Apartments in Brooklyn

[jo]

Hey guys,

I'm hoping BB and Gary and any others with knowledge of the area can help me out.

We are thinking of bring my daughter, her fiancee and our grandson to NYC sometime next year. We are looking for an alternative to high hotel prices in Manhattan and are checking out apartments in Brooklyn and the Bronx on VRBO. Staying in an apartment probably means we can stay for a week instead of 3 nights at a high priced hotel. (it's really hard to find rooms in NYC for 4 adults and a child without paying huge supplements).

I saw this place in Brooklyn (VRBO #206157), which in near Garfield Place and 5th Avenue in Park Slope. I was wondering if this is in a good, safe area, close to the subway so we could go into Manhattan fairly easily. I would appreciate any feedback anyone could give me on the area or any others that would make a good base for us to explore the city. Does anyone think this is a good idea or would we be better off having a shorter trip but really experiencing the city by staying in the heart of things. We will probably go either late spring or early fall, since I am way too old to walk around a concrete jungle in 90degree humidity!

Thanks for any imput and hope you are all having a great weekend!

Jo

[innit Geezer]

I'd rather have a shorter stay than have a place in the Bronx. Don't forget, it's not like you'll be able walk out of your hotel each morning to start the day. First you'll have a short commute and that's something to consider (time and cost).

BB will have the most knowledge of Brooklyn but you'll have a short trip in the morning there also.

Jo, I'd shop as best I could to be in the center of the action but everyone is different. The slower economy has seeped into mid-town so deals and promos will be available.

I recall a Howard Johnson's on 8th avenue in the 53 street area (I think) maybe that suits you. It isn't luxury but you can maximize your time in town with the location.

I just went through the same thing going to Key West but it was a simpler situation given the small proximity of the island.

[jo]

Thanks Gary, I'm so torn between waking up and just stepping out onto the streets of the city or having a longer time to explore, but having to take the subway in and out every day. I would also want to know that the areas out of Manhattan would be safe to walk around in, I have no idea which areas are better than others once you leave Manhattan. If we stayed in Manhattan, we would probably stay in Midtown close to Times Squares. I'm been to NYC a few times, but it would be a first for Danielle, Aaron and our grandson, so I think they would get a kick to being so close to all the tourist must sees.

Ah, decisions, decisions...........JO

[innit Geezer]

You should be staying anywhere below Central Park south down to the tip of Manhattan otherwise you'll be adding travel time and cost because of the distance added. While there are sites to see in northern Manhattan the most notable and best suited are in mid-town.

[jo]

I've extended the apartment search to midtown Manhattan and have found some reasonable places (well, reasonable for Manhattan). There's a 2 bedroom apartment on West 58th just south of Central Park that looks interesting at about $300/night. I can spend hours looking at these things, doing trip research is half the fun for me!

Maybe we'll comprimise and do 5 nights in a Manhattan apartment instead of 3 in a hotel or a week out in the boonies!

JO

[Tex]

Isn't the Bronx a little on the rough side?

Jo, we had pretty good luck using Hotwire. You might give them a try. One time we were in NYC and found a good deal in the financial district a block from the NYSE. It was a three day weekend and the Wall Street area wasn't in demand.

Good luck.

[jo]

Thanks Tex, I'll be looking at all these options before we make our final decisions. I have no idea about which neighbourhoods are rough and hope BB will chime in with some advice, especially for Brooklyn.

JO

[innit Geezer]

Nov 9, 2008 13:33:56 GMT -6 Tex said:

Isn't the Bronx a little on the rough side?

Mostly it's residential and too far away from the intended vacation. The Bronx would be a mistake. Stay at the Hyatt or Plaza!

[jo]

Well, it looks like a lot of apartment rentals in NYC are actually either illegal or scams (lots of nasty reviews on trip advisor). I'll keep looking into it, but it looks like the safest route is an old fashioned hotel room, however expensive!

Jo

[innit Geezer]

Don't forget day spa treatments and pubs with views. These pictures don't do the real experience justice.

www.230-fifth.com/

[jo]

Gary, I remember this site, I think you posted it around the time I came to NYC last March for Hazel's Hedo party. Looks like such a spectacular place to go for a drink.

