But I shall stay the way I am

Libraries in your apartment building: Not just for Brooklyn any more. Yesterday's Times article on fancy apartment buildings with libraries had me (predictably) jealous, but let's be honest: Like a lot of Times trend articles, this is a trend among superrich people who already have everything. It would be cheaper for me to just buy more books and turn my own room into the building library than to move where the books are.

At the condo pictured at the top of the article, the Toren, apartments start at $307,000 (source). START. That's, oh, a $61k downpayment for a studio in a Brooklyn neighborhood that, while not dangerous, is kind of ugly and so empty at night you can see tumbleweeds blowing through it. (Though I can't deny the building itself looks incredible.) At least the UWS Stanton has a great neighborhood going for it, although they don't seem to offer studios so you're looking at $700,000 for a 1-bedroom (source).

So clearly the description of an in-building library as "a low-cost frill" is meant to be read as it is low-cost for building owners, not apartment owners. The reason I'd really want one is to snoop on my neighbors (and perhaps meet some kindred spirits) anyway, and getting to know your neighbors is still free. Alternately, I can just snoop on them as we both take our tote bags to the public library, at a cost of $0 plus or minus accrued fines.