Wow. I hit the jackpot with my airbnb host Emily.

Emily and her lovely mother Mary were absolute gems; an incredibly smart, interesting, and dynamic family. They never hesitated with suggestions on where to eat, how to get from ‘A to B’, what to see. I couldn’t have been made more welcome.

I now have a really good understanding of how New York/Brooklyn operates, and what it is really like to live there. I overheard many people in cafes/restaurants talking about how lonely they were in New York, and although I was only there for 8 days, it made me feel very fortunate that I could go back to Emily’s home after a day of sightseeing/visiting my son and feel like I had a happy, friendly haven to return to.

The house is fantastic and comfortable without a doubt. Trying one of Emily’s apple pies from her café, Four & Twenty Black Birds was a highlight also. Emily’s advice about being new to New York (for my son) was very much appreciated.

The best thing (besides visiting my son) was meeting these genuinely lovely people who certainly cared about making my visit special.