Williamsburg, Brooklyn

I am swamped with scanning and color correcting the images from my recent jobs. I do it myself for a couple reasons. I have always done my own color printing, and want the control over the final product that is only possible if you do things yourself. That goes for both analog and digital images. I also can make money on the scans, which, assuming I have the time, is better off in my pocket than in the lab’s.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn

On Saturday we went over to Williamsburg, Brooklyn to look at apartments. Our lease is ending in December, and we have to do something, either rent or buy. The real estate market in New York is insane. Renting a 2 bedroom apartment in Manhattan costs thousands a month. Those safely ensconced in rent controlled or stabilized apartments stay put. There’s no way they can move. Newcomers and those kicked out into the open market are paying double and triple what others are paying. Or moving far out in the boroughs. Or leaving town.

Williamsburg, Brooklyn • Brendan house hunting

Rather than throw our money away at a rental, we’ve decided to buy. After extensive research of the market, neighborhoods, transportation, etc.–all the factors one has to take into consideration–we’ve taken initial steps toward buying a loft in a new construction building in Williamsburg just across the East River from Manhattan. The L train is notoriously crowded, but so are many of the subway lines in New York. Despite everything, the city continues to boom. Crime is still going down. Prices are going up. And people are still coming.