New York has finally made the startup big leagues.

No, it hasn't produced any Facebook or Google-sized tech IPOs, but it's producing startups that are nearing $1 billion+ size exits.

According to SeedTable, more than 40 New York startups have been acquired this year.

But four very big New York startup acquisitions this year have amassed more than $2 billion combined.

• OMGPOP was acquired by Zynga after it's smash Draw Something hit for $210 million

• Buddy Media was acquired by Salesforce for $689 million (some reported $800 million)

• SinglePlatform was acquired by Constant Contact for $100 million in cash, employee incentives and stock

• Indeed was acquired for an undisclosed amount that's likely in the $750 million to $1 billion range. Sure, it's technically based in Stamford, CT, but it's a commutable, NYC suburb and it has a big NYC office.

If you count Kayak's $1 billion July IPO (even though it's technically a commutable distance from NYC) then we're talking $3 billion.

On the smaller scale, we have:

• Venmo, a payment company that was acquired by Braintree for $26.2 million

• Felix, the profitable portion of Yext, was acquired for $30 million by IAC (strategic acquisition to fund Yext's PowerListings business) 

• Savored, a reservation website with last-minute discount prices, was acquired by Groupon (likely a soft landing/acqui-hire)

• Svpply was acquired by eBay (likely a soft landing/acquihire)

Not to mention there's Etsy, AppNexus, and others which are rapidly approaching billion-dollar valuations.

Awesome.

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Goooood morning!

Let's get you caught up on your news:

• Marissa Mayer has a grand plan for Yahoo's turnaround, and it involves mobile devices. She said that, by 2015, Yahoo will have mobile products hundreds of millions of users touch every day.
• She also said Yahoo will bring in people who can build great apps through "acqui-hires."
  
• Yahoo's CFO, Tim Morse, is out. Ken Goldman, who used to work at Fortinent, is the new CFO.
• The New York City area had another big startup exit. Stamford-based Indeed, the number one job search site in the world, was acquired by Japanese company, Recruit. 
• In fact, it's been a crazy/awesome year for New York tech. Between Buddy Media's acquisition, OMGPOP's sale to Zynga, and Indeed's monster exit, it's safe to say the NYC tech scene has officially exploded.
• Watch out on the road: Google's self-driving cars will soon be let loose. The driverless cars are now legal in California.
  
• RIM made a surprising announcement yesterday: Blackberry subscriber numbers are growing.
  
• Cisco's CEO John Chambers is planning to retire. But he didn't just name one potential successor -- he named about ten.
• Eric Schmidt says Google would love to replace Microsoft as Yahoo's search partner.
  
• United Airlines is dealing with a heartbreaking, PR nightmare: The airline seems to have killed some poor woman's two-year-old golden retriever, Bea.

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Mona Eltahawy, the prominent Egyptian-American writer and activist, has been arrested in New York after spraying paint over a controversial poster on the subway that has been condemned for equating Muslims with "savages".

The posters were put up in the city by the anti-Muslim American Freedom Defense Initiative, led by Pam Geller. They were approved by a US court, which ruled that they were "political" statements and protected by the first amendment, which guarantees free speech.

The poster states: "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man." Between two Stars of David, it adds: "Support Israel. Defeat Jihad."

Eltahawy was arrested after a supporter of Geller's initiative attempted to prevent her defacing the sign with a purple aerosol.

The posters are now displayed in 10 New York stations – including Grand Central and Times Square – after a court ruled that the local transport authority could not refuse the ads.

In a video posted online of the incident by the New York Post, Mona Eltahawy can be seen attempting to paint over the poster before she is tackled by a woman with a camera, who is identified as Pamela Hall.

"Mona, do you think you have the right to do this?" Eltahawy is asked. "I do actually," Eltahawy replies, adding: "I think this is freedom of expression, just as [the ad] is freedom of expression."

As the scuffle continues two police officers appear to then arrest Eltahawy, who says: "This is what happens in America when you non-violently protest."

Eltahawy, who has written for this paper, was later charged with "criminal mischief" and "graffiti".

During the Arab spring, Eltahawy was arrested in Cairo and suffered an assault by riot police which left her with two broken arms.

The Metropolitan Transport Authority (MTA) had originally ruled it would not permit the posters because they were demeaning, but was compelled to take the $6,000 (£3,700) ad after Geller's group went to court.

Last month US district court judge Paul Engelmayer ruled that it is protected speech under the first amendment.

"Our hands are tied," New York subway spokesman Aaron Donovan said. "Under our existing ad standards as modified by the injunction, the MTA is required to run the ad."

The posters have attracted widespread condemnation including from Jewish figures. Among those who have spoken out against them is Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, of Rabbis for Human Rights — North America, who wrote for CNN online: "As a rabbi, I find the ads deeply misguided and disturbing … The coded message makes clear who the savages are: those who support jihad, which in Geller's mind includes all Muslims. She has called Islam 'an extreme ideology, the most radical and extreme ideology on the face of the Earth'.

"As a Jew, I know the extreme to which baseless hatred can lead. And the Jewish community has been in the past a target of hatred in the United States. Geller's message ignores the positive contributions that our Muslim friends, neighbours and colleagues make to our country every single day.

"It is also unfortunate that Geller chooses to frame her message of hatred as one of support for Israel."

As head of a group called Stop Islamization of America, Geller, a rightwing blogger, helped spur a long campaign two years ago to remove a planned Islamic community centre near the World Trade Centre site, which she called the "Ground Zero Mosque".

Geller's group has also placed posters in other stations north of New York City that read: "It's not Islamophobia, it's Islamorealism."

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The American Lawyer's summer associate survey found anxiety over their controversial decision to become lawyers reached a four-year high.

But those highly paid law students might have been freaked out for no reason, the AM Law Daily reports.

