Carrara marble slab sources NYC

Two shops we used:

A&G Marble in Flushing. Link: http://www.agmarble.com/_ag_media/index.php

ABC Stone in Brooklyn. Link: http://abcworldwidestone.com/

we purchased ours from SMC stone in Brooklyn.

I don't know if we just got an average piece last time (we've bought from them 3 times - kitchen and then 2 separate bathroom renovations) but the last time I didn't notice anything on installation but there appear to be some "small holes" in the surface after a few months.

I'd probably buy from them again as was probably a once off......but i'll be paying closer attention during install to the surface.

There are some photos of what we did here - http://www.collins.net.pr/Photo/House%20photos/135%20Henry%20St%2C%20Brooklyn/photo.htm

Deanc: The URL is not valid

We used Hindustan (now HG Stones). They have a place in Brooklyn, although we went to the Long Island (massive) indoor stone yard. And, in my view, you have the etching issue backwards. All marble will etch. Honed marble shows etching much less prominently than polished marble. Frankly, I am not a fan of polished marble in a kitchen, especially on a large island, but to each their own. You will also find a lot of carrara slabs are more gray than white these days. We went a danby marble (quarried in Vermont).

http://hgstones.com/

I got my slab at HG in Brooklyn - great showroom with a ton of choices. That said, I ultimately opted for a White Fantasy quartz rather than a marble. As far as quartz goes, white fantasy is the closest in appearance to marble, and it's far more durable. The slab was just a little bit more expensive than marble and it's a total stunner.

Thanks to all for the comments and recommendations. I'll check them out.
deanc - Good to know. I'll keep it in mind when we get to the installation phase. Do you think that it was something that the fabricator did/didn't do or was there some sort of strong acidic solvent dripped on it? Did you get your stone sealed?
nyc-sport - You and I are on the same page re honed vs polished marble -- that's why I prefer honed. It will still etch, but it will be less visible on a honed surface/blend more with the texture. And yes, much of the Carrara available today is more gray than white -- hence the search. If I could find some vintage marble to repurpose, I would jump on it. I really love the way that it ages/mellows/tells a "story". The Danby is beautiful , I just prefer the more common and vintage look of Carrara.
roje - I've seen the White Fantasy quartz -- also beautiful. Congratulations - I'm sure that looks spectacular in place!

Hey New2NYC!

uhm.....hey?

@New2me: See http://streeteasy.com/talk/discussion/24153-how-much-and-how-to-find
and good luck convincing the troll that you and I are not the same person. The fact that we are both posting today when there are very few others on here I think is just reinforcing his ludicrous theory.

Sooo ludicrous!

Okay fine, not so ludicrous. I even realized that after I posted, and believe me, I was most dismayed to see New2me posting recently, thinking that would only fuel your suspicions, and perhaps even convince others The similarities were striking. But I am not New2me!!!(I loathe marble for precisely the reasons s/he preempted and chose Ceasarstone for our reno). Maybe s/he can tell you what neighborhood s/he purchased in, and that will convince you.

Oh OK I definitely believe you.

"Well, Mr. Davis, long have I admired you from afar...."
@Multi - So sorry to cause you angst - You seem quite lovely and I admire the way you choose to engage-- good on you!
Honestly, all I wanted to do is get some suggestions on sourcing marble slabs!

OK now I don't believe you.

@New2me - Thank you and right back at you. It is an honor to have your comments attributed to me. I hope you find a good source for your marble slabs and that the renovation goes well.

multicityresident, since you did a gut renovation including of the kitchen, why don't you offer some tips instead of just throwing out meaningless flattery?

Ladies? Help each other out on the renovation! You both did one, you MUST have things to talk about, and you get along so well too.

I guess the act has become too tough to keep up.

@Jelj sorry Streeteasy mangles urls with spaces....here you go - http://bit.ly/135henry

New2Me has gone back to Australia where she can say "good on you" and NYCNovice ...

Do you want to update us on your Carrara purchase? Did you buy? From where? Anything you can tell us about the purchase and service? Did you invite NYCNovice or multicityrenter or New2Me or foolishrenter to check out your place? Maybe have a glass of wine and talk about Australia and Washington, D.C.? Does Carrara stain with red wine?

So, 310 E53rd where we rented for two years, had Carrera in the bathrooms and the kitchen; hated it but, had it been surrounded by my own paint colors, I might have liked it more. But, we also have marble in the entryway/foyer of our DC home, and I really hate that too; not a fan of marble at all, let alone polished vs honed; it has been there for 20+ years (only 5 with us) and is so etched and stained that rather than refinish it (which is actually quite cost effective), we are thinking about replacing it. The thing is, I want to replace it with travertine, which everyone says is even worse, but I am open to any opinions of anyone who has done their entry hall in travertine. I just don't understand how travertine can be so bad when so many beautiful old buildings in other parts of the world are filled with it. Can anyone support putting travertine in the entry hall?

New2Me, what do you have to say to multicityresident?

Nothing screams home depot more than travertine. Sure, it is durable, and not slippery like marble. But what is the attraction? There are lovely porcelain tiles

I like the rustic look of it. The entry hall ends in a room that has a giant Carderock fireplace with a flagstone bench; that room, as well as each of the rooms on either side of the entry hall, has hardwood. I feel like the marble is too formal and am looking for something less formal. Perceptions are interesting because my aversion to putting in porcelain tile was my perception that porcelain tile screamed Home Depot. I agree that there are beautiful porcelain tiles out and prefer porcelain for kitchens and bathrooms, but had not considered it for the entry hall. For some reason I felt/feel like I need a natural stone or hardwood for that space, but now I am going to revisit this and spend some time on Houzz (which really should have been first stop for my question). Thank you for the response; gave me food for thought.

mcr, I have never used travertine, but I put a limestone floor in a bath. It had to be sealed around once a year, and cleaned with a little special attention ... but it wasn't too bad. Assuming travertine is similar, just think ... are you willing to keep water from standing on it? Because that's the problem, really ... sweeping up dirt can wait until you get around to it, but you don't want water to sink into a porous stone, unless you're willing to live with the "patina."

does anyone know if the price and quality of marble varies significantly between shops?

@front_porch - thanks for the insight. Seems like refinishing the existing marble is the way to go.
@bem9 - the quality and price of travertine and granite certainly do so I cannot imagine that marble would be any different.

MCR, did New2Me also retire?