Virginia K. Smith

88,000 people want to live in that UWS "poor door" building (NYT, previously)

Turning your chores into a video game: there's an app for that (Business Insider)

When the Rent Guidelines Board voted on a one-percent allowable rent increase for stabilized apartments last year, it was the lowest such ratio in 45 years. Still, what Mayor Bill de Blasio really wanted was a full-on rent freeze, and this year, it might actually happen, the New York Post reports.

In case your office's bleary-eyed intern hasn't already informed you, today's 4/20, the closest thing pot-smoking has to a dedicated national holiday. And whether you've taken the entire day off to order Domino's and play Xbox, have plans to cruise St. Marks for a new skull-shaped bong after work, or are just bracing for your building's hallways to smell a little worse than usual, we've pulled our favorite weed-related stories from the archives for your enjoyment:

Q: I own two co-op units in Forest Hills that I’ve combined. We obtained all the necessary approvals and permits, but the board did not obtain a revised Certificate of Occupancy when the work was done. When I was refinancing a line of credit obtained on one of the units prior to the combination, my lender balked due to the fact that on the C of O, the two units are not combined. Is the co-op required to obtain an amended C of O for a combination?

Haven't you always wanted to make your apartment look like something out of the Sims? (Village Voice)

Why brokers aren't "parasites," according to a broker (Gothamist)

There's a new app to help you get out of your lease (The Awl)