter personal animus . '' at the hearing , judge burton r . lifland of united states bankruptcy court agreed that mr . kalikow had proved that mr . solow was the man behind the notices . the judge said that even a man from mars would conclude that the ads represented ''an affront to the court'' and a ' 'somewhat sleazy course of conduct . '' he reached for a thesaurus for synonyms ''tacky , shabby , base , low , malicious , petty , nasty , unsavory . '' he ordered mr . solow to pay mr . kalikow 's expenses , which exceeded 200 , 000 , and practically invited him to pursue claims against mr . solow 's law_firm before ''professional or legal tribunals that govern professional conduct . '' the ads , which ran on feb . 9 and 12 and solicited others to make bankruptcy claims against mr . kalikow , generated 58 phone_calls to the law_firm hired by mr . solow , dreier l.l.p. , and 18 letters from creditors , eight of which hired lawyers to pursue potential claims against mr . kalikow . there was also an inquiry from the city 's finance department and an investigatory call from the inspector general at the transit_authority , both of which were eventually dropped . there is little question that the affair is rooted in mr . solow 's longstanding bitterness over a_7 million loan he made in 1994 to mr . kalikow , who repaid it , apparently too quickly , while in bankruptcy court in 1994 . the early repayment deprived mr . solow of interest he had expected . mr . solow asserts that mr . kalikow must have had assets he failed to disclose if he was able to repay the loan within four months , a complaint that was thrown out of court in 1997 . ''i feel it is inappropriate and ungrateful for mr . kalikow to bring an action against me in bankruptcy court after mr . kalikow was going broke and in bankruptcy and i was so instrumental in aiding him and lending him 7 million so that his reorganization plan could be successful , '' mr . solow said in a statement from his lawyer . mr . kalikow said he was mystified by mr . solow 's enmity . ''what compels him to do this , i have no idea , '' he said in an interview . ''he was one of my closest friends . '' mr . solow is a tall , white haired man with a stylish , urbane affect and an extensive personal art collection . like mr . kalikow , his office is in a tower he built , the 45th floor of 9 west 57th_street , arguably the premier commercial tower in manhattan because of the quality of its office space and its panoramic views . his office , which features an enormous erotic painting by balthus , as well as works by matisse and picasso , overlooks central_park . mr . kalikow has a dems and does , man of the people persona that spills out of the bespoke blue or gray suits he puts on every morning and betrays his queens origins . he loves trains , has a multimillion_dollar collection of rolls royces , maseratis and ferraris , and counts gov . george e . pataki and former senator alfonse m . d'amato among his friends . but where mr . solow 's father was a bricklayer , mr . kalikow is the son of a wealthy queens developer . mr . kalikow is no longer active as a developer , while mr . solow controls one of the last developable sites on the east side of midtown , a nine acre stretch south of 42nd_street . although mr . solow is a director of the benjamin n . cardozo school of law , his adventures in state and federal court , where he has filed as many as 200 lawsuits , have won him scathing reviews . he has been chastised by one judge as ''one of the most litigious parties in our court , '' sanctioned and fined by another , and barred from bringing any additional suits relating to a dispute in east_hampton . but his battle with mr . kalikow did not begin in court . the two men have known each other for 20 years . when the real_estate boom collapsed in the early 1990 's and mr . kalikow was forced to seek protection from creditors in bankruptcy court , he turned to mr . solow to borrow 7 million . mr . solow also obtained an option to buy 16 . 33 percent of mr . kalikow 's company for 16 . 33 . at the time , mr . kalikow listed his personal liabilities at 350 million , although he said his 3 . 8 million triplex on fifth avenue and his 6 million home in montauk were never threatened . instead of taking years to pay back mr . solow , mr . kalikow repaid his friend in four months , at 9 percent interest . in addition , mr . solow bargained for 2 million before he would return the option . ''i never would have thought in a thousand years that he would have exercised his option , '' said mr . kalikow , who also borrowed money from his mother and from david s . mack , a real_estate investor who is now vice chairman of the transit_authority . mr . kalikow said he sold his 8 . 5 million yacht and two apartment buildings to pay them back . his reorganization plan was approved by the bankruptcy court in 1994 . unsecured_creditors , who were owed about 317 million , got 18 cents on the dollar . three years later , mr . solow tried to reopen the proceeding , saying that he had given up the option only after being harassed by mr . kalikow and to end ''a distasteful situation . '' he complained that mr . kalikow had refused to provide him with financial information that would have allowed him to make a rational decision . he said the accelerated repayment suggested that mr . kalikow had millions of dollars in unencumbered cash that he had failed to disclose to creditors . ''he felt he had been duped , '' said marc s . dreier , mr . solow 's lawyer . considering that mr . solow got back his money , with interest , and made 2 million on his option , it is difficult to discern why he is so incensed . he has suggested in court papers that mr . kalikow had a secret stash of cash . real_estate executives who know him say they are often puzzled by his penchant for litigation in general and his anger with mr . kalikow in particular . the court rejected his 1997 request , judge lifland said at a june 10 hearing , ' 'due to the fact that mr . solow had shown no legal basis for the relief he sought . '' mr . kalikow said he thought the matter was dead until the ads appeared in february , with the one in the post marked as a legal notice . the ads listed more than 400 creditors and said ''you may have additional rights of recovery based upon a failure by the debtors to make truthful disclosure . '' the deadline for additional recovery was feb . 17 . at the bottom of the ad was the name of a company , evergence capital advisors , and a telephone_number . mr . kalikow 's detectives and lawyers discovered that evergence was a dissolved florida company that had been headed by kosta kovachev , who had since been named in a civil complaint by the securites and exchange commission for his role in a 28 million ponzi scheme . the phone_number led to mr . dreier 's law_firm on park_avenue . during a subsequent deposition , mr . dreier acknowledged that mr . kovachev was his client and that he had a second client involved in the case . but he refused to name that client , until judge lifland ordered him to do so . it was mr . solow . ''the notices were designed to mislead the public into thinking that they had a right to reassert discharged claims , '' said judge lifland on june 10 , ruling in favor of mr . kalikow . judge lifland said the parties behind the ads were mr . solow , who was acting out of disappointment with the deal he made with mr . kalikow , and mr . dreier , ''who apparently solicited'' evergence and mr . kovachev to participate in the matter . a lawyer for mr . kalikow , stanley s . arkin , criticized mr . solow 's ''irrational animus for peter , '' but he reserved his sharpest jab for mr . dreier . ''he was facilitating an angry and vicious assault on his client 's perceived enemy , '' mr . arkin said , adding that he may seek sanctions against him . mr . dreier said , ''we think the court is clearly wrong . we feel fairly certain it 'll be reversed on appeal . '' correction july 7 , 2004 , wednesday an article on monday about a feud between the new york city real_estate developers peter s . kalikow and sheldon solow used a misspelled given name in some copies for the former senator who is a friend of mr . kalikow 's . he is alfonse m . d'amato , not alphonse .	has a location of america
there was a time when kirk henckels , director of private brokerage for the tony firm of stribling_associates , would refer to an apartment on the market for 10 million as ''a trophy property . '' no more . ''now i just call it a_10 million property , '' mr . henckels remarked . the term trophy does not enter his vocabulary until the asking price hits 20 million . the boundary between ultrahigh luxury prices and routine high prices depends , of course , on who 's drawing the line and from what vantage_point . but by and large , brokers , developers and appraisers agree that it lies somewhere north of 10 million . ''it used to be that you would walk into a_10 million property and it would be like seeing someone wearing a 25 carat engagement ring , '' said michele kleier , president of gumley haft kleier . ''now you look at something at 10 million and say , 'where do i start gutting ? ' and 'how many more millions do i have to put in ? ' '' jonathan miller , president of miller samuel , a firm that appraises about 5 , 000 properties a year , also sets the bar higher . ''i think that 10 million is not high enough for the 'wow' factor , '' he said . ''it 's probably more like 12 million to 15 million . '' but there is ''wow , '' and there is ''wow ! '' to mr . henckels , '' 'wow' with a small 'w' is 10 million to 20 million while capital 'w' 'wow' is over 20 million . '' wherever ''wow'' rests , it was certainly uttered more than once when word spread about a 45 million transaction the highest ever recorded in manhattan in the aol time warner center on columbus_circle . the purchase of a gargantuan ( 12 , 000 square_feet ) loft assembled by combining one entire floor and part of another there remains breathtaking , even for movie stars and corporate tycoons . the buyer was david martinez , a london based financier who made his fortune buying the debt of nations and companies . but he remains in a class by himself . as stephen kotler , executive vice_president of douglas_elliman , put it , ''there is no rash of 45 million buyers . '' if there were , they might find some latitude on asking prices , which slipped noticeably in the upper reaches last fall , mr . miller said . but that was due more to overpricing , he said , than to real decline . ''list prices were being set as if the market were continuing to see double_digit increases , '' he said . ''now we are seeing prices at this level remaining flat , but there is a modest uptick in the number of transactions . '' there is a good inventory of properties for people able to bid 10 million or more . mr . kotler conducted an informal online survey of 10 million plus apartments last week . above that cutoff , he said , ''our database shows there are 144 available apartments , with an average asking price of 16 , 286 , 000 for an average of 2 , 680 per square_foot . the average square_footage of these units is 6 , 100 . '' ( a survey done by mr . miller for douglas_elliman shows the average sales price in manhattan over all for the second quarter of 2003 at 660 a square_foot . ) some specialists believe that price per square_foot is a more sensitive barometer of high end luxury than absolute price . ''at 1 , 000 per square_foot , you get something very nice 1 , 500 , something extravagant and 2 , 000 plus , hotel quality service , concierges , parking , five star restaurants with catering and usually premium addresses with views , '' said bret bobo , senior vice_president of sales and marketing for the athena group , a development firm . so what can buyers crossing the 10 million and up threshold expect to get that they would not for a single digit million ? ''five million dollars or 6 million can buy you a great location , a terrific apartment , a beautiful home , but they are not palaces , '' said hall f . willkie , president of brown_harris_stevens residential sales . ''it 's like the difference between buying a mercedes versus a rolls_royce . '' in general , ms . kleier said , ''what you 're getting is more space , larger rooms , higher ceilings and views . if you 're buying at trump world tower or the aol time warner building and you 're spending that kind of money , you wo n't buy on the 15th floor but on the 70th . you want to walk in and have drop dead airplane views . if you are buying in a prewar co op , '' she said , ''you will be getting something that will never be built again , an old world building with snob appeal . '' no matter how unique any particular residence may be , real_estate specialists agree that there are three essential factors in catapulting a property into the megamillion range location . size . view . the way those factors balance one another is different for stately old co ops ( for which location , and all that it implies , is paramount ) than they are for glamorous new condos ( views are essential ) . for town houses , width more than 20 feet dominates all other considerations . clich though it may be , there seems no way to overstate the pull of location , especially in the co op sector . the most expensive and exclusive buildings sit on fifth and park avenues from 59th to 96th streets . although there are certainly other neighborhoods and streets with prestige , like sutton and beekman places , central_park south , central_park west and gramercy_park , none command quite the same cachet . some buildings on fifth and park are known simply by their numbers . ''people do n't say '740 park_avenue , ' they just say '740' and no one asks '740 what ? ' '' ms . kleier said . ''everyone knows you are worth a billion dollars or you would n't get through the board . it is the prestige of having that address on your stationery . '' though many consider central_park west to be as desirable as fifth and park , ''there are not as many really expensive apartments there , '' said dolly lenz , executive vice_president of douglas_elliman . ''for the most part , you only get humongous apartments when they are combined . on the east side , they were built huge . '' in the town house market , the gap in prices between east and west sides has been narrowing in recent years . ''but they are still 25 percent higher on the upper east side blocks between fifth and madison , '' said jed garfield , the managing partner at leslie j . garfield company . there are , to be sure , some multimillion_dollar properties downtown as well , but not in the concentration of the upper east side . still , it takes more than a high status address to escalate prices . ''it must be an apartment in a very fine building , '' said kathy sloane , a broker at brown_harris_stevens , ''fine being defined as address , original architect and designer and provenance , meaning the people who have lived there . if the building is by rosario candela or james carpenter , you know it will have certain ceiling heights , a scale that creates a sense of graciousness , sufficient attention to areas for servants , a very fine lobby and a handsome exterior and possibly a terrace . '' to mr . kotler , size is paramount . ''you can get something as nice for 6 million or 7 million with the same level of finishes , but the difference comes down to size . '' he said . the most recent buzz around fifth and park concerned the contract reportedly signed for the duplex at 770 park_avenue owned by giovanni_agnelli , the chairman of fiat and elder_statesman of italian business , who died in january . ''it is not big , 6 , 000 feet , but it is one of the best apartments in new york , '' said alice mason , a broker who was not involved in the sale . ''there were 22 appointments to see it the first week it came on the market . '' sotheby 's , the brokerage_firm handling the sale , declined to comment . though the duplex is rumored to have gone for 20 million , ''in that same building you can find something for 6 million , '' said roger erickson , senior managing director of william b . may . ''they share a location . what they do n't share is the location within the building and that , along with size , is the key factor that vaults you to 15 million . '' the fact that the stately prewar co op buildings , particularly those by revered architects like candela and carpenter , cannot be expanded or duplicated , adds to their mystique and their value . ''you ca n't replace the prewar buildings on park that were built in the 1920 's , '' ms . mason said . ''the location is 100 percent gone and the type of craftsmanship used in the old buildings no longer exists . '' that is what makes the building at 838 fifth avenue , at 65th street , unusual . known as the ''love thy neighbor'' building for the biblical injunction carved into its limestone facade for its previous owner , the union of american hebrew congregations , it is both a condo in a sea of co ops , and a gut renovation . ( according to lawrence sicular , director of appraisal and consulting for brown_harris_stevens , there are 63 co ops and five condos on fifth avenue between 59th and 96th_street . ) among the amenities at 838 fifth , which commanded 10 million to 20 million per apartment quarters on the ground floor for employees . ''with square_footage so expensive upstairs , over a million per bedroom , it was decided that staff did n't have to live in the same apartment , '' mr . bobo said . ''so we put in one staff room for each floor , and they sold out at 500 , 000 each . '' not all the residents house staff there , however . ''one owner put in a gym , another a wine_cellar and storage , '' said mr . bobo , whose company converted the building to residential use . the differences between co ops and condos , of course , range from the basic condominiums , like houses , are real_property , while co ops are corporations in which tenants own shares , with rules , and admission , in the hands of a board to the subtle . in old world co ops , ''there is a snobbery that no condo can have , '' ms . mason said . ''a condo is only about money , and these buildings are only partly about money . '' dolly lenz , executive vice_president and managing director of douglas_elliman , disagreed . ''people used to think you were odd if you were a new yorker and said you wanted to buy a condo , '' she said . ''now , thanks to buildings like the westbury at 15 east 69th_street and 838 fifth avenue , it is not just acceptable but preferable to be in a condo because of the incredible people who have bought there . '' ultraluxury condominiums can also be found beyond in some cases well beyond traditionally affluent neighborhoods . they can even bestow a new identity on their locations , as the twin richard meier buildings , at 173 and 176 perry street where prices ranged from 1 . 6 million to 18 million , have done on perry street and one beacon court is expected to do on lexington_avenue . at one beacon court , part of the development on the old alexander 's store site , prices will top out at 26 million . ''some buildings make the location , '' ms . kleier said . ''who would have thought people would be fighting to live on columbus_circle ? '' to compete with co ops , mr . sicular said , condos must offer newness and extraordinary services and amenities . ''co ops have personnel but not the bells and whistles amenities of pools and , with a few exceptions , in house restaurants , '' he said . ''while many high end co ops have views , many do n't , and park_avenue is a premier example of that . condos tend to need a view . '' it would be hard to find views more spectacular than those visible from the two behemoths soaring into the skyline across town from one another the aol time warner center at columbus_circle and one beacon court at 151 east 58th_street . prices in the aol time warner center start at 2 . 5 million ( for a two bedroom 1 , 283 square_foot unit facing west ) . the largest single sale there registered at 30 million . though mr . martinez 's purchase was for 45 million , he bought two units . the towers , one to be known , because of the hotel at its base , as the residences at mandarin oriental ( 65 apartments ) and the other as one central_park ( 135 apartments ) , are equal in height to a building 80 stories tall but because of the unusually high ceilings , and the retail complex at their bases , they actually have only 55 floors . ''this is five star living , and money is no object , '' said louise m . sunshine , president of the real_estate marketing company bearing her name . the developer has trademarked the phrase ''five star living . '' the aim , ms . sunshine said , is to provide a remarkable array of services and facilities and be ready to fulfill any request , no matter how challenging . as the promotional literature breathlessly says , ''discover how expectations are surpassed whether it 's 3 , 000 roses upon request or monogrammed pillow shams for your houseguests , here the comforts of home have been exquisitely elevated . '' in ms . lenz 's opinion , ''if you are marketing a new building today and do n't have really great services , it 's a hard sell . ''people are purchasing lifestyle . they can afford everything and want everything . '' and they get it at buildings like aol time warner , one beacon court and the new ritz_carlton at 50 central_park south . ''any building can do maid service , but here they will dedicate the maid to your home , '' ms . lenz said of the ritz_carlton . ''if you want her , she must drop what she is doing . if there is a dog in residence , you get a dedicated dog walker who knows your dog . '' ''there are two bentley limos available , '' she continued , ''and they have fractional ownership of a jet , so if you decide you want to go to palm_beach for the weekend , you can do that . '' prices for 11 floor through apartments were initially set at 15 million to 26 million , but one floor was split into two units priced at 12 million and 17 million after construction began . ''we decided we wanted to be able to offer something below 15 million , '' said matthew hall , spokesman for millennium partners , the developer . only the 23rd floor has completely finished interiors , with the rest offered as raw space . ''at this price point , buyers want their own architects and interior_designers , '' mr . hall said . ''if we put in the finishes , we would never select the right ones . '' it is not unusual for buyers at this level to rip out kitchens and bathrooms and to redo finishes , but donald_trump , who has put up some of the more opulent condos around town , said that purchasers tend to leave well enough alone in the kitchens of his trump world tower at 845 united_nations plaza . in an advertisement currently running in several magazines , mr . trump stands over a pizza in a box in a kitchen there equipped with g.e . monogram appliances . the penthouse apartment is described as ''90th floor 10 rms w vu , new york at your feet 17 million . '' he is beaming as he holds out a slice . ''people very rarely tear out what i build , '' he said in an interview . in town houses , services are virtually_nonexistent and high end finishes may be attractive , but they do not have much impact on prices , according to mr . garfield , who said , ''there is not much difference between what you get for 8 million or 9 million and 15 million or 16 million . you can only spend so much on a house . there is no such thing as a viking plus range a viking is a viking . '' what does count is easier to quantify width . ''twenty feet is standard , '' mr . garfield said . ''there are lots of buildings at 15 , 18 , 19 feet , but once you break the 20 foot barrier , you start moving up disproportionately . plenty of multimillionaires have 20 feet but not many have 22 or 25 . '' whatever the extravagance of luxuries offered , at some point they become irrelevant . as ms . sunshine put it , ''they are for the 3 million to 10 million buyer , not the 45 million buyer . those people come with their own luxuries . they have their own major domos , drivers , concierges . if they want to exercise they put in their own gyms , but they still want to know that the building 's gym is there . '' correction september 14 , 2003 , sunday an article last sunday about high end homes in manhattan gave an outdated affiliation for lawrence sicular , who commented on the differences between co ops and condominiums at that level . he is an independent appraiser and researcher on the housing market , no longer director of appraisal and consulting for brown_harris_stevens .	has a location of america
may is the finest month in montclair , or so they say in this town of 39 , 000 about 12 miles west of manhattan . the presby memorial iris garden unfurls its floral rainbow on a hill , signaling the start of a season of jazz concerts , downtown dances , block parties , school talent shows , craft fairs , sidewalk sales , ball games and tennis matches . ''and what is everybody talking about at all these social gatherings ? '' says linda grotenstein , a real_estate agent with coldwell_banker , and the president of the west essex board of realtors . ''how much the house next door just sold for . '' mayor bob russo agrees . ''people move here for the cosmopolitan lifestyle , not necessarily the property values , '' he said . ''but what is happening with the prices of homes is so incredible , it 's got everybody 's attention . '' the only down side to the excitement about montclair real_estate , the mayor said , is that ' 'regular folks are starting to worry people like us wo n't be able to afford to move here . '' the numbers so far this year are startling 65 percent of the 123 homes that were both listed and sold from jan . 1 to may 13 went for more than the asking price many for 20 percent to 40 percent more . one colonial , with four bedrooms and two and a half baths , on dryden road , which dead ends at brookdale park , went for 60 percent more than the asking price . it was put on the market for 399 , 000 in march , garnered a dozen bids , and sold for 637 , 000 . ''it may have been underpriced , '' ms . grotenstein said . ''it 's a very nice house , an elegant small house . one house had sold on that street for a high price the year before . maybe that should have been a sign to all of us realtors . ''but , really , '' she said , ''it is difficult to say what any house will sell for in a market like this . buyers are drawn by a well regarded school system and the prospect of a fast commute to manhattan in addition to the wealth of activities and attractive housing choices . montclair 's market has featured such high demand combined with such a low inventory of homes for sale , in fact , that sellers have come to expect that houses will be sold in one weekend . typically , a house is opened on wednesday to real_estate brokers , advertised on thursday , shown through the weekend and then sealed bids usually at least two , sometimes more than 20 are opened monday . ''people who come into this market to buy well , let 's just say , it takes them a while to get up to speed with it , '' said mary louise hogarty , an agent with burgdorff era . ''i 've had people miss out on 8 , 10 , 12 houses they put bids on . '' sometimes , a buyer has the winning bid accepted and then loses to someone who comes forward with a significantly higher bid in the three day period of ''attorney review'' required of each sales contract in new jersey , ms . hogarty said . this happened with a house on elston road at park street . a four bedroom colonial was offered at 539 , 000 and generated frenetic interest , and 12 offers . when the bids were opened , ms . hogarty 's clients had the second highest bid . the couple , who had been in this situation before , were told that this time it had been very close , ms . hogarty said , although the exact amount of a winning bid does not become public until after a sale has closed . the buyers still wanted the house . so , carolee jones , the manager of the burgdorff office , said the agency helped them devise a strategy . ''our buyers bid 700 , 000 , '' ms . jones said . ''so , the other guy was probably in the low 700 , 000 's . we told our buyers we would have to go significantly above that to get the house . they said , 'how about 751 , 000 ? ' that 's what we offered . '' when a bid is received during a lawyer 's review , the seller has the option of giving the original winning bidder a chance to match or better the new offer , and the process continues another step . in this case , burgdorff 's buyers got the home for 751 , 000 . they were ''thrilled , '' said ms . jones , to pay almost 40 percent over asking price . jay schweppe , whose schweppe company is based in montclair , observed , ''even as prices go up , up , up , buyers still see value there and that 's what matters in real_estate , the perception of value . '' montclair 's real_estate value has been increasing 20 percent a year for several years . one factor has been the promise of the midtown direct train service scheduled to start in montclair in the fall , when commuters will be able to commute into manhattan without switching trains in hoboken . other towns like maplewood , south orange and short_hills have all had increases in property values when the improved rail service cut 30 minutes or more off the commute to manhattan . ''another part of it , '' ms . grotenstein said , ''is the very brisk market in manhattan and brooklyn . with the prices people are getting in new york , they are coming here with buckets of money to spend and considering montclair a bargain . '' george j . bolton , who sold the house on summit avenue in march that he and wife , catherine , had lived in for 27 years , said he thought the sept . 11 attacks were also a factor . the boltons asked 395 , 000 for their four bedroom house and sold it for 475 , 000 . several offers came from people who wanted to leave manhattan after the attacks , mr . bolton said . ''really , though , i think people will pay a lot to come to montclair just because it is a cool place to live , '' he added . ''i 'm 64 , and tired of mowing the lawn , shoveling the snow , and trying not to get strangled by high taxes , '' he said , ' 'so we moved to a town house , less than a mile away , in cedar grove . '' mr . bolton asserted there is no place as interesting to live as montclair and reminisced about his neighbors on summit avenue over the years a retired navy admiral , the chief etomologist of new york , the drummer in woody_allen 's jazz band , a romance novelist , a fire chief and various journalists including a magazine publisher who started the street 's easter egg hunt five years ago . mayor russo concurred about the source of montclair 's magic . ''it 's the diversity of people and activities , '' he said , ''along with the beautiful houses and good schools . '' on park street , a boulevard cutting north to south through the town , two houses within a block in the upper montclair section sold recently for over 1 million . one colonial , with six bedrooms and three and a half baths , which had been remodeled , was listed at 925 , 000 and sold for 1 . 1 million a 19 percent premium . the other , a slightly larger tudor , sold for 1 , 335 , 999 , which was 285 , 999 over the list price the highest amount over list of any sale closed this year . a house on south mountain avenue that sold for 1 . 51 million was runner up in the dollars over list category . the seven bedroom stucco , with a columned porch , widow 's walk and a lace curtained two car garage , went for 260 , 000 over the list price . montclair broke the 2 million sales price barrier earlier this year , when a mediterranean style house on lloyd road sold for 2 . 1 million , after being on the market for six months . it had been listed at 2 . 395 million , and mr . schweppe had publicly called the asking price exorbitant . carol rhodes of rhodes van note company , another agency in montclair , said she was also surprised at the price . ''every week it seems something happens to make us liars , '' she said . on may 17 , two houses were put on the market with asking prices of more than 3 million . ''only a few years ago , young families starting out could get really nice houses for 250 , 000 , '' ms . grotenstein said . ''now if they come in , and they only have 300 , 000 , we may have to tell them we ca n't do it . '' mayor russo said this is a concern . the town has worked with developers of apartment buildings , he said , seeking pledges that low and moderate income units be included in projects . but with residential sales , he said ''there is no way to stop it . even the 't . l.c . 's' in neighborhoods that are a little more rundown are going for a lot of money . people are buying just to have a piece of montclair . ''if property values and the cost of our homes becomes so high , '' mr . russo said , ''we 're going to price out the average buyer . we 'll still have diversity but it will be wealthy folks of all backgrounds . '' recent sales of five bedroom houses may bolster his point . a clapboard dwelling with a porch overlooking grove street , a busy thoroughfare , sold for 485 , 100 39 percent , and 136 , 100 , over list price . a house on wilde place , a side street a couple of blocks from downtown , sold for 625 , 000 30 percent , and 146 , 000 , over asking . ''looking at the plus side , '' mr . schweppe said , ' 'real_estate continues to make many people very wealthy here in montclair . '' mr . bolton said it was wonderful to receive such a high price for his place . ''the tragedy is , '' he said , harking back to buying the house as a younger man , ''i did n't buy two houses . '' new jersey	has a location of america
for more than a month , politicians and housing officials from albany to washington have tried to outdo one another in vilifying david bistricer , the developer who bid 1 . 3 billion for the complex of low and moderate income apartments in brooklyn known as starrett city . they suggested he would raise rents , slash services and throw longtime tenants into the streets . yet not so long ago some of the same officials warmly embraced another developer , jerry i . speyer , after he bid billions of dollars for an even larger complex of affordable apartments on the lower east side stuyvesant town and peter_cooper village . ''i think the tenants in stuyvesant town will be well protected , '' mayor michael r . bloomberg said about mr . speyer , whom he called a ''great landlord . '' in the same radio interview on feb . 9 , mr . bloomberg described mr . bistricer as a potentially bad landlord , with a ''worrisome'' history of building violations . concerns about mr . bistricer 's plan reached a head yesterday as the federal housing secretary , alphonso r . jackson , flanked by attorney_general andrew m . cuomo and senator charles e . schumer , rejected his bid . ''the department will not stand by idly while the community and its people are unnecessarily placed at risk , a risk of losing their homes and their way of life , '' mr . jackson said . the starkly different reactions to the two sales , the two buyers and the two complexes that stand 12 miles apart reveal much about new york in an era of seemingly unprecedented prosperity . the city 's population is growing . wall_street is reporting record profits . the average price of an apartment in manhattan is more than 1 million , rents are spiking and increasing numbers of new yorkers are worried that the cost of housing is exceeding their grasp . against that backdrop , concerns about the declining supply of affordable apartments in new york 's hot market have risen sharply , spurred in part by mr . speyer 's 5 . 4 billion purchase of stuyvesant town . and in that light , mr . bistricer may have been a victim of bad_timing . but there were other factors that may have contributed to the sharply different responses to the two sales . a member of manhattan 's aristocracy , mr . speyer is a consummate insider , comfortable with the news_media , a well known fixture in the glamorous world of manhattan that the mayor is familiar with . he is chairman of the federal_reserve_bank of new york , vice chairman of the museum_of_modern_art and an owner of the yankees . mr . bistricer , by comparison , is a soft_spoken man who is so shy around the news_media that he will not allow his photograph to be taken . he is unknown at either the real_estate board of new york or the partnership for new york city , two institutions once headed by mr . speyer . he lives in a three story house in borough_park , rather than a mansion on the upper east side , and his favorite charity is the hebrew academy for special children . he has also had legal problems thousands of building violations a prohibition from converting rental buildings to condominiums in new york because of past improprieties that do not show up on mr . speyer 's r sum . ''it was jerry speyer , the former chairman of the real_estate board and the partnership , who owns landmarks all over town , versus someone who most people never heard of , '' said steven spinola , the president of the real_estate board . in a city where nearly every apartment receives some form of tax_break or subsidy , the political storm at starrett city is also a measure of the extraordinary level of federal , state and city assistance over the past 30 years that has gone into the complex , whose residents are far less well to do than the middle_class tenants at stuyvesant town and peter_cooper village . the current owners , a group led by the investor disque d . deane , receive generous tax breaks , have a tax free federal mortgage and receive rent subsidies for 90 percent of the 14 , 000 tenants and substantial property_tax breaks . that assistance gave officials at several levels of government additional leverage to push mr . bistricer out of the picture , at least for now . ''you did n't have the level of federal , state and city subsidies at stuyvesant town that you did at starrett , '' mr . cuomo said . ''taxpayers paid the entire cost of starrett , some would argue , twice over . the taxpayers have a tremendous investment in this . '' tenant advocacy_groups like tenants and neighbors and acorn say that in the current market , affordable_housing has become an issue not only for the poor and working_class but also for the middle_class . mayor bloomberg has a well regarded plan to build 165 , 000 units of affordable_housing by 2013 . but advocates say that will not be enough to keep pace with the loss of affordable units as more apartments become deregulated or leave the state 's mitchell_lama program for middle_income tenants . ''the administration is feeling a lot of heat and pressure on this issue , '' added brad lander , director of the pratt center for community development . ''they 've positioned this as good actor versus bad actor . but the public outcry has been over the deeper issue preserving affordable_housing . '' shaun donovan , the city 's housing commissioner , defended the administration 's support for mr . speyer , saying stuyvesant town and peter_cooper village would remain under rent_stabilization laws . he also asserted that mr . bistricer 's bid for starrett city was so high that it would put its 5 , 881 units of affordable_housing at risk . but rents at stuyvesant town and peter_cooper village , where 28 percent of the 11 , 200 apartment are now deregulated and thousands more will be in the coming years , are fast escalating beyond the reach of the construction workers and police officers who traditionally lived there and even some of the middle_class tenants . ''i did n't feel protected , '' said evan horisk , a market rate tenant who rented a two bedroom apartment at stuyvesant town until january , when his rent jumped 26 percent to 3 , 350 . ''i was basically booted out of my apartment . '' mr . bistricer contends that he has unfairly been painted as an evil landlord and that he has poured millions of dollars into rehabilitating a brooklyn property that has received numerous building violations . he also still hopes that he can devise a plan that passes muster with federal and state officials , though mr . jackson , the federal housing secretary , clearly expressed strong doubts about a deal . ''we remain convinced that we can provide the assurances that secretary jackson , and other officials , responsibly require , '' a spokeswoman for mr . bistricer 's group , clipper equity l.l.c. , said in a statement yesterday . not everyone at starrett city is upset about the prospect , however unlikely , of mr . bistricer buying the complex . rabbi avner german , who has lived at starrett city since it opened in the mid 1970s and leads the congregation b'nai israel , said his concerns about the sale of the complex changed after he learned more about mr . bistricer , who , he said , had quietly donated ''thousands of dollars'' so that children from the former soviet_union who attend his school could have bar mitzvahs . ''he 's not the person who would want to purge the tenants here , '' rabbi german said . ''he happens to be very religious , a noble kind of person . '' news analysis	has a location of america
