There are some beers in the fridge said Laurie at the end of our phone call. This is a sentence one might expect when calling home. And not of a stranger calling from Manhattan to Brooklyn to state the time of arrival.
I'd rather not use the hackneyed phrase. A home away from home.
But I will anyhow. Laurie's little house in a "Starbuck-free-zone" in Park Slope Brooklyn. An area just like a cliché-laden European would imagine. Her house, full of books, pictures. The splendid guest room. Most impressive of all, however is Laurie and her son, Peter. Generous, friendly and helpful. Laurie gave me some good tips. E.g. BAM, Barke-Music, Gospel concert. And when I come back to Brooklyn again, I know there will be a beer for me in the fridge.

Dieter, D. Germany