Virginia K. Smith

Quick pre-party tips for giving your apartment the illusion of cleanliness (The Cut)

Check out this sweet, recently unearthed footage of the Upper West Side circa 1977 (Gothamist)

NYC might loosen the rules on youth hostels (AM NY)

Even as gentrification rips through the city, pricing out hopeful transplants and longtime residents alike, it's easy to let your eyes glaze over a bit seeing yet another headline about it, and how nobody knows what to do about it.

Ever wondered how much cash your neighbors are slipping the doorman around the holidays, and if you look like a mensch (or a grinch) by comparison? Us too. To help suss out how most New Yorkers handle holiday season tipping, take our easy, two-click poll, and instantly see how everyone else is weighing in.

Q: I just sold an apartment that I purchased from the sponsor in 1984, and the co-op board recently enacted a transfer tax. Am I required to pay this?

A: Your building may well be within its rights to demand a transfer tax, but only if they've gone about enacting the policy in the proper way, say our experts.