Re: [UC] fence vandalism
It's not just curbside that this happens. I would understand if someone accidentally walked into a small metal fence or messed it up while opening a car door. On our block we did plant someflowers around the trees and placed the small metal fencing on 3 sides. People either crushed or pulled it out so they could park their bikes and chain them to the trees or dump their trash cans in the tree area, crushing fence and plants - this was within a day of the planting/fencing. I tend to 3 small front gardens on a street. The flower beds are already raised off sidewalk level. I added metal fencing as a deterrent to people who let their dogs use the gardens as their bathroom and to just try to keep people out. On one property, the metal fencing was ripped out and an impromtu bar-b-que was made by dumping charcoal in the freshly planted flowerbed. All themetal fences were trashed completely. I've now replaced that with plastic fencing that's white and higher. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed at this point. What it comes down to to me is a total lack of respect for others' property and a definite lack of common sense. Makes me wonder sometimes what their homes must look like. Wendy
Re: [UC] Update on Sansom Street Gentrification, er, Development
In a message dated 4/27/2004 10:09:42 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
So, did I miss your report on this event?
Sorry... It turned out to be a non-event. Rather than the grandiose plan to displace people from their homes so badly received last fall, this was about a private developer who bought some vacant houses in the 4400 block of Sansom for too much money, and is planning to fix them up and sell them for (are you ready?) $250,000 each or thereabouts. Oddly (or not, depending on how you view these sorts of things), the developers couldn't make it to the meeting themselves. So Greg Montenaro of the SHCA and UCHS filled in.
Gregsaid he was familiar with the project because he's been involved in some unspecified way with the financing -- although he never did say who was putting up the money, whether it was community development funding (you know, the type that's supposed to go to support affordable housing in marginal neighborhoods), and so forth. Or, maybe he said it but I was too busy making sarcastic comments and promulgating my famous misinformationto the people near me to hear it.
Someone asked the names of the developers, and Greg claimed not to know. If you find this hard to believe, you haven't dealt much with thecliquethat used to get away with the pretense of representing "the community" hereabouts. The discussion about the developers, though, led me to form the personal opinion -- and I could be wrong, it's been known to happen -- that these non-local developers ("absentee developers," Neil?) haven't a clue about such things as the Alexander School catchment area, the produce trucks that park at 44th Sansom every day and have huge popular support, the locus of Mill Creek (not the Tavern, the watercourse), or the eagerness with which rich folks will buy pricey homes next door to properties that are boarded up and whose destiny is fraught with uncertainty.
Respectfully submitted,
Alan Krigman
PS: Be sure to mark the date, Tuesday, June 8, of the SHCA general election meeting at which a motion will be presented to withdraw the Association's support of the Spruce Hill historic district nomination. Place to be announced as soon as the SHCA gets around to letting everyone know.
Re: [UC] Update on Sansom Street Gentrification, er, Development
A search of the BRT Property lists this as the developer: SUNBURST REALTY L P 1936 SPRUCE ST PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103-6613 I counted 10 properties in the 4400 block of Sansom. They purchased 7 of the 10 in November 1999 for $537K, which itself is pretty amazing, since the area in 1999 was prettytough. http://brtweb.phila.gov/disclaimer.aspx?st=ad is where I got my information. It's got a great wealth of information on property in Philly. Gail Someone asked the names of the developers, and Greg claimed not to know. If you find this hard to believe, you haven't dealt much with the clique that used to get away with the pretense of representing the community hereabouts. The discussion about the developers, though, led me to form the personal opinion -- and I could be wrong, it's been known to happen -- that these non-local developers (absentee developers, Neil?) haven't a clue about such things as the Alexander School catchment area, the produce trucks that park at 44th Sansom every day and have huge popular support, the locus of Mill Creek (not the Tavern, the watercourse), or the eagerness with which rich folks will buy pricey homes next door to properties that are boarded up and whose destiny is fraught with uncertainty. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
RE: i actually saw my fence destroyed (was [UC] fence vandalism)
a few of the pickets had been kicked out of my little white picket fence surrounding my lovely butterfly bush on the evening when the most massive destruction occurred. i was sitting out on the front roof at about 11:00 at night one lovely summer evening enjoying the night air (i've found this a refreshing experience and at the time, safer than sitting on my front steps). a friend from the suburbs was up and we were catching up on old times when a noise from the street distracted us. it sounded sort of like this: g (shuffle shuffle) uuggg (shuffle shuffle) ... And so on. Peering over the edge, we saw an old man, in his sixties or seventies, walking and stumbling down the street clutching his side and dragging one leg behind him. We watched him take five or six steps at which point he paused, wavered, and toppled over like a felled tree, into my picket fence and butterfly bush. Both the fence and the bush made a terrible snapping sound and the man lay inert on top of them like a bag of mulch. My immediate thought was wow, some old guy got shot in my front yard. I was going over the best ways to tell this story to my co-workers the next day, when but my friend, being unjaded and living in the suburbs, stood, raised a finger in the air, and said that old man needs our help! and ran down the stairs. needs _your_ help, I thought. I watched from the balcony in fascination as my friend rushed to the old man's aid. Tapping him on the shoulder, he got the injured party to respond with a drawn out uuuggghh and a shudder. can I help you sir? How can I help you? Then the man then said something that made so much sense ... I'm so drunk I can't find my house. It wasn't nearly that clear when he said it, but after some mumbling, we got the gist of it. My friend opened the man's wallet and found some identification -- the poor fellow was only 30 or so steps from his house, on the east side of 46th. My friend picked him up and carried him across the street and up some stairs. Ringing a doorbell, a woman answered and took charge of what I assume was her husband. The next day I repaired about 15 broken pickets on my fence, but they didn't last much longer. The butterfly bush, despite being broken in several places, did survive, to be crushed two years later by some demolition equipment owned by the city. Kc -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2004 1:58 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [UC] fence vandalism It's not just curbside that this happens. I would understand if someone accidentally walked into a small metal fence or messed it up while opening a car door. On our block we did plant some flowers around the trees and placed the small metal fencing on 3 sides. People either crushed or pulled it out so they could park their bikes and chain them to the trees or dump their trash cans in the tree area, crushing fence and plants - this was within a day of the planting/fencing. I tend to 3 small front gardens on a street. The flower beds are already raised off sidewalk level. I added metal fencing as a deterrent to people who let their dogs use the gardens as their bathroom and to just try to keep people out. On one property, the metal fencing was ripped out and an impromtu bar-b-que was made by dumping charcoal in the freshly planted flowerbed. All the metal fences were trashed completely. I've now replaced that with plastic fencing that's white and higher. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed at this point. What it comes down to to me is a total lack of respect for others' property and a definite lack of common sense. Makes me wonder sometimes what their homes must look like. Wendy application/ms-tnef
