That is the question. I’m talking bedbugs, not Shakespeare. As you may know, last August in an effort to ameliorate the anxiety of New Yorkers confronted by bedbug epidemics in their buildings, a law was passed requiring disclosure of bedbug infestation history. Does that mean before you plunk down that wad of cash you have to be told whether the co-op or condo you’re buying into has been invaded? Read more »

Maybe I should take the latest complaints I’m getting about living conditions in stride – only these are from inmates, not apartment owners. Dissatisfied residents of co-ops and condos contact me all the time. Usually their anger is directed against board members, which I figure is natural given the power they wield over the rank and file on the home front, and sometimes seek to extend beyond the bounds of the building. But convicted criminals? Read more »

You know what they say about cigars. But maybe you didn’t know that a chair can be more than something to sit on, that is, unless you live in a high rise, where everyone knows that chairs are as much a symbol of power as a place to park yourself. Here's what I mean. Read more »

So what gives? Having something delivered used to be a snap. You bought a lamp at Crate & Barrel or your favorite antique store, and the delivery guy arrived at your apartment, plugged it in and voila – let there be light. No more. Whether it’s a guy coming to deliver a newly purchased upholstered chair or pick up a rug to clean or replace a gasket in your refrigerator or repair your flat screen TV, increasingly in buildings all over the City, boards are declaring “No Entry” -- unless the contractor has the proper papers for passage. No, not a visa, an insurance certificate. Read more »

“Need a glue trap?” the doorman asked as I came home one night this week, not exactly the welcome I expected.

“No thanks,” I said, aware that several residents in the building were having a problem, and glad that my apartment wasn’t infested, but worried that it would be. I checked with friends and found out their buildings also were being invaded, which made me even more nervous – and determined to get to the cause before the mice got to my apartment.

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