Parkway delay Heading home? After a vehicle fire, you should expect extensive northbound traffic delays on the Henry Hudson Parkway at 165th Street. Consider alternative routes and allow for additional travel time. —8:04 p.m., October 10

Buzzing in As the nights turn cooler, people may seek a warm place after sunset. That can be a challenge to our security. When you enter the building, be aware of anyone behind you and if you don’t recognize them, ask them to buzz the person they’re visiting. And when you buzz in your own visitors, be sure to establish their identity first. —7:22 a.m., October 10

Curbside composting It starts this week! The city will collect your discarded produce, grains, proteins, tea bags, coffee grounds and more. See the list above for additional categories, and remember that you cannot compost diapers, personal hygiene products, animal waste, wrappers, non-paper packaging, and foam products. Place your your material in the composting bin by Wednesday each week for Thursday pickup, and thanks for helping out. —9:10 a.m., October 6

Download the forms you need, posted here as pdf files. If you don’t see what you’re looking for here, please call our property manager, who can also send you any of these forms through the mail.

     The documents you will need for some other puposes are available from different web sites. Here are the most popular:

Gym

     Ask John or a board member for the permission form.

Pets

Have a question about the House Rules, or how to get a storage cage? Ask one of your directors. This year they are:

     Jennifer Peng, president

Contact them at board@thepinehurst.org or just say hi in the elevator or at the mailboxes. They will be happy to help you.

     Leo Drejic is the superintendent. You can reach him by calling (646) 372-0092 or by sending an email to Super@ThePinehurst.org. For help after hours and on weekends, please call the Argo emergency line at (212) 896-8660.

     While you’re thinking of the building, help us keep your contact information current so you will receive official mail from the corporation and Argo without delay. If you have children moving out or roommates moving in, please tell us. Your information will not appear on this web site. If you do not want it to appear on our internal contact sheet, simply say so.

    The secretary is responsible for keeping our records current, so when you have updates to your contact preferecnes please keep us in the loop by sending them to Secretary@ThePinehurst.org or one of these addresses:
     board@thepinehurst.org For general questions
     super@thepinehurst.org To reach the super
     secretary@thepinehurst.org To update your contact details
     web@thepinehurst.org Reaches the webmaster
     You may also call the property manager, John Duff, at (212) 896-8600, and mail correspondence to us at 447 Ft. Washington Avenue, No. 68, New York NY 10033.

Have you lost a box after it was delivered and before you picked it up? You’re not alone: 90,000 of them go missing in New York every day, and residents in some buildings are protecting themselves.

     It’s terribly frustrating to have a delivery go missing despite our best efforts. If it happens to you, please follow these steps:

1. Ensure delivery confirmation with the delivery service (USPS, UPS, Amazon, etc.).

2. File a police report with the 32nd Precinct at (212) 690-6311.

3. Notify management of your missing package.

4. The police will contact management to obtain surveillance video. As per the House Rules, security camera footage is not provided to residents.

     To keep your delivery from being stolen, follow suggestions from the Wirecutter, or try some of the tips we’ve collected to protect your goods. There’s no guarantee they will work, but any of them will help keep your package yours.

     You can help your first-floor neighbors with their deliveries: If you see a package left at their door, put it in the bin.

     If you’re getting rid of your lithium battery, do not put it in the trash—that’s illegal. It’s hazardous waste.

     The easiest option: The store that sold your new lithium battery is required to accept your used one. You can also drop it off at a collection site run by the Department of Sanitation. 

     Keep in mind that while recharging our devices makes them incredibly convenient to use, the cost of lithium batteries in our cell phones, laptops, scooters is their fire hazard. In just the nine months of 2024, lithium batteries  started fires in 30 trash trucks, including a fire down the street in Fort George on Saint Nicholas Avenue at 186th Street in September.

Regular visits from Pest Pro started at the end of December on a probationary contract. The new sign-up sheet is now available in the laundry room; if you can’t make it there see the link to an online sign-up in your email from John on December 22. The technician will write the next visit date on the sign-up sheet.

     Pest Pro will visit the building on Friday mornings. We hope that having visits on Friday mornings will allow more of you to be home when Pest Pro visits. If you will not be home then, please let Leo know that he can give the technician access to your apartment in your absence.

     Before every visit, please clear under your kitchen and bathroom sinks so that there is space for the technician to examine and treat those areas. If you have areas blocked off by furniture or items, prepare to move them so the tech can do a full visual inspection.

Visitors to this website from the European Union have the protection of GDPR 2016/679 which on May 26, 2016, went into effect.

