Getting organized in a New York City apartment is a nightmare. No matter how much of a minimalist you are, there's never enough space, and once things fall into disarray, summoning the mental energy to whip your place into shape can feel impossible.

Liana Finck is a graphic novelist, cartoonist, and humorist, with an eye for quirky stories and funny personal anecdotes. She recently published the graphic novel A Bintel Brief, which brings to life the Jewish Daily Forward’s original advice column of the same name through cleverly illustrated stories that lend insight into the struggle of the Jewish immigrant population living on New York’s Lower East Side. Her home, a studio on the Upper West Side, is filled with unusual objects tied to her personal history, including a matchbox full … Continue Reading ››

There are few tasks more daunting than setting out to buy your first home, especially for the average New Yorker facing ever-so-steep price tags on teeny-tiny places. In a nod to the ubiquity of the experience, HGTV created the series "Property Virgins," dedicated to documenting the travails of being a first-time buyer. Each week, viewers can catch real estate guru and host Egypt Sherrod​ guiding real estate newbies through their first purchase, helping them to strategize, plan, and ultimately buy a home that’s the right size for them (and their wallet). Sherrod, who … Continue Reading ››

Susan Olsen has a keen eye for what others might consider morbid. The director of historical services at The Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, the city's largest, Olsen has long focused on historic objects, homes and monuments in her work. Her career has involved stints as the chief of the Bureau of Historical Museums within the Florida Department of State and the director of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope Leighey House, among other positions. She's currently co-curating an exhibition commemorating Woodlawn’s 150th anniversary, which will open at Columbia University’s Wallach Art Gallery this September.