black public_housing tenants have been systematically consigned to segregated , poor neighborhoods of baltimore city as a result of the policies of the united states department of housing and urban development , a federal_judge concluded on thursday . by not placing more public_housing residents in suburban counties , hud has failed to meet its obligations under the fair_housing_act , judge marvin j . garbis of federal district court ruled in a decade old civil_rights lawsuit . judge garbis 's decision is the latest turn in nationwide efforts intended to reverse public_housing policy that has historically sent public_housing tenants to poor neighborhoods consisting of minority residents . in the 322 page decision , judge garbis said hud must adopt a ' 'regional approach'' to public_housing that would disperse poor , black residents instead of concentrating them in city neighborhoods . the decision came in a class_action_lawsuit brought by the american_civil_liberties_union against hud , the baltimore housing authority and elected city officials . the suit , filed on behalf of 14 , 000 baltimore public_housing tenants , claimed local and federal_government policies had created ''black ghettos . '' judge garbis ruled that the plaintiffs did not prove their claim that the city of baltimore had failed to take adequate steps to try to reverse the effects of previous race discrimination in public_housing . but the judge rebuked hud for not ensuring public_housing ''free from discrimination . '' speaking before a packed courtroom in downtown baltimore , judge garbis said hud has been ''effectively wearing blinders'' through its failure to provide more public_housing beyond the city 's boundaries . ''it is high time that hud live up to its statutory mandate'' and consider ' 'regional approaches to promoting fair housing opportunities for african_american public_housing residents in the baltimore region , '' judge garbis said . in his decision , the judge wrote , ''baltimore city should not be viewed as an island reservation for use as a container for all of the poor of a contiguous region'' that includes surrounding counties . in baltimore , the decision noted , 97 percent of public_housing for families went to black families , mostly in poverty stricken neighborhoods . in 2000 , the judge said , the city was 64 percent black , while the baltimore region , comprising the city and five suburban counties , was about 15 percent black . as a result of a consent_decree issued earlier in the a.c.l.u . case , baltimore demolished numerous high rise projects and replaced them with new housing in the 1990 's . while praising those improvements , judge garbis said , ''there have not been significant opportunities for african_american residents of baltimore city public_housing to reside in racially_mixed , rather than predominantly african_american , areas . '' the case , the judge said , will now move to the ' 'remedial phase , '' in which the court will hear evidence and take action intended to ensure hud officials adequately consider a regional approach to the desegregation of public_housing in the baltimore region . lawyers for the plaintiffs , along with national housing and civil_rights advocates , hailed the decision and said it underscores the importance of spreading public_housing beyond the city . ''the core of the case has been a failure of political will to locate public_housing anywhere other than the poorest , blackest neighborhoods , '' said andrew d . freeman , a lawyer representing the a.c.l.u . hud , mr . freeman said , is largely responsible for concentrating public_housing in poor areas of the city and has an obligation to break the pattern by dispersing public_housing . philip tegeler , executive director of the poverty and race research action council in washington , said that in the 1990 's the clinton_administration had settled 17 class_action complaints stemming from public_housing discrimination claims , agreeing to create public_housing outside of areas of minority concentration , allocate more housing vouchers to be used outside high poverty areas and revitalize public_housing . william f . ryan jr . , a lawyer representing baltimore city , said the decision heartened him . ''our position from the beginning was that the city has done everything it could over the last 50 years to provide good housing for its citizens , '' mr . ryan said . ''and the city needs all the help it can get from the federal_government and other sectors . ''	has a location of america
chatham 385 , 000 94 lisa street 3 bedroom , 3 1 2 bath , 18 year old ranch master bedroom suite , deck , screened_porch taxes 2 , 001 . freehold 127 , 500 18 yard avenue 3 bedroom , 2 bath , 22 year old colonial fireplace , den , 1 car garage , patio taxes 2 , 698 . howell 157 , 000 13 chestnut hill road 4 bedroom , 2 1 2 bath , 23 year old colonial 1 car garage , w w carpeting , eat in kitchen taxes 3 , 150 . jackson 122 , 000 21 aldrich road 3 bedroom , 2 bath , 27 year old ranch family room , 1 car garage , pool , finished_basement taxes 3 , 452 . oakland 155 , 000 22 oneida avenue 4 bedroom , 2 bath , 34 year old split level new carpeting , deck , eat in kitchen taxes 3 , 288 . ramsey 343 , 000 23 joshua drive 5 bedroom , 2 1 2 bath , 13 year old tudor fireplace , patio , skylights taxes 6 , 665 . other areas norwalk , conn . 178 , 000 10 quintard avenue 2 bedroom , 1 1 2 bath , 60 year old victorian completely renovated , new furnace , 0 . 10 acre taxes 2 , 133 . bronxville , n.y . 765 , 000 30 sturgis road 5 bedroom , 3 1 2 bath , 62 year old tudor family room , breakfast nook , library taxes 12 , 295 . massapequa , l.i . 300 , 000 131 bellaire road 5 bedroom , 3 bath , 37 year old ranch_dining_room , eat in kitchen , den , 2 car garage taxes 8 , 500 . correction_october 27 , 1991 , sunday an entry in the recent sales column on sept . 22 misstated the address and age of a house in chatham and the taxes on it . the address is 94 lisa drive , and the house is 11 years old the taxes are 6 , 829 .	has a location of america
to the editor concerning ''from a ring for horses to a studio for anchors'' streetscapes , march 28 , about durland 's riding academy at 66th 67th street off central_park west there must be other old timers who regret , as i do , your omission of the period after the closing of the n.y . riding club in 1936 when the ''complex returned to service as a public stable . '' it became aylward 's ( or so it was in 1946 when i became a regular patron ) , presided over by a strict lady , mrs . smith ( nee aylward , it was rumored ) . there were , at a guess , 60 or 70 horses in my time , including a large number of stable horses , several of very high quality . there was no longer polo in the ring , but the space was glorious , with ample and safe room for jumps in the center . the location was glamorous we had a short , exciting hoof clopping distance , then the gracious park entrance , with tavern on the green on our right . hearts were broken when the property was sold . and with the subtraction of so many horses , central_park has never been as elegant again . doris dodge princeton , n.j .	has a location of america
as construction work begins on 9 metrotech south , a 670 , 000 square_foot building that will house 1 , 300 employees of empire blue cross and blue shield , planning is under way to lay the zoning and other groundwork for other development in downtown_brooklyn . while the new building will complete development of the 16 acre metrotech complex , its developer and others active in the borough think brooklyn could become increasingly attractive to companies that are expanding or that want to spread out their work forces for increased security in the wake of the sept . 11 attacks , while still remaining in the city . to help make this happen , efforts are under way to revise the zoning for certain parts of the downtown area to permit the construction of buildings both office towers and housing larger than zoning now permits . the designated sites include four blocks along livingston street between smith street and flatbush_avenue , several blocks on both sides of willoughby street near flatbush_avenue and several blocks on the east side of flatbush_avenue closer to the brooklyn_bridge . others are working to add amenities by upgrading or expanding two existing malls . work is to begin next month above the long_island_rail_road 's brooklyn terminus on the four story , 400 , 000 square_foot atlantic terminal mall , almost half of which is to be occupied by a target department_store . the project includes foundation work for an eventual office tower , and city and metropolitan_transportation_authority crews have been preparing the site for construction . some customers for the malls are expected to come from the area 's student population , which will take on a more 24 hour character with the opening of a new dormitory this fall , with another one , at a different school , also being planned . further in the future with the other demands on city and state coffers raising questions about timing are ambitious plans for developing a park along the waterfront below brooklyn_heights and , in the area around the brooklyn_academy_of_music , expanding cultural facilities while adding housing and office space . since many of these projects are dependent on city money , they are likely to be delayed by the current budget pressures . but backers say the preliminary work is necessary to prepare the area so that developers will be able to move quickly when demand is felt from companies that are expanding or are relocating some of their offices . ''downtown_brooklyn has got to be ready to go in the next up cycle , '' said james whelan , director of the downtown_brooklyn council . the council is asking city planners to increase zoning in the designated locations to permit the development of 12 million square_feet of space 9 million commercial and 3 million residential . he said residential construction was an important part of the plan to create what he terms ''a true downtown . '' he added , ''we need to have people here after 5 30 in the afternoon . '' one criticism of metrotech has been that while thousands of people work there during the day , most leave for homes elsewhere in the city or in the suburbs after office hours , leaving the streets empty and lifeless . similarly , educational institutions in downtown_brooklyn are trying to turn at least a small number of the estimated 30 , 000 students who flood into the area each day into residents . as part of a 100 million renovation and expansion of its brooklyn campus , polytechnic_university has built its first dormitory , a 400 bed facility that is scheduled to open in the fall . brooklyn law school has announced plans to build its first dormitory as well , with 350 beds , at the northwest corner of boerum place and state street . having a larger 24 hour population should attract retailers and make the neighborhood more attractive to companies looking for office space , mr . whelan said . ''we serve midtown and lower_manhattan , and we compete with the new jersey waterfront , '' he said . also among potential competitors is long_island_city , queens , where a_37 block area was rezoned for greater density last year , although no projects are yet under way . while planners and developers agree that new commercial projects will most likely wait for the next economic upturn , the development of 9 metrotech south is an indication of how fast things can happen when a site is ready to go and there is a client in need . before sept . 11 , the forest_city ratner companies , the developer of metrotech , did not have an anchor tenant for the site , at the northwest corner of myrtle avenue and flatbush_avenue extension , and had no plans to build . then , ''the deal was done in two months , '' said bruce c . ratner , the company 's president , of the decision by empire blue cross and blue shield to sign a lease for 322 , 220 square_feet , or about one half the 19 story building . because the company 's employees are currently scattered in different locations , construction is proceeding urgently . ''we are working double shifts and should have the building ready in 18 months , rather than the 24 to 30 months it would usually take , '' he said . mr . ratner said events of sept . 11 appeared to have changed corporate attitudes toward brooklyn . in the past , financial_services companies placed back office operations in the borough because the rents were lower , while keeping their headquarters in manhattan . now , he said , there is interest in moving whole entities to brooklyn , which is , among other things , on a different power grid than manhattan . ''prior to this , downtown_brooklyn was strictly a low cost alternative , '' he said . ''now companies that are interested in spreading out their space are interested in brooklyn for reasons not based solely on costs . '' dr . george bugliarello , the chancellor of polytechnic and also the conceptual father of metrotech , said sept . 11 might lead corporate executives , city officials and developers to question the value of concentrating businesses in manhattan . ''in medieval times cities were a place of protection , '' he said . ''now cities are hostages , and we have to rethink the distribution of activity . '' but he said it would be difficult to replicate metrotech , because few developers are willing to take on a 1 billion project that takes 15 years to plan and build . in addition to the developers of office and academic projects , retail developers are paying increasing attention to downtown_brooklyn . joseph j . sitt , the principal owner of thor equities , a real_estate investment company , has purchased the somewhat threadbare albee square mall , between flatbush_avenue and fulton and gold streets , and plans to transform it into an upscale shopping_center called the gallery at fulton_street . mr . sitt , who developed the ashley stewart retail clothing chain , aimed at urban women , into a business with annual sales of more than 300 million , said there is money to be made in urban locations as well as suburban malls . he said the first task is to fix the leaky roof of the three story mall , but then he plans to improve the appearance of the entire building . ''i 'm going to rip out the linoleum floors and replace them with granite , '' he said . he said that in the late 1990 's companies he calls ''white bread retailers'' discovered the urban market , increasing competition for ashley stewart , and mr . sitt sold his interest in the company . he said he decided to buy real_estate in urban_areas to present a variety of retail concepts . the mall has toys ''r'' us as one anchor , and mr . sitt said he was hoping to attract a department_store as another anchor . he said the plan is to create the same shopping experience as in top quality suburban areas . ''we are going to take the finest quality mall in white , suburban areas and bring it to downtown_brooklyn , '' he said . the site includes a five story parking_garage that thor equities owns and is in one of the areas designated for increased zoning . mr . sitt said he is prepared to demolish the existing structure and build a 900 , 000 square_foot building if a tenant signs a lease without waiting for the zoning to change . he said he would build it in such a way that it could be expanded if the zoning is changed to allow 2.5 million square_feet of development . included in that figure would be another building over the retail space . more immediate retail development plans are about to be executed by forest_city ratner on a 3 . 6 acre site bounded by atlantic and flatbush avenues , hanson place and fort_greene place . the mall , to be called atlantic terminal , is to sit atop the long_island_rail_road terminal , which is connected to 10 subway lines . forest_city ratner officials say 50 million subway , commuter_rail and bus passengers pass by the location each year . the 400 , 000 square_foot , four story atlantic terminal will be adjacent to the atlantic center retail mall , which opened in 1996 . atlantic terminal is the third and final phase of the project , which also includes 417 units of owner occupied affordable_housing and a public park . the anchor store for atlantic terminal will be a 194 , 000 square_foot target discount department_store . other retailers that have signed leases at the project include payless shoesource , rockaway bedding , daffy 's and avenue , a women 's clothing store . these stores will join macy 's , pathmark , old navy and circuit city , which are already in operation at atlantic center . work on atlantic terminal is scheduled to begin next month , with completion scheduled for march 2004 . mr . ratner said an office building could be built on top of the retail space at atlantic terminal and center if demand warrants . closer to fort greene park , the bam local development corporation is seeking to establish a residential and cultural district on land that is now used mostly for surface parking_lots . the district would be anchored by the brooklyn_academy_of_music , hence the name . ''our goal is to develop a mixed use , multicultural arts district by using underused city owned property , '' said jeanne lutfy , president of the development group . ( harvey lichtenstein , the former president of the music academy , is chairman . ) she said the plan is to develop low cost housing along with cultural , meeting and rehearsal spaces so there will be people on the streets day and night . she said the city had earmarked 80 million in its capital budget , with additional financing expected from the state and programs intended to promote the development of affordable_housing . one of the group 's first projects is the renovation of 80 hanson place , a 30 , 000 square_foot state owned building that had stood vacant for 10 years . the development corporation will renovate the building as offices and meeting spaces for small nonprofit arts groups , with the work scheduled to start in march and to be completed by the end of the year . part of the financing is coming from the city and the remainder from a 1 million grant from the state . already in the area is the mark morris dance center , which opened last fall in a long vacant space after a_7 million renovation . the center includes a permanent home for the mark morris dance group along with space for dance classes for the public and dance rehearsal space for rent to outside groups . ms . lutfy said the next project is the development of the so called east site with the ubiquitous mr . ratner , who controls the property . she said that it would be a mix of about 50 , 000 square_feet of cultural space and 100 , 000 square_feet of housing and that construction should begin early in 2003 and be complete by the end of the year . city funding is to pay for the cultural part , and existing housing programs are expected to be tapped to aid the residential component . plans for the other parcels of land are further in the future , she said , particularly the west site , which is entirely in private hands . while plans for the cultural district develop , another local development corporation is seeking to develop a public park along the east_river waterfront . it is to run from the footing of the manhattan bridge past the developing dumbo neighborhood past the brooklyn_bridge and south onto piers little used by their owner , the port_authority of new york and new jersey . the park would cover 67 acres of land stretching from jay street in the north to atlantic avenue in the south . the park would include some commercial development , including a hotel and conference center . but officials of the brooklyn bridge park development corporation say 80 percent of the park will be open space in an area of the city with little of it . like many waterfront areas of new york , the industrial docks near the fulton_ferry landing were made obsolete by the emergence of containerized shipping and the development of container ports in new jersey . joanne witty , the president of the development corporation , said the park would emerge ''as the industrial glacier recedes from the waterfront . '' ms . witty said the park has an 85 million commitment from the state through the port_authority , which is treating the pilings supporting the docks to prevent further damage from marine pests , and 65 million from the city . she said she thought the state commitment was solid , but admitted that the city funds have to be appropriated on a yearly basis . ''the park can be seen as economic_development that provides jobs and improves the attractiveness of the harbor , '' ms . witty said . ferry_service is expected to resume this summer between the fulton landing and various points in manhattan . the 90 passenger boats are to be operated by new york water taxi . retail and leasing activity have been increasing in the dumbo area , said jed d . walentas , an executive of the two trees management company , which owns and manages most of the buildings in the area . he said williams sonoma , a housewares and cookware company , is building two separate design studios on the eighth and ninth floors of the building at 55 washington street , and abc carpet has been holding warehouse sales in 40 , 000 square_feet of space at 20 jay street while negotiating for a permanent location . he said his company is also prebuilding small office spaces in the 2 , 000 to 4 , 000 square_foot range for design , architectural and consulting companies at the rate of ''about a dozen a month . '' also in dumbo , jeffrey m . brown associates is planning a mixed_use_development on what is now a surface parking_lot on jay street between front and york streets . the proposed development , called light bridges at 100 jay street , would include retail stores and office space in the base of the building and two residential towers connected by a light bridge . since the site slopes 17 feet downward toward the east_river , the building incorporates an unusual design . ''we are going to have one and one half levels of retail with about 24 , 000 to 30 , 000 square_feet of space and one and a half levels of parking for 250 to 260 cars , '' mr . brown said . five levels of office space would be on top of the retail space and rise to the level of the deck of the manhattan bridge . the residential towers would be built above the commercial space . regarding the proposed zoning change , mr . whelan said his group had worked with city planners and the economic_development commission , and he expressed confidence that the floor_area_ratio a measure of construction density of 3.5 along livingston street and 6.5 along willoughby street would be increased to the 12 that has been approved for the commercial district in long_island_city . he said many of the brooklyn sites included in the proposal had been identified in previous studies as suitable for development . he said the large sites available on willoughby street would make it logical for commercial development , while the livingston street properties would be suitable for residential development because of their proximity to the boerum_hill residential neighborhood . mr . whelan said the proposal still faced an environmental and land use review before being submitted to the city 's planning commission . as with all zoning changes , approval by the city_council is needed as well . he said he expected the process to be completed by the end of 2003 . a spokesman for marty markowitz , the new brooklyn borough_president , said mr . markowitz ''cautiously supports'' the change as long as emphasis is placed on public transportation to avoid having larger buildings add to passenger vehicle traffic . developers say that while the proposed zoning change will not be enough by itself to spur development , it is an essential prerequisite . ''nothing will happen unless there is an up zone , '' said jane marshall , a vice_president of forest_city ratner and project manager for atlantic terminal and 330 jay street , which is being built to house the kings_county family_court and part of the new york supreme_court . ''you need to have the density to encourage development . '' joshua l . muss , who is seeking to build a 280 room addition to his highly successful marriott_hotel in downtown_brooklyn , said the city needs to encourage development in the boroughs because the process is so drawn out that it discourages most builders . ''we need to focus now on getting sites ready so we can act quickly when companies are ready'' to sign leases , mr . muss said . ''to do that , we need the support of the city and community groups . ''	has a location of america
lead the scene at the construction site for the queenswood apartments in the corona section of queens these last few weeks could not have failed to mesmerize onlookers . huge cranes , bobbing and nodding like steel giraffes , raised and fitted whole walls and floors of two eight story buildings into place . the scene at the construction site for the queenswood apartments in the corona section of queens these last few weeks could not have failed to mesmerize onlookers . huge cranes , bobbing and nodding like steel giraffes , raised and fitted whole walls and floors of two eight story buildings into place . forest city enterprises , the cleveland company that builds multifamily_housing across the country , was fitting together its factory made components to form a 296 unit ''mac rental'' project , as the city 's low and moderate income multifamily construction program was labeled five years ago . it is assisted by tax exempt financing and revenue generated by the municipal_assistance_corporation . as it happens , the construction technique at queenswood is only one aspect of the development that compels attention . it is also interesting as a specimen of one of the handful of successful new construction projects under the mac rental program itself , and as a kind of measuring rod in a consideration of the pace , direction and costs of the city 's accelerating housing construction programs . forest_city has trucked the panels for these light colored , rough textured buildings 480 miles from one of its factories in ohio . all the walls , floors and stairs were made there , as was the elevator shaft and the facade panels . the architect was carl r . meinhardt . occupancy is planned in the spring . the three acre site , at 100th street and lewis avenue , is part of the property that the city acquired years ago for a high_school . local opposition led by mario m . cuomo as counsel blocked that project and in recent years it has been developed mainly with low rise housing . lefrak city and another multifamily development , sherwood village , are nearby . the company developed the housing system during the operation breakthrough days when george romney was secretary of housing_and_urban_development in the late 60 's , and has used it in 225 projects with about 60 , 000 apartments in 18 states . currently six projects with 1 , 700 apartments are using it , all within 500 miles of ohio . in teaneck , n.j. , forest_city is using it to build a residence for the elderly called the classic residence that hyatt hotels will operate . despite the factory assemblage , 75 percent of the construction work is done on site by local subcontractors using local labor , forest_city says . but the opportunity to produce precast elements in the factory has meant that construction will take only 13 months instead of the conventional 18 or 19 months . construction methods aside , queenswood is by no means inexpensive housing . it is costing about 33 million , or 110 , 000 an apartment ( including 1 , 000 a unit for land ) . to get rents down to low to moderate income levels , the city is providing 18 million in subsidies , or about 60 , 000 an apartment . the 18 million subsidy is repayable after 25 years at a rate of 1 . 1 million a year , which includes interest of 1 percent , with a final balloon payment after 40 years . when the mac rental program started , city officials were predicting its cost at about 3 , 500 per apartment per year . housing consultants warned that the costs would range between 4 , 000 and 5 , 000 a unit . they were right . the 60 , 000 a unit subsidy is equivalent to about 4 , 800 a year if the money were invested in government securities . the first project awards were made in 1985 , all for privately_owned sites . there were nine , one a rehabilitation and eight new construction . the rehabilitation and three of the new construction projects were completed and occupied , but the others never got off the ground , for reasons involving financing , the developers' inability to get site control or physical site conditions . after additional awards in 1986 for new buildings on city owned sites , two more went into construction queenswood and a 151 unit building on fifth avenue and 112th_street in manhattan . the five new projects are providing 843 apartments . two more new rental projects are still in the pipeline 62 units in astoria , queens , and possibly 57 on columbia street in brooklyn . in addition , mac subsidies have been used on seven gut rehabilitions on city owned sites , providing 410 new apartments in the shells of old buildings . these 1 , 200 to 1 , 300 apartments are well below the 4 , 000 to 6 , 000 units that city officials said in 1984 they hoped the mac rental program would by now have produced . the sites on which the program was workable were hard to come by . but much has changed in five years . mayor edward i . koch started what he called a_10 year , 5 . 1 billion housing production plan in 1986 . it absorbed the mac rental program , changed the approach to multifamily construction and widened the scope of production programs generally . the emphasis is on rehabilitating the tax foreclosed housing stock for low or moderate income tenants , or the homeless , where most city money is going building new housing for the middle_income for sale market , and utilizing so called cross subsidies from market rate condominiums to lower the cost of new assisted rentals nearby or assisting new low rise housing on city owned land . other events have overtaken the mac rental concept . the tax_law changed in 1986 , and investors in low_income_housing were allowed to earn tax_credits only if the renters had incomes below 50 percent of the area median , instead of 80 percent . accordingly , the queenswood low income rents have been pegged at 183 for a studio 229 for a one bedroom 292 for a two bedroom , and 321 for a three bedroom . when the mac rental program began it was thought that the rents for the 20 percent low income component would be 300 for a studio , 350 for a one bedroom , 400 for a two bedroom and 500 for a three bedroom . in future rentals , the city would have to use the 50 percent figure ( about 16 , 000 ) on 20 percent of the apartment for new construction to utilize tax exempt bond financing on any project . as for the rest of the tenants , their incomes are to be limited to 180 percent of the median , or , for queenswood , 58 , 000 for a family of page x , col . 5 four ( the median having risen to 32 , 400 ) . in reality , most of the tenants probably will have incomes of about 40 , 000 . the queenswood rents for what the city now calls middle_income tenants are set at 600 for a studio 750 for a one bedroom 950 for a two bedroom , and 1 , 050 for a three bedroom . under current city policy , which is to be applied in the cross subsidy developments , the assisted middle_income renters are defined as those with incomes between 100 percent and 165 percent of areawide median , or about 32 , 000 to 53 , 000 a year at present . an interesting question is whether the market in corona would permit rents somewhat higher than what queenswood will charge . the city would have had to provide only 36 , 000 an apartment instead of 60 , 000 if the 80 percent component could rent for an average of 200 more a month . city officials think the allowable rents are in fact at market , but in a limited income rental there is no mechanism for judging what the market really is . the policy goal under the mayor 's 10 year housing plan is to give more subsidies to serve the people who by definition cannot afford market rate apartments . but there also is a case to be made for obliging middle_income people getting new assisted housing to put at least some of their own equity into their housing , as they do in homes sold through the nehemiah plan and the new york city partnership , and as they once did in publicly aided limited income co ops . under abraham biderman as housing commissioner , the city has shifted to a cross subsidy approach to producing new publicly assisted high rise buildings . the models , both planned in manhattan , are a lefrak organization project on the south side of delancey street and a milstein properties development in clinton . the proceeds from condominium sales in market rate buildings will be used to assist new rental buildings nearby . since no one can tell how successful the condominium sales will be , it is difficult to judge how much subsidy will be applicable to the rental buildings , or how much the city will have to apply to make the rents affordable to the population it wishes to serve . there will be no cross subsidy at the prospective tibbetts garden development in the kingsbridge section of the bronx , however . this is a 700 unit condominium on city owned land backed by the real_estate board of new york but essentially financed by the city . the probable per unit subsidy is at least 50 , 000 some say it will be higher with part of it repayable from sales proceeds . the city will provide 25 , 000 a unit in site preparation expense , and 25 , 000 in an interest free construction loan from the housing development corporation , repayable from the sale proceeds once they are generated . the key question is how well the project sells , which in turn depends on the cost and the pricing . but whether it is for sale housing or rental_housing , the high rise multifamily units in new york city are far more costly than low rise nonelevator buildings , or one and two family houses . for each homeless household for which the city produces a new apartment in an old tax foreclosed building , the average cost now is 75 , 000 a unit . the tenant gets the apartment free , which is to say that none of the rent is used to pay off the construction cost . rent pays for upkeep only . in the mac rental program , for new high rise construction targeted to working people , the subsidy cost per unit is not that far behind .	has a location of america
the northeast states continue to lead the nation in the number of people losing their homes for failing to meet mortgage payments , a trade group said today . california and other sun_belt states are catching up , said the group , the mortgage bankers association of america , registering some of the sharpest increases in what economists call perhaps the most telling indicator of individual households in economic crisis . " this is the highest we 've ever seen , " thomas e . hylinski , a first vice_president in charge of residential lending at people 's bank , one of connecticut 's largest mortgage lenders , said of the number of connecticut residents who were losing their homes . foreclosures in new jersey in its quarterly report , made public here today , the association said that lower interest rates had buoyed many family budgets as homeowners refinanced mortgages and reduced their monthly payments and that throughout much of the country the numbers of late mortgage payments had fallen to an 18 year low . but the group said that in the northeast and in southern_california , where hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost in the aerospace industry and across a wide swath of white collar jobs , lower monthly payments had not been enough . those areas , perhaps by coincidence , also have some of the highest housing prices in the nation , meaning that laid off homeowners , carrying bigger mortgages than they might elsewhere in the country , have a shorter time to sink or swim . in new jersey , for example , 2 . 44 percent , or nearly one in 40 residential mortgages , was in some stage of foreclosure in the last quarter of 1992 , by far the highest rate in the nation , according to the mortgage bankers' survey . massachusetts was second , with 1.8 percent , followed by connecticut at 1 . 73 percent . new york and new hampshire were tied for the fifth highest rate at 1 . 52 percent . foreclosure , when a lender actually begins taking back a property , is always the last resort , economists say , after monthly payments have been missed for at least three months and far longer than that in many cases . with prices of houses falling in many parts of the country , banks have been reluctant to take back properties that they will then have to try to resell . they say the high foreclosure rate also indicates the persistence and depth of the economic downturn , since people who lose their homes have generally exhausted their savings . " it 's really a sure sign of distress , " said emanuel tobier , a professor of economics at new york_university . professor tobier said that the rate of late mortgage payments , or delinquencies , are the " first bell , " in gauging the degree of economic turmoil in any one region , or in individual household . " foreclosure is where the curtain comes down , " he said . " it 's a very drastic step . " and while mortgage lenders said they expect the northeast to continue to lead the nation in repossessions through this year , other regions that fell later into the recession are catching up fast . setbacks in west among new foreclosures begun in the last three months of 1992 , arizona led the nation with 52 hundredths of a percent of all the surveyed residential mortgages entering foreclosure in just one three month period , the mortgage lenders group said . california showed one of the sharpest increases in the number of mortgages in foreclosure , nearly doubling in 1992 , to 98 hundredths of a percent , the report said . the mortgage bank numbers are based on a survey of 16 . 1 million mortgages , representing about one third of the total residential mortgages in the country . there were some indications that what had been an improving trend through part of 1992 , even in the northeast , has perhaps stalled . the group 's report said that in many northeastern states , the percentage of delinquent mortgages , defined as late by 30 days or more , had fallen through the first three quarters of 1992 , raising hope that economic_recovery and lower interest rates would carry the region out of its housing slump . but then , in the fourth_quarter , the numbers began to climb again .	has a location of america
when they bought it , the place looked like bomb scarred beirut , said thomas bagg , the retired head of a major oil company 's tax department , surveying what is still a very rugged apartment . ''this is the command post , '' mr . bagg continued , proudly surveying a makeshift desk created by the contractor in the remains of what had been and will be again the master bedroom . ''he ripped out a closet , flipped it over on its side and made a place to work . he probably runs his business from here . '' the desk , complete with telephone and blueprints , sits in a room at 870 fifth avenue , overlooking central_park from 68th_street . and even though the room is covered with plaster dust and devoid of all furniture except the ' 'desk , '' there are still the views not only of the park , but down fifth avenue to the plaza_hotel . the wrecked apartment in the postwar co op apartment building will someday soon , if mr . bagg and his wife , janet , have their way and there is no reason to think they wo n't become a fine two bedroom apartment with a dining_room , a large foyer and several bathrooms . it will be trimmed out in the federal style . ''we bought a carved federal mantle at danny alessandro , '' said mrs . bagg , naming a major manhattan seller of fireplace accessories . ''and we 'll have cornice moldings and niches and archways very much in keeping with the style . '' a couple of years ago , the baggs bought an intriguing sea captain 's brick house in old lyme , conn . , and planned to end up there someday . but change came more quickly than they might have anticipated , after mr . bagg , 65 , suffered a heart_attack last june , followed by quintuple bypass_surgery . ''we were going to slowly migrate from washington to new york to old lyme , '' he said . ''but the whole thing was pushed into high gear . '' mrs . bagg had already been looking at apartments about 60 of them , on park_avenue , on fifth avenue , on east_end avenue , on sutton_place . ''there were some good values over there , '' mr . bagg said of what he called ''the river stuff . '' but in the end , the baggs felt that the difference came down to the street ''even on sutton_place , when you walked down the nearest street , you could be anywhere , the stores , the grubby buildings you could be in houston , or queens . '' mrs . bagg agreed , and told of one particular apartment on east_end avenue , with killer views up and down the east_river . ''but then , downstairs , there was only sotheby 's and a lot of hardware stores . '' and while the prewar apartments on park_avenue were fabulous , mr . bagg added , there were no views except those of other park_avenue buildings or , as he put it ''you 're looking into someone 's aquarium . '' but the area around fifth avenue , he continued , ''is wonderful central_park you could n't be anywhere else . '' when they looked at the fifth floor apartment at 870 fifth , it had been vacant for years , off and on the market . ''when i first looked at the place , it had been empty for six or seven years and it was so dirty , '' mrs . bagg said . the realtor had told her the small pullman kitchen would need complete renovation , ''but when we washed the window and started scrubbing , we discovered the subzero refrigerator , '' she said . they also found that the cabinets were black really black , with shiny black lacquer . they decided to install only a different countertop white corian and white floor tiles , a job that will cost only a small fraction of a complete overhaul . the couple were also impressed with the construction in the 1948 building . ''postwar buildings have their own subspecies , '' said mr . bagg . ''this is an early postwar the construction is similar to those in the prewar buildings . '' in the end , the baggs paid 641 , 562 for the apartment , and closed at the end of june . and while they are leaving virtually no surface inch of the two bedroom apartment untouched , they are nowhere near a gut renovation , which , for an apartment this size , could easily run several hundred thousand dollars . ( the baggs declined to give their budget for renovating , adding that it ''was n't big'' and that they expected to be finished in two months . ) the baggs are doing what is known in the trade as a ''heavy cosmetic'' renovation basically massaging every inch , but leaving the walls , closets and kitchen pretty much intact . starting with the floor , they will sand and polish the basketweave parquet to a dark chestnut color . they will extend the parquet into the dining_room , a smallish room off the kitchen to the left of the entrance foyer . the mirrored walls will come down one in the dining_room , the other in the living room . so will the foil fish stenciled wallpaper in the dining_room . while the living room has beautiful treetop views of central_park , its current incarnation makes it look badly proportioned and a tad boring small , and too narrow , partly because of some very deep bookcases that cover the entire south wall . to give it more drama , and three quarters of a foot more width , the baggs and their architect , naomi benamy , plan to install a faux fireplace topped off with the antique federal mantle in the center of the wall , and then put back some bookcases . but the new bookcases will be much thinner they will only stick out nine inches , half the existing depth . and they will be detailed , with arches and columns . and the entrance to the living room will be revamped instead of a 94 inch opening , ms . benamy has designed a 48 inch archway and created a twin for the entrance to the dining_room . on the wall to the left of the living room entrance arch , the architect has created a purely decorative niche designed to lend visual interest . cove molding will line the edges of the ceilings . ''we 're some of those people who are trying to turn a postwar into a prewar , '' mr . bagg said . ''well , it 's really about our furniture , '' mrs . bagg explained . ''we have a lot of 18th_century american some pieces from my mother , some from tom 's family . we 've got oriental rugs my mother 's highboy , 1740 , a connecticut piece . i think we wanted a more neutral background . we certainly were n't looking for some ersatz period thing . '' for ms . benamy , a young architect with an office on grand street , the request was a challenge . ''she 'd done a lot of very postmodern things , '' mrs . bagg said . ''i think she had to reacquaint herself with pilasters and cove moldings . '' the architect laughed . ''it 's been fascinating , '' she said . ''i 'm not as used to dealing with period styles , but our tastes meld we both like formal spaces . '' habitats 870 fifth avenue	has a location of america