     Data collected from on thepinehurst.org are stored on the servers of Ionos, the web hosting service used by 447 Ft. Washington Owners’ Corporation doing business as The Pinehurst. The Controller is the webmaster, who may be reached at web@thepinehurst.org, and the Controller’s Representative is the property manager, John Duff, who may be reached at (212) 896-8600 or at Argo Real Estate, 50 W 17 St, New York NY 10011. The Data Protection Officer is the president of the corporation, Jennifer Peng, who may be reached at 447fwa@thepinehurst.org.

     The data we collect are those submitted voluntarily by shareholders to promote notices of sale of their apartments. There is no requirement to submit any information at any time. We store personal data for the duration that an apartment is for sale; once it is sold we delete it within four weeks of being notified of the sale. If a shareholder revokes permission for us to store personal information we shall delete it within two weeks of the shareholder’s notification.

     An individual subject to GDPR 2016/679 has the right to request from the Controller access to and rectification or erasure of personal data or restriction of processing concerning the data subject or to object to processing as well as the right to data portability. Such an individual also has the right to make a complaint the supervising authority, which is The Board of Directors. It may be reached at secretary@thepinehurst.org or at 447 Fort Washington Ave, Apt 68, New York NY 10033.

Looking for a place to light up a grill? This resource shows the safe spots in Fort Washington Park  and Inwood Hill Park.

     Grilling on the Pinehurst’s balconies and fire escapes is prohibited by law — not to mention common sense.

After sprucing up your walls you probably have more paint than you can use for touch-ups. To dispose of them in the trash, let the paint dray out—just be sure you keep a window open. Once the paint is dry you can put it in the trash.

     If it’s latex paint (and it’s still wet), you can take up to five gallons to one of the city’s hazardous waste collection points. You can also drop off pesticides, electronics, motor oil and the like. The city also runs occasional Solvents, Automotive, Flammable, Electronics disposal events that are closer to home, but last only a day.

Our building is a community, as well as our home. Residents share the responsibility to ensure a safe and pleasant quality of life at reasonable cost.  We count on each other to treat all areas of the building as our home, and to protect and respect the rights of all of the Residents to a safe and comfortable home. A set of guidelines helps us achieve these goals.

If you use the app, you can set it up to give you alerts when your laundry is done.

     The laundry room is open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. La lavandería está abierta todos los días de 7 a.m. a 11 p.m.

     When you load the machines, it’s easy to feel you need to use more detergent than is necessary. That’s beacause modern cleaning products, including cleaning boosters and fabric softeners, are formulated to require less than in years past. When you put in too much, the washers cannot rinse it all out, leaving chemicals in your clothes—and leaving scents in the washers that your neighbors may not care for. Check the instructions on your detergent, boosters, and fabric softeners, and use only what’s recommended.

     Hercules maintains the laundry machines, both the washers and dryers. With our dryers, to add five minutes you must do so when at least five minutes remain in the cycle. If there is less time, you will be given 30 minutes and charged for a full cycle.
     If a machine is malfunctioning, note the machine number and then call Hercules at (800) 526-5760, or use Hercules’ website. Alternatively, send an e-mail to service@hercnet.com. If you want to vent on social media, go ahead—Facebook is the perfect pain sponge. Make your next step getting in touch with Hercules. If you lost money, you can even ask for a refund. Hercules will need to know:
    BUILDING NAME Pinehurst
    BUILDING ADDRESS 447 Fort Washington Avenue
    BUILDING LOCATION Manhattan
    LAUNDRY ROOM LOCATION Basement; super required for access
    MACHINE MALFUNCTIONING Take note of the number on the machine, and if you’re asking for a refund, include your apartment number

Our fourth look at maintenance fees across Manhattan neighborhoods is available on the On The Market page. The previous survey, the third, compares fees to those in 2006 and 2008. Want to compare? Download a copy of the 2012 report by clicking on the link below.

     If you’re specifically interested in Hudson Heights maintenance fees, we have that data too:

Washington Heights is known for its noise. Luckily, Hudson Heights is a bit quieter. However, if you are bothered by loud music, a party, fireworks or other terrestrial sound, please call 311.

     If you’re tired of the drivers racing up and down Fort Washington at all hours of the night and day? Sign a petition seeking speed bumps to slow down the traffic.
     Other noise comes from the skies. Aircraft fly over our neighborhood en route to LaGuardia Airport or on their way to points west.  

     If the sound of aircraft is bothersome, please call the Economic Development Corporation at (212) 619-5000 with your concerns about helicopters, or for airplanes call (718) 533-5615 and press 3 for LaGuardia.