RE: [UC] Update on Sansom Street Gentrification, er, Development
That address sounds very familiar- isn't it the same address used by another notorious UC property owner/management company who recently filed for bankruptcy -- I can't remember the name but I recall posting information about him/it. Anyway, what is wrong with some gentrification taking place on Sansom Street? The street past 43rd/44th Street is, and in my memory, has always been, something of s--- hole. The designers of the catchment area did not do the street any favors by running the demarcation line down the middle of the street - thus placing the Southside in the catchment and the north side outside of the catchment area. Jonathan A. Cass [Signature abbreviated for WSZ] -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Gail Defendorf Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2004 9:03 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [UC] Update on Sansom Street Gentrification, er, Development A search of the BRT Property lists this as the developer: SUNBURST REALTY L P 1936 SPRUCE ST PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103-6613 I counted 10 properties in the 4400 block of Sansom. They purchased 7 of the 10 in November 1999 for $537K, which itself is pretty amazing, since the area in 1999 was prettytough. http://brtweb.phila.gov/disclaimer.aspx?st=ad is where I got my information. It's got a great wealth of information on property in Philly. Gail Someone asked the names of the developers, and Greg claimed not to know. If you find this hard to believe, you haven't dealt much with the clique that used to get away with the pretense of representing the community hereabouts. The discussion about the developers, though, led me to form the personal opinion -- and I could be wrong, it's been known to happen -- that these non-local developers (absentee developers, Neil?) haven't a clue about such things as the Alexander School catchment area, the produce trucks that park at 44th Sansom every day and have huge popular support, the locus of Mill Creek (not the Tavern, the watercourse), or the eagerness with which rich folks will buy pricey homes next door to properties that are boarded up and whose destiny is fraught with uncertainty. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] Update on Sansom Street Gentrification, er, Development
Sunburst Realty is another name for Rigdon Miller, also known as Moondance Partners, which changed into Urban Shelter shortly before filing for bankruptcy earlier this year. I'm not certain, but I think some of their Sansom Street properties were sold befoe the bankruptcy and the City's website just hasn't been updated - the house next door to mine sold two years ago and the website still lists the prior owner. Karen From: Gail Defendorf [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: Gail Defendorf [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [UC] Update on Sansom Street Gentrification, er, Development Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 09:02:49 -0400 A search of the BRT Property lists this as the developer: SUNBURST REALTY L P 1936 SPRUCE ST PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103-6613 I counted 10 properties in the 4400 block of Sansom. They purchased 7 of the 10 in November 1999 for $537K, which itself is pretty amazing, since the area in 1999 was prettytough. http://brtweb.phila.gov/disclaimer.aspx?st=ad is where I got my information. It's got a great wealth of information on property in Philly. Gail Someone asked the names of the developers, and Greg claimed not to know. If you find this hard to believe, you haven't dealt much with the clique that used to get away with the pretense of representing the community hereabouts. The discussion about the developers, though, led me to form the personal opinion -- and I could be wrong, it's been known to happen -- that these non-local developers (absentee developers, Neil?) haven't a clue about such things as the Alexander School catchment area, the produce trucks that park at 44th Sansom every day and have huge popular support, the locus of Mill Creek (not the Tavern, the watercourse), or the eagerness with which rich folks will buy pricey homes next door to properties that are boarded up and whose destiny is fraught with uncertainty. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html. _ FREE pop-up blocking with the new MSN Toolbar get it now! http://toolbar.msn.com/go/onm00200415ave/direct/01/ You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
RE: [UC] fence vandalism
Exactly! Although it may seem like a good idea to use wire fencing, they aren't very visible. My husband tripped over one getting out of our car, hurt his leg and hand on the sidewalk, and dented his camera lens (he had his camera on a strap around his neck). Needless to say, the fence did not survive his fall. I just don't think fencing around those areas works on streets where curbside parking is the norm. Quoting Turner,Kathleen [EMAIL PROTECTED]: I'm glad that someone else pointed this out -- that what you're dealing with is very likely not deliberate vandalism but the problem of basic incompatability between curbside fences and curbside parking. Kathleen -Original Message- From: Jonathan Cass [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2004 4:48 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [UC] fence vandalism I think the damage may, in some instances, actually be caused by passengers exiting or entering the passenger side of a parked car and inadvertently trampling the fence while doing so. I know I have had some similar run-ins with flower beds, shrubs, brick-lined plant beds, etc. myself while attempting to get our older son out of his car seat. Jonathan A. Cass -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Kyle Cassidy Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2004 4:11 PM To: 'Sarah Scheckter' Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: [UC] fence vandalism Three years ago I put up a wire fence around the tulips we had in the dirt plot between the curb and the sidewalk because they were being trampled. The wire fence lasted about a week until it was literally squashed flat onto the ground. I then put up a picket fence with the pickets driven one foot into the ground, the remaining fence stuck up about 1 1/2 feet. A few of the pickets got kicked in within the first two weeks, and within a month the whole fence had been crushed into a wreck of broken sticks and twisted wire. Sometime this summer I'm going to try wrought iron. But gotta get the garage door fixed first. Kc -Original Message- From: Sarah Scheckter [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2004 4:04 PM To: Sarah Scheckter Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [UC] fence vandalism Hi, all, Two weeks ago, I put up a small wire fence around my garden plot between the sidewalk and the curb in front of my house. It was meant to keep out trash, dogs, and people who might accidentally step on flowers. It was also meant to protect my sick street tree. Soon after the fence was set up, people were stepping (accidentally, I assume) on the fence, knocking it over and bending the wire. Then, someone pulled up a lot of it and also pushed the tree over. I fixed the fence each time. Today my boyfriend saw someone pull up part of the fence and throw it on the ground. I am mystified. Has anyone else had similar experiences? No wonder some urban gardeners refer to a garden between the sidewalk and curb as the hellstrip! Sarah You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] Update on Sansom Street Gentrification, er, Development
