Virginia K. Smith

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. 

While prices—and demand—in New York's real estate market are still at dizzying highs, it looks like things may be calming down, at least a little bit: according to the latest market reports, prices are plateauing, apartments are staying on the market longer, and bidding wars (or calls for "best and final" offers among competing buyers) are less common than they were even a year ago.

The Russian bank handing out cats along with mortgages is definitely onto something (Jezebel via The Billfold)

Learning how to achieve "design compromise" in a cramped West Village apartment (Design Sponge)