Neighborhood NYC previously wrote about preventing bedbugs and what to do in case there is an infestation. Always wanting to keep our readers updated, we wanted to let you all know about a new bedbug disclosure law.

Landlords were previously not required to tell potential tenants if there had been bed bug problems in the building or in that specific apartment in the past year. This new law which was sponsored by Linda B. Rosenthal will require that landlords inform potential tenants.

The law is by no means the end of laws about bedbug disclosure. Current tenants do not have the right to know about bedbug problems in their building, and in selling situations, sellers only have to mention if there was a bedbug problem in that particular unit. Sellers do not have to mention if there were bedbug infestations elsewhere in the building.

You can read more about the law at BrickUnderground at http://www.brickunderground.com/blog/2010/08/it_s_official_governor_signs_bed_bug_disclosure_bill_into_law.

Yesterday, Neighborhood NYC posted a blog about stopping the spread of bedbugs. The article was picked up by The Real Deal, a major source of real estate news in New York City.

Seeing Neighborhood NYC mentioned alongside articles by the New York Times and the New York Post was truly humbling. We have put a lot of time and love into Neighborhood NYC, and we would like to thank The Real Deal for featuring our article.

If you are visiting Neighborhood NYC for the first time, take a look at our building reviews from nearly every neighborhood in Manhattan, and if you are looking for something fun to do around the city, read through our blog. We have real estate news, but unlike other websites, we also have Neighborhood Highlights, featuring fantastic bars, restaurants, and cultural events all around the city.

Find a new home, read up on a neighborhood hot spot, and as always, let us know what you think!

What are your thoughts on the recent approval of 15 Penn Plaza?  
(15 Penn Plaza and Empire State Building are located right by the desirable Chelsea and Murray Hill neighborhoods.) 

This building, of course, will be another great addition to what is the most amazing skyline in the best city on earth, but even I will argue that overshadowing the Empire State Building may take some getting used to. 

Here is our recent post about this issue: http://benjaminjamesrealestate.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/new-york-city-council-approves-15-penn-plaza/

***On a side note, not so long ago I visited Shanghai and was impressed by this massive city that can easily “run with the big dog” NYC!  I will say though that the new Shanghai World Financial Center, beautiful as she may be, completely casts a shadow over the equally impressive Jin Mao Tower.

Hey, little guy...

Bedbugs are on the rise in New York City, invading everywhere from Victoria’s Secret to the Empire State Building. Many New Yorkers are wondering if they are at risk for bedbugs, and if they are, they want to know how to increase their chances of keeping their home bedbug-free.

The Harvard School of Public Health has some suggestions for preventing bedbugs. First, determine whether the apartment has had an infestation. Check out the mattress, bed frame, living room couch, and other major furniture where the critters might be hiding. If there are dead bedbugs and eggs, this does not mean that there is a current infestation.

Second, if there are signs of a past infestation, make sure to wash the sheets, thoroughly clean dresser drawers, and pick up the room. These steps automatically eliminate most of the common hiding places for bedbugs. Another good suggestion is getting mattress bags for mattresses and box springs. These bags will seal off the bedbugs and kill any that might be living in the mattress or box springs.

Third, do not throw away bedbug infested mattresses or leave it in the street because this will in turn spread the bedbugs even more. Instead, see about either eliminating the bedbugs or if the furniture is no longer wanted, see about having it taken directly to a landfill.

Another thing to keep in mind is that renters should alert their landlord immediately if they have a confirmed case of bedbugs. Not only is it the landlord’s job to contact a pest control operator but neighboring apartments often have to be checked as a result. Bedbugs can slip through the cracks on adjoining walls, floors, and ceilings, and it is better if neighbors are prepared and able to take precautionary measures.

Go to http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/bedbugs/ to learn how to identify bedbugs, what kind of pesticides to avoid, and what to do if you find bedbugs in your home.

Previously, Neighborhood NYC reported that Don Draper, the fictional alcoholic hero of AMC’s Mad Men, might have a real address in Manhattan. Blogger Lewis Grossberger attempted to find Don Draper’s bachelor pad, but on a recent episode of Mad Men, we learned that Grossberger’s guess of 136 Waverly Place was not quite right.

As it turns out, Don Draper lives at 104 Waverly Place. Television sleuths figured this out by freeze-framing on a personal check written by Draper on the show. Now, I am excited about this news for 2 reasons. First, I am a fan of Mad Men, and I’m glad to see people getting so involved in the show. Second, it is good to know that TV detectives are finding life after Lost.

To look at apartments nearby 104 Waverly Place and other apartments in Greenwich Village, click here or go to http://neighborhoodnyc.com/category/the-village/.

One of the downsides to renting is trying to get back the security deposit when you move out. Anyone who has ever rented knows that landlords can be stubborn about the security deposit and will charge you for hanging nails, dirty carpeting, or the sticky tack that pulled paint off of the walls. Sometimes, however, you can get overcharged for minor damage, but there are ways to protect yourself.

Rented Spaces is one of our favorite websites with advice for renters, and this week, they gave their top six suggestions for getting back more of your security deposit. Some of their suggestions include taking pictures when you first move in and again right before you leave, fixing any major damage yourself, and hiring a cleaning service to take care of carpeting, especially if you have pets.

To read the entire article, go to http://www.rentedspaces.com/2010/08/23/six-ways-to-make-sure-you-get-back-your-security-deposit/, and leave comments below with your suggestions for getting back more of the security deposit!

Dumpster swimming pools, move aside. Artists Siebren Versteeg and Dave Hardy have built a giant water-slide in SoHo.

