Shocker: Subway study finds that man is no match for rat

Aw, gross. It's not bad enough that they spread disease and pestilence...

We have a mousetrap that attracts mice with sound. I don't really know how it works, but can't they lure the rats with technology like that?

BTW I love that they call rats "diabolically clever."

I saw a rat calmly walking the streets of Park Slope yesterday... without a care in the world. This city is every rat's dream vacation; it's not like it's remotely feasible that they'll be going anywhere anytime soon.

Ahahahaha! I love "diabolically clever!" That's priceless. Yeah, rats rival coyotes and possum for the cockiest animal award.

I really don't think that rats can be controlled as there are too many of them. Remember, the movie Willard.

I never saw Willard. But, that just reminded me of the Crispin Glover interview on David Letterman in the 80's. Guess he can't be controlled either . . . anyone else ever see that? It's priceless. That guy is out of his gord.

I think rats are pretty cute, as long as they're not crawling ON me! Although I did hear that they are as capable of forming emotional attachments/bonds with humans as dogs are - so they actually make great pets. and Ratatouille was an adorable film...but yeah, I'm not going to adopt a subway rat anytime soon.

@ajadedidealist I thought the same thing when I saw that rat wandering around on the sidewalk the other day... not that I would want to get too close.

Mice are super cute, rats are scary as hell. And I blame them both for the Black Death and the swift annihilation of one quarter of the population of Europe in the middle ages.

I have to say I never noticed as many rats in the big European cities I visited, so there must be something they're doing right that NYC is failing to do! NYC rats are brazen and fearless.

@Uraniumfish I think a general ignorance concerning sanitation could also be blamed, though we all know those rats were the ultimate bubonic mover.

@DBlack Me neither! Maybe it's something in the NYC water that gives rats bionic strength.

Let's face it, the NYC rats are perfectly in sync with NYC people.

@JenMac: I like your comment. "Let's face it, the NYC rats are perfectly in sync with NYC people." That's funny.

@DBlack: I talked to a sanitation guy not too long ago and he told me one of the reasons for rats, mice, and other rodents is not necessary because of a lack of sanitation. It was because people don't know how to pack trash right. Many times trash bags are left on the street half open. The bags should not even be placed on the street. They are supposed to be placed in cans. But not too many people pay attention to that one.

@everyone I hate rats and even mice, sometime ago our building had a mouse infestation and it was not funny. The building placed glue traps all over and I saw a dead mouse stuck there one morning..not a pretty sight but as uraniumfish says they spread disease and I really dont want them near me.

@everyone dont know if any of you have noticed the weird stench that seems to linger in the corridor leading to the E train on 51st street? apparently its fried rat fur.. from the rats who get electrocuted on the subway lines eeeouuw!

I haven't been in that direction for a long time, and hope I won't. I hate that kind of smell. Yuck.

@uptowngirl: I wonder why only at that stop? Is that where the rats take their prisoner rats for public executions?

@JenMac Rats ARE in sync with the people of New York! I had similar thoughts, but you expressed that so perfectly, ha ha.

@uptowngirl Ewwww fried fur!

@BroadwayBK: Yeah, I like the way JenMac phrased it.

@hhusted you're telling me it makes me want to throw up every time but unfortunately I love going to Queens and the E train is my fastest conduit.

@uptowngirl What do you especially love about Queens, out of curiosity?

@Never Sleeps I go to Queens -Jackson Heights for my South Asian groceries you can't get the variety or the prices in Manhattan. I also go to Elmhurst to a Malaysian restaurant called Taste Good which is fantastic and then I have a few favorites in Astoria as well...

Ha,Ha Jen Mac I wish I knew why the bypass to the E train smelled so.. imagine if all the lines smelled like that ..no one would ever get on the Subway!

Anyone know which of the mouse control methods are best. My landlord used a box that sends out low frequency sounds to lure the mice in. Does anyone know if that's the best method? I would just hate to use glue traps, those things are so disgusting.

And on that note, are there any preventives for bedbugs? I live in fear in this city.

@DBlack I've never had a rodent problem, knock on wood. I rarely see a spider, but that completes the list of my pest woes.

Would be good to know about bedbug preventatives!

@uptowngirl That's interesting. I never knew there were South Asian groceries hiding out there.

The big one is - don't go to fleabag motels/etc when traveling - you might bring them back with you!

I just Googled "prevent bedbugs" and got a ton of hits. I also have the strangest feeling of deja vu right now.... as if I've Googled it before! Hmmm.

And..does anything get rid of mice? Those things are diabolical, too. We've set out traps that never catch any mice, tried the spray that smells like predator urine - but they never seem to notice either.

@DBlack and BroadwayBK the only device which seems to work is the glue trap. I have seen it in use in our buildings laundry room and its been effective though I do agree it is very gross. I too live in eternal fear of a bed bug attack apparently they travel in people's clothes and can be easily transmitted on the subway..yeeow

@NeverSleeps Jackson Heights in Queens is home to a huge South Asian population so much so the area is often referred to as ' Jaikishen' heights by many South Asians:). If you havent been it's worth going to for the eats, forget Jackson' Diner which is Zagat Rated and try one of the other restaurants there like Maharja which serves great Indian vegetarian food and sweets.

I so love these ethnic enclaves of NYC its as if you can find the whole world here !

I got rid of a mouse two days ago. How did I do it? Simple. I bought one of those sticky traps. The sticky traps are mainly used to catch roaches, but I placed one under a cabinet last week, and two days ago my girlfriend and I were cleaning when i saw the trap. A mouse got stuck to it and died from starvation I guess. So if you want to get rid of mice, get the sticky traps. They work every time.

@DBlack apparently Mint Trash bags are the new rat repellent in the city
http://dnainfo.com/20100706/manhattan/instead-of-poison-trash-bags-use-mint-could-keep-rats-at-bay

Did anyone catch this story? its so gross the Abercromie and Fitch store at South Street Seaport closed due to a bed bug infestation! It makes my skin crawl
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-beat/Abercrombie--Itch-Clothing-Co-Closes-South-Street-Store-Over-Bedbugs-97732499.html

I am so afraid of bed bugs. I feel like every time I get on the subway, I'm just asking for it. I don't think there's really any way to prevent them, no?

@everyone: the best way to get rid of rodents is to get a dog or a cat. Never had one in my apartment and I'm pretty sure it's because they can smell imminent death lurking in my living room.

@JenMac I think you are right. We never had any mice until the people below us moved in with their cat.

