10 Reviews of Property 937432 in Harlem, New York

This was our first experience using HomeAway and our family recently enjoyed a wonderful eight nights at Brenda's Place in NYC. Her description of the apartment was 100% accurate and it exceeded our expectations for a family of six (including two little ones under the age of two).

Brenda was great at communication before and during our stay and I felt very comfortable renting from her. She even provided a pack-n-play for us (saving us luggage hassles) and went to the grocery store for me when I told her our flight was delayed and we wouldn't arrive until 1AM.

Brenda met us upon our arrival to provide an orientation. The apartment was clean and well-maintained and offered plenty of space to spread out. Her online description if highly accurate. You will need to bring your own shampoo and related toiletries, but everything else was provided, including laundry supplies.

We took advantage of the full kitchen to eat most breakfast and dinners in, which was nice after running around NYC all day. Since there isn't a supermarket within walking distance, I took the subway from the 135th St. station to 96th St., where a Whole Food Market was located. It only took about 10 minutes by train to get there and worked well for us to stock the fridge. There may be other options more close by, but we didn't feel inconvenienced by this in any way.

Speaking of trains, the subway was very efficient from this uptown location. We easily got to midtown Manhattan in under 20 minutes and the station is less than a 5 minute walk from the apartment. Even with small children it was not an inconvenience to stay in Harlem. Depending on where you want to go, there may be several transfers needed, so a multi-day unlimited metro card may make sense. We got our money's worth.

The street and immediate neighborhood were quiet yet populated enough to feel secure. I saw many couples and young children in addition to working professionals. Although we tended to be home by 5PM (remember, little kids), I would not have felt any less comfortable walking late at night than I would have in the majority of NYC neighborhoods.

Overall, Brenda's Place offered comfortable amenities, space, convenience, and was fairly priced. I would recommend those considering an apartment in NYC seriously consider it.

What a wonderful stay we had! After arriving at Newark, only one and a half hour hour later we arrived at this very convenient and spacious appartment (and that's just because the taxidriver didn't know where to go, otherwise we would have arrives in less than an hour). It had everything we needed and more! We were just the two of us, so plenty of room. A very comfortable bathroom, really lovely beds (every single word is true!) and a livingroom that has all nescessary equipment (including a TV with lots of channels and films)!

The neighbourhood is quiet and safe. Not a single inconvenience! Perfect.
And in 15 minutes you can be everywhere you want to be. Do visit this special location in this very special city!

Going back to Newark, we just phoned the taxi Brenda & Daryl recommended. Taking this cab, we arrived after about less than an hour at Newark for our flight back to the Netherlands.

We really love to go here once more (and I hope as soon as possible)!

Jeffrey & Diane

We arrived late on a Saturday night from Chicago and despite the hour, Brenda and her husband were there to greet us and give us keys and an orientation. We were a family of four and this place was absolutely perfect. New appliances - great air conditioning especially with this summer's heat (95+). We were out late with the boys (8 and 7 years old) virtually every night. Get a 7 day Metro Card. The short-block and a half walk to/from the 135th Street station (A,B,C lines) was close, convenient, and always peaceful. During rush hours, you can take the express to 125th and transfer to a local to 135th. It cuts the train time from 20 minutes from Times Square to less than 10. There are restaurants nearby - but they are closer to 123rd/125th than they are by the town home. Cab rides to/from Greenwich, SoHo, Lower East Side are about 20-25 bucks depending on time/hour.

Bottom line - great customer service - Brenda always responds to calls and emails. The apartment was clean and comfortable. Microwave, coffee maker, toaster are all new and work great. A few pantry basics are also available. Brenda provides a couple toiletry basics as well but don't forget some shampoo. Little delis and stores are nearby. Large supermarket at 145th stop. We would highly recommend Brenda's place and will for sure stay here again. If you are on the fence - read the other reviews. This place is a great deal.

