Airbnb is the best friend of Hurricane Sandy victims, single mom entrepreneurs trying to make ends meet, and, of course, high-class Manhattan slum lords who reserve the right to search your bags while you sleep.

In recent months, Airbnb has come to resemble a political operator that happens to run a hotel network. As politicians and governments on both coasts turn the screws on the $10 billion startup, the startup continued its astroturfing campaign against San Francisco's so-called "home sharing" legislation and blanketed New York's subway system with ads. But their latest political promo is their most cynical yet.

After a harrowing launch attempt and some legal wrangling with city regulators, Lyft has finally arrived in New York. Sort of. If you actually try to use the app, there are no rides to be found.

New Yorkers agree: Airbnb's subway ad campaign is trying too hard [via Twitter]

Uber and Lyft are the Hatfields and the McCoys of ordering cars on your telephone—if the more affluent Hatfields had $1.5 billion in venture financing to the McCoys' piss poor $332 million. Now the feud the companies started in San Francisco has traveled 3,000 miles without losing any steam.

Everyone's least and most favorite transit app catches a lot of flak for lacking anything you might call a conscience, but is that really so fair? It just said it will obey the law and no longer charge insane prices during crises and natural disasters. Those softies!

Great news! If you're an UberX customer in New York City, the rides are now 20 percent cheaper—less than yellow cabs! Bad news! If you're an UberX driver in New York City, you're now making 20 percent less money.

Last night, dozens of people in starched collars and prom dresses convened at a Manhattan helicopter pad, to watch helicopters land, and to celebrate a startup made for ordering said helicopters. Silicon Alley hasn't mastered the SF startup party, but it certainly still knows luxury.

Airbnb is a novel, potentially income-saving measure for people who need to squeeze some extra cash from their homes. And then there are Airbnb users like Eileen Hickey-Hulme, who allegedly rented out her Tribeca pad for triple what she was paying while hanging in the Hamptons.

The only thing more expensive than a duplex is a triplex, and that's exactly what Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss just shelled out for, the New York Observer reports: just an ordinary, 4,300 Manhattan condo for two 32-year-old men to both live in.

A new report from Page Six says Google's happily married executive chairman Eric Schmidt is staring at attractive young women—this time, in person. But couldn't he have at least used a face computer to stay on-brand?

It didn't take long for civilization's oldest profession to collide with the economy's latest fad: the New York Post says Airbnb is the new coolest way to run a brothel.

As tech communities on both coasts grapple with issues of gender inclusion and harassment, casual meetups will be more and more important. But this is definitely one of the worst places you can meet.

There are bad people in every town, but New York has long managed to stay at the top of the prick-heap, despite steep competition from L.A and Portland. But the latest issue of New York mag raises the possibility of a Silicon Valley usurper.

Uber is a company that doesn't care about being hated. It flips off regulators, thinks taxi cabs are obsolete, and when it comes to other smartphone car services, plays very dirty. And the sabotage is happening right at the top.

Unless you have a lot of money, it's often impossible to find a suitable spot for your business in New York, with office lease prices through the roof—and if you're a cash-strapped startup, well, don't bother getting out of bed. Shared offices are increasingly the norm, and it's a good business to be in.

Venmo is a little app for your little phone that makes it easy to beam money from your bank account to someone else's. It's very handy! It's also seen terrific success through word of mouth. So why, why oh why, is the company plastering New York with these universally hated ads?

Silicon Alley during the morning commute. Photo submitted by anonymous Valleywag reader.

New York's startup scene has a considerable advantage over Silicon Valley: it's not fully of technolibertarian, amoral, poorly dressed Stanford-dropout vampires. It's a pretty normal bunch. But one thing the Alley is not, is cool--and if this Business Insider list is the best of the best, that's sad.

The room-renting startup rumored to be worth $2.5 billion is facing eviction from New York. Airbnb is under attack from the state, and countering by begging for grassroots support—won't you help this company go public someday?