new to Crown Heights

anonymous · August 2007

I'm moving to my new apartment this Sunday. Problem is, I need new window screens as I have cats. Is there a business you guys recommend where I can get them made? I would rather have full window screens rather than those dinky half screens as they don't seem particularly strong and I'm afraid my smaller cat will be able to get through that and the window guard and plunge down four floors. (She already did this once, only the reason it didn't end in tragedy was because I live on the first floor.) Since I found that I can't open my windows from the top. (bummer) I've already come to terms with the fact that I will never be able to open my windows very wide for safety's sake.

I also wonder if any of you would recommend a piano mover. This will be moved later in the week, preferably the following Thursday. Does Wong move pianos? Or is there a specialized mover that you would recommend? I have an upright grand that weighs 600 pounds.

Last on the list, I've been reading this blog a lot and I get the impression that in Crown Heights there are good blocks and bad blocks. (Kind of like inner-city Minneapolis that way, come to think of it). So what kind of block is Lincoln Place between Kingston and Brooklyn? It's a block and a half from the Kingston stop. I nabbed this apartment because it was the only one I could find under $1000 that didn't totally suck. I'm an experienced urban survivor (after having grown up in Boston in the '70s, I've seen little in modern-day New York that fazes me) but I'd like to know what I'm getting myself into. As it is, the lack of amenities is getting to me, but then I'm spoiled coming from Astoria. After googling around, it seems that I will be able to find everything I need, just that I would have to spend some time seeking them out, rather than having everything I need and want right around the corner. The only thing that seems problematic is finding a good vet.

(Oh yeah, can anyone recommend one? I have to buy weekly supplies for one of my cats who has had kidney disease for the past five years.)

sweet tea · August 2007

there have been LOTS of vet threads, so to avoid turning this thread into another one, i'll suggest the search function (hard to spot, up at the top of the page, by FAQ). i don't remember reading much about vets in crown heights -- we use and love hope vet, on atlantic. a lot of people also like animal kind, an animal hospital in park slope, especially for more hospital-y needs.

welcome! (register, stick around!)

anonymous · August 2007

I think I might. Thanks Sweet Tea! BTW, I'm a *fanatic* about tea though I drink mine black.

I already googled for vets, but what disturbed me was that a lot of the local vets, including the ones you mentioned got bad reviews. I guess I'll have to see who my current vet recommends. I'm thinking of using that guy that makes housecalls. But I still need a place to go and buy veterinary supplies, such as lactated ringer bags, needles, venosets, pills (including Azodyl, which most vets don't carry yet, but which is EXCELLENT for treating kidney disease and may be the main reason why my kitty survived in good health for five years) and his special food.

And the one downside of using homecare, however good that vet may be, is that Penny doesn't get to travel to the vet. He actually enjoys the experience of going and meeting new people and animals. He's weird that way.

sweet tea · August 2007

hee! funny cat.

by search, by the way, i meant searching previous threads here, not just google. i doubt you'll find anywhere that doesn't have some negative reviews -- i have even been irrationally angry at perfectly good vets when an animal of mine is sick -- but it does seem like hope and animal kind come out on top around here. and the complaints i have read about those places don't have quite the grim quality of the complaints i've read about some others.

we get cat food delivered from acme pet supply, on vanderbilt. i don't know if they will go as far east as you are, and they don't carry a lot of medical stuff, but it might be worth asking them whether they'd consider a standing special order for you, and whether they know anyone else who does carry what you need. (plus, if you go in person, you get to meet knuckles, the most brooklyn cat ever.)

do you play the piano professionally?

anonymous · August 2007

No. I sing professionally. It's also handy when I'm writing music as nothing holds up a score better than an upright grand. When I rented a spinet, I spent more time chasing stray pages that fell behind the piano than I did actually writing music!

I'm pretty sure I would have to go to a vet to get what Penny needs because this is stuff he's been prescribed and it's generally not available through pet stores. I used to order Azodyl online when they were beta-testing the product (Yeah, I guess Penny was a guinea pig, but the stuff REALLY helped him and I was able to convince my vet to carry it as a result.), but now it's only available through veterinarians.

I've made some progress though. I found a place that will do one day turnaround on window screens and they are charging pretty much what I was expecting to pay. So it looks like I will have window screens by Wednesday. Yay!

Utilities are another thing though. I spent the entire day on the phone. It turns out that the previous tenant of my apartment didn't pay her bills so I'm having to jump through some extra hoops. I'm like, "I've been your customer for ten years. I pay my bills. Why do I have to suffer for the sins of someone I don't even know?"

And it turns out that the only cable provider in the area is Optimum. How is it? Is the service good? Reasonably priced? Do they offer a cable-internet-phone package?

caseopele · August 2007

I have the Optimum triple play which is phone, cable, and internet. It's about $140 for me but that's because i have 2 on demand channels. FWIW I was paying the same thing in PS just for internet and cable with Time Warner. I'm pleased with it overall but the phone service has been a bit crappy. Sometimes people can't hear me very well but not all the time.