     In late 2020 a group of Uptowners formed a task force on noise, which includes drag racing. In the spring of 2021, Council Member Mark Levine came out with a ten-point proposal to address it. One Uptown group, Respectful Decibels, seeks your comments.

New York has a way to keep you informed of emergency information as well as less-critical topics like parking changes. Sign up to receive notifications by e-mail, text, or phone messages. To stay informed, click here: https://a858-nycnotify.nyc.gov/notifynyc/

     The city is expanding the types of notifications you can receive from its email and message service. If you’d like to add updates from the 34th Precinct, or about weather that’s dangerous to residents of basement apartments, go to NYC.gov/notifynyc, log in to your account, and update your preferences under the “My Account” tab. From here, the instructions get specific: 

     • On the right-hand side menu, select “Notification Addresses” to see your enrolled addresses.

     • Select the pencil icon next to the address you would like to add notification to.

     • At the bottom of the page, select the notifications you would like to receive for that address.

     • Select Submit

These groups are also available on the mobile app.

The Pinehurst is committed to recycling in accordance with New York City’s goals. Most paper and plastic (but not all), glass and metal are recyclable in our bins in the garbage area.

    Compact fluorescent light bulbs require special recycling because their contents are hazardous. Also known as CFL’s, these bulbs are typically curly in shape. For more information on CFL recycling, click here. And for nearly anything else, look here.    

     There’s a drop-off point in each borough. For Manhattan, it’s under the Manhattan Bridge at 74 Pike Slip, between Cherry and South Streets. If you have a car, the closer site is in Hunt’s Point, next to the Fulton Fish Market. The sites are open Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and at the same time on the last Friday of the month (but check before you haul your stuff). As an alternative, take your CFL bulbs to a retailer that accepts them, such as Home Depot.

When you clean some clutter you may find yourself with perfectly good things that you don’t have any use for anymore. If you’d like to donate old clothes, electronic, or housewares to a place where they can do some good, take a look at Donate NYC, a site run by the city. It will help you find a place to drop off reusable items for upcycling.

      The city accepts a surprisingly wide variety of household items for recycling. They’re on the pdf you can download below. Before taking out bedsprings, a paper shredder, cabinet or other large item, get in touch with Leo. We’re limited in how many large items we can set out each week.

     For food items to compost, see Compost Collection, and for hazardous waste, look for that category; just scroll up (they’re listed alphabetically).

When you replace your smoke detectors, you need to upgrade to a 10-year sealed model. A 2019 state law says that all new or replacement smoke detectors must be powered by the long-lasting battery or be hardwired to your electrical system. If you want to sell your apartment, you will need to upgrade your smoke detectors before the sale goes through.

In August 2017 Mayor DeBlasio signed legislation that requires all NYC cooperatives and condominiums to adopt formal smoking policies. The Board adopted a policy in August 2018 and revised it in June 2023 to prohibit smoking within apartments.

     BOROUGH 1

      A previous review from Department of Transportation’s of 181st Street is here.

Rosh Hashana Shana tovah! Our best wishes for a good and sweet year. —7:09 a.m., October 3

IV drip That bright LED sign across the street that flashes all night? The city slapped its owner with several violations for having it on overnight in a residential neighborhood. The fines, totaling  $20,000, now go before a Department of Buildings administrative hearing. To find out more, read this article—and look for a familiar name (hi, Amanda!). —7:11 a.m., October 2

Package bin Remember to check for deliveries in the bin, even if you aren’t expecting one. You’ll help make space for new parcels and maybe find a surprise for yourself, too. —7:50 a.m., October 1

Waterfront greenway One of the most dangerous stretches of road in Manhattan is 10th Avenue in Inwood. The city will make the blocks from 201st to 218th Streets safer with $96 million, addiing them to the waterfront greenway with sidewalk extensions, pedestrian islands, raised crosswalks, improved lighting under the elevated 1 Train, and a new pedestrian plaza. —8:16 a.m., September 29

Park cleanup Pitch in to help tidy Bennet Park this weekend. The park’s volunteer stewards will orovide rakes and work gloves, and have clean-up activities kids can do on their own (while you’re helping too). Meet by the picnic tables on the east side on Sunday morning starting at 9:30. The pruning, raking, and more will go until until early afternoon. —7:43 a.m., September 26

The Hunt We made The Times’ weekly feature about New Yorkers looking for a home to buy. One of the Pinehurst’s apartments was among the three that a growing family considered purchasing. The article notes our storage units, gym, laundry, and proximity to the A Train, but the family decided to buy a smaller apartment in Morningside Heights. When you make the decision to sell, keep in mind our page of apartments On the Market to get the word out. —7:58 a.m., September 24

