CHARMING, SPACIOUS, CLEAN GARDEN APARTMENT, WALK TO FERRY

Séjour d'une semaine à 4 (deux parents/deux ados) dans l'appartement situé au RDC de la maison de John et Caroline. L'accueil est vraiment sympathique. Un super séjour ! l'appartement est spacieux, très propre, décoré avec soin et parfaitement équipé. Le calme du quartier et le petit jardin sont un vrai bonheur après une journée passée dans Manhattan. Beaucoup mieux qu'une chambre d'hôtel et beaucoup moins cher ! Nous avons pu garder la voiture de location (périple de 3 semaines de boston à Washington) garée dans la rue et très pratique pour faire les courses, aller à la plage etc... mais une voiture n'est pas nécessaire.

We booked this lovely ground floor apartment for our 6 day stay in New York. We arrived around 9pm Sunday evening, having easily followed John's directions, and John was there to meet us and show us around. He also went to the trouble of getting us a few things for breakfast which was much appreciated. The apartment itself was very spacious and absolutely spotless. It is in a lovely quiet neighbourhood, you don't feel like you are in New York at all.
We used the free ferry service everyday to get to Manhattan, John has the schedule on the fridge. It was a 10 minute downhill walk to the ferry, which runs 24/7. The walk back home takes about 15mins as it is uphill part of the way. The ferry takes 30 mins to cross and you get to see Statue of Liberty and other sights on the way. The ferry stop in Manhattan was well connected to the subway and the hop-on hop-off bus tours.
The kitchen was well equipped with coffee machine, toaster, microwave, oven and stove, plus pots and pans if you wanted to do some cooking.
The bed was very comfortable and combined with the quiet neighbourhood we slept well every night.
The only downside is when you leave for the day you have to plan for the whole day as it is not practical to come back during the day.
All in all, a very enjoyable stay. We would recommend this place for couples or travellers who want to experience New York but have a chance to get away from the hustle and bustle.

We hit a home run choosing to stay in this lovely apartment (first floor of an old victorian) in a wonderful quiet neighborhood full of trees and greenery. It didn't even feel like New York. We were able to park right in front of the house, and the walk to Staten Island ferry was extremely convenient - not to mention the free ferry is a true NYC landmark and a real treat to ride.

The apartment is exceptionally clean and was perfect for our needs. I love old houses anyway, so really enjoyed the fireplaces, original floors and mouldings, etc. We arrived very late Friday night, and John was outside waiting for us. He had stocked the fridge with orange juice, milk, bread, and coffee for the morning - which was definitely above and beyond. Thank you, John.

One tip for travelers - if you're driving over the Verrazano bridge into Staten Island to get here, make sure to take the bottom level of the bridge. It has the first exit off to Bay Street which you will need to take - top level does not. We had only a GPS and didn't ask for any directions from John, and found ourselves going over the bridge a couple times (and paying additional $$) before we figured it out.