Utility Rates

When I moved from Ossining NY to Princeton NJ I didn't notice much change in my utility (gas and electric) bill.  This was a bit of a pleasant surprise as my new townhouse is considerably bigger and is also an end unit with much more exterior wall exposure (compared to the middle unit I had in Ossining).  I had some vague thoughts that perhaps my new unit was better insulated or had more efficient heating and cooling systems but upon investigation it appears the main reason is that utility rates are much lower in Princeton than in Ossining.

In 2012 I paid PSEG (my Princeton gas and electric utility) $998 for 890 Ccf of natural gas while in 2011 I paid ConEd (my Ossining utility)  $1090 for 562 Ccf.  So my average rate dropped from $1.94 per Ccf to $1.12 per Ccf.  Similarly my PSEG electric bill in 2012 was $947 for 5193 kWh while in 2011 ConEd charged me $890 for 3451 kWh.  So my average rate dropped from $.258 per kWh to $.182 per kWh. 

I was aware that New York utility rates are high compared to the national average but the difference with New Jersey is more than I expected.  For context the national average natural gas rate seems to be about $1.10 per Ccf  and the national average electric rate is about $.12 per kWh (in both cases for residential users). 

Closure

I closed on the sale of my Ossining townhouse last Monday.  The sales price was 1.59 times what I paid back in 1989 off a bit from the high point of about two times for units like mine (back around 2006). At about 2% a year appreciation this didn't keep up with inflation. Even before deducting for the 5% real estate commission and other expenses. So in one sense this wasn't a very good investment. Although it wasn't terrible compared to renting. And on the other hand I got to live there 23 years rent free and I liked the place. Which is also an important consideration. 

I might done a bit better financially if I had been less slothful and gotten the place listed 6 months earlier in the Spring instead of the Fall of last year. Spring seems like a better time to list. There are more potential buyers looking and I think the complex is more attractive at that time of year with warmer weather and more greenery. Also I would have (potentially) saved some months expenses. 

I took the picture two days before the closing when I visited the place for the last time. My unit is behind the middle tree. It faced South so it was nice and sunny and I liked the views of the pond.

Address Change Delay

I moved out of my Ossining townhouse at the beginning of last year but it took me a while to get it listed for sale.  In the meantime I didn't file a change of address form with the post office as I was going up every few weeks to check on the place and could pick up my accumulated mail.  However I eventually got the place on the market last Fall and currently have a buyer.  If nothing goes wrong the closing should be in the next few weeks.  So when I was up there yesterday I went down to the Ossining post office and filled out a change of address form.  When I handed it in the clerk said it would be two or three weeks before it took effect which is a lot longer than I expected.  It doesn't make much difference for me as most of my mail is now going to my new address anyway but might be a bother in other circumstances.

Addendum (5/15): It seems I was likely given bad (or perhaps just highly pessimistic) information from the clerk. When I returned 2 weeks later for the final time I didn't have any additional mail in my box so it appears the change of address took effect almost immediately as I would have expected.

Habit

When I joined IBM I opened an account at a bank with a branch in Millwood. It was convenient as I could stop by on my way to work. When I got laid off I went on banking there out of habit although it was now considerably less convenient. About a month ago it rather belatedly occurred to me that my bank has many branches. I have since been using one in Croton and it is rather startling how much easier this is. It makes me wonder how much other suboptimal behavior I engage in out of inertia.

October Snow

As predicted Ossining has received a substantial snowfall. It started snowing heavily around 1 PM Saturday and it appears we have gotten at least 6 inches. That amount this early is quite unusual. The power has flickered a few times but come back. Hopefully the snow will melt quickly.

The picture was taken from the small second floor deck on the back of my townhouse.

Goodnight Irene

I was working on a post last Sunday evening about how tropical storm Irene wasn't that bad where I live. Then the power went out and stayed out for about a day. There had been a lot of rain early Sunday morning and the power had flickered a few times but stayed on. But apparently the wind on the backside of the storm was the final straw for the local power grid. So not quite as innocuous as I had thought. And some areas were hit worse of course.

The photo was taken Sunday morning after the rain had mostly stopped and shows water flowing over the top of the dam which creates the pond behind my condo. And over a service road in the background. This is not a normal condition but has happened before. It seems to have been fairly harmless and conditions quickly returned to normal.

