Contributor MizBrooklyn is faced with a visit from her folks, and they need a place to stay. Since many of us in NYC are faced with accommodating guests, she’s done some research on the best options in and near CH.
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My mom and dad are about to pay a visit to our little urban oasis — and while I was born in Chicago, IL, for the last 25 years, my parents have been entrenched suburbanites. It’s not to say they’re not worldly – they’ve been all over the globe, both have been to New York countless times. But they haven’t WANDERED much — I mean, they hadn’t been to the upper west side until they came to my office. Brooklyn is kind of a novelty for them. (When I first moved here, my dad made some kind of comment to the effect of “Do cabs even go there?”) So, this upcoming weekend is all about introducing Brooklyn to them (and vice versa), and convincing them that our little slice of the rock is Worth It.
The PR campaign is in full effect: I’m sending off a little bound copy of “Brooklyn Is” today — that was James Agee’s ode to our fair borough, published in 1968 in Esquire. And it’s important that they be comfortable when they spend their weekend here. They’d ruled out staying in our apartment (1000 square feet feels claustrophobic for those un-used-to it), so the quest is on for the best place for them to stay.
My first choice was Debbie Dangerfield’s famed “Saddle Down” B+B. It’s only $150 for two people to spend the night just down the street from all Clinton Hill has to offer. The reviews on Trip Advisor are pretty great. The good news is that Debbie was beyond friendly when I called, quizzing me on what building I lived in and how I’d heard about her and even trying to recruit me to volunteer with the Clinton Hill House Tour. The bad news is my parents are just not about sharing bathrooms. And it looks like Debbie is in the process of moving into a brownstone (the original B+B is in an apartment) — the B+B is halfway shut down temporarily. So, it was on to…
Akwaaba, a mansion in Stuyvesant Heights. This would be a good option for moms and dads who are more adventurous than mine, and are willing to stay a couple of miles away for what looks to be a pretty amazing Brooklyn experience. Unfortunately, my parents would be freaked out by the whole “Bed Stuy” label, so I took a look at…
Bed and Breakfast on the Park, which is really in Park Slope, but, hey — it’s near the park, and the museum, and the botanical garden, and the library…and Justice Ginsburg recommends it! They offered me their “winter rate” of $225/night (that’s less than normal), but it still seemed a bit steep, since there was a “service charge” and also sales tax to account for. So, since my parents would rather stuff money into their 401K than give it to a Bed and Breakfast, we settled on…
The Marriott down by the Brooklyn Bridge. Ugh. It’s chief advantage is that it’s near Junior’s Cheesecake, which both parents will enjoy. It’s disadvantages are obvious. The last time I was there they were having a toddler beauty contest and the scent of hairspray could barely mask the desperation of the Jon Benet-style stage moms. Eesh.
What Clinton Hill really needs (well, after it gets a grocery store): an apartment-swap website where people can volunteer apartments they won’t be in to those who want to house-sit. I know, it’s fraught with danger, but it could be done. (Word is that some of the Ft. Greene Parents list-servs are truly useful when the grandparents need a place to stay…an email to other moms and moms-to-be can churn up some empty apartments that need house-sitting…so much cheaper than a hotel.) What do you think? Workable?
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10 Comments
Did you try apartment rental websites like cyberrentals.com & vrbo.com? Or even Craig’s List. They may provide alternatives for you.
Hey, CH Blog should put up a permanent list of things like this. “Places to stay in the neighborhood,” on the right hand links column with a link to reader suggestions for example. It would be a great resource and everyone would know right where to find it if you put it up permanently.
Actually, there are a couple other B&Bs that seem quite nice. When my parents come in April, they’ll stay at Spencer Place B&B, which is at Fulton and Spencer, 1 block away from the Franklin C stop. The people who run it seem great. Then there’s Bed & Breakfast Marissa in PH, on Park Place between Vanderbilt and Underhill. Finally, and most fancy, Regina B&B at 16 Fort Greene Place.
Thanks for this; my own parents preferred to stay in Manhattan when they came to visit, but at least we had a good walk around the neighborhood…(Mom has been making noises about wanting to come back during the Cherry Blossom weekend at the Botanic Garden, though.)
very disappointed to read about the reasons for your parents not considering staying at the akwaaba mansion…maybe they should try to step outside their comfort zone and in the process they may find a wonderful experience.
When my dad came to town a few weeks back, I put him up at the Holiday Inn Express in Park Slope on Union / 4th Ave. No frills or ambience, but clean, safe, close to CH (my parents are a lot like the original posters) and came with a free continental breakfast for under $150/night.
I think it would be great to create a network of people who are willing to open their doors to neighbors and their families while they’re away. I have the exact same problem with my parents- they prefer to have their own space, so they end up staying at overpriced hotels in Manhattan!
Wow- you guys are all pretty lucky! My parents always insisted on staying with me every time they visited, even when that meant sharing my 10 x 13 Hell’s Kitchen studio space. Wish I was joking about that, but no.
There is a YMCA in Greenpoint that is fantastic as well. I go to the gym and it is super state of the art and great. I hear the rooms are nice as well.
Hello Lesterhead,
I hope it is not inappropriate for me to write to you via this blog given that I have a commercial interest in this posting but one of my customers forwarded it to me. His parents are staying with us in March. Parents who visit their children and grandchildren in the neighborhood make up 3/4 of our clientele. We opened last May in our brownstone in Cobble Hill. You can check it out on our web site at http://www.cobblehillstudio.net .
Thanks and good luck.
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