I’m absolutely in love with this air bnb. Everything in the description holds up. Starting with the best part: Benson. Why else are you reading this? He is so sweet and chill and the best answer to a stressful day! Or at least a long day in the city.
Speaking of, the Halsey metro is super close. You can see it from the apartment (it’s heard as a very low rumble inside). It was super easy to jump on the A train and get to Manhattan. Usually one transfer to the J. Average ride there was 45min. There are, of course, Citi bikes to rent around the corner. Also around the corner is Rite Aid which is convenient. And some low key food, shops, etc. If you do drive there is indeed enough parking on the street but note that NYC has street sweepers throughout the week and you have to swap your car to the other side of the street every morning. I actually did this only once because no one else was doing it and didn’t get a ticket but there is a sign.
When you first walk around it seems to be a “other side of the tracks” situation (it’s the edge of Bed-Stuy and still up and coming) but in the end I felt safe enough to walk down the block at night to the comedy club The Tiny Cupboard. On that note let’s talk about things to do in the area - first you have to check out the aforementioned! It’s either free or cheap and they have an amazing rooftop show with a view of Manhattan. Cathy’s Green Gold has a bodega cat. Little Skips East is hipster and boujie with great coffee, brunch, and sundries. Father Knows Best has OK drinks but is hipster if you’re looking for that. As they’ll suggest to you, LunÀtico is classy and cute and their cocktails are amazing. Their food is good too! I didn’t go out dancing but apparently there’s a great spot on Sunday’s - you’ll have to ask Jonathan. Overall though, for what I wanted to do there wasn’t much within walking distance of the neighborhood itself (20min+ walk for good stuff).
OK let’s not gloss over the second best thing to Benson - the hosts! They are super cool and I wish I had more time to spend with them. If for nothing else I’ll be back to turn them into true friends. We had a fun rooftop hangout one night; they’re cool, real, honest people who are very interesting! My last day I even stopped in at their jobs and our convos were breezy and comfortable. :)
You can tell they bring that same energy into their home. The room is perfect from plants winding around the gorgeous sun soaked bohemian decor to the private bathroom in the room itself. So relaxing! (I’ll note that the shower pressure is amazing though the water doesn’t get too hot if you care about that). They keep the apartment at a nice temperature that’s comfortable to sleep in (late July trip). If you’re a late-riser like me you may not appreciate the lack of blinds as the sun rises in your direction. The windows are filled with plants (as they should be!) so bring your eye mask as that’s the solution. :)
I came here on a whim and worked during the last few days of my trip. It was quiet and the internet was fast enough to handle my bandwith-heavy work. No matter the reason you’re visiting this is the best choice for a cozy, private room, instagrammable apartment, a good neighborhood, easy access to the metro, and a really cool dog! Oh and wonderful people. :)