Bike battery sparks blaze, off the grid in NYC, & more

By Jennifer White Karp | November 7, 2022 - 10:30AM

At least 38 people were injured in a fire in a Midtown Manhattan apartment tower caused by a lithium-ion battery in an electric bike (The New York Times)

What life is like for one man living off the grid for the past six months—in Manhattan (Time)

A look at just how bizarre the U.S. real estate market is behaving in 2022 (The Atlantic)

New York City officials propose a strict new registration system for Airbnb hosts that will take effect in January (New York Post)

First-time buyers made up 26 percent of all U.S. buyers in the fiscal year ending June 2022, down from 34 percent the previous year, according to NAR’s 2022 report (CNN)

Nearly 2,600 apartments intended to house mentally ill and homeless New Yorkers are vacant instead (The New York Times)

Jennifer White Karp

Managing Editor

Jennifer steers Brick Underground’s editorial coverage of New York City residential real estate and writes articles on market trends and strategies for buyers, sellers, and renters. Jennifer’s 15-year career in New York City real estate journalism includes stints as a writer and editor at The Real Deal and its spinoff publication, Luxury Listings NYC.

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