New York Habitat Blog

Recently we told you about some of the great Roman sites in the South of France. This week, we move forward about a thousand years to explore some vestiges of the medieval era, when France was just beginning to come into its own as a sovereign nation. These sites offer a historical backdrop for your vacation and after a full day of exploring the past, nothing could be better than coming back to a furnished apartment rental from New York Habitat.

You may want to begin your journey back through time in the medieval village of Les-Baux-de-Provence. This small town, nestled in among the Alpilles mountains, is known as one of the most picturesque in France. The main feature of this town is the huge medieval fortress, complete with castle and small village, perched atop the cliffs. Take a tour of this amazing relic of a past era where you can see real working trebuchets, jousts and other recreations of medieval life.

Les-Baux-de-Provence photo

For more on visit the office website of Les Baux and its fortress castle.

In Les-Baux, you can even feel like you’re living in medieval times by staying in this bed-and-breakfast establishment, a hosted 3 bedroom maison de village rental (PR-248). Each room has medieval touches, such as tapestries on the walls or beamed ceilings. However, the kitchen and bathrooms have been updated to include modern conveniences. Some rooms include private terraces and all of them offer exquisite views of the town.

From Les-Baux, it is just a short drive into Avignon, where you’ll find the Palais des Papes (the Palace of the Popes), home to the head of Catholicism for much of the 14th century. A wonderful example of medieval Gothic architecture, this palace was commissioned by Pope Clement V in 1309 and was home to 6 other popes and 2 anti-popes. After the Catholic leaders returned to Rome, the palace fell into disrepair until the beginning of the 20th century when it was declared a national monument and museum. After extensive restoration, most of the castle is now open to the public. Avignon is a large city in the South of France and has much more to offer so you may want to spend several days here.

South of France Avignon Vacation Rental (PR-615)

You’ll want to stay in this 2 bedroom duplex penthouse vacation rental apartment in Avignon (PR-615) during your visit there. Able to accommodate up to four people, this luxurious apartment is sunny and spacious. The open kitchen is modern and the perfect place to cook a meal with ingredients bought from the local market. The large bedrooms and modern bathrooms will make you feel right at home. Located just steps from the palace and the center of town, this apartment offers views from each room, and from the large open terrace, making it a truly wonderful place to stay.

If you’d like to visit more than one place in the South of France on your next vacation, planning your trip around a theme is a great way to do so. Visiting these medieval sites will allow you to experience small town life in Les-Baux-de-Provence, and the larger city of Avignon. Luckily, New York Habitat has accommodations all around the region for your convenience.

For more on Avignon, read Top towns in the South of France: #2 Avignon, Provence.

Have you visited these sites? Did you enjoy them? Do you have other recommendation about the area? Please share with us in the comments section.

New Yorkers are reluctant to concede anything to the state of New Jersey. New York has the better bagels, a more stable housing market, less pollution and a stronger economy, or so some say. One thing New Yorkers can’t deny is New Jersey waterfront’s awesome Hudson River and Westside Manhattan views. Nowhere in New York does the Westside of Manhattan look as good as it does from Jersey City. Liberty State Park is situated on the western coast of the Hudson River, steps from downtown Jersey City. Liberty State Park features a restored historical train terminal, a state of the art science museum, and sweeping views of the foreboding Manhattan skyline. For those looking to visit Liberty State Park choosing a Vacation Rental Apartment in downtown Manhattan can offer views back across the river to the park plus you can look out from Liberty State Park and see your building in Manhattan.

