A. Ready

Read the 3rd quarter market results for Brooklyn published today by Prudential Douglas Elliman and you might think that prices in prime Brooklyn are as stubborn as ever, and that the big, fat yawn let out by those choice neighborhoods after the collapse of Lehman Brothers had never ended.

What's the cheapest non-occupied property available for sale in Manhattan?  For $99,500, this windowless 350-square-foot storage room in NoHo can be yours.

Let's get this straight: We do not have a townhouse fantasy. We lack the cash, have no desire to scrub our stoop of every excretion known to man, NYU student or animal, and have seen one too many of our townhouse-dwelling friends show up on crutches. Also, security is a bitch, and life is too short to spend half of it on Brownstoner comparing fireplace trim or waiting for a handyman/electrician/plumber/roofer/etc to fix a chronically ill piece of real estate.

On the other hand, a bargain is a bargain.

Can't afford to stay, can't afford to leave--that sounds like a typical NYC apartment dilemma. But according to the NY Observer's Dana Rubenstein, it also increasingly defines New York life itself.

StuyTown is one step closer to a takeover, but the anxious inhabitants still do not know who will take control of the 110-building complex, nor whether that will result in a remarkable opportunity to buy their units at below-market rates.  Reporting that tomorrow's auction has been postponed for Oct.