Virginia K. Smith

Bringing in the super for minor repairs around the apartment (and giving him some extra cash for his trouble) is often a natural fit—after all, you know him, he knows the building, and it's all much faster than calling in outside help.

Caution: even if you win your court case against the landlord, the dispute could still land you a spot on the tenant blacklist (NYT, previously)

Train rumblings, trucks and traffic—DUMBO's noisemakers may get on your nerves (Gothamist)

Neighborhood identity in New York is a delicate thing, an ever evolving mix of people and places that, um, can be easily categorized and tracked in map form? That seems to be the thinking behind a new map tool from software company Esri, which has broken down Zip Codes across the U.S. (and in NYC) into "67 profiles of American market segments" based on population data.

That old saying that "the walls have ears"? Only true if there's actually someone on the other side of said walls. Besides the added privacy, the extra space of a full-floor apartment is an obvious bonus, whether it's a single story of an actual house or a penthouse on the top level.

One way to stay, um, nice and exfoliated: sandpaper furniture (Apartment Therapy)

Your Airbnb rental (or your neighbor's) is almost certainly illegal (NYM)