@uptowngirl Nooooo! That's so crazy about the A&F/Seaport infestation! I am NEVER going back there, no matter how great the view. Think I will just stick to the DUMBO promenade. And as for the Mint Trash bags, I'll believe that when I hear some personal success stories. Rodents in this town aren't to be underestimated.

@JenMac: We have two cats but every so often we still get mice. However, only one of our cats chases mice. The other one just looks at it.

My girlfriend has a lot of furniture in her apartment and the mice hide behind it. That's why I put down the traps.

Did you guys catch the sentence in uptowngirl's article about how the city apparently CUT its rat prevention budget? So they COULD do something about this but aren't?!?

I've heard of the mint and peppermint solution before for bedbugs. I too live in fear and am considering peppermint sprays.

@Uraniumfish But what budget didn't the city cut?

@everyone Do you guys know if these sprays smell okay? I'm all for bed bug prevention, but I don't especially want to live in a room that smells anything like bug spray. Of course, they sound like they would be alright....

@NeverSleeps An old boyfriend would spray peppermint on his bed every night. I never realized why until now. Anyways, it was really nice, like sleeping in a hotel.

@Uraniumfish wow that sounds delicious..where would you buy peppermint spray in the city?

@Everybody: We don't have a bedbug problem, but it is nice to know a solution or two to resolve one if it occurred.

@uptowngirl I'll find out. I seriously want to look into this.

Thanks @Uraniumfish

Yes, if someone knows where to get such a spray let me know! It sounds delightful, and it's for such a good cause. I tried to find one online, but didn't have much success.

It's apparently something home-made. Stay tuned for the recipe...

Aha, and the word just in:

4 teaspoons peppermint oil
1-2 teaspoons dr. bronners peppermint soap
about 16 oz water

You can put it in a spray bottle, and spray it onto the bed/sheets each morning.

@uraniumfish: thank you! That is good to know. I don't want those buggers anywhere near me!

Yeah, I'm in a hurry all of a sudden to make myself a batch of the stuff...I just moved and bought a new bed, too.

@Uraniumfish I found a similar recipe on EHow.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2164042_use-peppermint-oil-as-insect.html

@uptowngirl On reading your recipe I'm tempted to say what I wrote shouldn't be diluted with water but with rubbing alcohol as they suggest. Might make more sense, especially on textiles like sheets, etc.

@Uraniumfish I think water would be easier if you are using it on your skin for rubbing alcohol can be very harsh on the skin. Where do you get pure peppermint oil?

@uptowngirl Good question! My next research topic. But glancing around on the internet, looks like most health foods stores would have it, and for something like $5 to $10 per bottle.

@uraniumfish can't wait to get my hands on some to try out the recipe. Thanks for suggesting it in the first place.

@uptowngirl I also found a suggestion on the internet to use pure peppermint oil as a rodent repellent. You dab cotton balls and leave them in corners where you expect rodents might come. Sounds easy (and pleasant!) and I wonder how long it would last. Maybe you have to do a lot of upkeep replacing the cotton balls every couple of days, but if it's effective it seems like a lot better of a solution than nasty (and toxic) repellents of all kinds.

Thanks for this, uraniumfish, it sounds like a great recipe! I'm really glad to have something that could work as a preventive to bedbugs. I hadn't thought there was anything out there until after you get them.

Great, thanks! Peppermint sounds and smells a lot nicer than a nasty trap or strong chemicals

@Ajadedidealist; Peppermint actually does smell good when you sniff it. I would rather sniff that than anything else. Spearmint is good to.

@Uraniumfish just a thought..wonder if peppermint will keep roaches away as well?can't wait to find out since I absolutely hate those creatures.

@Uptowngirl: Yeah, I wish I knew. I have to use sticky traps for now.

@Everyone yet another 'bed bug attacks a retail store case', this time Victoria's Secret at Lexington avenue between 58th and 59th streets..
http://manhattan.ny1.com/content/top_stories/122162/lenox-hill-lingerie-store-treated-for-bed-bugs
At this rate I am going to stop shopping in the retail stores! Hopefully the bed bugs will not reach the warehouses where the merchandise is stored for online purchases.

@Uptowngirl: Neither one of us shops at Victoria's Secret. However, my girlfriend and I have noticed getting bit by something in the last three to four days. I don't know what it is, but the spots inch. If it is bed bugs, she will have to keep track of where she shopped so she can avoid that or those stores.

I'm just wondering if that peppermint soap is going to be harsh on the fabrics on my bed. But I'm betting it will smell pretty great. They sell pure oils at health stores (the kind that sell organic vitamins), and I'm pretty sure they have it in the health store section at the Fairway in Brooklyn.

@Everybody GOT my ingredients and mixed me up some peppermint spray, and it smells mighty lovely around here! In addition to peppermint oil I also added rosemary oil. I couldn't find lemongrass oil or lemon eucalyptus oil, but apparently each one of those acts as an insecticide to various kinds of bugs, so it's good to include a teaspoon or two of those into the mix as weel. It all smells fantastic, so you can't go wrong. I am SET!

Next step is to mouse-proof the kitchen with cotton swabs full of peppermint oil left in strategic corners.

Now, if only I could get rid of the mosquitos hanging around me here in denmark!

@Uraniumfish its sounds totally heavenly.

@ajadedidealist how about lighting a citronella candle?

@ajadedidealist Yes, uptowngirl has a point with the citronella candle. I used to live by those things in Mosquitoville/Florida Panhandle College Town.

And: does it seem like these bed bugs really love chain clothing stores? Why do they thrive in such places? And are they a summertime problem? I've been seeing them on the news all the time lately!

@BroadwayBK Maybe because those stores see a lot more traffic than boutiquey establishments? just hazarding a guess here...

@BroadwayBK I'm sure it's easier for them to thrive in hot weather. Also hazarding a guess...

Yick. All the recent news stories on the topic have instilled a new fear in me.

@BroadwayBK Yeah, I think I need to go shopping and stock up on the peppermint oils.

@BroadwayBK: Every time I look, I see an insect flying around in our apartment. When it lands, I kill it. This year has been crazy with more bugs than I have seen in the past. Wow.

@hhusted It's that global warming, I tell ya.

I see the occasional gnat-like insect, (or maybe the occasional fruit fly? I'm no bug expert), but I guess other than that bugs don't get into our apartment too much. It is supposed to be another 100 degree day, though, so they might be coming in here for some relief later on!

I've been seeing flies that behave stupidly (or, more stupid than even normal for a fly). Usually flies are pretty fast and it was hard to swat and kill them, right? The ones I grew up with were. But I've been seeing some pretty slow-moving flies, that even I can kill. What's with that? Are they doped up with heat?

