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NY area: where and how keep woodworking

2K views 17 replies 10 participants last post by  MarcNY 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hi,
I'm a fellow woodworker from Spain. Long time reader, now seeking advice.
I've started 5 years ago, building my skills little by little and now more seriously upgrading my shop and projects.
Look forward to join the forum.

I hope this is not too much off topic.
I shall be moving to NY the next summer, my day job will be near UN plaza, Manhattan.

I don't want to give up woodworking, which has followed me in several countries; hand-tools only approach didn't work with me so far (could be age? I started at 40).

I would very much appreciate any advice from fellow woodworkers living in the area as to where I could look for a property for rent including a small space for a shop with power tools (small makita bandsaw, dewalt thicknesser, hand router...). Budget should be max 2500USD. I know this will make the commute quite long but I know I've got to sacrifice something...

Are there shops open to the public for rent?

Thanks you in advance for any advice.

Dave
 
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#3 ·
Hi John,

Thanks for your reply. My employer does not provide that type of service, at best they may give me a real estate agent contact, but I'm afraid it will only cover downtown. If I had a idea of where to look for would be easier.

I've worked in more than 10 countries so far, but never been in the US.

D
 
#5 ·
Renting a shop in the city may be either very expensive or in a high crime area. If you are willing to commute to the city for work there's many rail lines feeding into the city. There's subways that will get you around in the city too. Once you are a few miles outside of the city you might find a house with a basement or a garage that you can use for a shop. There's a few woodworking sources of wood and equipment in the surrounding areas too.
 
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#6 ·
I have stayed in Nutley and got into NY on the bus without any trouble.
New York transport authority will give you all the info after present crisis over.
Many people would commute from further out and commute by train.
Use google earth to look around any area.
johnep
 
#7 ·
Thanks to all for the tips and suggestions, keep them coming, I'm exploring all the options. Nutley look really nice, a bit on the far side though. I like the idea of the woodwoorking club too. Hopefully COVID will be over soon and I'll be able to travel...

Best,

D
 
#11 ·
.................Are there shops open to the public for rent? Dave
In NY everything is for sale or rent. It's all about the right price. Try your luck in Brooklyn or New Jersey. If the Hudson Tubes is still in service, it was a quick hop to New Jersey. If you will be looking in Brooklyn, find your location on a subway map and try to find a place in Brooklyn with no more than one subway transfer. I haven't lived in Brooklyn since 1971 so I cant recommend any particular neighborhood but your co-workers should be able to.

You dont want to live in a neighborhood where every day is a 'fight or flight' situation.
 
#12 ·
Dave,

Real estate commands huge prices in New York City. Usually, the further away from the city the more affordable space you will find. Unless you are wealthy, it will be prohibitive to find a place to live and have a shop in Manhattan or Brooklyn. Also, most of the rentals are apartments and it is impractical to have a shop in one of them (if the building lets you in the first place).

An alternative is to rent woodworking space by the hour. There are such places in Brooklyn, you just have to search for them.

If you are willing to commute 1.5 to 2 hours to work, each way, there are houses for rent in places like Rockaway, Queens, New Jersey, maybe Staten Island, Rockland County and counties north of Westchester like Putnam and Dutchess. I don't know about the Bronx, there used to be affordable lofts for artists some time back, prices have probably gone up. Keep in mind that if you rent in the suburbs you will likely need a vehicle, too.

As for the safety factor, Manhattan is very safe (I live in NY City), most crime happens in selected neighborhoods in any borough but things change rapidly because of gentrification.

In addition to Condon, there are several places to buy wood (even Craigslist). Lenoble lumber in Long Island City is one. A very good resource is the North New Jersey Woodworkers association, you can get on their listserve without being a member, those guys know a lot.

Hope this helps
 
#13 ·
I haven't lived in Brooklyn since 1958. The advice that Tony gave is good stuff.

The further you get out toward East New York and Sheepshead Bay, the more gentile the neighborhood. Bay Ridge isn't bad either. It is always best if you are within walking distance (Around a Km.) to a subway station.
 
#14 · (Edited)
I haven't lived in Brooklyn since 1958. The advice that Tony gave is good stuff.

The further you get out toward East New York and Sheepshead Bay, the more gentile the neighborhood...............
When I was growing up I lived in East New Your section of Brooklyn. Back then it was mostly Gentile - Italian - Catholic and Sheepshead Bay was mostly Jewish. OOPS, I'll bet you meant 'gentle' not 'gentile' LOL
Also back then, the section I lived in bordered Brownsville, it was only safe if you stayed in your section. I think we had more cops in Junior High School than students. I'm sure all of that has changed by now. Neighborhoods are in constant change.
There was one area on the border where the street went over the freight yard - a really huge freight yard. Anyway, on the street level there was a stone wall, maybe brick, I dont remember, On the corner of it was spray painted the names of the major gang names with an arrow showing direction. As the influx of Puerto Ricans grew, they erected a pole on the top of the wall with their gang name and an arrow.
Looking back at all of this, it all seemed normal at the time.
 
#16 · (Edited)
I know, I was just having fun with it. It is a word not often heard outside of a Jewish community. It is a descriptive word and not at all derogatory.
If you are not familiar with old Jewish communities and their expressions in Yiddish, even derogatory words and their English translations are hilarious. I was about 10 years old when we upgraded from the tenements and moved into the projects. A good amount of our neighbors were former concentration camp victims. For what these people went through, their sense of humor was off the chart. Fortunately for me, my mother was Jewish and we lived relatively close to her parents and so Bubby and Zade only spoke Yiddish. They never learned English and so I learned Yiddish and understood the refugees.

There is a heavy machinery Manufacturer in Germany and a good part of Yiddish is derived from German. This manufacturer must have known the meaning of the name of their company I dont know if they made up the name or it was a family name. But anyhow, The first time I saw their name on a crane I broke out into a hysterical laughter. I thought it might have Jewish owners because that is Jewish humor The name of the company is Putzmeister. Cut the name into 2 words and Google them
 
#17 · (Edited)
Hey Dave:

Years ago in the States there was a political round table program known as the McLaughlin Group https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_McLaughlin_Group. It's now deceased host would seek political opinion from his expert panel on subject matter and then smugly proclaim thereafter, "and the correct answer is," stating his opinion. It was dry humor.

In the same vein, here is the "correct answer" to your question (ha, ha).

https://www.woodcraft.com/stores/norwalk

They have a woodworking coop. It's driveable from White Plains; I should know, I live near there and have done it to visit the store for purchases. The co-op is upstairs. There are different membership levels and lots of well kept tools for use.


Good luck!
 
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