Staten Island holiday

Our family of four from Australia - two adults and two children aged 14 and 13 - stayed at Marina's lovely apartment on Staten Island from the 6th - 16th of September 2009. Everything was just as described...except for the views...they are even better than words can describe! Especially at dawn and dusk...they are magical. Where else could you stay and see the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and Brooklyn Bridge all in one. It was very easy to become mesmerized by the sights.

Marina was exceptionally helpful. From the moment of our first email contact she was very considerate of our needs and so very prompt at answering our many questions. We also felt very secure in this apartment. And loved the journey to and from Manhattan each day on the ferry which of course is free! As others have suggested previously, we would recommend walking down to the ferry terminal each day, and catching the bus home from the terminal in the evening as the walk back is uphill and quite tiring at the end of a busy day.
There are three subway lines just near the Manhattan Ferry Terminal - the red and yellow lines are just outside the doors, and the green line is only a very short walk away

We managed to enjoy a variety of wonderful experiences during our 10 day stay. Standout experiences included a cruise on board Clipper City...a tall ship based at the South Street Seaport, rowing a boat on the lake in Central Park, watching the Yankees play at Yankee Stadium(great venue) and climbing to the crown of the Statue of Liberty. This costs only a couple of extra dollars but you will need to book well ahead(months ahead) and be prepared to walk a lot of stairs. But the end result is so worth it. We all agree that this was the highlight of our stay.

We all enjoyed seeing the Blue Man Group as well. They perform in a small theatre in the East Village and the performance was well received by our teenagers. But make sure you make the most of it by choosing to sit in the Poncho zone in the front few rows!

Needless to say we had a wonderful stay and are already planning our next visit. We will certainly stay at Marina's apartment again. It is convenient, exceptionally clean and Marina made the whole experience of arranging accommodation so much easier than we thought it would be.

Thanks again Marina. Take care, and we look forward to seeing you again one day. Jackie, Michael, Alex and Felicity - Brisbane, Australia

This spacious apartment had one bedroom, bathroom, living room, and kitchen. It was very clean and well-stocked with kitchen and cleaning supplies, linens, blankets, towels, and so on, and there was a computer with internet. Marina, thoe owner, showed concern for our needs from the time of our first inquiry about the apartment and asked us if we wanted anything in particular. She made an extra effort to supply us with a large teapot that we had requested. She spent time explaining how to get around the area and take the ferry to Manhattan. She was friendly and welcoming and available by phone or e-mail if we had any problems, which we didn’t. She was flexible enough to allow us to stay a few hours beyond our originally-scheduled departure time. The price for our stay was reasonable and we were pleased with the experience overall. We would recommend this apartment to others seeking a short stay in New York City.

Marina is a GREAT hostess..she makes sure everything is just right . This was my first time to New York City and Marina was very helpful..with bus schedules..subways..helping us get to and from the airport..when we go back...and we will go back... we look forward to staying at Marina's apartment..with the gorgeous view... (Hey Marina...thanks so much..You are a terrific lady...take care.....Leslie and Gary)