For the second year in a row, nearly all of the law students who landed highly coveted – and highly paid – summer associate positions were offered full-time work by the end of the summer.

Twenty-one law firms responded to the American Lawyer's survey about their summer associates, revealing 96.5 percent of their "summers" had been offered full-time jobs.

So, the summer associates may have worked themselves up into a frenzy over nothing.

In addition to being freaked out about their job prospects, the summers complained they didn't get to work enough because of all the forced socializing of BigLaw.

That partying might pay off, though.

DON'T MISS: Future Law Student Had No Clue What She Was Walking Into Until She Talked To Yahoo >

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The New York Fed just released its August Index of Coincident Economic Indicators (CEI), a reading of economic activity across New York city, New Jersey, and New York state as a whole.

New York City's local economy has been growing at a strong and consistent pace.

"Growth averaged roughly 2½ percent in the second half of 2011, 4½ percent in the first half of 2012, and more than 5½ percent in July and August. The economy is estimated to have expanded by 12 percent since the trough of the last economic downturn in October 2009."

Meanwhile, New York state has grown in "fits and starts", while New Jersey has grown at a modest pace so far this year.

Here is the latest chart from the New York Fed that shows that in August New York City's CEI increased at an annual rate of 5.8 percent, compared with 1 percent for New York state, and 1.3 percent for New Jersey.

Don't Miss: The Twenty Big Trends That Will Dominate America's Future >

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If you're new to New York real estate and you've come across the term "sponsor listing" while scanning the ads, you may be wondering what it means.

If you already know, you're probably wondering how to find one.

Here's a guide to the ins and outs of sponsor apartments and what's involved in buying one:

What is a sponsor unit?

A sponsor apartment is a unit owned by the original owner or corporation responsible for turning a building from a rental into a co-op.

Many rental apartment buildings in New York City were converted to co-ops in the 1980s. At the time of conversion, existing tenants (renters) had the option to purchase their unit or continue renting.

Since then, as those dwellers have moved on, their apartments have often been listed on the market by the building’s original sponsors, who still own the apartments.

What are the advantages of buying a sponsor apartment?

Skipping the dreaded co-op board approval process is the biggest advantage of buying a sponsor unit. It doesn't matter how much money you make, how long you've been at your job or what you do for a living. Basically, so long as you can pay for the apartment, it's yours. Depending on the individual sponsor, the financial requirements may not be as stringent as in a non-sponsor apartment. 

Buyers may have the option of bypassing typical building rules like the required amount for down payment. If the sponsor is okay with less money down and the financing is still approved, you may be required to put down 20 percent rather than the standard 25 or 30 percent likely in most co-ops.

While finding a co-op in Manhattan that accepts less than 20 percent down is nearly impossible, it may not be with a sponsor apartment. Depending on the sponsor, you may have the option if you can secure the bank loan with just 10 percent down.

"This will only apply to conforming loans, not jumbo or interest only loans," says Sunny Hong, a mortgage banker at Bank of America.

Hong confirms that even though your sponsor may not require cash left after closing, banks will still require reserves.

The minimum banks require on a conforming loan ($625,500 or lower) for a sponsor apartment or a regular co-op purchase is two months mortgage and maintenance in the bank (still far less than the 1 to 3 years most co-ops want to see).

Jumbo loans (or those exceeding $625,500) require 6-12 months reserves. 

A sponsor who owns a handful of apartments and is not involved in the operation of the building will be more lenient typically. Sponsors who still sit on the building's board of directors may require more cash left after the finalized purchase.

In addition to jumping through fewer financial hoops, "the buying process is also quicker in a sponsor sale, since you don’t have to wait for a board review and interview," points out real estate broker Edward Liao of Halstead. 

And that's not all.

Beyond avoiding the board interview, the attraction to the sponsor apartments can be physical: They are frequently in original condition with prewar details like dentil moldings and herringbone floors.

Though it may be partially obscured behind years of slapdash paint jobs applied every time the apartment was re-rented, this level of architectural detail isn’t usually found in apartments that have been bought and sold over the years. 

(But be forewarned: Many times these apartments have more than just "character," and may require massive renovations. More on that later.)

Another advantage of buying a sponsor unit: They may come equipped with a washer/dryer (added by the sponsor if renovated), or you maybe able to add one. This is an envied perk among New York apartment owners. Closing attorney Karen Sonn of Sonn Associates suggests checking with your co-op board and managing agent as to whether you are the last owner entitled to the perk.

Sometimes, "you may not be able to sell it that way," she says.

Robert Grant of Midboro Management confirms, "The only way any [future] buyer is eligible for grandfathered perks is if they buy as an investor with assigned rights as a holder of unsold shares. As soon as they occupy the apartment, such rights cease, if they ever existed."

Who can/should buy sponsor apartments?

Anyone with good credit who can obtain financing, the specified down payment, and enough reserve funds required by the bank and sponsor (as mentioned above) can purchase a sponsor unit.

Sponsor sales can therefore be good options for the self-employed, unemployed, and those with extenuating circumstances who might not otherwise pass a board interview.

Do sponsor apartments cost the same as a regular co-op? What's the cost difference between a renovated sponsor apartment vs. an unrenovated one?

"With all else being equal, sponsor units can be more expensive than non-sponsor units," says Sofia Song, Vice President of research for Streeteasy.com. "If you purchase from a sponsor, you would have to pay the transfer tax, as well as possibly paying more for the ease of not having to go through the board process."  

Real estate appraiser Jonathan Miller of Miller Samuel says "while there is no hard and fast rule, we do see sponsor units going for more than resales -- assuming both can be delivered vacant.  The premium could reflect their renovated condition but another significant factor is the lack of board approval needed by the purchaser, a common attribute of a sponsor sale."

