Can You Believe It’s Christmas in Brooklyn? Why do otherwise sane people spend thousands to turn their homes into electric Christmas acid tests? Writer Todd Levin and photographer Lisa Whiteman visit Brooklyn’s Dyker Heights, home to one of America’s greatest décor bonanzas.

My Guys Life in New York is easier with money: someone’s ready to do your bidding, for the right price. But finding the right someone is difficult. Leslie Harpold weighs in on the currency required in hiring a good mover, painter, or manicurist.

This Week Beyond Baseball A dim light in the booth. A buzzing, and the microphone fizzles back on. Welcome back the ghost of Mel Allen, the departed host of This Week in Baseball! With Biff Loman in tow, his soul walks again to give us the rundown on who to watch in the 2002 pennant race.

Days of Grind and Poses The modern city anticipates our moods—start off jolly and you’ll find a dozen happy sights. Start the day day rotten, though, and everything’s squalid. How can you maintain sanity when the city changes as often as you do?