Did you know that March 23 is World Elevator Day? Now you do. (You’re welcome.) On that date way back in 1857, the first passenger elevator was installed in the E.V. Haughwout Building—an upscale, five-story department store in Manhattan’s …

Did you know that March 23 is World Elevator Day? Now you do. (You’re welcome.) On that date way back in 1857, the first passenger elevator was installed in the E.V. Haughwout Building—an upscale, five-story department store in Manhattan’s …
Congratulations—you’ve just been elected to your HOA’s board of directors, and given your first monthly financial packet. Maybe your first thought is, “This is all so confusing—thank goodness I’m not the treasurer, and don’t have to underst…
A new year always comes with reports of new trends in everything, be it fashion, food…or lobby and common area design in residential communities. Furnishings and design, like clothes, are the subject of style and vogue that morph and change…
Congratulations! You’ve just been elected to the board of directors, and given your first monthly financial packet. Like many new board members, your first thought may be, “This is so confusing. Glad I’m not the treasurer - I don’t have to …
Emergencies in multifamily communities can take on many forms. High-rises and sprawling developments alike can be impacted by big crises, such as fires or hurricanes, as well as smaller challenges, such as a broken pipe or a fallen tree lim…
Among the many benefits of living in a multifamily building or HOA is a built-in community of residents who can get to know each other if they want to and ultimately enjoy spending time together. Some communities encourage their residents t…
As Carrie Fisher’s character says in When Harry Met Sally, “Everyone thinks they have great taste and a good sense of humor,” but that’s obviously not true—and some of the decorative ideas in multifamily buildings challenge this belief. I…
Striking a healthy balance between the governance and the management of a co-op or condo community can be a challenge. While it’s the board that governs, it’s management that executes…at least that’s how it’s supposed to be in theory. That …
Living in close quarters can—and often does—lead to conflict. In co-op, condo, and HOA communities, conflict can occur between residents, or between a resident and the board. And to complicate matters, a seemingly isolated conflict between …
Nobel Prize–eschewing poet and folk-rock music legend Bob Dylan might have been the first person to be known as “going electric” (at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965), but as with much of his oeuvre, the world is now following in his foots…