How much more might you expect to pay?

"Two similar renovated apartments or two similar non-renovated apartments with sponsor ownership being the only difference might see a 5% or even 10% premium on the sponsor unit," says Miller.  "But it's not a hard and fast rule since we can see sponsor units sell for less.  In that case, the sponsor unit is far more derelict in condition than a typical unrenovated non-sponsor apartment."

What are the disadvantages of buying a sponsor apartment?

One of the biggest negatives of purchasing a sponsor unit is higher closing costs.

“This is mainly because New York City and New York State have transfer taxes that will be paid by a purchaser instead of the seller when buying from a sponsor," says Halstead's Liao.  "This could add 1.825% of the purchase price onto your closing costs if the property is priced over $500,000, or 1.425% if it’s under $500,000. Most sponsors will not negotiate on this since there is enough of an incentive for a buyer to buy without board approval."

Will sponsor apartments be renovated?

"Some units are sold ‘as is’ and some are sold ‘renovated'," says Sonn. "The buyer must be clear as to exactly what the renovation will be. Will the sponsor replace all the electrical and plumbing (to the branch lines) or will it be a cosmetic job? Ask questions before signing on the dotted line."

Note that there is frequently a difference between a renovation you would do yourself and many "sponsor renovations" you may encounter.  Many sponsors emphasize surface appeal over longevity, and many buyers find themselves re-renovating within a couple of years. 

If you want a high-quality renovation, it may be best to buy an unrenovated apartment with good bones and hire the pros to work with you in creating the home of your dreams. Keep in mind that it’s not uncommon to find sponsor units that require somewhere around 20 percent of the selling price in renovation work (and this may be on the low side). Given the high price of renovating in NYC, if you buy an apartment for $500k, you can expect to spend about $100k renovating it to your liking (and specific tastes/needs).

Another common malady: Many of the prewar co-ops with sponsor units have the original plaster walls, which can be in crumbling condition with lead-based paint containing asbestos. That has to either be removed or covered up. This is not a clean or easy job, and requires specialists.

Are there any possible legal problems?

Sponsor apartments were rentals before they're offered up for sale, so according to real estate attorney Jerome Strelov, you'll need to “be sure the lease was terminated properly and that the tenant has vacated the property or was properly evicted.  You don’t want a family member claiming that he or she was living with the previous tenant and improperly evicted or that the apartment was vacated while they were on vacation. It can be a bit tricky because rent-controlled apartments have no leases.”
 
Where should I search for a sponsor unit and how long will it take me to find one?

Sponsor units are all over the city, with "a majority in prewar buildings on the Upper East Side and Upper West Side of Manhattan," says Song. Depending on your needs and the inventory available, prepare to shop for 6 to 12 months for a sponsor-owned apartment. These units are few and far between, and some Manhattan homebuyers who want to avoid board approval are always on the hunt.

Streeteasy.com is a good place to start, where you can easily search for apartments offered directly by the sponsor:

• Click on Advanced Search on the left side of the Home page (in Sales).
• Under Available Criteria on the right side, click Description Includes.
• A box will pop up in the lower left corner, type in keywords: “sponsor” and “no board approval”. 
• Hit Search.

Sponsor apartments should come up in this search. The filters may bring up some condops, but pay attention to co-ops only.

Also, be sure to let your broker know you are mainly interested in sponsor apartments.

Any other tips for sponsor-unit seekers?

Before you seriously consider buying a sponsor apartment, think through every last detail and discuss it with your broker. Here are four of our best tips for co-op seekers:

• Due diligence is key. Find out as much about the building, the previous tenant and the sponsor as you can. Your broker can assist you with getting this information. Ask how many units the sponsor owns in the building and how many apartments are owner-occupied. The more owned apartments in the building, the easier it should be to secure financing, and the more your apartment will hold its value or increase later on. Banks are more likely to look at the building as a sound investment if most units are not rentals.

• Remember, even though you purchase a sponsor unit, read the fine print and ask questions of your sponsor. You may still have to abide by the rules of the actual building. Does the sponsor run the building? Although the sponsor may not have “control” as defined by the offering plan, there are buildings where the sponsor has a huge vested interest and is still involved. Some buildings actually benefit from the expertise and relationships that the original sponsor or successor sponsor has established, bypassing a management company and getting answers from an individual instead.

• Inspections are important for “as is” apartments so you know the overall condition of the apartment before buying, and what is involved in the renovation. They can also be useful for the “renovated” units to help you determine the quality of the redo.

• Keep in mind; although you’ve purchased a sponsor unit, you may be required to get all renovation plans approved by the co-op board, the building architect and the management company before you start the project.

NOW READ: 15 Great City Homes That Are Priced To Sell >

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Robert "Toshi" Chan loves nothing more than a wild rager. But the New York City party promoter-turned-hotelier has worked hard to turn his Williamsburg penthouse into a sanctuary where he can be alone.

Chan, 38, has had a whirlwind couple of decades in New York. He started his professional career as a trader at Citicorp, and eventually transitioned into a party promoter after taking a mixology class. He adopted the nickname "Toshi" and became known for a series of elaborate "Toshi Parties" at the Puck Building in SoHo.

Click here to tour Toshi's penthouse >>

He's also dipped his toes into real estate and acting, having played a mob boss opposite Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2006 Academy Award-winning movie, "The Departed."

Several years ago he became well known for running a string of allegedly illegal short-term rentals in Manhattan and Brooklyn called "Hotel Toshi," which the Bloomberg administration cracked down on last year.

But these days, he spends most of his time working on a more legitimate new hotel project, The Flatiron Hotel, of which he is the majority owner. Toshi has put his personal flair into the hotel, from a logo featuring his face to a throne for his dog, Ponzu.

