New York with 12 and 14YO - self catering

[TheBishopIsKillingMe]

Never been. But DH has a big birthday in spring so we're off! We've just booked flights!

Can't stay in a hotel as 'D'H snores so looking to rent a flat.

Any suggestions as to neighbourhoods? We don't want to be in a rough area but likewise don't have megabucks either. I'm thinking 2 bedrooms somewhere accessible and safe.

Once I've booked accommodation I'll no doubt need advice as where to go and what to do.

Thank you!!!

Short term lets are illegal in New York, it doesn't mean you can't find them, but just be aware of that

Really????

We usually do self catering in Europe and was planning on using similar websites

We can't stay in one hotel room - we'll have a nervous breakdown with the snoring

I've just booked a three bedroomed Air B&B in Brooklyn, OP, for next summer. My sister stayed there last summer and highly recommended it. Let me know if you want a link.

It's got two double and one single room, plus living room and kitchen etc.

www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Travel-g60763-c147344/New-York-City:New-York:Vacation.Apartment.Rentals.html

Can you look at a two bedroom hotel suite?

Thank you both.

Oohh - yes please I'd appreciate the link.

Costa - we tend to avoid hotels because of the snoring. Self catering gives us more flexibility if I need to bunk in with the kids or on a sofa.

It's areas/suburbs within NYC I need advice on really.

I've sent you the link in a PM, OP. Hope that's OK.

Thank you so much, you're a star

What happens if you get caught by the authorities in an illegal short term let? The idea that it is illegal would put me off.

OP you have my sympathy as OH is a terrible snorer.

We stayed in the beacon hotel which has suites, varying sizes, kitchenette in each room. We had a double room which was HUGE - I slept in there with the 2 kids and we banished dh and his snoring to the sofa bed in the living area! It's in a great location too

She's not going to stay in an illegal let, ffs! And as if the police haven't got better things to do over there than hang out around perfectly normal apartments, waiting for foreign visitors.

We stayed at the bacon hotel too, in a two bedroomed suite. Great location we got the best rate booking correct with the hotel.

Beacon not bacon!!
Would highly recommend.

Direct not correct - I give up posting when tired

You need to stay in a suite based hotel; NYC has these and the Beacon is one of them. If you do that, you will have some comeback if anything goes wrong. With an apartment rental like this, you are really taking your chances. If it goes wrong for whatever reason, you have no legal redress whatsoever.

Short term lets of less than 30 days in the 5 boroughs is illegal. Sites as well do not check the veracity of such listings and many people have been scammed (people turning up to an address already occupied, apartment not being as described etc). Anyone can put an ad on such sites . Also NY apartments tend to be old and very small in size, they are not all glam by any means.

People have sublet their apartments illegally and without incident in the past but many residents are caught and fined. This happens mainly because the other apartment block residents complain to their Super about what is going on. It also makes the rental market far harder for locals.

(If your DH does snore this loudly he needs to seek medical advice to determine if he has a medical problem relating to his throat or palate).

Beacon was amazing I tnought, would highly recommend

I'd reiterate what Atilla says. Check out the TripAdvisor threads on this. Before we knew it was illegal we started booking self catering on a reputable looking website. As soon as we had paid it turned out the place we would be staying was much worse - the company website was just a front. luckily, as we had paid by credit card we got our money back.

We stayed in the Affinia Dumont which is midtown, Murray Hill, and was perfect for us with our 11 and 13 yo DCs. My DH snores like a chainsaw so it worked really well for us. I also took my wax earplugs (French variety, PM me if you need name which are a life saver) but didn't need them. The hotel was a ten minute walk from Broadway/Times Square/Macy's etc it was one bedroom with two king size beds with a sofa bed in a HUGE living area and with a little kitchen on the side. Our view from the room was the Chrysler building which was amazing. I was happy to sit on the sofa and look at that all evening! The hotel also had bikes which we loaned for free and had a fabulous time in Central Park. It's not flash or glitzy but was clean, in a great location and there were diners etc close by.

We had five days there and did these
Top of the Rock (Rockefeller Centre). Much better (and cheaper) than Empire State and also you get to take pictures with the Empire State in the background!
Ground Zero.
Statue of Liberty - couldn't go up as that needed to have been booked months in advance. Still great fun though.
Wall Street bull (DS had been studying about Wall St at school). Not far from Ground Zero.
Shopping in Soho/Greenwich (Converse store etc).
High Line - fantastic afternoon's walk ending up in Greenwich. Stopped at cafes, watched junior baseball games at schools en route. Had big breakfast at diner in the bottom of the New Yorker hotel first which kept us going all day.
Cycling in Central Park - cycled top to bottom and stopped off lots to watch sport, have an ice cream etc.
The one thing we did, which was very off the wall, but which the DCs talk about to this day was www.accomplicetheshow.com We did Accomplice New York and it was brilliant. You just go with the flow and embrace the madness. We did it with a great group of people and I will never forget DS trying to catch a toad under cars in Chinatown...also a great way to see bits of NY you might not usually get to see.

We walked and walked and walked but also loved coming back to our hotel and chilling while DS and DD played with newly acquired Lego, setting it up on the executive desk in the room, which we had a glass of wine and nibbles looking out at the skyline. Bliss.

Citadenes is appt style hotel. Cheaper to stay in Brooklyn or Haarlem. You will be commuting though. Busy!