In a message dated 4/28/2004 9:20:48 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: SUNBURST REALTY L P1936 SPRUCE STPHILADELPHIA, PA 19103-6613I counted 10 properties in the 4400 block of Sansom. They purchased 7 of the 10 in November 1999 for $537K, which itself is pretty amazing, since the area in 1999 was prettytough. http://brtweb.phila.gov/disclaimer.aspx?st=adis where I got my information. It's got a great wealth of information on property in Philly.Gail Interesting, although thisis probably outdated. Unless I'm mistaken, Sunburst was one of the names being used by Rigdon Milleraround the time you say those properties changed hands (1999). Rigdon went way over his head, ending up going into bankruptcy and letting the properties sit there and get worse. As I recall, they were in poor shape but habitable when he bought them from Mike Drum. By the time the new developer (ostensibly still unknown) bought them, they were in poorer shape and vacant (ostensibly uninhabitable). One of the remarks made by Barry Grossbach in the discussion following Greg's presentation had to do with hoping the new developer would help the neighborhood recover from the fisaco involving Rigdon Miller. I certainly hope so too (at least as much as anybody because I have properties close by, on and just south of Walnut). But, candidly, I'm concerned based on what little was said by Greg Montenaro at the meeting, that we may be headed for fiasco number two. IMHO, that block of Sansom street would be appropriate for moderate-income housing. The houses are quite large, and they'd work for a decent-size owner's unit and an auxiliary rental apartment. Something in the $100,000 to $120,000 range with an appropriate community-development-type mortgage. Of course, if the shells went for $50,000, it would be hard to imagine that the finished products could be brought in to sell for $100,000 to $120,000. Al Krigman Al Krigman
[UC] FW: Report on Keu's Painting
As a follow-up on Andy Diller's review of Keu's Painting, I'm adding my experience with Keu. He's a pleasure to work with, a truly nice person and trustworthy guy. He takes a lot of pride in his work, and I think his prices are average range. If the estimate he gives you seems a little high, you will soon see why. He had two or three guys on the exterior of my house for ten days, scraping and sanding and then priming and painting. He didn't even start painting until 5 or 6 days into the process. (Also, I thought it was cute that he asked me to scrape the paint off the inside of the windows near the front [a lousy interior paint job that he had nothing to do with] so that people wouldn't look at it from the outside and think he did a sloppy job.) Very nice guy, good work, A+ recommendation. www.keupainting.com HillierARCHITECTURE Elisabeth Dubin T 215.636. x4176 | C 267.259.4206 | F 215.636.9989 One South Penn Square | Philadelphia | PA | 19107-3502 www . hillier . com You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
[UC] Rigdon Miller UPenn [was gentry on Sansom]
Below is a letter written to UPenn regarding properties acquired by Rigdon Miller from UPenn, sepcifically one on Beaumont Avenue. To date, there has been no response. February 27, 2004 Mr. Omar Blaik Senior Vice-President Facilities University of Pennsylvania 3101 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104 Re: 4815 Beaumont Avenue Dear Mr. Blaik: I am writing on behalf of my neighbors regarding 4815 Beaumont Avenue. The house next door to me, 4815 Beaumont Avenue, has been vacant for more than seven years. When we moved into our home 18 years ago, it was the nicest house on the block ornate mantels, beautiful floors and wonderful woodwork. Today the house is in shambles, and now, the worst house on the block. In this letter, I want to explain the history of the deterioration of the house and the role that the University of Pennsylvania has played in the process. From about 1990 to 1999, Chris Cummings, a professor of dentistry, owned the house. As a professor at the University, he purchased the property through the Penn mortgage guarantee program. The house became vacant during the spring of 1996 when the tenants left because the owner refused to make certain improvements. At this point, I was forced to become actively involved. The house had never been properly sealed after the tenants vacated. The refrigerator had food in it, the bathrooms were filthy, windows were left open and the roof leaked. Squatters tried on several occasions to sleep on the porch and enter the premise. We finally convinced the owner to at least clean the place up, but the other problems persisted. When I contacted the University, they indicated that they could not get involved because Cummings was current on the mortgage. Shortly thereafter, Cummings moved to the Midwest and completely neglected the house.During this period, burglars stole two original mantels and the newel post, and squatters continued to try to enter the house. We tried to convince the owner to install an alarm (that we were willing to pay for), but he refused. Cummings made minimal payments to keep the bank from foreclosing on the property. Letter to Omar Blaik Page 2 Cummings indicated that he could not sell the house because he would have to take too much of a loss on the transaction. I then contacted Mellon Bank in Colorado, the bank that held the mortgage on the property. They confirmed that the mortgage was minimally up-to-date and that the University of Pennsylvania had guaranteed the mortgage. I informed Mellon that the house had been severely neglected and had declined significantly in value. Mellon indicated that under the Penn guarantee program they would not step in to protect their asset. Thus, the Universitys mortgage guarantee program, although important in terms of making homes in University City more affordable, had a significant downside banks would not foreclose when the value of the asset declined below a certain level, as stated in the mortgage agreement, because they were protected by the guarantee. I spend the next 16 months negotiating an agreement between the University and Cummings for the house to be sold as is, and allow Cummings to make monthly payments on a note. During this time, the University had launched an innovative housing rehabilitation program in University City. Two houses on the block were being renovated through University-related programs. In both cases, the rehabilitation had been first class. In addition, University City was coming out of its housing slump. When we inquired about the program, staff at the University housing office informed me that it was no longer operational. 4815 Beaumont Avenue would be sold to a private developer. I contacted several people who were experienced contractors and carpenters to have them submit bids on the property. The University rejected all of the bids from these people whom I had contacted. Staff indicated that they wanted an experienced developer to complete the project because they had had problems during other rehabilitations. The house was then sold to Wilson Rigdon as part of a multi-property agreement. I was assured by the University that the property would be developed within 18 months. They indicated that they had inserted a development clause which stated that in the event the property was not developed in the stipulated time period, the University had the right to reclaim the house. As a neighbor, we have continued to maintain the property. When Rigdon needed access to our property to better understand how to rehabilitate the house, we welcomed him. When the bank appraiser wanted to examine comparable properties (i.e., our home), we cooperated. But when we started asking Rigdon to maintain the property, however, he stopped communication. In fact I called him three times a week for about two months and never received a single return phone call. Letter to Omar Blaik Page 3 About
