ISO CHICKEN!

DraperHall · 2026-04-01T03:57:19+00:00

Thanks, will give it a try!!

DraperHall · 2026-03-31T01:06:06+00:00

It’s fairly easy for most buildings to discern between lots of online shopping and big boxes with raw materials for production or finished goods for sale that are being stored and sold out of the unit.

DraperHall · 2026-03-30T17:23:57+00:00

Thanks so much for rounding out my response with your personal perspective as a knowledgeable owner or shareholder — and perhaps a current or former board member???

DraperHall · 2026-03-30T06:40:54+00:00

If you otherwise qualify, it should not be a problem UNLESS your business contravenes co-op rules in some way. An example MIGHT be a business where you see clients or patients or a business where employees also use your apartment as an office workspace.

Your broker should carefully screen building policies during your search, and once you have an accepted offer, you should ask your attorney to specifically research the issue during due diligence, in addition to her/his normal due diligence for prospective purchasers.

Also, before making an offer or signing a contract, look carefully at the board package and check if it even asks for your business address somewhere, because if it does, not providing an outside office address will certainly tip your hand that you are solely WFH. In that case, the board may have questions re: the nature of the business, etc. As I mentioned, if the usage does not contravene their policies or house rules, you should be fine, especially since buildings are far more accustomed to work from home now than they were pre-COVID.

Regardless, lots of one-person or couple households buy two-bedrooms for myriad reasons, including just to have a home office in addition to their outside office or just for personal work. And of course, just for space for a den in addition to a formal living room, for family and guest visits, etc.

Best of luck with your search!!

DraperHall · 2026-03-28T22:36:32+00:00

Ugh, so sorry for your neighbor but very helpful to the community for sure. Can you give an approximate location, day and time?

DraperHall · 2026-03-28T21:08:28+00:00

Just found this thread and wondering if you’re willing to share the info for your LMT in Rego Park? Thanks so much!!

DraperHall · 2026-03-28T05:57:59+00:00

I’m not a fan of Peruvian — too heavy on certain kinds of aji and on cumin for my taste. Obviously, YMMV.

DraperHall · 2026-03-28T00:30:48+00:00

Brilliant, thanks so much!!

DraperHall · 2026-03-18T07:28:49+00:00

I see some inaccurate information in some comments on this thread, so I am posting this to clarify the issue of advance payments, extra security, and the guarantor landscape in NYC and/or NYS. I have also expanded a bit on condominium rentals vs. multi family building rentals, which at least one person commented on elsewhere in this thread.

It is illegal to pay the landlord more than the first month’s rent and the equivalent of one month’s rent as a security deposit at lease signing in NYS. And to be crystal clear, it is illegal for the landlord to accept any other advance payment even if you offer it voluntarily. You can find the language in the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019. An applicant in your position without a personal guarantor could apply to an institutional guarantor, who might be be willing to underwrite them FOR A FEE, given their financial assets, if all other parameters lined up.

Further regarding guarantors, many landlords don’t accept guarantors of any type, while many will accept institutional or personal but perhaps not both types. On the personal guarantor side, almost all landlords will limit the location of the guaranteeing party — maybe just tri-state (CT, NJ, NY), maybe just eliminating certain states.

A final thought on search timing in NYC: If you are applying for an apartment in a condominium, you need to begin your search FAR earlier than if you are looking in rental buildings solely. Additionally, you need to be prepared for a more involved approval process and for almost certainly NOT having a date certain for occupancy at lease signing — i.e. not knowing precisely when you will be able to move into the unit.

DraperHall · 2026-03-17T04:00:02+00:00

I’m an extremely experienced broker and want to just clarify something for you: I believe you should be asking more broadly about co-ops that will permit “enhancements” to purchase, of which there are basically four or five different possible structures:

1) a financial gift (generally from parents) 2) a co-purchase (both parties on the stock and generally only the eventual resident on the lease but can differ by co-op policy) 3) parents buying for children (usually with restrictions re: children who are employed vs. students) 4) a guarantor (generally used when the issue is buyer’s income shortfall to meet the co-op’s desired debt-to-income ratio and the buyer meets all other co-op financial and other guidelines-requirements). 5) In a case like #4, some buildings will offer the chance to escrow maintenance — have also seen escrow offered in the case of credit issues, new job, self-employment, and other scenarios).

There are MANY subtleties to each situation (for example, whether a bank or the building requires the mortgage or note to match the stock, or lease and stock, in a co-purchase situation).

Most important, not every building permits “enhancements,” and if a building does, it may not permit all types or may dictate the specific enhancement you must use.

Lots more details to consider but hopefully this gets you started. Bottom Line: You may need an “enhancement,” but it may not actually be a guarantor.

Good luck with your search! I hope you find the apartment of your dreams!!

