Prime New York City Real Estate Goes Unoccupied

The lights are on but no one is home in New York City…literallyLuxury residences are swept off the market by business moguls from all over the world who stay in their NYC residences a handful of times a year. In a city where a parking space sells for $1 million, some may wonder, “Who would spring for premium real estate and leave it vacant?”. Judgments to the side, many NYC residents are worried this may widen the gap between the wealthy and poor. BSC crews are noticing a number of high-end residences in Manhattan that seem unoccupied. 

luxury real estate in nyc
This luxurious townhouse we surveyed left us disappointed that no one would be there to gather around the fire.

Request a Building Survey Quote!

The BUILDING SURVEY Corp. is now accepting online quote requests! A little information about your project goes a long way, and we will get back to you as possible. Also, make sure to check out our latest website changes including our list of services.

Request a quote online through our new  Get a Quote tab!
BSC’s newly updated website makes it fast and easy to request a quote for your upcoming architecture or construction projects.

The Struggle of Building Surveyors: Why are Building Drawings Under-appreciated?

The role of a building surveyor cannot be reduced to,”someone who draws buildings”. Creating a professional existing conditions document requires knowledge which spans across residential, commercial, industries, luxury, landmarks, and many more projects. In the most fundamental sense, building surveyors represent a binary profession of both the architectural and construction industries. 

The nature of the work is dangerous, and often requires 2 man crews or more. Entering a burned out tenement, a chemical factory, underground tunnels, etc. is dangerous for anyone, but is necessary for a surveyor to obtain the most accurate measurements. Proper gear is required, as is physical endurance considering larger-scale projects that could take a couple days to measure.

 

In other countries, such as Scotland and Great Britain, building surveying is a revered profession and the highest-profiled surveyors come from abroad. Why is that? Some argue that the United States doesn’t appreciate architecture the same way other countries do, especially European countries. Others will say that the United States doesn’t have as much antiquated architecture for there to be a demand of surveyors. Both points of view are erroneous; surveyors deal with all real estate professionals and all forms of architecture. Although slow to catch fire in The States, BSC is a proud surveying company and growing more everyday. 

Draftsmen Needed for Immediate Hire

GREAT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

 The BUILDING SURVEY CORP. is currently seeking motivated individuals for FULL TIME positions as BUILDING SURVEYORS and CADD OPERATORS (Computer Draftspersons).  Applicants must be highly energetic, motivated, and have excellent skill with AutoCAD. Pay varies with experience.

 Applicants should email their resume to the attention of:

Peter@buildingsurvey.net

cropped-wp2.jpg

THE ODD SETT

Help us solve the mystery

ODD SETT (2)

We were working on Greene St in Manhattan and noticed this peculiar “Cobblestone” with a smooth symmetrical notch. We began discussing this curious little stone and no-one could come up with a likely scenario for its history. We’d love to hear what you think about this stone.  Some of the questions we have:

-What was the notch cut for?

-Was the notch cut in a larger block that was later re-purposed as a cobble* (Sett Stone)

-Was the notch cut in America or another country (England, Holland?) and brought as ship ballast?

– Why was this cobble (Sett) not discarded by the Sett Mason who layed Greene St.?

*Cobblestones are small stones rounded by the flow of water and were used in the pavement of early streets. Setts are often confused with cobblestones, although setts are shaped to a regular form whereas cobblestone are from a naturally occurring form.

Example of a cobblestone surface.
Example of a cobblestone surface.
Example of a sett stone surface.
Example of a sett stone surface.

Can You Name this Building?

singer1 (2)

…No? Take a close look at the second picture:

Hint: Look at the iron sign over the entry.

singer2 (2)

Answer: This is the old Singer Manufacturing Company headquarters in New York between Prince and Broadway Streets! Singer is an American manufacturer of sewing machines , and this building was resurrected in 1904 and is known as the “Little Singer Building”. It was designed by architect Ernest Flagg and features an Art Nouveau style.

Theatre History for Broadway Lovers

Do you know the history behind The Stephen Sondheim Theatre? This New York City landmark is formerly known as Henry Miller’s Theatre, built by and named for actor Henry Miller. The theatre was opened in 1918 with the play The Fountain of Youth. In 2010, it was revealed that the theatre would be renamed to The Stephen Sondheim Theatre after the American composer for his contributions to musical theatre for over 50 years. Below are some of the drawings TBSC did for the theatre before its renaming including the gate, the lobby floor, lobby ceiling, and outside of the building!

henry miller gate henry miller lobby henry miller lobby2 Henry Miller Theater henry miller-elev

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at The Building Survey Corp.! Warm thoughts and wishes to you and your family, friends, and co-workers this Thanksgiving. We hope that you find this year to be especially bountiful!

If you plan to watch the Macy's Day Parade, make sure to catch a glimpse of the historic building, which is also one of our past clients!
If you plan to watch the Macy’s Day Parade, make sure to catch a glimpse of the historic building, which is also one of our past clients!

Keep Up with Your Renovations

Home renovations are rising in popularity, and homeowners are opting for a more basic design with a low-maintenance feel. This year’s trends include updating kitchen cabinets, quartz counter tops, pre-finished wood flooring, lighter/earthier color tones, and deep single bowl sinks. Many homeowners are remodeling their homes with the intention of “growing old” in them, and recent trends reflect this mentality. Before you begin to remodel your home or even update part of your kitchen, keep in mind the importance of obtaining updated property surveys and professionally taken photographs to have the most accurate existing conditions documents.

Before you start your home renovations, make sure your property documents are up to date.
Before you start your home renovations, make sure your property documents are up to date.

Stay Updated on BSC Blog

Hello from The BUILDING SURVEY Corp.! We are currently updating our social media sites and happy to introduce our new blog. Make sure to follow us and keep up to date with our latest projects!

Image