11/28/08

Black Friday

I just wanted to let you know that we will still be open on Black Friday. Enjoy the crazy shopping and be safe!

11/26/08

Happy Thanksgiving

Everyone at A Royal Flush wishes you safe travels today and a happy holiday tomorrow!

11/24/08

As much as I hate to admit this, winter is almost upon us. Pretty soon there will be snow on the ground and things will be freezing. These conditions can make it difficult on a job site.

Be sure to call your customer service representative today, to sign up for winterization. You can reach us at 877-234-6545 or at 203-335-1970. Be sure to call, before it is too late.
Have a great week,
Alex

11/21/08

This Old House Webcam

Click here to watch the This Old House Webcam. You can watch live footage of the crew working on the house.

11/19/08

Thanksgiving Day Parades

As I have done in the past, here is a list of all the Thanksgiving Day Parade's in our area. You can click on each parade to be directed to their website.

Because New York City's parade is so large, there aren't a lot of other parades in the area. If you know of one that I missed, please let me know.

11/17/08

Only 10 Days Until Thanksgiving

That's right folks. It is just around the corner. So if you are responsible for the local Turkey Trot, Dirty Bird Trail Run, The Gobble Til You Wobble Race or even the local Thanksgiving Day Parade, now is the time to place your order for portable restrooms. Make sure that your event runs smoothly by ordering from one of the best portable restroom providers in the area. We will deliver on time, so you only have to worry about how you are going to fit into your jeans on the 28th!!!

Gobble, Gobble!!

11/14/08

This Old House

Here is another article, from the New York Daily News, about This Old House coming to Brooklyn:

Longtime PBS show 'This Old House' finally fixes up home in city

BY RICHARD VANDERFORD and CARRIE MELAGO
DAILY NEWS WRITERS

General contractor Mike Streaman (left) and PBS hosts Norm Abram and Kevin O'Connor flank homeowner Karen Shen.

"This Old House" is making a home for itself in brownstone Brooklyn.

The venerable home improvement show is filming for the first time in the city, overhauling a young family's 1904 townhouse in Prospect Heights.

"We love Brooklyn. I'm not sure we've ever had a more warm reception from a place," said producer Deborah Hood.

"It feels like the perfect place for us."

Kevin Costello, a design director for a handbag company, and his wife, Karen Shen - both longtime fans of the program - jumped at the chance when the show asked for applicants.

"We couldn't believe it. We were thrilled. It was like winning the lottery," said Shen, a mother of three boys.

Their 4,000-square-foot, Sterling Place abode suffered years of neglect as a Brooklyn roominghouse. The show's staff hopes to salvage some of its unique period details, like its charming banisters and posts.

The family hopes to use the burgundy home's garden level and third floors as rental properties to defray mortgage costs, while keeping the middle two floors as its own living space.

Hood said the show had usually spent the warmer months filming in Boston and simply hadn't made it to New York City yet. When it put out a call for homeowners, more than a quarter of the applicants were from restoration-obsessed Brooklyn.

"I think it's really surprising for people that in almost 30 years, we've never worked in New York," she said. "We said it's finally time to come to New York, and here we are."

Neighbors have been popping by to get a peek at the work. Folks who can't make it in person can watch the progress at thisoldhouse.com/webcams.

The renovation will stretch over 10 episodes, premiering on Jan. 22 on PBS. It also will be featured in the January/February 2009 issue of This Old House magazine.

You will notice one of our owners, Michael Streaman, in the picture!! Plus I heard a rumor they use Royal Flush toilets on this jobsite!!

11/12/08

This Old House Named Brooklyn One of the Best Places to Buy

This is fantastic because one of owners, Michael Streaman, is the contractor on a house in Brooklyn, where This Old House is currently filming. Be sure to keep checking in for more updates on the project...

Best Places to Buy an Old House: Editors' Top 12 Picks

neighborhood of victorian flatbush, brooklyn, ny

Victorian Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York

The Neighborhood
Victorian Flatbush, in one of Brooklyn's six original villages, can catch those who wander into it by surprise—even New Yorkers, many of whom have never heard of this architectural anomaly. Indeed, the 'hood's outstanding lineup of freestanding Queen Anne and English Tudor homes set along broad, tree-lined streets renders it much more Charles Dickens than "Welcome Back, Kotter." Just a subway ride away from Manhattan, Flatbush is also a short walk from 585-acre Prospect Park.

The Houses
Hundreds of Queen Annes, Tudors, and other Victorian-era homes line the streets, though house hunters looking for single-family properties may have to undo old multifamily conversions.

The Prices
Fixer-uppers are available for $600,000 to $900,000 (cheap by Big Apple standards); a restored home will run you a cool million or more.

Why Buy Now?
Brooklyn real estate, on fire since the 1990s, remains largely unscathed by the national housing crisis. A constant influx of people means the chances of declining property values are slim to none.

photo by Chris Kreussling

11/10/08

In honor of Veteran's Day...

Two years since it was removed and more than $100 million dollars later, the U.S.S. Intrepid has returned to New York City and was reopened this past weekend.

The U.S.S. Intrepid is docked at Pier 86, 12th Avenue and 46th Street in New York City. In honor of Veterans Day, the Intrepid is open today (Monday) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and on Veterans Day, 2 to 6 p.m., with the last tickets sold at 5 p.m. Regular hours resume on Wednesday; the museum will be open Tuesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed Mondays.

Admission is $19.50, with discounts for members, students, children, 62+, active and retired military personnel.