New York Takes the LEED

In today’s world, a big topic on everyone’s mind is energy-efficiency. Whether it’s to lower energy costs or be more green-friendly, more and more builders are finding ways to get their projects to meet specific efficiency requirements. That’s where LEED comes in. In an effort to gain this certification, the U.S. as a whole has seen a big increase in LEED-certified  construction projects.

What is LEED?

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Division. It’s a rating system devised by the United States Green Building Council that evaluates the environmental performance of buildings and urges the construction market to move toward sustainable designs. If they qualify, buildings can earn one of four ratings: certified, silver, gold, or platinum.

What Does It Take to Be LEED-Certified?

While a lot of factors go into becoming LEED-certified, the main objective is to have you buildings be resource efficient. They should reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as use less water. As a result, developers also spend less money on those buildings.

How Many LEED Properties Are There?

As of March 2017, there are a total of 28,582 LEED properties across the country in 1,324 different cities. Amazingly, 3,224 of those properties were certified since January 2016 alone. The biggest number of these properties are along the East and West coasts, with the average property size being around 137,400 square feet.

How LEED-Certified is New York City?

Kudos to NYC, because we have the most LEED-certified properties in the U.S.! We have over 30,000 properties that meet LEED specifications and have the second highest medal score-total at 330. Let’s hope the city keeps it up and we reach number one!

Want to hear more about how NYC is going green? Connect with AMAA on Facebook and Twitter!

We are your source for special inspection and related services in New York and the entire metropolitan area. With over 50 years of experience, we are known for both our high standards and specialized services. We have supported the work of some of the largest and most prestigious developers, retailers and more. Call us today at 212.867.6720 or visit our website for more information.

Renovation Lessons from Contrators

Raise your hand if you go nuts when the projects on home renovation shows turn to disasters mid-episode. To the average homeowner, seeing a project take a turn for the worst when it already was going so well is mind-boggling. However, to contractors and builders, that's just another day at the office. Take a quick minute to learn some renovation lessons from the people who know them best.

Know What You Want Done, and Communicate It Well

The more honest and specific you are with what you want done on your project, the better your contractor will be able to deliver. Create a primary list of must-haves and a secondary list of other additions that you would like to have if you have the budget for it. A contractor's favorite people to work with are the people who know what they want and tell their contractor up front.

Set an Appropriate Budget

Realize that renovations can be costly and that you may have to sacrifice things to stay within your budget. Often, homeowners have a specific amount that they're willing to spend on their renovation but don't have realistic expectations for what that amount to can get them.

Understand That Your Project Will Take Time

Many homeowners think that they can talk to a contractor and have their work begin the next day. In reality, your contractor will need anywhere between several days and several months to get your project completed. Some companies even have policies to wait 60 to 90 days before starting construction, so they have enough planning time.

Have Realistic Expectations of the Finished Project

Just because you took some inspiration or ideas from a magazine or website, it doesn't mean they'll look exactly the same in your home. Maybe your space is too small or your budget doesn’t allow for it. If that’s the case, be flexible, and trust that your contractor is doing his or her best to create your vision.

For more tips for your construction project, connect with AMAA on Facebook and Twitter!

We are your source for special inspection and related services in New York and the entire metropolitan area. With over 50 years of experience, we are known for both our high standards and specialized services. We have supported the work of some of the largest and most prestigious developers, retailers and more. Call us today at 212.867.6720 or visit our website for more information.

L Train Renovations Will Be Completed Sooner than Expected

For the past year, Brooklyn and Manhattan residents have dreaded the potential shutdown of the L train. Sorry to say, but it’s definitely happening. The renovations are being done to repair the Canarsie Tunnel, which was badly damaged during Hurricane Sandy. This has created a bit of turmoil for NYC residents who are worried that their commutes will be badly affected by the shutdown.

When Is The L Train Shutting Down?

Transit authorities have decided that the L train will shut down in April 2019. The good news here is that the renovations will be over sooner than originally expected. When it was first proposed, it was believed that the shutdown would last 18 months, but MTA spokeswoman Beth DeFalco has announced that three months have been shaved off the construction time. So while it may be frustrating that the L train is shutting down, 15 months without it better than 18. Wouldn’t you agree?

Will Any Stations Still Operate During the L Shutdown?

There will be no stops between Manhattan and Brooklyn during the duration of the shutdown. However, the L train will still operate between Canarsie and Williamsburg and will stop service at Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn. Unfortunately for Manhattan-dwellers, all five stops along 14th Street will be closed until the renovations are complete.

How Will I Get Around During the L Train Shutdown?

City officials are still in the process of working out viable solutions to help out commuters whose travel will be impacted by the shutdown. Currently, there are talks of car-free zones along 14th Street, Grand Street, and Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, as well as a gondola that would travel over the East River. While nothing is set in stone, you can rest assured that NYC officials are doing their best to make your commute change as easy as possible.

We’ve got plenty more NYC news for you, so make sure follow along and connect with AMAA on Facebook and Twitter!

We are your source for special inspection and related services in New York and the entire metropolitan area. With over 50 years of experience, we are known for both our high standards and specialized services. We have supported the work of some of the largest and most prestigious developers, retailers and more. Call us today at 212.867.6720 or visit our website for more information.

