The Ikea That Never Was

On a visit to Washington, D.C. many years ago, a slick advertising supplement fell out of my morning newspaper. It was for a store I had never heard of, but immediately wished there was a branch in the New York area. The booklet was filled with the kind of furniture that would appeal to people who appreciated modern design and incredibly low prices, in other words many New Yorkers like me.

o I celebrate the opening of the city's first Ikea branch in Red Hook, Brooklyn. I had hoped that the store would come first to my home borough of the Bronx.

Certainly on the surface, the Bronx would be the ideal location for this particular Ikea branch. The ABC Carpet Warehouse store is already here, proving that the borough is fertile ground for this kind of retail operation. And we have plenty of large sites, arguably better transportation infrastructure, and a large pool of labor that is ready and willing to work.

The store originally was to be built at New Rochelle, in nearby Westchester County. But the plans for it required assembling a huge site that necessitated leveling a handful of homes. This created tremendous opposition to the project in an era when, as the late Senator Moynihan noted, we celebrate those who prevent things from being built rather than those who actually get things constructed.

As the fight in New Rochelle dragged on month after month it became clear that this development simply would not happen. Finally, the company threw in the towel. Ikea would have to look elsewhere.

Nabbing Ikea would have been a much-needed shot of adrenaline in the ailing Bronx economy. It even might have attracted some young people to give us a hard look and see that the Bronx is as ripe as Brooklyn as an emerging, upscale place to settle.

Ikea certainly attracts recent college graduates. Upon my younger son's graduation from college, he cleared the shelves at the Ikea in Elizabeth, N.J., furnishing his brand new apartment in Riverdale. And my older son, now with a growing young family in the Atlanta area, a place that young people have flocked to in recent years, celebrated the opening of an Ikea in a quickly gentrifying section of town.

Unfortunately, my hopes and aspirations were not shared by those in leadership positions in the borough. The former president of the Bronx, Fernando Ferrer, led the borough through 14 years of economic stagnation. His successor, Adolfo Carrion Jr., has been even more ineffective, especially since his term has coincided with a period of remarkable economic growth in the city.

The Bronx president controls an entity called the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation. When Mr. Ferrer called the shots, the BOEDC was led by his boyhood pal Jose Ithier. During the critical period after the New Rochelle project fell through, they insisted that they were negotiating a deal with Ikea. But when students from the Bronx Beat, a paper that is published by the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, contacted the furniture company's U.S. headquarters, officials there insisted that there was never any communication between them and Bronx officials.

Shortly thereafter, the Brooklyn deal was announced, and a golden opportunity for the Bronx was gone.

As a New Yorker, I'm glad to see Ikea, along with its hundreds of jobs, and infinite purchasing opportunities for bargain conscious consumers here in Gotham.

I note that northern New Jersey now has two Ikeas — one in Elizabeth and a newer one in Paramus. That gives me hope that with our larger population, and favorable highway access, some future Bronx president who is more concerned and more creative — perhaps the one we elect next year — will be successful in achieving what Messrs. Ferrer and Carrion failed to do. There is room for an Ikea serving the Bronx, burgeoning northern Manhattan, and Westchester, and beyond.

awolf@nysun.com

A/C MAINTENANCE IS A MUST!!!!!!!!

Schedule Your Window A/C Maintenance

Summer is finally here and before we know it, summer will be breathing hot air down around us. NYC HANDYMAN recommends that anyone utilizing window air conditioners for their comfort cooling needs consider scheduling a maintenance check on their units as soon as possible to ensure the unit is operating to its maximum capacity. A maintenance check will not necessarily stop failures, but it can minimize problems and keep units performing within their maximum operating capabilities. Scheduling early also provides time to resolve any issues that might arise from the inspection before the weather gets too hot.

Maintenance checks include the following elements:
• Cleaning the evaporator and its filter if necessary
• Cleaning any dirt and debris blockage from the condenser
• Checking the discharge air temperature for proper parameters
• Cleaning the drain pan
• Addressing specific reported problems
• Performing an over all inspection of system components

NYC HANDYMAN mechanics will share their professional opinion on whether the unit is repairable or needs to be replaced, and discuss possible options with you. If removing the unit is the only option, keep in mind that air conditioners are considered hazardous waste, and when discarding older units or units that are not repairable, the refrigerant and the oil must be properly recovered and disposed of according to EPA guidelines. NYC HANDYMAN has procedures in place to dispose of your unit properly, avoiding any environmental violations or potential fines.