king 's college in briarcliff_manor , n.y. , is selling its campus , including the three stately homes that lie along its " millionaire 's row . " the sale of a 15 bedroom stone castle on 11 acres , an imposing , six bedroom white frame colonial on 13 acres and a smaller colonial on 1 . 75 acres are among the steps in the college 's move to warwick , n.y. , in the summer of 1993 . for 40 years , the 83 acre campus has been in briarcliff_manor , which was created at the turn of the century as one of the nation 's first planned communities and a playground for the wealthy . the 19 , 640 square_foot castle , which includes a 2 , 000 square_foot ballroom , was the home of walter law , the town 's founder . most recently used as a dormitory , its offering price is 2 . 5 million . the large colonial , with 10 , 000 square_feet , is called braeview and is the king 's college president 's home . it is priced at 3 . 5 million . the small one , with 4 , 000 square_feet , is called the gronauer house and is priced at 475 , 000 . it now is used for administrative offices . it also has an operating room , which was installed during world_war_ii by a doctor who planned to treat casualties that might have occurred had new york been attacked . the three properties are being offered by the briarcliff_manor office of houlihan_lawrence . the rest of the campus , with eight buildings , is being offered for sale at 33 . 5 million .	has a location of america
like thousands of new yorkers eager to join the real_estate gold_rush in the mid 1980 's , eric marcus bought an apartment in a newly converted co op building . and like many new yorkers in the mid 1990 's , mr . marcus has seen his investment collapse . his co op , the lincoln spencer on the upper west side of manhattan , is in foreclosure his equity , about 25 , 000 , is in danger his 350 square_foot studio , bought for 65 , 000 , is unsalable . even if he rented the apartment out , he says , the money would not cover the 486 monthly payments on his loan and the unit 's 613 a month maintenance . " buying in this building was like buying swampland in florida , except that people did n't live in the swampland , " said mr . marcus , a writer and vice_president of his co op 's board of directors . " we were young and stupid . " it has been six years since large numbers of co ops in new york and its suburbs started falling into default and , less often , foreclosure on their underlying mortgages . at the peak of the crisis , hundreds of buildings were afflicted by financial ailments of varying_degrees of severity sparked by a variety of causes . gary r . connor , the deputy new york state attorney_general who heads the state 's real_estate finance bureau , estimated that 10 percent of the 4 , 000 buildings converted to co ops in the city since 1980 have , at one point , fallen into default , a category that can range from one missed payment to several missed payments to foreclosure and , the ultimate and extremely rare nightmare for those involved , deconversion . some co ops are still struggling . mr . connor estimated that about 60 buildings in the city 15 percent of the 10 percent that went into default are currently behind in their underlying_mortgage payments . " it was a rolling process , " mr . connor said . " we started to see a large number of defaults in late 1989 and early 1990 . some were resolved fairly quickly . some took two or three years to get worked out . " " most co ops in the city are healthy now , though , " he said . to decipher the arcane financial troubles that have hurt many co op buyers in new york , it is first important to understand the difference between a share loan and the underlying_mortgage . the underlying_mortgage is the loan used to buy , renovate or maintain the building . it can be taken out by existing shareholders or , in the case of conversions from rental to co op , by a developer , or sponsor . during a conversion , the obligation to repay the underlying_mortgage is transferred from the sponsor to the co op corporation , which now holds the shares in the building although the sponsor may , and usually does , continue to own many or even all shares in the co op corporation . the sponsor then starts to sell its shares to individuals . the buyers , using cash or share loans to buy their shares , become part owners of the co op they are also given leases for apartments that relate to the number of shares they purchased . to pay off the co op 's underlying_mortgage , the shareholders make maintenance payments , which are also used for taxes , repairs , cash reserves and operating expenses . most of the problems , according to stuart m . saft , a manhattan real_estate lawyer and chairman of the council of new york cooperatives , occurred when co op sponsors saddled co op corporations with high underlying mortgages by overstating the value of the apartments to lenders . ( unlike a residential mortgage , which runs for 15 or 30 years , an underlying_mortgage on a co op is usually due in five or 10 years and generally has to be refinanced . ) then the sponsor who often used the unsold shares as collateral to borrow more money to convert another building into co ops would be unable to sell any more than 25 to 70 percent of the shares . then , the sponsor would default on its maintenance payments on the unsold units . this led to the co op corporation defaulting on its payments on the underlying_mortgage . defaulting on underlying_mortgage payments then made it all but impossible for any shareholder to sell an apartment because lenders were extremely reluctant to refinance an underlying_mortgage or provide financing for a share loan to prospective_buyers . the specter of foreclosure and a subsequent loss of equity scared away potential all cash buyers , too . the problem was exacerbated by a long recession ( unemployment rose to 10 percent in the city ) , demographic changes ( the end of the wave of affluent , real_estate obsessed baby_boomers moving to the city ) and a sharp drop in the value of much residential property in many parts of the city ( as much as 30 percent in some neighborhoods and for some types of apartments , like studios ) between 1988 and 1993 , though prices appear to have firmed in the past year ) . " the problems exist either because no one wants to buy apartments , and there are many sponsor owned unsold_apartments , or it is because the mortgage is too high because of greedy sponsors , " mr . saft said . many of the problems , he added , involved conversions that occured between 1985 and 1989 , in buildings in poor physical shape and housing families with moderate incomes . many of the lerger defaults also occurred in brooklyn , queens and the bronx . " developers saw that people were making a tremendous amount of money doing conversions in manhattan , but they could n't afford to convert in manhattan , " said edward t . braverman , a manhattan lawyer specializing in co op law . " so , they went to brooklyn and queens and bought properties at inflated prices . " during the early 90 's , many co ops have reached work out agreements that reduced their debt . for example , the mortgage on the four five story former tenement buildings at 328 334 west 17th street in the chelsea section of manhattan was recently restructured by the cheshire group , a private real_estate investment company in manhattan , which bought the loan at a discount . " i was approached by the co op , and it was a 100 percent amicable deal , " said susan hewitt , the group 's president . the co op 's problems began in 1990 when shareholders discovered that they were in default on a three year old 1 . 4 million underlying_mortgage , and the sponsor , who still owned 75 percent of the shares , was nowhere to be found . making matters more complicated , the bank , central federal savings bank , which had started a foreclosure proceeding on the co op , went under . so the resolution_trust_corporation , a federal entity created to sell off assets and collect loans of failed savings institutions took over the loan and placed the co op in receivership . " the building has been in the twilight zone , " ms . hewitt said . then , last fall , ms . hewitt 's group bought the mortgage from the r.t.c . for 300 , 000 and agreed to pay about 500 , 000 in back taxes . she also wrote down the mortgage the shareholders owed to 750 , 000 over 5 years at 9 percent annual interest . the interest will provide the a small profit for the investors . they will realize more profit in an arrangement whereby the shareholders will divide the proceeds of the sale of unsold shares . this will also help bridge the gap between the original 1 . 4 million loan and the new 750 , 000 loan . the sale of unsold shares may never be enough to erase the 650 , 000 gap . an attempt must be made to make up the difference , however , or the co op could be held liable for taxes on a forgiven debt . there are 64 apartments in the co op , but only 32 are rent_regulated 16 of the others are shareholder owned 5 are vacant and 11 are occupied at market rents . " one of the things that made the building appealing was that 50 percent of its apartments were owner occupied or market rentals , " ms . hewitt said . that percentage means that it is likely that the building will eventually become 50 percent owner occupied , as rent_regulated tenants have less incentive to buy their units or leave . ( co op apartments in buildings with less than 50 percent of the units owned by occupants are extremely difficult to sell because lenders are reluctant to make share loans , the co op equivalent of a mortgage on an individual apartment , on them . ) some co ops have had more trouble arranging workouts . the 305 unit cruger holland co ops in the pelham section of the bronx , for example , are on the verge of completing a complex agreement that will help it out of bankruptcy . " we are lucky that we got a deal to begin with , " said mary white , an assistant operations manager for paine_webber in manhattan and president of the cruger holland association . the buildings were converted from rental_units in 1989 and 1990 . the sponsor , who held 80 percent of the shares in the co op , literally abandoned the project , however , in 1991 the r.t.c . eventually became the owner of the shares . meanwhile , the bank that issued a 9 . 5 million underlying_mortgage on the building sold the loan to a private investor , pelham realty associates , in march 1993 , at a discount it will not divulge how much . just before pelham realty associates was to foreclose on the co op , though , the co op filed for bankruptcy_protection . an arrangement worked out this month with the investors requires the co op to pay a 9 million mortgage at 7 percent annual interest over 5 years and continue paying the loan at 7 to 9 percent for another five years . the original loan was at 9.5 percent and 10 . 5 percent . the investors also retain control of the board for eight years and will provide financing for new apartment buyers . prospective_buyers can get financing elsewhere , but it is doubtful that lenders would be willing , at least in the beginning , because of the high percentage of unsold shares . " we went through a living nightmare , practically running the building ourselves , hiring contractors , dealing with shareholders and tenants , financial reports , everything , " ms . white said . " nobody would buy into a bankrupt building . " " we are hoping that pelham realty associates will start selling apartments again , and we will become a normal co op again . " the situation could be worse . at the 227 unit lincoln spencer co op , at broadway and 69th_street , the shareholders and the lender are at loggerheads over a 9 million underlying_mortgage that started in 1987 . simply put , the shareholders' maintenance payments do not cover the mortgage , taxes , operating expenses and repairs , even after the co op raised the maintenance several times . mr . marcus 's maintenance increased by about 23 percent , to 613 from about 500 . " raising it any more would have made apartments unsalable and bankrupted individual shareholders , " mr . marcus said . so , with the loan due in 1997 and the prospects for refinancing looking dim , the co op contacted the lender , the dime_savings bank , and sought a loan reduction , asserting that the building 's value had dropped to 5 million . thus far , though , the two parties have not been able to reach an agreement . the bank filed for foreclosure last year after the co op fell behind in its underlying_mortgage payments . a receiver was appointed earlier this month . " we 're not saying we wo n't pay , " mr . marcus said . " we are saying , 'let 's find a way to make us whole . ' " such brinkmanship is common in workout negotiations , which can last years even after a foreclosure is filed . oftentimes , a co op also files for bankruptcy to buy time during the foreclosure or in an effort to get a lender to accept a reorganization in which they will receive less than they are owed . mr . saft of the council of new york cooperatives , however , cautioned that lenders often become very adversarial when a co op files for bankruptcy . " we do n't think it is the right strategic move , " he said . " we would rather fight in the foreclosure arena . in the bankruptcy arena , you can quickly lose control of the process . " co ops , generally , have an unusual amount of leverage , though , largely because of the state 's rent_regulation laws , a system that consists of both rent control and rent_stabilization . ( rent controlled apartments are those built before 1947 that have been continuously occupied by a tenant , or a legal successor , since 1971 . when rent controlled apartments are vacated their rents rise to market level and they become rent_stabilized . apartments built between 1947 and 1974 are also rent_stabilized . last year , the state also deregulated apartments occupied by households earning 250 , 000 or more for two consecutive years in units with an authorized rent of at least 2 , 000 a month as of oct . 1 , 1993 . ) widespread co op conversions started in the early 1980 's because landlords , who were financially constrained by rent_regulation , found that they could realize a larger return on their property by selling their buildings to their tenants . " you can blame the whole co op phenomenon on rent_stabilization , " said doug heller , a real_estate lawyer , who represents lincoln spencer co op . another effect of the rent_regulation system is to make lenders reluctant to take back a co op building in a foreclosure because apartment owners caught in a deconversion often become rent_regulated tenants . and their rents , generally , would not be high enough to offset the building 's expenses . " only in new york does a foreclosure reduce the value of real_estate , " mr . saft wrote in an article published in the quarterly real_estate finance journal this winter . of course , deconversion from a co op to a rental building also results in shareholders losing their equity . such scenarios , however , have been rare . " we have only seen three foreclosures on an underlying_mortgage in new york that went all the way , and the buildings deconverted , " mr . connor said . regardless , the threat of staying in the building as tenants paying below market rents after a deconversion gives shareholders an unusual amount of clout . imagine , for example , the owner of a typical single family house in the suburbs losing the home in a foreclosure but being allowed to remain in the home indefinitely at a substantially reduced rent . " the bank may think that we are frightened , but we have a lot of tough people here , " said mr . marcus , who could become a rental tenant paying a mere 200 a month to keep his lincoln spencer studio . " no one wants the building to go bankrupt , but . . . "	has a location of america
in the following reports , the " listed at " price is the asking price when negotiations began that ended in the sale . time on market is from most recent listing to contract . manhattan chelsea 375 , 000 77 seventh_avenue ( 14th st . ) ( vermeer ) 2 bedroom , 2 bath , 1 , 300 sq . ft . postwar co op 24 hr . doorman , eat in kitchen , 500 sq . ft . terrace , 2 exposures maintenance 1 , 103 , 44 tax deductible , listed at 395 , 000 , 16 weeks on market ( brokers debra kameros co . douglas_elliman ) gramercy_park area 335 , 000 280 park_avenue south ( 21st st . ) 2 bedroom , 2 1 2 bath , 1 , 260 sq . ft . co op in a_7 year old building 24 hr . doorman , dining_area , windowed_kitchen , common roof_deck , 2 exposures , health_club and pool common charge 720 , taxes 7 , 500 , listed at 359 , 000 , 4 weeks on market ( broker_bellmarc_realty ) tribeca 415 , 625 170 duane street 2 bedroom , 2 bath , 1 , 600 sq . ft . duplex loft condo private elevator and roof_garden , exposed_brick_walls common charge 175 , taxes 7 , 157 , listed at 475 , 000 , 26 weeks on market ( brokers douglas_elliman tabak realty ) upper east side 999 , 000 55 east 86th_street 3 bedroom , 3 bath , 2 , 000 sq . ft . prewar condo 24 hr . doorman , manned_elevator , maid 's room , 2 exposures common charge 1 , 308 , taxes 6 , 000 , listed at 1 . 175 million , 12 weeks on market ( brokers corcoran group halstead property co . ) bronx baychester 165 , 000 4206 wilder avenue 3 bedroom , 1 bath , 68 year old wood frame detached_house dining_room , eat in kitchen , finished_basement , 2 enclosed porches , 1 car garage taxes 1 , 168 , listed at 179 , 000 , 1 year on market ( broker j.a.v . realty ) fordham 130 , 000 2308 cambreleng avenue 2 family , 77 year old brick detached_house 2 bedrooms , 1 bath , dining_room in each unit finished_basement , 2 car garage taxes 850 , listed at 150 , 000 , 8 weeks on market ( broker fasons realty ) brooklyn brooklyn_heights 250 , 000 60 pierrepont street 2 bedroom , 1 bath , 1 , 250 sq . ft . co op in a brownstone fireplace , terrace , private 18 by 24 ft . gazebo maintenance 921 , 78 tax deductible , listed at 265 , 000 , 4 weeks on market ( broker michael dowling ltd . ) east_flatbush 145 , 000 87 remsen avenue 5 bedroom , 2 bath , 52 year old brick attached house dining_area , laundry room , rear_deck , 1 car garage taxes 1 , 300 , listed at 165 , 000 , 33 weeks on market ( broker aguayo knox ) park_slope 440 , 000 212 st . john 's place 4 family , 4 story brownstone 3 bedrooms , 1 1 2 baths , dining_room , eat in kitchen in primary duplex 1 bedroom , 1 bath floor through and 2 studio units on upper floors taxes 3 , 509 , listed at 495 , 000 , 3 weeks on market ( broker f.j . kazeroid real_estate ) queens forest_hills 210 , 000 108 43 65th avenue 3 bedroom , 2 bath , 45 year old brick attached town house eat in kitchen , 1 car garage taxes 1 , 800 , listed at 229 , 900 , 9 weeks on market ( broker kremer real_estate ) forest hills gardens 435 , 000 52 deepdene place 4 bedroom , 3 1 2 bath , 65 year old pebblestone detached_house dining_room , eat in kitchen , powder_room , solarium , finished_basement taxes 3 , 000 , listed at 550 , 000 , 33 weeks on market ( broker madeleine realty ) staten_island great kills 170 , 000 198 sandalwood drive 2 family , 9 year old semi_attached house 3 bedrooms , 1 1 2 baths in primary unit 1 bedroom , 1 bath in other taxes 1 , 600 , listed at 174 , 500 , 2 weeks on market ( broker kingsley real_estate ) stapleton 132 , 000 570 van duzer street 3 bedroom , 1 bath , 65 year old detached_colonial_dining_room , den , stained_glass_windows , harbor view , 25 by 200 ft . irregular lot taxes 832 , listed at 134 , 900 , 16 weeks on market ( broker gateway arms realty ) connecticut hamden 188 , 000 40 busher lane 3 bedroom , 2 bath , 4 year old vinyl sided colonial fireplace , rear_deck , finished_basement , 2 car garage , 1 . 6 acre lot taxes 5 , 030 , listed at 197 , 800 , 16 weeks on market ( broker beasley co . realtors ) milford 127 , 400 7 norway street 3 bedroom , 1 1 2 bath , 44 year old vinyl sided ranch_dining_room , full basement , 1 car garage taxes 2 , 596 , listed at 128 , 400 , 10 weeks on market ( broker beasley co . realtors ) riverside 1 , 438 , 750 8 cathlow drive 5 bedroom , 3 1 2 bath , 37 year old colonial_dining_room , eat in kitchen , family room , library , 2 fireplaces , terrace , greenhouse , pool , 2 car garage , 1 . 97 acres taxes 7 , 858 , listed at 1 . 525 million , 16 weeks on market ( brokers preferred properties inc . cleveland duble arnold ) stamford 215 , 000 245 hillandale avenue 3 bedroom , 2 bath , 11 year old split level eat in kitchen , h w floors , cathedral ceiling in living room , 1 car garage , 0 . 25 acre lot taxes 3 , 407 , listed at 275 , 000 , 14 weeks on market ( brokers_coldwell_banker schlott_realtors william_pitt real_estate ) long_island muttowntown 600 , 000 66 spring court 4 bedroom , 2 1 2 bath , 25 year old colonial fireplace , pool , deck , 2 car garage , 2.1 acres taxes 9 , 000 , listed at 659 , 000 , 21 weeks on market ( brokers coach realtors daniel_gale associates gatewood realty ) oyster bay 265 , 000 78 east main_street 5 bedroom , 2 bath , 153 year old colonial eat in kitchen , den , basement , patio , 2 fireplaces , 0.5 acres taxes 3 , 900 , listed at 298 , 000 , 32 weeks on market ( brokers douglas_elliman jane hays and piping rock associates daniel_gale associates ) rocky point 127 , 500 14 bunker street 3 bedroom , 1 bath , 23 year old ranch_dining_room , den , partial basement taxes 4 , 300 , listed at 134 , 500 , 9 weeks on market ( brokers linda albo agency mil matt agency ) searingtown 380 , 000 416 elm drive 4 bedroom , 2 1 2 bath , 29 year old split level dining_room , eat in kitchen , den , skylights , 2 car garage taxes 7 , 000 , listed at 399 , 000 , 20 weeks on market ( broker u.s . 1 laffey ) new jersey demarest 188 , 000 73 knickerbocker road 3 bedroom , 1 1 2 bath , 45 year old split level c a , new kitchen taxes 4 , 780 , listed at 199 , 900 , 13 weeks on market ( broker_weichert realtors ) mahwah 385 , 000 11 forest hill road 5 bedroom , 4 bath , new center hall colonial 2 car arae , c a , fireplace , den taxes to be assessed , listed at 385 , 000 , 4 weeks on market ( broker prudential_higgins realtors coldwell_banker schlott ) middletown 147 , 500 14 butler lane 3 bedroom , 1 bath , 35 year old ranch country kitchen , deck , formal_dining_room taxes 3 , 039 , listed at 164 , 900 , 3 weeks on market ( broker the prudential new jersey realty ) rockaway 190 , 000 73 valley view drive 4 bedroom , 2 1 2 bath , 10 year old bilevel brick fireplace , c a , one car garage taxes 3 , 931 , listed at 191 , 500 , 3 weeks on market ( brokers remax leading_edge the prudential new jersey realty ) westchester bedford 310 , 000 11 delano drive 3 bedroom , 1 1 2 bath , 41 year old ranch entry hall , fireplace , family room , playroom , 1 car garage taxes 4 , 698 , listed at 319 , 000 , 20 weeks on market ( brokers_coldwell_banker preferred realty ) katonah 281 , 000 141 cedar road 2 bedroom , 2 bath , 35 year old ranch office , studio , darkroom , loft , screened_porch , carport 1.2 acres taxes 6 , 759 , listed at 299 , 000 , 22 weeks on market ( broker randolph properties ) mohegan lake 146 , 700 3554 lakeland 3 bedroom , 1 bath , 43 year old ranch_dining_room , family room , fireplace , unfinished_basement , attic taxes 5 , 700 , listed at 156 , 000 , 36 weeks on market ( broker century 21 robert david coldwell_banker ) pelham 343 , 000 1334 roosevelt_avenue 5 bedroom , 3 bath , 74 year old colonial heated sun room , maid 's room , fireplace , detached 2 car garage taxes 10 , 721 , listed at 398 , 000 , 1 year on market ( broker mcclellan company )	has a location of america
the brockholst , built in 1890 at 85th_street and columbus avenue , is something of a poor man 's dakota lesser in all respects than the famous apartment house farther south , but still majestically craggy , with wide , rambling marble paneled halls and some of the most interesting apartments on the west side . when marcus retter bought the romanesque_revival building nearly half a century ago , the west side was headed downhill . but now the neighborhood and the brockholst are on the way up . the six story gingerbread colored building was designed in 1889 by john g . prague , a prolific west side row_house architect who owned the building with a partner , thomas e . d . power . along with other investors , prague and power built 232 row_houses in the area from 85th to 87th streets and from columbus avenue to amsterdam_avenue , creating an entire community where , in the mid 1880 's , there had been only open land . an 1890 issue of the real_estate record guide , a trade_magazine , called the 250 , 000 brockholst ''truly noble , '' with an interior ' 'such as one would expect to see in one of the old english castles . '' the lobby ceiling was decorated with aluminum leaf by tiffany company , and two dining_rooms , a cafe and a barbershop served tenants and passers by . most of the 32 apartments had three bedrooms and rented for 125 a month . they had gas and electric lighting , and wilton carpets in the hallways . the earliest tenants were prosperous leaders in the mining , brokerage , printing and fancy goods businesses . but a 1917 article in building management , another trade_magazine , noted that rents had declined to 75 a month at that time , dinner in the restaurant could be had for 75 cents , and full board was 10 a week . by the 1920 's , when the brockholst had been eclipsed by more advanced buildings , a more varied group of tenants had moved in . they included margaret beecher white , a christian_science practitioner who lived there with her mother , harriet beecher , daughter of the controversial brooklyn preacher henry ward beecher . another was katherine devereux blake , who spoke widely on the peace_movement , women 's rights and education , and was principal of public_school 6 for many years when it was at 85th_street and madison_avenue . hilda englund , the swedish born actress well known for performing in the plays of henrik ibsen , also lived there , and the census returns for the 1920 's show occupations like ' 'manager musical , '' ''artist painter'' and ''writer literary critic'' among the lodgers in the informally subdivided apartments . by the 1950 's , the dining_rooms had been replaced by stores on the columbus avenue side , cornice and trim details had been removed and ''the west side was very much on a downward movement people wanted to move to westchester , long_island and new jersey , '' said mr . retter , who was head of the group that bought the building in 1956 . his father in law , charles rosen , was the principal partner . in march 1939 , as a teenager , mr . retter fled vienna for england . he had hoped that his parents would follow , ''but they were with the unlucky ones they were deported to riga and gassed , '' he said from his office at 88th_street and riverside drive . his desk is awash in papers , and his own office has a 1960 's i.b.m . electric typewriter and an old adding machine , although his employees work at computers . in the early 1940 's , mr . retter was an assistant to lord josiah wedgewood , a labor member of the british parliament , while winston_churchill was prime_minister . mr . retter easily imitates churchill 's stance and diction , which he observed during their wartime meetings . after the war , he came to the united_states and assembled a group of real_estate investors . he saw that the west side was in rocky shape , ''but it was solid , '' he said , his voice slightly layered with his native german and the english accent he acquired in the 1940 's . his group assembled a considerable portfolio of buildings , which has at times included the eldorado on central_park west and 90th_street , 640 west_end avenue and 425 riverside drive . mr . retter said that when he bought the brockholst he had planned to divide the large apartments into smaller units , but that plan was too expensive , and so most of the large apartments remain intact . the rent on these apartments was about 300 a month in the 1950 's now , he estimates that the market rent is 2 , 500 a month . in the last few years mr . retter has installed new windows throughout the building , and he is now creating a three bedroom roof duplex , designed by his regular architects , feingold gregory , for one of the top floor apartments . the brockholst is in the central_park west historic_district , and paul gregory , a partner in the architectural firm , said the landmarks_preservation_commission was eager to have the extension clad in matching brick and one of the window bays extended upward , ' 'stuff we probably would have done anyway . '' except for those changes , the interior and exterior of the brockholst are essentially unchanged from the time when mr . retter bought it . the lobby has a marble floor and ornate column capitals with the monogram b , but the decorative work has long been painted over . the upper halls are more than six feet wide , with multiple windows providing much better light and ventilation than that available in far more pretentious buildings . the apartments , 41 in all , have large doors and high ceilings the ceiling in the apartment of oscar rivera , the superintendent , is 11 1 2 feet high and unusual floor finishes , fireplace mantels and other details . at least one apartment still has intact period kitchen woodwork and cabinets , rare in a building of this age . the trim , doors and floors are worn , but not fatally so surprising , given the wear the building has had . outside on 85th_street , the large areaway in front of the brockholst is intact , adding to its dignity , and the heavily worked iron fencing and other details have a magnificent crust of flaking black paint . up the weathered facade , large sections of brownstone have fallen away , but much is perfectly intact checkerboards , gables , leafy chimney stacks and other details . startling , bright gray mortar recently applied between the bricks on the columbus avenue facade will have to be removed and redone . terri rosen deutsch , a spokeswoman for the landmarks_preservation_commission , said that the contractor had been instructed to do test patches to find the correct mortar color , but he proceeded to point the whole wall without the commission 's approval . half a century of navigating new york 's housing laws has toughened mr . retter , and he does not let problems like this one annoy him . the commission , he said , is ' 'very , very tough , but if you comply , there 's no problem one can live with them . '' correction january 16 , 2000 , sunday the streetscapes column on jan . 2 , about the brockholst apartment house at 85th_street and columbus avenue , misidentified the landmarks_preservation_commission official who commented on mortar work on a wall . she was katy mcnabb , not terri rosen deutsch .	has a location of america
there were some seesaw dramatics concerning the pace of house sales during the last two months of summer down in july , up again in august according to fresh numbers on signed contracts in the state 's 18 largest counties . meanwhile , the demand for housing in the state keeps growing , according to statistics and analysis from the otteau appraisal group , a private company based in east_brunswick , which supplies information to the real_estate industry . demand keeps rising , according to jeffrey g . otteau , who heads the company , because the state 's population keeps growing so fast . referring to federal census figures and updates , mr . otteau noted that in the 1990 's , new jersey 's population grew at a rate of 68 , 000 a year . but from 2000 through 2003 the pace of growth racheted up to about 75 , 000 new new jerseyans a year a large proportion of them immigrants . ''of the 224 , 000 more people in the state during those three years , '' mr . otteau said , ''191 , 922 were foreign migr s . '' nationally , mr . otteau noted , foreign born residents now account for about 12 percent of the population over age 25 . he added that 27 percent of foreign born residents hold bachelor 's degrees , compared with 22 percent of those born in this country . mr . otteau said he had not been able to calculate precisely how that played out in new jersey , but his advice to real_estate professionals is , ''we are dealing with an educated population , part of the work force , who are moving into the housing market at a relatively young age . '' during july , there was a distinct slowdown around the state in the number of contracts signed , as mortgage interest rates began to inch up and the number of houses put up for sale continued rising . there were 6 percent fewer contracts signed in july 2004 compared with july 2003 , while there were 14 percent more homes on the market . but in august , while the supply of homes for sale remained 14 percent greater than last year , contract sales were up 10 percent over the previous august . for the year to date , sales contracts are up 8 percent compared with 2003 , which was itself a record setting year . these statistics are based on numbers of signed contracts , rather than the number of sales that have actually closed , which is the data that more widely reported multiple_listing_service reports employ . statistics may shift slightly by the time the listing service analyses become available , according to knowledgeable real_estate brokers , as some deals fall through or are renegotiated . but reports on signed contracts provide early tips to brokers and homeowners and homebuyers , for that matter who try to stay on top of industry trends . the otteau group 's july august report shows that what heated the market back up again in august was very high demand for the lower priced half of the residential market houses priced at roughly 500 , 000 and below . ''while i was expecting to see a drop in the number of home sales july to august , based on the june to july drop , '' mr . otteau said , ''instead , interest rates moderated , and there was a real surge in sales in lower priced areas . '' those counties with the biggest increases in sales activity during august included camden , cumberland , hunterdon , ocean , salem , sussex and warren . by contrast , places where homes are more expensive , such as bergen , essex , monmouth , morris , somerset and union counties , had lower increases , or in some cases declines , in the number of home sales . first , the good news about this trend ''the overall trend of continuing strong demand for homes is pretty clear , '' mr . otteau said , ''giving the new jersey market good underlying dynamics across the state . '' ''by the same token , '' he quickly added , ''once interest rates begin to rise further , the effect may be disproportionate on those buyers in the market who can afford the least and cause a more serious slowdown in sales . '' in the state 's poorest county , camden , the number of contract sales were down 10 percent in july when interest rates had risen slightly compared with the previous july . in august , as interest rates dropped ever so slightly in new jersey , the county registered a 19 percent increase in sales . at the beginning of august , the 30 year fixed rate mortgage rate in the state dropped from about 5 . 75 percent to 5.5 percent , according to otteau 's analysis . other things affect the picture in camden_county and elsewhere , of course . the inventory of housing for sale in camden was up 32 percent compared with the previous year with strong redevelopment efforts including construction of hundreds of condominiums along the riverfront in the city of camden , which has been identified as the state 's poorest city for more than a decade . in more affluent morris_county , sales volume was sharply down from the year before 21 percent in july , and rebounded in august to 7 percent ahead of the previous august . in bergen_county , the number of contracts fell 16 percent from last year in july , and rose 1 percent in august . in essex county there were declines in the number of contracts signed in both july and august , of 11 and 5 percent , respectively , compared with 2003 . mr . otteau , who said he tries to keep national trends in mind when analyzing the new jersey market , said that he sees three main factors driving its success right now and that all of them are expected to continue the high rate of foreign immigration , migration from new york , and baby_boomers buying vacation homes , particularly along the jersey_shore . the new york to new jersey movement , which heightened after the sept . 11 attack three years ago , is the second highest rate of interstate migration in the country just behind the rate of new yorkers moving to florida , according to updated federal census figures . in ocean_county , the hottest spot for new housing for over 55 's , inventory is up 39 percent this year to date . the otteau report noted that although the general inventory of homes for sale is up 14 percent from a year ago , the inventory last year was ' 'drastically undersupplied . '' demand will continue to rise faster than new housing , mr . otteau predicted , citing diminishing land for construction , increasing land prices and increased regulation of development . in the region	has a location of america
