New York Habitat Blog

After sharing with you some tips to determine if you are dealing with a legitimate company or agent before choosing an apartment,  this week we wanted to show you how to spot clues that the apartment you are looking to rent may be a fake.

Rental scams are on the rise, so it is more important than ever to look into the person or company that you are dealing with and make sure they are legitimate. Here are a few things to look out for:

New York Apartment: 2-bedroom vacation rental in Greenwich Village (NY-9572) photo

1)    Is there a legitimate company name on the contract that you can investigate further? : We have seen many fake contracts with “company names” like “Charming and Cozy Apartment in Time Square” or “1br-Beautiful Option for Hotels”. Those are not business names; they are lifted straight out of a rental ad!

2)    You are receiving communications from multiple email addresses or names: If the email address contains a company domain name (the part just after the @ symbol in the email) you can look up the company to get more information on them.

3)    There are errors in the rental dates or prices quoted: Most scammers cannot be bothered to take the time to change the details for every scam or they are scamming so many people that they become confused themselves. That is a major red flag!

4)    The directions to the apartment don’t make sense: Google Map the address and see if the directions you have been given are legitimate. Many scammers don’t know the area and have no idea how to get to the apartment. A legitimate rental agency or broker will know the best way  to get to the apartments they are listing.

5)    The wording of the contract or communication from the agent or company is awkward or has spelling or grammatical mistakes: It may also have numerous repetitions or contradictions within it. Legitimate companies and brokers will have professionals reviewing their contracts to make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors.

New York Apartment: 1-bedroom rental in Fort Greene, Brooklyn (NY-12503) photo

If you show up at your destination and realize you have been scammed: Read the entire story here… »

From the whimsical John Lennon memorial in Central Park to the somber, makeshift commemoration surrounding the World Trade Center site, New Yorkers take their memorials seriously. Fittingly, perhaps the most stately presidential north of Washington D.C. lies right here on the island of Manhattan. Despite the fact that General Ulysses S. Grant’s tomb and memorial is a subway stop from Midtown, in the bucolic setting of Riverside Park, the site still remains off the beaten path. Grant’s tomb is an absolute must visit for history buffs, architecture aficionados and anyone looking for a slice of the city not featured on the front page of typical tourist guides. Just as in all of Manhattan, New York Habitat apartments dot the Uptown neighborhood that Grant’s coffined body calls home.

New York Apartment: studio in the Upper West Side (NY-12377) photo

Built at the tail end of the 19th century, Grant’s tomb is located among the rolling green spaces and river-front views of Riverside Park, in Manhattan’s Morningside Heights neighborhood. The memorial is North America’s largest mausoleum and houses the bodies of the Civil War general and 18th president of the United States, and his wife Julie Dent Grant. An imposing exterior is juxtaposed with the ornate warmth of the domed interior. Rays of sunlight illuminate the marble from openings at the top of the dome and a large mural depicting Grant and general Robert E. Lee is perched above the rotunda. Grant’s tomb is quite similar in design to that of Napoleon Bonaparte in Paris, France, and provides a wonderful opportunity to view Beaux-Art architecture on this side of the Atlantic.

Below are a few New York Habitat apartments available this spring:

A studio apartment in the Upper West Side (NY-12377) that is located just a block from Central Park.

This 2-bedroom apartment in the Upper West Side (NY-4910) on a tree-lined block of the neighborhood.

Let us know what you think of Grant’s Tomb.

As the weather gets warmer, you’ll want to spend more and more time outdoors on your next Parisian vacation.  We here at New York Habitat are going to be highlighting some of the great outdoor parks and gardens in Paris so that you’ll already have some places in mind before you go.  These spots are all great for strolling, picnicking, or just sitting and people-watching, a favorite pastime of Parisians!

