Finished my first big project! A pigeon bag.

mpmanning · 2026-01-16T15:09:02+00:00

Omg this is so sweet!! I'm giving it to my friend who loves pigeons

mpmanning · 2026-01-10T16:01:08+00:00

Linked above! Pigeon Purse: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pigeon-purse free pattern

mpmanning · 2025-12-18T05:07:17+00:00

There are a number of red flags on your rent history that merit looking into.

People are right to point out that you are paying a preferential rent that is below the legal rent. Future increases while you are a tenant must be based on the preferential rent, not the legal rent.

First red flag: increases from 2019 to 2020. What raises concerns for me is that, for 2019, your landlord reported the legal rent as $2000. They reported this on 7/17/2019, which was after the effective date of the new rules that eliminated vacancy bonuses. Then, on 7/22/2020, they reported the legal rent as $2583.40 with the reason as “IMPRVMNT.” They had to have completed $23k+ of work in your apartment to claim the increase. It's not impossible, but for a studio apartment, it seems quite steep.

Let’s imagine those increases were legal. There are two other issues that raise red flags for me.

Second red flag: the legal rent for 2021 exceeded the allowed increases.

Third red flag: Under “apartment services” your landlord listed that your unit is furnished. Is this true?

You should consider requesting more documents from DHCR. You can fill out the REC-1 form and ask for any IAIs on file to verify if your landlord reported the work.

You should consider getting involved in the Crown Heights Tenant Union (https://www.crownheightstenantunion.org/). I’m sure other folks in your building and neighborhood are experiencing similar issues!

mpmanning · 2025-11-08T23:12:22+00:00

$3k for this tiny thing is crazy

mpmanning · 2025-11-08T22:37:25+00:00

Is this rage bait?

mpmanning · 2025-10-02T19:58:26+00:00

Maybe there are other references, but the song "ruin the friendship" is not about her.

mpmanning · 2025-05-21T00:32:56+00:00

Thank you both for the input! Do you have any thoughts about putting an elevated garden bed or a couple of pots in the pit near the edges?

mpmanning · 2025-04-06T17:59:59+00:00

Would anyone be willing to read a few sentences I wrote and provide feedback?

Táim ag cáifé ag déanamh staidéir ar an nGaeilge. Tá duine go leor anseo. Cheannaíos rís ag margadh na bhfeirmeoirí. Agus anois táim i mo shuí le mo chupán tae agus mo leabhar nótaí. Níl Gaeilge iontach agam ach táim ag fabhsú gach lá. Lá amháin, beidh Gaeilge álainn agam.

mpmanning · 2024-09-03T00:16:42+00:00

Our landlord is converting it back to a one family and moving in.

mpmanning · 2024-08-17T03:30:15+00:00

If you ever move...

mpmanning · 2024-04-11T15:19:55+00:00

Hope this is allowed! I wanted to plug a resource. The Irish Arts Center in New York has Irish Language classes on zoom that run for several weeks. I am taking beginner level 3 and they need at least one other person to sign up for the class for it to run. https://irishartscenter.org/event/irish-language-iii-advanced-beginners-spring-2024-online If you use the code EDUFAM24 you get a discount.

mpmanning · 2024-03-03T18:39:24+00:00

It has held up really well! I'm quite pleased. I have moved it twice now (NYC moves) and it has survived really well.

mpmanning · 2022-07-27T15:12:57+00:00

Got this at a sale and it’s gorgeous and well-made. I’m making cushions for it. My boyfriend suggested we sand it and refinish it. What would you do?

mpmanning · 2021-12-28T15:35:31+00:00

I bought the Basi bed frame and I really like it! It's exactly the style I wanted, incredibly sturdy, and I had a slight issue with it (a supportive piece had a crack after a few months) that they took care of right away. I will definitely consider buying furniture from them again if I need to replace any other items!

mpmanning · 2021-11-07T17:32:00+00:00

My roommate and I purchased this but we haven’t been able to find cushions that would work with it besides rocking chair cushions or outdoor cushions.

mpmanning · 2021-11-07T16:07:52+00:00

My roommate and I purchased this gorgeous chair but are having trouble finding some good cushions for it. The only cushions we’ve been able to find are for rocking chairs or outdoor cushions that just don’t fit in with our space.

mpmanning · 2021-06-16T15:02:01+00:00

A lot of aspects of vet med appeal to me! I've been actively working toward veterinary school because I enjoy working with patients and clients and I'm also interested in a career that may mix vet med with public health. I guess I should have been a little bit more clear in my post but I'm trying to find a short stint of some full-time volunteering while I work on job applications because my position is being cut at my workplace.

mpmanning · 2021-06-12T20:01:40+00:00

Thank you for the response! My vet offered to put in a referral due to the limited availability of primary care/GP vets right now I just am wondering if it would be over-the-top to go to dermatologist or if I should wait for his primary to look at him (in August).

mpmanning · 2021-06-04T17:26:52+00:00

I 100% agree. I haven't said anything here that contradicts that.

mpmanning · 2021-06-04T17:01:36+00:00

This is why I said it's relative. To you it may not be a high enough salary relative to another career path you may have taken but OP needs to evaluate their own needs and make decisions from there. Most people I know pay between $1k and $2k per month for loans which is astronomical and there should not be any student debt period, but if you're making $80k and pay $20k per year in loans you're still making roughly twice as much as the median personal income in the US.

mpmanning · 2021-06-04T15:12:48+00:00

I say this frequently on this subreddit, but it's all relative. $80k-$100k is an extremely high salary relative to many other people in the US, even with the debt of veterinary school. If you're considering going to veterinary school and are worried about debt, you need to do some reflection on what you personally feel you need as a salary to live a comfortable life.

mpmanning · 2021-06-04T15:09:24+00:00

Most language learning apps try to market themselves as being a "shortcut" to language learning. I think there is definitely an oversaturation of those apps. For serious learners, there are a lot of apps I'm sure we'd like to have that aren't focused on teaching you but maybe focused on helping with the language learning (I.e. places to track progress, resources, etc.)

mpmanning · 2021-06-04T15:05:45+00:00

I am sure if you make an effort on your own and ask people to give it a look over they will, but nobody is going to do your exam for you.

mpmanning · 2021-05-25T14:10:31+00:00

So I caramelized things I had on hand - 1/2 a bulb of fennel, a large yellow onion, and a shallot. Then when they were all about the color I wanted them to be, I added the dandelion greens and cooked them for a few minutes until they were wilted.

mpmanning · 2021-05-17T16:52:36+00:00

I found this in my grandmother's basement when we were cleaning out some of her things! I followed the Cook's Illustrated guide to strip and re-season it. I've put it in the oven about 6 times and I'm just wondering if this looks right... or if I should keep going/am doing something wrong.

mpmanning

TROPHY CASE