The more I look into renting a short term apartment in NYC, the less tempting it sounds. Looks like there's a lot of scams out there and even those that exist, most are illegal. Damn, I'm just looking to bring my family to the city and pay a decent ($300-$400/night) price for the 5 of us. It would have been great to have the extra space and especially 2 bedrooms and a kitchen for that price, but I guess that's not realistic for Manhattan. Oh well, lots of time to find something and decide. Thanks for all your comments so far!

Jo

[Irish Stu]

When we were in NYC in June we got a great deal at The Helmsley Park Lane using a UK based discount site. We called the hotel a couple of days before we travelled to request a room on a high floor and they put us on the 44th floor (the hotel has 46 floors) where we had a breathtaking view of New York. The hotel is only about 10 minutes walk from Times Square but right next door to Central Park, and a minute or two from 5th Avenue. The hotel's bar is a great place to relax in the late evening before heading upstairs to bed and there are plenty of nice restaurants nearby. We would definitely stay there again.

Simon

[innit Geezer]

I would listen to Simon. When I'm lost or need information I grab the nearest tourist and they gladly help me out. They might be relieved that I'm not going to mug them which reminds me to return Simon's wallet from his last visit. I had to mug him, it was my turn to buy and I ran out of money.

[jo]

Thanks Simon, I will check their rates, the locations is fantastic, it's the 5 people trying to fit in one room that's an issue! the 2 bedroom suite would probably fit the bill, but I'm almost scared to check the price!

Jo

Actually, I tried a few dates and can't get a quote, I'll keep trying!

[Irish Stu]

Nov 9, 2008 18:08:07 GMT -6 innit Geezer said:

which reminds me to return Simon's wallet from his last visit

You know Gary, I have to admit to having been a little suspicious that evening about your New York 'custom' of taking an out of towner's wallet to the bathroom with you for good luck. And I'm still bemused that you never returned with it.

Simon

[♥ COVID-19♥]

Nov 9, 2008 13:33:56 GMT -6 Tex said:

Isn't the Bronx a little on the rough side?

Youse sayin' Brooklyn *ain't* on the rough side?

Jo, you pretty much answered your own question as a result of your thorough research -- the apartments available to tourists are scams, nothing more, nothing less. Avoid them at all costs.

Hotel Jolie opened just a couple of years ago in my Brooklyn neighborhood and is only a few blocks from where I live. It's a 10 minute subway ride into Manhattan. I don't see any large suites that would accommodate 4-5 people, but in the Spring, I see rates for 2 people at around $200/night. You might want to consider giving them a call to see what (if anything) you might be able to work out.

Good luck!

[jo]

Thanks BB, I've come to that sad realization. I'll have to see if I can get some good deals at a hotel through Travel Zoo, expedia, etc.

Thanks everyone!

Jo

[Merlot Joe]

Jo, when Denice and I went to NYC last year we stayed at a Bed and Breakfast on the Upper East side called Bubba and Beans. It was 3 blocks for the subway. It is located on Lexington Ave between 101st and 102nd streets. We like it but we would have like to stay closer to downtown.

Try the Bed and Breaksfast you may find a good deal there.

Joe

[jo]

Thanks Joe, Den is not a bed and breakast kinda guy, he needs privacy, own bathroom, doesn't really like to socialize in the morning, etc. I tried once a long time ago at a B&B in Lake Placid and am still hearing about it!!

I actually punched in some early Setpember dates on Expedia and got a decent rate at the Doubletree Suites Times Squares for a 1 bedroom suite with separate living room. It's not 2 bedrooms, but I'm coming to accept that is not feasible unless I want to spend really big bucks. It would be pretty cool to stay in the middle of the action, I can just see Sebastian's face looking out the window at the lights in Times Squares. If we stay 4 instead of 5 nights, it's within my budget. I'll show it to my daughter tomorrow and see what she thinks.

Thanks again to everyone for their suggestions!

JO

[Merlot Joe]

Jo,

This B & B each room has it's own private bathroom and no brealfast in the morning. It's not your normal B&B. Should be a motel instead. The room had a kitchen bed and private bath room.

Joe

[jo]

Oh, that sounds better! I'll check it out, thanks for the suggestion.

