I moved here in March and keep seeing boxes of books and lamps outside walkups with a piece of tape that says FREE on it. Is it actually okay to just take things? I grabbed a small side table on my block yesterday and then felt like I stole it because the super came out and looked at me for a second. Now I’m second-guessing whether there are rules I don’t know yet. Also, if it’s raining, is the stuff just garbage? I don’t want to be the person dragging a soaked crate home, but I also keep seeing perfectly good frames. Help me understand stoop culture.

I did this last month with a mirror in Dyker Heights. I was so nervous I left a thank you note taped to the gate, and my roommate said that’s weird. If it says FREE with a sign, you’re allowed, right? But what about a pile with no sign? I saw a bookshelf near 5th Ave that had no note, and a lady from the house came out and yelled that it wasn't out for pickup. I just walked away. So now I'm confused about what's fair game.

If the sign says FREE, take it. If it's at the curb with the trash bins and no sign, usually fair game, but sometimes they're mid-move and just set it down. Rain kills anything cardboard or fabric. The super side-eye is just New York nosiness, Beth. The real rules: don't block the sidewalk while you dig, don't pull stuff out of a sealed trash bag, and check for bedbugs before it comes inside. That side table looked solid—wipe it down in the hallway first, not in your living room.

I found a cast iron pan on the curb in Queens last Saturday and it had a little rust, but I seasoned it and made bacon and it's fine. Then someone in my group chat said picking up soft furniture is asking for roaches. Is that actually true? Also how do y'all carry a dresser four blocks? Do you use those little folding hand trucks or just accept the arm burn? I nearly dropped a lamp trying to hold a coffee in the other hand.

Soft furniture is a hard no for me unless I know the person. Bedbugs are a nightmare and treating even a small place will ruin your week. Wood, metal, glass—solid. For carrying, get a folding hand truck if you're going to do this more than once; otherwise stick to one-trip items. DykerNewbie, the thank you note is sweet but nobody expects it. The FREE sign is the whole contract. firstwinter, cast iron is one of the best curb scores if it's not cracked.

My block's unspoken rule: whatever you put out has to be gone by the next morning or you bring it back in. Once it's at the curb, it's yours. No clothes, no opened toiletries, no soaking-wet particleboard. Beth, welcome to stooping. Next thing you know you'll be checking local curb alerts before brunch and telling everyone about the IKEA shelf you saved from a landfill.