As for a good vet I'm going to recommend my vets at Park Slope Veterinary Care. They've been seeing my 4 cats and 2 dogs for years and got me through 2 really rough situations. One was my cat Caseopia who needed her right front leg amputated, Dr. Parker's 1st concern was for her not how he was going to get paid. Most vets require some payment up front before they'll do any surgeries. It says alot to me that Dr. Parker told me that we could worry about payment later, Caseopia needed the surgery immediately. They ended up charging me half of what they should have charged because they knew I couldn't afford a $1000 surgery. But that's just my opinion. Welcome to the neighborhood!

anonymous · August 2007

Actually, I think I've heard some good stuff about them. I will miss my vet though. When Penny was diagnosed with kidney disease, the guy almost broke down in tears, whereas I was focused on what I could do about the problem. Fortunately, for everyone, he's blown every prognosis out of the water and is basically still fine after five years of living with his disease. He's going to have a final checkup with my vet to see if I need to increase his regimen at all. The vet is going to be sad.

But then, everyone who meets Penny gets attached to him. He has that way with people.

I suppose I could live with slightly crappy phone service. I would rather have a landline with just local service in case of massive infrastructure failure a la 2003, but right now I can't afford it. I just switched to AT&T for cell service and I've been surprised that reception sometimes isn't quite as good as T-mobile. My dad says its a good move because you can really only get T-mobile reception in major cities. And I'm like, dad, when am I NOT in a major city? The only city I travel to is LA. Heh, I just had another call that AT&T dropped. whee. It seems that AT&T would be a better choice for my best friend who's a truck driver. So anyway, how's AT&T reception in CH?

sweet tea · August 2007

i don't know about att, but my phone service through optimum has been fine. the only troubles we were having at first turned out to be wiring problems -- verizon's fault.

thatgirl75 · September 2007

lilbangladesh, would love to find out a place that makes full size screens! i know there is a hardware store on fulton b/w kingston and throop, but i imagine we'd need a window company to do that. i'm new to CH as well....welcome!

lilbangladesh · September 2007

Well, I used Tempest Windows. The guy came this morning, took the measurement of my windows, and then installed them a few hours later. He was really good and the screens were reasonably priced. I would definitely recommend them. Only thing is, they only take cash. (And I discovered to my dismay that the Bank of America charges *$3!* dollars to use their ATMs! Do they charge that much at all their ATMs or just here in CH?)

And the cable guy came on time as well. Which is why I'm here.

The only hitch is the stove. My stove is supposed to be replaced today. I asked my landlord to lean on the stove company a bit because I have errands I have to run before shabbes, but they are still not here. And I'm hungry. If they are not here by four, I'm going to have to take off.

Yesterday was a disaster. I hired High Touch Moving to move my piano and they had to abort. I was thinking to myself that a husband and wife team were able to get my piano into the apartment, so how come a team of four strapping young guys can't get it out? From the ground floor no less? So I had to find emergency storage for it. And I still have to pay again for movers to move it from storage to my apartment. Auuggh!!

Other than that, I love this neighborhood. It is truly an undiscovered gem. On Nostrand, there is a health food store and vegetarian restaurant on EVERY BLOCK. I won't ever go hungry here. Plus it's just gorgeous, the air is clean and people are friendly. I love that guy who sits out front of his brownstone on Lincoln Place all day with his ghetto blaster (which is at a discreet volume causing little disturbance). That's all he does. And he's usually listening to something cool. The other day as I walked by, he was playing Miles Davis.

daver · September 2007

You are right by me. Ital Shak is really good. Glenda's on St Johns just E of Nostrand has great roti's. The Trini place on the W side of Nostrand just N of St Johns is good, great bread there too. You can get cheap everything on Nostrand. The Met is OK for food, but I generally trek down to Key Foods a bit further on Nostrand. It is cleaner, has a better selection, and is a bit cheaper. Enjoy.

lilbangladesh · September 2007

Yeah, I noticed that the groceries on Nostrand are better than the ones on Kingston. The ones on Kingston have this *smell*. It's kind of musty. Still, unlike the Met, they carry sanitary pads, so it's handy. (I ask you, what supermarket carries diapers but not sanitary pads?)

thatgirl75 · September 2007

if you can make it to the super food town on fulton and brooklyn, then i think you'll be pleased....good stuff there, nice store and good produce.

anonymous · September 2007

Subject: Tempest Windows as landlords

lilbangladesh wrote: Well, I used Tempest Windows. The guy came this morning, took the measurement of my windows, and then installed them a few hours later. He was really good and the screens were reasonably priced. I would definitely recommend them. Only thing is, they only take cash.

They may make great windows, but the guy who owns Tempest windows is our landlord, and he's terrible about taking care of the building. Can't trust a word he says, and until I read this post, I was shocked to discover that he actually does any business, because all of us in his building usually have to listen to him and his staff bullshitting all day downstairs in their shop or out in back.

lilbangladesh · September 2007

Wow. That's surprising. It's true they promised to come on Wednesday, but then couldn't make it until Friday, but on Friday, he came on time and I had expertly fitted screens a few hours later.

And minus the $55 service call, five screens cost the same as the installation of my deadbolt.

sharstern · August 2008

Anyone have a reccomendation for screen door purchase and installation? I was going to use Tempest Windows, but now am a little weary given this thread.

thanks

daver · August 2008

sharstern wrote: Anyone have a reccomendation for screen door purchase and installation? I was going to use Tempest Windows, but now am a little weary given this thread.

You aren't weary, you are wary.

Well, you may be weary as well, but that is something entirely different.

And the only experience in this thread was a good one, the other post was from a one-time guest poster. Which may or may not be valid. Buyer beware, and don't trust everything you read on the interwebs.

chekhovian · August 2008

Daver, glad you are having a laugh at my phrase. In the nature of this welcome-to-the-neighborhood thread, I'd like to retract that rash generalization.

new to Crown Heights

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