Chan currently lives in the penthouse of a building he owns in Williamsburg. The unit has two bedrooms and four bathrooms, spanning two and a half levels. He's lived in the stylish pad since 2007 and owns the building next door, which he rents out to tenants.

When we stopped by for a tour, Chan filled us in on his interior design aesthetic. He said he believes in giving creative people freedom, with some limited structure. He gave his architect a budget and a vision (an open, mod, minimalist place with wood walls), and then let him loose.

"I'm one of the worst house guests you'll ever have," Toshi said. "I've thrown parties where people have walked through the screen doors...I was that kid who invited all of his friends to a party."

"But in my building I have a 25-page document for tenants to sign swearing [they won't throw] parties," he continued. "I'm the opposite at home."

Welcome to Robert "Toshi" Chan's home in Williamsburg. He lives in the penthouse.

The entryway is enormous, and features what Chan calls his "Alice in Wonderland" room. He challenges guests to figure out how to get in. He really just stores things up there.

Chan lit his stainless steel, floating fireplace, which is the centerpiece of the living room. He said it gets "as hot as a curling iron."

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From ABC7's Eyewitness News:

#BREAKINGNEWS The customs area at Terminal 4 at JFK was evacuated as official investigate a grenade found in a travelers bag.

— Eyewitness News(@eyewitnessnyc) September 27, 2012

UPDATE: More details from ABC. The passenger told officials that the grenade was inert, but the evacuation was carried out as a precaution. The grenade is now being inspected.

The passenger had arrived on a flight from Tel Aviv via Moscow.

UPDATE 2: All clear given after the "grenade" turned out to be a paperweight, according to New York Port Authority.

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Google deserves lots of credit for infusing New York with money and tech talent.

But lately, Google has partly reversed course and begun draining the area of some product marketing talent, a former Google executive now at an area startup tells us.

Google declined to comment on a story about its organizational structure.

This source, a former Googler still in touch with old colleagues, says that Google's CMO, Lorraine Twohill, has decided the company can be more flexible if more of its marketing people are based in Mountain View, and not in satellite offices.

This source says that as many as a hundred marketing managers were given a quarter to either find new jobs in New York or relocate to California. (Update: A source close to Google says the number is closer to a dozen.)

This is a perfectly defensible move on Google's part. 

It is, however, a bummer for New York startups, which love to hire Googlers after they get trained up and want a little more risk in their life than a big company can provide.

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In what is being lauded as a positive move in the fight for gay rights, a New York Family Court judge awarded full custody of a 6-year-old girl to her adoptive mother, not the woman who birthed her.

Allison Scollar, a Manhattan real estate attorney, won custody of the unnamed girl from her partner, TV producer Brook Altman, the New York Post reported Monday, saying this is the first such ruling in a same-sex custody battle in New York.

“Although . . . Altman is the biological parent, this does not give her an automatic priority over the adoptive parent," Judge Gloria Sosa-Lintner ruled. "This is analogous to a father getting custody of his own child, where only the best interests of the child are paramount.”

Sosa-Lintner added that Altman was the less responsible parent and often sacrificed her daughter's school for the sake of play dates or sleeping in.

The Scollar-Altman custody battle comes at a time when the fight for gay rights is making headlines across the country.

Last week, Edith Windsor, an 83-year-old lesbian, argued the unconstitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, claiming she was forced to pay an exorbitant amount in federal estate taxes after her partner died in 2009.

DOMA allows the federal government to recognize only marriages between a man and a woman, which often forces gay couples to pay more in taxes.

A federal appeals court in Boston recently found the core of the act to be unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court is expected to hear gay marriage cases this term, which begins today.

DON'T MISS: 83-Year-Old Lesbian Hopes She Can Survive Her Fight Against The Defense Of Marriage Act >

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This just in from Reuters. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is suing JP Morgan over mortgage-backed securities. This specifically has to do with Baer Stearns, the defunct investment bank JPM bought at the height of the financial crisis.

Here's the Tweet that let us know:

You can check out the complaint here from Reuters. Here's part:

Defendants committed multiple fraudulent and deceptive acts in promoting and selling its RMBS. For example, in publicly filed documents and in marketing materials. Defendants led investors to believe that Defendants had carefully evaluated – and would continue to monitor – the quality of the loans in their RMBS. In fact, Defendants systematically failed to fully evaluate the loans, largely ignored the defects that their limited review did uncover, and kept investors in the dark about both the inadequacy of their review procedures and the defects in the underlying loans. Furthermore, even when Defendants were made aware of these problems, they failed to reform their practices or to disclose material information to investors. As a result, the loans in Defendants’ RMBS included many that had been made to borrowers who were unable to repay, were highly likely to default, and did in fact default in large numbers.

We'll keep going through this and letting you know what we find.

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Anti-Todd Akin commercials: they’re not just for Missouri anymore.

Voters in New York’s 24th Congressional District race turned on their TVs over the weekend and found Akin, the controversial Republican nominee for Senate in Missouri, starring in an ad aimed just at them.

The district, which includes Syracuse and miles of Lake Ontario coastline, is represented by Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle, a tea party-backed Republican who was swept into office on the 2010 wave. It’s now a top target for flipping for national Democrats, who hope to put the man Buerkle defeated — Dan Maffei — back into office.

Maffei supporters think Akin’s the man to help them get the job done, thanks to his “legitimate rape” comment that has thrown the Missouri Senate race into turmoil.

That part of the plan goes a little like this. “Buerkle cosponsored a bill with Congressman Todd Akin that would redefine the term rape…” intones the narrator in new Maffei ad.

The staunchly anti-abortion Buerkle was a co-sponsor of HR 3, the 2011 abortion law that easily passed the Republican-controlled House and originally included language that would outlaw federally-funded abortion coverage except in the case of “forcible rape.” (That phrase is what Akin says he meant when he said “legitimate rape.”)