the subway system , which opened nearly 100 years ago , on oct . 27 , 1904 , is one of new york 's most astonishing engineering projects miles and miles of track strung through a dense network of building foundations , basements and water , gas , electric and sewage lines . but it was also an architectural effort the lacy iron street kiosks , the careful marble and tile subway stations , the delicate faience tile decorations . and heins lafarge were the architects who did it . george l . heins and christopher grant lafarge met as students at the massachusetts_institute_of_technology around 1880 and then worked in the architectural office of cass gilbert . in 1886 , they set up their own new york practice . they did some designing for lafarge 's father , the painter , stained_glass artist and muralist john lafarge . but by 1891 , they had done little of note when they suddenly struck oil , winning the competition for the cathedral_church of st . john the divine at amsterdam_avenue and 112th_street . only fragments of their original design survive the cathedral as built is drastically different but their principal elements were a south facing exposure , looking down over the city from the site 's high bluff a byzantine decoration of mosaics and murals and a great wide interior , so unlike the relatively narrow english gothic models typical for churches at that time . the next year , they designed the lovely villagelike church at 91st street and west_end avenue now the annunciation greek orthodox church . in 1896 they got another plum commission , the buildings of the bronx zoo , witty neo_classical temples festooned with heads of elephants , turtles , cockatoos and other wildlife . they later designed several unusual town houses , like the greek renaissance bowen house at 5 east 63rd street ( 1900 ) and the bliss house at 9 east 68th ( 1905 ) , with its giant columned facade . in the spring of 1900 , heins lafarge met the financier august belmont , head of the consortium that was building new york 's first underground mass transit system . belmont donated a chapel to st . john the divine and may have encountered heins lafarge through that connection . the following march , they were appointed architects for the first subway line , to run from city hall to grand_central , across to times_square , and up broadway to west 145th_street . for such a huge work of engineering , any architectural design was little more than window_dressing the stations were not even free standing , as they would be with a railroad . the architects did design the little cast_iron , wire and glass kiosks aboveground at the station entrances , and several aboveground brick and stone shelters , like those at bowling_green and west 72nd_street . although the shelters look charming to modern eyes , they were roundly condemned when built . ''a miserable monstrosity as to architecture , '' the new york times wrote in a 1904 editorial about the shelter at 72nd_street and broadway . but the architects' toughest charge was the stations themselves , narrow platforms in what was essentially an industrial environment . their most obvious additions are the distinctive terra_cotta plaques and mosaic designs . the columbus_circle station features the santa maria , one of columbus 's ships , with billowing white sails on a green sea with tiny white seagulls . for stations without obvious symbolic connections , they designed elegant mosaic work , like the great curved panels in the walls of the west 72nd_street station , with a chain of flowers connected by red rope . the gallery wall for these artworks was the stations' basic finish lovely straw colored iron spot brick mosaic bands and terra_cotta cornices and friezes and glassy white tile , to reflect light from glass vaults in the sidewalks above . the ceilings are networks of decorated plaster strips and intricate cast_iron ceiling fixtures flush with the surface . the centerpiece was the domed city hall station , no longer in service . despite their success , disappointment loomed . heins died in 1907 , and the trustees of st . john the divine had become disenchanted with the medieval character of the 1891 design and also with heins lafarge themselves , believing they had spent too much time on the subway contract . four years after heins 's death , the gothicist architect ralph cram worked in secret to wrest the cathedral contract away from lafarge . he reoriented the building plan to face amsterdam_avenue and restyled it in the gothic . according to andrew dolkart 's ''morningside_heights a history of its architecture and development'' ( columbia university press , 1998 ) lafarge never spoke of his profound disappointment , but much later wrote cram , calling the cathedral episode a ''greasy performance . '' lafarge by himself and in partnership with others went on to design a variety of buildings , elegant but often rather spare , like the 1915 brooks_brothers headquarters at 44th and madison , and the 1929 new york genealogical and biographical society , at 122 east 58th_street , a work of bostonian reserve . he died in 1938 . by the 1940 's , the subway system had begun a long decline . the vaulted city hall station closed in 1945 , and the delicate kiosks were destroyed in 1956 a letter to the editor of the times from dan wallack noted that ''two ugly , grimy i.r.t . subway kiosks'' still survived at columbus_circle , calling them ''anachronistic monstrosities . '' the platforms in the rest of the system were brutally extended to accommodate longer trains their institutional tile walls give them the look of a grubby housing_project . the elegant old incandescent fixtures were replaced by fluorescent ones , and the decorative trim was gouged , drilled or simply demolished . a reversal began in the 1980 's , when the architects prentice chan , ohlhausen replicated one of the original kiosks at astor_place . other restorations have followed , like those of the brick and stone shelters at bowling_green and west 72nd_street . west 72nd also features the latest and most sophisticated of the station platform restorations . the subway system celebrates its centennial this month , and there are several web links to online narrated gallery talks , photo exhibitions and similar activities . the metropolitan_transportation_authority 's web_site , www . mta . info , also connects to the new york transit_museum . another site , www tech . mit . edu subway , has historical photographs of every original station . there is also a great deal of information on a third site , www . nycsubway . org . look for for the station at bleecker and lafayette streets , the subway 's architects , heins lafarge , designed a broad oval medallion , glazed faience in cobalt blue , with white letters . at astor_place and fourth_avenue , the walls have a reproduction of a beaver , a reference to the multimillionaire john jacob astor 's start as a fur trader . built 1904 address bleecker and lafayette streets astor_place and fourth_avenue . how to get there no . 6 train to bleecker_street or astor_place . streetscapes	has a location of america
margarita rodriguez works as a clerk for century 21 , the discount department_store . she is 22 and lives with her 9 month old baby , rafael leroux . most people her age , especially if they hold jobs like hers , do n't own their living spaces . and yet not long ago ms . rodriguez moved out of her parents' home and into her own , a condominium in a newish development in staten_island where children can play ball in the evening in public spaces safe from traffic , and where neighbors stop and talk in front of the attractive town house style buildings . she says she never even considered renting and would not have left her parents if she could n't have bought something . ''this is my first place , '' ms . rodriguez said , giving a tour of the two bedroom apartment with its tiled bathrooms , central air_conditioning and galley kitchen with new laminated countertops . because she always knew she wanted to own , she said , she began saving money as soon as she started work at century 21 after high_school . she really does n't understand people who do n't save , she said , or people who do n't have plans . she said she expected to be engaged at 22 , married at 23 and pregnant at 25 . although that part of her life has not gone according to schedule , she is a person who thinks ahead , who has always put money away with the intent to own a home . ''i ca n't just spend money on nothing , '' she said . ''if i bought anything , it was just things i needed . '' sometimes , she would put her entire paycheck in the bank . although she wanted her own place , she probably would n't have started looking , she said , if she had n't become pregnant . she felt she needed her own place and looked for help from the same people who had helped her parents . both social workers , her parents had raised their family in apartments in brooklyn . but a few years ago , they bought a house in the rosebank section of staten_island with the guidance of neighborhood housing services , a nonprofit_organization with offices in all five boroughs that provides counseling as well as loans and grants , primarily to low and moderate income families , for buying and rehabilitation . ms . rodriguez began looking , and rather quickly found the development , called heron pond , in the arlington section of southwest staten_island , closer to new jersey than to most of the city . she immediately liked the two bedroom apartment because although it is on only one floor , the ground floor entrance and the small patio in the back give it the feeling of a house . it was new , which she also liked , and she was able to specify some of the details she wanted , like the burgundy colored wall to wall carpeting in the entrance hall . ''i love it , '' she said . ''this is the rug i 've always dreamed of having . it 's my favorite color . '' she had saved 2 , 500 , which was used for a down payment on the 49 , 900 condo , and the size of her 30 year mortgage was substantially reduced by a_20 , 000 grant she received from neighborhood housing . now , with a monthly mortgage payment of 207 . 15 and monthly carrying costs on the condo of 74 . 07 , her total monthly bill for housing is 281 . 22 . although she and her son 's father also named rafael leroux are not yet married , ''we practically live together now , '' she said ''we 're doing it little by little . '' mr . leroux , who lives with his mother in new jersey , contributes financially to the baby 's costs by paying the mortgage , while she pays for day care for the baby . although her commute to the bay_ridge , brooklyn , warehouse of century 21 takes an hour , she says it 's worth it , because she far prefers living in staten_island . ''it 's nice and peaceful , '' she said . ''i do n't like to be around a lot of noise . '' in brooklyn , her family lived in the flatbush section , where , she said , there were sometimes gunshots . the apartment complex has its own security force , she said , ''and there are a lot of cops that live here . '' she grew up in apartments , she said , but has always wanted a house , ''because they look nicer , and they 're more roomy . '' so she is making plans in that direction . ''i want to pay this off and buy a bigger one , '' she said . ''hopefully by then i 'll have a better job and make more money . ''	has a location of america
new co op for soup executive archbold d . van beuren , the great grandson of the man who invented the process for making condensed soup for the campbell soup company , bought a co op last month at 1 east 66th_street whose previous owner had a long and colorful life . mr . van beuren , known as archie , is president of away from home , a campbell_soup brand . his mother is hope hill van beuren , whose campbell derived wealth puts her at no . 620 on the forbes list of the world 's richest people , with a fortune estimated at 1 billion . the two bedroom apartment on east 66th_street was listed for 1 . 85 million with kathryn steinberg , a broker at edward lee cave . apartment owners in the building pay an annual fee that gives them access to the services of a private kitchen and chef that provide the equivalent of in house room service . the apartment had been occupied for decades by vera tucker , who died in 2003 , when she was 104 years old . mrs . tucker made headlines in 1986 , when in her mid 80 's , she whacked a would be purse snatcher with her parasol and knocked him off his bicycle . according to media reports at the time , mrs . tucker was about to enter the building on east 66th_street when a man on a bicycle grabbed her purse and tried to pedal away . mrs . tucker held onto her bag and started hitting the man repeatedly with her blue parasol , until he fell off the bicycle . a passer by and a policeman then intervened to collar her assailant . in shrugging off the experience , mrs . tucker , who had lived in london when she was younger , said , ''listen , i 've been through two wars with bombs flying all around me . '' she also said ''i was very happy they got the fellow . i wanted to go up and hit him some more . '' mark romney , mrs . tucker 's grandson , said his grandmother had a large collection of hats and parasols for every occasion . she was married five times and her husbands included mr . romney 's grandfather , hugh cassel , a financier , as well as johannes schiefer , a painter siegfried f . hartman , a prominent new york lawyer and charles tucker , a theatrical agent who represented a young julie andrews . ''her attitude was , if you 're going to get married , you might as well marry interesting men , '' mr . romney said . he said his grandmother moved into the apartment when the building was new , shortly after world_war_ii . mr . van beuren and his wife , helene , who also have homes in bryn mawr , pa . , and in rhode_island , did not return phone_calls . filmmaker 's farewell to the dakota this month the documentary filmmaker albert maysles sold the duplex apartment he had lived in for 35 years in the dakota , at 72nd_street and central_park west , and moved up to harlem , where he bought a four story town house on west 122nd street . mr . maysles , 78 , is a seminal figure in the world of documentary filmmaking and is best known for works like ''gimme shelter , '' about the 1969 concert tour of the rolling_stones , during which his crew filmed the murder of a young concertgoer at a show at the altamont speedway near san_francisco and ''primary , '' which tracked john f . kennedy and hubert h . humphrey through the 1960 democratic primary campaign in wisconsin . he has also spent more than a quarter of a century documenting the efforts of the artist christo to create one of his projects in central_park , which finally came to fruition in february . he is now editing the film , tentatively called ''the gates , '' and said it would be shown on hbo later this year . it is only coincidental , mr . maysles said , that he is leaving his home by central_park just after christo 's long delayed artistic achievement was finally realized . he said that he and his wife , a family therapist , decided to move a couple of years ago . they have four children , who are currently spread across the country and around the globe , and they envisioned creating a place where , over time , the clan could congregate . ''we had this idea that since our kids are all in their 20 's and on their own , if we had a bigger place , even if it meant neighboring buildings , we 'd be able to keep the family together , each kid could have his or her own apartment , '' he said . so they bought two town houses in harlem one on 122nd street , for 999 , 900 , and the other on west 120th street , for 699 , 000 and started to renovate . he and his wife have now moved into the bottom two floors of the town house on 122nd street . eventually , they will complete two apartments on the upper floors for children or houseguests . the other town house will undergo a gut renovation and be configured into two more apartments for members of the far flung maysles clan . the couple also paid 1 . 3 million last july for a commercial building on lenox_avenue , near 127th street , which , after renovations , will become the home for mr . maysles 's film studio , now on west 54th_street . the maysleses put their apartment at the dakota on the market last year . they soon found buyers they thought would be perfect for the building the actress melanie griffith and her husband , the actor antonio banderas . but they were flabbergasted when the co op board came back with a rejection . ''what 's so shocking is that the building is losing its touch with interesting people , '' mr . maysles said . ''more and more , they 're moving away from creative people and going toward people who just have the money . '' ultimately , his broker , robert browne of the corcoran group , found a buyer who agreed to pay 3 million for the apartment . although no celebrity , the new buyer passed the board . ''all i know is he can afford it , '' mr . maysles said . asked what he will miss about the dakota , he spoke of the neighbors who over the years became his friends , including yoko ono and lauren bacall . but mr . maysles said the move has been ' 'made all the easier by our disappointment with the way the building seems to be changing . '' as for harlem , mr . maysles said he is ' 'delighted'' with his new surroundings . their house , which was built in the 1880 's , has fireplaces on every floor and the original woodwork . they have filled the house with artwork , much of it by their children . they have found an ethiopian restaurant that they like . one day shortly after moving in , he struck up a conversation with a neighbor and discovered that his current studio was near the woman 's workplace . they shared a cab downtown . mr . maysles said he has found harlem to be ' 'more friendly than in the other parts of manhattan . '' besides completing work on the christo documentary , mr . maysles is getting started on a new sort of project an autobiography in film . he will call it ''hand held and from the heart . '' hedge_fund manager sells apartment the art collector and hedge_fund manager steven a . cohen sold an apartment at 308 east 72nd_street last month for 1 . 75 million , according to city_records . the sale comes as mr . cohen , the founder of sac capital advisors , is in the process of buying two apartments at one beacon court , for about 24 million . he plans to turn the apartments into a duplex . big deal	has a location of america
lead this dairy farming and agricultural town dating from the 17th_century has annexed four farms totaling about 500 acres where development could triple the current population of 3 , 700 . this dairy farming and agricultural town dating from the 17th_century has annexed four farms totaling about 500 acres where development could triple the current population of 3 , 700 . ''we want to control our own destiny , '' said mayor kenneth branner , explaing the annexations . during delaware 's residential building spree of the 1980 's , middletown officials realized that they could be surrounded by unwanted development without getting the tax benefits . residential and commercial builders have increasingly sought development sites in the open area south of the chesapeake and delaware canal as land surrounding wilmington has become scarce . middletown is in southern new castle county , delaware 's northernmost county it is halfway between wilmington , the state 's largest city , and dover , the state capital . most of those who come to the area are young , two income families looking for affordable_housing , said mayor branner . they tend to commute to jobs in large corporations and banks north of the canal , near wilmington , or to dover , for state government jobs . the annexation will let developers build 1 , 215 new single family houses , 1 , 858 apartments and town houses , and 3.6 million square_feet of commercial space . an earlier rezoning in middletown allows for 813 mobile homes . single family houses in middletown are now priced as low as 70 , 000 , but some have risen to as much as 200 , 000 . if the farms had not been annexed , zoning for the projects would have been handled by new castle county council and the developments would not have had access to middletown 's sewer , water , electric and sanitation services . a landowner in this case , four farmers can petition for annexation , which must be approved by the town council . the land is still being farmed but at least three developers have contracts to buy the properties . the lower land in places around middletown is not always good for septic systems and wells , mayor branner said , adding that middletown is the only community in the county that can promise to provide sewage_treatment in the immediate future . the town can increase its sewage_treatment from a current usage of 350 , 000 gallons to 750 , 000 gallons daily . ''this new development will give us a base for taxes , '' mayor branner said . middletown has become popular with developers because they can avoid the new castle county rezoning or permit and approval process , which has become increasingly difficult and extended because of overdevelopment and opposition from community groups .	has a location of america
there is something new on top of old watnong mountain that many morris_county residents can see every day . and that 's a shame , some people around here say . even though the new project , called the powder mill heights condominiums , is still under construction near the top of the mountain off route 10 , critics of the 6 story ( or 10 story , depending on how you look at it ) , 355 unit luxury development are giving their negative reviews now and not waiting for the last act , as the builder suggests . " the monstrosity on watnong mountain " was the headline in a newsletter published by the citizens for controlled development , a conservation group based in morristown . an editorial written by leonardo fariello , the group 's president , said the unfinished three building complex , which wraps around the eastern and northern slopes , was " an ominous , obtrusive concrete structure " that scarred " the beautiful skyscape of eastern morris_county . " mr . fariello went on to assert that the condominiums were " the most outstanding example of inappropriate suburban development ever to be built in morris_county . " he said recently that his 600 member organization was founded in 1990 , four years after the project 's approval , and that he was not planning to oppose it actively but only to use it as an example of what he considered poor planning . " i do n't think you can get a judge to say , 'tear it down , ' " he said . but he does plan to produce t shirts with a picture of the condos and a caption that reads , " never again in morris_county . " 'it will be more attractive' edward mosberg , the builder , said in a recent interview that some people were making a premature judgment about his project . " once this is finished , it will look different , " he said . " it will be more attractive . right now the buildings are without windows , and we have to finish the landscaping . when this is finished , it will be something that everybody will be proud of . " he said three or four models would be ready this summer and two buildings wouldbe finished this year and a third next year . the units will be offered only as rentals . " we already have hundreds of people asking about it who want to buy or rent , " he said . mr . mosberg said the 355 apartments would vary from one to three bedrooms and some would be duplexes . he said there would be 720 " underground " parking_spaces , but critics say they will be completely visible from the eastern side of the 35 . 5 acre site , effectively adding four stories . " what bothers me is this is 6 stories on one side and 10 on the other , " mr . fariello said . he said that the plan contradicted the variance granted to the property owner , lake lenore estates , and that the condominiums were much more visible than residents had been led to expect . the original plan called for two 12 story buildings in an area zoned for single family homes and town houses . it was denied by the township of parsippany troy hills , but the planning board approved a variance for eight story condominiums . the plan was ultimately revised to include six story buildings . preliminary approval for the site was granted on in 1986 . construction began soon after on what mr . mosberg called " a really difficult site . " minutes of the 1984 hearings before the township council and the planning board indicate that some citizens expressed approval of the project . sharon thompson , president of the nearby powder mill home owners association , said the 200 members favored the eight story concept . others called the condominiums a good alternative to one family housing and disagreed with those who predicted that the project would add to traffic_congestion . shirley daniels , a parsippany resident , said she welcomed " a nice looking building with affluent people paying top dollar for these apartments . " mr . mosberg declined to say how much the project cost , but a published estimate from an unidentified source was 71 million . last year , mayor frank priore was quoted as predicting that annual tax revenue from the condominiums would be more than 2 million . ( mr . priore left office after his conviction last month on corruption charges unrelated to this development . ) opponents of the project who spoke out at the 1984 council meeting included spokesmen for the civic associations of the nearby sedgefield and brooklawn developments . both predicted increased traffic , as did several other people . one of the few who mentioned the visual impact of the development was muriel berson , who asked the council to prohibit building higher than tree level to preserve the town 's suburban character . in a recent statement , mrs . berson said , " none of us in the audience could visualize what the builder was going to do with the mountain , that in reality it would become an eyesore , the butt of various ill comments about parsippany . " william masters , the township 's planning director , recently said there was actually a condition in the plan approval about the relationship of the buildings and the tree heights . " the requirement was that the height of the building would not protrude above the top of the tree line at the top of the mountain , " he said , and explained that since the 960 foot peak was in back of the buildings , the restriction was not intended to hide them . " it 's not something that 's going to be masked , " he added . " it 's possible with landscaping that it will blend better into the surroundings , but it 's not going to become invisible . " lot donated by developer the township also requested that the developer share the cost of increased fire protection in the area . frank scerbo , president of the district 1 board of fire commissioners , said recently that the developer had donated a nearby lot where the town will construct a fire substation . the building will house a 600 , 000 ladder truck with a rescue platform that the developer will pay for . mr . scerbo said the customized truck would take over a year to deliver and provide improved rescue and firefighting capability for other tall buildings in town . some residents expressed their reservation about the condominiums to local papers as soon as the buildings began to take shape last year , and continue to do so . " i 'm sure they 're going to be very nice , but i do n't like looking up from my backyard and seeing that monstrosity up there , " said karen tortoriello , who lives on the lower slope of watnong mountain in morris plains . " they should never have been allowed to build something so big . " but bobbie smith , who lives in the same laurel ridge development as mrs . tortoriello , said development did n't bother him . mr . smith said , " i heard from a few people who do n't like it , and to me it 's not really attractive , but my view is not that great from here , so i do n't pay much attention . "	has a location of america
" it's great to be alive " runs the unusual advertising campaign for 40 wall_street . and indeed , although the 71 story building is in financial difficulty , the lobby still looks smart and neat , with elevator starters and other attendants at their stations . opened in 1930 , 40 wall has seen disappointment before foreclosure , a plane crash and the unexpected loss of its title as the tallest building in the world . now brokers are working to fill 200 , 000 square_feet left vacant when manufacturers_hanover bank moved this summer and the building , more than half empty , heads toward foreclosure . in 1929 , the 1913 woolworth building , at 792 feet , was the world 's tallest . early that year , george l . ohrstrom , a young investment banker , filed plans for a 47 story office building at 40 wall . he then amended his plan to 60 stories , still short of the woolworth and the projected 808 foot high chrysler_building , announced in 1928 . but in april his architect , h . craig severance , drew new plans , for a 67 story , 840 foot building , edging out the woolworth by 48 feet and the chrysler by 32 . severance had made a name designing unusual modernist commercial buildings in the early 20 's with william van alen , and he may have found satisfaction in the new plan for 40 wall van alen was the architect of the chrysler_building . in july 1929 a gold rivet was driven into the steelwork at 40 wall and work proceeded at a furious pace . but in the fall , as the stock_market crashed and the final steelwork was going into place , it was clear that something was afoot at the chrysler_building . severance got a permit for a huge lantern at the top , increasing the height to 875 feet , plus a 50 foot flagpole , and settled on a total height of 925 feet . but van alen had designed a 175 foot high " vertex " a spire that was built secretly inside the chrysler_building and hoisted into place in november , after changes to 40 wall were impossible making the chrysler_building 1 , 030 feet high . accounts of the exact stages of the race and the degree of rivalry between the former partners are incomplete and contradictory , but it was an indisputable competition , one that severance lost . however , he won in critical opinion , as most serious writers considered the chrysler building a commercial stunt whereas they liked the reserved , french renaissance style of 40 wall . van alen was the subject of many interviews and articles , but no one , it seems , interviewed severance , the second place finisher , as to his thoughts . faith hackl stewart , severance 's daughter , says he " never made any remark about it , " except to say that " there really was n't any race . " she says that her father got most of the business for the severance van alen firm and that " he was a very outgoing , charismatic person . " his nephew , malcolm severance , remembers him as " a commanding , inspiring presence , " kind but also tough in a tennis game , his uncle once advised him , " when you get a guy down , do n't let him up . " according to leonard levinson 's history , " wall_street , " published in 1961 , some of the leases signed in 1929 for 40 wall at 8 a square_foot were made by companies that were bankrupt by 1930 . the building was half empty and other space rented for 3 a square_foot , but foreclosure came only in 1940 . in 1946 a military transport plane crashed into the 58th floor , killing four on board but no one in the building . in 1988 , the developer jack resnick bought 40 wall and planned ambitious improvements . but as the office space market has fallen , tenants have left and remaining tenants are complaining about services . the building is in receivership . " it can take half an hour to get an elevator , " says herbert rubin , the senior partner of herzfeld rubin , a law_firm on the 50th to 56th floors . john brod , one of the brokers working on 40 wall , says the manufacturers_hanover space on the first through seventh floors is really " a building within a building , " with a giant banking hall , separate access and elevators and 30 , 000 square_foot floor plates . he is confident that his firm , koeppel tener riguardi , can fill the tower floors with spaces of 8 , 000 to 10 , 000 square_feet , but " now we 're really focused on securing a tenant for the lower part . " according to robert f.r . ballard , an executive director at cushman_wakefield , listing services show the 903 , 000 square_foot building has 585 , 000 square_feet vacant and available immediately .	has a location of america
on june 15 , 1994 , manhattan district_attorney robert m . morgenthau sent shock_waves through the new york city real_estate industry when he announced that more than 80 managing agents and four companies had been charged with engaging in a large scale kickback_scheme that ended up costing co op and condominium owners millions of dollars . and while no trial has yet been conducted , the charges resulted in guilty_pleas by 69 individuals and the four companies and the establishment of a_4 million restitution fund designed to reimburse victims . in late june , a lawyer appointed by the new york state supreme_court to oversee distribution of that fund received court approval of a plan that will result in some earnest number crunching in co ops and condominiums throughout the city . and while the plan is expected to move millions of dollars out of the fund and into the bank accounts of buildings that were victimized , some co op lawyers say that since the names of all the vendors who paid kickbacks to the indicted managing agents were never released , it will be virtually impossible to accurately identify victims and their losses . and that , they say , will result in victimized buildings being short changed while some buildings that escaped victimization may be unjustly enriched . ''the goal was to allow victimized co ops and condominiums to submit a claim to the fund and then equitably distribute the money in the most effective manner , '' said eric d . herschmann , a manhattan lawyer who was appointed by the supreme_court as special_master to oversee distribution of the fund . mr . herschmann , who was appointed last december , has been digging through the district_attorney 's files and meeting with co op lawyers for six months in an effort to devise a plan that will be fair , efficient and manageable . like a trustee in a bankruptcy proceeding , however , mr . herschmann knows that no matter how carefully he slices the pie he is about to distribute , there will be some inevitable grumbling about the size and destination of the slices . ''there is always the possibility that a building that has not been victimized will submit a claim and receive some money , '' mr . herschmann said . ''but what we are proposing seems to be the only feasible way to distribute the fund without going through a tremendous expenditure of time and money . '' the first step in carrying out the distribution plan , mr . herschmann said , will be to notify as many co ops and condominiums as possible regarding the procedure for filing a claim . according to the plan approved last month by judge leslie crocker snyder of the state supreme_court , advertisements are to be published in area newspapers and magazines advising co op and condominium boards of the availability of claim forms at mr . herschmann 's law office the firm of kasowitz , benson , torres friedman , at 1301 avenue of the americas , between 52d and 53d streets , new york , n.y . 10019 . the ads , according to the plan , would include a list of the names of management companies and individual agents who have either pleaded_guilty or who have contributed to the restitution fund . the purpose of the list would be to provide boards with a way to determine whether any of the listed agents and concerns had been employed by their building at any time during the years 1986 through 1993 . last thursday , however , publication of the list was stayed by an appellate_court justice after one of the management companies on the list objected to the publication of the company 's name . a hearing date on the matter has not been set . regardless of whether the list is ultimately published , victimized boards will still need to receive claim forms from mr . herschmann 's office . ''anyone who has already contacted us or the district_attorney 's office will automatically receive a claim form , '' mr . herschmann said , adding that letters will ultimately be mailed to more than 1 , 700 co op and condominium boards this month . ''it 's the only feasible way to do it , '' mr . herschmann said , explaining that since the names of all the vendors in the kickback schemes have not been identified , a method had to be devised that would allow boards to quantify their possible losses without having to specifically prove each of them . as a result , he said , the plan requires boards first to identify the time period during which an agent or firm on the list worked for the co op or condominium , and then tally certain defined expenditures that were of a type most likely to have been inflated if the agent had been extracting kickbacks from a vendor . ''since we could n't identify specific vendors , we identified specific expenditures , '' mr . herschmann said , explaining that the expenditure categories include capital improvements , repairs , maintenance and supplies . the expenditures must be substantiated by certified financial_statements , copies of original contracts or copies of canceled checks . after a board has identified a specific time period and has enumerated calculated expenditures for the defined categories during that time period , mr . herschmann said , the form must be returned to his office . ''claims will be accepted until nov . 30 of this year , '' mr . herschmann said , explaining that once the claim forms are received by his office they will be examined to determine whether they qualify based on the content of the claim and the proofs submitted . since the amounts of the individual claims are based on total expenditures in each of the defined categories , mr . herschmann said , they will clearly exceed the actual dollar amount that a specific building may have lost in the form of higher prices charged while they unwillingly and unwittingly subsidized the kickbacks being paid by vendors to agents . with that in mind , mr . herschmann said , the total expenditure amount is used merely to calculate the prorated value of one building 's claim as compared to another . for example , he said , if the total amount of money available for distribution is 3 million , and the aggregate value of all approved claims is 30 million , then each claimant would receive 1 for every 10 in substantiated claims . ''we have no idea how many buildings will file claims and no idea how much those claims will be , '' mr . herschmann said , adding that the restitution fund now has about 3 million available for distribution and expects to collect and distribute about 1 million more after all agents and firms have paid their restitution in full . he added that since the amount an individual claimant will receive will represent a proportion of the total claims filed , the more substantiated claims that are filed , the smaller each claimant 's proportionate share will be . and that troubles some co op lawyers . errol brett , a manhattan co op lawyer who has been informing clients about the fund since it was created , said that while the distribution proposal may succeed in getting some money to some victims , the amount that those victims receive will be diluted by money paid albeit with good intentions to buildings that may not have been truly victimized . ''that 's always been my gripe , '' mr . brett said . ''you can have one building where a managing agent was taking kickbacks and another building where the same agent was on the straight and narrow . '' since the distribution plan is based on expenditures and not on being able to prove actual losses , mr . brett said , in the foregoing example the second building benefits at the expense of the first . marc j . luxemburg , a manhattan lawyer and president of the council of new york cooperatives , agreed that the plan was imperfect and potentially unfair , but acknowledged that under the circumstances a perfect plan would be impossible to devise . as a result , mr . luxemburg said , he essentially favors no plan at all . ''i think the money should be put into an educational fund to train board members and managing agents , '' he said . ''that would be a meaningful use of the fund that might help prevent this from happening again . '' your home	has a location of america