To prevent an extensive waiting time, NYC HANDYMAN suggests that the departments service their window air conditioners early in the season, rather than wait for mid summer. Those departments who have window units that are exposed to near-by construction work are especially encouraged to get those units cleaned due to the extensive dust and dirt in the air.

To schedule a maintenance check for your window air conditioning unit, submit an online request through the service website www.ezfurnitureassembly.com

NYC HANDYMAN Runs Driveway Seal Coating Special in NYC!!!

NYC HANDYMAN, New York City's #1 Handyman Service is running a 10% Off Special on all their services including Driveway Seal Coating which can make any driveway look Brand New Again!! Visit them today to view all their services & specials!!! www.nychandyman.biz

What does it cost to have my driveway sealed?

The short answer is that it depends. With driveway sealing, there are enough factors to consider that it is difficult to zero in on a price for every different type of driveway in every city. What we can do is provide you with some guidelines so that you know how to figure the approximate driveway sealing costs of your particular home and how often you should have it sealed.

How Often Should You Seal Asphalt Driveways?
If you look around the web you will find differing opinions on this matter. Some say that you only need to seal your asphalt drive every 3-10 years. Others, every year. The real difficulty in determining what's right for you is weather. If you are in an area where you receive a great deal of rain and snow, or in an area where it freezes and thaws often, or in an area where the temperature reaches well over 100 degrees in the summer and your driveway is unprotected from the brutal rays of the sun, then you need to seal your driveway at least every other year. If you have some moderate weather, then maybe every three years.

Let your vision be your guide. If your driveway is cracking or chipping before it is time for a new coat, then have it treated again.

*Note. Do not seal a new asphalt driveway. This material needs to cure for 6 months before treatment is applied.

How Often Should You Seal Concrete Driveways?
Concrete driveways are more durable (and more prevalent) than asphalt driveways, so they don't need to be sealed as often. Even in the harshest of conditions, our contractors tell us that every five years is the right amount, and even longer in moderate climates. However, just as with asphalt, let your vision be your guide. If you notice cracking, even very slight cracking, contact a NYC HANDYMAN who will be able to tell you if you are in immediate need of sealing or if the problem is a deeper issue.

What Does Driveway Sealing Cost?
Driveway sealing costs are going to be different all across the country because of the demand. In New Mexico, the average driveway sealing cost may be higher because the weather conditions don't demand that it to be done that often. In Upstate New York or northern Minnesota driveway sealing costs are likely to be lower because this needs to be done every year to some asphalt driveways.

While we can't really pin down your exact price, here are some general estimates that should help get you in the ballpark on the cost of driveway sealing.

First, if you don't already know the square footage of your driveway, measure it to find out. Most contractors are going to figure the job by the driveway size.

Now that you have the square footage, here are some figures. In the east, the average cost for driveway sealing is typically between $.10-$.16 per square foot. So for a 1000 sq. ft. driveway it will cost between $100-$160. In the upper-midwest, many driveway contractors charge per 1000 sq. ft., typically between $85-$100 per 1000 with a minimum charge of $100. Lucky is the homeowner with the 1990 square foot driveway.

Final Word
Most of the cost of sealing driveways is tied up in prep work. If your driveway is particularly dirty or covered in oil slicks, then it takes more effort and thus costs more to treat. The application is pretty standard. However, the pricing listed above will help you to figure out the range of what this task should cost. If you talk to a driveway contractor who is way over these amounts, get a few more estimates to see if that is the standard charge in your area.

IKEA Furniture Assembly Have You Nuts?

EZ Furniture Assembly
& Interior Innovations, LLC

I Hate Flat-Pack Furniture !

...well,
obviously I don't actually hate it once it's "up and running" - otherwise I
wouldn't buy it! I just hate the hassle of having to put it
together.

That's wht we wre
her to help. We have a trained staff of 10 certified technicians that are
licensed & insured so you eill have the furniture you biught on the showroom
or online, not a bunch of boxes with a bag of nuts and bolts witha piece a paper
they call directions. Well, I'm certain at leat the asprin companies are
rooting for them since sales must've sky rocketed when IKEA hit the
market.

Anyway, we are a
Professional company that has assembled thousand of pieces rnaging from,
furniture, exercise equipment, storage units, custom closets, Murphy beds, and
hundreds of Kitchen Cabinet installations. We are a Certified member of the
National Associatopn of Professional Assemblers, maintained a 5 Start Rating on
IKEA Fans, ans was presented with the "2007 Super
Service Award" by Angie's List.