View of New York City from New Jersey Photo

Liberty State Park in Jersey City is less than 2,000 feet from the Statue of Liberty. The park is the site of a daily ferry service running between the park and the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The park is home to the restored Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal (CRRNJT), a place with a special place in American immigrant history. A visit to the terminal is a perfect compliment to a stop at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island; millions of European immigrants poured through the terminal on their way to settling in communities throughout the US at the turn of the last century. Also at the park is the Liberty Science Center, an interactive museum with a revolving door of interesting exhibits and excited school children. The main draw of Liberty State Park is, of course, the Manhattan views. From here visitors have fully unobstructed and expansive views of the city’s Westside, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Guests planning to visit Jersey City should stay somewhere on the Westside of Manhattan. The PATH train runs all day between Jersey City and several Westside stops. Take the PATH train to either Exchange Place or Pavonia/Newport and then transfer to the Hudson/Bergen light rail train to the Liberty State Park stop. Some apartments that are interesting include:

• This 16th floor 1-bedroom rental accommodation in Midtown West-Chelsea (NY-9951) which is flooded with natural sunlight most of the day.
• This roomy studio apartment in Midtown West-Chelsea (NY-11956), that is well situated, near the transportation hub at Union Square.
• This loft-style alcove studio rental in Midtown West-Chelsea (NY-12391) features a wall of windows with a view of the neighboring flower shop.

If you enjoy this Manhattan view just wait until next week when we share with you the 4th best view in the New York area.

Photograph provided by francois-roux-photography.com

We’ve waxed poetic about Paris’ Bercy Quarter in the past and anchoring the neighborhood is the François Mitterrand French National Library. More than just a place to read or study, the Franch National Library has a diverse offering of exhibits. Running until early April are two very different offerings. One of the exhibits, titled Heros: From Achillies to Zidane, is a great place to bring the kids. The other exhibit, entitled Hell at the Library, Eros in Secret, is strictly for adults, even the French intellectuals running the library are denying entry to those under 16 years old. New York Habitat has big apartments in the quarter for families in town for the Heros exhibit and smaller accommodations for the couples or solo travelers interested in the Eros presentation.

Bibliotheque Nationale de France Pict

The Heros exhibit takes a wide lens to modern hero worship. While the exhibit is fun for kids who get to marvel at superman and soccer star Zinnedine Zidane it is equally interesting to adults wanting to understand the reasons behind their own admirations. The library juxtaposes the myths of Hercules and Joan of Arc with that of Che Guevera and musical stars like Jimi Hendrix and begs the question what makes mortal men heros? And what, if anything, do they all have in common? One theme also worth exploring is the context of hero worship–surely Charles De Gaulle was no hero to the Germans, nor was Che Guevera to the CIA or Zidane to Italian soccer supporters.

On an entirely different note is the massive exhibit Hell at the Library, Eros in Secret. The library has marked the occasion of the well-received exhibit by marking a large red X on the side of one of its towers. The exhibit examines eroticism, sex and pornography in literature between the 16 and 20th centuries, the reaction to it and the history of vast collections being hidden and forbidden from the public. Conservative Americans might find themselves blushing a bit at some graphic depictions–but as is always the case with the French, the sexual presentation is done tastefully and unabashedly.

Paris Street Scene Photo

Two very different exhibitions deserve two different kinds of New York Habitat accommodations. Families should try this spacious 2-bedroom apartment rental in Mouffetard, Grand Bibliotheque -Cite Universitaire (PA-2504). The accommodation fits a 4-person family very comfortably. For couples or small families New York Habitat offers this 1-bedroom apartment rental in Jardin des Plants, Grand Bibliotheque - Cite Universitaire (PA-2933).

Which exhibit interests you most? Heros or Eros? Please Comment Below.

Mention the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the first thing that comes to mind is the grand old Met building buttressing Central Park on Manhattan’s museum mile. New Yorkers think of the hordes of tourists packed on the steps along 80th street during the hot summer months, and of the shameless street performers who make a living performing before the jovial crowds. Rarely though is the Cloisters Museum associated with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Located in northern Manhattan and within the confines of Fort Tryon Park , the Cloisters often gets overlooked by its big brother to the south. While the Cloisters may not have the vast collection of the 80th street Met, it possesses the charm of a small European monastery. New York Habitat has several area apartments that accommodate the art lover in all of us.

