1) This week's hunter, Pamela, rents and saves for three years before she formulates a plan to buy a two- or three-family house in Brooklyn and rent out the other units. But this proves easier said than done. It's not that she's picky—in fact, she seems to fall for practically every place she sees, regardless of its condition—but unforeseen problems keep popping up. She enters contract on a two-family in Bed-Stuy, only to have the deal tied up indefinitely in probate court. She moves on, getting outbid at a few more places before her boyfriend, Brian, joins the adventure. They don't have much more luck looking together than Pamela did alone and even consider giving up and getting a condo instead. Finally, though, they close on a Bushwick two-family that's in such poor condition that its agent originally didn't even want it to be shown. Now, a new adventure begins, also full of unexpected roadblocks and hindrances. But now Pamela has an outlet for all the frustrations—she's chronicling the renovation on her blog. [The Hunt/'With an Income Stream in View']
2) The Upper West Side filled up with young people during the co-op conversion wave of the '60s, but now those young people are old people and some Upper West Side buildings have become NORCs (Natural Occurring Retirement Communities.) While services for the elderly are commonly provided in public housing projects and buildings, privately owned buildings are sometimes a bit reticent when it comes to admitting that they've become a NORC, and there can be some foot-dragging when it comes to things like installing ramps or guardrails. However, privately run programs have begun to pop up in buildings like Lincoln Towers, Lincoln House, and Park West Village. Some programs, like the all-volunteer Bloomingdale Aging in Place, provide services to multiple buildings in the neighborhood. Remember, we'll all be elderly Upper West Siders one day, in spirit if not in reality. ['Sun City It's Not'; photo by Mark Luehti]
Loading comments...