Paris tree lined streets photo

This week, we’ll be looking at le Bois de Vincennes, on the eastern edge of Paris.  The park was given to the city of Paris by Napoleon III and Haussmann helped to turn it into an English style garden.  All together, the Bois de Vincennes is three times larger than Central Park in New York, and four times larger than Hyde Park in London.  Taking either the 1 or the 8 metro lines will get you to the entrance.  Most of the park is made up of hiking and horse trails.  You’ll also find a racetrack, running tracks, and small stadiums.  The large Lac Daumensil offers boating.  In terms of places to visit, there is a large zoo, a small petting zoo filled with farm animals, or le Parc Floral de Paris which includes a butterfly garden and hosts outdoor concerts in the summer.  Le Bois de Vincennes is also home to the large Château de Vincennes which housed both French royalty and prisoners during its long and rich history. 

New York Habitat has many vacation apartment rentals near le Bois de Vincennes. 

This 1 Bedroom Vacation Rental in Bastille (PA-3911) may be located on the ground floor but it also offers access to the beautiful courtyard.  It features a large great room that combines a living area, an eating area, and the well-equipped kitchen.

Paris Accommodation: 1-bedroom apartment rental in Bastille (PA-3911) photo

If you need some more space, look at this 2 Bedroom Vacation Rental in Bastille (PA-3589).  Located on the top floor of its building, this modern, penthouse apartment is bright and sunny thanks to its many windows.  It also features a long balcony from which you can enjoy the spectacular views of Paris while enjoying your morning coffee.  Past renters have described this apartment as “nice, spacious, luminous, clean and well situated”.

Or you can also rent this 2 Bedroom Vacation Rental in Bastille (PA-2488).  Also located on the top floor, this penthouse is very modern and well-equipped.  This apartment is also located along the Seine and the views from every room are to die for!  Past clients have said that this apartment “exceeded [all] expectations”.

Le Bois de Vincennes is a perfect way to spend a beautiful spring or summer day in Paris.  It offers a perfect balance between places to visit and places where one can just relax and soak up some Parisian atmosphere.  A nearby New York Habitat vacation apartment rental could make a visit to le Bois de Vincennes a daily occurrence!

Have you been to le Bois de Vincennes?  What was your favorite thing to do there?  Please share your ideas with us in the comments section.

So, you’ve read all your travel guides on how to survive on $40 a day, packed your entire vanity into 3oz bottles and a quart sized Ziploc bag, found an apartment rental on the Internet and even managed to survive the cross-Atlantic flight existing solely on the one complimentary bag of airline peanuts. Magnifique! However, when you arrive at the location of that très chic, too-good-to-be-true vacation rental you found on the Internet, you find out the address you were given to your dream apartment is actually a Starbucks cafe. Mon ami, you have found a rental scam!

New York: Vaction Rental 1-bedroom in the East Village (NY-11155 Photo

It pains us to see our fellow globetrotting travelers end up in this predicament. So, as you ponder how this could possibly have happened to a très savvy travel aficionado like yourself, let us pass along some advice on how to spot various apartment rental scams so you don’t end up sleepless in Seattle (New York, London, Paris, or anywhere else in the world).

Obviously there is some hesitation involved in renting an apartment in a distant place. However, apartment rental scams happen everyday to people right in their own cities as well. As avid travelers, we all know that the thrill of travel is the quest for adventure; paired with adventure is both risk and reward. Just make it a calculated risk and do your research before you rent that furnished apartment or roommate share apartment, otherwise you might have booked yourself a one-way ticket to trouble.

New York Habitat thinks that a great way to help clients determine which apartment is right for them is to let them see what previous clients have said about our apartments. You can take a look at reviews that previous clients have sent us for each apartment in New York, London, Paris and the South of France directly on our website. Fantastique! We encourage you to ask for apartment suggestions from our knowledgeable agents as well. They have visited many of these apartments themselves and know many of the owners personally.

Read the entire story here… »

Is baking in the sweltering heat of the French Riviera not your idea of an ideal vacation? Then let New York Habitat recommend an entirely different holiday experience, in Grasse - just a few miles inland from the coast, and a world away. 