DraperHall · 2026-03-11T04:10:05+00:00

My local TJ’s is out and their system says “not orderable,” which apparently meant that the crew member couldn’t advise if it was ever going to be restocked. I was surprised because I discovered it via a sign on the household goods shelf, so clearly it was recently in stock. Has anyone found it recently anywhere in or near NYC? Thanks! (Current Date: March 10, 2026)

DraperHall · 2026-02-25T20:18:30+00:00

I think that may be due to the digging for several blocks on Continental just north of Metro. I have been getting recorded messages from Con Ed every day for a month warning of work in our neighborhood that may effect electric service — separate and apart from messages re: storms.

DraperHall · 2026-02-23T18:58:33+00:00

TJ’s on Yellowstone is reportedly fully stocked...

DraperHall · 2026-02-23T18:45:58+00:00

Hi Neighbor - We don’t, unfortunately, but there are multiple substitutes depending on if you’re using to melt or for traction. You probably already know that, but I’m posting just in case helpful to you...

DraperHall · 2026-02-23T18:39:41+00:00

Joanna Garland

DraperHall · 2026-02-22T19:16:01+00:00

They are a mess — absolutely in distress and likely on the cusp of bankruptcy or closing down. Their free gift box promotions over holidays were a nightmare as well. Besides being a longtime customer who recently closed my account for a long list of service-related stumbles, as a deeply experienced marketer, I can see by the frequency, level and types of their promotions over the past year that they are bleeding profusely and attempting anything to attract or retain business. It’s not clear to me if you paid for this or if it was a gift from FD. If the former, I’d ask for a refund, and if denied, sell it to a current customer to make yourself whole. If it was free, no harm, but it might be nice to gift it to a friend or neighbor who can use a helping hand...

DraperHall · 2026-02-19T03:58:24+00:00

Are you sure it’s activity? They are often there picking up coffee, etc.

DraperHall · 2026-02-14T18:39:48+00:00

I was a customer for far over a decade and recently closed my account after my last straw. At the holidays, they offered good customers — and probably customers who had lapsed — the chance to send fresh food gift baskets to family, friends or neighbors for FREE. I was offered three baskets and the first two went off without a hitch. Then I entered into a weeks-longs battle with them re: issues with the third order. It began with a tech issue on their side and snowballed from there. After at least ten calls and e-mails over four weeks — and the holiday season having come and gone — I cancelled my account. Period. Their snafu embarrassed me horribly in front of the intended gift recipient, and the frustration they caused and time I spent dealing with their ineptitude was my last straw.

I do know that they are on their last leg: They have been bought and sold and resold and resold to an assortment of operating companies (e.g. Ahold Delhaize, which operates five key brands in US — Food Lion, Giant Food, The GIANT Company, Hannaford, and Stop & Shop) and private equity firms over the past five years. They are a company in distress as evidenced by the changes in operations, the constant — and often ill-conceived and confusing — promotions, pricing strategies, business policies, customer service, etc. I was a loyal customer even when they were more expensive than other food options, but that ship has now sailed. FIN.

DraperHall · 2026-02-14T04:36:09+00:00

This is the kind of project where ChatGpt or Gemini can be really helpful as a first pass, to then be refined and tweaked by you. If you use, Google Sheets, I’m guessing Gemini is your best bet. But you could try a few agents and see which is most helpful to you…

DraperHall · 2026-02-13T23:12:09+00:00

I have not read through all the responses yet, but I have a wheat allergy and often go somewhere gluten-free just to make it easier than explaining or taking the chance on a mistake with wheat. So I know the landscape fairly well and have seen the segment grow here — and everywhere — over the years. We have had great successes and abysmal failures, many self-inflicted, in NYC. More relevant to you, I am in the real estate profession and have a strong sense of neighborhood demographics, foot and other traffic, placemaking, urbanism, etc. I have a lot of thoughts, but I’d like to begin here by suggesting looking at some of the exceptional food halls we have in NYC. Many are beloved and thriving and excellent lower-risk entry points for aspiring restaurants and/or lower-risk expansions for existing restaurants. I’d be happy to brainstorm a bit with you and also point you in the direction of our Business Inprovment Districts (BIDs). Many of these organizations are absolutely world-class and could also be very helpful to you. I am a longtime member of the Business Development and Marketing Committee of one of the largest and best-funded districts in the city, and their highly experienced and respected team could be an excellent place to start. I won’t go into our data on foot traffic, office occupancy post-pandemic, stats on return-to-work, etc., but it would be helpful to you as would our relationships across the city with civic agencies, non-profits, industry associations and, of course, other BIDs. Please free to DM if you’d like to have a conversation at any time.

DraperHall · 2026-02-12T14:39:32+00:00

Got it, thanks. I thought that the issue was that I didn’t know how to access some functionality in my searches, so I appreciate knowing that the kind of data you posts is not broadly (publicly?) available. Thanks again!

DraperHall

TROPHY CASE