1) What, technically, does the term luxury rental mean? Studios that rent for as much as $3,500 a month, one-bedrooms for $6,000, and two-bedrooms for $11,000. The NYT surveys the latest crop of upscale pleasure palaces, discovering heretofore unknown amenities including virtual golf (right) and—OMG—in-apartment washers and dryers. Bonus observation: "The days of parquet are gone." [Vivian S. Toy/Luxury Rentals]
2) Apartment hunters in New Jersey are a lot like us, except for the fact that when they set their purchase budget at $400,000, they can actually end up buying something that does not make them feel suicidal. Damn you, Jersey City. [Joyce Cohen/The Hunt]
3) For comparison's sake, here's a Hunt-like tale in Park Slope, where a couple who'd been living in Brooklyn Heights decided it was time to buy on that grim day their rent hit $1,000. Their broker suggests looking in Park Slope, where they submit a lowball bid on an Eighth Avenue brownstone. Miraculously, their bid of $425,000 is accepted. But, er, oops, did we mention this all happened in 1991? [Fred A. Bernstein/Habitats]
4) The center of life on the Upper West Side is Zabar's. Who knew? [John Kifner/My Neighborhood]
5) Here's an excellent profile on legendary Red Hook liquor store LeNell’s, which faces closure next summer due to a lease that hasn't, and likely won't, be renewed. Where will owner LeNell Smothers go next if Red Hook shuts her out? Most likely a little borough called Manhattan. [Michael Wilson/Red Hook Journal]
6) Finally, another heartwarming case of trading up: rising real estate prices are encouraging people to divorce: "She felt that she couldn't walk out on him until she had the money to move away and buy something on her own. The real estate market allowed her to buy her freedom." And with that, welcome to Monday. [Christine Haughney/Sunday Styles]