A gorgeous hilltop town with stunning views and sumptuous medieval architecture, the elevation and unique microclimate of Grasse make it not only a refreshing change from the summer heat; it also provides the perfect environmental conditions in which to grow roughly 27 tons of jasmine every year.

Who on earth would need 27 tons of jasmine, you may ask?  That would be the many perfumeries located in and around Grasse, which is the perfume capital of the world! In fact, two-thirds of all the aromas produced by France come from Grasse, and most of the world’s expert sniffers are trained here as well.

You can take guided tours of perfumeries to see how your favorite fragrances are made, and visit the Musée International de la Parfumerie for highlights from three millennia of perfume making.

The surrounding countryside is awash with color, as jasmine, roses and many other flowers are grown in huge numbers to fulfill the demands of the perfume industry. There is even a Jasmine Festival on the first Sunday in August, and a Rose Festival on the second weekend in May.

South of France Villa: 3-bedroom in Cabris, French Riviera (PR-895) photo

Even this hosted 3-bedroom Bed & Breakfast in Grasse-plascassier (PR-389) gets in on the act! Set in the peaceful countryside, this villa with a private garden offers three well-appointed guest rooms named Mimosa, Jasmine and Lavender. All the bedrooms can accommodate one person or a couple and have a full private bathroom and independent access. From the house, the views sweep from the Mediterranean Sea to the foothills of the Alps. The house has been decorated with Antiques and glimpses of the owners’ time abroad.

If you’d like to make Grasse your base for a longer stay to take in all the South of France has to offer, this 3-bedroom vacation rental villa in Cabris, France (PR-895) is situated about 10 minutes drive from the town of Grasse itself, and has vacation or monthly rentals throughout the year.

This being France, of course, the 11th-century Notre Dame du Puy cathedral in Grasse features several works by Rubens and is well worth a visit. And Grasse is just a half hour from Cannes and Nice and easily accessible by car or public transportation, so world class shopping and cuisine are right nearby - as is Nice’s international airport.

More and more, vacationers are opting to stay in smaller, more picturesque towns like Grasse and simply visiting larger cities like Nice. Which one appeals to you more - or does it depend more on the kind of accommodations you find?  Let us know in the comments.

Many out-of-town visitors flood the streets of New York in search of the city’s vibrant arts scene. Some choose to get their art fix on Broadway by taking in one of Midtown’s world-renowned shows, while others seek to find the next big thing in a little-known music venue in the East Village. One thing all visitors can agree on is the wide accessability of the arts in the Big Apple. After all, pedestrians are treated to free performances in most of the city’s subway stations and on street corners from the Bowery to Harlem. Creativity in this city is not limited to adults, and the Children’s Museum of the Arts proves that the biggest imaginations often come in the smallest packages. The city’s creative spirit is reflected in New York Habitat’s accommodations.

New York: Vacation Rental 2-bedroom in Downtown (NY-2208) Photo

The Children’s Museum of the Arts is much more than just an exhibition space, the museum is better described as a creative space. The purpose of objects on display is not only to encourage reflection and appreciation but moreover to inspire children to create art themselves. That said, the museum’s collection is impressive. CMA maintains a collection of over 2,000 pieces of art created by young people dating back to the 1930s, originating from over 50 different countries. Daily workshops are the museum’s calling card. Workshop themes change regularly and range from photography, theater set designing, sculpture, animation, performance art and painting. The Childern’s Museum of the Arts follows the belief that each child is a creative being and the diverse workshop offering ensures that each child can find a medium that suits their interest. 

-This 2-bedroom rental apartment in Soho (NY-11159) sports the loft-style layout that the neighborhood is famous for. And at 2000 square feet, there is plenty of room.

-This 3-bedroom vacation rental in Midtown West (NY-10971) features an excellent midtown location and a spacious, family-friendly layout.

