the cityhammer blog

There's an article in the New York Times that even just 18 months ago would have been considered ludicrous. It's about whether or not air conditioning is just luxury that people could learn to do without.

TO many Americans, abstaining from air-conditioning is a masochistic folly akin to refusing Novocain or renouncing the dishwasher.

Yet as this particular summer finally heats up, even citizens who believe that climate control is a God-given right may be questioning whether it has become a luxury they can no longer afford. They are probably also wondering how they can survive without it.

The fact that we're at the point where we're asking this question out loud represents a major regression for our society, and no, it doesn't make us feel better that the Allies won WWII without AC, which the writer unhelpfully points out.

If you have no choice, I suppose you copuld survive a summer in NYC without AC, but if it's between chilled air and, say, taking taxis everywhere, you may want to start walking!

Here's a list of New York Air Conditioning Companies who can help you install, maintain or repair an ac system or unit.

And here are some Tips on Air Conditioning in New York from cityhammer.com, New York's #1 Remodeling Directory.

Full Article:

The Unchilled Life (NYT)

Labels: AC Repair NY, New York AC, New York Air Conditioning

This is big news and every homeowner on Long Island needs to be aware of how many unlicensed contractors are out there, just lining up to take money and not fulfill the work contracted.

From the New York Post:

Nearly four dozen unlicensed Long Island contractors were more skilled at pulling in thousands of dollars for jobs -- than actually doing the work, officials said today.

Nassau DA Kathleen Rice announced the results of a 5-week investigation, including the running of a "Sting House" to lure a dozen unlicensed contractors in and capture them on video.

The way many of the scams worked, homeowners were told to fork over cash in advance, and in some cases, demolition work had begun. Shortly after, the contracting company would stop showing up, leaving the customer with a partially destroyed home and no idea what to do next.

cityhammer.com, New York's #1 Remodeling Directory urges Long Island homeowners in need of renovations to heed the words of Nassau County DA Kathleen Rice:

"When you hire an unlicensed contractor, you're rolling the dice."

For a list of qualified home improvement pro's and general contractors on Long Island with licensing information available, click the links below:

Nassau County General Contractors

Suffolk County General Contractors

Full Article:

Contractors on LI Scam Busted (NYP)

Labels: General Contractors Long Island, Nassau County General Contractors, Suffolk County Contractors

Labels: Building NYC, Green Building, Manhattan Contractors, New York General Contractors

Tina Traster's excellent Burb Appeal column in the New York Post continues this week with the transplanted New Yorker giving us an idea of how she keeps her family's new home in Rockland County, a restored 1800's farmhouse, clutter-free and organized.

I designed the bathrooms with pedestal sinks rather than vanities (everyone knows vanities are the black hole for hotel soaps and cosmetic samples). The Mission-style furniture I chose evokes spare, clean lines. For the windows, I opted for simple blinds rather than curtains. The crawl-space basement, which is mildew paradise, is not even an option for storage.

Everything has its place. The remote controls live in drawers. My house keys dwell in a ceramic bowl. My husband has a small rattan box for his bits and pieces.

When someone in my family asks, "Where are my hiking shoes?" the refrain is the same: "They are where they always are." Meaning, at the bottom of the closet in the laundry room where they are supposed to be.

Getting organized in New York, Rockland County, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Brooklyn or Queens doesn't have to be a guessing game. Just bring in a NY Closet Company and within days of the job's completion, you'll feel relieved of the need to figure out where to put your stuff.

For a list of some of the top-rated NY area closet designers, visit cityhammer.com: NY Closet Designer

Read the rest of the column here: Burb Appeal: Clutter Be Gone (NYP)

Labels: Closet Organization NYC, New York Closet Organizers, NY Closet Designers

The Cabin House birdhouse by Louisville Stoneware ($85)

In times like these, adding to or changing the decor of your apartment can seem like a trifling task for many, as the national unemployment rate creeps above 10%.


But for design freaks, this is exactly the moment when you should be thinking about making some adjustments to your surroundings to shake off the dust of yesterday and move forward. New design and decor items do not necessarily have to cost a fortune but can go a long way toward making your home feel livened up and different, yet somehow the same.

Architectural Digest did the heavy lifting for us and found a bunch of cool design items that cost under 100 bucks, collected in a slide show gallery over at their website.

Here's the gallery: AD Design Finds Under $100

Labels: Architectural Digest