Jo

[Merlot Joe]

We are considering going back next July with our oldest daughter Cara and staying there again, we know the lay out the land and the place was very clean and well cared for, The neighbor hood could be called a little rough but no one bothered usa nd where out at all times day and night.Everyone was very friendly.


Joe

[Bif St Lou]

On our last trip to NYC, we actually stayed on the Jersey side at Candlewood Suites and took the PATH train into Manhattan. Our hotel was only 2 blocks from the station, and the train is a short one-stop ride to the WTC site and connections to the subways from there. Clean and much more roomy, plus the price was right.

[jo]

Thanks Bif, I'll check that one out as well. It looks like we won't be going until Labour Day weekend so we'll have lots of time to find some deals (I'm hoping the Canadian Dollar will be back up by that time too!)

Jo

[Irish Stu]

Nov 16, 2008 12:25:50 GMT -6 jo said:

(I'm hoping the Canadian Dollar will be back up by that time too!)

Any chance of sterling making a recovery too? I've been getting some prices in for a possible Jamaica trip early next year and the collapse of the pound is going to cost me a fortune

Simon

[jo]

Simon, I think the US$ is up due to everyone piling into US tbills as the only safe asset out there. One of our guys said a few weeks back that there were only 2 classes of assets right now.........the US$/tBills and everything else, and investors only wanted to be in the first class! Once things calm down and an appetite for risk returns (at least 6-12 months away, unfortunately), we expect the US$ to go back down as people sell their Tbills, and other world currencies to rise against the dollar. I need the impossible to happen, the Canadian $ to rise against the Euro for our Amsterdam/Paris trip next May! Failing that, I'll take a higher Canadian $ by September for our trip to NYC.

Jo

[Irish Stu]

Looks like the days of my cheap vacations to the US are over

Sterling takes a pounding

This time last year, bargain-hungry shoppers headed across the Atlantic to New York's swanky department stores in droves.

With the pound worth more than $2, they sought out cheap iPods, designer clothes and gourmet restaurants.

But few will be flying to New York to do their Christmas shopping this year.

Sterling has been one of the biggest victims of the global financial meltdown - losing more than a quarter of its value since July.

It has now fallen below $1.50 for the first time since 2002. The pound is also at its weakest level against the euro since the currency was created in 1999.

"People really aren't going to want to make international holidays," says Simon Derrick, chief currency strategist at Bank of New York Mellon.

'Worst recession'

Sterling's problems are linked to the wider economic picture.

The UK is expected to have the worst recession of all the G7 rich nations and this means investors think UK assets will perform poorly.

"Like everywhere, the UK economy is slowing down," says Daragh Maher, senior currency strategist at French investment firm Calyon.

Sterling has been like an elastic band that had been stretched too far and when it gave, it was vicious
Daragh Maher, Calyon

"But the perception is that we have over-borrowed more than other countries, so the payback will be greater."

Falling interest rates put further pressure on sterling.

Last week, the Bank of England delivered a shock one-and-a-half percentage point cut in UK interest rates to 3%, the lowest level since 1955.

Economists expect rates to fall further.

It means that investors get a lower yield on pound deposits and sterling-denominated debt, making them less attractive.

This could pose a problem for the government, as it is expected to issue debt to pay for the banking bail-out.

Falling fast

It is unusual for a currency to fall so far, so fast.

Only twice in recent history has sterling fallen by such a degree.

On 16 September 1992, the pound was withdrawn from the European Exchange Rate Mechanism, triggering a fall from around $2 to $1.40.

Sterling fell by a similar degree in 1980 as a commodity bubble burst.

Mr Maher says that the pound at $2 was significantly overvalued and puts the currency's long-term intrinsic value at around $1.60.

"It's been like an elastic band that had been stretched too far and when it gave, it was vicious," he says.

Mr Derrick at Bank of New York Mellon says it is feasible that the pound could hit $1.40 in the near future and one euro could be worth more than 85 pence.

More Gloom

Simon

[Ardbeg... innit]

Nov 17, 2008 5:21:53 GMT -6 Irish Stu said:

Looks like the days of my cheap vacations to the US are over

Sterling takes a pounding

Simon

A Quid for your pro quo

[Irish Stu]

Just putting in your two pence?

Simon

[Ardbeg... innit]

BTW- Is that a Guinea on your avatar??