Cuomo & State Legislature Agree to a 421-a Replacement

New York is a city that’s constantly changing and evolving to improve the quality of life for its residents. While there have been plenty of programs implemented to date, a big factor still missing in NYC living is adequate affordable rental housing. After all, it’s no secret that living in the city doesn’t come cheap! Fortunately, Governor Cuomo and the state legislature have been working towards finding a way to fix that. The solution? The 421-a program, appropriately called “Affordable New York.”

What is 421-a all about?

The $163 billion budget deal closely resembles the original budget plan Cuomo proposed in January, which gave tax exemptions to developers for up to 35 years and provided wage requirements for construction workers on qualifying projects. The plan changed back in 2016, when Mayor de Blasio wanted to require developers who received reductions to save half of their community preference units (5% of their total units) for those living in homeless shelters.

The budget, which passed this past Sunday, authorizes the spending of $2.5 billion on 100,000 units of affordable housing, as well as 6,000 units of supportive housing. This plan is supposed to last until 2022, so New York City has the chance to make changes to how the program functions.

We’ve got plenty more NYC development news for you, so make sure follow along and connect with AMAA on Facebook and Twitter!

We are your source for special inspection and related services in New York and the entire metropolitan area. With over 50 years of experience, we are known for both our high standards and specialized services. We have supported the work of some of the largest and most prestigious developers, retailers and more. Call us today at 212.867.6720 or visit our website for more information.

Secrets of Manhattan

No matter how long you’ve lived in Manhattan or how cultured you are, there’s not a single person who knows everything there is to know about NYC.  Filled with landmarks and buildings and parks — oh my —  there are secrets around every New York corner that are just waiting to be brought to light. Test your knowledge — did you know these weird Manhattan facts?

There’s a real murder mystery connected to an 18th-century building.

Legend has it that a skeleton was found under the floorboards of the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum in the early 1900s. No one knows who it was, how it got there, or who killed the poor soul, which makes for an exciting, yet spooky reenactment that 30-40 New Yorkers participate in each month. The estate first built the carriage house in 1799 before having it serve as a hotel from 1826 to 1833. It was then opened as a museum in 1939, and finally deemed a historic landmark in 1967.

Manhattan has its own Hogwarts.

PC: New York Adventure Club / Corey William Schneider

The Great Hall in the CCNY’s Shepard Hall looks a lot like the Great Hall in Hogwarts. Although it doesn’t teach witchcraft and wizardry to NYC Potterheads, the hall has served some cool purposes. It was used as an army cadet training camp during World War I and as a study hall for soldiers during World War II. Today it’s used as a meeting hall and is a popular stop on NYC tours.

Rockefeller Center used to be a botanical garden.

Back in 1801, David Hosack, a professor of botany at Columbia University, purchased the land that is now Rockefeller Center for just a few thousand dollars and turned it into the nation’s first botanical garden. It unfortunately had to close in 1929 when Hosack ran into financial trouble, and that gave John D. Rockefeller Jr. the chance to purchase the land and create the famous building we know today.

We’ve got plenty more fun facts to share with you, so make sure to follow along and connect with AMAA on Facebook and Twitter!

We are your source for special inspection and related services in New York and the entire metropolitan area. With over 50 years of experience, we are known for both our high standards and specialized services. We have supported the work of some of the largest and most prestigious developers, retailers and more. Call us today at 212.867.6720 or visit our website for more information.

What You Didn't Know about Brownstones

When people say ‘brownstone,” they often are referencing any townhouse, regardless of its age. But this isn’t an all-encompassing term for Manhattan homes. While some New Yorkers are big fans of brownstones, others, like novelist Edith Wharton, are definitely not, writing that she and her family were “cursed with its universal chocolate-coloured coating of the most hideous stone ever quarried.” Love them or hate them, there are some things that need to be set straight about brownstones.

A true brownstone is actually made of brick — only the facade is made of brownstone.

A type of sandstone, brownstone can be pink, red, orange, or purple-ish in color depending on the minerals, clay, and other materials that make it up. Master craftsman and owner of J. Pontes, Inc., Jack Pontes, explains that the structural walls of a brownstone are always brick, and brownstone is a veneer that gets attached to the front brick wall using metal ties.

Some of the faces on brownstone facades memorialized their owners.

It used to be considered chic to have a celebrity depicted on a residence. Michael Devonshire, a New York City Landmarks commissioner and director of conservation at Jan Hird Pokorny Associates, has seen "numerous faces, most of them of mythical characters or even the building owner," on traditional brownstones. The one downside is that the carvings don’t fare well, since sandstone is absorptive and causes the facial features to wear away.

There’s a very practical reason why brownstones have stoops, and it’s not glamorous in the slightest.

A wildly distinctive feature of a classic NYC brownstone is its stoop. But the Dutch who built these homes back in the late 1800's didn’t add the stoops as an aesthetic touch - they built them to raise the parlors above flood waters, which more than likely were filled with horse manure. Some believe that NYC actually piled the horse manure so high that, when it rained, it would flood the streets and seep into people's basements. Yuck!

If you want to take a stroll through NYC to browse some of these buildings, check out the Upper West Side or Park Slope for the best examples of the heyday New York brownstone. For more fun facts about NYC buildings and living, connect with AMAA on Facebook and Twitter!

We are your source for special inspection and related services in New York and the entire metropolitan area. With over 50 years of experience, we are known for both our high standards and specialized services. We have supported the work of some of the largest and most prestigious developers, retailers and more. Call us today at 212.867.6720 or visit our website for more information.