@Uraniumfish Sounds like it. I wish those were the kinds of flies I came across - I just find the normal hard-to-catch ones zooming around the kitchen.

@everyone But you know what I love when it comes to summer bugs? There are fireflies everywhere - I can sit in my backyard for hours and just watch them flashing around.

I've got a guilt complex - I feel bad about killing a mosquito unless it bites me; I feel mean, somehow! Like, it's just an itch for me, but it's the poor little guy's life! I know it's sad, and weird, but I have trouble killing mosquitoes!

@ajadedidealist But by then it could be too late!

@ajadeidealist Hah! Sucker, taken in with pity for bloodsuckers.

@ajadedidealist I feel no such sympathy for those bloodsuckers who cause havoc on my skin.

Oh, great I saw two caterpillar kinds of things in the last couple of days. I don't suppose anyone has anything for caterpillar-type creatures? It must be the heat, but the bugs I've seen around my place are all exotic types I don't even know how to name.

@Uraniumfish: Please. There is no such thing as Global Warming. If you don't believe it, I will show you proof. Unless you were joking.

@Ajadedidealist: You sound more like a Monk. They respect all kinds of life no matter how small.

No global warming? Here we go....

@DBlack Caterpillars are the creepiest of all bugs, I don't care how much better looking they get post-cocoon.

No global warming? Come on . . .

@hhusted then what would you call all these crazy weather patterns and the melting of the Polar ice cap and glaciers?

@Uptowngirl: The polar ice caps are not melting. What you see on TV is pure propaganda and you people fall for it. There have been many scientists who spent two years at the North Pole and found a lot of ice forming. So the ice caps are not melting.

As for the weather conditions, it is a direct result of what is happening in outer space, the sun in particular. When the sun releases solar flares, those flares have radiation. When they hit the planet, the magnetic rays within the radiation alter the magnetic field causing a shirt in the magnetic field, which shifts the wind currents. Don't believe me, check it out here: www.earthchangesmedia.com. Also go here: http://www.globalwarminghoax.com/news.php

Once you go to the above two websites, you should be convinced that there is no global warming.

Man oh man oh man oh. Man.

@DBlack I haven't actually seen a caterpillar since I was a kid in Florida and these big fat green ones would descend on my parent's tomato plants.

@BroadwayBk I'm with you: man oh man oh man. (I wish it would stop, but it never does)

I'm going for the obsessive method of pest-removal lately and making sure every little inch of my place is super-clean with powerful cleaners. I just don't cotton to caterpillar things or any other creepies near me, thank you.

@Uraniumfish I don't think caterpillars really get very far past places full of leaves, so you're probably safe from them at least.

I just saw a caterpillar today! He was just chugging along on the sidewalk and it was oddly cute.

So, wait, the huge specials on Discovery about polar bears drowning at incredible rates because all of the ice is melting is a hoax? In order to get us to do what? Awful things like stop using toxic substances that pollute the air. Oh, Discovery Channel, you got me. I'm such a fool.

@hhusted I am sorry I am not convinced there is far too much evidence to the contrary.. currently there is major flooding in many parts of Asia, rain like what has not been seen in years ..I do believe this is all due to Climate change or global warming..

@DBlack I used to love caterpillars when I was a kid .. we used to catch them and put them in plastic boxes with some leaves in the hope of seeing the whole chrysalis-butterfly metamorphosis. Don't remember ever seeing though..

@uptowngirl I saw all that flooding on BBC World News - that stuff is pretty crazy. Also (and unrelated-ly) it was so random that China experienced its own worst oil spill at around the same time we did.

@DBlack I just saw a commercial that was selling a "butterfly" garden for $20 - complete with the larvae that you get to raise into butterflies. Yick.

@BroadwayBK I too couldnt help but think of the coincidence.. I am at the gym at the crack of dawn and seem to be working out with fellow Americans who always have CNN on at full volume.. actually keeps me abreast with news back home but doesn't quite replace the ABC News fix that I used to get in NYC every morning :) been so homesick the past few days..maybe because I truly love the NYC summer and you guys are having such a brilliant one this time around.

Don't worry, uptowngirl. I wouldn't call the summer "brilliant" by any stretch. It has been painfully, miserably hot.

@JenMac :)

@Uptowngirl: If you believe in global warming, you are just sucking up to all the people who are naive enough to believe it. If you cannot accept the positive proof I presented, then you were brainwashed to believe falsehoods.

If we are in global warming, why did a lot of areas in Europe suffer their coldest period last year compared to years in the past.

No, way, global warming is a hoax and there is no evidence to prove otherwise. Any evidence you claim to have to prove it exist is flawed.

@Everybody: Come on, you can't stand a little heat wave. I love this heat. It is great.

@hhusted you have to look at the totality..the weather patterns all over the world have gone awry not only Europe which btw is having a record heat wave this summer...and not since 1999 has NYC experienced a summer such as this but you are entitled to your opinion as I am to mine..

@uptowngirl Aw, hot and sweaty New York missed you too!

@everyone I am afraid of what our utilities bill is going to be this month - I've been spending a lot of work days locked in my room with the AC maxed out!

Also: good article on why global warming could be making crazy winter weather more common, no matter what the good old GOP boys are saying: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1962294,00.html

@Everybody The building I've moved to is old and I'm afraid of what bug nests lay beneath the floorboards, so I am rather obsessive lately with the pesticides. Fun, fun, assembling furniture and caulking up the cracks in the walls in this "brilliant" heat!

@BroadwayBK A butterfly garden actually sounds pretty, so long as those larvae are fenced off securely and there's no danger they'll be crawling around in my food. Do the butterflies really develop, or is it like those sea monkeys kits that turn out to be totally lame?

@uptowngirl Yeah, caterpillars are great, I loved them too as a kid. And they seem pretty harmless, and even a bit cute.

@Uptowngirl: Yeah, if your opinion was right. But with all due respect, I have to tell you that your thinking is invalid. Instead of trying to find true answers to what is happening in the world. you rather take the easy way out and accept what the media presents to you. That is not the right way to think. You are truly limiting yourself to the total truth. But you know what. I have been studying global warming for many years, not just recently. I looked at both sides of the argument for quite some time. And there is one thing I can honestly say. The truth does hurt. When people got to find out how the topic of global warming got started. They were shocked.

To think a human being could stoop so low as to create a hoax just for the sake of running an elaborate scheme, a scheme that would cost millions of dollars. The reason the higher-ups believed in global warming for a long time was because of the huge amount of money they would get for being a part of it. That's the only reason they spread it.