The water slide named Logshowroom was built inside the Recess gallery located at 41 Grand Street in SoHo. Versteeg says that he and Hardy were inspired by the summer heat wave and wanted to give New Yorkers a fun way to cool off.

Hardy hopes that the water-slide will show New Yorkers a “different way to experience art” with a “different set of senses.

Recess art gallery has hosted off-beat art exhibits in the past including Good Game, Tremendous, and Play. They encourage artists to utilize the gallery space in unusual ways and start conversations between the artists and the outside community.

Logshowroom will be at Recess through September 4th. Admission is free, and participants should come prepared to get soaked. To read more about the exhibit, go to http://recessart.org and read a review of the exhibit at http://dnainfo.com/20100818/greenwich-village-soho/water-slide-on-grand-street-brings-coney-island-fun-soho-gallery

An Idiot is part of the New York International Fringe Festival. For more information about Fringe NYC, check out Neighborhood Highlights’ previous coverage of the festival here.

An Idiot is not a show for the casual theatergoer or one who only seeks to be entertained. While An Idiot is entertaining, it is also a show packed full of ideas and challenging notions about religion, politics, human nature, and divine love. There is a character that sleeps with his adopted daughter. Another tries to love the entirety of humanity. Another is stricken with incurable cancer and only wishes to die. People looking for nothing more than a fun night out at the theater should look elsewhere, but those who take a chance on An Idiot will be richly rewarded.

An Idiot is a modern retelling of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Idiot. Playwright Jeff Tabnick has set the story in modern day America. Prince Myshkin (Jonathan Todd Ross) has spent his lifetime in a hospital being cured of epileptic seizures, and he is now returning home cured and with a sizable inheritance burning a hole in his pocket. With his inheritance, he wants to run for public office, bring back true Christian values of love and forgiveness to America, and give a speech that will “save the world.”

On his flight, he meets Rogozhin (Philip Guerette), a recovering alcoholic who is coming home to propose to his girlfriend Nastasya (Hollis Witherspoon), a woman infamous for posting naked photos of herself online and sleeping with her adopted father Totsky (James Jenner). There is a party that night celebrating Nastasya’s birthday and Totsky’s Senate campaign. Rogozhin is planning to pop the question that night at the party, but Nastasya told Rogozhin that if he wanted to propose to her, he should bring his $10,000 inheritance along with him, in cash.

The problems start when Myshkin and Rogozhin arrive at Natasya’s party. Nastasya is beautiful, provocative, and completely uninterested in Rogozhin. She is, however, interested in Myshkin. After the party ends, she is still infatuated with Myshkin but frustrated with the selfless life he leads. On the one hand, he lives in a gorgeous apartment, but on the other hand, he also shares his apartment with three homeless men and Bob (Toby Wherry) who is dying of cancer. Nastasya grows even more jealous as Myshkin begins to have feelings for a young activist named Anna (Emily Hagburg), and Myshkin struggles to love each person in his life equally as everyone in his life demands that he must love them the most.

While An Idiot is set in modern day America, some of the characters wear outfits from other eras. Initially, I thought this was strange, but as the show went on, it made perfect sense. At certain points in the show, characters break from the main story to discuss how they have told this story before, and the story always ends the same way. The original story of The Idiot has been repeated throughout history all the way back to Jesus Christ. Like Myshkin, Jesus spoke to the people and showed them love, and eventually the people got fed up with his unwillingness to fit into one of society’s ideological and political groups and destroyed him. In a bit of interesting foreshadowing, Hans Holbein’s painting “The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb” is unveiled just before Myshkin’s heart is broken and his ideology of total love and forgiveness is destroyed.

As I said before, there is a lot going on in An Idiot which I won’t have time to cover, but the main conflict of the show can be boiled down to one question: Can a human bestow divine love? Myshkin tries again and again to explain that he loves and pities every person in his life equally, but in the end it isn’t true. At the end of the show, he has his chance to give his speech that will save the world, but just moments later, he can no longer live up to the ideals he preaches. History is repeating itself in An Idiot, and when the story is retold again, humanity’s shortcomings will stop the next Myshkin from saving the world. Satire doesn’t get much better than An Idiot, and theatergoers should not miss it.

An Idiot is currently playing at the Kraine Theater at 85 East 4th Street. Tickets are $18 at the door or $15 in advance at http://www.fringenyc.org or by calling the box office at 1-866-468-7619. The last performances are August 20 at 2 PM, August 22 at noon, and August 28 at 4 PM.

New York real estate agents need to look their best, and TLC’s What Not to Wear is looking for a female real estate agent from New York City who isn’t looking her best.

The hit show takes fashion-backwards people and gives them a total makeover. Hosts Stacy London and Clinton Kelly start out by throwing out most of the person’s wardrobe before helping them shop for a new wardrobe in New York City and giving them a new haircut. The show emphasizes looking one’s best in order to improve self-esteem and advance career-wise.

Do you know any real estate agents that could use a makeover? If so, read the details on NY Curbed at http://ny.curbed.com/archives/2010/08/17/what_not_to_wear_seeks_nyc_broker_for_intervention.php#more or go to the official What Not to Wear website at http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/what-not-to-wear/.

When people put their apartment on the market, they don’t always think about how their decorating decisions will affect their selling potential. In this New York Times article, realtors share their worst seller horror stories.

One seller refused to take down a Confederate flag that he hung on his living room wall. Another seller insisted on keeping their antique firearms and machetes on the wall, and prospective buyers were turned off to the point where they did not care to see the rest of the apartment. One of the oddest cases, however, involved a coffee table shaped like the state of New Jersey. Why New Jersey? Seller John Blesso might have said, “Why not?”

To read the full article and take a peek inside Blesso’s apartment, go to http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/17/nyregion/17appraisal.html?_r=1.