With that history in hand, Maffei was one of the first Democrats outside of Missouri to use Akin’s comments against another Republican. The day after Akin’s remarks made him into a household name in August, Maffei was out with a statement tying his opponent to the Republican from Missouri.

“Congresswoman Buerkle must explain her support for bills she cosponsored to redefine rape and make abortion illegal for rape victims.” Maffei’s campaign manager Clay Schroers said in a statement. “Does she share Congressman Akin’s radical and appalling views?

Buerkle responded a couple days later, telling a Syracuse paper that “you’ve got to start this discussion by stating how awful rape is” but reaffirming her view — shared with Akin and Ryan among other Republicans — that abortion should be illegal even in the case of rape.

That set up an election that is perhaps more about Akin’s comments than even the Missouri race. While McCaskill has been quick to cast Akin as an extremist, she hasn’t spent much time so far attacking Akin for being as strongly anti-abortion as he is. (That might be because the Missouri electorate is not one where talking up your pro-choice view is always the best move strategically.)

The NY-24 race is being fought on a lot of battlefields. But in trying to cast Buerkle as an extremist, Team Maffei has made Akin a big part of the fight.

Buerkle’s campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment on Maffei’s ad or Akin Monday, but Republicans in the district say they’re not worried.

“It’s a total non-starter,” Wayne County GOP chair Dan Olson told TPM when asked about Maffei’s ads. He said they smacked of desperation to the conservative voters miles away from the district’s population hub in Syracuse.

“We have an outstanding chance of winning,” he said.

Team Maffei say their guy is happy to talk about abortion rights, and Buerkle’s view that they should be just about nonexistent.

“Dan felt it was important for voters in the district to know about Rep. Buerkle’s record on the issue,” Maffei spokesperson Marc Brumer told TPM. Maffei may be on the right track: Internal polling released by the DCCC, which is backing Maffei heavily, has shown the Democrat running ahead.

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If the Democrats are waging class warfare, it’s largely against their own voters.

New data from the research firm Wealth-X shows that the bluest of blue states have far and away the largest number of residents worth at least $30 million.

California and New York have the highest number of $30-million plus residents (known as ultra-high net worths), with a total of 10,955 and 8,595 respectively.

According to Wealth-X, blue states have three quarters of the nation’s ultra-high net worth residents. Granted, it's no surprise that California and New York have the bulk of rich residents. Yet even without those two, the blue states still lead with about 26,000 individuals, versus some 15,000 in the red states.

Leading the pack among red states is Texas, with 5,890 ultra-high net worth residents. Georgia ranked second on the GOP side, with 1,110.

“The great irony that emerges from this UHNW market research is that contrary to the popular conception that the ultra-wealthy are more Republican leaning, the UHNW population for blue states is almost four times that of red states,” said David Friedman, president of Wealth-X. 

Below is the complete list of state populations of UHNW residents – and voters. Wealth-X categorizes some swing states as either red or blue, even though they vote nearly equally Democratic or Republican, and tend to be counted as "purple."

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I had breakfast yesterday with a friend who had recently relocated to NYC from SF. He told me he was taken with the hyperactivity of NY'ers. I asked him where he thought it comes from. He had a great answer and I am going to share it with all of you.

He said that NY is "meta unstable" meaning that it is inherently unstable and therefore in a constant state of imploding on itself. And NY'ers implicitly understand that. So they only way we can keep the city functioning is to be constantly seeking to upgrade it in real time. So that's why the city is in a constant state of construction. That's why NY'ers are always looking for a better way to do something and a faster way to get somewhere.

This may sound like psycho physics babble. In fact it is. But it also captures something inherent in the NYC psychology that I have felt since the day I arrived here in 1983. This city is in a constant state of seeking to get to a better place. And that is why it is such a great place to be an entrepreneur despite all of the challenges of operating a business in NYC. And it is why I felt at home here the day I arrived and why I suspect I always will.

I'd also like to wish a happy birthday to my partner in our Big Apple adventure. The Gotham Gal. Who brings a measure of stability to our metainstability.

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How is this for a defense?

A woman living in the East Village in New York City has escaped eviction from her rent-stabilized apartment after arguing that she eats a lot of sushi hence her low electric bill, The New York Daily News reported Tuesday.

In a case that took six years, Masako Mogi defeated her landlord's claims that she did not use her $992-a-month New York studio as a primary residence, but rather spent most of her time in Westminster, Vt.

The law states that rent-stabilized tenants spending less than 50 percent of their time in the residence could be evicted, according to the Daily News.

The building owner's main argument rested on bills showing lower-than-average electricity usage, according to the Daily News.

But Mogi claimed she often eats out or makes sushi.

Judge Jean Schneider had previously ruled that Mogi spent only 45 percent of her time in her East Village apartment between 2004 and 2006, but the appellate judges found that the case had placed too much emphasis on credit card and bank statements.

Well, ultimately Mogi was helped by her neighbors who said they saw her "constantly" in the building.

"She's overcome," a neighbor told the Daily News. "She's had four landlords during her case. They put her through a lot."

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Where do you call home—and how much does it cost you to live there?

Unless you’ve made a big move, from a city with one cost of living to another with a very different one, you might take things like how much you pay in rent, pay for your groceries each week or budget for fall clothes, as a given.

I did, too: Until I traded one coast for another, relocating from New York City to Los Angeles. Aside from the weather, and the little cultural differences (subways vs. convertibles, avocados vs. bagels, Real Housewives of New York vs. Beverly Hills), it was also a financial wake-up call about just how much location, location, location affects your bottom line.

My research is derived from the five years I spent living in Manhattan before moving to LA, two years ago. I have long been a budget-keeper (budget following is another story …), so I was able to watch my tally of things like weekly food expenses and monthly electric bills change as I shifted from one city to the other.