Well, now, there is a backlash against those scheming. Several people have been arrested and charged with creating a hoax. Most of the people that were in charge of deliberately carrying the global warming scheme forward were either sued or put in prison. And even many scientists, who clearly acknowledged that it was real, have had to reverse their thinking and now announce they were wrong.

All of this has been in the news, if you paid attention to it.

@BroadwayBK: Thanks for the post. But in the article it states that colder air is drier. That is not always the case. The humidity index can rise in cold weather. How do you think a snowstorm occurs in winter. I know Bryan Walsh. I dealt with him before. He has been known to write controversial subjects. He was actually fired from another paper a few years ago for writing articles that were unproven. So I won't pay any attention to what he writes.

Let me guess, @hhusted you're also a trained meteorologist as well as an educated geologist.

@NeverSleeps: I studied meteorology in high school and it was also the first science I took in college. I love the stuff. However, I did not see myself as becoming a TV weatherman. I didn't have the looks to be on TV. I still don't have the looks. But I sure love studying weather patterns and seeing what the weather will do from one day to the next. My girlfriend calls me the local weatherman, because I give the weather for each day. She thinks it is cute. But I am far from being a professional meteorologist. I just like the science.

I actually do SEO work for a scientist and bought two of his books on the subject of global warming and changing earth climates. Interesting reading. He informs me about everything that is happening each day. I told him I love talking about outerspace and other such subjects. I subscribe to his daily newsletter. So I often know what is happening in the world before the media knows.

I just got word about another storm in outer space:

Sunspot regions 1092, 1093, 1094 and 1095 are throwing a series of C-class flares and one M-class. Sunspot region 1095 poses the greatest threat as it appears to be Earth directed.

When it hits the earth, disasters will occur. Here is a scientist equation that describes what happens:

Equation: Sunspots => Solar Flares (charged particles) => Magnetic Field Shift => Shifting Ocean and Jet Stream Currents => Extreme Weather and Human Disruption

@hhusted All these theories of yours are tedious and I wish you'd keep them to yourself.

Yeah..so how 'bout those rats?

Well, I guess one can't stop ignorance once it has begun to flourish.

Enough of this topic. Back to the subject of rats. My girlfriend told me yesterday of a commotion at a subway station. She told me when she got a better look, she discovered a little boy was chasing a rat. He stopped chasing it when the train came. I wonder what he would have done if he caught up to it.

With all due respect, @hhusted, I'd be more inclined to believe top scientists (and discount circumstantial evidence - a cool summer no more disproves global warming than us not being monkeys disproves evolution) than go by an individual client of mine - I have done SEO work for a variety of people, and they range from legit to pretty out there...

Although, just out of curiosity, you cite many academic specialties. How did you gain all such qualifications?

Right, so, back to the rats...

I love how ignorance can be said to "flourish."

@DBlack guess we are all imbeciles...

I love how the GOP can just deny the existence of something, and all of the faithful will follow suit in that denial.

@DBlack But I think it's incorrect that flourishing ignorance can't be beaten back a little bit - take the Nazis, for example. Stopped!

@Uraniumfish On the subject of butterfly gardens - I've never bought one so I don't know if you actually get any butterflies out of it, though that is what the commercial promises. Also, aren't landlords supposed to spray for bugs free of charge? Every building I ever lived in did that. Of course I understand wanting to go the extra mile, but you might as well get what you pay for out of your rent!

@BroadwayBK Yeh, one would think, but I am quickly learning that none of the usual things landlords do are actually done in my building. Cleaning the stairwell? I don't think anyone's touched it in the last year.

@Uraniumfish Ha! If your stairwell was clean, it would be one of the few in the city.

So true, @uraniumfish! Our landlord wasn't too good on my latest place - and then they had the nerve to take some of our deposit awayf or not weeding the garden. (technically this was in the fine print of our agreement, however when we moved in the garden was not only not weeded, it had gross used plastic cups with evaporated wine in them and a resultant HUGE bee/wasp infestation)

@ajadedidealist a resident bee/wasp infestation would have scared me to death.. the landlord sounds like a total douche bag.

Wouldn't it be cool if landlords were often upstanding citizens with high moral values? Just saying.

@NeverSleeps LOL that would be the day

@Ajadedidealist: I have news for you. Top scientists are debunking global warming. That is what I have been trying to say. Look it up online and you'll see that for yourself.

I'm becoming increasingly resentful of the landlord who is collecting tons on rent in this building and does not a thing. You all have never seen a stairwell as filthy as this.

@Uraniumfish Join the club. Mine lives in the basement and our bathtub has been draining VERY SLOWLY since I moved in. His idea of fixing it is to use a plunger, which fixes the problem for about an hour.

@NeverSleeps Can you slap them with some court order? I mean, there has to be a law about a problem being persistent and never being adequately fixed. I'm feeling litigious all of a sudden.

@NeverSleeps Isn't that a common problem in many NYC apartments? I always have liquid plumber in my cupboard and have often called my super to help me though I also now use one of those hair catcher contraptions which have helped somewhat since apparently its my long hair which causes much of the blockage.

@Uraniumfish You can ask them to fix it, and if they don't you can either pay to fix it yourself and deduct it from your rent or you can withhold your rent so they take you to court and you get the chance to expound on the misery you've been living in.... I'm sure there are even more options, but it were me I would just be pestering them until they fixed it.

@uptowngirl Yes, it is a common problem now that I think about it. This is an old, old house and I'm sure the plumbing is the same age. It's time to invest in a hair catcher, but I think it may be too late for liquid plumbing.

@uptowngirl @NeverSleeps I've had the drain problem in the past, and of course I always get the blame for it, having such long hair. Psssh. As if it's my fault the pipes around here are as old as civilization itself.

@Uraniumfish: Join the crowd. The building I live in is filthy. The steps need repair. The windows in the hallway are filthy. Yet, all the super does is play with his video equipment most of the time. He doesn't do much of anything. When asked, he said he's too old to do anything. So if he is that old, replace him for crying out loud.

Haha, my apartment in Tbilisi is gorgeous - but the common area and stairwell is disgusting - a hole in the elevator floor, darkness everywhere, and the omnipresent smell of urine...

@Everyone I have no complaints with my building, The board is pretty good and they maintain the building very well. In Hong Kong too the complex is extremely well maintained and spotlessly clean.

My place is clean....because I clean it. We have freakin' carpet on the stairs. On the stairs! It is not fun to vacuum.