This was the perfect place to stay with our family. The neighborhood was safe and friendly, we were close to the subway, stores and the park. Brenda was helpful and willing to work with our flight schedule. The house was clean and the washer and dryer were nice to have. The con was we needed to buy our own hand soap and toilet paper, but we also never asked for any so I am sure she would have brought more to us.
The location was nice because we were close to two different subway lines and made traveling to the midtown very easy. My husband & son walked to the Yankee game since we were only two stops away from the stadium. The Bronx Zoo was easy to also. (Buy tickets online) Wish we would have spent more time there.
I just recommended the property to someone that is looking to go out in August. We would stay again.

I give this a 5 star and more rating!! Excellent location, with the subway not even 5 minutes away. Safe neighbor hood and that is a great plus since I am a female. The pictures do not lie, it is exactly as advertised, clean and very charming. My friends and I enjoyed every moment we spent in this vacation rental and the location couldn't have gotten any better for such a great price. The owners were so warm and friendly and answered any queries we had which was great. The apartment was so cozy and comfortable we didn't even feel like venturing outside sometimes!! Thank you so much for a wonderful place to stay and I would recommend this rental to anyone who visits New York. We enjoyed every minute there! Thanks again!

This is my first time using a vacation rental so I was very worried about the ideal in general. After a stay at Brenda’s Place all my worries are now at ease. The rental is in Harlem but it is in a wonderful part. Actually after visiting the Bronx and Brooklyn I was so happy I stayed here. The area is on a tree line street which is quiet and has very little traffic both vehicle and pedestrian. It was quiet at night, which was surprising to me, especially since I am a light sleeper. The apartment has its own entrance which is wonderful, and I would define as wheel chair accessible since its only 1 step down to the entrance from side walk. The apartment was as seen in pictures which was great except one of the photos doesn’t show the television in the living. There was plenty of dinner wear and cooking accessories to accommodate those who prefer to eat in while vacationing. There is a washer and dryer which was supplied wish detergent and fabric softeners. There was also an outside patio which has a grill and patio set decorated with ivy and heavenly bamboo (nandina) plants (I’m a nature lover).
I don’t think there is one word that best describe my impression of Brenda, but I will use the word “wonderful”. Our flight arrived early so we arrived at the apartment almost 2 hours earlier than expected. I texted her and let her know and she left work to meet us. She took the time to show us where everything was located in the apartment and had a notebook filled with all the information needed. This notebook included subway maps, menu of delivering restaurants, wifi information, and the telephone number for the home phone you can place local calls. She always made us aware that she is willing to help with anything which really helped since we needed our tickets for the statue of liberty printed that she gladly delivered to us.
I honestly love the place and I would recommend to anyone who is planning to visit Nyc and prefer to stay outside Manhattan. It is close to both B, C subway line, and the 2 ,3. Which makes things a lot less confusing since you can head east down the street to 1 line and west to the other. It’s not even 2 Blocks away. There is a plenty of restaurants near also, like IHOP, McDonalds, popeyes chicken, Chinese, grocery stores, etc… Oh before I go, you can park on the street. I tried to be very descriptive in my pleasant stay here because I don’t want anyone to miss out on how wonderful this place is!!

If I could give this property 20 stars, I would!! From the moment I walked through the door I was floored. This is one of the most spectacular hidden jems in Harlem and well worth three times the rate. The way that the owners stayed true to the character and architecture of the the home made it so warm and inviting. I felt as though I had returned home the moment that I stepped in. It's a hop, skip and a jump from the convenient stores, the subway or a taxi if you prefer. It was such a safe neighborhood and me being a woman, that was highly improtant. The owners were extremely helpful, friendly, and inviting. I definitely intend to return and most definitely intend to give them my repeat buisness...

Three girlfriends and I rented this property for 4 days to spend New Year 2012 in NYC for the first time. I honestly can't say enough good things about this property and the owners. The Brownstone was extremely spacious and clean. I was a bit apprehensive about staying in Harlem for the 1st time (originally from Michigan), but the neighborhood was very peaceful and located within walking distance to shopping and the subway.

I would definitely recommend this property as both a short-term and long-term lodging option.

I will utilize this property for every stay in NYC moving forward!!!!!