Smoke detectors When’s the last time you changed the batteries in yours? And in your carbon monoxide detector? Let the autumnal equinox today serve as a seasonal mnemonic. If you’d like help reaching your detectors, ask Leo. —8:02 a.m., September 22

Bye-bye, bugs With the seasons changing, tiny creatures seek for new homes. Keep the interlopers out of your apartment and the building: Schedule an appointment with our exterminator. Please let us know if you’d like to take advantage of the service. —8:03 a.m., September 17

Ten minutes Could you spend that much time looking at the Cloisters’ tapestry, The Unicorn Rests in a Garden? That’s the challenge The Times poses. See what it’s like to focus completely on a piece of art from the 1500s, the way viewers would have during the Renaissance: Without phones, social media, a selfie, or other interruptions. Living Uptown, we could go in person to see the real thing for as long as we like, but the online version offers a start. —7:18 a.m., September 14

Lithium batteries Recharging our devices makes them incredibly convenient to use. But the cost of those batteries in our cell phones, laptops, scooters is their fire hazard. So far this year, lithium batteries have started fires in 30 trash trucks, including a fire down the street in Fort George on Saint Nicholas Avenue at 186th Street on the 6th. If you’re getting rid of your lithium battery, do not put it in the trash—that’s illegal. It’s hazardous waste. The easiest option: The store that sold your new lithium battery is required to accept your used one. You can also drop it off at a collection site run by the Department of Sanitation.  —7:21 a.m., September 10

Fridge delivery A neighbor is getting a new refridgerator today, so at some point the elevator will be used by the delivery service. The time is the typical window: from 9 to 5. —7:36 a.m., September 9

Parkway delays Thanks to a vehicle fire, you can expect extensive northbound traffic delays on the Henry Hudson Parkway approaching the GWB. Consider an alternative route and allow for additional travel time. —7:18 p.m., September 7

Laundry machines When a washer or dryer stops working, call our laundry vendor, Hercules, and the staff will send a repairman. If you want to vent on social media, go ahead—Facebook is the perfect pain sponge. Then help solve the problem with a call to Hercules at (800) 526-5760, or use Hercules’ website. Alternatively, send an e-mail to service@hercnet.com. You can even ask for a refund if you lost money. More tips below under Laundry Room, including how to sign up for the Hercules app so you get a notification when your laundry is done. —7:07 a.m., September 3

Labor Day Happy holiday! We hope you enjoy your day off. If you see Leo, be sure to tell him thanks for all the work he does making the building our home. —7:16 a.m., September 2

Biking & grilling There are just a couple of months left to get out and enjoy the parks. Have a bike? Find the bike paths in Uptown and across the city on a bike map you can download here. For those who enjoy outdoor cooking, you can find the parks’ grilling spots here. —8:43 a.m., September 1

Heat wave With temperatures predicted to reach 90 and the heat index as high as 99, the city will open cooling centers today. You can find a list of Uptown centers here. —6:13 a.m., August 28

Package pick-ups Help keep the bin accessible to new deliveries: Retrieve your parcel to make room for the next box. It’s a practical way to keep them from going missing. A few other tips:

1. Ensure delivery confirmation with the delivery service (USPS, UPS, Amazon, etc.).

2. Can’t find your package? File a police report with the 32nd Precinct at (212) 690-6311.

            3. Notify Fehim of your missing package.

We’ve assembled more suggestions under “Delivery Security,” below. —7:36 a.m., August 27

Mosquito spraying The Health Department will spray for those biting bugs tomorrow night starting as early as 8:30. The risks to humans and pets are low. To be safe, the city advises you to stay indoors during the spraying, which will be complete by Tuesday morning at 6:30. Low concentrations of pesticides such as Anvil 10+10, Duet, or MERUS 3 will be sprayed from Central Park through Upper Manhattan. —8:27 a.m., August 25

Parkway delay After a vehicle collision, all northbound lanes of the Henry Hudson Parkway are closed approaching 178th Street. Consider alternative routes and allow for additional travel time. Or just take the A Train. —5:53 a.m., August 24

     The accident has been cleared and the parkway is open again. —10:12 a.m., August 24

Natural gas Although we heat our water with steam, most of us cook with a gas range. Review these gas safety tips from ConEd so you’ll know what to do if you smell something off. And remember that if you notice that rotten egg smell, do not light a match, smoke, flip a switch, ring a doorbell, or touch appliances or electronics, including your phone. Doing so can produce sparks that might cause the gas to explode. —8:06 a.m., August 19

Prix-fixe finishes Today’s your last chance to enjoy the fare of four Uptown eateries during Restaurant Week. Two of them are in Hudson Heights. —8:04 a.m., August 18

