Email Author J.A. Lobbia

2001 Stories by J.A. Lobbia

• Caveat Renter

  published September 11, 2001

  'You're gonna be dead,' threatened one caller on the other end of Tom Sullivan's phone. Another one menaced: 'You're gonna end up in the... More >>

• Landlords Vote With Bucks

  published August 28, 2001

  Months ago, when it became clear that no Democratic mayoral candidate would emerge as a sure pick in the upcoming primary, the city's real estate... More >>

• Deciphering the City’s Hidden Code

  published August 21, 2001

  At first glance, the photograph at the Storefront for Art & Architecture gallery looks like an aerial view of a beautiful dark slate mountain... More >>

• The King of Queens

  published August 14, 2001

  It was early morning at the Brooklyn Bridge subway stop near City hall-so early the coffee vendors were still stacking their cups, the bagels and... More >>

• Like a Ton of Bricks

  published July 31, 2001

  Last week, prosecutors filed criminal charges against Walter and Evan Blum, alleging that the father and son's recklessness and dishonesty led to... More >>

• War of the Roses

  published July 24, 2001

  When community gardeners protested Rudy Giuliani's plans to auction off about 115 city-owned lots in January 1999, the mayor snidely reminded them... More >>

• Warning: Gentrification in Progress

  published July 3, 2001

  While Gillian Jabin says she's happy with the move she made to a downtown apartment on Elizabeth Street, she finds one thing troubling. After... More >>

• Dis-Astor Place?

  published June 19, 2001

  The Great Hall at Cooper Union has historically hosted controversial meetings on issues intricately bound to the welfare of the surrounding Lower... More >>

• Show Me the Money

  published June 12, 2001

  Vince Castellano, who represents landlords on the Rent Guidelines Board, often talks about what he considers the city's two real estate markets:... More >>

• Where Justice Resides

  published May 29, 2001

  The Harlem Court House on East 121st Street is nothing short of impressive, with its powerful granite base, octagonal clock tower, ornate spiral... More >>

• No Bad Deed Goes Punished

  published May 22, 2001

  A recalcitrant Brooklyn landlord with a history of tenant abuses appears to have escaped punishment despite her conviction in criminal court on... More >>

• The 8.7 Percent Solution

  published May 15, 2001

  For years, Mayor Rudy Giuliani's unrelenting control of the Rent Guidelines Board has had landlords and tenants alike agreeing that the agency's... More >>

• Take a Bike!

  published May 8, 2001

  Armed with a helmet and a pack of baby wipes, Gary Young does combat every weekday morning. He wages a battle that could cost him his life, but... More >>

• Get Rolling!

  published May 8, 2001

  FRIDAY, MAY 11 Paintings of Bicycles (6 p.m. to 9... More >>

• How the Other Third Lives

  published April 17, 2001

  Is there a toilet in your building? Not necessarily in your apartment; a commode down the hall will suffice. If there is, you can thank the U.S.... More >>

• Charity Begins—And Ends—At Home

  published April 10, 2001

  Of course Michael P.'s landlord wants him out. His rent is about $700 for a large one-bedroom on East 105th Street, half a block from Central Park... More >>

• Balustrades for El Barrio

  published April 3, 2001

  In the past, city officials have called antiques dealer Evan Blum a deadbeat who stiffed them for more than $100,000 in rent. But if a pending... More >>

• The ABCs of the RGB

  published March 27, 2001

  The Rent Guidelines Board is the bureaucratic equivalent of a sports car: It accelerates from a snooze to a nightmare in only eight meetings.... More >>

• Trust Fund Trussed?

  published March 6, 2001

  When the titans of real estate waged a bidding war last month for control of the World Trade Center, the average citizen was, of course, nowhere... More >>

• It's Not Just the Poison Gas . . .

  published February 27, 2001

  One month after carbon monoxide fumes sent tenants into seizures and forced the evacuation of two Upper West Side buildings, life has not returned... More >>

• Green Leads in Real Estate Green

  published February 13, 2001

  The Democratic mayoral candidate with the biggest following, according to a February poll, is someone named Unsure. It seems that the real estate... More >>

• Mel Blank

  published February 6, 2001

  If there's one thing to be said about George W. Bush's housing secretary, Mel Martinez, it's that he's no John Ashcroft. Unlike the gentleman from... More >>

• A Sentence Laden With Irony

  published January 23, 2001

  If there's one thing Steve Gluck knows, it's tenements. He's spent most of the last six years as a salesman with Sion Misrahi Real Estate, the... More >>

• 2554 Days Late and $1 Billion Short

  published January 16, 2001

  Rudy Giuliani thought the housing plans he pitched last week in his state of the city speech were so important, he leaked them to the press a day... More >>

• The Grinch of the Grand Concourse

  published January 9, 2001

  Around city hall, Leo Zisman is known as a contributor to Rudy Giuliani. His wife, Myrna, is regarded as such a model of decorum, she was... More >>