Virginia K. Smith

As a rule, most of us like to avoid thinking or talking about bed bugs more than is strictly necessary. It's as though we somehow might will them into our homes Beetlejuice-style, simply by mentioning them out loud.

Yesterday, we published a room-by-room guide for spring cleaning your apartment top to bottom, but if that seems too daunting—or if you'd rather just throw money at the problem—there are countless services for hire that'll happily come in and do your dirty work. However, if you've never turned to a cleaning service before, the process can be fraught with etiquette issues.

Get inspired by this family's sun-filled Crown Heights townhouse (Design*Sponge)

Is NYC's insane real estate boom ever going to end? (The Real Deal)

A shower in the kitchen seems like... a good way to multi-task? (Gothamist)

Q: Recently, I was riding one of my rental building’s two working elevators, and it was crowded. There were a total of six people in the elevator and two large dogs, then one dog attacked the other. With nowhere to move I ended up with scratches on the back of my leg and now feel fearful when I see two big dogs entering one crowded elevator. What if a small child had been in my place? I checked, and my buildings rules say “small dogs allowed.”  (Neither of these dogs were small.) I filed a report with security and emailed building management, but I have yet to get a response.