Veronica X.

All good things must come to an end, and Veronica X regrets to inform you that though she has enjoyed her time here immensely, the growing demands of her offline life have led her to decide that this NYC Real(i)ty Speak must be her last.

She signs off today with a look toward the future - When you are making your New Year's resolutions, add a few that will make life in Gotham's vertical village even sweeter:

The workers have (mostly) gone, the punch list is (slightly) shorter, and you are finally living in the vision that has consumed most of your free time and finances for the last year.  If you could talk to your pre-renovation self, what would you list as your five greatest regrets?

'Tis the season for a handout. If you are feeling more Scrooge-ish than Money Tree, do we have an excuse for you!

At the end of a renovation, there is something called a 'punch' list - the last little things that need fixing before the final bill is paid.  

Is it called a punch list because, at this stage of the game, all the players (apartment owner, coop board, neighbors, contractor, decorator, etc.) want to punch each other?  Hopefully not.  

Still...  While we don't recommend actually getting physical, here is a punch list we would like to see:

In the subterranean battlefield known as the laundry room, even the most innocuous remarks can hide an accusation.

When you need an emergency cat sitter, your neighbors are nowhere to be found.  But when you are renovating, people are poking their noses all over your soon-to-be new apartment.  The following comments need no translation: