Does anyone want the cheap dumpy bungalow next door to mine?

busymother

Mon, Apr 07 2014, 7:59 am

Perhaps one of the reasons people don't go up is the cost of living? I'd for one love to bring my kids to a bungalow colony and relive some of the most amazing summers of my life!! But the expenses are way too high to even consider!!

the world's best mom

Mon, Apr 07 2014, 8:31 am

Depending how many kids you have and what ages, it could come out to cost the same as staying home, or even less. In Ganz, I think I paid less than I would have for day camp in the city. City day camps cost $1000-$2000, plus we have to pay for bussing, which is another few hundred dollars. Day camp in Ganz was only $475 per kid, with no traveling expenses. Since my bungalow was only $1800, it came out cheaper to go there than to send my 3 older kids to camp in the city.

amother

Mon, Apr 07 2014, 9:00 am

He should team up with an investor who would be interested in taking over the business eventually (as I said, he's keeping it going for his mother; she will not live forever...) The Ganzes would continue to live on their property and retain ownership. Current colonists (?) would be grandfathered in to their current rents. The developer would invest their own money and effort into refurbishing and rent out the new bungalows at slightly higher but still competitive costs. Profits would be split. In a few years the improvements should pay for themselves. I reckon an efficient contractor could easily rebuild 2-3 bungalows per year, keeping things simple - inexpensive, rustic, but new, clean, and sturdy. Start with the worst ones so the others can continue to be rented cheap. So the first year they would re-make the pool (because who in this day and age is going to be attracted to a colony with only a smallish scratchy unheated concrete 5-foot pool?), improve the lawn conditions, and tear down the "store" and attached bungalow, replacing it with a new building with maybe 2 or 3 units in it. Year 1 rent out those units a little more expensive than the dumpy ones, and work on attracting people to the more livable empty bungalows with the promise of soon being part of a rejuvenated community. And put a bit more investment into the day camp because you can't attract and keep families without having something for the kids. It wouldn't have to take much, we can stick with the basic model we grew up with (playing hopscotch and jumprope half the time, not very expensive - just, like, pay a counselor) Year 2 raze and rebuild the units TWBM has been talking about with the falling ceilings and animal holes. Now you have around 6 attractive new units to bring in profit, the pool is already built, people are getting on the waiting list... You want to bring in more people with a slightly smaller project maybe build a couple more units on the South without having to tear anything down. Fix up the lawn and paths on the East to match the newer re-done units there.

Shhhhhhhh don't wake me up!

the world's best mom

Mon, Apr 07 2014, 5:51 pm

Dh has suggested that we can take over the place and fix up a few bungalows a year. You're not the only one dreaming here. Mrs. Ganz would never allow it. They were always insistent not to hire workers. They did all the work themselves.

ectomorph

Mon, Apr 07 2014, 6:12 pm

The title of the thread really doesn't make it sound very tempting.

amother

Mon, Apr 07 2014, 6:22 pm

the world's best mom wrote:

Yeah but maybe now that the end is actually visible...

the world's best mom

Mon, Apr 07 2014, 7:26 pm

I can't see it happening just yet. But we can dream.

acemom

Mon, Apr 07 2014, 7:56 pm

I can't believe it's that time of year again and this thread has been revived.... I only "recently" started posting and actively reading Imamother.... Oh well, I guess not that recent as it's a year already (or more)...

I feel like an old-timer Smile

amother

Mon, Apr 07 2014, 8:00 pm

the world's best mom wrote:

I can't see it happening just yet. But we can dream.

It's now or never. Without better maintenance, the place is just going to go to the point of no return. Plus, they're going to keep losing the existing client base, as has been happening over the last few years already with you and your relatives. Sad

BrachaVHatzlocha

Mon, Apr 07 2014, 8:07 pm

so who is the new ganz amother?? and do I know gold?? don't remember

WBM, I don't find it is cheaper anymore to go upstate. I can get camp in the city for $500/kid and now that my kids have to go off grounds for camp, it's almost the same :\

the world's best mom

Mon, Apr 07 2014, 8:22 pm

What camp is that? Not one that my kids could easily get to I guess. Kids from my neighborhood travel together by bus to 2 or 3 different camps, all of which are expensive.

the world's best mom

Mon, Apr 07 2014, 8:25 pm

I don't know who the new amother is, and you don't know gold21- or at least you never came to Ganz together.

amother

Mon, Apr 07 2014, 9:00 pm

I'm the same amother who's been here all along... not sure if there was another?

amother

Mon, Apr 07 2014, 9:35 pm

amother wrote:

This is so funny! I was there and know some of you... I think it's really funny that you posted a pic of your grandmother and tova in the background even though that wasn't the point of the pic! good luck in your new place. Hopefully you'll make good memories there too --- at least for your kids so they can post on imamother one day about their childhood bungalow experiences!

Ah OK this amother wasn't me. Over the last couple of pages, the rest were all me - the melodramatic one who can't imagine a world without Ganz Bungalows.

BrachaVHatzlocha

Tue, May 20 2014, 3:34 pm

OMG!
YF just posted on FB that ganz isn't reopening!?! I didn't register my kids for day camp in august in the city and it looks like we'll be stuck here Sad

world's best...is your new place double??

amother

Tue, May 20 2014, 4:57 pm

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Same-amother back here losing my grip.
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

ok everyone, let's get moving, bring your tools, meet me at the Monticello Home Depot, and let's get that place ready for July!!!!
I heard the reason was structural problems. So maybe let's just bring our tents and pitch them behind the parking lot; they can't kick us out if we're not in structures, can they? Plumbing is overrated. For a fraction of the cost of a bungalow someplace else we can rent some porta-potties. Or maybe a trailer home or something. This is going to be really fun. Leave your spoiled family members home and bring your camera.
Who's in?

the world's best mom

Tue, May 20 2014, 5:29 pm

Yes, it's true. Someone from the town came to inspect today and found many violations. It must be the first time they inspected in a hundred years or so, because I don't think the ceiling of my bungalow was ever quite attached to the walls, and the floor in my last bungalow has been a steep hill for as long as I can remember. I was wondering how they always passed inspections.

Amother, your tent idea sounds great. Enjoy. Thank the Lord I got a bungalow in the other place this year. Hashem is taking good care of us.

Poor Jay. He is really upset. I wonder if he'll sell the place or knock down the bungalows now. Those seem to be the only options if he doesn't want to continue paying taxes on them.

the world's best mom

Tue, May 20 2014, 5:32 pm

BrachaVHatzlocha wrote:

OMG!
YF just posted on FB that ganz isn't reopening!?! I didn't register my kids for day camp in august in the city and it looks like we'll be stuck here Sad

world's best...is your new place double??

Her sisters have summer jobs up there. I don't know what they're going to do. You're welcome to come share our other bungalow with us- it's a two bedroom. We can squeeze in. Very Happy

the world's best mom

Tue, May 20 2014, 5:38 pm

What is everyone else going to do? Most old timers will probably just stay home. I don't know about everyone else.

bookie

Tue, May 20 2014, 6:16 pm

Wow I cant believe it, I just told my mom and she said it was dump but boy do we have great memories.