Writes of Passage

34th Street
New York, NY

This Art Deco building has 102 floors, completed in 1931, and was the tallest building in the world till the World Trade Center in 1970 at 1,250 ft (roof) and 1,454 feet (includes antenna). From 1976, the spire lit in colors to honor the holidays, sport teams and schools (such as NYU in purple). It can be seen everywhere, even as far as Park Regent in Flushing, Queens.

Marble Collegiate Church @ 1 W 29th Street

Other tall buildings and landmark buildings in New York City:

• New York Life Building, 1928
• Chrysler Building, 1930 at 1,046 ft
• 40 Wall Street, 1930 at 836 ft
• Empire State, 1931 at 1,250 ft
• 30 Rock Plaza, 1933 at 850 ft
• MetLife Building, 1963 at 808 ft
• World Trade Center, 1973-2001 at 1,368 ft
• Solow Building, 1972, 689 ft @ 9 W 57th St
• One57, 2014 at 1,005 ft @ 157 W 57th St
• 432 Park Avenue, 2015 at 1,286’/1,396′
• Summit One Vanderbilt, 2020 at 1,301’/1,401′
• Central Park Tower, 2021 at 1,550 ft
• Steinway Tower, 2021 at 1,428 ft @ 111 W 57 St

^{Tower of Roslyn}

Roslyn is a small town in Nassau’s north shore, population 2,770 (2010 census). The town center’s tower, also known as Ellen E. Ward Memorial Clock Tower, built as clock town in 1895 and restored in 1995.

I played tennis in Roslyn for two intensive periods. One was during the league era and the other was during the covid-19 pandemic in 2021.

They seem to be able to attract far better restaurants:

One of 50 states in US, with the longest coastline in the contiguous United States: 1,350 miles (2,170 km), not including its many barrier islands.

It has Atlantic Ocean on the east and Gulf of Mexico to the west. Perhaps the only state that sandwiches between two oceans.

It’s the 4th largest economy in the US, $1.647 trillion gross state product (GSP) as of 2024; if it were a country, it ranks 15th, ahead of Spain and behind S Korea.

Tourism is one of the top industries: $127.7 billion in economic impact in 2023, a 5% increase over 2022. It has most visited theme parks in the world. Walt Disney World is the largest single-site employer in the U.S., and PortMiami (near SoBe) is the largest cruise ship port in the world.

• Capital: Tallahassee
• Population: 23m, the 3rd in US
• Area: 65,758 square miles (170,310 km²), 22nd
• Metro: Miami
• The most populous city: Jacksonville
• Settlers: 1513 … to St. Augustine in 1565

Some major cities in the state:

• Jacksonville
• Miami
• Naples
• Orlando
• Tampa

21 Bryant Ave
Roslyn, NY 11576

Won’t return: unwelcoming.

We went on a Sunday in late January. It’s by my tennis club and with a 7pm game we decided to have a 5pm dinner there. I had asked for a corner table. When we walked in – our first time, there was only four diners at one of two tables by the window. When the male ma

After searching through builders, signing off the contract and options, the actual building, to construct the home comes next.

Our contract stipulated 13-14 months to completion, which is Feb/Mar 2022, with 10% down on home plus the lot. The construction begins in October 2021 due to delays (shortages) caused by the covid-19 pandemic:

^{2021 Oct} construction begins
^{2022 Feb} drywall inspection
^{2022 Sept} final walk-through
^{2022 Sept} closing 

The process:

We received our first image of the home on November 4th, 2021 when the walls are already up.

During the construction process, the sales agent should send updates with photos. But ours isn’t responsive, which is the norm. The first update came when one of our neighbors who posted photo of our street in Facebook group. Most photos of our home (below) are from neighbors.