Re: [UC] Rigdon Miller UPenn [was gentry on Sansom]
When I purchased my west philly property in 1998 using the Penn Mortgage, part of the contract was that I had to live in the house for 7 years. If I didn't, I was in default, and the Univ could call in the note. Was this program different when Cummings purchased his property? gail John Ellingsworth wrote: Below is a letter written to UPenn regarding properties acquired by Rigdon Miller from UPenn, sepcifically one on Beaumont Avenue. To date, there has been no response. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] FW: Report on Keu's Painting
More data: Keu painted the interior of our condo, and the initial experience was very positive. He is certainly an amicable guy. We spoke to him at length about the difficulties inherent in the job, due to the layer of calciferous paint that would need special primer on top of it. Eventually (there was a language barrier) Keu convinced us that he understood and knew exactly the brand of stuff to use. He brought in his crew and finished in record time, at a great price, with good attention to detail. We really were impressed with his professionalism. Unfortunately, after a couple months, we realized that all was not well. Our paint was already peeling away from the wall, resulting in a few large cracks. Worse, the paint in the bathroom began fading; where there had been solid color, the white primer now showed through, with a texture to it, as if the color layer had become thinner, allowing the pattern made by the roller to poke through the colored paint. The result is that it looks as if we have either a too-light coat of paint, or that the paint has been flaking or dusting off the wall. This happens to a much lesser extent in other rooms, so I guess it's humidity-related. I couldn't really recommend Keu for inside work because of this. However, I have seen him doing what appears to be nice work on the exterior of local houses. It would be good to hear about the quality of these jobs over time. Dan On Apr 28, 2004, at 10:08 AM, Dubin, Elisabeth wrote: As a follow-up on Andy Diller's review of Keu's Painting, I'm adding my experience with Keu. He's a pleasure to work with, a truly nice person and trustworthy guy. He takes a lot of pride in his work, and I think his prices are average range. If the estimate he gives you seems a little high, you will soon see why. He had two or three guys on the exterior of my house for ten days, scraping and sanding and then priming and painting. He didn't even start painting until 5 or 6 days into the process. (Also, I thought it was cute that he asked me to scrape the paint off the inside of the windows near the front [a lousy interior paint job that he had nothing to do with] so that people wouldn't look at it from the outside and think he did a sloppy job.) Very nice guy, good work, A+ recommendation. www.keupainting.com HillierARCHITECTURE Elisabeth Dubin T 215.636. x4176 | C 267.259.4206 | F 215.636.9989 One South Penn Square | Philadelphia | PA | 19107-3502 www . hillier . com You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html. Daniel Aharon, System Administrator University of Pennsylvania 3-9089 School of Medicine/IS[EMAIL PROTECTED] You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
[UC] keu's painting
Keu's painting: I was refered to Keu's painting and he did two jobs for me. I do alot of painting myself so it gives me a good idea of what needs to be done. He came in with a high estimate, but I was willing to pay to have a good prep job done. I hired him to do the interior of a house for trim only. He assured me that he would do all the prep work. Fortunately the trim was in excellent condition for a 125 year old house, but there were nails to remove and small sanding. Keu only applied caulk and painted over the trim. He did not remove one nail. His prices are very high for what he does and I expected a good job. We discussed this job many times, but he didn't come through. As I finished the painting of the house I could see all the many things that he missed in the house. It was a 2,000.00 job for trim only and he didn't come through. At first glance it looked great, but the real work was a 600.00 to 800 job. I would never employ him again. What a great disappointment. Marvin Brown You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] 4815 Beaumont: a bit of background
In a message dated 4/28/04 10:58:55 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: When I purchased my west philly property in 1998 using the Penn Mortgage, part of the contract was that I had to live in the house for 7 years. If I didn't, I was in default, and the Univ could call in the note. Was this program different when Cummings purchased his property? gail No, it was not different. I am very familiar with this sale since I was both the listing and the selling agent. Oddly, Dr. Chris CUMMING purchased the house from a couple named Deborah Dr. Skip CUMMINGS. So, the Cummings had gone, and Chris Cumming was coming...but he didn't. Deep into the sale process, I started to get the idea that he was planning to cheat the program, but he was evasive and there wasn't anything I could do. Apparently he had renters in the house from the start. Later, I heard that he bought a house for himself in center city. Here's another odd thing that happened when Chris Cumming was involved with 4815 Beaumont: the day he first looked at the house was a lovely spring day just like today, and there was a relatively young street tree out front, two stories tall and in bloom. Looking out the second floor front sitting room bay window, he said that he didn't like the tree blocking the sun - would he be able to cut it down? I told him that he would not, that owners can't cut down street trees. He said that he wanted to buy the house, but he didn't like the tree. The next morning, I got a call from the neighbors: overnight, the young, healthy-looking tree had split in half along the entire length of its trunk, and half of it was still standing but the other half had fallen into the street. There had been no wind gusts, no rain, nothing. The tree had suddenly fallen apart for no apparent reason. Of course, at that point, it was removed. I never knew what to make of that coincidence. The sellers were in North Carolina and were stunned - they certainly didn't damage the tree to sell their house! Before Deb Skip Cummings owned the house, 4815 Beaumont had previously been owned and renovated by former UC dentist Jon Richter, and it really was one of the nicest houses on the block. It is a long and sad story of decline. I wish the neighbors luck with their campaign to get its problems resolved. Melani Lamond You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
RE: [UC] FW: Report on Keu's Painting