@NeverSleeps Yeah, we do to. It's unspeakably filthy. I'm considering vacuuming it myself and withholding $100 in rent each month as a maintenance fee. What do you think? It's so filthy that I actually think it's dangerously unsanitary.

My building stairs, too, are disgusting. I always swiffer them but I seem to be the only one.

Crazy weather we're having this week, huh? Just kidding, guys. Just kidding :)

@Uraniuimfish: My girlfriend told me if she has a problem with the building, all she has to do is contact DHCR and they will intercede for her. She had them force the landlord to make repairs in the past.

I honestly think it just may be impossible to keep the public stairs in a building very clean - everyone brings the city dirt in with them every time they go up. Doesn't it seem like something that would have to be done more than once a day? This is reminding me of my building in the LES, which was nice - except for the dirty stairs. But they weren't insanely dirty; I think they were just normal dirty.

@BroadwayBK: Depending on how many people live in your building, you may find it hard to keep such a place clean. As you said, there are many people coming in and bringing the filth of the city with them. That's the way it is in the building I live in. The hallways are in bad need of washing. There is about 10 years worth of dirt on the window sills of each window on each floor. The place is in bad need of painting.

Naw, trust me: there's dirty and then there's FILTHY. My stairwell is the latter.

@Uraniumfish: Do you know why your super doesn't clean your building if it is so dirty?

@hhusted She's about 100 years old and doesn't do a lot of anything. And boy does she milk us for our sympathies regarding her extreme old age. Somehow we accept nothing getting done around here even though we sometimes see her family members come by and pick her up in Mercedes.

@ Uraniumfish your super is 83 !!!!! wow that's really something .. in my recent experience I have noticed that old folks can be extremely conniving and manipulative, you would think at that age they would find religion or something..

@uptowngirl LOL! Yeah, you would think so. And she's not at all helpless, and knows just how to be manipulative. One time when a guy in my building was a week late paying his rent, she kept knocking on my door asking if I had seen him around. One morning it was two visits and couple of phone calls, all to do with how worried she was that she hadn't seen this guy. I thought, "Lady, leave me alone, its' not my problem he hasn't paid his rent." Also, the fact that she kept saying she's so worried about him, when in fact what she was worried about was her rent check. She's a clever one alright.

@Uraniumfish She sounds really obnoxious. Is your super also your landlady?

She's the owner of the building and I'm guessing there's no super per se, which is why everything is so crummy around here. Her family kinda takes care of things, but there's no process by which to contact someone if the toilet explodes or something.

I have to say I am not a fan of the landlord who takes responsibility for the upkeep of the place upon themselves, but then fails to actually take action when it's needed. I have an issue like that with my current landlord. The dude buys himself a ton of nice stuff - an Escalade, a pool table, some rims for the Escalade - but then refuses to do anything about our disgusting drain that doesn't drain. Not to mention that when I moved in he said he had a cleaning lady who came all the time, and then somehow I have turned into the only person who cleans the place.

@NeverSleeps what a bummer!!

@Uraniumfish aha that makes sense then I was amazed that your super was that old.

@NeverSleeps I am trying to resist being sucked into becoming the cleaning lady for the building, which is why I want to do all this a bit more formally and withhold rent and all that. I don't want to live in filth but I also don't want to be manipulated into doing the duty of the landlord. Sweet old lady that she is.

I just moved yesterday, and man is this building on top of their stuff (not to rub it in). The elevator got jammed at 7 pm and they had a repairman over in 15 minutes. It's nice to know that some building owners actually care to take care of the tenants.

@JenMac That's good news...

@Uraniumfish: Sweet old lady? She sounds more like a lion. I'll bet she acts nice on the outside but is full if pain and misery on the inside. Does she really own the building, or is it owned by a late husband who left it to her. Sometimes those kind of deals happen.

@hhusted You can't really expect an 83 year old to clean stairwells etc but she can definitely hire someone to do so

@Uptowngirl: That's right. If she inherited that building, she probably has enough cash stashed to hire people to perform maintenance on the property.

@uptowngirl I brought this issue up with her a couple of days ago and after her trying to defend it with something like, The stairwell is dirty because everyone brings their bikes upstairs, I insisted that no, we're not talking about a little mud here and there, the stairs haven't been cleaned in YEARS. So then she says something to the effect of, "Well, I used to do all this myself but haven't felt so well lately." Now, see, I find this incredibly manipulative. She's obviously hoping to play up the pity factor, because what jerk would insist that an old woman do that kind of cleaning? But we all in the building pay a ton of rent and she's obviously capable of hiring someone to do the maintenance work. And obviously she doesn't hire someone to do it because that's more money for her every month. And I'm really annoyed by the "poor old woman" thing she does. She's totally suckered a couple of the guys who live here with the same story. This big old brownstone is surely worth a cool million and this woman cannot pay $20 a week for someone to clean?

@Uraniumfish Hmmmm... Maybe you should offer to do it in return for a rent discount. And then hire someone to do it. My roommate has a deal like that going with our landlord. He does little handy things in return for a few hundred dollars of the rent. She probably won't agree anyway - she sounds really tight-fisted.

She came knocking on my door again this morning and then called me, looking for that guy who's late with his rent. I'm really starting to feel put out by this woman. I've never lived in a building before with the landlord bothering me like this. She can't possibly be allowed to do that, can she?

Do you tell her that you don't want to be bothered and to leave you alone?

@Uraniumfish Yeah you should tell her not to bother you with issues such as this and like BroadwayBK suggests tell her that you will hire someone to clean the stairwell for a rebate on your rental.

That's really crazy, @uraniumfish. How long have you lived in this building? It sounds like a bit of a nightmare, to be honest...

I hate it when landlords show all kinds of crazy new colors after you've signed the lease. That's something I'm dealing with at the moment...

@NeverSleeps that must be quite painful I can understand your frustration. Can you actually break a lease if you are not happy? What are the financial implications of that?

@NeverSleeps have a look at this Chinatown landlord who turned up the heat during a sweltering day to teach tenants protesting against poor living conditions a lesson.
http://dnainfo.com/20100907/lower-east-side-east-village/chinatown-tenants-claim-landlord-turned-heat-on-during-hot-day-as-payback-for-protesting

@Uraniumfish: Legally, you can get her to stop. Tell her nicely the first two times. If she keeps harassing you, tell her you do not know and want her to stop bothering you about the guy. If she fails, then call the cops or write a letter and send it certified, telling her that if she does not stop, you will take legal action. I'll bet she will stop bothering you then.

