'Only Murders in the Building,' dangers of basement apartments, & more

By Austin Havens-Bowen | September 10, 2021 - 2:30PM

This week readers visited Brick Underground to check out our review of Hulu's "Only Murders in the Building" starring Selena Gomez, Steve Martin, and Martin Short as three neighbors obsessed with true crime who are brought together by a death in their building. They live in a luxury co-op inspired by the Belnord, a landmarked building on the Upper West Side.

Also of interest: There were at least 11 fatalities in basement apartments flooded by Hurricane Ida, bringing new attention to the risks of living in an illegal basement or cellar apartment.

Here are this week's top five posts:

1) Hulu’s ‘Only Murders in the Building’ highlights the real mysteries of how some New Yorkers live

2) Deaths in apartments flooded by Hurricane Ida highlight dangers of basement living

3) 5 NYC houses for rent if you want suburban-style living in the city

4) New program helps NYC homeowners avoid fines for building code violations

5) Cracked sidewalks, potholes, and overgrown trees: How to fix up your block

Austin Havens-Bowen

Staff Writer

Staff writer Austin Havens-Bowen covers the rental market and answers renters' questions in a column called Realty Bites. He previously reported on local news for the Queens Ledger and The Hunts Point Express in the Bronx. He graduated from Hunter College with a BA in media studies. He rents a one-bedroom apartment in Astoria with his boyfriend and their two cats.

SEE MORE BY Austin Havens-Bowen »

Brick Underground articles occasionally include the expertise of, or information about, advertising partners when relevant to the story. We will never promote an advertiser's product without making the relationship clear to our readers.