Tree care You’ve probably noticed that our tree on Fort Washington Avenue, by the corner of 180th Street, isn’t looking so healthy. We’ve had an arborist visit to diagnose the problem so we can treat it. —7:51 a.m., August 15

Dominican center Uptown is getting a new heritage offering. The Dominican Cultural Center is planned for 375 West 207th Street, in Inwood between Ninth Avenue and the Harlem River. Gov. Hochul announced the project on Sunday, along with $12.5 million in state funds. It wull be run by the Dominican Studies Institute at CUNY, and include an gallery, a theater space for performances and lectures, and a children’s library. No word on a timeline. —7:42 a.m., August 14

Buzzing in With the hot and often wet weather, people may seek cool and dry shelter. That can be a challenge to our security. When you enter the building, be aware of anyone behind you and if you don’t recognize them, ask them to buzz the person they’re visiting. And when you buzz in your own visitors, be sure to establish their identity first. —8:22 a.m., August 11

Debby’s deluge As if this week’s storms aren’t dropping enough water, get ready for the remnants of Hurricane Debby to soak us on Friday and Saturday. As much as 8" of rain is possible, so batten down your hatches. You can track the storm at the National Hurricane Center. —7:54 a.m., August 7

Wah-duh pawk Native New Yorkers have one of the hardest times being understood by AI. Their accents confound Siri and Alexa, according to review by a company that analyzes digital language tools. There may not be many people who still refer to Toidy-Toid an’ Toid, but those who do flummox voice assistants. The only accent more confounding to AI? Southern. —8:18 a.m., August 6

Summer camps Are you and your kiddo climbing the walls? Here’s some relief: Three day camps start tomorrow. One is for poets, another is for fiction writers, and the last is for kids who thrive on outdoor games and physical activity. A fourth day camp, for incoming six-graders who like yoga, starts another weekly session on Monday. —10:17 a.m., August 4

Hot water The boiler work is complete for today. The crew detected some repairs that need to be made, and to do them we will have no hot water on Thursday between about 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Thanks for your patience as we get the boiler back in good shape. —3:49 p.m., July 31

Hot water The boiler work is complete for today. The crew detected some repairs that need to be made, and to do them we will have no hot water on Thursday between about 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Thanks for your patience as we get the boiler back in good shape. —3:49 p.m., July 31

Boiler shut-off  The boiler will undergo cleaning and maintenance on Wednesday from around 8 a.m. to noon. Don’t count on hot water during that time. And once it’s fired up again, the boiler will take time to get a full head of steam for the water to reach its usual temperature. —7:24 a.m., July 30

Banishing bugs To schedule a visit from Pest Pro, our exterminator, add your name to the sign-up sheet in the laundry room (or check your email from John for the Google form you can use). If you won’t be home when the exterminator is here, please let Leo know if he may give the technician access to your apartment. Before every visit, clear the space under your kitchen and bathroom sinks, and if you have areas blocked off by furniture, prepare to move it so the tech can do a full visual inspection. —8:06 a.m., July 28

Building visit A technician from Cowley Engineering is expected to be here around 9 this morning. You may seem him in the back terrace. —7:32 a.m., July 25

Restaurant week Try a new dining spot during the summer edition of the New York tradition. In Hudson Heights, Uptown Garrison and Saggio are participating in the prix fixe meals, and two more spots are in Lower WaHi. You have until August 18 to tuck in. (It’s a long week.) —7:25 a.m., July 22

Cash sales In an analysis by The Times of 76 closings in Manhattan, two of the three sales in Hudson Heights were transacted entirely in cash. That matched the borough average of two-thirds of purchases made in cash. (In Lower WaHi, one sale was all cash and two were made with loans.) We’d hate to see you go, but if you’re looking to sell the market is strong. We’ll help you by posting a link to your listing on our On the Market page too. —9:09 a.m., July 21

Gym care Getting in shape in air conditioning? If burning extra calories is part of your summer regimen, remember to leave the air purifier on: It cuts down allergens and odors. —6:39 a.m., July 18

Welcome, Leo You’ve seen Leo working in the building for weeks as a porter, and today he starts as our new superintendent. Give him a smile the next time you see him so he feels at home. You can reach him the same way we always have, by email at Super@ThePinehurst.org and by phone at (646) 372-0092. —7:24 a.m., July 16

$10 million How would you spend a big chunk of change in the neighborhood? Council Member Carmen de la Rosa and Uptown non-profits are working on the state’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative and seek your input on funding areas. You can attend a town next Thursday evening at the United Palace, or take a survey of the improvements you’d most like to see. —7:19 a.m., July 14