@Uptowngirl: Someone should have reported that landlord, because that is really illegal, if I am not mistaken.

@uptowngirl There is usually a clause in a lease that if you want to break it you just have to pay a certain amount. I'm actually living month-to-month right now, so I should just shut up and move.

@Uraniumfish It's a tricky situation to be in, because you don't want to anger a landlord that you have to see every day. I'm assuming she lives in the building? I would try being as nice about it as possible and then go from there. That's what I try to do with my landlord whenever I have a problem with him....

@NeverSleeps Yes, she does live in the building. So, she called again about the guy, and I actually turned the conversation into the stairwell issue. The astonishing thing? It got cleaned within days! I was nice about it, but also pretty firm on the phone, and it looks like she got one of her grandsons to do it over Labor Day Weekend. It's a big victory around these parts. The beauty of it is, I doubt she will call me again for no reason, because every time she does, I will just turn the conversation to something else that needs to be done in the building. Apparently negative reinforcement works wonders.

@Uraniumfish That's awesome. Total win-win.

I've had a spring in my step all week, coming home to a stairwell that's merely dirty and old as opposed to obscenely filthy. Sigh, what New York living does to one's standards of sanitation.

@uptowngirl I can't believe that Chinatown landlord. what a passive-aggressive jerkbag. I'm glad that the tenants have legal support to take the guy to court.

@Uraniumfish My thoughts exactly though I am happy that your stairwell got cleaned. Filth can so affect your mood can't it?I am sure you're the sort that loves to come home to a clean living space.

@uptowngirl Yeah, retaliating landlords are the worst. And turning on the heat on a New York summer's day? I think I'd be moving out of there.

@BroadwayBK Also you would think they would be more careful in the renters market scenario that is currently prevailing.

Well done, @uraniumfish! You rock my world. I hate dirty stairwells - I visited a friend's apartment in London. Gorgeous apartment, gorgeous views - and a disgusting stairwell smelling of foul liquids with a sewage leak and general filth. What a first impression!

@Uraniumfish; Good going. Chock one up to smart thinking.

@ajadedidealist: Why the discrepancy. Why is his apartment so attractive but the rest of the building is dirty?

Update on the stairwell: as a result of a couple of days of me screaming, they have torn out the absolutely vile carpeting that used to cover the stairs. The down side, however, is that what's underneath is also rather vile, and it's been like this for a few days, with no word on whether covering it up someway is going to happen. Manno man.

@Uraniumfish: Well, you get what you wanted, but the result wasn't too great. Maybe if you keep screaming, the landlord will put in new carpeting or tile. I would think carpeting gets dirty too fast with everyone trampling on it. I would think tile would be better because it is easier to clean.

@hhusted - presumably the people in charge of the flat block as a whole don't care enough to renovate or keep it clean, but this guy did a heck of a job keeping his apartment neat and tidy. It was clean enough on the inside as well - so maybe all the landlords' energy went there rather than into the stairwell.

I have a feeling the maintenance of this place will continue to be lax, so I've decided to move, actually. It's incredibly inconvenient to do so, but I don't see this situation getting magically better any time soon. And it really feels awful having to come home to so much filth. I'm going to bet that not all landlords are this negligent so finding a better situation isn't entirely unrealistic.

@Uraniumfish Ew, they left the carpet pad on the stairs? Call 311 before you move out. File some complaints.

Sorry Uraniumfish, I feel for you , moving can be such a pain but I can totally relate about not wanting to face filth day in and out..good luck with finding a cleaner place with a better landlord.

@Uraniumfish That's rough - didn't you just move in??

Good for you, @uraniumfish! What neighborhood are you looking to move into?

@Everybody. Yes, I did just move, but the condition of the building and a couple of encounters with the elderly landlady have convinced me to get out of there. I've been looking in my neighborhood, of course, but really have found very little. But, as it happens, by a stoke of luck I found a place I can afford in Chinatown! Woohoo! I'm pretty excited to have a Manhattan address again, and this wasn't something I could turn down. So annoying as it is, I have to go through the moving upheaval one more time this year.

@Uraniumfish best of luck and we look forward to hearing your reports from Chinatown ..I love the hustle and bustle of Chinatown .. it reminds me so much of cities like Kuala Lumpur and Singapore where I have spent many happy times Initially when I first moved to NYC , I used frequent Fay de bakery which is in the heart of Chinatown and is a cafe that serves an especially strong Jasmine tea brew.. My friends used to tease me about perennially hanging out in Chinatown -they used to say that I should find an apartment there or move to Asia.. how prophetic!

So far so good here. It's easier to take the madness of Chinatown if you have a quiet place you can duck into as an escape. I used to find Chinatown overwhelming, like everyone else, but thats' because whenever I was in Chinatown in the past I knew that home was a long, arduous train ride away.

@Uraniumfish Curbed NY is looking for scary apartment stories - maybe you would care to oblige?
http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2010/10/20/scare_us_silly_with_your_apartment_horror_story.php

Thanks, uptowngirl. I've just mailed them my sob story and even included a photo to prove my point.

attagirl Uraniumfish

@Uraniumfish: I hate moving. I did a a few times and it is a pain in the neck. Good luck with your move.

Uptowngirl: I wish I had seen that earlier. I had a good story to tell.

@uptowngirl My sob story and picture elicited a response email from someone at Curbed who wrote back: "Wow." Wow indeed.

@uraniumfish; Now onto Hollywood with the Uraniumfish Story. Ha ha.

@Uraniumfish Are they going to post your horror story? I'm curious to see the pic!

Looking forward to seeing the story if, God willing, it gets published, @Uraniumfish. Or you can post it here! We'd all be curious to see the photos..

It's totally gruesome. I guess we'll see if they publish it. I'm definitely to see what other horror stories they do publish. Someone keep an eye out and let me know if the stories have been posted.

@Uraniumfish just checked Curbed.com no NYC horror stories as yet.

@Everybody: They probably go through an editing process first. Then if approved they will go live. I notice a number of sites do this, especially when publishing content is concerned.

I'm guessing they would notify me as well if they publish. Anyhoo, it was fun to do.

@uptowngirl Here they are: http://ny.curbed.com/tags/curbed-horror-stories

@BroadwayBK Whoa! Some of those are really crazy. I don't know why those people weren't complaining to the city?

@everyone Then again, does anyone know what actually happens if you complain to the city about violations? Is that how landlords get fined? Does the city actually spring into action after repeated complaints? I'm really curious after reading that Curbed horror story about the landlady calling the girls "sluts" every time they needed something fixed.