one unusual feature of runyon_heights is the large number of dead end streets . situated on 110 hilly acres in the northeast corner of yonkers , new york 's fourth largest , the suburban neighborhood , the former estate of charles runyon , a new york city industrialist , was designed in the years before world_war i with few through streets a geographic entity unto itself and separate from the other neighborhoods in what was then a predominantly white metropolis . in yonkers , which was riven by racial tensions for much of the 20th_century , runyon_heights was , according to residents and a scholar 's recent book about the neighborhood , the only area that welcomed black home buyers . ( the largely minority southwest section of the city is mostly low rent tenements and public_housing . ) about 17 miles from midtown_manhattan , runyon_heights also became one of the first predominantly black suburban areas in the metropolitan region , drawing residents north from harlem . today , the neighborhood is home to about 600 middle_class families and is much like any other suburban home owning community , according to bruce d . haynes , an assistant professor of sociology at the university of california at davis . in his book about runyon_heights , ''red lines , black spaces the politics of race and space in a black middle_class suburb , '' mr . haynes wrote , ''residents are mostly concerned with maintaining good schools , safe and clean streets and the middle_class suburban lifestyle . '' like kenneth w . jenkins , a vice_president of the yonkers chapter of the national association for the advancement of colored people , many residents living in the neighborhood 's colonials , cape_cods and ranch style homes have been drawn to runyon_heights by the affordability of its houses . the median price of a single family home is 319 , 500 , compared with the mean for the county of 570 , 750 at the end of september . but that is only one of runyon_heights' assets . its friendly ways and the sense of stability it affords residents are other attractions , residents say . ''many people stay here for a lifetime , '' said mr . jenkins , who purchased his first house in runyon_heights in 1986 and has since moved on to a second house in the neighborhood . ''everyone knows their neighbors and looks out for each other 's kids . '' mr . jenkins , an associate real_estate_broker for century 21 dawn 's gold realty , and his wife , deborah , a software asset manager for i.b.m. , first purchased a three bedroom , one and a half bath fixer upper in runyon_heights for 135 , 000 . they redid the kitchen and the roof , put a stone facade on the house , made other improvements and lived in it for the next decade . in 1996 , the couple , with an expanding family , sold their home for 185 , 000 to a relative and purchased the four bedroom , three bath brick raised ranch next door for 235 , 000 . when runyon_heights , which is sometimes also called nepperhan , was being developed , the residents of homefield , an all white neighborhood directly to the north , did not want traffic coming onto their streets from the black community . to the south , tuckahoe road , a major thoroughfare , provides a natural boundary between runyon_heights and other neighborhoods . to the west , the saw mill river parkway performs a similar function . and to the east , there is a cemetery and sprain road contributing to runyon_heights' isolation . with no such boundary in the north , white residents created a four foot_wide strip of land , like a racial dmz , to separate the two areas . hence , the dead end streets . in the early years , a chicken wire fence also separated the two neighborhoods . but the fence failed to deter homefield residents from walking through backyards in runyon_heights to catch their trains to new york city on the putnam railroad , which is now defunct , according to milton holst , 76 , whose family moved to runyon_heights in 1926 , when he was an infant . and vice_versa in the early years , before homefield was built up , many children from runyon_heights picked pears and apples in the open fields of the neighboring community , he said . but the overwhelmingly black , cohesive neighborhood has begun to change in recent years , with ''new people'' many hispanic moving in . according to mr . holst , there is no friction between black and hispanic residents , but ''each group tends to keep to themselves . '' in particular , mr . holst said , many newer residents have not joined the runyon_heights improvement association , a social and civic minded group to which three fourths of the neighborhood 's residents belong . among other things , the group has been active in monitoring traffic generated by warehouses and other businesses in an industrial section of runyon_heights . the social focal_point is the runyon_heights community house , built in 1961 by the association . the one story red brick center on runyon avenue bustles most days with meetings and events for all age groups . tomlin coleman , a home builder with his brother windsor both long time residents of the community said koreans , arabs , west_indians and indians have also been buying houses in runyon_heights recently . and the new houses being built by their construction company tend to be larger and more expensive than the homes it built before , he said . the brothers' latest house in runyon_heights , a 3 , 000 square_foot , four bedroom , two and a half bath colonial , will be selling for 400 , 000 , he said . he added that there are only a few buildable lots remaining in the neighborhood . a major selling point for the neighborhood , according to mr . coleman and real_estate agents , is its proximity to major roads leading to new york city . it is less than a mile from the sprain brook and saw mill river parkways and interstate 87 . for prospective home buyers considering runyon_heights or any other part of yonkers the city 's often troubled school_district is sometimes a deterrent . the federal_government has put 10 schools in the district on a list of low performing schools . as part of the resolution of a long running racial_segregation lawsuit against the city and its school system , the school_district has replaced neighborhood schools with magnet schools , and it buses students when necessary to their choices . for families , the emphasis on magnet schools has meant both opportunity and transportation complications . mr . and mrs . jenkins , for instance , are sending their two oldest children to the public schools . both alana , 11 , and jamal , 6 , are in programs for gifted and talented students . alana walks a quarter mile to a bus , which takes her to a magnet_school 20 minutes away , and jamal walks two blocks and then rides for a half hour to a different magnet_school . as an active member of the n.a.a.c.p. , mr . jenkins a former past president of the yonkers chapter said he believes that ''it 's my responsibility to make sure the right programs are in place in the schools . '' he explained that under a court ruling last spring , 300 million from the state is earmarked for district programs intended to eliminate disparities in achievement between white and minority students . of about 26 , 400 students currently enrolled in the district , 5.7 percent were asian , 30 percent were black , 44 . 4 percent were hispanic , 19 . 7 percent were white and 0.2 percent were categorized as ''other , '' the school_district reported . the number of students who live in the district and go to private and parochial schools is 7 , 718 . in all , the district has 30 public elementary schools , four middle schools , one combined middle_school high_school and four high_schools . for the most part , elementary schools cover kindergarten through fifth grade and middle schools have sixth through eighth_grade . all of the elementary schools offer magnet programs . the eugenio maria de hostos microsociety school , for example , is set up as a small society , with its own schoolwide bank , businesses , court and constitution , which are incorporated into the school curriculum . at the high_school level , yonkers students taking the sat reasoning test last spring had an average score of 422 in the verbal section and 426 in math , according to eric schoen , a district spokesman . the state average was 494 in the verbal test and 506 in math . nationally , those averages are 504 and 516 , respectively . in yonkers , 69 . 5 percent of the graduates went on to college . on state mandated fourth_grade english_language arts tests , 59 . 5 percent of yonkers students in the 2001 2 school year scored at levels 3 and 4 competency and mastery levels compared with 61 . 5 percent statewide . for mathematics , 59 . 2 percent met or exceeded the competency standards , compared with 68 percent statewide . per pupil expenditure for the current school year is 13 , 375 , the district said . since the earliest days of the community , a religious focal_point has been the metropolitan a.m.e . zion church , which began as a small prayer group meeting in members' homes in the early 1920 's and then in the basement of another church on sunday evenings , according to a church history . within a decade , parishioners found a church building for sale in the bronx for 150 and moved it to its present home on belknap avenue , a site that they purchased for 100 . today , the church has about 100 members . winston a . ross , executive director of westchester community opportunity programs , said , ''this church for those of us growing up in the 50 's and 60 's contributed to our success later in life because of the values we learned from it about education and succeeding in one 's goals . ' there are now two other churches in runyon_heights faith mission , a baptist mission church , and king 's highway apostolic church . while there is no shopping_center in runyon_heights , there are several convenience_stores , supermarkets and a fast food restaurant a short drive away on tuckahoe road . while the neighborhood is a product of an era when minority home owners were not free to go wherever they wanted , some residents today would be sorry to see the neighborhood lose its identity as a black enclave . ''we want our own neighborhood , '' said estelle holst , mr . holst 's wife . if you 're thinking of living in runyon_heights , yonkers	has a location of america
apartment house owners and the union representing doormen , porters and handymen reached a tentative agreement on a new three year contract yesterday , averting a strike that would have left front desks , elevators and garbage in the hands of tenants or temporary workers . union leaders and officials from the owners' bargaining group , the realty advisory board on labor relations , said that wages and other economic issues were the main sticking point in the all night bargaining session . the talks ended shortly before 7 a.m . with an agreement on what the owners said was a 9.5 percent increase in wages and benefits over the life of the contract , a figure that real_estate specialists said was unlikely to jolt landlords' ledgers or the dollar conscious budgets of co ops and condominiums where union members work . " what these numbers will do to the overall maintenance of individual apartments will be very small , " said clark p . halstead , the managing partner of the halstead property company , a manhattan brokerage concern . " everyone needs some modest raise , and this is n't even in accord with the cost of living . by those standards , this is modest . " handymen and superintendents the contract that expired at midnight yesterday , negotiated in 1991 after a_12 day strike , provided annual increases averaging about 4 percent . the new contract calls for wage_increases averaging about 2 percent a year . the union , local_32b_32j of the service_employees_international_union , said most workers would receive an extra 10 a week this year , another 10 next year and 12 in the final year of the contract . that will increase a doorman 's salary to 528 a week this year , 538 in 1995 and 550 in 1996 . handymen will receive a raise of 12 a week this year , another 12 a week next year and a 14 a week increase in 1996 . superintendents' salaries will increase 13 a week this year , 12 a week in 1995 and 14 a week in 1996 . anger among rank and file but some of the local 's 30 , 000 rank and file members , who work at 2 , 800 rental , cooperative and condominium buildings in four of the five boroughs , grumbled that the deal was inadequate . apartment house employees in the bronx are represented by a different local workers in commercial buildings and housing_projects run by the new york city housing authority are covered by different contracts . " ten bucks a week i do n't think it 's fair , " said joe pappas , a doorman at 327 central_park west , at 93d street . " with taxes taken out , you clear about 6 or 7 . it costs more than that just to come to work . i 'd have given up two sick days to get more money in my salary . " ratification , though , by a 41 person committee instead of the rank and file appeared to be a virtual certainty . dennis sheehan , a spokesman for the union , said the committee fanned out through the city yesterday , visiting union members at the buildings where they work " to get a sense of how they feel " about the terms of the deal . the negotiations reflected the evolution of the residential real_estate industry in the 1980 's . when building service workers walked off their jobs in 1979 , the strikers and most of the people who lived in the buildings where they worked shared the same foe the landlord . this time , as in 1991 , apartment dwellers are often the owners . the 1980 's co op and condominium conversion boom shifted the balance of power on the owners' bargaining team . longer probation time co op and condominium owners have a personal investment in their buildings and day to day relationships with the members of local_32b_32j , who keep track of residents' lives as well as their comings and goings , feeding their pets , watering their plants and bringing their dry_cleaning to their doors . as a result , co op and condominium owners might be more willing than rental landlords to let their desire for service override pocketbook issues . another aspect of the new contract is a longer probation period for new workers 60 days instead of 30 under the old contract . owners maintained that they had raised other issues in the negotiations that could be brought up again in 1996 , including a possible two tier wage system under which new workers would be paid less than the experienced ones they replace . while two tier wages have not been uncommon in corporate labor settlements in the 1990 's , another issue on some owners' minds was peculiar to the local_32b_32j negotiations summer employees . under the contract , replacements for vacationing workers are paid at full salary , even though the substitutes are often college students . some owners say they should not be paid as much as full time workers who have families . but others familiar with the negotiations say the issue is not so clear cut some building workers spend their vacations moonlighting as relief employees in other buildings . their earnings would drop if replacements were paid less than regular doormen and porters .	has a location of america
median resale house prices aug . 91 jul . 91 aug . 90 nation 101 , 800 103 , 000 97 , 200 northeast 144 , 400 143 , 500 145 , 300 midwest 78 , 900 79 , 200 75 , 100 south 91 , 100 93 , 600 87 , 200 west 144 , 700 148 , 800 140 , 200 4 source national_association_of_realtors 4 mortgage interest rates ( averages ) last week previous week year ago new york conventional ( 30 yr ) 9 . 06 9 . 15 10 . 35 adjustable_rate ( 1st_yr ) 6 . 83 6 . 86 8 . 37 new jersey conventional ( 30 yr ) 8 . 94 9 . 02 10 . 15 adjustable_rate ( 1st_yr ) 6 . 65 6 . 73 8 . 05 connecticut conventional ( 30 yr ) 8 . 94 9 . 04 10 . 20 adjustable_rate ( 1st_yr ) 6 . 67 6 . 78 8 . 26 co ops ( n . y. ) conventional ( 30 yr ) 9 . 15 9 . 27 10 . 53 adjustable_rate ( 1st_yr ) 7 . 37 7 . 39 8 . 56 2 indexes for adjustable_rate_mortgages 1 yr . treasury security 5 . 40 5 . 50 7 . 58 national mortgage contract rate 9 . 10 9 . 10 9 . 70 rates on most adjustable_mortgages are set 1 to 3 percentage_points above these indexes . ( source_hsh_associates )	has a location of america
for years , the community group acorn taught its members how to rally , demonstrate and hold sit_ins to get what they wanted . the group gained wide attention in 1987 , when it occupied 30 vacant buildings in east new york and forced the city to turn them over to squatters . now , after learning the art of confrontation , some acorn members are using confrontational tactics against one of their own acorn 's head organizer . the dispute centers on what some members say the group owes them . the dissidents say that in return for their efforts fighting for affordable_housing , fair lending practices and educational improvements acorn should find them low income apartments . acorn officials say there has never been a quid_pro_quo . last week , three dozen demonstrators_marched from the group 's flatbush_avenue headquarters to the home of the organizer , jon kest , and held a brief but noisy rally . when five patrol cars , a police van , an officer on a bicycle and a private security van showed up a few minutes later , the demonstrators pointed out the irony . " he taught us to do this ! " one protester , elena trevino , told the officers before she departed peacefully . acorn , an acronym for the association of community organizations for reform now , is a nationwide group with headquarters in new orleans . its 1987 battle in east new york led to the creation of a separate but related entity , the mutual housing association of new york , to administer the apartments . since then , acorn claims to have enrolled about 20 , 000 dues paying members in new york to campaign for improvement in low income neighborhoods . many of the demonstrators who marched to mr . kest 's home said that they were upset that acorn had not found them apartments . the immediate catalyst for their march was a vote last week by the mutual housing association board to remove its executive director , nan e . wilson , whom the demonstrators supported . ms . wilson could not be reached for comment . " i guess it goes with the territory , " said mr . kest , who recently moved out of his post as the head organizer for new york to take a job with the national organization . " we 've never held ourselves out to our members as a place to go to get an apartment . this organization is not a real_estate agency . there are thousands of people waiting for housing . that 's why we have to keep organizing . " michael_cooper neighborhood report flatbush	has a location of america
sometimes , if the house you want is n't for sale , you have to entice the people to move by offering something they want even more . your house , perhaps . for 15 years , camilla calhoun and aldo rafanelli lived in a wonderful old place on an acre and a half in millwood , in westchester_county , next to a nature preserve with 140 acres . it was definitely private . but , any time they wanted a magazine , or a quart of milk , they had to get in the car and go out . their older son , marco , was in college , and their younger one , alessandro , was about to go . suddenly , their house seemed way too big and way too much work . ''the kids were not going to be around to cut the grass , '' mr . rafanelli said . but finding a house in the suburbs is only marginally easier than finding an apartment in manhattan . prices have been escalating , and in the most sought after towns , there is n't much on the market . wanting to cut down on maintenance chores , they first tried condominiums , but ''we could n't find any lovable , or likable , condos , '' mr . rafanelli said . then one day ms . calhoun was driving around with a broker in the village of tarrytown and passed grove street , which she had always admired for its collection of architecturally arresting houses . she pointed to a particular one she liked , manageable in size but charmingly victorian , and the broker said that the people who lived there were looking for a larger place because they had three young children and were definitely too crowded . but they had been looking for quite a while and had n't yet put their own house up for sale . ms . calhoun asked to be notified if the house went on the market . soon after , she and her husband found a house they liked well enough , and they made a bid on it . they were n't in love with it , but choices were limited . ''you have to think of a market where they take you around and there 's nothing for sale , '' mr . rafanelli said . but ms . calhoun could n't get the other place out of her head , and so she asked the broker to suggest a trade their large house , which has the additional lure of being in the highly_regarded chappaqua school_district , at the market price , for the grove street house , at the market price . the broker for the other couple said she would come over immediately and assess the possibilities . she did , ms . calhoun said , and ' 'she said , this is definitely it . '' the next day , ms . calhoun and mr . rafanelli went to look at the house on grove street , and they , too , were sold . after a bit of negotiating , they worked out the sales , setting a price of 624 , 000 for the larger house and 349 , 000 for the smaller one . a month ago , ms . calhoun and mr . rafanelli moved into the house , which is perched high on a hill above the hudson_river . ''they left us wine , we left them wine , '' ms . calhoun said . ''neither family wanted to leave . '' like their old house , this one has four bedrooms , but all the rooms are much smaller . their distinguished furniture , much of it from mr . rafanelli 's family home in florence , more than fills the space . ''it looks like an antique shop more than a house , '' he said . but they are adjusting to the smaller space , and thinking of doing some renovations that will make the main floor more open and give the dining_room a river view . their new house is just 15 minutes from the old one , but it 's a completely different way of life . in the evening , they can stroll down the hill to the village shops , maybe sit_in a cafe and watch the people go by . at their old house , they could n't even go for walks in the evening , because there were no sidewalks . ''we like the village life , '' mr . rafanelli said . ''i can buy bagels without getting into the car . here , you have everything you need . '' it reminds him of home . ''the village is everything in italy , '' he said . ''there is no such thing as suburbia . '' ms . calhoun , an environmental consultant , calls it the ''anti sprawl choice . '' still , it 's a radical change , and there are reasons that people like sprawl . here , their neighbors are quite visible . and sometimes audible . ''the first morning we woke up , we heard somebody coughing , '' ms . calhoun said . ''we had never been in a neighborhood before . it 's a little more intimate . '' but they joke that the move will change their personalities for the better . ''i 'm going to be very calm and quiet , '' ms . calhoun said . in the old house , her husband said , ''you could scream at the kids all the time . '' but they obviously relish the large porch with the panoramic view of the river . on a recent evening , they were drinking some wine from villa antinori ( mr . rafanelli oversees its marketing and sales for north_america ) and preparing to grill some fish . since they moved in , they have only eaten indoors twice . now , they ca n't just walk out to their garden to pick some herbs , because they do n't have one . but there 's a good gourmet shop nearby , and mr . rafanelli says he does n't really miss the battle of the garden . ''i had a large vegetable garden to be defended every year against the wild , '' which included coyotes and turkeys , he said . talking and watching the river view , ms . calhoun suddenly looks away , seeing something out of the corner of her eye . then she realizes ''that was a bird . i did n't know if i would see any more birds . '' once they are more settled , they plan to take advantage of their new environment , more watery than woody . for her birthday in march , mr . rafanelli gave his wife a kayak . by the end of this month , they 'll be empty nesters , responsible only for their dog , d'oro . it 's a very different time for them . as mr . rafanelli puts it , ''camilla 's going to go kayaking , and i 'm going to go fly fishing , and no one 's going to cut the grass . ''	has a location of america
the police arrested a brooklyn man yesterday in the stabbing of a 11 year old boy who was found on the roof of a dyker heights apartment building late saturday after apparently being abducted in an attempt to extort money from his parents , the authorities said . the man , arturo garcia , 26 , was being interviewed by detectives investigating the stabbing of the boy , roberto muniz , who was found wrapped in a blanket , his arms bound with duct_tape . the boy 's parents own the four story brown brick building , a walk up , and mr . garcia lived on the top floor . roberto , who had been stabbed 17 times , remained in critical but stable condition at lutheran medical center late yesterday . investigators said they had pieced together a rough outline of the events that led to the stabbing , and were trying to determine why the boy was apparently chosen as the victim in the extortion plot . they said that they were pursuing a report that mr . garcia knew roberto because the boy was part of a bicycle theft operation masterminded by mr . garcia and had threatened to disclose it . they said they were also looking into whether mr . garcia and roberto 's father , armando muniz , were involved in a dispute over money . ''it 's all under investigation , '' deputy chief judy j . mcginn , the head of brooklyn 's detective unit , said when asked about the report of the bicycle theft ring , which first appeared sunday in the new york post . the story of the boy 's stabbing unfolded in fits and starts throughout the day , and yielded only sparse details after roberto was found bleeding on the roof . the police said that officers responded to a call of a possible child abduction around 8 p.m . saturday at the apartment building in the 6700 block of 14th avenue . they said they were not certain who called the police . the family lives in windsor terrace . when officers arrived , they were told that the family , which also owns a convenience_store on the building 's first floor , had received two phone_calls that day . the first , those close to the investigation said , was a call for roberto asking him to come up to mr . garcia 's apartment . the second , the police said , was brief and simple robert had been abducted , the caller said before demanding money . the police did not disclose the ransom amount . after speaking with members of roberto 's family , the police began a routine search of building when , those close to the investigation said , officers came upon a drop of something that looked like blood . not far from that spot were several other bloodstains , which formed a trail that eventually led officers to the roof . there , they found roberto and called for an ambulance . as paramedics arrived , the police began cordoning off the street and residents of this otherwise quiet block streamed out of their homes . ''i was scared to death , '' said carol graziano , 55 , who was watching a television_program on frank_sinatra when she heard the commotion . ''i ran out and i saw them carrying somebody out on a stretcher , '' she said . ''it looked like a big person , but it was an 11 year old boy . '' the street was briefly illuminated by searchlights from a police helicopter that was aiding in the hunt for the suspect . police officers with dogs also swarmed on the scene . roberto , who was stabbed in the chest and abdomen , was taken to lutheran , where he underwent_surgery to repair internal injuries and close the stab wounds . he was being treated in the hospital 's intensive_care_unit , surrounded by his family . because he has been unconscious since he was found , the authorities said , investigators have not yet been able to interview him . jesse gehman , a hospital administrator , said that roberto had improved since he arrived at the hospital but that it was still too early to make a detailed prognosis . ''he 's progressing , '' mr . gehman said . mr . garcia was charged with first degree assault . he was arrested around 4 15 p.m . in bay_ridge , near ridge boulevard and bay_ridge parkway a little more than a mile from the building where robert was found by two officers who spotted him while on routine patrol . neighbors said that roberto is an active youngster who is fond of in line skating and bike riding and sometimes turns the apartment building his parents own into his own four story playground . ''with him , it was always going up and down , up and down , '' said perfecto diaz , 28 , who smiled as he recalled how roberto and friends would gambol along on the staircase . jesus mizhquiri , 10 , described roberto known to friends as beto as a playful youngster who delights in teasing buddies with nicknames like porcupine head . jesus said he and his playmates could not believe it when they learned of the stabbing . ''i felt really terrible , '' jesus said . ''i do n't know who would do this to him . '' parents said they , too , were concerned . ''starting today , i 'm not going to let him play out in the street , '' said deanna garcia , whose 7 year old son , nicholas gonzalez , is a friend of roberto 's . she is not related to mr . garcia . and such fears just were not reserved for neighborhood children . jaime canales who lives with his wife , lydia ortiz , in an apartment not far from mr . garcia 's , said ''i 'm scared . we do n't know who we 're living with . '' yesterday afternoon , things were quiet again on this largely latino block wedged between bay_ridge and bensonhurst . the chaos of the previous night was betrayed only by fluttering tendrils of yellow police tape that were twisted around trees and ''no parking'' signs . the narrow bodega run by mr . muniz , the armando and pablo deli and grocery , was closed . a graffiti scarred metal grate covered the front door . a rusted fire escape dominated the facade of the building , a teddy_bear affixed to a peeling railing on one landing . and all afternoon yesterday , it seemed that the eyes of practically everyone who passed by the store were inevitably drawn to the roof . ''this is a shame , '' ms . graziano said . ''my heart breaks for this boy . '' correction february 19 , 2002 , tuesday an article yesterday about the arrest of a brooklyn man in the stabbing of an 11 year old boy misstated the boy 's given name . he is alberto mu iz , not roberto .	has a location of america
dowdy old dover , n.j. , is putting on a new face as it lifts itself from its postindustrial doldrums . in the past five years , it has spent more than 5 million in federal , state and county grants and local bonding funds to spruce up its downtown . drainage and parking have been improved , storefronts have been updated , brick pavers and victorian style street lamps have been installed and flowering pear trees have been planted all along blackwell street , the core of the downtown business_district . that district , which had been largely boarded up in the 1970 's and early 1980 's after nearby malls drained off customers and caused chain stores and supermarkets to close , now has practically no vacancies . the business mix including a number of large thrift shops , hispanic groceries , ethnic restaurants and antiques establishments reflects the town 's rich history and its current population mix . the compact 2 . 5 square_mile town is one of the most densely_packed municipalities in morris_county , which is largely rural . it is overwhelmingly blue_collar , 60 percent hispanic and 42 percent immigrant and has the lowest median_household_income in the county . its housing is equally split between owner occupied and rental . much of it is overcrowded , forcing the town 's two full time and two part time zoning officers to wage a constant struggle against illegal apartments , according to michael a . hantson , who serves as town engineer , planner and one of the zoning officers . ''it is a place where people can get a start in life , '' explained yvette aponte , president of the concerned hispanic political_action_committee , a nonprofit group that helps to register legal residents to vote and directs all immigrants many illegal to health , social and educational services . ''it 's natural that they come to stay with friends and relatives until they get settled . here , they can find work , the transportation is good and people are friendly and speak their language . after you 've been here just a short time , you ca n't walk down the street without meeting someone you know . it 's friendly and comfortable . '' dover was started in 1722 , when a john jackson built an iron forge along granny 's brook , a tributary of the rockaway river , which bisects the town . because of an abundance of iron_ore , which the indigenous leni lenape indians called ''heavy rock , '' jackson 's forge prospered and drew woodcutters and other iron forgers to the area . by the revolutionary_war , dover was an important industrial center . in 1826 , when the morris canal was built to take pennsylvania coal to new york city , it passed through dover , spurring an industrial boom along its banks . a generation later , in 1848 , the morris and essex railroad was built , with dover as its terminus , cementing the town 's role as a manufacturing and commercial center . when incorporated as a town in 1869 , dover had 3 , 300 residents . in the early 20th_century , blackwell street was a shopping and cultural mecca . among the landmark buildings that remain , the baker theater is now a catering facility , and the baker opera_house is now a private office and commercial building . the opera_house is listed on both the national and state registers of historic places , as is the whole blackwell street historic_district , covering 45 acres of the downtown , including much of blackwell street and surrounding areas . w . h . baker was a businessman who owned a dry goods store and a grocery in addition to the opera_house , whose entire exterior back wall still holds an early 20th_century advertisement for mail pouch tobacco . by 1960 , when dover started slipping into decline because of the disappearance of manufacturing jobs , the town had 15 , 000 residents . though the population has grown by only 3 , 000 since then , the housing market has come back strongly in recent years . most homes are sold within a month of being listed , according to john e . cramer , owner of cramer realty on north essex street . in mid june , 20 single family houses were for sale on the multiple_listing_service , roughly half the number normally listed , mr . cramer said . the sellers include empty nesters and the buyers are often young immigrant families , a trend that has increased school population from 2 , 600 to 3 , 300 in just three years . houses on the market in mid june ranged in price from 199 , 900 for a small three bedroom colonial to 549 , 000 for a large victorian . about half of the houses in town are prewar colonials on narrow 50 by 100 foot lots . according to mr . cramer , an older three bedroom colonial on richards avenue near the center of town recently went for 215 , 000 . selling for slightly more are 1950 's cape_cod style houses on streets off morris street . a four bedroom expanded cape recently went for 225 , 000 . most of the higher end newer houses are in a 15 unit development called scandia acres , built two years ago off livingston avenue . the highest priced house offered for sale there is a four bedroom , two and a half bath colonial listed at 349 , 900 . there are also about two dozen large victorian homes . all but a handful were long ago subdivided into multifamily_dwellings . two multifamily victorians are currently on the market , with a three family in a flood zone near the rockaway river advertised for 295 , 000 and a two family going to 299 , 000 . a single family five bedroom victorian in excellent condition on an oversized lot on sandford street recently sold for 260 , 000 . of about 150 condominium apartments , two thirds are on east blackwell street two blocks from the new jersey transit train_station . according to mr . cramer , a two bedroom condominium in the 69 unit dover park plaza sold in early june for 148 , 900 . the town also has a 76 unit co op apartment complex called fox hill , off fox hill road , where a one bedroom unit recently went for 65 , 000 . mr . cramer said there are currently no two bedroom units on the market , but they would normally fetch about 10 , 000 more . dover has roughly 500 apartments for rent , with about 10 percent of them in small two to four family houses or over stores in the business_district . the remainder are in a dozen apartment complexes the largest is the 180 unit dover gardens on highland avenue . according to mr . cramer , rents in small houses average about 1 , 100 a month for a two or three bedroom unit , and in apartment complexes , one bedroom units go for about 900 and two bedrooms for 1 , 050 . small apartments over stores in the downtown fetch about 700 . like many home buyers in dover , fernando rossy , who moved into a fox hill co op two years ago , grew up in town . his two bedroom unit cost 56 , 000 , and he believes it is currently worth close to 80 , 000 . mr . rossy said the friendliness and the rich ethnic mix kept him in dover . ''we have so many different ethnic groups here , '' he said , ''and we all get along and enjoy each other 's festivals . '' a recent study conducted by new jersey transit for the town of dover called the housing vacancy_rate ''quite tight'' and predicted that by the year 2010 dover would require at least 600 new housing units to keep pace with a projected 6 percent population_growth . the study was conducted as part of new jersey transit 's effort to help in the redevelopment of small cities along its routes . dover is the western terminus of the midtown direct rail service to penn_station . dover has been actively pursuing redevelopers and other businesses , with considerable success . it has been designated by the state as a small city and as a regional center , making it eligible for two major pools of grants . it also recruited a developer to construct an office complex on a former landfill site near the wharton line . a 50 acre tract of its old industrial zone on the western edge of town on richboynton road named for a former cast_iron stove manufacturing company was bought by another developer who has been sandblasting a century of grime and paint off the old brick factories , replacing broken windows and turning them into modern light industrial and warehousing space . every sunday from the week after easter until two weeks before christmas , much of blackwell street is closed to vehicular_traffic as the center of town is turned into a giant flea_market . this year , dover business college , a 70 student facility that had moved out of dover to parsippany five years ago , moved back into its old location at 15 east blackwell street . it offers courses in information_technology , business computer services and health_care services . ''we are business friendly and are looking for white knights , '' mayor newman said . the 3 , 300 student dover public_school system consists of three elementary schools for prekindergarten through sixth_grade , dover middle_school and the four year dover high_school , with 800 students . according to the school superintendent , charles p . delorenzo , 58 percent of the district 's students come from homes in which english is not the first language . mr . delorenzo said that one focus of the system is technology education . every classroom has internet_access , 200 laptop computers are being used in special programs in the middle_school and a special cisco_systems business network training program is being offered . ''by the time they leave middle_school , every student can word process and by the time they graduate from high_school , they can all use databases , spreadsheets and do powerpoint presentations , '' he said . the high_school offers seven advanced_placement classes . on last year 's college_board tests , dover students achieved combined verbal and mathematics scores of 931 , which is 80 points below the state average . forty nine percent of the graduates went on to two year colleges and 38 percent went to four year colleges . with more than 95 percent of the town developed , dover is lacking in open space . its largest public park is the five acre hurd park off west blackwell avenue . it is distinctive because it is bisected by a path lined with flowering cherry trees and a statue of a world_war i soldier , which serves as a memorial to war veterans . if you 're thinking of living in dover , n.j .	has a location of america
q i have a co op apartment with an enclosed terrace . the enclosure is not a permanent structure in that it can be removed , leaving the terrace in its original condition . the coating on the surface of the roof above the terrace , the underside of the terrace above , has developed some cracks that are not considered potentially dangerous . there are two paragraphs in the proprietary_lease that relate to repairs . one provides that the co op is responsible for the entire building except for portions of apartments expressly stated to be the responsibility of the shareholder . the other seems to create an inference that the co op is responsible for the structural parts of the terrace . the board is taking the position that i am responsible for repairs to the terrace . is it right ? . . . sam parker , manhattan . a ''if the questioner 's complaint relates solely to surface cracks in the terrace roof , and not to structural_damage , the board is probably correct , '' said arthur i . weinstein , a manhattan lawyer who is also vice_president of the council of new york cooperatives and condominiums . mr . weinstein said that if the enclosed area is considered a room of the apartment , then the shareholder 's responsibility to maintain ceilings in the apartment would be applicable to the ceiling of the terrace as well . ''the co op would only be obligated to repair structural_damage inside the ceiling itself , '' he said . if the area is considered an outdoor terrace or balcony , mr . weinstein said , a standard provision in the proprietary_lease used in most co ops gives the co op the right to establish rules and regulations respecting the use of that area . ''in that case , the board can require a shareholder who wishes to use the space to maintain its exterior surfaces , '' he said , adding that while the co op has an obligation to maintain the safety and structural integrity of the building , it does not appear from the letter writer 's question that there is any safety hazard or structural_damage present that would require repair by the co op . fixing all terraces in a co op building q i am one of 20 shareholders in a 120 unit building whose apartments do not have terraces . the building is anticipating terrace repairs at a cost of approximately 5 , 000 per shareholder . our board has determined that the repairs fall into the category of general building maintenance and that the cost must be shared by all shareholders . can you help me understand how repairs of noncommon areas become the responsibility of all shareholders ? . . . ingrid finnan , the bronx . a aaron shmulewitz , a manhattan co op lawyer , said that while a precise response would depend on the specific language of the co op 's proprietary_lease , it is likely that the co op can pass along the cost of terrace repairs to all shareholders , including those whose apartments do not have a terrace . mr . shmulewitz explained that most proprietary leases obligate the co op to repair , maintain and replace all structural elements of the building . accordingly , he said , if the board has determined that it is necessary to repair terraces in the building to maintain the building 's structural integrity , it has the right and obligation to do so . in addition , mr . shmulewitz said , most proprietary leases require the co op to finance such repairs from the building 's maintenance revenues , cash reserves or , if necessary , an assessment on all shareholders . ''the fact that some shareholders may not enjoy the use of terraces is irrelevant to their obligation under the proprietary_lease to pay for maintenance and repairs in the building , '' mr . shmulewitz said . it is that principle , he said , that obligates first floor shareholders to contribute , for example , to the cost of the repair and maintenance of elevators and the roof , even though those may not be elements of the building they use or enjoy . q a	has a location of america
