Virginia K. Smith

How one cabby landed a permanent, $226/month spot in a Chelsea hotel and former SRO (NYP)

Can we interest you or your dog in this rug that looks like a steak? (Curbed National)

Jury's still out on whether rent control is even a good idea (Zillow Blog)

There may, eventually, come a day where we get tired of playing the game of "how much can you buy in other cities for the price of a New York apartment?" Today is not that day. And in case you haven't heard, the dream of New Yorkers moving to L.A. is already dead, with the city's latest exodus headed straight for New Orleans,  according to the New York Post.

Trend we can get behind: painted and/or patterned facades in Bushwick (Brownstoner)

Finally, a guide to NYC's (surprisingly numerous) castles (Curbed NY)

Anyone who pays even passing attention to NYC's never-ending stream of real estate market reports has likely started to feel that this is all just a repetitive way of reminding ourselves that the city is cripplingly expensive, and getting pricier all the time. And we're here to tell you that... you're not wrong. At all.

Q: I moved from a co-op to a rental. Is it possible to change my co-op insurance policy to renter's insurance?

It should be easy (and cost-free) to make the switch and insure your new apartment, though you're likely to have to get a brand-new policy, say our experts.