Ok, sorry you guys had bad experiences. I still stand by my positive review. I can't say anything to Marvin's poor review, but for Daniel-- I bet no one else would have given you a good result either. If there is moisture in your walls, it's very difficult to keep paint on even if it's not acrylic or latex. Anyway, on my exterior, he used oil-based primer and two coats of Benjamin Moore latex finish coat. I think that was the right way to go. HillierARCHITECTURE Elisabeth Dubin T 215.636. x4176 | C 267.259.4206 | F 215.636.9989 One South Penn Square | Philadelphia | PA | 19107-3502 www . hillier . com -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Daniel Aharon Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2004 10:51 AM To: University City List Subject: Re: [UC] FW: Report on Keu's Painting More data: Keu painted the interior of our condo, and the initial experience was very positive. He is certainly an amicable guy. We spoke to him at length about the difficulties inherent in the job, due to the layer of calciferous paint that would need special primer on top of it. Eventually (there was a language barrier) Keu convinced us that he understood and knew exactly the brand of stuff to use. He brought in his crew and finished in record time, at a great price, with good attention to detail. We really were impressed with his professionalism. Unfortunately, after a couple months, we realized that all was not well. Our paint was already peeling away from the wall, resulting in a few large cracks. Worse, the paint in the bathroom began fading; where there had been solid color, the white primer now showed through, with a texture to it, as if the color layer had become thinner, allowing the pattern made by the roller to poke through the colored paint. The result is that it looks as if we have either a too-light coat of paint, or that the paint has been flaking or dusting off the wall. This happens to a much lesser extent in other rooms, so I guess it's humidity-related. I couldn't really recommend Keu for inside work because of this. However, I have seen him doing what appears to be nice work on the exterior of local houses. It would be good to hear about the quality of these jobs over time. Dan On Apr 28, 2004, at 10:08 AM, Dubin, Elisabeth wrote: As a follow-up on Andy Diller's review of Keu's Painting, I'm adding my experience with Keu. He's a pleasure to work with, a truly nice person and trustworthy guy. He takes a lot of pride in his work, and I think his prices are average range. If the estimate he gives you seems a little high, you will soon see why. He had two or three guys on the exterior of my house for ten days, scraping and sanding and then priming and painting. He didn't even start painting until 5 or 6 days into the process. (Also, I thought it was cute that he asked me to scrape the paint off the inside of the windows near the front [a lousy interior paint job that he had nothing to do with] so that people wouldn't look at it from the outside and think he did a sloppy job.) Very nice guy, good work, A+ recommendation. www.keupainting.com HillierARCHITECTURE Elisabeth Dubin T 215.636. x4176 | C 267.259.4206 | F 215.636.9989 One South Penn Square | Philadelphia | PA | 19107-3502 www . hillier . com You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html. Daniel Aharon, System Administrator University of Pennsylvania 3-9089 School of Medicine/IS[EMAIL PROTECTED] You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] Update on Sansom Street Gentrification, er, Development
On Apr 28, 2004, at 9:02 AM, Gail Defendorf wrote: SUNBURST REALTY L P 1936 SPRUCE ST PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103-6613 This is the same address as Rigdon Miller Real Estate, who were my landlords at 48th and Springfield for about a year and a half. The heat in my apartment didn't work most of the time, and the only way to get them to do anything was to write letters threatening to withhold rent; they'd then send someone at the last possible minute (I think it's ten business days) before I was legally able to do that. I left that apartment in the fall of 2000, and it is still vacant three and a half years later -- I suspect they bought the building cheaply, intending to hold onto it until the market peaked and then resell it without spending any money on it. While the rental income added to their profit, it wasn't the main point, and any significant repairs weren't worth the trouble. As far as I know, they've never done any real rehabilitation anywhere. Daniel You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] FW: Report on Keu's Painting
Yes, you really need to insist and get the best paint that you can get, which by all accounts, in Benjamin Moore. Some tips: - all trim should have oil based primer and oil paint - use the best quality paint that you can buy. It's only a few dollars more per gallon Keu did a great job on my house, and I had the chance to see many other of his jobs-- as I take the pictures for his web site. He is very aware of the language barrier, and takes great pains to try and explain exactly what he is going to do. He didn't do a -restorative- paint job on my house, and I didn't pay him for one--- everything is not 'perfect.' I paid him to scrape and make it nice, and put on a good primer and patch cracks. His work was exactly what I was looking for, and I've had to problems so far with any of the paint that he has applied. I plan to have him do my exterior and the rest of my 3rd floor this year. -andy diller On Apr 28, 2004, at 12:14 PM, Dubin, Elisabeth wrote: Ok, sorry you guys had bad experiences. I still stand by my positive review. I can't say anything to Marvin's poor review, but for Daniel-- I bet no one else would have given you a good result either. If there is moisture in your walls, it's very difficult to keep paint on even if it's not acrylic or latex. Anyway, on my exterior, he used oil-based primer and two coats of Benjamin Moore latex finish coat. I think that was the right way to go. HillierARCHITECTURE Elisabeth Dubin T 215.636. x4176 | C 267.259.4206 | F 215.636.9989 One South Penn Square | Philadelphia | PA | 19107-3502 www . hillier . com -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Daniel Aharon Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2004 10:51 AM To: University City List Subject: Re: [UC] FW: Report on Keu's Painting More data: Keu painted the interior of our condo, and the initial experience was very positive. He is certainly an amicable guy. We spoke to him at length about the difficulties inherent in the job, due to the layer of calciferous paint that would need special primer on top of it. Eventually (there was a language barrier) Keu convinced us that he understood and knew exactly the brand of stuff to use. He brought in his crew and finished in record time, at a great price, with good attention to detail. We really were impressed with his professionalism. Unfortunately, after a couple months, we realized that all was not well. Our paint was already peeling away from the wall, resulting in a few large cracks. Worse, the paint in the bathroom began fading; where there had been solid color, the white primer now showed through, with a texture to it, as if the color layer had become thinner, allowing the pattern made by the roller to poke through the colored paint. The result is that it looks as if we have either a too-light coat of paint, or that the paint has been flaking or dusting off the wall. This happens to a much lesser extent in other rooms, so I guess it's humidity-related. I couldn't really recommend Keu for inside work because of this. However, I have seen him doing what appears to be nice work on the exterior of local houses. It would be good to hear about the quality of these jobs over time. Dan On Apr 28, 2004, at 10:08 AM, Dubin, Elisabeth wrote: As a follow-up on Andy Diller's review of Keu's Painting, I'm adding my experience with Keu. He's a pleasure to work with, a truly nice person and trustworthy guy. He takes a lot of pride in his work, and I think his prices are average range. If the estimate he gives you seems a little high, you will soon see why. He had two or three guys on the exterior of my house for ten days, scraping and sanding and then priming and painting. He didn't even start painting until 5 or 6 days into the process. (Also, I thought it was cute that he asked me to scrape the paint off the inside of the windows near the front [a lousy interior paint job that he had nothing to do with] so that people wouldn't look at it from the outside and think he did a sloppy job.) Very nice guy, good work, A+ recommendation. www.keupainting.com HillierARCHITECTURE Elisabeth Dubin T 215.636. x4176 | C 267.259.4206 | F 215.636.9989 One South Penn Square | Philadelphia | PA | 19107-3502 www . hillier . com You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html. Daniel Aharon, System Administrator University of Pennsylvania 3-9089 School of Medicine/IS[EMAIL PROTECTED] You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see