-And this 2-bedroom rental apartment in Tribeca (NY-2208) is a dream for families looking for an apartment downtown. 

Let us know your favorite workshops and exhibits at the Children’s Museum of the Arts.

No warm weather trip to London would be complete without a visit to Hampstead Heath, an amazing 790 acres of ancient parkland and idyllic public space within the capital—only a fifteen-minute Tube ride from the city center. Though often overlooked by tourists, the heath is one of London’s hidden rustic highlights, as well as a favorite of the locals. In fact, you can feel like a local yourself by staying in a New York Habitat vacation rental in Hampstead this spring.

London Accommodation: 2-bedroom Apartment in Hampstead (LN-362) photo

In addition to vast, sprawling grasslands and hills, Hampstead Heath has a chain of ponds along its perimeter—three of which are open-air pools accessible to visitors who don’t mind a cool, refreshing dip. The heath also boasts one of the highest points in London, so bring a camera along with your bathing suit to capture the breathtaking views from Parliament Hill (or nearby Highgate Hill).

Of course, you are still in the city so you’ll want to do a bit of proper sightseeing.  For that, there’s the stately Kenwood House, an eighteenth-century country estate that boasts works by Dutch masters, including Vermeer and (rare) Rembrandt. You are also close to the Keats House, where the esteemed poet wrote “Ode to a Nightingale” under a tree in the backyard while pining away for his next-door neighbor (who, understandably unable to resist his verse, soon became his fiancée).

To pay your respects to some other past residents, head to peaceful and picturesque Highgate Cemetery, where Karl Marx, George Eliot and the Dickens family are all buried, or take a short, convenient bus ride to Golders Green Crematorium to see the pastoral resting place of Sigmund Freud, H.G. Wells and Bram Stoker. (The staff welcomes visitors and has a handy map ready upon entry.)

London apartment: 3-bedroom vacation rental in Hampstead LN-306 photo

One not-to-be-missed stop near Hampstead Heath (close to Finchley Road station) is the Freud Museum, built in the family home where they took up residence after escaping Austria. The museum houses Freud’s huge collection of Greek, Egyptian and Eastern antiques—many of which you may care to analyze for yourself—as well as the showstopper: Freud’s famed couch for his patients of psychoanalysis.

Another London institution you won’t want to miss in Hampstead is Chaiwalla, a café that puts an Indian twist on traditional afternoon tea. Their clay cups of masala chai tea and South Asian snacks will fortify you on your stroll through Hampstead Heath and put you out less than eight pounds per person.

The best way to experience all that Hampstead has to offer is by staying in a conveniently located New York Habitat vacation rental, such as the following accommodations that seem to bring the spring indoors:

• A charming and spotless 3-bedroom vacation rental in Hampstead, Camden-Brent (LN-306) on the third floor of a building with porter and lift. Each bedroom has twin beds that can zip together into doubles, and there are three full baths plus a WC—perfect for families. This Finchley Road accommodation is outfitted with a full kitchen, parquet floors and laundry/dryer; it also has easy access to City and West End buses and is a short walk from the O2 Shopping Center, a Sainbury’s Superstore, Waitrose grocery, library, and health club with swimming pool, as well as countless nearby restaurants and eateries in the neighborhood.

• An absolutely lovely split-level 2-bedroom vacation accommodation in Hampstead, Camden-Brent (LN-362) on the ground floor of a modern Victorian building. This rental has a balcony and terrace, as well as a conservatory with seating for four and access to a 3-acre community garden for sunny spring days. It also comes with a laundry/dryer, a queen-sized bed in the master bedroom, a double sofa bed (and extra pullout bed) in the second bedroom, and two baths, so there’s plenty of space for everyone.

To fall in love with London this spring, stay in a vacation rental in Hampstead—and see the city like a local.

Leave a comment below to let us know if you’ve ever experienced the outdoor oasis of Hampstead Heath.