Aw, shucks, where have all the awnings gone? [NY Times]
Zuckerman wants to build another Midtown tower. [Real Deal]
HOV lanes on Verazano will speed Staten Island commutes. [Journal]
Insane, awesome LEGO staircase inside Manhattan duplex. [Curbed]
A celebration of New York’s summer stench. [Daily News]
Amenity of the moment? Private playgrounds. [Real Deal]
Home sales shot up at fastest pace in two years. [Crain's]
Fare beaters costing the MTA $100 million a year. [WNYC]
Whither property tax relief? [NY Times, Post]
Renting in the New York City suburbs makes sense, too. [Journal]
Historic bronze eagle sculptures, stolen in ’80s, returned to McCarren Pool. [DNAinfo]
Broke Brooklynites start tour companies to stay employed. [Daily News]
Brooklyn’s crappiest apartment? [Curbed]
New traffic lights just for bikes inside Prospect Park. [BK Paper]
A $10 million grant will improve rail access in Hunts Point, the Bronx. [CapitalNY]
Do solar panels and historic preservation mesh ? [Atlantic]
Sexist Queens statue to be spruced up. [Daily News]
Hamptons casino busts again. [Journal]

Matt is The Observer's real estate editor. Follow Matt on Twitter or via RSS. mchaban@observer.com