Re: [UC] keu's painting
Title: Re: [UC] keu's painting Though it seems like he has good customer service skills I agree that from what I have seen of his work - the quality of the job doesn't match what he charges. I think that between his personality, the inability for most people to judge the quality of his work due to lack of experience and exposure, that people tend to brush off considerations of quality vs. cost in lieu of just getting the work done and how some quick patching and a fresh coat of paint - no matter how skillfully or unskillfully applied - generally looks better than the previous state, that Keu has a nice little business on his hands. Quality work includes, at the very least, sharp corners and edges, smooth-surfaced woodwork without nailheads or divots and clean straight lines between color transitions and moulding. From the single job of his I have seen - these qualities were missing largely from the work. If the cost had been 1/2 or 3/4 of what he charged for it I wouldn't have been as critically minded. I have seen more professional work done in more affluent neighborhoods on similar jobs for less money. Either those painters were under charging or Keu is over charging. I tend to think the latter case is true. -- Sam Nicolary -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: University City List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wed Apr 28 11:23:24 2004 Subject: [UC] keu's painting Keu's painting: I was refered to Keu's painting and he did two jobs for me. I do alot of painting myself so it gives me a good idea of what needs to be done. He came in with a high estimate, but I was willing to pay to have a good prep job done. I hired him to do the interior of a house for trim only. He assured me that he would do all the prep work. Fortunately the trim was in excellent condition for a 125 year old house, but there were nails to remove and small sanding. Keu only applied caulk and painted over the trim. He did not remove one nail. His prices are very high for what he does and I expected a good job. We discussed this job many times, but he didn't come through. As I finished the painting of the house I could see all the many things that he missed in the house. It was a 2,000.00 job for trim only and he didn't come through. At first glance it looked great, but the real work was a 600.00 to 800 job. I would never employ him again. What a great disappointment. Marvin Brown You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] keu's painting
Samuel Nicolary wrote: Though it seems like he has good customer service skills I agree that from what I have seen of his work - the quality of the job doesn't match what he charges. I think that between his personality, the inability for most people to judge the quality of his work due to lack of experience and exposure, that people tend to brush off considerations of quality vs. cost in lieu of just getting the work done and how some quick patching and a fresh coat of paint - no matter how skillfully or unskillfully applied - generally looks better than the previous state, that Keu has a nice little business on his hands. Quality work includes, at the very least, sharp corners and edges, smooth-surfaced woodwork without nailheads or divots and clean straight lines between color transitions and moulding. From the single job of his I have seen - these qualities were missing largely from the work. If the cost had been 1/2 or 3/4 of what he charged for it I wouldn't have been as critically minded. I have seen more professional work done in more affluent neighborhoods on similar jobs for less money. Either those painters were under charging or Keu is over charging. I tend to think the latter case is true. Andrew Diller wrote: Yes, you really need to insist and get the best paint that you can get, which by all accounts, in Benjamin Moore. Some tips: - all trim should have oil based primer and oil paint - use the best quality paint that you can buy. It's only a few dollars more per gallon Keu did a great job on my house, and I had the chance to see many other of his jobs-- as I take the pictures for his web site. He is very aware of the language barrier, and takes great pains to try and explain exactly what he is going to do. He didn't do a -restorative- paint job on my house, and I didn't pay him for one--- everything is not 'perfect.' I paid him to scrape and make it nice, and put on a good primer and patch cracks. His work was exactly what I was looking for, and I've had to problems so far with any of the paint that he has applied. I plan to have him do my exterior and the rest of my 3rd floor this year. -andy diller Marvin Brown wrote: Keu's painting: I was refered to Keu's painting and he did two jobs for me. I do alot of painting myself so it gives me a good idea of what needs to be done. He came in with a high estimate, but I was willing to pay to have a good prep job done. I hired him to do the interior of a house for trim only. He assured me that he would do all the prep work. Fortunately the trim was in excellent condition for a 125 year old house, but there were nails to remove and small sanding. Keu only applied caulk and painted over the trim. He did not remove one nail. His prices are very high for what he does and I expected a good job. We discussed this job many times, but he didn't come through. As I finished the painting of the house I could see all the many things that he missed in the house. It was a 2,000.00 job for trim only and he didn't come through. At first glance it looked great, but the real work was a 600.00 to 800 job. I would never employ him again. What a great disappointment. it's like keu's painting is this year's abbraccio. . laserbeam [aka ray] You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] fence vandalism
Almost every week, I try to watch the kids go by around school dismissal. (when I am around) I put up a brick border deep in the ground around my street tree and other bulbs and plants to protect them. One day actually saw a kid of maybe 6 years old pick up one of the bricks and threaten another kid with it. Where were these kids parents or guardians? I luckily told the kid put that down, and put it back where you found it. What happens when I'm not around? I wonder. I fix my bricks almost every week because people like to step on them? I highly doubt squirels, but I am not leaving them out of the picture. I guess the trick is to plant flowers that are not single (like tulips and daffodils). And so that they are not accessible to pedestrians. Plant a holly or a rose bush, that'll teach them! Dan Myers - Original Message - From: Sarah Scheckter [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Sarah Scheckter [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2004 4:03 PM Subject: [UC] fence vandalism Hi, all, Two weeks ago, I put up a small wire fence around my garden plot between the sidewalk and the curb in front of my house. It was meant to keep out trash, dogs, and people who might accidentally step on flowers. It was also meant to protect my sick street tree. Soon after the fence was set up, people were stepping (accidentally, I assume) on the fence, knocking it over and bending the wire. Then, someone pulled up a lot of it and also pushed the tree over. I fixed the fence each time. Today my boyfriend saw someone pull up part of the fence and throw it on the ground. I am mystified. Has anyone else had similar experiences? No wonder some urban gardeners refer to a garden between the sidewalk and curb as the hellstrip! Sarah You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] keu's painting