along st . joseph 's avenue , once a respectable neighborhood of working_class families here , bare chested men now occupy the street corners like sentries on a watch . among the burned out buildings , the weeds where gardens thrived , rubbish on the streets and abandoned mattresses along the sidewalks , they snarl at passers by and while away the long , hot summer days . mulford gardens , built in 1937 as a model federally_subsidized apartment complex , is still the focal_point of this tough riverfront neighborhood except that over time , what was once a community 's proud centerpiece has become its shame . graffiti is everywhere , along with a robust crack_cocaine trade , the police say . in the beginning , the apartments were a first stop for hard working_families who would eventually save enough money to buy houses of their own . alexander g . votta , a yonkers resident who is now 80 , remembered it as a stylish place to live in the early 1940 's , and a good place to raise a family . but by the 1950 's , the economic landscape began to change as jobs dried up at the local carpet mill . when an elevator manufacturing plant also cut back production , some residents moved away in search of other opportunities . many who stayed behind went on the public dole . today , a few roses still grow outside the 125 year old sisters of charity convent next door to mulford gardens , although armed robberies , pit_bull fights and unrelenting poverty occlude most memories of a better past . it is a neighborhood where boys learn to be tough according to the unforgiving rules of the street , where bodega owners barely eke out a living and customers pay with food_stamps , where most mothers will not let young children play outside and the elderly are too fearful to leave home even to attend mass . according to census data for 1990 , 38 percent of the neighborhood 's population lives below the poverty level . ''it breaks my heart to see the problems here , '' said abraham santiago , a deacon for 25 years at st . joseph 's roman_catholic_church . for mr . santiago , it has become a neighborhood of lost souls . to the police , it is yonkers 's fourth precinct and one of the toughest areas in the city . capt . patrick j . mcmahon of the precinct called it ''ground zero . '' ''we see everything here , '' he said . from the perspective of determined municipal officials , the ashburton avenue corridor , as it is also known , has become a part of the city needing to be reclaimed . yonkers has applied for a 27 million federal housing_and_urban_development grant to rejuvenate the area . similar federal projects in poor neighborhoods are under way in detroit , hartford and newark , among other places . bruce harmon , a housing consultant for yonkers , who also worked in hartford and newark , explained that the recent round of federal grants is fueled by the idea of rebuilding down and out neighborhoods by teaching poor residents how to better themselves . ''instead of just looking at changing the housing , as it did in the past , the federal_government is now also looking at changing the lives of the people , '' he said . joe l . farmer , special assistant for housing and community redevelopment to mayor john d . spencer , explained that rather than raze blighted housing , the idea was to ''try and build things up again . '' mr . farmer is charged with carrying out the second phase of a federal court order , issued in the late 1980 's , to desegregate the state 's fourth largest city by creating 600 units of affordable_housing for prospective low and moderate income home buyers . part of the plan calls for creating 146 units of affordable_housing for minority groups on the city 's predominantly white east side , and that is under way . but the order also calls for improving the quality of life in southwest yonkers , where mostly minorities live . the area that includes mulford gardens is perhaps westchester 's poorest . known as united_states census track 5 , the median_household_income is 9 , 306 . it was once a predominantly irish_american neighborhood of one and two family houses with a ' 'smattering of polish , italians and germans , '' said lawrence christopher , a member of the housing authority from 1952 68 . now the residents are predominantly black and hispanic , with a third of the population speaking spanish , the census data show . of the 3 , 358 people older than 16 , fewer than half are employed . residents here like tony sepulveda , who owns the park_avenue deli worry most about safety issues , studies made by the city show . mr . sepulveda was robbed in june by two men with a sawed off shotgun . it was 10 30 at night , near closing time for the 44 year old immigrant from the dominican_republic , who rose that day at 4 to buy produce and supplies in the bronx for his spanish speaking customers . he knows most of his clientele well , even their first name , and that night he thought he recognized the voices of his masked assailants . ''before they left , one of them said , 'thanks , poppy , ' which is my nickname , '' mr . sepulveda recalled . ''they knew me . '' in quick succession the next morning , there were three more armed robberies in the neighborhood by an assailant with a sawed off shot gun , confounding the police who had cordoned off mulford gardens but failed to catch a suspect . lieut . salvatore j . dimaggio , commander of the yonkers police housing unit , said the apartment 's 70 exits and entrances and maze like layout render it a difficult area to patrol . the complex is equally attractive to drug dealers and buyers who come from other neighborhoods to do business here , he said . when they make arrests , the police often encounter ''a lot of resisting kicking and biting and slashing with a razor , '' said lieutenant dimaggio , who described it as a perilous beat for officers . although pets have been outlawed in the projects , the sound of dogfights continues . last year , the police raided a pit_bull and betting rink in the basement of mulford gardens that had been set up like a theater with video cameras . the police had to shoot the dogs , who turned on them as the raid began . in a park across the street from the complex , some residents described the neighborhood as dangerous , while others said it was safer than most in other cities . ''by day , it 's nice , '' said fran foltan , 52 , who was relaxing on a park bench . ''but by night , this place becomes a jungle . '' margarita santiago , 18 , a single mother who is expecting a baby in september , described the neighborhood as ''better than the bronx or brooklyn , even though i would still never let my kids go out and play alone . '' a 35 year old single father of six , frederick cardwell , said he had chosen to raise his children in mulford gardens where he grew up . he said strict parenting and an emphasis on values would see his family through any difficulties . a caddie at a scarsdale country club said that even if he could afford to leave the neighborhood , he would not . ''i like it here because it 's never boring , '' ernest asiedu , 20 , said . ''even if i had a better job , i 'd stay in the neighborhood , only in a house of my own . '' as it is for mr . asiedu , home ownership is a dream of many residents here , said peter smith , executive director of the 2 , 609 unit yonkers municipal housing authority . a focus of the grant would be on rebuilding mulford gardens and assisting some residents to buy units there . ''for most people in westchester , finding housing can be difficult , '' he said , ''but for poor people it is extremely difficult . '' mr . farmer , the special assistant to the mayor , said that under income guidelines established for the renewal project , a family of four earning up to 71 , 600 a year would be eligible for assistance in buying a home or apartment along the ashburton avenue corridor . under legislation pending in congress , 65 percent of families admitted to public_housing in a year could earn as much as 80 percent of the area 's median_income . the rest could earn no more than 30 percent of the median . mr . smith of the housing authority said those guidelines , which are aimed at helping the working_poor attain home ownership , could ' 'squeeze out the very poor . '' ''then where would they go ? '' he asked .	has a location of america
brick and stone houses built in the late 19th_century fill the tree lined block , shaded by a canopy of leaves that meet overhead in an arboreal dance . sometimes television crews , among them cameras from hbo 's ''sex and the city , '' set up on the street , using its character as a backdrop for their stories . a plaque identifies the block as part of a historic_district , which protects the houses from demolition or inappropriate exterior alteration . the street feels like a block of greenwich_village , but through the trees , a glimpse of the looming citicorp skyscraper says otherwise . this is the hunters point historic_district , which is part of long_island_city , a section of queens more often associated with industrial buildings , struggling artists and gritty streets . these houses on 45th avenue are an anomaly , not only for long_island_city but for queens , where much of the housing was built in this century , not the last one . orestes gonzalez , an architect who works in manhattan , found the block , between 21st and 23d streets , 10 years ago when he took the subway to long_island_city . ''i came to a warehouse sale here , '' he says , ''and wandered into this beautiful street quite by accident . '' he saw a for rent sign and was so taken by the street that he immediately inquired about the apartment and put down a deposit . ''four weeks later , '' he says , ''i was living in a duplex apartment with a garden , '' having moved with no regrets out of a tiny two bedroom apartment in hell 's kitchen , on 51st street near ninth_avenue in manhattan . although most of his friends are in manhattan , he found he liked the separation between work and home . at the end of the day , he says , ''there 's something to be said for leaving manhattan behind . '' and he likes the less dense urban feeling . ''i 've traveled through italy and spain , '' he says . ''this is like living in a large european city , '' where people lean out of their windows to call hello , where women hang their laundry out of doors . ''manhattan , '' he says , ''is too extreme , too concentrated . '' so the minute a house came up for sale on the street , seven years ago , he bought it , for 145 , 000 . ''this was a semi abandoned house , '' he says , giving a tour of a place now filled with light , paintings and comfortable furniture . then , three years ago , mr . gonzalez , a 42 year old native of cuba who grew up in florida , bought two adjacent houses , from a neighbor 's estate . he continued to live in the first and rent the others , combining the three backyards into a magical space with a wall of bamboo , a pumpkin vine that emerged from last year 's halloween decoration , and a pergola covered in morning glories and honeysuckle . then , a few months ago , he extended his reach again , buying a house down the street for 370 , 000 that he is now renovating . he plans to rent out both duplexes of the four story westchester stone building for one year . then , although he is happy in his current place , he expects to move to the new house because , he says , its grander architecture appeals to him more . he expects that renovations on his new house will cost about 90 , 000 , bringing his total to 460 , 000 , the price of a very nice one bedroom apartment on a similar street in greenwich_village . the renovations are being done by budimex , a contractor that has worked a lot on the street . ''i think it 's a bargain , '' he says , ''but to people in queens , it 's a lot of money . '' although he heard about the new house from someone on the street , which is how , he says , most real_estate news is conveyed on his block , he ended up buying it through a queens broker , charles sciberras of remax today . when he moves , he will photograph the wall in his kitchen that lists all of his friends' phone numbers and transfer the numbers to the new place . he plans to decorate the duplex with objects and furniture from his travels , including tiles from portugal and armoires from mexico . although he can take the e train to manhattan , one stop away , he finds that he needs a car for restaurants and grocery_stores , which are not plentiful in long_island_city . ''i think what we need here is more population , so we can get the variety of services , '' he says . ''we do n't have fine restaurants , or a dean deluca . '' he makes the five minute drive to astoria for greek food , and travels to flushing for korean restaurants . friends from manhattan come to visit , of course . and invariably , he says , when they open the door of his second floor clothes closet , once a bedroom , they say it is larger than their studio apartments .	has a location of america
seeking to capture a piece of the lucrative market in high speed internet_services , time warner cable announced yesterday that it is starting to give computer users in parts of manhattan and queens fast access to the internet through the company 's cable_television wires . the time warner connection is the first modem service using a television cable that will be widely available in manhattan , said gerri warren merrick , a time warner spokeswoman . although the number of potential customers is huge time warner serves more than a million customers in manhattan , queens , staten_island and parts of brooklyn hooking them up them has proven difficult . time warner cable is completing a 400 million fiber_optic system , installed building by building in the sections of new york city it serves , to make way for the new cable_modem service , a project that is expected to be completed by the end of the year . ''the challenge in new york city is really to upgrade the system , and that is for the most part complete it 's 75 percent finished , '' said barry rosenblum , president of time warner cable of new york city . ''we are scaling up to be able to connect 100 people a day at least , and we expect to be doing that out into the foreseeable future . '' parts of the upper west side , upper east side and eastern parts of midtown as well as jackson_heights , queens , will be able to get cable_modem service as soon as installation schedules permit , with the rest of manhattan scheduled to receive service by the fall of 2000 . the service would be available in the rest of the company 's system by mid 2001 . the high speed modem service , known as road runner , costs 39 . 95 a month for time warner cable_television subscribers and 59 . 95 a month for nonsubscribers . installation is 99 . customers can use road runner as their internet_service_provider or continue to use other providers . with a cable_modem , a computer is always connected to the internet . cable modems can receive data 50 times as fast as a modem using a standard telephone_line . the time warner service will compete with bell_atlantic , which began offering high speed internet_access service in parts of manhattan in july . bell_atlantic plans to be able to serve 9 out of 10 households in the metropolitan_area by the end of the year with digital subscriber lines , which also supply high speed constant access to the internet . the service costs between 40 and 90 a month . time warner already has 300 , 000 customers hooked up to road runner in upstate new york , in parts of ohio , florida and texas , and on the west_coast . the rcn corporation , based in princeton , n.j. , which provides cable service to about 600 apartment buildings in manhattan , also offers high speed internet_access , said jim maiella , a company spokesman . the wait for faster access has been frustrating for some city dwellers , who have listened to their suburban friends brag about quick , 24 hour connections . ''before the service started , before we started to advertise , we had 8 , 000 reservations , '' said joan rasmussen , a bell_atlantic spokeswoman . ''new york is potentially the most significant market for us . '' mr . rosenblum said the waiting list for road runner had several thousand names on it . he added that the company was encouraging people to sign up early for service , through the company 's web_site , www . twcnyc . com .	has a location of america
the first house built by habitat for humanity in teaneck may also be the town 's last . the georgia based nonprofit_organization , which builds housing and provides low interest mortgages for poor families , is converting an abandoned fire station on morningside terrace into a two family home . volunteers also want to build a house on a vacant lot on tilden avenue , but the township council has rejected the plan . tilden avenue residents complained about the building plans , saying the lot was too small for the house that volunteers want to build . they also said the construction project would cause congestion in a neighborhood of mostly single family homes . habitat for humanity , which was started in 1976 , has built more than 10 , 000 homes nationwide , including more than 50 in some of paterson 's oldest and poorest neighborhoods . the project on morningside terrace in teaneck is scheduled to be finished by march . margaret cook , president of bergen_county habitat for humanity , expressed concern last week that the situation in teaneck might make it difficult for the group to establish itself in the county . abby goodnough in brief	has a location of america
addressing rising anger about the cost of owning a home in florida and the recent troubles of the state 's real_estate industry the legislature on thursday approved a plan for a property_tax cut it said would be the largest in state history . the plan was championed by gov . charlie crist , a republican who has vowed to make taxes ' 'drop like a rock , '' and marco rubio , the republican speaker of the house of representatives , who has made property_tax relief the main goal of his first year in power . the cost of the package was initially estimated to be 31 . 6 billion over five years , but a last minute change pushed by republicans in the senate may have blunted the savings by as much as 7 billion . even so , many local_governments that levy property_taxes said it would ravage their budgets , potentially forcing layoffs of police officers and firefighters and deep cuts to public schools . some counties and cities have raised the possibility of a legal challenge . florida does not have an income_tax , and lawmakers did mention imposing one to make up for lost property_tax revenue . republican leaders had hoped to substantially decrease or even eliminate property_taxes in exchange for a sharp sales_tax increase . but that idea proved too controversial . the tax reduction is a two part plan . the first piece would require cities and counties to roll back rates this fall and impose a cap on future spending that local government bodies could override only with a supermajority . the second , more contentious piece of the plan is a proposed constitutional_amendment for a ' 'supersized'' homestead exemption . it would shield from taxes 75 percent of the first 200 , 000 in assessed property value , and 15 percent of the next 300 , 000 . should the amendment pass , homeowners could choose instead to keep their current exemption of 25 , 000 a year and a cap that prevents assessments from rising more than 3 percent a year for a primary residence . those measures , in place since 1995 , have kept property_taxes low for longtime homeowners but not for part time residents whose primary homes are elsewhere , or for business owners or recent home buyers . they are the ones who have clamored for change . the plan would save property taxpayers an average of 174 this year , and , if voters approve the constitutional_amendment , 948 in 2008 , lawmakers said . ''i am so impressed , '' mr . crist said in a news conference after the vote , indicating he would approve the first piece . because the second piece requires a public referendum , it does not need mr . crist 's approval perhaps providing him political cover if it proves unpopular down the road . the vote on the property_tax amendment is scheduled for jan . 29 , the same day as florida 's presidential_primaries . if approved , it would take effect in november , the start of the next budget year for local_governments . but counties , cities , teachers unions and democrats who oppose the plan say they will strive to persuade voters to reject the proposed amendment . it would reduce public_school spending by as much as a_7 . 2 billion . ''i think we could really devastate education , '' said representative shelley vana , a democrat from lantana and former teacher . ''i think we are going off the deep end . '' but mr . rubio and other architects of the plan said that somehow they would not provide details the legislature would bridge the difference . mr . crist has repeatedly said property_tax cuts would not force layoffs , but local government and union officials insist otherwise . ''they are huge cuts , the largest we 've ever seen , '' said andy ford , president of the florida education association , predicting that the cuts would block school_districts from hiring new employees , from teachers to bus drivers to cafeteria workers . ''it will affect absolutely everybody . '' the real_estate and building industries , which are suffering from the housing slump , lobbied relentlessly for the cuts . the revenue that florida collects from real_estate transactions dipped 25 percent over the last year , causing overall tax revenue to fall for the first time since the 1970s . this year the legislature approved a series of measures to reduce home_insurance rates , which have soared as major hurricanes have struck in recent years . but many homeowners are finding the savings to be much smaller than they had hoped .	has a location of america
when louise orkin , 60 , a sculptor , and her husband , leonard , 63 , a lawyer in manhattan , decided to leave their seven room central_park west apartment and buy a big house in the park_slope section of brooklyn , she said her friends were more than incredulous . " they were horrified , " she said , with a laugh . " it was bizarre . i ca n't really explain it . it 's not like i wanted to live in brooklyn . but we like houses , and we like outdoor space . we had a boring new york apartment . it was n't like a mansion , it was a regular apartment , laid out in an ordinary way . " the orkins were both long islanders they had lived on the south shore and had moved to their large house in oyster bay cove in 1968 . when they moved to oyster bay cove , she explained , they had considered moving to the city , " but we did n't want to be sending all of our children to private schools . " but eight years ago , when their three children were grown up all three are in their 30 's , all three are married and all three have one child each louise and leonard orkin left their house on long_island and moved to the white_house , at 86th and central_park west . " that apartment was great and we made a lot of friends , " said mrs . orkin . " and i always felt there was something more exciting out there . " she started looking two years ago . mrs . orkin has been a textile weaver , then a photographer ( she is not related to the noted photographer ruth orkin ) and is now a sculptor of cloth figures . so perhaps not surprisingly , she looked at soho lofts first , where the sculptors hang out , then at the flatiron_district , where the photographers are camped . " but leonard did n't really like the lofts , " she explained . " all that open space , the graffiti outside and no doorman . of course , we do n't have a doorman here , either , but that 's different . " i gave up that idea , " she said wryly . " after all , i did n't want it enough to break up the marriage . " then her son moved to park slope . " what did i know of brooklyn , " she said . " nothing . but my son 's talking about it sort of softened me up , and then i started reading all these articles about how the artists were moving there . " one day last spring , her son telephoned her a common occurrence judging from a recent visit . " he said there was an open house for a place on montgomery place and it sounded fabulous and would i come over , " she recalled . " well , i had a lot to do and it seemed like a long way to go i told him , 'do n't be ridiculous' " she said . " but i told him to go check it out . an hour later , he called and said it was the most beautiful house he 'd ever seen . " so the orkins traipsed over to park slope the next day . " and that was it , " she said , as she led the way from the huge front parlor with the fireplace and the unusual marbled blue cornice into the dining_room behind it . the four story house on the one block side street just off prospect_park was in great shape they paid 700 , 000 but they wanted to decorate . they painted the whole interior and scraped the floor . the price they paid for the house seems high , but the broker , anna hamlin of william b . may , said that the condition of the one family brownstone and its location justified the price . in any case , mrs . orkin does n't care . " we sold our new york apartment for 900 , 000 , so 700 , 000 for a whole beautiful house seemed cheap , " she said , with a shrug . " maybe we could 've gotten it for 10 , 000 or 15 , 000 less , but what 's done is done . "	has a location of america
lead five years ago peter schorr made a tactical mistake at a new york city board of estimate hearing . assured by a clerk that the board would adjourn before it reached his request to demap a paper street in the college point section of queens , he left the chamber prematurely . five years ago peter schorr made a tactical mistake at a new york city board of estimate hearing . assured by a clerk that the board would adjourn before it reached his request to demap a paper street in the college point section of queens , he left the chamber prematurely . at 2 a.m . the matter came up . the only speaker was an opponent , trying to upset mr . schorr 's plan to build six two family houses on a 35 , 000 square_foot lot that included the unbuilt street , now a well worn footpath . the city planning commission was in favor of the demapping . but community board 7 in college point opposed it . the board of estimate voted against the proposal . now the 34 year old developer , the son of a partner in schorr development corporation , which is building town houses on college point 's east_river waterfront in a development called riverview , is back with his proposal in a new forum . his is the first land use matter to arrive before the city_council under the new ''borough_president 's appeal'' procedure of the revised city charter . one case will prove nothing . but in the longer_term the handling of this new procedure by the borough presidents and the council may well determine whether it is the achilles heel of charter revision . when charter revisers debated it last year they called it the ''triple no . '' critics warned that it would weaken the department of city planning and leave parochial interests with too much power to thwart the use or reuse of private land for residential and commercial growth . at the very least , it seems likely to cause many property owners to hold back in the pursuit of land development plans . a strong market may awaken interest despite any institutional constraints , but in a weak or uncertain one , the new hurdles are likely to have an additional inhibitory effect . under the charter revision , certain types of land use actions go automatically to the city_council once they are acted on by the city planning commission . these are text or map changes in the city 's zoning law , changes in urban_renewal plans and all comprehensive land use proposals . but the revised charter does more than provide for council decisions on these essentially legislative matters . if a community board and then the borough_president vote ''no'' on a specific street mapping or demapping proposal , or an application for a special permit under the zoning law , and the city planning commission votes in favor if it , the borough_president can appeal for a city_council review . the appeal is spoken of as the third ''no . '' there is a separate but complementary procedure called the city_council call up , by which a majority_vote by the city_council can bring any land use matter before the council for a review . the charter revisers disagreed about how widely these procedures would be used or how significant their mere existence would be . the number of cases to have reached the stage so far in which a council call up is possible is 15 , council aides say . so far none has been called up . peter f . vallone , the queens democrat who is the council speaker , has issued a memo urging council members to use the procedure with restraint . but borough presidents may come to feel that the use , or threat of use , of the appeal may strengthen their role in influencing property owners' land use planning . ruth w . messinger , the manhattan borough_president , wrote to manhattan 's community boards earlier this year advising them to vote ''no , unless . . . '' on land use applications that come before them , rather than vote yes with reservations , a customary approach in the past . that would preserve her right of appeal to the council if the planning commission voted ''yes . '' borough_president claire_shulman of queens was the chief advocate of the borough_president 's appeal system before the commission on charter revision . robert f . wagner jr . , a former chairman of the city planning commission , is known to have been influential in persuading the charter revision commission to accept it as a means of winning majority support for the new land use review system in the revised charter . the mayor has a veto_power , but the council is now the final body for legislative review . in the college point case , the newly constituted 13 member city planning commission voted_unanimously in favor of the demapping after the two ''no 's . '' at the time of the vote , the queens borough_president 's appointee to the commission , joel miele , was not present . deputy borough_president peter magnani and fred gross , director of planning and development in the borough_president 's office , appeared before the zoning , planning and land use subcommittee of the council 's land use committee to argue against the demapping . the subcommittee is chaired by councilman robert j . dryfoos , democrat of manhattan . the queens officials say that demapping a 60 foot road would effectively cut off the best public_access to city owned land along the waterfront . they call for a ''comprehensive waterfront plan'' before the road is demapped . the planning commission 's position is that the demapping would not affect the city 's waterfront planning in northern queens . the borough_president also says that the demapping would leave some privately_owned lots with no legal access . josephine mercurio , chairwoman of the community board 7 subcommittee that studied the issue , said that the area has suffered from overbuilding . ''we do n't have enough schools , or bus service , or a hospital or a clinic , '' she said . ''we do n't even have a movie_theater . '' mr . schorr assembled four plots for his site in the shape of a t with a long stem . the stem would remain as an undeveloped land amid private houses . the tip , which back up to schorr development 's offices , would be built with six houses along the demapped sixth avenue from 129th street to 131st street . a pedestrian strip would be preserved for access to the water , 300 feet away . since the mid 80 's , schorr development has built 300 town houses at riverview at college point , the villas of riverview and silverpointe estate . on part of its 40 acre tract it plans to build 200 more units . currently , the enclave at riverview has 56 town house units priced from 190 , 000 to 230 , 000 on the market . mr . schorr , whose father and uncles are principals in schorr development , says he has pursued his silverpoint commons plan independent of his relatives in his first real_estate venture . he has worked as a manager of the construction company that built the schorr development projects . the charter gives the city_council 50 days to act on a land use matter . it can accept , reject or modify a plan on recommendation of the land use committee . if it wants to modify a proposal , the plan goes back to the city planning commission for to determine whether a new land use review is required . if it is , the commission could launch the entire land use review all over again . but the commission can also send the plan back to the council for a direct vote without the modification . the land use committee has a professional staff of 27 , led by gail benjamin , former director of the division of environmental impact in the department_of_environmental_protection . it briefs council members after making site inspections and keeps in touch with staff people in the department of city planning . in the short term , it may not be heavily tested . because of a slow market and hesitancy about the new procedures , the application pipeline is light . the board of estimate , before it went out of business in august , completed action on several major development proposals . in the long term , the best test may be the volume of actions filed , compared with the volume filed in past years . a significant slippage would suggest that the charter revision has had a chilling_effect on development .	has a location of america
was it a live work space she needed , a smaller work studio or a cheaper apartment ? beck hickey was n't quite sure , but she knew she needed to downsize . excited at the growth of her business handbags made from skateboards ms . hickey found herself split between three locations , spending way too much on rent . ''high hopes , '' ms . hickey said . ''i took on more than i should have , too soon . '' she had her 2 , 300 apartment in the east_village , her 1 , 500 work studio in the garment_district and her parents' garage in holbrook , on long_island , which she used as a woodworking shop . that cost her nothing but it was 80 minutes away by train , and 26 round trip . ms . hickey , who rarely uses her given name , rebecca , studied design at syracuse_university . after the terrorist attacks of sept . 11 , 2001 , she was laid off from her job at an advertising_agency whose main client was united_airlines . she then earned her keep by freelancing , baby sitting , waiting on tables and making gifts including handbags from upholstery fabric . one day , browsing through the bags in the prada store on broadway in soho , with its curving ''big wave'' design that reminded her of a skate ramp , she had a brainstorm why not make handbags out of used skateboards ? so she did . people admired them , word got out , and she began to sell her sk8bags online at beckycity . com , as well as at boutiques . after teen magazine wrote that the pop star ashlee simpson loved her sk8bag , orders streamed in from teenage_girls . ms . hickey , now 36 , loved her one bedroom apartment on avenue c in the east_village , where she had lived for about three years . ''i was convinced i was never moving out of that apartment , ever , '' she said . but the dining_area , which she used as her office , was filling up with paperwork and , sometimes , bolts of satin and stacks of skateboards . her work studio in the garment_district , and the 3 , 000 rent , was shared with a wedding dress designer , but it did n't allow for any dirty work cutting and sanding so she kept those operations in her parents' garage . it was far from ideal cold in winter and hot in summer . ''and my mom was complaining she could n't put the car in the garage anymore , '' ms . hickey said . a year ago , her parents announced that they would be retiring to florida . her garage workshop , where she had a workbench and a table saw , would vanish . she had to make a move . she figured she would pare her expenses and eliminate her constant running around by consolidating . but there were n't many live work spaces suitable for her equipment . ''it was n't as though i could sneak a home_office in , '' she said . the first plausible place was on south fifth street in williamsburg , brooklyn . it was nicely divided , with a storefront workspace in front and living quarters in back . though it was on a ''weird dead end'' with little foot traffic , the place was ''insanely cheap , '' at 1 , 500 a month for 1 , 200 square_feet . but it was run down and had little natural light . ''i was afraid of spending days on end there , '' ms . hickey said . ''sometimes when i am working , i do n't go outside . i could be in this cave and it was sort of depressing . '' she took her father , steve hickey , to whom she spoke daily about her hunt , to see the place . ''it really worried me , '' he said . he envisioned her ''coming home at 10 or 11 at night , and there was nobody around , '' except maybe for transients beneath the williamsburg bridge , he said . she soon found a 1 , 700 square_foot place in washington_heights , with 12 foot_ceilings and a wall of north facing windows , renting for 2 , 800 . the raw space was being fully renovated . ''i said instantly i was taking the place , '' ms . hickey said . but the agent was discouraging , telling her the landlord would n't want a self employed tenant . she begged and pleaded , offering her parents as guarantors , but the agent was adamant . so she figured she would hunt for a cheaper work studio and a cheaper apartment . but nothing was quite right . she found a work space in williamsburg , but she would be paying 800 a month to share it with two other people . ''i got sucked into apartment hunting thinking there 's something better out there , '' she said . ''i would get swayed by seeing a cheaper apartment that sounded great , and i would look at it and see it was not that great . '' a nice looking rental building was going up on east second street , but when ms . hickey visited , she found that studio apartments started at around 2 , 000 . ''i realized that to stay in the east_village and find a place as nice as mine was impossible , '' she said . meanwhile , she kept encountering the listing for the washington_heights place . ''i was bitter , i was sad , i was definitely still looking , but the fact i kept seeing this place was derailing my hunt , '' she said . she assumed that nobody else was interested , so she was now a more appealing tenant . but her messages to the agent went unanswered . fed up , she went to the building to ask the construction workers who their employer was . she tracked down the owner 's phone_number . but it took weeks of calling before he answered the phone . ''i said , 'i am an artist looking for a live work space , ' and he said , 'this is perfect for you . ' he was not the least put off by the fact i was self employed , '' ms . hickey said . only later did she find out the agent had never passed her application along . the renovations took longer than expected , and the certificate of occupancy was delayed . ''becky was complaining so much and i did n't want to hear her complaining , '' said her father , who works in the construction field . he helped her navigate through the department of buildings , and she prodded the landlord . finally , in late fall , the building received its certificate of occupancy . ms . hickey , with all her skateboards and equipment , moved into her new apartment , which occupies the entire top floor . her friends say she has the nicest apartment they have seen in new york . it has one gigantic room , though the landlord added a wall to partition off the work space . there 's even a washer and dryer . ''it has improved my life and has made my bag business much less stressful , '' ms . hickey said . she can work around the clock if she likes . after dinner , ''i can make a few bags , drink a glass of wine , make more bags , '' she said . the hunt e mail thehunt nytimes . com	has a location of america
