Virginia K. Smith

Relatively affordable 'hoods for Hamptons buyers (NYO)

Don't ever let a broker convince you that the South Bronx is called "the piano district" (Curbed NY)

The eight kinds of bad Brooklyn roommate you'll inevitably encounter (Brokelyn)

In the wake of last week's horrifying, deadly balcony collapse in Berkeley, a lot of us have probably found ourselves wondering how we know that the structures we're sunbathing and grilling on are actually safe, especially now that we're hitting peak balcony season.

Here's a new nightmare to add to the rotation: After splashing out $1.3 million for their New Jersey "dream house," a family has been inundated with chilling letters from a stalker who calls himself "the Watcher," and claims to have some sort of deeply creepy domain over their house, CBS News Reports.

Buy Don Draper's house from the very first Mad Men episode (Curbed)

$100 and a killer chocolate recipe could land you a house in Maryland (NYDN)

How to suss out a neighborhood's school situation before you move (DNAinfo)

Sadly, an in-unit washer and dryer is a bonafide status symbol for a lot of New Yorkers, given how rare it is to find an apartment with a hookup, and how pricey said apartments tend to be. But if the ability to do laundry in-house is an absolute must for you, where should you look?

One more option to add to your roster of cab-hailing apps just in time for the stifling and sweaty subway season: Starting this week, Gett is offering on-demand black car rides anywhere in Manhattan between 110th Street and the Financial District for a flat fee of $10. This app's big, anti-Uber claim to fame: their rates are fixed 24/7, 365 days a year, with no surge pricing tied to traffic snarls or inclement weather. The company also promises wait times of no more than five to seven minutes in Manhattan.