Here, broken out by the major spending categories of a single, 28-year-old female, are my findings. And yes I know, this tally would look very different if I were, say, the head of a family of four, but right now, as a newly cohabitating woman, here’s an honest look at what I spent while living on each coast.

Housing Winner: L.A. by a Long Shot

I was fortunate to live in a rent-stabilized apartment in New York’s West Village, so my rent was only $1,000 per month. I know: If you live in a part of the country with reasonable housing costs, your jaw just dropped, but trust me, that was incredibly low for Manhattan. That said, my $1,000 afforded me a closet-sized apartment on the 4^th floor of a non-elevator building.

My kitchen, living room and dining room were the same 10×10 foot space (kitchdineliveroom?). When I moved to L.A., I spent the exact same $1,000, but here that got me a 12×14 foot bedroom in a massive house with a backyard. Of note: my L.A. house was also in an equally desirable neighborhood as my N.Y.C. apartment.

Dollar for dollar, the spending is the same, but the value is incomparable. There were much cheaper housing options available in L.A.. I chose to live in a big house with friends, but I could have lived in a larger apartment building with a roommate for $800 a month. You’d have to live in the depths of Brooklyn to pay that little in New York.

Transportation Winner: New York, No Contest

This one easily goes to Manhattan. As a New Yorker I walked to work every single day for zero dollars. Even if I had commuted, I would have taken the subway for $104 per month, unlimited.

Meanwhile, in L.A., my current car payment is $205 per month (which is very low compared to most), plus car insurance of $117. We’re already at $322 per month, and I haven’t even factored in the astronomical price of gas. I fill up my Jetta about two and a half times per month. With gas at $4.35 a gallon, that costs me around $56 a tank, or an extra $120 a month in gas!

Food and Drink Winner: It’s a Draw

There are multiple factors to consider. First you’ve got groceries. Here, L.A. wins by mile. My box of Special K used to cost me $5.15 in Manhattan. Today that same box costs me $3.95. Same applies to things like liquor ($9.99 for a six pack of Corona vs. $6.99) and cleaning supplies ($5.99 for a bottle of Tide in New York vs. $4.99 in L.A.).

But NYC wins at fast food. Yes, there are fantastic, healthy options here in L.A. that won’t break the bank, but no city in the world offers the quantity, variety and low prices of grab-and-go food than Manhattan. If I want Thai take-out here in L.A., I go to the one place in my neighborhood that offers that cuisine. If I wanted Thai take-out in New York I walked out my front door, picked a direction, and had three amazing options within a block.

Then we have the cost of dining out: Here, in my opinion, L.A. is the winner. I think this has something to do with the amount of alcohol consumed with a meal in New York versus a meal in L.A. (because people drive!). I also have a feeling there is simply more availability of fresh food in L.A., so mid-level restaurants can offer incredible meals whereas only the more established and expensive restaurants in New York can do the same.

Clothing Winner: L.A. Every Time

Finally, the most important category in the life of any single woman: her clothing budget.

Bottom line: I now have one wardrobe versus two. Yes, we wear boots and jeans in the winter in L.A., and I do keep two warm coats for cold nights, but my wardrobe has been cut in half since I moved to Southern California. Plus, this is a city of minimalism when it comes to fashion, so the crazy, multi-piece outfits of Manhattan nights out have been ditched in favor of flowy tops and casual dresses. The same applies to shoes. In New York I would wear my shoes ragged after one season of the cobblestone streets of the Meatpacking District. Here I drive, so it’s no contest.

Granted, flip flops are another issue, but they’re just a tad cheaper than a new pair of knee-high leather boots, if you know what I mean.

Conclusion: Overall, L.A. Wins

That’s a different story than calling L.A. “cheaper” than New York. They’re both expensive cities with a higher cost of living than most other places in the U.S., but what you can get for your money on the West Coast is simply more than the East Coast alternative.

To truly make that a reality you need to keep your car costs down and live outside the most popular neighborhoods in town (sorry, West Hollywood and Santa Monica), but you can live an incredibly comfortable life with an herb garden, a lemon tree and an insanely low electric bill (you barely need the heat or the A/C!) if you play your cards right.

Want to play compare and contrast? Unless you call one or another coast home, I bet this will be a fun game for you. I dare you to tell me how much you spend on rent, food and clothing.

And if you’re not tracking your spending in the LearnVest Money Center, it’s the easiest way for a girl to see how her budget’s shaping up, no matter what zip code she calls home.

NOW READ: The 10 Best States To Be Young In America >

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The New York City area is home to nearly 20 million people and 20 trillion cockroaches living together in blissful harmony.

Well over 1 million people alone are packed into the 23 square miles that make up the island of Manhattan. New York is known for high rents, high couture, and of course – high finance.

Every summer, waves of newly-minted investment bankers descend upon the city, snapping up apartments left and right in several of the many neighborhoods and areas in proximity to Wall Street.

Let’s take a walk down NYC’s East Side and survey the typical mistmaker lifestyle in a few of the City’s most banker-heavy nabes:

1. The Murray Hill Bro-Shak

Four banker bros just graduated together from the same frat and all landed jobs in finance in NYC. At first, they considered trying to find an apartment on the Upper East Side, because that’s where the smokeshows on Gossip Girl lived. Then they realized that 90th and York is actually pretty quiet, and man, there are like, so many families up in that area.

Inevitably, like a ten-ton magnet, the wafts of Victoria’s Secret perfume, the blaring tunes of The Boss, and the familiar stank of sweat-n-booze-stained wooden floors attracts these strapping young fist pumpers to the Hill. Armed with fray-brim Duke Lacrosse douchetops, you’ll find the typical inhabitants of a Murray Hill Bro-Shak throwing “totally sick pregames” every Saturday night somewhere around East 34th.

