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old two bricks f? Maybe, two old bricks f?

Don't sweat the dust - just identify it as historical dust from the 18th Century.

Thanks for sharing your magical home - it is lovely.

I've read about the rent controlled places, and from time to time our commie city leaders here try to bring it up, just like they're off on a "living wage" rampage right now, but if governments would just let the markets work freely, everyone would be so much better off.

Since moving west, I imagine that you can see your old landlord's point of view with his property. While "helping" you with your rent, the government at the same time was screwing the owner out of thousands of dollars over the years - where is his motivation to keep things in tip-top shape for his tenants if he can't get market rates for the unit?

I wonder if he got a break on his property taxes for having rent-controlled units, or did he get screwed there also? Nothing screws up so badly as liberals with "noble" plans and schemes for the little people - us, who have to foot the bill each and every time.

If it's really a good idea, some entrepeneur will come up with the way to make it happen, and make money at the same time. /rant. ;-)

hi loddy
it is complicated cause of Depression
people could not pay their rent, and some landlords instantly dispossessed them
they came home to find all their belongings on street
and door to apt padlocked
plus manhattan is not like other places, many people were born in their apt and lived in it their whole life
it is their home
the lower east side was a slum
when I moved there during hippy era, it was just the people who never ''bettered themselves''
don't forget when landlords buy and sell buildings, they know exactly how many apts are rent controlled
my LL bought my building for $80,000 back in 1980
it had huge store downstairs, right on First Avenue
which he could rent for as much as he wanted
stores are not rent controlled
(he instantly rented it for $20,000/month)
even with rent control, LL got increases on apts every year
my apt was $77 when I moved in, $349 when I left
also rent control was discontinued in nyc in 1980
only those who moved in before were still eligible for it

some landlords would buy the building on the cheap, cause of all the rent control tenants it had
then do harassment campaign to get them out
if they were just to be patient, people always move out on their own
when LL bought building in 1980 most apts were occupied by rent control tenants
when I left in '91, only my neighbor Vie who was born in apt, was still rent controlled

but my LL refused to be patient
he did harassment tactics
my neighbor Carmine was over 80 years old
he had lived there since he got married
he was living on small SS check
LL did shenanigans to steal apt out from under him
I went to court with Carmine to get his apt back
Carmine nearly cried ''where would I go'' he said ''if they took my apt''

like everything else, there has to be a solution which is fair to both sides
LL was renting out the store downstairs for a fortune at that time, he let Carmine's apt turn to s&%t
he could have let Carmine stay
Love, Palo

there are wonderful landlords, and some are not so wonderful
here in Tucson Nellie used to rent the house across the street
it was duplex then
the people who rented it still come back and visit
and thank her for the wonderful landlord she was

it is good question bout property taxes
yes, I think LL did get big break on them
but I do not know
Love, Palo

Carmine, Vie, most of my neighbors, and new LL were all Sicilian
Vie used to say to me ''this is not Sicily, we don't have to kiss the landlord's behind''