oliver jovanovic , the former columbia_university graduate student charged with kidnapping and sexually_abusing a young woman he met over the internet , rejected any possibility of a plea_bargain yesterday , choosing instead to go through a new trial and risk a sentence of life in prison . ''i will never admit to a crime i did n't commit , '' mr . jovanovic said after an appearance yesterday in state supreme_court in manhattan . he and his lawyer , paul a . callan , who were in court to tell the judge about recent plea negotiations , said he had turned down a deal to plead_guilty in exchange for a sentence of the 20 months that he has already served in prison . the prosecutor said , however , that those terms were not proposed . mr . jovanovic , 33 , was convicted after his first trial in 1998 and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison . he won a new trial a year ago when the appellate_division of state supreme_court ruled that justice william a . wetzel had improperly excluded messages from the e mail flirtation in which the young woman described her experience and interest in sadomasochism . the defense has accused the woman of lying and the manhattan district_attorney 's office of overreaching in its efforts to exclude evidence favorable to mr . jovanovic . the defense also objected strenuously when the new trial , in an unusual move , was assigned to justice wetzel . in yesterday 's hearing , mr . callan and the prosecutor , gail heatherly , gave differing accounts of plea negotiations . when mr . callan said ms . heatherly had offered a sentence of time served in exchange for a plea to a lesser offense , she replied ''the people did not offer time served . he wanted a misdemeanor , which is absurd in this case . '' mr . callan , saying that mr . jovanovic ''is well aware of the horrors of incarceration , '' repeated that he would not plead_guilty to any offense at all . whether the case goes to trial depends not just on mr . jovanovic 's resolve but also on his accuser 's . she testified for six days in the 1998 trial , and barbara thompson , a spokeswoman for the district_attorney 's office , said yesterday that the young woman was willing to testify again . the e mail exchange is the heart of the case , which may turn on whether the encounter was consensual and on whether the messages led mr . jovanovic to believe that his accuser had invited a round of sadomasochistic sex . but the jury in the first trial saw only edited versions of the e mail exchange after justice wetzel ruled that the state 's rape shield law kept several critical statements from being used . in the stricken messages , the woman referred to herself as a ''pushy bottom'' that is , a submissive partner who demands increasing pain . she also talked about her involvement with another man , saying , ''now i 'm his slave and it 's painful , but the fun of telling my friends , 'hey , i 'm a sadomasochist , ' more than outweighs the torment . '' at the retrial , scheduled for march , the defense will be able to introduce the accuser 's statements as evidence and cross examine her , and to present mr . jovanovic 's account of the weekend in 1996 when he met the 20 year old barnard student for dinner and took her to his apartment in washington_heights . the young woman said later that the date turned into a_20 hour torture session in which mr . jovanovic tied her up , dripped molten candle wax on her , sodomized her with a baton and bit her breasts and shoulders . she testified that she pleaded with him to stop but was tormented until she managed to escape . the defense maintains that the young woman invited the encounter and then lied about it for fear of angering her boyfriend , whom she was supposed to meet the night she was with mr . jovanovic . in an acerbic opinion reversing mr . jovanovic 's conviction , the appeals court said that excluding those statements ''had an enormous impact on the defense . '' the court held that the rape shield law did not apply to the statements because they were not offered as evidence of the woman 's sexual history but of her intentions and mr . jovanovic 's understanding of them . ''he was depicted as a monstrous sadist , '' wrote justice david b . saxe of the appellate_division , while the young woman ''was basically portrayed as naive , overly trusting , overly polite and ill informed . '' the appeals court also found that the defense , unable to cross examine her about her other relationship and her fantasies , could not respond to the prosecutor 's repeated question , ''why would she lie ? '' the appellate_division ruling was criticized by some women 's groups and drew a partial dissent from justice angela m . mazzarelli , who noted that the shield law ''was expressly drafted for the purpose of protecting those persons who are sexually_active outside a legally sanctioned relationship . '' vivian berger , a columbia_university law professor who was cited in both the majority opinion and dissent , said yesterday that she believed the majority was correct . she also said mr . jovanovic 's refusal to plead even to a misdemeanor , while very risky , was logical . ''he was accused of pretty outrageous and frightening conduct if she did not consent , '' professor berger said . ''on the other hand , if she consented , it 's not a crime at all . ''	has a location of america
lead rene anselmo , like many residents here , is a man of wealth and taste . he drives a bentley . he modeled his mansion on the petit trianon in versailles . he has donated money to plant thousands of daffodils and tulips along local roads . he even replaced the chain link barricade at a nearby elementary_school with a rail fence more in keeping with this town 's country flavor . rene anselmo , like many residents here , is a man of wealth and taste . he drives a bentley . he modeled his mansion on the petit trianon in versailles . he has donated money to plant thousands of daffodils and tulips along local roads . he even replaced the chain link barricade at a nearby elementary_school with a rail fence more in keeping with this town 's country flavor . ''it looked like a reform school , '' he said . lately , though , mr . anselmo 's beautification efforts have turned ugly . this month he was arrested on charges of spray painting a realtor 's for sale sign in front of a home on north street , the tree shaded thoroughfare where he lives . he has admitted to vandalizing eight or nine other signs . and he has threatened further attacks . ''they are trashy , cheap and repulsive , '' said mr . anselmo , the 64 year old owner of a television satellite company . ''first , it was real_estate signs now it 's building contractors , roofers , painters , plumbers . the newest craze is burglar alarms 'security by westec . ' ''the signs are advertisements . it 's an overcommercialization of the neighborhood . '' in a year when greenwich is celebrating its 350th anniversary , mr . anselmo 's arrest has pushed the unlikely issue of sign pollution to the top of the political agenda . though many residents are aghast at mr . anselmo 's tactics , they have applauded his goal of eliminating the signs or making them as esthetically pleasing as possible . even some real_estate agents have allied themselves with mr . anselmo , who has received many letters of support . ''bravo for your courageous actions , '' wrote dolores d . deck of realtech . ''we share your outrage , '' wrote sally o'brien of sally o'brien and associates . bobbie pickering shannon of douglas_elliman pickering associates recently placed an advertisement in greenwich magazine that criticized the use of for sale signs , which were rarely seen here until the mid 1980 's . her firm uses them only ''under duress'' and when an owner insists . ''it 's an ecological consideration , '' she said . town officials , meanwhile , are developing rules for signs that may allay esthetic concerns a public hearing is scheduled for aug . 13 . as for mr . anselmo , who is charged with third degree criminal mischief , his trial is set for aug . 24 in state superior court in stamford . the signs he painted have been replaced . ''i should have used a chainsaw , '' he said . a landmark is lost greenwich may be best known to outsiders for its mansions , but for many longtime residents few structures were as much of a landmark as the 74 year old cos cob elementary_school , which was gutted by fire sunday morning . ''it was a center of the community , '' said the superintendent of schools , john a . whritner . some 300 students in kindergarten through fourth_grade were enrolled at the two story red brick school , which was adorned with a cupola and a clock_tower and sat on a hillside . the school , which was almost closed several years ago , was about to be renovated to accommodate the growing number of children in the area . education officials will meet this week to determine where the school 's pupils will attend classes this fall . ''it 's a shame , '' said susan tritschler , director of the historical society of the town of greenwich . ''it was just such a charming building . '' opie short circuits tower one of the many celebrities who live in this fairfield_county town of 60 , 000 is ron howard , the film_director whom successive television generations remember as opie on ''the andy griffith show'' and ritchie on ''happy days . '' mr . howard and his wife , cheryl , have led what appears to be a successful fight to relocate a radio transmission tower that was to be placed on the property of a closed elementary_school north of the merritt parkway , the parkway school . hundreds of residents opposed the 180 foot microwave tower , which is needed to replace the town 's antiquated police and fire radio system . the howards' organization was called hurtz , humans urging the relocation of towers . they flew balloons over the proposed site to show the visual intrusion . they also warned residents that the health hazards of electronic and magnetic_fields , particularly for children , are not known . some studies have suggested that electromagnetic fields can cause cancer and other illnesses , though no connection has been proved . last month , after several meetings with town officials and the consideration of many locations , a new site was selected in a rural area that neither blights the horizon nor threatens nearby neighbors . the choice is awaiting approval by the town 's board of selectmen . mrs . howard credited the movement to a community spirit exemplified by greenwich 's 229 member representative town meeting , a governing body that meets annually and is one of the largest of its kind . ''in greenwich , you have more of a voice than elsewhere , '' she said . ''people get involved and demand more . '' solomonic sod decision greensward is a word seldom heard except in places like greenwich . it is the rectangle of neatly trimmed grass upon which various leisurely lawn sports are played . the greenwich greensward was constructed by the works progress administration in bruce park , and for decades it was the domain of lawn bowlers , a group of elderly men and women , dressed in white , gently rolling wooden balls . ''retired men have found that it 's the best exercise you can do , '' said one lawn bowler , bert schinto , 83 . ''i lose six or seven pounds each summer . '' two summers ago , though , a hubbub erupted when croquet players arrived , and , without asking , began using the greensward for their own games , puncturing the pristine lawn with their wickets . eventually , the board of selectmen was asked to mediate the dispute . the resulting settlement was a classic compromise the greensward was divided into two sections , the croquet players promised to use special wickets to ease the damage to the grass , the equipment storage shed will be shared and priority is given to whichever sport is holding a tournament . ''it has worked out well , '' said the town 's director of parks and recreation , francis h . keegan . ''most people here are reasonable people . ''	has a location of america
lead pressing to close the 1987 session of the state legislature , lawmakers worked through the night and into this morning , reaching agreement on a renewal of new york city 's j 51 real_estate tax abatement program , state economic_development initiatives and a range of other outstanding issues . pressing to close the 1987 session of the state legislature , lawmakers worked through the night and into this morning , reaching agreement on a renewal of new york city 's j 51 real_estate tax abatement program , state economic_development initiatives and a range of other outstanding issues . negotiations remained open on disagreements over new york city corporate taxes and stricter penalties for crimes involving racial or other forms of bias . but as the time for new compromises slipped away , the prospects for agreement on several key issues , including extension of mitchell_lama housing regulations , a court merger package and hospital cost reimbursements , appeared remote . lawmakers also considered final legislation on a number of issues that were resolved earlier this week , includ ing state corporate taxes , new york city personal income taxes and the date for new york 's 1988 presidential primary . aides to the assembly speaker , mel_miller , said he had warned assembly democrats on friday that they would work as late as necessary to complete the remaining business of the session . across the capitol , the leader of the senate 's republican majority , warren m . anderson , appeared outside his office wearing his traditional end of session sports jacket an eye jarring collage of colors apparently calculated to send his colleagues running for the doors . chief among the agreements reached in the marathon session was an extension of the j 51 tax incentive program , which offers real_property tax_exemption and abatements to developers who rehabilitate or improve existing apartment buildings . tenant and developer support efforts to extend the j 51 program had been supported by developers , and by many tenant advocates who saw it as an important tool for alleviating the city 's shortage of affordable_housing . tenant groups , however , had lobbied for safeguards in the law to insure that it would be used to create low and moderate income housing , and not to develop luxury apartments . under an agreement reached friday , the j 51 program would be extended by three years , through 1991 . in some parts of the city , the legislation also would lift a cap that now limits the program to apartments whose assessed value , after rehabilitation , is 38 , 000 or less . the cap , which had been strongly supported by tenant groups , would be retained for buildings south of 110th_street in manhattan . it would no longer apply elsewhere in the city . the agreement would extend the provisions of the j 51 program regarding rental buildings that are converted to cooperatives and condominiums . under current regulations , those conversions are eligible only if renova tions are completed within three years of the filing of the ''black book , '' when the sales period begins . the new bill would date the three year time period from the closing date of the first apart ments or shares sold , giving owners an additional one and a half to two years to complete the renovations . after that period , the j 51 benefits would apply only to apartments with an assessed value , prior to improvements , of less than 25 , 000 , and abatements would be limited to a maximum of 2 , 500 per apartment in any tax year . the legislation would expand the j 51 program to include improvements to publicly supported mitchell_lama housing developments , provided the rehabilitations involved are not financed with government assistance . other items under consideration included these legislative salaries . legislative leaders confirmed their plans to put through a 33 percent increase in the base salary for state legislators , raising it to 57 , 500 from the current 43 , 000 . the salary bill , which was still under final discussion early this morning , would also raise the salary for state agency commissioners by 5 percent , bringing salaries of the highest ranking commissioners to 93 , 700 from 89 , 250 . the salary for chief judge sol wachtler would rise to 120 , 000 from 95 , 000 , and the salaries for state supreme_court justices would rise to 95 , 000 from the current 82 , 000 . hospital reimbursement . talks between governor cuomo and legislative leaders on a formula for reimbursing hospital costs appeared to reach an impasse that could set the stage for a confrontation . the formula determines the way in which hospitals are reimbursed for care of patients covered by medicaid , blue cross and commercial insurers . during negotiations , aides to mr . cuomo asserted that a reimbursement bill approved by both houses of the legislature would be inflationary and would reward inefficient , high cost hos pitals . in the absence of an agreement , the governor would have to decide whether to veto that bill and order state health officials to take direct responsibility for setting reimbursement_rates . economic_development . legislative agreement was reached on a 160 million package of economic_development programs , including a 24 . 2 million strategic resurgence fund that would provide financing to attract and retain businesses in the state , skills development programs , high risk loan fund , and other programs . high_schools of excellence . a proposal by governor cuomo to establish two residential ''high_schools of excellence'' for talented students in science and mathematics appeared unlikely to receive legislative approval . the schools would have provided free , specialized education to gifted students from all parts of the state .	has a location of america
brendan gill , the new yorker writer , moved to this middle_class neighborhood of armour_villa in yonkers 15 years ago , just after his youngest child left home for college . previously , he and his family had been living in lawrence park , in bronxville , for 50 years . " we owned a classic westchester tudor with 27 rooms , " mr . gill said . " our present house is much more modest , about 12 rooms . it was a slight moving of our kingdom . " it was a " slight " move because armour_villa , although part of the city of yonkers , is just over the border from the village of bronxville . it 's a hilly " roller_coaster of a place , " as mr . gill described it . tall , mature trees line narrow streets bordered on both sides by graceful tudor , colonial and victorian homes . " i was attracted by the huge oak and maple trees , " said claudia wald , who with her family moved to armour_villa from manhattan 10 years ago . " i also loved the 100 year old houses , the queen anne victorians and the little tudors . " armour_villa , along with several abutting yonkers neighborhoods , is actually considered to be within the bronxville community . that 's because it has a bronxville zip_code . according to real_estate brokers , that makes it much easier to sell a house there because buyers can feel a part of the bronxville community , but do n't have to pay the village 's high taxes . in a current listing , taxes on a 239 , 000 house in armour_villa are 3 , 038 . in bronxville , they would be twice as high , brokers say , adding that houses there can cost up to 200 , 000 more . " it 's like a little demilitarized_zone here , " said katherine sutton , who 's lived in armour_villa for 10 years . " it 's a funny little strip that looks like bronxville . but it 's ignored by everyone . we 're completely autononous . " the neighborhood was incorporated in 1889 as the armour_villa park association . there is a theory that a relation of herman o . armour , head of the new york house of armour meat packing company , built one of the first houses . " information is very scant , " said emily simpson , who serves as neighborhood historian . " but we believe there must be a connection to the chicago armour family . " armour , who was born in 1837 and died in 1901 , is buried in woodlawn cemetery , in the bronx . another clue to the armour name , ms . simpson said , is derived from cornelius smith , who , in 1880 , purchased the 48 acres that now constitutes armour_villa . he bought the land from a local farmer for 6 , 500 , and quickly turned around and sold it to a group of investors for 39 , 000 . in smith 's 1918 obituary , he was said to have a surviving son , h . armour smith , a car salesman and later director of the hudson river museum . " would n't you think the h . stands for herman ? " ms . simpson said . " i do , until someone tells me differently . " several of armour_villa 's houses date to its earliest days . nancy little 's house , an arts and crafts victorian farmhouse , was built in 1890 . " it has a front porch , clapboard siding and upper eaves . a real early arts and crafts feeling , " said the art historian . " i 'm an old fashioned girl . i love victoriana , but with all the modern conveniences . " mr . gill , who is also a staff writer for architectural digest , dates his house to the 1880 's . " it 's no older than the other equivalent houses nearby , " he said . he describes it as a " modified palladian style with some architectural distinction . and a very steep driveway . " the majority of homes were built in the 20 's and 30 's . they are mostly tudors , colonials and victorians and are priced between 200 , 000 to the low 300 , 000 's . there are also a handful of houses in the 400 , 000 's . interspersed with the older houses are ranches , mostly built in the 60 's and '70 's . that 's what debbie kavanagh , a nurse 's aide , and her husband , patrick , a fireman , were looking for when they started shopping for a house in westchester a year ago . " we wanted a high ranch in good condition , " ms . kavanagh said . the couple , who have two grown children , had been living in the bronx and were used to being within walking distance to a roman_catholic_church and shopping . " we liked it here because we could walk to st . joseph 's in bronxville , " ms . kavanagh said . " i also like going to bronxville and browsing the shops . " to katherine sutton , one of the neighborhood 's greatest appeals is its " interesting mix of people , " she said . " every kind of person lives here . it 's a great place to raise a child so they can be exposed to lots of different people . " it is also great to be near bronxville 's downtown , she said . " you can feel safe having kids 8 , 9 , 10 years old walk to the movie_theater or to the ice_cream store . it 's like 'leave it to beaver' land . " ms . sutton , an interior_design consultant , and her husband , james , a banker , both commute to manhattan . their house is a five minute walk to the bronxville station . " i like to do clothes shopping in manhattan , " said ms . sutton , " my eye faces south , but i do n't think that 's typical . " a lot of armour_villa residents say they do their primary shopping in bronxville , which has clothing stores and a supermarket . there is also every kind of shopping imaginable nearby within a few minutes' drive to central_park avenue . the only school in the neighborhood is the patricia a . dichiaro early childhood school for grades k 3 . it 's part of the yonkers public_school system . and like all schools in yonkers , it is a magnet_school , meaning it offers a specialized curriculum . the dichiaro school approaches learning through an emphasis on mathematics and science , said alice listi , the school 's principal . " all of our students are in science labs once a week . they also take spanish and computers are introduced in kindergarten . ten years ago , when ms . wald , a professional singer , was looking for a house in westchester , she answered an ad for a house in armour_villa based on the reputation of school 8 , as the dichiaro school was then known . " that was before yonkers was ordered to desegregate its schools , " she said . " that was the end of local schools . instead children got bused to magnet programs , and the quality of the education really suffered . " ms . wald has two children , a_10 year old son in the yonkers public_school 's pearls , a program for early and rapid learners , at the hawthorne school , in the southwest section of the city . her other son , who 's 12 , attends a private_school in tarrytown . " most of the people i know send their kids to private or parochial schools , " she said . one of the major gripes is that the yonkers schools are too crowded . " they average 29 to 30 kids to a class , " said ms . wald 's husband , joel , " whereas other school systems have class_sizes around 14 to 15 . " mr . wald , a management consultant in manhattan , writes the local newletter , the villa voice , which is published by the armour_villa colony association , a homeowners' group . his job is to keep on top of local controversies . one of the hottest is the city 's plan to build a 22 unit moderate income housing development on tuckahoe road and cross street . it is part of the city 's fulfillment of a desegregation order to build 200 units of low_income_housing and 800 units of moderate income housing throughout the predominantly white , middle_class north and east sections of the city . this summer the city completed the low income component and is just starting to select sites for the moderate income units . the developments are to be privately_owned and for families with incomes up to 67 , 000 a year who would be eligible to receive federal and state_housing subsidies . " half of the units will be market rate and half will be subsidized . " said robert l . miller , president of the yonkers housing partnership . construction , he said , is expected to begin in the summer , with occupancy by the spring of 1996 . " some people wonder if we 're going to throw our bodies in front of the tractors , " said mr . wald . " but from the experience with the low income projects in other areas of the city , most people have decided that this is going to happen . we might as well make the best of it . " that means inviting the moderate income residents to join the armour_villa homeowners' association . " we normally have not included residents of multiple family housing , " said ms . sutton . " but we 're batting around the idea of making an exception . with this project , all eyes will be on us . we 'd like to do it right , and get the new residents involved in the community as soon as possible . " another concern in the neighborhood , according to mr . wald , is the existence of illegal accessory apartments and two family houses . neither is permitted in the neighborhood 's zoning . " but a few years ago , builders came in and put up two families and ranches with accessory apartments in violation of the law , " said lee ellman , the city 's planning director . " armour_villa is a very activist community with an informed and concerned population . they 've alerted us to the problem . and we 've been cracking down on known violators and taking steps to insure no such building happens again . "	has a location of america
to the editor as a native of the bronx from different times , i enjoyed reading your article about the reservoir keeper 's house ''for an 1890 reservoir keeper 's house , a new use , '' dec . 20 . of course , in those days there was no norwood , only the bronx , or , to use the local landmarks , near the oval or near montefiore . for us young_boys growing up in the 1940 's on reservoir oval and the nearby streets , that building was called the haunted house . for apartment dwellers , which most of us were , any unoccupied stand alone house obviously had an ominous history . on halloween eve , or on summer evenings when it became too dark to continue our curb ball or stoop ball games , the bravest would attempt to explore the mysteries within that haunted house . for intrepid pre teen_agers , there were always ways to find entry into an abandoned building . i can still remember when we heard the news that someone had bought the building and was actually going to move in . the new owner quickly barred our known entry points and forevermore ended a local activity . for the sake of historical accuracy , i must confess that i was one of the timid ones who never had the courage to face those particular terrors . but i certainly did admire my more adventurous neighborhood friends . also for the sake of the historical record , back in those days i never thought that i would be writing letters about how things used to be . alvin wald manhattan	has a location of america
the big sky region , just north of an entrance to yellowstone national park , has boomed in recent years , attracting skiers and other outdoor enthusiasts and fueling a construction and employment boom . but soaring land prices and building costs have put the price of housing far beyond the reach of many new resort and construction workers . faced with a severe housing shortage for its workers , at least two resorts , the yellowstone club and big sky resorts , picked an unusual solution . each bought a motel it intended to continue operating for travelers , as well as for housing workers and contractors . with its purchase of the whitewater inn , formerly a comfort inn , big sky resorts picked up 56 rooms . ''we 're a growing resort with 900 staff , and we want to attract the best staff , '' said dax schieffer , public_relations manager for big sky resorts , which is owned by boyne u.s.a . ''the plan is to have the employees stay here during peak season . '' the yellowstone club is the new owner of buck 's t 4 lodge , a 72 room motel just up the road from the whitewater inn . the owner of the yellowstone club , tim blixseth , said his company had 500 employees and 1 , 000 subcontractors . using buck 's to help house them will help reduce the ''couple of million'' dollars a year that the company spends for buses and mileage . ''it was a good strategic buy for us , '' bob sumpter , vice_president for real_estate_development for the company , said . ''we do not plan to change the operation one iota . '' both companies said workers would receive discounts on rooms , which rent for 100 to 150 a night depending on the season . who gets those discounts and how much they amount to depend on what a worker 's ''job is and how much we need them , '' mr . schieffer said . many workers are choosing to double or triple up to save money , which can make for lively , if cramped , quarters . isabella silva of belo horizonte , brazil , lives in a whitewater inn room with three young male co workers from brazil . each pays 230 a month for the crowded living space that is mostly taken up by three beds and a mattress on the floor . ms . silva and her roommates do most of their cooking in microwave ovens they have wireless internet and access to the motel pool and waterslide . ''these boys , oh my , '' ms . silva , 21 , said shaking her head and smiling . ''but it 's o.k . we work most of the time . so we do n't spend much time in the room . '' mr . schieffer said he did not think that guests would mind sharing space with employees . ''i 'd like to think everyone can get along , '' he said . ''you do n't say , 'employees , do n't go here , ' or , 'do n't go there . ' '' instead , he said ''it 's self segregating . it works itself out . '' lots that sell for more than 200 , 000 today were going for a fifth of that three years ago , and construction costs run 700 or more a square_foot , compared with 100 to 200 in most montana cities . compounding the problem is the region 's location , which is awkward to accommodate the boom . big sky is 32 miles southwest of bozeman . but the two lane road between the two runs through a narrow canyon that is ice covered and treacherous in winter . an estimated 1 , 500 cars commute back and forth each day . ''they all have to drive from bozeman every morning and back , '' cathy gorman , a real_estate_broker here , said . ''it 's bizarre , and it 's dangerous . we 've had a lot of deaths on that road . '' public transportation is infrequent . the yellowstone club runs four or five buses a day between here and bozeman . ms . silva said she and many other workers took the ski bus to bozeman at the end of a day and shopped all night at the wal_mart store there because there was no bus back until morning . as a result , housing at the mountain resorts is the best option for many . kyle zimmerman , born in chicago , just moved from a two bedroom condo crammed with skis , clothes and furniture that he shared with four other people . the monthly rent was 1 , 300 plus utilities , and mr . zimmerman , who has two jobs , including one at a pizzeria , paid 200 for the right to sleep in a closet . ''to make it affordable , you have to cram people in , '' mr . zimmerman , 22 , said . ''it was all right for a year . '' his replacement in the closet ? ''the guy that had the couch . '' not surprisingly , mr . zimmerman applauded the resorts' buying the motels . ''every year , i hear there 's going to be new employee housing , but it never happens , '' he said . ''you 've got to put them somewhere . '' big sky journal	has a location of america
don't let the softness of summer days lull you into letting your guard down . summer homes , especially those unoccupied for days at a time , are a burglar 's dream . people who would never leave their car windows open or their keys in the ignition the other nine months of the year get careless during the summer . you may be on vacation but it is high season for thieves . by taking the proper precautions , crime prevention specialists say , you can insure that no unpleasant surprises will interfere with your rest and relaxation . the most important security measure is to install motion sensor lights at the beginning of your walkway , triggering lights to go on 20 feet away from the house . use timers to turn lights on each evening and change the zone each week . do the same with a car that is left at home , backing into the driveway one week , pulling in the next . tell your neighbors which pool , gas or oil companies and landscapers you employ . your neighbor 's eyes and ears are the best source of information for the police . thieves often disguise themselves as utility workers . if a neighbor sees an unfamiliar truck parked in your driveway , tell her to alert the police . at the beginning of the season , get information about the neighborhood watch program in your community . also call the local police department and ask for a security survey . a crime prevention officer will perform a ''target hardening'' survey , which will give you information to help protect your property . insert heavy dowel rods in the sleeve at the bottom of sliding glass doors so they cannot be jimmied open . put alarm protection stickers on the windows . if you are out , drop the drapes to prevent anyone from looking in . put small televisions , radios and other electronic gear behind solid blocking , out of view . close doors to any entertainment centers . instead of having a solid front door , there should be some sort of window , whether side panel or a small one in the middle , so you can get a quick view out . prune back high trees . in homes that are hidden from view , once a thief is in , he can take his time . when you are at the beach , think ' 'designated driver'' when you go into the water . never leave a camera , portable radio or other valuables unprotected . and leave your cell phone at home . remember why you are at the beach in the first place . marcia byalick	has a location of america
rent control applies to apartments in buildings constructed before feb . 1 , 1947 , in which the tenant or an authorized successor has been in continuous occupancy since before june 30 , 1971 the date when vacancy_decontrol for rent controlled apartments took effect . rent controlled tenants may be subject to 7.5 percent increases in most years until a maximum rent is reached , as well as increases stemming from fuel and labor costs that can result in actual annual rent increases of a maximum of 15 percent . rent_stabilization , which took effect in 1969 , covers buildings built from 1947 to 1974 , as well as formerly rent controlled apartments in pre 1947 buildings that are added to the rent_stabilized category when the units become vacant . some post 1973 buildings have opted to become stabilized in return for tax abatements . stabilized apartments are subject to rent rises set annually by the rent guidelines board , which is appointed by the mayor . in the last decade , stabilized rent increases have ranged from 6 percent for a one year lease and 9 percent for a two year lease in 1986 , to 2 and 4 percent increases in each of the last two years .	has a location of america
lead the fake six pane windows overlooking the cross bronx expressway have disappeared . so have the half open window shades and gray and blue louvered shutters . by the end of 1990 , the koch administration hopes , these newly gaping frames will hold real windows , real shades and real shutters with real people behind them for the first time in more than a decade . the fake six pane windows overlooking the cross bronx expressway have disappeared . so have the half open window shades and gray and blue louvered shutters . by the end of 1990 , the koch administration hopes , these newly gaping frames will hold real windows , real shades and real shutters with real people behind them for the first time in more than a decade . in preparation , workers have stripped hundreds of vinyl decals that were applied in 1983 to abandoned , city owned apartment houses across crotona_park to create the appearance that they were still occupied , even though they were dangerous shells or six story garbage dumps . meant to shore up neighborhood morale and convey a less dispiriting impression for the thousands and thousands of people who enter the city over the cross bronx expressway , the decals were greeted with considerable ridicule and national attention . today , mayor edward i . koch is to remove one of the few decal plates that remain on the crotona_park site . in the autumn of 1990 , homeless people and low and moderate income families are to move in . the project is part of the city 's 10 year , 5 . 1 billion plan to build or rehabilitate housing . 'decals did n't fool anyone' ''the real lived in look looks better than the fake lived in look , '' said abraham biderman , commissioner of the housing preservation and development department . ''it was a stupid program from the inception , '' said e . eldred hill , district manager of bronx community board 3 , which includes crotona_park . ''the decals did n't fool anyone . the first time i saw them , i laughed . those dollars could have been put into rehabilitating one building instead of putting decals on all of them . '' at the height of the decal program , which began in 1980 and ran until about 1986 , trompe_l'oeil seals were placed in the windows of more than 500 abandoned buildings around the city . but because of their high visibility , those along the cross bronx expressway received by far the most attention . and even when more than 33 , 000 vacant units are in some stage of redevelopment , the bronx buildings still stand out . ''the decals were an emblem of a lack of hope , '' mr . biderman said . ''their removal symbolizes the rebirth of these buildings and of these neighborhoods . '' koch says idea was his mr . koch , who said the decal idea was his , recalled that the point was to preserve structurally sound buildings and the overall appearance of the neighborhoods while waiting in vain , it turned out for housing money from the federal_government . ''the communities understood the difference , '' he said . ''it was n't a question that we were faking anything . '' he said decals were applied only in areas where they were requested by community boards . mr . koch also responded to the suggestion that removing the decals was no more than an election year stunt . ''what should i do , '' he asked , ' 'stop constructing apartments so that people will say i 'm not doing it in order to get re elected ? that 's stupid . renovating 1 , 284 apartments ''i get blamed for the bad , '' mr . koch said . ''and you bet i want to get credit for the good . '' the crotona_park project has 562 apartments in 20 buildings bounded by fulton and third avenues , claremont parkway and the cross bronx expressway . it will be owned and managed by phipps houses of manhattan , a nonprofit owner and developer . the other rehabilitation project involving buildings that became notorious for their decals is called highbridge . it involves 722 apartments in 23 buildings on an irregular site bounded roughly by 170th and 175th streets , university and jesup avenues . it will be owned and managed by the archdiocese of new york . together , the two projects will cost 111 million .	has a location of america
a report in the postings column on may 26 about house tours in harlem misstated the title of a novel by ralph ellison . it was " invisible man , " not " the invisible man . "	has a location of america
" it 's quite a corporate roster we have , " said mayor mark a . lauretti of shelton , conn . most recently , pitney_bowes decided to build a new center for its shipping and weighing division on a 22 acre site where research and development operations are already based . carm adimando , vice_president and treasurer of pitney_bowes , said the company hoped to break ground for the 234 , 000 square_foot building next month . also on the roster are sikorsky aircraft and philips medical systems . and there is talk that lever brothers may join the crowd , taking the former richardson vicks complex . " i do n't have any official confirmation , " mayor lauretti said , adding , " i know there is a lot of interest . " richardson vicks moved to cincinnati last september to join its corporate parent , procter_gamble . it left behind a 75 acre site with a 300 , 000 square_foot , 4 year old office building . could this mean a departure from lever house on park_avenue ? a spokeswoman for lever brothers said only , " at this time , we have no comment . " sal buono , of cushman_wakefield , which represents procter_gamble , acknowledged the lever brothers rumor but said , " we have no deal pending with anybody on the richardson vicks facility . "	has a location of america
