This Old House

New York City; Classic New York (30x18)

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Host Kevin O'Connor and landscape contractor Roger Cook visit Prospect Park, a 585-acre urban oasis unofficially known as "Brooklyn's Backyard." At the project house, master carpenter Norm Abram meets contractor Michael R. Streaman and homeowner Karen Shen to see how the framing is progressing and to hear about their thoughts on the kitchen layout. To learn more about how brownstones were used in the past, architectural historian Charles Lockwood takes Kevin to Manhattan's East Village to see a perfectly preserved rowhouse dating to 1832, including the original intact kitchen in the basement. Then, to see how the old-fashioned spaces can be updated, they visit a restored brownstone in Park Slope, Brooklyn, to see how former kitchens were often converted into rental apartments, and how modern kitchens and baths can be either carved out or bumped out from existing spaces.' Back at the project house, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey meets with local plumbing and heating contractors Randy and Erik Gitli to see the options for updating and/or upgrading the old steam heating system. In Hell's Kitchen, nurseryman David Protell shows Roger how he operates his garden center in the middle of the city, then they head downtown to see a spectacular roof garden in Tribeca recently designed and built by his firm. Protell's team will be designing and building the new landscape in Karen and Kevin's backyard.