--On Wednesday, April 28, 2004 2:06 PM -0400 L a s e r B e a m [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: it's like keu's painting is this year's abbraccio. yes, in both cases, Sam Nicolary is a hater. Hate Hate Hate Hate -andy diller You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
RE: [UC] keu's painting
At the risk of making the UClist posting stats page, I will respond to what Samuel wrote with the following: When someone has two or three guys additional guys (and himself) at your house for ten days and charges you $4750, you get the following: estimate of cost of paint, caulk, and other supplies (not counting tools and ladders): $250 the remaining $4500/3 = $1500 per person That means that at most, Keu probably kept $2000 max for himself if he paid himself more than his helpers. So for ten days, he made $200/day not counting any taxes he might or might not pay out of that. THIS DOES NOT COUNT WHATEVER INSURANCE HE HAS OR ANY OTHER OVERHEAD. How much do you all make a day? I'd pay him that much to do what I think is a great job. I am defending him because I have dealt with people far less competent and pleasant than himself in the past. If everyone I worked with on my house was like him, it would be a good thing. I had no problem with the language barrier, his English is really very good. * fin * HillierARCHITECTURE Elisabeth Dubin T 215.636. x4176 | C 267.259.4206 | F 215.636.9989 One South Penn Square | Philadelphia | PA | 19107-3502 www . hillier . com -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of L a s e r B e a m Sent: Wednesday, April 28, 2004 2:07 PM Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [UC] keu's painting Samuel Nicolary wrote: Though it seems like he has good customer service skills I agree that from what I have seen of his work - the quality of the job doesn't match what he charges. I think that between his personality, the inability for most people to judge the quality of his work due to lack of experience and exposure, that people tend to brush off considerations of quality vs. cost in lieu of just getting the work done and how some quick patching and a fresh coat of paint - no matter how skillfully or unskillfully applied - generally looks better than the previous state, that Keu has a nice little business on his hands. Quality work includes, at the very least, sharp corners and edges, smooth-surfaced woodwork without nailheads or divots and clean straight lines between color transitions and moulding. From the single job of his I have seen - these qualities were missing largely from the work. If the cost had been 1/2 or 3/4 of what he charged for it I wouldn't have been as critically minded. I have seen more professional work done in more affluent neighborhoods on similar jobs for less money. Either those painters were under charging or Keu is over charging. I tend to think the latter case is true. Andrew Diller wrote: Yes, you really need to insist and get the best paint that you can get, which by all accounts, in Benjamin Moore. Some tips: - all trim should have oil based primer and oil paint - use the best quality paint that you can buy. It's only a few dollars more per gallon Keu did a great job on my house, and I had the chance to see many other of his jobs-- as I take the pictures for his web site. He is very aware of the language barrier, and takes great pains to try and explain exactly what he is going to do. He didn't do a -restorative- paint job on my house, and I didn't pay him for one--- everything is not 'perfect.' I paid him to scrape and make it nice, and put on a good primer and patch cracks. His work was exactly what I was looking for, and I've had to problems so far with any of the paint that he has applied. I plan to have him do my exterior and the rest of my 3rd floor this year. -andy diller Marvin Brown wrote: Keu's painting: I was refered to Keu's painting and he did two jobs for me. I do alot of painting myself so it gives me a good idea of what needs to be done. He came in with a high estimate, but I was willing to pay to have a good prep job done. I hired him to do the interior of a house for trim only. He assured me that he would do all the prep work. Fortunately the trim was in excellent condition for a 125 year old house, but there were nails to remove and small sanding. Keu only applied caulk and painted over the trim. He did not remove one nail. His prices are very high for what he does and I expected a good job. We discussed this job many times, but he didn't come through. As I finished the painting of the house I could see all the many things that he missed in the house. It was a 2,000.00 job for trim only and he didn't come through. At first glance it looked great, but the real work was a 600.00 to 800 job. I would never employ him again. What a great disappointment. it's like keu's painting is this year's abbraccio. . laserbeam [aka ray] You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html. You are receiving
[UC] Keu's painting
Keu's painting: On my job, he didn't even come with a sander or sandpaper!!! Three or four extra hours of work would have made a professional job. Three times he ran out of caulk and I had to go and buy it for him.I don't mind helping, but at professional prices one should get professional service. Marvin You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] keu's painting
Andrew Diller wrote: yes, in both cases, Sam Nicolary is a hater. Hate Hate Hate Hate Dubin, Elisabeth wrote: At the risk of making the UClist posting stats page, I will respond to what Samuel wrote with the following: When someone has two or three guys additional guys (and himself) at your house for ten days and charges you $4750, you get the following: estimate of cost of paint, caulk, and other supplies (not counting tools and ladders): $250 the remaining $4500/3 = $1500 per person That means that at most, Keu probably kept $2000 max for himself if he paid himself more than his helpers. So for ten days, he made $200/day not counting any taxes he might or might not pay out of that. THIS DOES NOT COUNT WHATEVER INSURANCE HE HAS OR ANY OTHER OVERHEAD. How much do you all make a day? I'd pay him that much to do what I think is a great job. I am defending him because I have dealt with people far less competent and pleasant than himself in the past. If everyone I worked with on my house was like him, it would be a good thing. I had no problem with the language barrier, his English is really very good. * fin * Samuel Nicolary wrote: What can I say - quality of service is of importance to me when paying someone else to do something for me. Without that I might as well slap a coat of paint on my walls myself or make myself a crappy meal. :) I think we should all meet at keu's house and HUG. . laserbeam [aka ray] You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] keu's painting
So anything that is accepted by the majority of this list is acceptable for your hate. On Apr 28, 2004, at 3:49 PM, Samuel Nicolary wrote: yes, in both cases, Sam Nicolary is a hater. Hate Hate Hate Hate Hater of the acceptence and at times worship of mediocrity - yes. So now you hate Mr. Hugs?!? Cat hater. -andy You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] fence vandalism
On 27 Apr, 2004, at 17:06, Turner,Kathleen wrote: I'm glad that someone else pointed this out -- that what you're dealing with is very likely not deliberate vandalism but the problem of basic incompatibility between curbside fences and curbside parking. No. Both situations are quite prevalent. People who encounter fenced tree lawns when they open their car doors simply rip them up as obstructing their right to park. Others wandering down the street rip them up because they're there. Sadly, Andy's solution is the only one which works with the caveat -- to be effective, it must be at least six inches above road height so that the car doors cannot be opened over top of them! (Although, with the advent of SUVs as the vehicle of choice, even that trick no longer works.) However, you are correct in stating that there is an inherent incompatibility between the Automobile and Urban Living. This is manifest in everything from the fact that 99% of housing has zero parking for one car, let alone the 2+ cars associated with most single family dwellings, or the number of vehicles associated with a multi-tenant property. To the the issue of the Foreigners -- some call them commuters -- who take up what few parking places exists to avoid paying expensive parking fees in Center City or while attending classes. [And I won't even mention issues like exhaust gasses stench, tire dust, lead dust, noise, and the ability to be a pedestrian, let alone a bicyclist.] T.T.F.N. William H. Magill [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] fence vandalism
