airbnb

Airbnb apartment in the Village

Sheila LoringLeave a comment

I’ve spent perhaps my last night in an Airbnb apartment.

During this, my third Airbnb experience, I stayed in a small apartment in Greenwich Village. The location couldn’t have been better. Macdougal Street near the Comedy Cellar and dozens of restaurants and little shops — including my fave Ben’s Pizzeria. One block from Third Rail, a great coffeehouse that serves Counter Culture coffee. Two blocks from Washington Square Park. Three blocks from the subway.

One of the fun things about travel is the element of surprise. You get lost and end up seeing the sun set behind a row of brownstones. You come across a parade or labor union strike, perfect for taking pictures. Or you happen to sit next to an old friend from home at a play.

I like surprises.

This Airbnb apartment offered one too many surprises. The small curtained shower, located in the kitchen, was not designed for a modest guest. How one would undress discretely in this main room of the apartment to step inside the shower remains a mystery. Still, this wasn’t the end of the world.

The toilet was in the hall — not a hall in the apartment, rather, the hall of the apartment building. A toilet in a tiny locked closet of a room. This wasn’t clear in the ad. It was inconvenient, but again, not the end of the world.

I draw the line at strangers opening my bedroom door. The guy sounded as shocked to see me as I was to hear him gasp. This happened to me at a previous Airbnb apartment, except the bedroom door there had a lock so the guy didn’t get in.

Airbnb is hit or miss in my experience. Some surprises are more acceptable than others.

Another Airbnb adventure, this time on the Upper East Side

Sheila LoringLeave a comment

Aimee and I spent a long weekend in New York City in May. We both love art and wanted to see the Whitney Museum of American Art in its new Chelsea location. The new building has spectacular views of Manhattan. If you’re forced to visit (say, with a friend or partner), spend your time enjoying the views from one of the balconies or inside on one of the comfy couches overlooking the city.

View from the Whitney Museum of American Art
View from the Whitney Museum of American Art

In An introduction to NYC from Airbnb, I described my first Airbnb adventure in a $60/night room with a shared bathroom. This time, because I was sharing the expenses with Aimee, we splurged on an apartment on the Upper East Side. The apartment was on Lexington near 72nd. We passed dozens of expensive clothing stores and restaurants to get there.

The apartment was sandwiched between Swifty’s restaurant and Lexington Gardens floral/antique shop. The narrow glossy black door opened to two flights of steps and a 500-square-foot apartment. Two spartan rooms and a renovated bathroom. A teensy kitchenette with a small refrigerator occupied one corner of the front room. I figured this was the typical Manhattan apartment.

People spend thousands of dollars a month on such tiny living spaces, surrounded by elegant restaurants and clothing stores they can’t afford to step into. What’s it like to have those constant reminders as you walk to and from the subway every day?

Aimee and I walked alone from the Theatre District to the apartment on 10 p.m. Friday night. Businesses and even restaurants had closed.

The apartment was clean, quiet, and safe. Only $250/night. The tiny apartment in this sleepy area is fine if you rely on the rest of the city for food and entertainment. Visit Airbnb to take a look.

Stay tuned to read about my next Airbnb experience in Greenwich Village, one of my favorite areas in Manhattan.

 

An introduction to New York City through Airbnb

Sheila LoringLeave a comment

My first trip to New York City, and I chose to stay in a $60/night room in Brooklyn through Airbnb. Google Maps and Street View showed me a desolate world of graffiti-lined warehouses and a trucking company. I couldn’t imagine being safe walking those streets at night from the subway to the apartment. What had I gotten myself into? The owner insisted that it was safe, so I took my chances.

Tiny room I rented on Airbnb in Brooklyn
Tiny room I rented on Airbnb in Brooklyn

The room turned out to be one of several off a common area and kitchen, all sharing a small bathroom. The only other inhabitant was some guy in the next room who came in after 11 p.m. and coughed all night. One night I heard him jostle the door handle on my room, trying to see if I were still there. I tell myself he just wanted to know if the apartment was empty, not that he wanted to do me any harm. He could have easily broken down the flimsy door.

Those graffiti-lined warehouses had been converted into stores I’d find at home — a health food store like a mini Whole Foods, a coffee shop, wine store, restaurants, etc. And the famous Roberta’s pizza was just around the block. This being Williamsburg (though near Bushwick), the streets were filled with young “hipsters” in their skinny jeans and tattoos. I felt perfectly safe walking alone three blocks from the subway to the apartment at midnight. (Yes, I went alone very happily! I’ll write more about solo travel in another blog.)

Graffiti-lined warehouses turned into "hip" little stores.
Graffiti-lined warehouses turned into “hip” little stores.

Every morning, I’d walk a few blocks to the L at Morgan and Bogart and ride 20 minutes to Manhattan. I spent all day walking, taking pictures, and discovering places that would become my favorites. Washington Square Park and Greenwich Village. Strand books. Ben’s pizza. The dimly lit Bemelman’s bar at the Carlyle Hotel — magical moments with an incredible dirty martini and a live pianist playing Gershwin. Stumptown Coffee. The Whitney, Met, and MOMA. The Gargosian art gallery. Central Park. By the time I got back to the apartment late every night, I was spent. Garbage trucks at 1 a.m. every morning didn’t keep me awake.

Would I stay in this $60/night apartment with a shared bathroom and invisible roommate again? No, but it sure made for a memorable introduction to New York City.

Ralph Lauren window display
Ralph Lauren window display
My first afternoon in Central Park, I happened across this protest, a great opportunity to take pix.
My first afternoon in Central Park, I happened across this protest, a great opportunity to take pix.