Every September the internet fills up with fall home maintenance checklists, and most of them were written for a house with a lawn, a sprinkler system, and a two-car garage. We published one of those ourselves a few years back. This is the version for the buildings we actually work in: the two-family on a […]
An A/C-powerbank program designed for New Yorkers who want to stay cool, reduce pressure on the grid, and earn seasonal rewards.New York summers ask a lot of our homes. As heat waves settle over the city, window units hum, portable A/Cs run well past bedtime, and electricity demand climbs at the same time across millions […]
A New York heatwave changes the rhythm of home. Window shades stay down through the afternoon, one room becomes the cool room, and an air conditioner that was barely noticeable in June suddenly becomes part of the daily budget.For renters, owners, and small-building residents alike, reducing summer electricity use is not about sacrificing comfort. It […]
New York is often introduced through its grandest images: the Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, the skyline viewed from a ferry. They are worth seeing. But the part of the city that stays with people tends to be quieter and more specific: a favorite corner café, a walk home through […]
A dusty vent can make anyone wonder what is happening inside the parts of a home we cannot see. Add a postcard promising a bargain-priced duct cleaning or a technician who insists that ordinary dust is an emergency, and it is easy to feel pressure to act quickly.In most cases, a measured approach is the […]
Moving is rarely just about boxes, keys, or square footage. Most of the time, it’s about transition. A new routine. A new version of yourself. A chance to reset parts of your life that may have quietly stopped working for you. And in NYC especially, where apartments can feel temporary even when we stay for […]
Update, October 2026: Now that the pied-à-terre tax is in effect (as of July 1, 2026), the final details differ from what was reported when the budget first passed. The tax reaches condos and co-ops at $1 million or more of assessed value — the figure on your tax bill, which is much lower than […]
Americans are on track to spend a record $522 billion on home renovations in 2026, according to a recent New York Times article citing research from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. And honestly? Here in Brooklyn and NYC, that number feels believable. People Aren’t Moving — They’re Making Their Homes Work Harder We’re […]
Here’s something most NYC renters don’t realize until it’s too late: yourrenters insurance policy almost certainly does not cover flood damage. Notfrom a storm surge. Not from a heavy downpour that overwhelms thesewers. Not from the kind of water event that has become increasinglycommon in this city over the last decade. If you’ve lived in […]
As independent journalism outlet The City aptly put it, New York is really a “collection of islands”—with more than 520 miles of waterfront! Perhaps that’s easy enough to remember if you’re in a coastal neighborhood, but thanks to a combination of climate change and aging sewage infrastructure, even landlocked neighborhoods are under threat of flooding—especially […]