Highland Diner RIP

In the 90s I used to eat dinner regularly in the Highland Diner on Highland Avenue (Route 9) in Ossining. I have fond memories of the place. It appeared to be a venerable Ossining institution. The author John Cheever who lived in Ossining in the later part of his life used to hang out there. Cheever died in 1982 before I moved here but the restaurant still had pictures of him.

The restaurant changed hands about 10 (?) years ago. I continued to eat there sometimes but it was never quite the same. It has since operated under several names and owners but apparently (despite what appeared to be considerable expenditure on renovations) has struggled financially. Perhaps because one of the things I liked about the place, that it was rarely crowded, didn't change. Its latest incarnation was as the Olympic Diner but when I went to eat there last Saturday I found it closed. As with Charlie Brown's I had not noticed signs of distress (unlike an earlier incarnation which was open for a couple of weeks in the summer without AC before finally giving up the ghost). There were signs saying it would reopen with new management. Perhaps things will work out better this time. However I suspect the traditional diner business model is not as viable as it used to be and some changes may be needed. Which is always tricky as you may lose the old customers without getting enough new ones.

Thornton Hill

It appears Ossining has a new street, Thornton Hill. I was driving by the new Hawkes Crossing development and noticed it now has a street sign. So I walked over to check it out. The first six houses (phase 1) have been built and sold. Ten more (phase 2) further in were planned but I saw no indication they will be built any time soon.

The existing six houses look nice enough but I was a bit surprised to see they all have propane tanks. I am just a short distance away and have natural gas service which I would certainly consider a plus as a buyer. It would be interesting to know why they aren't on natural gas.

Added 10/8/10: Apparently the propane tanks are temporary, see first comment.

Butterfly Garden

I went walking in Pruyn Sanctuary again today. The highlight for me was the butterfly garden near the Route 133 entrance. Apparently a butterfly garden consists of plants chosen to attract butterflies. This one was quite successful today, the picture shows one of the many butterflies.

Brinton Brook Sanctuary

Saturday I walked in the Brinton Brook Sanctuary , another park with walking trails a few miles from my condo, which I had never visited. It is owned by the same organization which owns the Pruyn Sanctuary where I walked last Saturday.

I thought it was pretty nice. The trails are generally wide and well marked which I like. They do go up and down a bit towards the back (northeast) part of the property. The photo shows Brinton Brook Pond. According to the signs the pond was created so ice could be cut and stored in the winter for use during the remainder of the year

Pruyn Sanctuary

With the nicer weather I have started taking walks again. Saturday I walked in the Pruyn Sanctuary which is just a bit east of Millwood. Although it is fairly close to the IBM location where I used to work, I had never been there before. I like exploring trails for the first time and since I may be moving out of the area it seems like a good idea to check out local trails which I have not previously visited.

I entered from the Route 133 entrance. Parking appears limited but it was not crowded today. The Sanctuary offers a varied mix of swamp and upland trails in a fairly compact area. The picture was taken from a boardwalk and shows Gedney Brook meandering through Gedney Swamp.

Spring arrives

As usual the weather improved considerably during March. I was happy to see winter go. I took the top photo last weekend. The yellow bush in the center is one of the first things to bloom in the Spring. The three parallel pipes below the road are new and will hopefully prevent more scenes like in the bottom photo taken a couple of weeks earlier.

Coldest days

In terms of historical averages (for White Plains ) the coldest days of the year around here lie in the range January 16-21. After a cold start of the year the last week or so hasn't been bad. Still it is nice that temperatures are now rising on average.

The hottest days are a bit more than six months later from July 29 to August 13.

Hudson ice report

I walked in Croton Point Park last Thursday and noted the Hudson was largely ice free. I walked in the park again on Monday and was surprised at how much difference a few days made as I saw little if any clear water.

Winter walk

One of things I dislike about winter here is that it is often unpleasant to take walks because of cold weather and/or snow on the ground. It was sunny and in the thirties Thursday and we haven't had too much snow yet so I decided to take a walk as there might not be more opportunities for a while. I went to Croton Point Park . The park was almost deserted but it was actually pretty nice. There was a little snow in places that don't get much sun but not enough to make walking difficult.