Cloisters Museum New York City

The Cloisters Museum features an impressive collection of medievil art, including a selection of huge tapestries dating back to the 15th century as well as countless religious-themed pieces. The main draw of the Cloisters museum though is the building itself. Visitors must pinch themselves while walking through the building–you would be hard pressed to find a more serene space on the island of Manhattan. The museum is home to five medieval cloisters, or open courtyards that were imported, literally and stylistically, from France. Spending a day at the Cloisters marveling at the serenity of the courtyards is as close as one can get to medieval Europe in New York City.

The best way to see the Cloisters is to pair it with a visit at the Met. For those willing to take their time we suggest arriving early at the Met to avoid the crowds–doors open at 9:30 am–and then hopping on the Madison Avenue M4 bus for an afternoon at the Cloisters. The ride is long –1 hour or so– but offers an interesting bus tour of the Upper East Side, Harlem and Washington Heights. Listed below are a few New York Habitat apartments that will get you started in the right place:

New York Accommodaiton: 1 bedroom rental in the Upper East Side (NY-12551)

- A studio on the Upper East Side studio apartment (NY-12147) only 7 blocks from the Met.
- An alcove studio accommodation on the Upper East Side (NY-12315) with exposed brick, only 2 blocks from the Met and Central Park.
- A 1-bedroom rental apartment (NY-12551) featuring a private balcony with amazing river views.

Already visited the Cloisters? Let us know what you thought about it below.

Have you been looking for apartment ratings and reviews about New York Habitat apartments, or do you want to post a rating or review about your experiences with us? Today we will share with you some popular travel rating and review sites where New York Habitat has been reviewed regularly.

______________________________________________________________________

Insider Pages

Insider Pages: Insider Pages is a site, which reviews businesses city by city. They include everything from review of spas, to restaurants critiques to ratings of vacation rental agencies. Several of our clients and owners have taken the time to share their experiences on Insider Pages and the reviews have been good! Here are a few of our favorite headlines:

• ***** New York Habitat, The Best of The Best
• ***** Never stay in a hotel again . . .
• ***** Perfect Agency!

Follow the link to the New York Habitat Insider Pages reviews to read all of the feedback.

______________________________________________________________________

Amazon.com

Amazon.com: The Internet’s version of a department store, Amazon.com sells a little bit of anything. For products that Amazon does not offer they have created ratings pages to help find the best products and services. Once again this has been a popular forum to express reviews of New York Habitat’s apartments and our service. Some top headlines includes:

• ***** New York Habitat: Great place to list an furnished apartment
• **** Great place in Paris!
• ***** Great service

To read all of the comments visit Amazon.com Customer Reviews of New York Habitat.

______________________________________________________________________

Epinions

Epinions.com: One of the oldest feedback sites Epinions has been around since before many people even had e-mail addresses. This site is designed to encourage people to review products and services by offering incentives for quality reviews. This has been another popular place for clients and owners to rate us. Some feedback includes:

• ***** Simply amazing service!
• **** No surprise in the apartment and this is a sign of reliability.
• ***** The ‘Right Choice’ for getting the ‘Right Service’

Click to read all of the Epinions reviews about New York Habitat.

______________________________________________________________________

All of these types of forums can be helpful in gaining more information about products and services from the internet. We invite you to comment below on other websites that you use to express your feedback about New York Habitat’s apartments and service. We look forward to reading your ratings and reviews.

In continuing with our theme of Middle Eastern and North African influence on modern French culture New York Habitat reveals an entirely different kind of guided Paris tour. Besides being the home to one of Paris’ most interesting museums, the Institute of the Arab World(Monde Arab link) is also the site of arabic-language courses, child activities, film showings and the start of the Paris-Arabe Historique: a walk through the streets of Paris’ 5th arrondissement. The guided walking tour takes visitors through the streets of the 5th arrondissement, taking special note of sites and monuments relating to the Arab influence on France. The quarter has many attractive apartments and New York Habitat can have you calling a vaction rental home in no time.