Roses are not the answer, either, if you want your garden to remain unmolested. I have several rose bushes in my front yard, and while no one has ever pulled them out, someone does come along with scissors every spring and summer and cuts the nicest flowers for themselves. Karen From: Dan Myers [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: Dan Myers [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Sarah Scheckter [EMAIL PROTECTED] CC: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [UC] fence vandalism Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 14:23:11 -0400 Almost every week, I try to watch the kids go by around school dismissal. (when I am around) I put up a brick border deep in the ground around my street tree and other bulbs and plants to protect them. One day actually saw a kid of maybe 6 years old pick up one of the bricks and threaten another kid with it. Where were these kids parents or guardians? I luckily told the kid put that down, and put it back where you found it. What happens when I'm not around? I wonder. I fix my bricks almost every week because people like to step on them? I highly doubt squirels, but I am not leaving them out of the picture. I guess the trick is to plant flowers that are not single (like tulips and daffodils). And so that they are not accessible to pedestrians. Plant a holly or a rose bush, that'll teach them! Dan Myers - Original Message - From: Sarah Scheckter [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Sarah Scheckter [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, April 27, 2004 4:03 PM Subject: [UC] fence vandalism Hi, all, Two weeks ago, I put up a small wire fence around my garden plot between the sidewalk and the curb in front of my house. It was meant to keep out trash, dogs, and people who might accidentally step on flowers. It was also meant to protect my sick street tree. Soon after the fence was set up, people were stepping (accidentally, I assume) on the fence, knocking it over and bending the wire. Then, someone pulled up a lot of it and also pushed the tree over. I fixed the fence each time. Today my boyfriend saw someone pull up part of the fence and throw it on the ground. I am mystified. Has anyone else had similar experiences? No wonder some urban gardeners refer to a garden between the sidewalk and curb as the hellstrip! Sarah You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html. _ MSN Toolbar provides one-click access to Hotmail from any Web page FREE download! http://toolbar.msn.com/go/onm00200413ave/direct/01/ You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] Update on Sansom Street Gentrification, er, Development
On 28 Apr, 2004, at 09:02, Gail Defendorf wrote: A search of the BRT Property lists this as the developer: SUNBURST REALTY L P 1936 SPRUCE ST PHILADELPHIA, PA 19103-6613 I counted 10 properties in the 4400 block of Sansom. They purchased 7 of the 10 in November 1999 for $537K, which itself is pretty amazing, since the area in 1999 was prettytough. http://brtweb.phila.gov/disclaimer.aspx?st=ad is where I got my information. It's got a great wealth of information on property in Philly. 1- Yes, Sunburst is one of Rigdon Miller's trade names. 2- The BRT claims that its list is current, within six to eight weeks of a transcation. However, Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't. (My experience is six to eight months!) There are many slips between the sale of a property, the recording of that sale with the Prothonotory's office, and the BRT getting their listings updated. 3- The BRT list is much closer to reality than the list which the various Real Estate brokers use. The Real Estate brokers list (whose name I forget off hand) will record transactions it hears about despite if they happen or not. But the Brokers list tends to have info on the transactions quickly. I would not expect the BRT list to reflect the new ownership until the end of May at the earliest. 4- If I remember correctly, the $573K price covered a total of 24 properties, or about $23,000 each. (I have the original data, but not handy.) The only worse Real Estate developer in CC/W. Phila in recent memory was Sam Rappaport, who is now dead, but his legacy lingers on. Many others have laid claim to the title, but they merely qualified as bad apples, in comparison. The transaction on the 12 Rigdon Miller Sansom and Chestnut Street properties took place the Thursday before the Spruce Hill meeting (3 weeks ago now, I believe). Prior to that a number of the Rigdon Miller and other owner's properties in the 4400 Sansom and Chestnut Street area were sold to a different developer, who has started work on a number of the properties. (Visible work has yet to start on the Rigdon Miller properties.) As I understand things, there are two different suburban developers now working the block, with intent to revert all of the properties back to their single-family status, as they were built, and sell them at market rates. (Which will be an interesting number to discover.) By and large, the properties are being treated as shells - gutted and rebuilt from the walls inward (in one case, quite literally). Only time will tell what the end result will be. They appear to be competent workmen, but until there is a finished product, it is not possible to assess. One property, on the South Side of Sansom, did have it's front brick wall demolished, and completely rebuilt in brick, and, so far, looks good. The good news is that virtually ALL of the empty properties in the 4400 blocks of Sansom and Chestnut are being done in the same time frame. This means that the attractiveness of the entire area improves at the same time, and that the appraisers are happy that the properties nearby are being improved, not sitting vacant. By the way, in this case, gentrification doesn't apply -- unless one is willing to admit that the folks being dispossessed are squatters in the first place. Mike Drum emptied the properties in preparation to selling them. When Rigdon Miller bought them, they were awaiting renovation and new tenants -- since then, they have never had tenants. Most of these properties have been vacant, and sadly, well vandalized, for something on the order of 5 years now. The properties in the 4500 block of Sansom have yet to be attacked. If I remember correctly, the are all individually owned, and therefore not an attractive package, for quick pick-up. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] Update on Sansom Street Gentrification, er, Development
From: William H. Magill [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 16:57:32 -0400 The good news is that virtually ALL of the empty properties in the 4400 blocks of Sansom and Chestnut are being done in the same time frame. Does this include the vacant properties on the north side of the 4400 block of Chestnut? I haven't heard or seen any evidence that the three vacant properties opposite me are being worked on. Not that I'm complaining; getting any of the vacant houses occupied is a big step forward. (Perhaps I'm admitting to being part of the gentry when I say that I prefer occupied houses to vacant ones as neighbors.) --- Chip You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