2. The Stuy-Town Single

The fifth bro of the group got in the rental market a little late – as the one guy with a long-term girlfriend in another city, he was the obvious odd man out, and fell behind in the apartment hunting game.

While he still wanted to be close to his college bros and Bar XII, there weren’t any studios or 1-beds available in Bro Shak Country. So he caved in and called the number on the banner ad on the 6 train, and ended up in a small convert in Stuy Town. What he didn’t realize at the time is that he’d stumbled upon a goldmine. Packed with similarly-clueless college grads, this banker bro’s go-to mass text quickly became “Stuy Town then Still Bar!”

Needless to say, the long-term relationship didn't work out - trolling the elevator banks in Stuy Town was just too easy.

3. The East Villager

Below 14th Street, you find young bankers in an identity crisis. Too inexperienced to navigate the trendy yet hit-or-miss LES apartment market, yet savvy enough to avoid the neverending jello-shot parade that dominates life north of 20th, the East Villager decides to settle into an overpriced renovated walkup on lower 2nd Ave.

In stark contrast to his roommate – an old friend who took a decidedly different path in life and works at Generation Records – this young banker suits up every day, slogs past the piss-stained KFC on East 14th, and takes the train from Union Square to his midtown office feeling like a sellout. He chose the East Village because hey – he’s not really a frattastic banker bro. He snags Mudd Coffee and hits the Greenmarket on the weekends. In the evenings, he takes pleasure in trading his pressed shirt and tie for a rumpled flannel. He voted for Obama and might even do it again. But once in awhile, he’ll dig deep into his dresser, throw on a polo, and hit 13th Step. Secretly, he thinks Carly Rae Jepsen is insanely catchy, but don’t tell that to anyone at Knitting Factory.

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On Monday, the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey put into effect increased fares for the PATH train that connects the two states.

Not surprisingly, some riders were not happy, including the person who wrote this mock letter from the "Port Authority." It starts off:

We at the Port Authority of NY & NJ refuse to apologize for the recent fare hike. We would also like you to know that the fare increase does not mean an increase of service.

Then the letter moves on to the issues of overpaid executives and the Port Authority Police Department.

It is wrong in saying that 44 executives received bonuses of more than $100,000 last year — it likely misquotes a review reported by NorthJersey.com in November 2011. That review found that the PA did give out $2 million in extra payouts over the prior two fiscal years, including bonuses of $10,000 or more to 44 executives.

That distinction, however, is unlikely to assuage riders who agree with the letter's basic premise: Rising fares do not necessarily equal better service.

This photo was posted to Reddit by user c0de_Monk3y, who commented: "Ironically, it was so convincing that no one bothered to read it until I positioned myself in front to take a photo."

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The 2008 financial crisis set in motion shock waves that are still reverberating through the American, European, and global economies, touching everything from housing to jobs to college tuition.

In March 2009, I wrote a piece for The Atlantic outlining the likely effects of the crisis on America’s economic landscape. Several years into the crisis, I wanted to look at how the crisis might have affected the geography of finance across America.

With the help of my Martin Prosperity Institute (MPI) colleague Charlotta Mellander, I looked at two dimensions of finance. The first covers the geography of the firms and establishments that make up the finance and insurance industry based on 2010 data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. The second covers the geography of finance and related jobs and wages based on 2011 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The MPI’s Zara Matheson mapped the data.

The table below shows the nation’s leading financial centers across four key metrics.

Note on Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (Columns 1 & 4), Bureau of Labor Statistics (Columns 2 & 3). Finance and Insurance Output is not published for Washington, D.C., for confidentiality reasons. For the BLS data, Boston refers to the Boston NECTA Division, not the MSA.

Greater New York is far and away the nation’s leading financial center, topping the list in all four categories:

• It had nearly half a million people employed in finance-related jobs, nearly double that of the next largest centers on this measure, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and Chicago. 
• Nearly 900,000 people were employed in New York's finance and insurance industries in 2010, up from 785,531 in 2006 — more than twice the amount of the next two largest centers on this indicator, L.A., and Chicago.
• New York's finance occupations generated roughly $40 billion in wages and salaries, almost twice the amount of the next two centers on this variable, greater Washington, D.C. and L.A.
• New York's financial sector produced more than $200 billion in economic output, about four times that of the next-largest financial centers on this metric, Chicago, Philadelphia, and L.A.

The nation's other leading financial centers include L.A., Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and San Francisco (which rank among the top ten in all four categories); Dallas and Houston (which make the top ten rankings in three); Atlanta, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and Washington, D.C. (which place in the top ten in two); and Miami, Hartford, Charlotte, and Phoenix (which make it in one each).

The first map (below) charts the share of employment in finance and insurance establishments across U.S. metros. 

Map by MPI's Zara Matheson

Finance and insurance employment averaged nearly 6 percent of employment across all metros. Among large metros (those with more than one million people), Hartford, Connecticut, with its large concentration of insurance companies, leads with roughly 11 percent of its total employment in finance and insurance firms. Greater New York is fourth among large metros with 8.3 percent. Somewhat surprisingly, Jacksonville, Florida (8.7 percent) and Salt Lake City, Utah (8.6 percent) rank ahead of New York, falling in second and third place, respectively. Dallas is fifth, Denver sixth, and Charlotte, North Carolina, with its cluster of large banks, is seventh among large metros. Philadelphia is 11th, Minneapolis-St. Paul 12th, Boston 13th, Chicago 14th, Miami 18th, and San Francisco 19th among large metros.

The second map (below) takes a different cut: It charts the share of total regional employment composed of people who work in all finance-related occupations, as opposed to in finance and insurance firms. Map by MPI's Zara Matheson

Greater New York, surprisingly, ranks just 18th of large metros, with 5.8 of its workforce employed in finance-related occupations, up from 5.3 percent in 2006.