Paris, France: 5th arrondissement

The Paris-Arabe History guided tour takes place every Saturday afternoon from late Spring to early Fall. The tour starts out at the College de France and La Sorbonne, two sites not normally thought of as anything but Français. This part of the tour highlights the intellectual curiosity of the French towards the Middle East during the reign of Francois the 1st. The tour then moves on to one of the oldest churches in Paris, the church Saint-Julien-le-Pauvre. Tour guides outline the relationship of France and Christian Arabs. The third stage of the walking tour focuses on the Arabic language. The 5th arrondissement is where the first printing presses and newspapers were introduced in Arabic and the dozens of Arabic bookstores and libraries in Paris are rooted in the quarter. The tour then arrives at the Mosque of Paris , one of the grandest Mosques in the West. The tour comes to an end back at the Institute of the Arab World and, if you still have the energy, guests can take in an exhibition or shop in the on-site store.

While on the tour visitors will be enviously strolling by some of Paris’ nicest apartments. Instead of admiring the flats from afar why not move into one? Trust us, your friends at the Hilton will be jealous.

(Lots of light and hardwood floors define the look of this one-bedroom rental accommodation in Quartier Latin, St Michel - St Germain - Notre Dame (PA 1305). The building is on a quiet street and the apartment has a washing machine and dryer. Solo travelers and couples should take a look at this Studio vacation rental in St Michel, Grand Bibliotheque - Cite Universitaire (PA-2135). The apartment gets heaps of light and has some cool, Arab-inspired, design touches. To really impress your fellow travelers stay in this five-bedroom rental apartment in Luxembourg, St Michel - St Germain - Notre Dame (PA-2995). The apartment is enormous, unique, kid-friendly and quite funky. The decor and architectural style is whimsical, industrial and functional all at the same time.

Walking is the best way to see the history, culture and architecture of Paris. Are there any walking tours you have done that rival the Paris-Arabe Historique? Comment Below.     

On the northern tip of Manhattan lies one of New York City’s most unspoiled Hudson river views, a historic museum and manicured green spaces–Fort Tryon Park. Fort Tryon Park, named for the last British governor of Colonial New York, is a place that even the most astute Manhattanite often overlooks. The park is perched high above the Hudson river, just north of the Washington Heights neighborhood on Manhattan’s West Side. While a subway ride on the A or 1 train from Midtown will take you about 40 minutes, the calm ambiance and raw beauty of the park feels more 18th century colonial than modern concrete jungle. For those wary of riding the train for  longer than 15 minutes New York Habitat offers dozens of UWS accommodations a short distance from Fort Tryon Park.

Uptown, Manhattan, New York City

Fort Tryon Park is steeped in history. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. stands as the patriarch of the modern park, having employed the Olmstead Brothers architectural firm (credited as the principle architects of both Central and Prospect parks) to realize his vision for the site. Mr. Rockefeller went so far as to purchase land on the New Jersey side of the Hudson river–now known as Palisades State Park–to preserve the views. In 1931 Mr. Rockefeller donated the land to the City of New York. Thanks to the work of Mr. Rockefeller, Olmstead and generations of preservation committees the natural views from Fort Tryon park are the best in New York City. The Hudson river is the principle element in the park’s natural canvas with the George Washington Bridge acting as the gateway to the city in the South and acres of New Jersey woodland staring back from West.

From the Fort Tryon vantage point it is hard to imagine the urban sprawl that envelopes it. All in all Fort Tryon Park encompasses over 66 acres of city land and boasts over 8 miles of pedestrian paths. On summer weekends the park is teeming with picnicking families and groups of sweaty joggers. At the north end of the park is The Cloisters museum, a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a major attraction all itself.

Hudson River Manhattan, New York Picture

This 1-bedroom apartment rental in Harlem, Uptown(NY-12546) is on the first floor of a historical Harlem brownstone and a short subway ride to Fort Tryon Park. Also available is this cozy Studio accommodation in the Hamilton Heights section of Harlem, Uptown (NY-2575). And located steps from the A express train at Columbus Circle taking passengers directly to Fort Tryon is this Alcove Studio apartment in Upper West Side (NY-5886).

To read about other park in New York City read: Spring Vacation Rentals: Visit New York City’s Parks

Check back for more on The Cloisters Museum at Fort Tryon Park in the coming weeks…