Our timeline

• ^{2021 Jan} signed the contract at the end of January and the closing is tentatively scheduled in Feb/Mar 2022.
• ^April Four weeks later, the ‘designer’ contacted us for a meeting
• ^{July 12} our street is being paved
• ^{Oct 13} construction begins
• ^{Nov 04} walls are up: 1st photo
• ^{Nov 20} 4×8 boards/wood for roof is on site
• ^{Dec 01} roof is going up & membrane
• ^{Dec 09} inside of the house
• ^{Dec 24} plumbing/wiring done, no windows
• ^2022.1.5 construction manager: window on hold; framing follows
• ^1.17 drywall inspection scheduled for Feb 10
• ^1.28 R side, ceiling, look out to lanai
• ^2.10 inspection of pre-drywall after 4 months
• ^2.22 windows delivered
• ^3.08 garage door increase $390-$480
• ^3.11 windows are installed
• ^3.14 stucco ⇒ paint the interior wall
• ^3.18 floor tile delivered and installed; waiting
  • ^4.10 floor tile delay; 2 bath
  • ^4.15 floor tile done
• ^4.11 they start to paint exterior
• ^4.15 floor tile done; baseboards in
• ^4.28 Driveway n lanai pavers going in
• ^5.01 pavers installed
• ^5.06 lanai pavers done
• ^5.20 landscaping
• ^5.22 lanai screened & gas outlet
• ^5.25 bi weekly update: cabinets delay
• ^6.06 on the Walk/Close Report
• ^6.22 truckloads cabinets
• ^6.25 cabinets installed ^{~90 days to closing after cabinets}  
• ^7.15 Status Notification Letter ^{8-9 wks to close}
• ^7.18 email fm title co
• ^8.09 email re: closing  date set
• ^9.01 final walk thru
• ^9.08 sign off – closing, after 20 months

The following photos illustrate the process. Photo credits go to many neighbors when they posted on FB.

1. pave the road, curbs prepare/clear the ground
2. stake out the lot/forms
3. rough plumbers
4. pour the slab
5. walls: outer wall’s blocks, going up, walls, 4×8 boards
6. roof, membrane, tiles
7. inside of the house
8. Windows
9. curbs/sidewalk

The roofers, Nov 2, 2022. They played the music in the morning. Then, perhaps, went to lunch. Then, all work in the afternoon, without any accompanying sound. A few nights, they worked into dusk, taking advantage of the last ray. This is how they prepare to lay the pavers.

Another food delievery service, mostly Asian groceries @ sayweee.com. Easy to shop and check out. I got $10 off from a friend’s link and no shipping with $35 in total. They have $2 tip to the drive as default but you can change. The delivery was schedule two days later, between 2pm to 9pm. It arrived at 4pm.

^{2021.6.10, 5:56pm at Shadow Lane; the bike}

^2021.5.26 

^{2020.11.08, 1:36pm}

^{2020-10-23 ?}

^{2020.10.14 @ 8:02am}

^{2019.11.04, 4:14pm}

^{2018.11.06, 10:29am}

^{2018.11.07, 2:33pm}

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I signed up again to two meal delivery service in 2025:

1. Blue Apron
2. Green Chef, more pix on Google Maps
3. Misfits in 2019

^{I took this photo after cutting the ends: wish they provide better quality ingredients/veggies …}  

I’m trying this EveryPlate food delivery service. $23.93 for three meals, shipping included. The package is nice and solid, and the single flat ice pack on the bottom is neat. BUT the veggies, although it’s winter, some of them looked old/chipped, such as the carrots; the zucchini and green onion – scallions are old, unacceptable: the shapes of the veggie matter not but missing corners are hard to swallow.

• Weee
• Misfits

1st time: ordered on 12.29.2020 and delivered on Jan 5.

The two small carrots look old, tired and are chipped at the root. I usually buy the giant yellow sticks, so kind of not used to the tiny one they provide. All three meal are ok, good but I probably won’t order from them again, except, I forgot to cancel. ⇓

2nd time, auto delivered on Jan 11.

Again, the veggies are so so

March 2021

Ask Italian 

Here is my 1997 application paper for the deck – honestly couldn’t remember why didn’t I file with the village.

⇓ #1 is the outdoor concrete patio (connected to wooden deck #2), and #4 is the room with fire place side that’s connected/attached to wooden deck #3. #3 room is built on the ground, there is NO basement below it. From #4 room’s window looking out to the patio and wooden deck, from lower level room looks out to the #4 room, also built on the ground, NO basement whatsoever.

below two photos: L taken from the patio: #1 concrete patio (the right side green color wall to the right side of the edge of pic is the left side of the room, #4), #2 and #3 are the wooden deck, which we want to get permit for

R, the wooden deck #2 connected/attached to the concrete patio, and #3 connected/attached to the house (fire place chimney is on the right edge of the photo)

below ⇓ are sent from Ren, the architect, and our conversation