Sparta Co-Op Services

13 Dog Breeds That Are Overwhelmingly Affectionate

Grow your own jungle: easy exotic plants

Tropical gardening is all too often associated with expense and poor results. But choose your plants wisely and you can turn your patch into a slice of verdant jungle, says James Wong

Why We LOVE Our Preschool Co-Op

This fall we decided to add a bit more structure to our lives and join a parent-run preschool co-op. We LOVE our co-op, and here's why.

No Woks? Weirdest Co-op Rules Ever

If you live in a co-op, you must adhere to some rules. Most of them are common sense, but some are just plain strange.

How the Co-op Crumbles

When developers try to convert small co-ops into condos, some shareholders are eager to sell. Others are very, very resistant.

Tilapia Farming: How the Co-op at LCA Is Changing Employees Lives

One of the programs offered through the Co-Op at League Central America is small loans for League team members so they can generate a secondary income stream. A popular option is to build a small tilapia farmingfacility on their property. Often, it can be managed by another family member.

You Are the Co-op Difference

You are the reason food co‑ops are here By: Co+op, stronger together Food co-ops were formed by people in your community who wanted access to healthy, delicious food with reduced environmental impa…

Thinking About Renovating Your Co-op Apartment?

Before you pick up the hammer (or even before you buy a co-op) you should know what can and cant be renovated in your own home. Co-op boards have specific rules about what can and cant be changed. We interviewed a couple people in real estate to get the details!

Co-op Wars: Do You Dare Walk on the Grass?

A new generation of buyers at a Jackson Heights, Queens, co-op has won a nearly decade-long battle over access to the lawn.

One to live in, one to rent, and an income downstairs

Old Post Office in Delgany offers 2 refurbished apartments and a retail unit

What is a Platform Co-op

The good news is that there is an alternative — one that places control and ownership of digital services into the hands of its users. It’s called a platform cooperative, or platform co-op.

Listening and Learning at the Co-op

Dear Co-op Members, When I became your co-op’s general manager last fall, I made a commitment to listen. That may seem like a simple thing to do, but we often don’t give listening the t…

Ask an Expert: My co-op board keeps too many secrets

Q. My co-op board operates in a veil of secrecy, without telling residents about major and minor events until they are fait accompli. They closed the roofdeck for an entire summer for renovation without telling us in advance. Now I heard a rumor that they want to outsource the super to sell his apartment and raise money for the building. Is that legal? Don't we have a right to know certain things and at least give our opinion or maybe even vote?

How to Take Equity Out of a Co-op

Like banks, co-ops set rules about how much shareholders can borrow. But there are ways to find the equity you seek in your home.

The 7 Things You Absolutely Must Do When Moving Into a Co-Op

​Before you pack in anticipation of your move to a co-op, you want to be sure you know about the building itself, whether it’s quirky rules, construction, or ongoing squabbles.