Virginia K. Smith

If you're looking for a rental in NYC on a budget of $3,400 a month, you've got choices that range from luxe one-bedrooms in amenity-heavy condo buildings to larger (if less fancy) spreads in areas like Astoria and Bushwick. As usual, we've looked through the current listings for options in your price range in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx to see what's available this week.

Scaffolding is a fact of life if you live in the city, but besides being an eyesore, so-called "sidewalk sheds" can also turn into a neighborhood safety hazard. This is especially true when the structures linger for years, as they have on one Harlem block for more than a decade, the New York Times reports.

Withholding (or threatening to withhold) rent is a time-honored method of forcing your landlord to fix problems in your apartment, but deciding when—and how—to do it can be tricky.

Seinfeld: forgotten font of real estate wisdom (did anyone remember that George was once a broker??) (The Real Deal)

In Brooklyn, expect places with more bedrooms, smaller common spaces and higher prices (Brownstoner)

Few renters would describe a $2700-a-month one-bedroom as cheap, but we've found a pretty compelling reason to stretch the budget in the West Village: this one-bedroom in the Seville on Cornelia Street, which comes with exposed brick, a prime location, and access to the building's adorable courtyard.