Virginia K. Smith

While doing some idle cruising of relatively affordable apartments, this sunny South Williamsburg two-bedroom caught our eye—for the location and natural light, sure, but also for its price tag: $295,000, virtually unheard of for the neighborhood these days. 

Few home purchases take up as much space in your apartment—or have such an impact on your quality of life—as a mattress, so the last thing you want to do is end up with the wrong one. But anyone who's ever set foot in a mattress store (or even browsed online) can tell you that the finding the right mattress can easily turn into a bizarre, overwhelming gauntlet. 

If you're thinking of making a move to the 'burbs, Maplewood, N.J., is apparently now "Brooklyn West" (NYT)

An Italian designer has created a weird—but undeniably efficient—rug/sofa/storage space (House Beautiful)

If you're looking for rentals in the $5,500 range, you'll find plenty of options in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, but less in the Bronx and Staten Island. You'll even have a pretty good shot at landing a duplex (with outdoor space, to boot). But even in this high price range, you'll likely have to choose between extra rooms and extra amenities. To make the search that much easier, we've rounded up rentals in your budget that are available right now.

Coveted as park-front nabes may be, Prospect Lefferts Gardens is still far cheaper than those other Brooklyn spots that border Prospect Park (think Park Slope, Prospect Heights, and Windsor Terrace). But if this two-bedroom, two-bathroom going for $2,400 a month is any indication, landlords are betting that Brooklynites will pay up for this location too.

In spite of a recent downturn in bidding wars for NYC apartments, it's still common for sellers to ask would-be buyers for their "best and final" offers in today's ever-competitive market. Thus, your (and your broker's) knowledge of how much a place is worth, as well as how much you're willing to pay, is crucial to submitting a solid bid.