Brooklyn holiday townhome

I had visited New York on two previous occasions staying in Manhattan. This time I wanted to experience living in a community in Brooklyn if only for a short space of time. I had no preconceived idea of Bed-Stuy and quite honestly if I had done my research I probably would have chosen somewhere like Williamsburg, however that said I am so glad that I did. We had a fantastic experience, the residents of Bed-Stuy we encountered where very friendly and extremely helpful and at no point in our stay did we feel uncomfortable, even when we were walking home after an evening out in the early hours of the morning, (usually because the train home wasn't going any further for a variety of reasons). The apartment was spotless, tasteful and very well maintained, there was everything we needed to make our stay comfortable.The owner was there on arrival and had prepared substantial refreshments which was very welcome. She explained how everything worked and gave us information about the area and where we could eat breakfast etc. she was also available on the end of the phone and rang the following morning to ask if all was well. Although checking out time was 12 noon it was flexible allowing us to leave our luggage at the apartment until our evening flight, this gave us the opportunity to freshen up prior to leaving, which was appreciated.
I would have no hesitation in recommending this apartment, however as it is in the suburbs of Brooklyn one has to get to know the subway system and bus routes fairly quickly to avoid getting lost which we did on numerous occasions, and it would have been helpful to know in advance where the nearest subway and bus stops where and their actual routes. Just a thought for those who may be reluctant to stop and ask for directions. In retrospect if we had known where everything was we would not have had the opportunity to experience real Brooklyn hospitality.

This is by far the best place We have ever stayed in! Our hostess Ena was waiting for us in the house, and there was a lot of food and refreshments, which is just great when you are tired after long trip. She also gave us all necessary information about the area. During our long stay Ena was easily available via phone and mail when we needed help.
House is located in the middle of Bed-Stuy, which is a huge attraction itself for people interested in history of New York and african-american community who is living there. Check out some early Spike Lee films, who originate from there, it should give you general idea of what to expect :) Its perfect place if you want to explore Brooklyn with its various communities and neighbourhoods, and see "real life", be the part of the city mix for a while...Staying in hotel/hostel won't ever give you this kind of experience! The area is pretty quiet, which is nice when you go back there after long day in Manhattan! Its safe there, and dont be afraid to take subway after midnight - somehow its full of people then, we were regularly going back home from Manhattan about 2-3 am...
Brownstone is just beautiful, I wish my future house was looking like that! Its very clean and well maintained, gives you feel of real home. Kitchen is perfectly equipped, theres air conditioning, cable tv, PC with internet access, Wi-Fi...Bathroom is huge and very bright, bed very comfortable, which matters after long day of walking!
Its very easy to get there and move around, Bed-Stuy is well connected to other parts of the NYC. If you fly to JFK, all you need to do is to take A train from airport, and after 30 minutes you are there - B15 bus from JFK does the job as well...Good luck!
Thanks again for nice stay Ena!

We had the most incredible time. This Brownstone is charming, clean and safe. It has all the comforts of home and was close to everything. Our lovely hostess Ena took very good care of us. Because of our hostess we were able to enjoy Bedford-Stuyesant from a unique afro-centric point of view. We enjoyed wine tasting, good food (Brooks Valley and Common Grounds just to mention a few) and a lesson in life.There is so much beauty and history to Bedford-Stuyesant, that you walk away satisfied and well educated. Two thumbs up!