Lucy Cohen Blatter

According to a recent Rent.com survey of renters across the country, the most common reason renters call their landlords or building maintenance staff is also the last thing you ever want to call in the professionals for: to fix a clogged toilet.

The second most common reason to reach out? To get the keys. (We've always thought easy access to keys was top on the list of reasons why it's great to have a doorman, and it looks like we were right.)

Now that we're officially deep into summer, it's getting more difficult NOT to daydream about snagging a beach or country house far away from this steamy city—especially when you consider the price tags.

This gut-renovated duplex at 1444 Pacific Street in Crown Heights screams roommate apartment to us—it's got four full bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms and is guarantor-friendly—and at $3,100, it's a rare chance to live in Brooklyn for less than $800 a month. 

Thinking of recreating life on the farm here in the urban jungle? Apparently you're not alone. More and more New Yorkers are keeping chickens in their backyards, DNAinfo reports. Apparently raising the birds in New York has its advantages, most notably getting the freshest organic eggs, as well as fertilizer for your garden.