BrickUnderground

If you can get past the too-shiny wood floors, we think this $4,300 Lower East Side three-bedroom could be a pretty good deal for shares or families. Note the rent is net effective, though.

Located in the more hipster-than-stroller-friendly Lower East Side, this $4,300 three-bedroom might be more likely to attract roommates looking for a share rather than families.

Pros: The new boutique elevator building allows pets and has a roof deck. There are also two bathrooms! Appliances (which include a washer/dryer) are new, and for many, you can't beat the excitement of the neighborhood.

Cons: The rent is net effective, which probably means that the monthly outlay is higher and there's a free month or so rent thrown in there. Also, at under 1,000-square-foot, the apartment isn't big for a three-bedroom, and we're wondering if the wall off the kitchen is meant to create a living room/dining room or a "bedroom."

No-Fee Rental of the Week showcases an apartment that’s currently on the market and is being offered with no broker fee (otherwise known as the holy grail of New York City rentals). For tips on how to find more no-fee apartments, check out the The 8 best websites for finding a no-fee apartment in NYC and our Guerrilla Guide series.

Enter this $1.995m two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom duplex penthouse condo in TriBeCa and you might just think you’ve stepped into Jay Gatsby’s world. 

It looks like big spenders were out in force on StreetEasy this past week:  This edition of the Most Wanted -- the 10 sales listings saved more often than any others by those surfing StreetEasy this week -- exhibits a definite tropism toward big spending and classy living.

Take this rather droolworthy $1.995m two-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom condo (pictured) in TriBeCa, on Leonard Street between Church Street and Broadway. The south-facing prewar penthouse duplex loft comes with a private terrace, though the outdoor space has yet to be connected to the apartment (the seller has architectural plans and permits from the DOB to facilitate the process).

We love this perfect modern update of a 1920s Brooklyn townhouse.

Plenty of townhouses require upgrades and sometimes entire overhauls, but from what we can see, this $3.4 million Brooklyn Heights home at 152 Willow Street is in enviable ready-to-wear condition, featuring many clean, crisp, modern updates to the old-fashioned details. 

The exposed brick in this 1920s townhouse is balanced with a sturdy modern staircase, and the old fashioned coiled radiator in the bathroom is matched with updated his and her sinks and modern fixtures. The kitchen looks like it just stepped out of a showroom, featuring a Viking range big enough to sleep a vast Subzero fridge. along with a quaint little window to add a touch of country-kitchen.  

The $3.4 million isn't exactly pocket change, but at least we won't need a renovation budget....

This Techline Studio Murphy bed fits easily into a small space, and will cost you anywhere between $3,500 and $9,500 including a high quality inner spring mattress, delivery and installation. Flanking cabinetry is additional.

Q. I’m about to move into a tiny studio, and am considering a murphy bed. What should I know?

A. Murphy beds -- also known a hide-a-beds or wall beds -- are most attractive when they're part of a built-in case or cabinet (fixed or attached) to your apartment wall. The idea is that when folded or in the closed position, no one would ever know that the cabinet is indeed a Murphy bed. 

Built-in storage, usually flanking either side of the bed, is completely customizable and designed to work with your individual space. This removes any dorm-like feeling or the hideous “bed in a closet” that has been associated with Murphy beds of yore.

Photo Credit / lostpilgr.im

Furniture that wasn't found on the street, a functional security system and neighbors who don't take "the city that never sleeps" as their personal mantra. Five New Yorkers share what's at the top of their home(life) improvement wish list.

• Up all night:  My bedroom faces the bedroom of my neighbor about 5 feet away (It's an H-shaped building). For no reason I can divine they sometimes leave their lights on all night and the light shines right into my room. What are two old people doing up all night? I probably need some blackout shades. - Alexis, Harlem
• Reclaimed, salvaged... whatever: Time for a make-over.  I'd like to re-do my living room. It's not comfortable, not conducive to lounging. We have two chairs that are street finds, which we "paired" with a cheapo Ikea table. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but we're over it. It's time take the space to the next, more adult level. - Rachel, Jackson Heights
• ... and speaking of make-overs:  My bedroom is not very warm and inviting. It's kind of cavernous, with just a low, minimalist bed on the floor. Frankly, it reminds me of a Montessori bedroom. - Adam, DUMBO