@BroadwayBk wow! OMG having never rented a place in NYC, these stories are a real eye-opener. I would never treat my tenants like this.

The slut-calling landlady sounds pretty impressive - it's these kinds of senile, awful landlords that I wonder about. Can nothing be done about them? I mean, they're collecting your rent money and abusing you all the while.

Maybe the president should have thought to include free legal care for all in his Obamacare plan. Then we'd see how many crappy landlords would abound.

I'm now having my own issue with my last landlord -- they refuse to return any of my calls in regards to my deposit (two months rent). I moved out over 60 days ago. I am so t.o.'d. People can be real scum sometimes.

@JenMac that's horrible.. isn't there anything you can do?

@Everybody: Unfortunately, landlords believe they can get away with anything, simply because the city does not regulate their activities. The city may regulate the amount of rent they can charge, but not much else. My girlfriend contacts DHCR when her landlord doesn't do anything to the apartment building or her apartment.

@JenMac You can take them to court and force their hand. It'll take a bit of effort on your part - maybe a couple of sessions of advice from legal aid and then going to the courthouse to fill out the forms. But it can feel really good to actually exercise your rights. If the judge is sympathetic, you can even collect addition cash to what they owe you, as compensation for the trouble of expense of having to take them to court. Sometimes it's not about the money but about the principle - not letting jerks get away with being jerks.

@Uraniumfish youre so right-its about the principle.

And then you might get a sympathetic judge and even get the satisfaction of seeing them fork over some of their own money to compensate you for your trouble. I know someone who just pursued the deposit money she was owed, but then the judge awarded her a little more for her effort. That's gotta feel sweet.

@Uraniumfish: It always feels good to win a case in court. You feel like you won a battle and maybe even the war. You walk out of that courthouse with your head held high.

I finally got the deposit back. They took so much money out for "cleaning." I don't know about you guys, but I, generally, don't spend 500 bucks on a cleaning service.

@JenMac: That's because the landlord hires a large cleaning service to come in and strip the apartment so it can be plastered and painted. This service normally does not cost that much, but landlords don't spend $500 on a cleaning service. They claim to just so they can pocket extra cash for themselves. The problem with this is you can't prove it, unless you hired a private investigator.

I don't trust "cleaning" fees (ditto in short-term lets). They often seem like a hidden way to jack up the price!

@Ajadedidealist: Yes, you are no doubt right. Maybe that's why security deposits are so high today.

@JenMac that's preposterous! $500 bucks for cleaning is crazy

When I was recovering from surgery, I had a cleaning lady come in to help clean the apartment. I was told the lady was only getting paid $8 an hour. My insurance company was paying for it so I had no say. I couldn't believe the service paid their workers that low in wages. I wonder if this is the same cleaning service that landlords hire, or do they hire actual cleaning companies.

@hhusted $8 is just above minimum wage isnt it? all the cleaning ladies I have ever used in the city have charged $20 an hour upwards and cleaning services are usually more.

Wow, your insurance company paid for a cleaning lady? Is that standard? If so, what insurance are you on!?!

@ajadedidealist I have that provision in my insurance policy here in HK but I don't think my blue cross blue shield insurance provided it in the US.

@Ajadedidealist: When i came out of the hospital I could not speak nor walk. I needed a nurse, a home health aid, and a home care aid to take care of me, since my girlfriend had to work a lot. And my insurance took care of it all.

@hhusted that's really awesome really wasn't aware that US insurance policies offered such amenities.

I'm sure it's cheaper for insurance companies to offer those amenities rather than have people recover in hospital, where costs are huge for a bed. So yeah, good that they paid for nurses and cleaning, etc.

@Uraniumfish You have a valid point there.

Yeah, way to think like an insurance co!

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@BroadwayBK Ahem, though my cynical analysis might look like the thinking of an insurance co, mine is borne of a sympathy for the common man and a general contempt of the insurance co's bottom line!

@Uraniumfish Undoubtedly!

@Uraniumfish: Every insurance company is different. Some provide certain services while others don't.

@Uraniumfish well said..

@Uraniumfish: If you only knew how insurance companies operate you'd be surprised. I did a lot of research for a course I wrote for a client recently, and found out a lot of things behind closed doors.

@hhusted Like what? Anything really meaty?

I know insurance companies can be really creepy: they have people employed full time to calculate the probability that you will die in the next five years, and other such morbid things.

It's not as if insurance companies have a reputation for humanitarianism. But I am curious to hear any "meaty" stories as well!

@hhusted yes do tell

@Everybody: As you know insurance companies are in business to make money. Well, what insurance companies do when you buy their premium, is they calculate your longevity, based on where you live, the stress level in your area, and stats on sickness and disease. This is how they calculate your monthly premium. This is also why premiums are high in some states compared to others.

Now, here is what you probably don't know. Every premium you pay, is not spent. At least not right away. What the insurance company does is take your monthly premium and invests it. They do this every month. They invest and re-invest. They try to plan ahead how much they need to set aside in case you do get sick. This way they won't use up all the funds from your premiums you pay.

So, they will calculate how often you will get sick during the year, and how much you will need to pay for the office visit. This is not foolproof, but they try to guess as accurately as possible. They take this estimated amount, and place it aside to use for the time you get sick. The rest of it is invested.

Now, in case you wonder why your claims are denied is simple. If the insurance company determines the total of all medical bills will go over what money they set aside for your illness for the year, they won't touch the invested money. They will simply deny the claim, just to keep from going over what is in the sickness pool.

When you visit your doctor, and make your co-pay, they submit your claim to the insurance company right away. What happens next shows greed on the part of the insurance company. The insurance company will purposely delay paying the premium for 30 days just so the money they have invested earns them money. They will purposely decline something in the claim to force the doctor to redo the claim. When the insurance company gets the resubmitted claim, they have already made a lot of money on the investments while waiting.

Now, when they get the re-submitted claim, they will wait for another 30 days on purpose, just so they can make more money on investments. After the 30 days, they then pay the claim.

Now do you see how insurance companies work and why Obama wants to control them better?

I actually knew most of this already. It's not all that surprising that insurance companies make tons of money on nickel-and-diming people and stalling to make their investments grow.

@Uraniumfish: It's actually good that you do know. Being an educated consumer is the best consumer.

@Uraniumfish I too am aware of how insurance companies operate and would like them to be regulated but seems like we are in the minority. The teaparty people and all those republicans feel otherwise as we all know..

Just ran across a video that takes us back to this forum's original topic: http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2011/01/14/rat_on_subway/index.html

What would you do if you woke up on the train to find a rat in your hair and some dude filming it?