back when 1994 was ending , any real_estate executive predicting a less than stellar 1995 was drowned out by the sound of champagne corks popping , as a euphoric industry toasted the end of five years of woe . the revelers turned out to be the pollyannas , the pessimists the realists . the much touted " recovery " turned out to be an explosion of pent up demand , as tenants who had waited for the rental trough ran out of time to make deals . along about april , leasing activity slowed to a crawl , and nothing since has nudged the market out of complacency . people thought the scarcity of big blocks of quality space would cure the market , but it just has n't happened , " said robert f . works , a managing director of lasalle partners . corporate consolidations and partnership dissolutions made the situation worse . " a lot of law_firms bit the dust and freed up space , " said michael myers , chairman of corporate realty partners . all told , while 1995 was not particularly bad , it broke 1994 's promises . " last year was a year of unmet expectations , " said michael t . cohen , president of williams real_estate . indeed it was . vacancy_rates throughout new york remained in the double_digits , well above the 8 percent that is considered healthy . rents stayed stuck in place . buildings that had expected annual rents beyond 50 per square_foot 590 madison_avenue , the i.b.m . building on 57th_street , for one found few takers , brokers say , until they dropped rents as much as 10 a foot . in may , after five years of depressed rents , the partnerships that own 12 of the rockefeller_center buildings filed for protection under the bankruptcy code . ( alan l . stein , rockefeller_center management 's senior vice_president of marketing , says that the properties in bankruptcy are nearly 86 percent full , and the center as a whole is more than 93 percent full . ) " the only way the market will get better is if the economy creates more jobs , " said steven spinola , president of the real_estate board of new york . but if the optimistic pundits were disappointed , the pessimistic ones were pleasantly_surprised . " we rented 350 , 000 square_feet , at rents that certainly met our modest expectations , " said a delighted douglas durst , whose durst organization owns several midtown_manhattan buildings . indeed , nearly every one of the year 's clouds had a silvery aspect . downtown_manhattan remained glutted with empty space , but saw an influx of interactive technology companies with high growth potential . leasing was sluggish , but building sales soared . construction loans were elusive , but refinancing money was ample . and landlords and tenants alike invested in refurbishings . " we went ahead with interiors projects that had been on hold for years , " said john l . tishman , head of tishman realty construction , which is refurbishing 1290 avenue of the americas ( 52d street ) for olympia york , and is building the interior of four columbus_circle , steelcase 's owner occupied building on 58th_street . no big companies established headquarters here but then , none fled new york either , in sharp contrast to 1994 , when swiss bank and mastercard announced their defections . and , many companies established their first new york toeholds . " we 've had unbelievable activity from companies that want to tap into new york 's intellectual capital , " said william c . rudin , whose family owns numerous buildings . retail sales were lackluster and there were a few sobering bankruptcies , but retail space remained tight . " the doom and gloom that pervaded apparel sales did not hit hard goods , furniture or home entertainment , " said faith h . consolo , a senior managing director of the garrick aug brokerage . times_square redevelopment , which city officials had said was imminent for decades , finally began happening . madame_tussaud , a 25 screen multiplex , countless theme restaurants and food shops , all clamored for space on newly unseedy 42d street . long shuttered theaters are being refurbished . annual rents for retail space climbed well over 100 a square_foot , rivaling the rents on that other entertainment strip , west 57th_street . throughout the city , streets were cleaner , neighborhoods safer , due in good part to active business improvement districts . the business_improvement_district movement was rocked by charges that the grand_central partnership , one of the biggest bids , had deployed " goon squads " to harass homeless people , and that daniel biederman , its head , had used bid money and time to set up a bid in jersey_city . mr . biederman denies both charges . nonetheless , the bids' successes were palpable . bryant_park held many cultural events and has a new cafe . crime was down in most bids , and many streets sport new lights , lampposts and trees . " it was a year of huge leaps , of doing the things the private_sector is n't inclined to do , " mr . biederman said . all in all , 1995 was a respectable , if not gangbusters , year . following , a closer look at how some sectors did last year , and how this year is shaping up for them . the office market last year the " flight to quality " tenants taking advantage of cheap rents by moving to better space reversed itself . avon , equitable life , cs first boston and countless others announced they would leave glitzy quarters for more utilitarian space . " a lot of companies traded down , " said bruce mosler , the galbreath company 's vice chairman . or , they saved the views and corner offices for the top brass , and put the hoi polloi elsewhere . " there 's still a market for the top floors , which are best , and the bottom floors , which are cheapest , " said jerry l . cohen , cushman_wakefield 's vice chairman . " filling in the middle is the problem . " tenants looking for big blocks of space did not have that many options , though . " maybe it 's a game of musical_chairs with fewer chairs , but we 're seeing everyone who 's out there looking , " said anthony e . malkin , president of w m properties , which will soon have big blocks available in 1185 avenue of the americas , at 47th_street when some large tenants move out . the big block shortages may finally lead to new construction . brokers report that morgan_guaranty and swissre have committed to enough space to enable hro international to finance the tower it wants to build on madison_avenue and 47th_street ( hro remains mum ) . mr . durst says he will erect a times_square building on spec , and , while none of the principals will discuss it , industry sources say that young_rubicam is interested in moving in . " i never thought i 'd be talking new construction in 1995 , " mr . durst said . " but demand for big blocks exceeds supply . " there are big blocks to be had , of course . there are plenty of sublets available . avon will open huge blocks at 9 west 57th_street . the old mobil building at 150 east 42d street and american home products' old building at 685 third avenue ( 43d street ) still have plenty of space . in fact , the entire grand_central area was one of 1995 's disappointments , with vacancies remaining high . but the area is looking up . a 200 million refurbishment of grand_central_terminal is in the works . some brokers expect the impact of times_square 's redevelopment to extend to grand_central . and the area 's landlords are offering bargain rents . " the grand_central market will take off , and that will signal the market 's overall recovery , " said mr . works of lasalle . small space remains in ample supply . there is lots of it at 570 lexington , the landmarked former g.e . building at 51st street that the mendik company has renovated . rockefeller_center is prebuilding whole floors of move in ready space for smaller tenants . for brokers , the plethora of small spaces could mean more work for less pay . " we 'll do plenty of leasing this year , but it will be for more tenants in smaller spaces , " predicted stephen b . siegel , the edward s . gordon company 's president . building sales by all rights , with the rental market mired , no one should have wanted to buy commercial property last year . but buy they did . the paramount group bought 32 old slip , donald j . trump bought 40 wall_street , george comfort sons bought 63 madison_avenue ( 27th street ) , a bunch of scandinavian investors bought 1500 broadway ( 43d street ) . the former b . altman building on fifth avenue and 34th_street is a sold out condominium . the list goes on . " lenders had so much money to put out that 1995 was the biggest , busiest sales year we 've ever seen , " said peter r . hauspurg , chairman of the investment_banking firm eastern consolidated properties . some high profile sales are in the offing . a group led by goldman_sachs , tishman_speyer and david rockefeller is poised to buy rockefeller_center 's bankrupt buildings . the daily news building , at 220 east 42d street , just went on the market . many brokers expect that 40 west 40th street , 598 madison_avenue ( 58th_street ) and other buildings will find buyers soon . " we 'll see lots of sales in 1996 , " mr . siegel predicted . the retail market in manhattan , 1995 was the year of mallization . the once elegant 57th_street turned into an urban festival center , rife with theme restaurants and entertainment oriented stores . soho moved further away from being an art world bastion . the old a s plaza on 32d and broadway became manhattan mall . rockefeller_center gave its labyrinthine concourse a boost with herman 's , a two level store that draws pedestrians with its street level frontage , then has them leave through the concourse . the world trade center 's concourse , once a hodgepodge of nondescript stores , grabbed disney , the limited , and other mall denizens . so did third avenue , madison_avenue in the 50 's and the flatiron_district . the same retail names kept cropping up , as companies like 9 west , the limited and gap blanketed the borough with new stores . big_box retailers grabbed any large spaces they could find . " this sounds like heresy , but the availability of space drove the market more than location , " said benjamin fox , a partner of new spectrum . barnes_noble opened its largest store ever , a 60 , 000 square_foot behemoth on broadway and 66th_street . borders announced its first new york book store , in the world trade center . compusa , williams sonoma , pottery barn , all expanded . " last year will go down as the year of the category killers , " said richard a . seligman , a senior managing director at gordon . even the many bank branches coming on line in the wake of consolidations and mergers were not enough to satisfy demand , and retail rents rose all over the city . that did not faze european and asian retailers , for whom even madison avenue rents are cheap compared with what they pay on the ginza or bond street . ferragamo , prada , myriad others took new stores . now retail brokers are waiting to see what branch spaces the mergers of chase and chemical , and of fleet and natwest will make available . " banks will be the source of some of our best retail space over the next two to three years , " ms . consolo predicted . " but until we get that space , rents will keep climbing . " the hotel industry the hotel industry 's resurgence was one of 1995 's true highlights . " it was one of the best years since the mid 80 's , " said joseph e . spinnato , president of the hotel association of new york city . " the economy was part of it , but so was the perception of the city as cleaner , safer and friendlier . " hoteliers clearly feel bullish . host marriott spent 141 . 5 million to buy the downtown vista hotel . cdl hotels international , a singapore group that already owned the millenium and the macklowe , bought the plaza . the omni berkshire went through a 65 million facelift , and mr . tishman is hoping the st . moritz , which his company manages , will get spruced up this year . lenders , too , are feeling buoyant . " people who said they would never again lend to a hotel are throwing money at them , " said mr . hauspurg of eastern consolidated . hotel developers bear that out . " hotels are no longer redlined by the banks , " said mr . tishman , who is seeking an equity partner and debt financing for the huge hotel he plans to build on 42d street and eighth_avenue . " the hotel market is really ripe . " downtown_manhattan the long beleaguered financial district may not be healthy yet , but it no longer seems terminally ill . while the overall area is still plagued with vacancies , the world trade center and the area 's other premier buildings are about 85 percent full . the reason , suggests mr . cohen of williams , is that last year was the first year that cost outweighed location as a driving force for tenants . " the financial district emerged as a place where 35 buys you what 45 buys in midtown , " he said . if that is so , then downtown must benefit if midtown rents rise . " people might not move to save 8 a foot , but they will move to save 18 , " said julien j . studley , head of the real_estate firm that bears his name . city hall is helping , too . last year mayor rudolph w . giuliani passed a long awaited program of tax incentives to bring businesses to the area , and to encourage owners to convert obsolete office space to residential use . carl weisbrod , head of the year old downtown bid , predicts that the latter program will eventually yield some 5 , 000 new housing units , which in turn could draw stores and restaurants to the area . that could reposition downtown as a 24 hour community a crucial factor if mr . weisbrod is to realize his dream of " transforming downtown from the hub of the age of capitalism to the prototypical urban center of the information_age . " stated less poetically , mr . weisbrod and several developers want to make the area a mecca for interactive technology companies , which have always spurned classic 9 to 5 hours . they 've made a good start . last year rudin management inaugurated the new york information_technology center at 55 broad street , which has been renting so well that some nearby buildings already are getting a spillover effect . but there is competition for this nascent industry . for example , hudson_square that once industrial area bounded by sixth avenue , canal street , morton street and the hudson_river is grabbing its share . small technology companies like avalanche systems , sensenet and radical media " materialized out of thin air , " said frank lepera , a commercial real_estate executive for trinity church , hudson_square 's primary landlord . " we 'd have been happy to rent 200 , 000 square_feet last year . we rented 250 , 000 . " hudson_square , soho and midtown south all offer the architecturally interesting buildings and all night , funky feel that downtown does not have . but they are fast running out of space . and mr . weisbrod 's bid is readying its area to pick up the slack . it has spruced up sanitation and lighting , and has unveiled the heritage trail , a series of four historic walks patterned after boston 's freedom trail . the bid is running a free jitney linking ferry terminals to other parts of the area . a ferry may soon run from the upper east side to wall_street , and the state is studying whether to extend commuter_rail lines to downtown . gov . george e . pataki said on jan . 3 that he would like the port_authority of new york and new jersey to use the proceeds from an eventual sale of the world trade center for this purpose . " we wo n't see track laid yet , but at least we 'll learn if it is doable , " said mr . spinola . outside manhattan most talk of new construction revolves around the durst organization and hro . but joshua muss may beat them both with renaissance plaza , the hotel and office complex he has wanted to build in downtown_brooklyn for more than a dozen years . " the financing is in place , the drawings are ready , the paperwork should be done within weeks , " mr . muss said . " we intend to be in the ground in a couple of months . " mr . muss will not give details , but others report that leucadia national has leased about half of the office building 's 800 , 000 square_feet , and that the brooklyn district_attorney 's office will rent space . the marriott_corporation will run the 385 room hotel . the retail prognosis is chancier . shopping centers sprang up all over the city last year , but that activity is slowing . apparently , the bankruptcies of caldor and bradlees and ongoing concern about kmart 's financial shape have made lenders skittish . " developers , bankers , institutions , the entire retail sector has become uneasy , " said guy morris , managing director of investment sales at garrick aug . still , mr . morris noted that " the a list locations " fulton_street and 86th_street in brooklyn , much of greenwich , conn . , all of westchester and nassau counties are still attracting tenants , and supermarkets and strong credit stores like target may fill in the gap if the troubled discounters close stores . " as long as interest rates stay down , 1996 may be a decent year , " he said . suburban office properties , which sank even lower than their manhattan counterparts during the recession , are bouncing back , too . according to mr . malkin of w m , which has numerous properties in connecticut , the greenwich market is " drum tight . " he said rents were up to the mid 30s a square_foot in prime locations . " a year ago , the mid 20 's was considered good , " he said . stamford . meanwhile , is likely to see a boom . according to jay s . hruska , a cushman_wakefield director , stamford 's vacancy_rate has dropped to 15 percent , from 17 percent last year . but swiss bank is building its headqurters there , and most brokers predict its entourage will sop up far more space . " the law_firms , the accounting firms , all the ancillary firms that service a company like swiss bank will be nosing around , maybe even committing to space this year , " mr . hruska predicted . correction january 28 , 1996 , sunday an article and a picture caption on jan . 14 about the commercial property outlook referred incorrectly to two manhattan hotels owned by the cdl group of singapore , which has altered their names since purchasing them . the former macklowe is now the millennium broadway the former millenium is now the millenium hilton . the company has retained the " millenium " spelling for the hilton .	has a location of america
lead a state board declared yonkers to be in financial_crisis today and froze all hiring and discretionary_spending by its government . hours later , an appeals court panel suspended the daily fines imposed on the city for its defiance of a federal desegregation order , giving it temporary relief from the threat of bankruptcy . a state board declared yonkers to be in financial_crisis today and froze all hiring and discretionary_spending by its government . hours later , an appeals court panel suspended the daily fines imposed on the city for its defiance of a federal desegregation order , giving it temporary relief from the threat of bankruptcy . the three judge panel also suspended 500 a day fines against the four city councilmen who were found in contempt of court on aug . 2 after rejecting the housing plan ordered by a federal_judge , leonard b . sand , and it stayed his threat to imprison them thursday if they had still not reversed their vote . the full united_states court of appeals for the second circuit in manhattan will hear the city 's and councilmen 's appeal of the contempt ruling and fines on aug . 17 . had the fines not been suspended , the daily fine on the city , which began at 100 and doubled each day , would have been 12 , 800 today , for a cumulative total of 25 , 500 . on aug . 17 , the daily fine would have been 3 , 276 , 800 . the councilmen 's fines were not doubled daily . freeze on hiring in the meantime , the state board , the emergency financial control board , will carry out the resolution it approved today , 5 to 1 , blocking all pay increases for the city 's 1 , 900 workers , imposing a hiring freeze and taking control from the city government of all discretionary_spending , such as promotions and consultants' fees . the action also nullified 50 pending contracts totaling 2 . 4 million . it was the first time since the state legislature established the current control board for yonkers in 1984 , when mismanagement had brought yonkers to the ede of bankruptcy , that the board had assumed full responsibility for the city 's fiscal moves . ''perhaps this will be a wake up call to the city_council as to the seriousness of their actions , '' said secretary of state gail s . shaffer , who is the chairwoman of the board . in a sweltering room in city hall , ms . shaffer appealed to yonkers residents to put pressure on the four councilmen who voted on aug . 2 to reject a plan to scatter 800 middle_income apartments through the city 's neighborhoods . 'let reason prevail' that 4 to 3 vote was widely seen as a response to residents' anger last january after the council , under similar threats from judge sand , approved the first phase of the desegregation plan , 200 low income units to be built on several sites in mainly white neighborhoods . ''as you ponder the future of your city , as america watches yonkers , you have the power to let reason prevail , '' ms . shaffer said . ''you have a responsiblity to yourself and to your city 's future to express your reasoned concern to the four people you elected who have brought you to this precipice today . '' after the fines were suspended , she said this would not affect the control board 's approach to yonkers 's fiscal troubles . judge sand ruled in 1985 that yonkers , which , with 194 , 000 residents is new york 's fourth largest city , had deliberately discriminated against blacks in housing and education over four decades , in part by placing nearly all public_housing in the southwest corner of the city . a school desegregation plan has been in place for two years , but last winter the city 's continued resistance to a housing desegregation plan led judge sand to threaten yonkers and its councilmen with fines . because the crippling fines were temporarily halted today , the city will not have to follow through with its preparations to lay off all city employees by aug . 21 , when the total fines would have surpassed the 63 . 8 million in cash the city has available . 'it gives us a week' ''this buys us time , '' said neil j . deluca , the interim city_manager and the only one on the seven member control board to vote against the resolution today . ''it gives us a week for cooler heads to prevail . '' the vote was 5 to 1 because one member , dr . alice ilchman , the president of sarah lawrence college , was on vacation and not at the board meeting . the government will not be able to fill the 60 to 70 positions that are now vacant out of the municipal work force , and its plans to hire 28 police officers at the end of the month must be scrapped . the resolution does permit the city to continue to pay for its defense in the eight year old lawsuit , which so far has cost 15 million in legal fees . before the stay was issued today , it appeared that the four councilmen in contempt had planned to go to jail thursday and continue their defiance . councilman edward fagan , a conservative who had seemed ready last week to change his vote or resign , said jokingly to a colleague at city hall ''what kind of prison is this , anyway ? '' mr . deluca , who said he voted against the control board 's takeover because it alone would not have saved the city from bankruptcy , told reporters that he would seek a settlement of the case by calling for negotiations among city , county and state officials , citizen groups for and against the housing plan , the roman_catholic archdiocese of new york and the national association for the advancement of colored people , which brought the suit against the city , along with the justice_department , in 1980 . but if the city and councilmen lose their appeal next week and the fines and threat of jail are reinstated , the pressure to approve the housing plan will be back on the council . 'a direct result' today , at the meeting of the financial control board , ms . shaffer described the total collapse of city services that would come if the council did not ''purge its contemptuous behavior . '' ''the prospect of no municipal services whatsoever , '' she said . ''no policeman when you call for help , no firefighter when your house is burning , no garbage pickup as the trash piles up on your curb , no senior citizen services , no water as the tap runs dry can you reasonably accept these consequences which loom as a direct result of your city_council 's refusal to uphold the law ? '' the control board will continue to oversee all of yonkers 's budgetary operations until the financial_crisis is over , which could be some time after the contempt ceases and the fines stop , ms . shaffer said . she also said that if the fines were reimposed after the appeal hearing next week , the councilmen could face criminal_prosecution for incurring the bankrupting fines . if the appeals court rules in the city 's favor next week , all of the money paid in fines to date would be returned to the city and the councilmen , paul pickelle , the city 's corporation_counsel , said . a spending freeze is put on yonkers	has a location of america
lead the first section of rehabilitated apartments has opened at the 700 unit alden park development , part of a 66 million project that the developer says is the nation 's costliest rehabilitation of a historic residential property . the location is between the communities of east falls and germantown , 20 minutes from center the first section of rehabilitated apartments has opened at the 700 unit alden park development , part of a 66 million project that the developer says is the nation 's costliest rehabilitation of a historic residential property . the location is between the communities of east falls and germantown , 20 minutes from center_city . the developer , bennett kaplan of new rochelle , n.y. , has added air_conditioning , a health_club and cable_television , has upgraded the electrical system and is reroofing alden park , which opened in 1927 with what was then unusual automobile parking_garages and electric refrigerators . alden park 's original developers , c . c . mitchell and kenneth devos , had a vision of cooperative apartments and plush amenities within a private park . their first phase here was the manor , which provided 250 apartments in three towers connected by a great_hall reminiscent of a classically appointed men 's club library . there were two efficiency units per floor for guest quarters or servants . after the manor was completed , an investor in the project , lawrence jones , bought out the developers . he went on to build phases 2 and 3 the kenilworth , in 1927 , and the cambridge , in 1929 , each with about 200 apartments . he lived at alden park until his death in 1961 . mr . kaplan bought alden park in 1986 for 28 million but did not get development financing , 40 million , until 1989 , when river bank america joined as a partner . he got a 15 million construction loan from national_westminster_bank . the first renovated units , called only towers a , b and c , opened in mid march , and 66 of 107 apartments are leased , mr . kaplan said . rents include parking and the use of two outdoor tennis courts , a health_club and pool . they range from 450 a month for a 280 square_foot studio to 675 for a 750 square_foot one bedroom and 1 , 350 for a 1 , 375 square_foot two bedroom penthouse . the renovation is expected to be complete within 18 months . because of federal historic tax_credit restrictions , alden park must remain rental for five years after completion . mr . kaplan said he believes it should again be owner occupied eventually . the exterior architect , david hollenberg , a principal with john milner associates of philadelphia , said alden park 's jacobean revival design and quirky construction has been difficult to restore to its original appearance . building technology , in addition to style , has changed since 1925 , and anchors were required to secure concrete slabs , which were not connected to ornate exterior brickwork , he said .	has a location of america
swathed in the lush spring greenery of riverside and morningside parks , this upper west side neighborhood is a lot quieter since columbia_university students went home for the summer earlier this month . the wide sidewalks still have a pleasant buzz , but instead of backpacks , the accessory of choice seems to be strollers . once considered something of a ' 'secret'' among residential neighborhoods , morningside_heights is experiencing a surge in popularity , particularly among young families lured by the spacious apartments , the parks , excellent private schools and access to transportation . jane blumenstein , a mother of two who arrived as a graduate student at columbia in 1994 , has seen the change among members at congregation ramath orah , the orthodox synagogue on 110th_street that she has attended for 10 years . five years ago , she said , there were many more older people , among them holocaust survivors , and only about five children in the shabbat program . now there are almost 20 , all of them from the neighborhood . ''lots of young families have moved in , instead of moving to jersey and riverdale , '' said ms . blumenstein , who with her husband , jay , bought a two bedroom co op on riverside drive in december 2005 . ''people are seeing this as a place they can make their life . '' anchored by the spires of the interdenominational riverside_church to the north and the episcopal cathedral_church of st . john the divine at the southeast corner , but dominated by the presence of columbia , the 0 . 3 square_mile enclave is often described as laid back . according to barbara hohol , who calls morningside_heights ''the last refuge of the surviving hippies , '' newcomers are quick to embrace the unhurried spirit of the neighborhood , which is bordered by 110th and 125th streets and the parks on its eastern and western flanks . small businesses and mom and pop stores line broadway , which has carefully tended plants in all its medians . ''the new people coming in are blessedly casual , '' said ms . hohol , a jewelry maker who arrived in 1957 as a barnard college student . ''it 's totally unpretentious . '' what you 'll find a multiethnic community of 33 , 250 , morningside_heights is 53 percent white , 15 percent hispanic , a little over 14 percent asian , and almost 14 percent african_american , according to census data . its landscape is dominated by institutions . besides columbia , barnard , riverside and st . john the divine , these include teachers college , the union theological seminary , the jewish_theological_seminary , the bank street college of education and the manhattan school of music . residential buildings vary from grand structures with views of the hudson_river along riverside drive to a few small but elegant doorman buildings on some side streets , and tenement style structures , many of which are still rent controlled or stabilized . there is a new 95 unit condominium at 110th_street and broadway , and a new 20 story rental building , avalon morningside park , being developed by avalonbay communities , near st . john the divine . a portion of the 296 avalon units will be reserved for lower income tenants , the first of whom will arrive in a year . cynthia white is moving soon to a two bedroom , one and a half bath co op on west 111th street after having shopped for a couple of years . it has exactly what she wanted character , but modest renovations . ''i wanted prewar , unmolested charm , and i wanted light , '' said ms . white , a macy 's executive . she paid 800 , 000 for the 1 , 200 square_foot fifth floor co op , with river views from the dining_room . columbia is the biggest property owner , and according to jordi reyes montblanc , the chairman of community board 9 , its relationship with the community is contentious at best . describing it as ''a 2 , 000 pound_gorilla , '' he said , ''columbia does wonderful things for the community in general , but when it comes to what columbia wants , they do n't care what anyone else has to say . '' the situation is unlikely to improve over the next three decades . the university has announced plans for a_7 billion expansion on 17 acres west of broadway and north of morningside_heights , between 125th and 135th streets . it will include 18 academic and research buildings as well as housing , and will bring in 9 , 000 more workers and students . while the site is not in morningside_heights proper , residents say they are already concerned . at morningside_gardens , a 983 unit middle_income self managed co op , and the general grant houses , a 1 , 940 unit public_housing development , residents feel particularly vulnerable . ''for morningside_gardens and all the surrounding buildings , it is going to be 30 years of dust and trucks and rats , '' said joan levine , a retired teacher who moved into morningside_gardens when it opened in 1957 . university officials maintain that they do their best to accommodate the community . recently , for example , said la verna j . fountain , assistant vice_president for public affairs , columbia decided not to put the student health services department in a building it owned on west 113th street after residents protested . what you 'll pay while prices have gone up in morningside_heights , it still offers good value compared with the rest of the upper west side , said michael t . stansfield , an associate broker with bellmarc_realty . people who ca n't afford the west 70s , 80s and 90s are migrating north , where ''the same size apartment is going to be cheaper by 200 , 000 to 300 , 000 , depending on what you 're looking for , '' he said . james perez , a senior vice_president with brown_harris_stevens , has two two bedroom , two bath units on riverside drive , one listed for 1 . 549 million , the other for 1 . 895 million . because of the varied housing stock , mr . perez explained , ''two bedrooms can be anywhere from 800 , 000 to 1 . 5 million . '' a one bedroom on 111th sold for '' 500 plus , '' he said , while at the strathmore on riverside drive , a one bedroom would top 1 . 5 million . sabrina seidner , a vice_president of nest seekers international , has a one bedroom , one bath listing on 110th_street for 690 , 000 and says there are still some bargains out there . ''a one bedroom whose asking price was 295 , 000 recently sold for 286 , 000 , '' she noted . ''you can find a funky little space for 300 , 000 , but you have to focus on it and make it a job for six months or a year . '' studios are rare . mr . stansfield says they range from 255 , 000 to 375 , 000 . an alcove studio is currently available in a new condo building at 545 west 110th_street , said ronnie russo landau , a corcoran vice_president . it is listed at 699 , 000 . morningside_gardens apartments rarely come on the market , but range from 165 , 000 for the smallest studio to 710 , 000 for a three bedroom , two bath unit with a terrace , according to michael j . mcmahon , general_manager of the morningside_heights housing_corporation . area rents range from an average of 1 , 435 for a studio to 2 , 863 for a two bedroom , according to citi_habitats' monthly average for april . what to do the 323 acre riverside and the 30 acre morningside parks are a big reason that duane cranston , a lawyer , and his fianc e , sara holliday , an account manager for a graphic_design firm , are looking forward to moving here . they expect the renovation of their two bedroom co op on west 111th street to be completed in the next two or three months . ''the park is going to be a huge asset , '' said mr . cranston , who works for espn , the cable_television sports network . ''all the greenery and being able to feel like you 're in the city but not in the middle of it were important factors . '' morningside park has basketball courts and a baseball field riverside park has volleyball , tennis , soccer and a bird sanctuary . broadway offers all kinds of shops , many of them small businesses like liberty house at 112th_street . it started 40 years ago as a crafts collective to benefit the civil_rights movement but now sells clothing . ms . hohol , the jewelry maker , laments the absence of a movie_theater but says the restaurant scene has some affordable options . ''there are still low end restaurants if you do n't feel like cooking , '' she said . there is also a good bit of variety . broadway between 112th and 113th streets has le_monde nacho 's kitchen nussbaum wu , a chinese jewish bakery deli and the mill korean restaurant . there are chain supermarkets in addition to the milano market and the west side market , which reopened recently at the corner of broadway and 110th_street . the schools among the public schools are three in the same building , nearby at 234 west 109th street . one of those is public_school 165 , the robert e . simon school , which teaches kindergarten through grade 5 . among its fourth_graders in 2006 , 54 . 3 percent scored at or above grade level in english , versus 58 . 9 percent citywide . the math rating was 56 . 4 percent , versus 70 . 9 percent citywide . mott hall ii , at the same site , has a college preparatory curriculum for grades 6 through 8 . of eighth_graders , 79 . 6 percent met english standards , versus 36 . 6 percent citywide 78 . 6 percent met math standards , versus 38 . 9 percent . the closest high_school is edward a . reynolds west side high_school on west 102nd street , where 2005 sat averages were 387 on the verbal , versus 497 statewide , and 389 on the math , versus 511 . private schools abound . among them , the cathedral_church of st . john the divine has a preschool program as well as a free program for 4 year olds in conjunction with the department of education . riverside_church also has preschool offerings . other private schools include the cathedral school , also at st . john the divine on amsterdam_avenue , and the bank_street school for children on west 112th_street . both teach prekindergarten through grade 8 . the commute commuters to midtown can get the no . 1 local train at the 110th_street cathedral parkway stop , then switch to the nos . 2 and 3 express trains at 96th_street . the trip takes about 20 minutes . bus routes include the nos . 7 , 11 and 104 , which go north and south , and the no . 4 , which goes to 110th_street , then heads east and down fifth avenue . the nos . 100 and 101 travel 125th_street , and the no . 60 goes to kennedy airport . the history farms dominated what was called vandewater heights , after a local landowner , until 1818 , when the bloomingdale insane asylum opened between 116th and 120th streets and started the influx of institutions . the asylum eventually moved to westchester , and columbia moved from midtown to take over the site in 1897 . the encyclopedia of new york city details major change in the late 19th_century riverside drive was built in stages riverside park was built in the 1870s , morningside park in 1887 . in 1906 came the subway . living in morningside_heights correction june 3 , 2007 , sunday the ''living in'' article last sunday , about morningside_heights in upper_manhattan , misstated the destination of the no . 60 bus . it is la_guardia airport , not kennedy airport . in addition , a map with the article mislabeled the neighborhood 's northern boundary . it is 125th_street , not 125th avenue .	has a location of america
lead closings in the week ended july 18 manhattan carnegie_hill 780 , 000 40 east 88th_street 2 bedroom , 3 bath , 1 , 700 sq . ft . co op in a prewar building 24 hr . doorman , dining_room , maid 's room maintenance 1 , 250 , 38 tax deductible ( broker corcoran group ) closings in the week ended july 18 manhattan carnegie_hill 780 , 000 40 east 88th_street 2 bedroom , 3 bath , 1 , 700 sq . ft . co op in a prewar building 24 hr . doorman , dining_room , maid 's room maintenance 1 , 250 , 38 tax deductible ( broker corcoran group ) chelsea 146 , 250 433 west 24th street 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 550 sq . ft . co op in a renovated prewar building remodeled_kitchen and bath , fireplace , maintenance 360 , 75 tax deductible ( broker h.h . kliegerman_associates ) tribeca 436 , 000 181 hudson street 2 bedroom , 1 bath , 1 , 480 sq . ft . loft condo in a renovated prewar building dining_area , large kitchen , high ceilings common charge 238 , taxes 840 ( broker bartlett associates ) upper east side 185 , 000 163 east 81st_street 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 550 sq . ft . co op in a renovated prewar building 24 hr . doorman , large kitchen , separate dressing area maintenance 544 , 50 tax deductible ( broker edward lee cave ) washington_heights 127 , 250 17 chittenden avenue ( chittenden house ) 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 700 sq . ft . co op in a renovated prewar art_deco building sunken_living_room , roof_deck , garden , hudson_river view maintenance 285 , 25 tax deductible ( c uptown realty ) west_village 440 , 000 16 hudson street 1 bedroom , 1 bath , 1 , 500 sq . ft . loft co op in a recently renovated prewar building 1 , 100 sq . ft . private roof space , fireplace maintenance 776 , 60 tax deductible ( broker wells gay ) bronx city_island 310 , 000 156 marine street 2 bedroom , 2 bath , single family , detached , brick house common driveway , large kitchen , eastchester bay view , 29 by 90 ft . lot taxes 1 , 500 ( broker_jacqueline_kyle_kall ) pelham gardens 198 , 000 2418 westervelt avenue 3 bedroom , 2 bath , single family , detached , house formal_dining_room , large kitchen , 1 car garage , 25 by 100 ft . lot taxes 1 , 100 ( broker vincent s . tolentino real_estate ) brooklyn brooklyn_heights 222 , 500 28 cadman plaza west 2 bedroom , 2 bath , 2 , 100 sq . ft . loft co op in a renovated prewar building 24 hr . doorman , recreation room , large kitchen maintenance 767 , 50 tax deductible ( broker barbara d'erasmo ) flatbush 146 , 750 772 east 48th_street 4 bedroom , 1 1 2 bath , single family , semiattached , brick stucco house formal_dining_room , finished_basement , 2 car garage , 20 by 100 ft . lot taxes 785 ( broker dwork korn ) queens forest_hills 385 , 000 111 11 76th avenue 4 bedroom , 2 bath , single family , attached brick tudor_dining_room , fireplace , front and rear gardens , 20 by 85 ft . lot ( broker_terrace_realty ) st . albans 129 , 990 114 35 196th street 2 family colonial 2 bedrooms , 1 bath , dining_room , in primary unit 1 bedroom , 1 bath in other large kitchens in both 2 car garage , 40 by 100 ft . lot ( broker john e . miller realty ) staten_island new springville 265 , 000 370 arlene street 2 family , detached , high ranch 3 bedrooms , 1 1 2 baths , dining_room , in primary unit studio with separate bath in other c a , 42 by 100 ft , lot taxes 1 , 800 ( broker century 21 appleseed agency ) oakwood 305 , 000 525 falcon avenue 3 bedroom , 2 1 2 bath , single family , broadside ranch_dining_room , large kitchen , fireplace , screened_porch , 100 by 100 ft . lot taxes 1 , 330 ( broker salmon real_estate )	has a location of america