The picture is looking north. The Hudson was iced over a little in the cove on the north side of the peninsula but otherwise ice free. I guess it is still early in the winter although it has been cold and there may be more ice by mid February.

North County Trailway again

Last Monday I walked on a section of the North County Trailway I had never been on before. This is the section from Pleasantville Road south to North Bedford Road (117) which is about a mile and one half long.

I started from the Briarcliff Library which is just north of Pleasantville Road. I parked in the library parking lot. There are some library parking only signs but I figured the rest of the lot was ok. This lists the Briarcliff Library lot so I guess I was right. The parking lot was enlarged when they added on to the library so there is plenty of space.

This section of the trailway is not very good for communing with nature. Going south Route 100 (aka Saw Mill River Road, aka New York 9A) is nearby on the left and the Taconic State Parkway comes in to parallel Route 100 a bit further away. On the right are mostly the back yards of houses and South State Road. It is better than the section north of the library which runs on the shoulder of Route 100 for a while.

The photo shows a straight stretch just south of Pleasantville Road where the afternoon sun displayed the last of the fall color to advantage. Route 100 is just off to the left.

Teatown Lake Reservation

Teatown Lake Reservation is another park near my former place of employment which I never bothered to really explore while I was working. It has lots of trails and recently I have been trying them out.

Monday I was a little put off by an USG Air Quality Alert (for particulates) which I eventually decided to ignore. I parked in the Lakeside Lot which has a billboard with a large more readable version of this trail map . I decided to take the back forty loop trail (which is at the bottom center).

At times the air did seem rather oppressive, hot and humid, as I made my way up a long slope as the trail followed a power line cut. The view from the top was nice. Normally around here the views even from the tops of hills are obstructed by trees but in power line cuts the trees have been cleared providing longer sight lines.

On the backside of the loop I took the waterfall trail which connects to the Briarcliff Peekskill trail. The waterfall along the way is more like a cataract but nice enough in a Japanese Garden sort of way. I returned to the loop trail and then diverted again on a shortcut trail which follows the power line cut to Spring Valley Road. Strangely although this trail is clearly marked at Spring Valley Road the entrance is plastered with Con Ed no trespassing signs.

I then took the Lakeside trail to return to my car. The picture was taken as the sun was setting over Wildflower Island.

Sunny Ridge Preserve

Sunday I went walking in Sunny Ridge Preserve . This area was opened last year after some delays. It lies between Route 134 and Hawke's Avenue/Spring Valley Road. There is a small parking lot on the west side of Route 134 just north of Grace Lane. The eastern part of the preserve is relatively flat with a couple of ponds to the south. In the western part the trails climb a ridge with views of the Hudson from the far side.

It was cloudy Sunday and the fall color is past peak. Still the soft pastel colors were very pretty in spots. My new digital camera seems to handle this sort of lighting better than my film cameras which liked bright sunshine.

Stone Walls

While walking in the parks around here I often see old stone walls. Some of them are surprisingly well made and are still in pretty good shape especially considering how old they must be. I had been under the impression that New England farmers built stone walls mostly to just have a place to pile the rocks that would constantly appear in their fields. In which case no great workmanship or long life would be expected. However it appears there was more to it than that.

... Some farmers could build a wall with stone that was found on their farmland. Most farmers however, had to steal or buy the stone. ...

Surprisingly (to me anyway) stealing stone is still a problem .

I took the picture Thursday in Kitchawan Preserve . This time I explored the trails on the other side of the North County Trailway . Incidentally I have found the trail map for Kitchawan preserve linked in my earlier post does not exactly depict how the trails are currently blazed.

Arcady Road

I went walking in Kitchawan Preserve again on Monday. This time I explored the western portion of the Preserve. One trail terminates at Arcady Road. It looks like it would be easy to add a few parking spaces there but this has not been done.

Arcady Road used to connect Old Kitchawan Road to Croton Dam Road but a portion was damaged by Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and never repaired. The damaged portion has now been officially abandoned (pdf file see resolution 180). I walked down the road towards the closed portion. Auto traffic is blocked just past a driveway but you can walk a bit further until a chain link fence blocks the road.

I took the picture through the fence. It shows part of the road washed away.