We are the City's
leader in Professional assembly, so you don't have to worry about how long it
willl take you to build that entertainment center, or if you should buy a drill
or not. Don't waste your weekend and late nights trying to assemble something
when one simple call or email will do it all. No need to ask friends if they
know someone who does this kind of work or search on craigslist because God
only know who will show up at your door. We have been in business going on three
years and we have built on our name on Quality Customer
Service, Honesty, Guaranteed, Workmanship, and the ability to schedule all
appointments within 72 hours of contact. You can spend time with
your family, or relax and read your paper while our trained technicians
professionally assemble your furniture.

No matter
the size of the job,
whether commercial or residential our trained
staff can handle the job and do their best to exceed your expectations. We
encourage you to visit our website WWW.EZFURNITUREASSEMBLY.COM by
Clicking Here. Or call us at the number below to be
connected to one of our own managers. We look forward to hearing from you
soon!

Christopher Purnell, President
( 718) 541-9863

Lawrence Land,
General Manager (803) 553-4988

Major Furniture Companies Have Lowered Their Prices But Quality Too!!

To my, and several of my longtime technicians and project managers we were suprised at how low Bush is selling their products. That was until we went out on a big job that was all Bush and we saw a dramatic change in their quality of material. Now most assembly services like ours work on a % of the retail cost the lower the cost the lower we charge, but what do we do when they are selling desks for $200.00 and are pure junk where none of the holes line up, missing parts, and out of square componets? Do we tell the customer sorry since you bought this brand we have to charge you as much as it costs because it will take 4 hours to fix it for assembly? I know that a lot of big box stores are selling furniture from companies out of China, but Bush? It is the economy, nobody is going to pay $900 for a desk now! But it us that suffers, and soon the customers because us and others will stop assembling their products. I guess we can only pray the recession ends and we start brining back plants to America. I am a proud American and have vowed to only buy products made here unless forced otherwise. What is your take???

ATTN NYC: IKEA SALE ENDS SOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hurry in for the IKEA Summer Sale. From now until June 9th, save 20%-60% off select items throughout the store. Monday June 9th is the last day, so don’t wait to take advantage of us! Go to www.IKEA-USA.com
	All good things must come to an end, but there's still time to fill up on payloads of select home furnishings at 20-60% off our already-low prices. You'll find everything from summer furniture to storage (both big and small) to sofas, mattresses, bathroom accessories, lighting—and yes, you can even get the kitchen sink! Check out the website now and start your shopping list! Remember, the Summer Sale ends Monday, June 9th! Find your nearest store
	When you come to IKEA during the Summer Sale, you can fill up on more than just great design! We serve hot, tasty and nourishing meals all day long, starting with a full breakfast for just 99¢! See what's being served at your IKEA store
	Only 3.5% Sales Tax With IKEA Elizabeth's 3.5% sales tax, now furnishings are more affordable than ever. Plus, every Saturday and Sunday take advantage of our complimentary NYC shuttle from Port Authority to IKEA Elizabeth. (3.5% sales tax and complimentary NYC shuttle only at IKEA Elizabeth.) For details, call 1-800-BUS-IKEA. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IKEA Summer Sale: May 22, 2008 through June 9, 2008. Offer valid only at IKEA Elizabeth, Paramus, Hicksville, New Haven and Stoughton. Offer valid on in-stock merchandise only and while supplies last. Not valid on prior purchases. Selection might vary by store. Not all offers valid at IKEA Direct. Some products require assembly. Visit us at www.ezfurnitureassembly.com for all your assembly needs

The High Name Furniture isn't The Same Since Recession

For years certain companies provided top quality products that were second to none. However, now these companies joined the majority of the industry of the smaller no to promising companies and went to China for their manufacturing which has resulted in lower prices, but very bad poor quality. One brand being Bush, we recently began to notice the change when we saw the price cuts in the Bush brands in the stores both locally & online. Pieces that normally sold for $1100.00 are going for $500.00. Which obviously hurts our industry and especially our company that charges 33.3 % which means the lower the retail price the lower our companies makes. The worst part is that since the cut backs the quality of the material has been terrible. Our technicians at EZ Furniture Assembly & Interior Innovations have reported missing or extra pieces, broken pieces, as well holes that did not line up which stops the drawers from closing correctly. This is just NOT the Bush many companies that were once top producers of fine furniture are now selling furniture that is being sold for half the price but not of the same quality because it is being made by companies in China. I can only assume that this is their way of dealing with the recession.