Also surprising: The top-ranked large metro in the country is greater Washington, D.C., where finance occupations make up nearly ten percent (9.8 percent) of total employment, up from 8 percent in 2006. Denver is second with 7.7 percent, followed by San Francisco with 7.1 percent, and Hartford, Connecticut, with its large concentration of insurance companies, is 10th. Boston ranks 11th, Charlotte 14th, and Chicago 20th.

The third map, below, charts the finance sector’s share of wages across U.S. metros.

Map by MPI's Zara Matheson

There is substantial geographic variation: 74 metros are above the national average and 289 metros fall below it.

Greater New York is now ninth among large metros, tied with Baltimore, with 8.9 percent of its wages coming from the finance-related jobs — up from 2006 when the share was 7.8 percent. The average 2011 salary for finance jobs in New York was $85,580, up from $72,870 in 2006. This was fifth in the country behind Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Connecticut ($95,510), San Jose-Sunnyvale, California ($90,260), and San Francisco ($86,700).

Greater Washington, D.C., again tops the list of large metros with 13.2 percent of its wages from finance-related occupations, up from 11.1 percent in 2006. The average salary for finance-related jobs in D.C. was $84,370, just slightly less than in New York, and up from $72,290 in 2006. Next in line are Denver, San Francisco, Richmond, and Atlanta. Charlotte is seventh, Hartford 15th, Boston 16th, Chicago 19th, and Philadelphia 20th among large metros.

Perhaps the most striking thing in our analysis is this: While finance was the main force in precipitating the crisis, its share of occupations and wages has increased in its wake. The finance share of all U.S. occupations grew from 4.4 percent in 2006 to 4.8 percent in 2011 according to our analysis, while the finance sector’s share of wages grew from 6.8 percent to 7.3 percent over the same period. During this time, nearly three-quarters (73.3 percent) of U.S. metros saw their share of finance jobs grow, while nearly 60 percent of metros saw their share of finance wages increase. The average wages and salary for finance-related jobs increased from $60,000 in 2006 to $68,740 in 2011.

This stands out from historical trends. Influential studies by New York University economist Thomas Philippon traced the growth and decline of the U.S. financial sector since the mid-19th century. Philippon plotted the expansion of the U.S. financial sector from 1860 to 2007, as it grew from 1.1 percent of GDP in the late-19th century to four percent in the 1970's, before hitting 8.3 percent of GDP in 2006. A related study [PDF] by Philippon and the University of Virginia’s Ariell Reshef tracked wages and skills in the financial sector from 1909 to 2006 and found wages in the financial sector to be "excessively high" around 1930, and again from the mid-1990's until 2006. Philippon's research found that the finance sector closely tracks booms and busts — its share of and role in the U.S. economy fell back considerably in terms of its share of the economy in the wake of major crises like the Great Depression.

Philippon and other economists who cover the subject note that America’s financial sector became bloated and over-blown in the years leading up to the crisis. Instead of channeling capital productively into the economy, the sector generated mega-profits by moving money around in highly speculative ways. When the house of cards came crashing down, it was thought that finance would be brought back under control; Our economy would shift away from its speculative "trading" orientation back to "building" up the real economy, and the finance share of the total economy would revert to historic norms.

But that does not appears to have happened, according to our analysis. While our data is based on different sources than Philippon’s, and although the crisis has not run its full course, we find that instead of contracting, the financial sector overall has only continued to expand since the deep economic and financial crisis, which still reverberates through the U.S. and global economies.

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Brian Cohen doesn't want you to take his 16,000-square-foot mansion seriously.

You can tell what he means when you visit the labyrinthine Long Island mansion, where every hallway passes through an octagonal center atrium before leading off to a theater, wine cellar and other attractions.

Click here to tour the house >

"It's a little bit like Disneyland," said Cohen, who was the first investor in Pinterest. Currently, Cohen is the CEO of the New York Angels. "The house is meant for fun."

His Sands Point home, near Port Washington, N.Y., is currently on the market for $9.5 million.

Cohen custom-built the house, commandeering the project as his own general contractor. The opportunity presented itself after Cohen sold his company TSI Communications.

"There's a part of me in the house," Cohen said.

The house is equipped with a giant geothermal heat pump, computer-controlled lighting and sound systems, and more than 350 lights designed to prevent Seasonal Affective Disorder.

"It's my own giant laboratory," Cohen said. "I got to experiment. Try all these new things. In 2000, people would walk in an see our flatscreen TVs and just say 'Wow.'"

After 14 months of paying his contractors by the hour — an unheard of practice in the construction business — the house was complete. Cohen, his wife and former business partner Carol, and their three children moved in.

"The kids were giddy," Cohen said. "It's an extraordinary home to find yourself living in as a child."

But when the Cohens' youngest son, Max, left for Arizona State University, the home went on the market and Mr. and Mrs. Cohen moved to an apartment in the West Village.

"My wife and I are both city people, born and raised," Cohen said. "The suburbs are for families. I don't fall in love with things, I fall in love with people. Our house served its purpose ...

"We still use it these days for what I call 'Hallmark moments,' but change is inevitable. A one-bedroom apartment is really all my wife and I need."

Welcome to Sands Point. On the Cohens' two-acre property, there are six landscaping elements. When the family moved in, the town "jokingly" cited them with a landscaping ticket, Cohen said.

The outside of the home is meant to have more of a Hamptons feel, since it's so close to the water. The other homes in the area are more colonial looking.

Upon entering you see the giant staircase that wraps around the octagon atrium. Cohen said he constructed the home this way so as soon as you walk in the door, you can yell up to their children in their bedrooms.

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