@BroadwayBk I think I would pass out from the shock after screaming my lungs out

That video is no longer available. However, if I woke up and found someone filming me and I felt something on my head, I'd jump and freak out, waving my hands wildly over my head, trying to get rid of whatever is up there.

@hhusted here's another link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaqV8dz6sW4&feature=related ..it was pretty viral.

Ye gods! I will have nightmares tonight.

Oh, my. Ye gads is not the word for it. Horrendous is a better word for it.

How have we managed not to have a plague in this city, with so much vermin running around underfoot?

Because of the widespread use of soap, most likely.

@BroadwayBK and of course Purell .. see people on the subway often clean their hands with the stuff after touching a pole and such.

People are terrific. It's like rather than tell this poor person that there is a rodent in their hair, just film it. Gross.

@uptowngirl Ha...same difference I suppose.

@Everybody: Actually, I talked to a weather man recently, and he suggested that when there is a lot of cold air and snow, this kills germs pretty quickly. So perhaps with the onslaught of cold we had lately, with the snow, has taken care of some germs and bacteria. We are expecting another snowstorm tomorrow, so maybe that will help wipe out even more germs and bacteria.

@hhusted sure hope the city is done with all its snowstorms by the time I get there..

@uptowngirl: right now, it feels like it's never going to end. Ugh.

@Uptowngirl: Not a chance. Another storm is expected this weekend. Then another one by Tuesday of next week. The winter keeps right on rolling along.

Anybody else dreading going outside today?

@BroadwayBK See my post under winter cocktails. It seems so much easier to go outside for a bit when so many things are within easy walking distance.

This has been the worst January since 1935 a friend told me. Man, it just doesn't seem to ever want to stop snowing.

@JenMac Really? I just saw something on NY1 that was comparing this year's snowfall with the record for the city, and I thought the record year was more recent than 1935... wish I could find it.

Sunshine and 40 degrees feels pretty great today, after all those dark snow days previous.

@Uraniumfish dare I hope spring is on its way..my home trip has been pushed back to early march.

Isn't it supposed to snow next week? But, @Uraniumfish, I was thinking the same thing as I ran all over town performing various errands that I foolishly waited till Sunday to accomplish.

@uptowngirl Watch, this will be the year when it keeps snowing into March!

Did anyone know that it's completely possible for rats to emerge from you toilet?

http://gothamist.com/2011/01/28/rat_emerges_from_toilet_to_terrify.php

@NeverSleeps this is totally terrifying I live on a low floor though I always keep the lid down on my toilet.. Oh lord I hope I dont have nasty surprises waiting for me when I get home next month...

Ahhhhh! It is my worst nightmare that I will find a curled up snake in my toilet. . . now I get to worry about rats too.

On the bright side, it looks like it happens more often if you live in a basement or first floor apartment.

Oh, NeverSleeps! That is just fresh material for my worst nightmares!

I thought you girls would find this as exciting as I did. I guess this means that all those stories you hear about animals surfacing in toilets are true!

@Everyone a man and his rat enjoy a meal on the NYC subway
http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2011/02/man_thought_subway_would_be_a.html

@uptowngirl Yeah..that's not where I would bring my pet rat. Or how I would feed it. Isn't that illegal anyway? I thought you were supposed to contain animals if they are travelling with you down there.

@BroadwayBK thought so too but guess this dude couldnt care much about the rules.

Yick.

Improbably, my way of protecting myself against vermin is to obsessively surround myself with plants. what will the plants do? Shoo the rats away when they come? I have no idea. Clearly this is not a rational reaction, but I buy plants. There's a fresh batch of flowers on my desk every week.

@Uraniumfish I am a plant collector as well, but I tend to have the opposite thinking and I routinely check my plants for any vermin they may have accumulated....

Please, don't talk about rats or snakes coming out of the toilet. It will get me to think how unsafe they are. I'm going to be sitting on the toilet and suddenly I get bitten by one. Although, I do live on the fourth floor. So perhaps I'll be okay. There has been no reports of rats or snakes coming out of toilets in this building, so far.

Oh, please! That happens pretty darn rarely, @hhusted. I wouldn't worry about it.

@Uraniumfish and NeverSleeps what plants do you buy? are they evergreens? I used to have tall bamboos which I used to grow in water but after a few months the leaves started getting yellow and no amount of tweaking like changing of the water etc seemed to help. Someone said that the bamboo were not getting enough sunlight so I moved them near a window even that didnt help and ultimately I threw them away. Here in HK I have a sunny kitchen so have a spider plant, a bamboo and a local evergreen adorning my window sill. I do love plants and flowers and especially enjoy my mother in law's little patch of green in London that is a riot of color in the summer with day lilies, calla lilies, rose, clematis all a bloom.

@uptowngirl Don't most indoor plants tend to stay green all the time? We have a giant spathiphyllum, but it seems to be suffering from the dry heat of our apartment; at the moment I'm trying to pacify it with a humidifier. I'm also attempting to grow some lavender plants from seeds; haven't gotten very far along with that just yet. I have a ponytail palm in my room - at Ikea they call them an elephant foot for some reason - but it is awesome because it doesn't seem to care much either way about sunlight or water.

We have a wall of bamboo behind our building, which is slightly higher than our second story apartment, and it's lovely to have that little bit of green to look at all winter long! I really want to grow an herb garden, but I'm afraid the lack of direct sunlight in our pre-war building will have me setting a bunch of pots on the fire escape routinely :(

I'm in awe of your guys' greenthumbs! I have one plant and I'm kind of shocked it has managed to stay alive these six whole months.

@NeverSleeps the wall of bamboo sounds absolutely lovely. I am going to try the pony tail palm for sure when I get back to NYC for good.. I so love having greenery around me.

@uptowngirl I'm currently experimenting with orchids. The big test is to see if they will bloom for me. Obviously you usually buy them in bloom, but orchids are tricky and once that store-bought bloom has passed it's hard to tease out any more blooms in the months after. I'm seeing little green shoots currently and feeling hopeful. If this works I'll probably get a half dozen of all colors and hang them in the windows.

Aloe is pretty easy to raise - cant't kill em if you try. I also have an Agave plant that has flourished despite being pretty much ON the heater.

I know how to grow a garden, but I'm not into flowers. Ironic right. My girlfriend doesn't have a green thumb either.

@Uraniumfish thanks for the tips!

I seem to find that when it comes to flowers, the best way to take care of them is by looking up the flower and find out how to care for it.